A week ago I made an amazing discovery... I learned how to put sermons on my phone. This is extremely helpful, as sometimes life gets crazy and we miss church. In the past week I was able to catch up on our Generations series which is, by the way, incredible. While there are times when I wish my church offered MOPS or Awanas... I feel that God has used the teaching at my church to help me to grow and I'm so thankful for that!
In the sermon on Job, our pastor challenged us to think differently in hard times. Instead of our natural reaction of asking "Why," we should try asking "What?" as in "What is God teaching me through this struggle?" or "Who?" as in "Who is really in control right now?" So it got me thinking, what is God trying to teach me right now... because I believe I'm exactly where I am for a purpose... to learn something that will help me grow as a daughter of Christ.
I think He's trying to teach me to let up on Nicholas and stop looking left and right to compare. In the past (I think I'm getting better) I've had a nasty habit of comparing him to other children. He was much more rambunctious as a toddler than my friend's children were and I got on him about it a lot... he has a sensitive side that I definitely get on him about... and I worry a lot about how he's doing at school. It's an area where I loose all control... I can't be there watching to make sure he's doing things correctly or behaving properly. I have to trust that the past 5 years I've taught him enough to be respectful to his teachers and peers and pray that he learns something academic while he's at it. He got his report card on Monday and he's doing wonderful... he scored "4s" on everything they tested for this grading period and is reading at the level they want him to be at before 1st grade. He's fine... and I feel like this was yet another time God said "See, now let up on the poor kid." I think there's a balance that I've yet to achieve... the balance between being strict to teach respect, responsibility, and build character... and letting kids be kids and solve their own problems and make their own mistakes. I think God is trying to teach me that... in doing so, I think He's helping me to mother a little boy who will grow up into a stronger man. I feel like God has spent a lot of time reminding me that my job is NOT to mold Nicholas into a child who does the things I think he's supposed to do or accomplishes the things our culture says he should... my job is to train Nicholas to follow God and fulfill His purpose... end of story. My parenting needs to clearly reflect that.
I think God is trying to teach me generosity. I won't get into it online, but I really feel like God has put circumstances in my life specifically to teach me compassion, generosity, and selflessness. It's humbling when you think that you're already compassionate, generous, and selfless and then God throws something into your life that makes it glaringly obvious that you're not those things.
What is God teaching you right now? What is He teaching you through struggle? Through achievement? Through celebration?
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Why I'm Scared for our Country
I'm scared for our country. Truly concerned... not trying to exaggerate or be overly paranoid, but I'm worried for the country that my kids are growing up in.
Unlike many others, my concern is not because Obama is President. I don't like everything he's done, hasn't done, or plans to do/not to do... but I don't think that he alone will be the downfall of America. Our country has survived much worse and came out stronger for it. We've survived scandals, wars, domestic unrest... and we typically learn from them and move forward.
No, I'm concerned for what seems to be the chaism in our country. It seems that so many Americans fall into one category or another.
Some are completely apathetic about the political process. They don't vote, don't pay attention to legislation, don't know who their leaders are or what their actual jobs are, don't know what the Consitution actually provides us, and don't really care to find out. That worries me. I see so many Facebook posts and (even more scary) articles that expect leaders to do things that aren't within their powers. As a social science teacher, it makes me feel like my profession fails our young people. We don't do a good enough job. We help high school seniors learn enough to pass a standardized test and check a graduation requirement box... but we don't teach them to appreciate or really understand the country that they live in. In many schools, students get a little over 3 months to learn how their government functions. I'm not sure colleges are much better... seeing as my PoliSci class in college wasn't much more than a glorified high school class (sorry CSUB :().
The other side are people who are so entrenched in their political party that they can't step back to see the forest for the trees. I'm reminded of House and Senate members who have promised to vote "no" on anything supported by the President, regardless of its merit, simply to discredit him. There are democratic leaders who have stunchly refused to compromise with Republicans on anything, period. That is not the point of government. Our representative democracy only works when those we vote into office are mature enough to examine each piece of legislation for its merit and benefit to constituants... not to simply vote along party lines and brag about it. That's laziness at its worst.
I feel like America has become extremely spoiled... we don't appreciate the blessing we have to be able to vote our officials into office. We disrespect the process by throwing a hissy fit when the guy we wanted doesn't get sworn in. We refuse to watch our leaders speak on TV simply because we don't like them... instead of respecting the process and appreciating that our leaders were elected by the people. We decide to throw a tantrum for 4 years until its time to try again... refusing to move the country forward or make progress because we can't have it our way.
It becomes even more offensive when Christianity is used to defend our disrespect. A year ago, a Kansas Representative sent an e-mail to others in the House asking them to pray that our President is killed and that his wife be left widowed and his daughters orphaned. His reasoning? Psalm 109. We now have leaders who serve at a Federal level misusing scripture and taking it out of context to justify hate and evil... simply because we disagree with the President.
So yes... I'm concerned for my country. Not because I worry about the action our country may soon take on weapons. Not because our President may restructure health care or raise taxes on some. I worry because I think we've lost sight of the big picture. We're passing down to our children the idea that if we don't like someone in authority, it's okay to say horrible things about them... that if we can't have what we want, we just throw a temper tantrum until it's time to try again... that if we don't like someone in authority we should just ignore them because they aren't deserving of our attention and respect.
I really pray that we, as a nation (and I include myself in this), realize how blessed we are and follow the Scriptures which so clearly tell us to respect our authorities and show Jesus' love to everyone around us, regardless of political affiliation or lifestyle choice.
Unlike many others, my concern is not because Obama is President. I don't like everything he's done, hasn't done, or plans to do/not to do... but I don't think that he alone will be the downfall of America. Our country has survived much worse and came out stronger for it. We've survived scandals, wars, domestic unrest... and we typically learn from them and move forward.
No, I'm concerned for what seems to be the chaism in our country. It seems that so many Americans fall into one category or another.
Some are completely apathetic about the political process. They don't vote, don't pay attention to legislation, don't know who their leaders are or what their actual jobs are, don't know what the Consitution actually provides us, and don't really care to find out. That worries me. I see so many Facebook posts and (even more scary) articles that expect leaders to do things that aren't within their powers. As a social science teacher, it makes me feel like my profession fails our young people. We don't do a good enough job. We help high school seniors learn enough to pass a standardized test and check a graduation requirement box... but we don't teach them to appreciate or really understand the country that they live in. In many schools, students get a little over 3 months to learn how their government functions. I'm not sure colleges are much better... seeing as my PoliSci class in college wasn't much more than a glorified high school class (sorry CSUB :().
The other side are people who are so entrenched in their political party that they can't step back to see the forest for the trees. I'm reminded of House and Senate members who have promised to vote "no" on anything supported by the President, regardless of its merit, simply to discredit him. There are democratic leaders who have stunchly refused to compromise with Republicans on anything, period. That is not the point of government. Our representative democracy only works when those we vote into office are mature enough to examine each piece of legislation for its merit and benefit to constituants... not to simply vote along party lines and brag about it. That's laziness at its worst.
I feel like America has become extremely spoiled... we don't appreciate the blessing we have to be able to vote our officials into office. We disrespect the process by throwing a hissy fit when the guy we wanted doesn't get sworn in. We refuse to watch our leaders speak on TV simply because we don't like them... instead of respecting the process and appreciating that our leaders were elected by the people. We decide to throw a tantrum for 4 years until its time to try again... refusing to move the country forward or make progress because we can't have it our way.
It becomes even more offensive when Christianity is used to defend our disrespect. A year ago, a Kansas Representative sent an e-mail to others in the House asking them to pray that our President is killed and that his wife be left widowed and his daughters orphaned. His reasoning? Psalm 109. We now have leaders who serve at a Federal level misusing scripture and taking it out of context to justify hate and evil... simply because we disagree with the President.
So yes... I'm concerned for my country. Not because I worry about the action our country may soon take on weapons. Not because our President may restructure health care or raise taxes on some. I worry because I think we've lost sight of the big picture. We're passing down to our children the idea that if we don't like someone in authority, it's okay to say horrible things about them... that if we can't have what we want, we just throw a temper tantrum until it's time to try again... that if we don't like someone in authority we should just ignore them because they aren't deserving of our attention and respect.
I really pray that we, as a nation (and I include myself in this), realize how blessed we are and follow the Scriptures which so clearly tell us to respect our authorities and show Jesus' love to everyone around us, regardless of political affiliation or lifestyle choice.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What I'm Loving Wednesday - The Book Edition
Happy Wednesday! I rarely blog more than once every few weeks... but I'm procrastinating and don't want to do actual work :) There are a few things that I've come to love lately... so I thought I'd share!
I've never done well with devotionals. It's not from lack of desire... it's just that they're usually either too short for me to get anything out of them, or too long for me to be able to sit still long enough to get it done. This devotional is absolutely AMAZING. It's 365 devotions... most of them right at 1 page on my Nook, including the scripture text. I know we're only 2 weeks into January, but so far I've been able to do it every day! Some days it hits me harder than others... but they're always wonderful! If you have an eReader, it was only $7.50.
Ahhhh... this is an AWESOME series!!! Did you like The Hunger Games? No? That's okay, because Divergent is WAY better than that. You liked The Hunger Games? Great, because then you'll absolutely love Divergent! I can only think of one bad thing about this series... that book #3 doesn't come out until this Fall. I'm also sort of hoping that this series doesn't follow the current trend of trilogies... I'm hoping it goes on much longer than that (though I doubt it... it looks like the storyline will be wrapped up with one more book).
Friday, January 4, 2013
So you're not a parent?
I'm finding more and more that people enjoy giving advice on things they aren't experts in. I'm finding more and more than I can be one of those people. It's something I'm truly trying to work on in the New Year... call it a resolution or whatever, but I'm trying to mind my own business (with one very clear exception that I won't get into online).
ANYWAY... something that I've noticed lately is how many people who don't have children like the judge those of us who do, and our glorious children. I can't blame these people, as I know I was guilty of that as well. There are certain things you have to experience to understand, and even after experiencing them you never become fully enlightened. That being said... a few things I've always wanted to say to those who see me with my children on our "off" days...
1. Kids cry. The fact that I'm not immediately coddling my child when he cries doesn't mean I'm mean, neglectful, or don't care. It means that I've reached the point in parenting (aka, #2) where I know that coddling a child who is crying because he can't have what he wants doesn't help anyone. I also know my child's cries and know when he's genuinly hurt or needs something, and when he doesn't. I've already reached the point where I've learned that, unfortunately, sometimes there are things that HAVE to be done. It doesn't hurt my child to fuss for a few minutes while I finish putting chicken in the oven and wash my hands... or, frankly, write the last 2 lines of an e-mail before quickly pushing send and getting him. I promise that my child knows how much I love him and also knows that the world doesn't revolve solely around him.
2. You know alllll those things that your child will never do? Guess what? Your child will probably do them at least once. It doesn't mean you're a bad parent, just as it doesn't mean I'm a bad parent. Your child will probably throw a tantrum in a store... once. It won't become a habitual occurance because you'll immediately take care of the situation and teach your child that you won't tolerate that behavior... but it will probably happen. Children are tiny little humans who are still learning the boundaries of appropriate behavior... they often learn these boundaries by testing them. Nicholas tried that... once. It was humiliating for me, but he learned and we both grew.
3. Please don't tell a parent how to discipline their child unless they ask you. This really goes for everyone, but especially those without children yet. Every child is different... even in the same family. Some children respond well to time out, others to mild spanking, others to taking away toys. When you have children, you'll have to learn your child's personality and temperment, then decide on how to best discipline. Take heart that I know my children well. I may not have dealt with that situation the way you think you would have, but when the time comes, you may find that your current "parenting plan" gets tossed in the garbage in favor of what works best for your kid. It's happened to me.
4. Try not to judge that tired mom that spoke to her child too sternly, or gave in on the candy aisle. Try not to look at her in annoyance because "her kid will never learn if she does that" or "she's just a little girl, give her a break." The majority of us moms are doing the best we can and just have bad days... you will have them as well. There will be days when 7 o'clock rolls around and all you can think in your head is "I love my kids but WOO HOO for bedtime!!!" Your patience will run thin... some days it will run out. That's okay.
5. Lastly... parenting is rarely, if ever, what you expect it to be. Your children will be nothing like you and everything like you at the same time. It's both beautiful and maddening... trust me. My oldest was a difficult baby... active toddler... sensitive young child... I'm still trying to figure out how to balance maintaining some sensitivity with making sure he isn't eaten alive by the world. He has my attitude but dislikes most school stuff... love sports but isn't all that into music. I'm still learning daily how to be better mom to him. Just about the time I think I'm getting the hang of the oldest, I have to re-learn everything I thought I knew about motherhood because the baby is NOTHING like his older brother. My point? Our kids didn't come with instruction manuals... yours won't either. So before you start thinking "I'd never do that" or "my kids will never do that," remind yourself that kids are kids and you'll do exactly what we're all doing... the best you can.
ANYWAY... something that I've noticed lately is how many people who don't have children like the judge those of us who do, and our glorious children. I can't blame these people, as I know I was guilty of that as well. There are certain things you have to experience to understand, and even after experiencing them you never become fully enlightened. That being said... a few things I've always wanted to say to those who see me with my children on our "off" days...
1. Kids cry. The fact that I'm not immediately coddling my child when he cries doesn't mean I'm mean, neglectful, or don't care. It means that I've reached the point in parenting (aka, #2) where I know that coddling a child who is crying because he can't have what he wants doesn't help anyone. I also know my child's cries and know when he's genuinly hurt or needs something, and when he doesn't. I've already reached the point where I've learned that, unfortunately, sometimes there are things that HAVE to be done. It doesn't hurt my child to fuss for a few minutes while I finish putting chicken in the oven and wash my hands... or, frankly, write the last 2 lines of an e-mail before quickly pushing send and getting him. I promise that my child knows how much I love him and also knows that the world doesn't revolve solely around him.
2. You know alllll those things that your child will never do? Guess what? Your child will probably do them at least once. It doesn't mean you're a bad parent, just as it doesn't mean I'm a bad parent. Your child will probably throw a tantrum in a store... once. It won't become a habitual occurance because you'll immediately take care of the situation and teach your child that you won't tolerate that behavior... but it will probably happen. Children are tiny little humans who are still learning the boundaries of appropriate behavior... they often learn these boundaries by testing them. Nicholas tried that... once. It was humiliating for me, but he learned and we both grew.
3. Please don't tell a parent how to discipline their child unless they ask you. This really goes for everyone, but especially those without children yet. Every child is different... even in the same family. Some children respond well to time out, others to mild spanking, others to taking away toys. When you have children, you'll have to learn your child's personality and temperment, then decide on how to best discipline. Take heart that I know my children well. I may not have dealt with that situation the way you think you would have, but when the time comes, you may find that your current "parenting plan" gets tossed in the garbage in favor of what works best for your kid. It's happened to me.
4. Try not to judge that tired mom that spoke to her child too sternly, or gave in on the candy aisle. Try not to look at her in annoyance because "her kid will never learn if she does that" or "she's just a little girl, give her a break." The majority of us moms are doing the best we can and just have bad days... you will have them as well. There will be days when 7 o'clock rolls around and all you can think in your head is "I love my kids but WOO HOO for bedtime!!!" Your patience will run thin... some days it will run out. That's okay.
5. Lastly... parenting is rarely, if ever, what you expect it to be. Your children will be nothing like you and everything like you at the same time. It's both beautiful and maddening... trust me. My oldest was a difficult baby... active toddler... sensitive young child... I'm still trying to figure out how to balance maintaining some sensitivity with making sure he isn't eaten alive by the world. He has my attitude but dislikes most school stuff... love sports but isn't all that into music. I'm still learning daily how to be better mom to him. Just about the time I think I'm getting the hang of the oldest, I have to re-learn everything I thought I knew about motherhood because the baby is NOTHING like his older brother. My point? Our kids didn't come with instruction manuals... yours won't either. So before you start thinking "I'd never do that" or "my kids will never do that," remind yourself that kids are kids and you'll do exactly what we're all doing... the best you can.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Why we don't do Santa... and why you don't need to care :)
Our family doesn't "do" Santa. It's not that we think Santa is evil... we don't think Santa is bad... we don't abstain from Santa because we think it's against the true meaning of Christmas. We just don't "do" it. I've found that not only is our choice rare, it also seems to be pretty controversial. A few other people have recently found out that we don't do Santa and I've recieved a mixture of complete confusion and utter disgust. People seem to think that, without Santa, Christmas has no magic or specialness.
Really? No magic? Nothing special? An entire HUMAN BEING was concieved WITHOUT sex and then later DIED for US. That's pretty darn special if I do say so myself.
BUT... religion is NOT why we don't do Santa. Religion is why we read "God Gave Us Christmas" and why we have a nativity set and why we read the Christmas story on Christmas morning before presents. It's not why we don't do Santa. The truth is, Jon didn't do Santa as a kid... he grew up relatively normal. I grew up doing Santa... I grew up relatively normal. We just don't particularly think it's necessary. We didn't have some massive philosophical discussion about the pros and cons... we even have a "Baby's First Santa Letter" and pictures of all of us at the Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK. To us, it wasn't some big decision. When it came time to pick out the "Santa present," we just decided that he would be just as excited to open a cool gift from mommy & daddy. So we put that on the tag. When he asked who the guy in the red suit was, we said he was Santa, and that he was a fun character like Mickey Mouse... not real, but fun. When he was old enough to discuss Santa at school (4ish) we told him that some of his friends really like to pretend that Santa is real, and it would hurt their feelings if we told them he wasn't real. He doesn't want to hurt his friends feelings, so he just smiles and nods when they talk about it. It's really not a big deal.
So I don't really understand why people are truly shocked and sometimes upset that we don't "do" the Santa thing. Don't worry... my kid won't spill the beans to yours. He won't think your child is crazy, nor will I think you're a bad parent for encouraging imagination and make believe... just don't think that I'm somehow depriving my child of the "magic of Christmas" because he knows where his presents come from. I promise... all of our kids are going to have a great Christmas regardless :)
Really? No magic? Nothing special? An entire HUMAN BEING was concieved WITHOUT sex and then later DIED for US. That's pretty darn special if I do say so myself.
BUT... religion is NOT why we don't do Santa. Religion is why we read "God Gave Us Christmas" and why we have a nativity set and why we read the Christmas story on Christmas morning before presents. It's not why we don't do Santa. The truth is, Jon didn't do Santa as a kid... he grew up relatively normal. I grew up doing Santa... I grew up relatively normal. We just don't particularly think it's necessary. We didn't have some massive philosophical discussion about the pros and cons... we even have a "Baby's First Santa Letter" and pictures of all of us at the Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK. To us, it wasn't some big decision. When it came time to pick out the "Santa present," we just decided that he would be just as excited to open a cool gift from mommy & daddy. So we put that on the tag. When he asked who the guy in the red suit was, we said he was Santa, and that he was a fun character like Mickey Mouse... not real, but fun. When he was old enough to discuss Santa at school (4ish) we told him that some of his friends really like to pretend that Santa is real, and it would hurt their feelings if we told them he wasn't real. He doesn't want to hurt his friends feelings, so he just smiles and nods when they talk about it. It's really not a big deal.
So I don't really understand why people are truly shocked and sometimes upset that we don't "do" the Santa thing. Don't worry... my kid won't spill the beans to yours. He won't think your child is crazy, nor will I think you're a bad parent for encouraging imagination and make believe... just don't think that I'm somehow depriving my child of the "magic of Christmas" because he knows where his presents come from. I promise... all of our kids are going to have a great Christmas regardless :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Judgement
In general, I try not be judgemental. I see parents making choices I wouldn't make, and I try to remind myself that I don't know their children or their lives, so I can't judge their choices. I see wives speaking meanly to their husbands, and I try to remind myself that I can't judge that choice; I don't see what goes on at home. I see people who choose not to care for themselves, and I try to remind myself that I haven't lived their life; in their situation I might also feel hopeless or useless.
But I know that, when it comes down to it, I CAN be judgemental. Despite trying to remember that it's not my place, I've judged women when I hear their harsh words... I've judged parents when I see the movies their kids watch... I've judged co-workers who don't seem to put 100% into their students...
So when I was judged recently, it hit me hard. Someone judged our choice of toy for Nicholas. Something petty, I know... but I instantly found myself wanting to go on the defensive. I, in no way, feel guilty that our 5 year old has a Nintendo DS. It serves a purpose. He gets to play it once a month or so when we drive to Bakersfield, and then, he usually only gets to play it 1 way. The rest of the time he draws on his writing pad or plays with his white board binder or tag pen and books. On the rare occasion we travel somewhere farther away than Bakersfield, he can play it for the road trip part. It's no worse than sitting your child in front of a DVD player in the car, right? He DOES have Mario Kart, but he also has Magic School Bus Oceans and is getting ISpy Universe for Christmas. As educational as some of the other products on the market? No, but he has educational games for it... but, but, but see... I'm already getting defensive :P
Honestly, it may have been "that time of the month," but for some reason I really took that judgement to heart... and I think that was good. While I'm sure I'm judged more often, I rarely hear of it and what you don't know doesn't hurt you. This time, I did hear, and it did hurt, and it really made me think. I'm not called to judge. I'm called to love. So while I'll never be perfect in this department, it's made me want to try harder not to judge the choices of others. Not only is it not my job, but I also know how it feels and really, I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling like that. We're all just trying to live each day doing the best we can... that won't look the same for everyone... and that's okay :)
But I know that, when it comes down to it, I CAN be judgemental. Despite trying to remember that it's not my place, I've judged women when I hear their harsh words... I've judged parents when I see the movies their kids watch... I've judged co-workers who don't seem to put 100% into their students...
So when I was judged recently, it hit me hard. Someone judged our choice of toy for Nicholas. Something petty, I know... but I instantly found myself wanting to go on the defensive. I, in no way, feel guilty that our 5 year old has a Nintendo DS. It serves a purpose. He gets to play it once a month or so when we drive to Bakersfield, and then, he usually only gets to play it 1 way. The rest of the time he draws on his writing pad or plays with his white board binder or tag pen and books. On the rare occasion we travel somewhere farther away than Bakersfield, he can play it for the road trip part. It's no worse than sitting your child in front of a DVD player in the car, right? He DOES have Mario Kart, but he also has Magic School Bus Oceans and is getting ISpy Universe for Christmas. As educational as some of the other products on the market? No, but he has educational games for it... but, but, but see... I'm already getting defensive :P
Honestly, it may have been "that time of the month," but for some reason I really took that judgement to heart... and I think that was good. While I'm sure I'm judged more often, I rarely hear of it and what you don't know doesn't hurt you. This time, I did hear, and it did hurt, and it really made me think. I'm not called to judge. I'm called to love. So while I'll never be perfect in this department, it's made me want to try harder not to judge the choices of others. Not only is it not my job, but I also know how it feels and really, I don't want to be the cause of someone feeling like that. We're all just trying to live each day doing the best we can... that won't look the same for everyone... and that's okay :)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Politics & Religion
I found a link a while back that I fell in love with... it discussed 7 things Christians need to remember about politics. I found it well written and full of truth... heck, I WANTED to print it out and mail it to quite a few people we know who love bashing the candidates or who refuse to fact check anything (but I refrained ;). The more I thought about it, I really wanted to add my own thoughts to it... so here goes... I'm using their 7 points and adding to them... PLEASE click the link above. I'd post their article and just add mine in italics, but I'm sure that would lead to copyright infridgement of some sort...
1. Both political parties go to church. This is 100% true. Voting republican doesn't make you more Christian and voting democrat doesn't make you less Christian. Both parties can appeal to aspects of religion. The republicans are typically against abortion and same-sex marriage... the democrats tend to support more charity in terms of helping the poor and the struggling. In reality, the "perfect" Christian political party is a blend of them both and doesn't exist. Don't make the assumption based on someone's religion that they should vote a certain way... it's insulting.
2. Political talk radio and cable “news” only want ratings. If you watch any of the news channels and take what they say as fact, you're fooling yourself. Just because Fox said Obama is Muslim and MSNBC said Romney is going to ban divorce doesn't make it true. Not only do they contridict themselves all the time, they are known for reporting things that are flat out wrong. Anyone remember the supreme court decision where they only read the first page and spend half an hour reporting the wrong verdict? I'm not saying don't watch the news... I'm saying watch it knowing that their goal is to get you to keep watching to make them money. I've turned to watching Jon Stewart for political entertainment and turning to international news sources for everything else (though they are, of course, also flawed).
3. Those who argue over politics don’t love their country more than others. On the same note... please stop looking at "tokens" and deciding who is "patriotic" based on that. I'm so tired of hearing about things like who wears a flag pin...
4. Thinking your party’s platform is unflawed is a mistake. This is so true. Heck, Romney doesn't even agree with all of the Republican platform as presented at their convention. Platforms are maleable... they change every year and, over time, can even change drastically. The democratic platform of 50 years ago looks absolutely nothing like it does now. If Regan were running for office today, his views would align more than with democrats than the current republican party. Platforms are just like the men who write them, imperfect.
5. Scripture tells us to pray for our governing leaders (2 Timothy 2:1-4) and to respect those in authority (Romans 13:1-7). I love that they listed the scripture references here. All of those memes calling Obama a Muslim or making fun of Romney for his religion? That isn't Biblical. The Bible tells us a few things regarding politics, and what stood out to me most is that it says that ALL leaders are put in place by God and that we are to respect and honor them. Does that mean they're perfect? No... but it does mean that we have to trust that God knows what He's doing when HE allows them to be voted into office or gain the influence to run for office. When you bash either candidate, calling them names, spewing hate, reposting untruthful posters/pictures/memes... you're dishonoring God. He wants you to pray for them, whether you wanted them in office or not... he wants you to listen to what they have to say, whether you agree with it or not... I'm not saying you don't do something about it. If I disagree with a piece of legislation, especially if on religious grounds, then I should go through the proper channels to make my respectful voice heard.
6. Don’t be paranoid. Seriously... The US has had many Presidents over the years... I believe 43... (you have to consider that Grover Cleveland is #22 and 24)... some have made great decisions, some have made bad decisions. Some have taken us into wars where we saved and liberated people, others have taken us into wars where we pretty much destroyed a country and left. But that's the beauty of our system... worse case scenario they get 8 years... trust that if God wants America to stand, then it will withstand whichever man takes the oath of office in January. If God doesn't want America to stand, then it really doesn't matter which guy wins anyway.
7. Teach your children the beauty of our democracy (this one is mine). On election night, one man is going to stand before a huge TV audience and accept the Presidency, while another conceeds respectfully. Especially if your guy looses, try to refrain from making disrespectful comments about the new President. Try to avoid doomsday comments that are exaggerations like "Well, the whole country is going to fall apart now" or "We're all going to hell now..." Your children are watching, listening, and learning from you. Remind your kids that, while you thought the other candidate was better suited to run the country, in a democracy everyone gets to vote and we need to respect that. Remind your kids that God wants us to pray for our President, even if he isn't the man we would have picked, and that if the other man won, then it was God's will. If your guy wins, remind your kids that even though this time the man we liked won, it doesn't always happen that way and we shouldn't be arrogant or brag. Most of all, take time to pray with your kids for BOTH men on election night... that God would give wisdom to them both... to help the winner be humble and the looser find comfort.
1. Both political parties go to church. This is 100% true. Voting republican doesn't make you more Christian and voting democrat doesn't make you less Christian. Both parties can appeal to aspects of religion. The republicans are typically against abortion and same-sex marriage... the democrats tend to support more charity in terms of helping the poor and the struggling. In reality, the "perfect" Christian political party is a blend of them both and doesn't exist. Don't make the assumption based on someone's religion that they should vote a certain way... it's insulting.
2. Political talk radio and cable “news” only want ratings. If you watch any of the news channels and take what they say as fact, you're fooling yourself. Just because Fox said Obama is Muslim and MSNBC said Romney is going to ban divorce doesn't make it true. Not only do they contridict themselves all the time, they are known for reporting things that are flat out wrong. Anyone remember the supreme court decision where they only read the first page and spend half an hour reporting the wrong verdict? I'm not saying don't watch the news... I'm saying watch it knowing that their goal is to get you to keep watching to make them money. I've turned to watching Jon Stewart for political entertainment and turning to international news sources for everything else (though they are, of course, also flawed).
3. Those who argue over politics don’t love their country more than others. On the same note... please stop looking at "tokens" and deciding who is "patriotic" based on that. I'm so tired of hearing about things like who wears a flag pin...
4. Thinking your party’s platform is unflawed is a mistake. This is so true. Heck, Romney doesn't even agree with all of the Republican platform as presented at their convention. Platforms are maleable... they change every year and, over time, can even change drastically. The democratic platform of 50 years ago looks absolutely nothing like it does now. If Regan were running for office today, his views would align more than with democrats than the current republican party. Platforms are just like the men who write them, imperfect.
5. Scripture tells us to pray for our governing leaders (2 Timothy 2:1-4) and to respect those in authority (Romans 13:1-7). I love that they listed the scripture references here. All of those memes calling Obama a Muslim or making fun of Romney for his religion? That isn't Biblical. The Bible tells us a few things regarding politics, and what stood out to me most is that it says that ALL leaders are put in place by God and that we are to respect and honor them. Does that mean they're perfect? No... but it does mean that we have to trust that God knows what He's doing when HE allows them to be voted into office or gain the influence to run for office. When you bash either candidate, calling them names, spewing hate, reposting untruthful posters/pictures/memes... you're dishonoring God. He wants you to pray for them, whether you wanted them in office or not... he wants you to listen to what they have to say, whether you agree with it or not... I'm not saying you don't do something about it. If I disagree with a piece of legislation, especially if on religious grounds, then I should go through the proper channels to make my respectful voice heard.
6. Don’t be paranoid. Seriously... The US has had many Presidents over the years... I believe 43... (you have to consider that Grover Cleveland is #22 and 24)... some have made great decisions, some have made bad decisions. Some have taken us into wars where we saved and liberated people, others have taken us into wars where we pretty much destroyed a country and left. But that's the beauty of our system... worse case scenario they get 8 years... trust that if God wants America to stand, then it will withstand whichever man takes the oath of office in January. If God doesn't want America to stand, then it really doesn't matter which guy wins anyway.
7. Teach your children the beauty of our democracy (this one is mine). On election night, one man is going to stand before a huge TV audience and accept the Presidency, while another conceeds respectfully. Especially if your guy looses, try to refrain from making disrespectful comments about the new President. Try to avoid doomsday comments that are exaggerations like "Well, the whole country is going to fall apart now" or "We're all going to hell now..." Your children are watching, listening, and learning from you. Remind your kids that, while you thought the other candidate was better suited to run the country, in a democracy everyone gets to vote and we need to respect that. Remind your kids that God wants us to pray for our President, even if he isn't the man we would have picked, and that if the other man won, then it was God's will. If your guy wins, remind your kids that even though this time the man we liked won, it doesn't always happen that way and we shouldn't be arrogant or brag. Most of all, take time to pray with your kids for BOTH men on election night... that God would give wisdom to them both... to help the winner be humble and the looser find comfort.
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