Day 5: Addendum I feel I need to post

I feel like I need to say something about the election.

Those who know me, know my Christian beliefs. Those who don't, well, I hope they know I'm a Christian by my words and actions. I try not to get "preachy" in my blog. I don't feel, in general, that it is the place to be preachy.

Still I feel like I need to say something.

Over the past few days I've gotten several e-mails concerning the elections and the fact that we need to pray that God will turn the election around and that the "right" guy would win -- if we prayed. One last night especially disturbed me because it was specifically asking for a miracle in the election and that the election would turn in the "right" way.

I did pray. I prayed that God's will would be done. I still pray that God's will be done.

I am so worried that there are now those who will feel that God got it wrong. That God has somehow foresaken our prayers. That is not true at all.

I so want people to step back and realize, now espcially, that God is in control. God will use this for his glory. Nothing has happened that isn't God's will.

As Christians and Americans we need to continue to pray for our country. We need to continue to pray for the political leaders here in the U.S. and around the world. We need to remember that everything is God's. He has a plan and even if we may not understand it, we need to remember that it is there.

Edited to add: Not only do we need to pray, we need to take action. Write letters to your Congress. Speak out against what you don't agree with. Prayer is great. Prayer is powerful. But I also believe that prayer without action on Christian's parts is not as great and powerful as it could be.

This is Stephen Curtis Chapman's song Yours. Listen to the chorus.


I walk the streets of London
And notice in the faces passing by
Somthing that makes me stop and listen
My heart grows heavy with the cry

Where is the hope for London?
You whisper and my heart begins to soar
As I'm reminded
That every street in London in Yours
Oh, yes it is

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find

And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything
It's all Yours

And I walk the sidewalks of Nashville
Like Singapore, Manila and Shanghai
I rush by the beggar's hand and the wealthy man
And everywhere I look I realize

That just like the streets of London
For every man and woman, boy and girl
All of creation
This is our Father's world

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything

Here is the new verse Steven wrote following the death of his daughter, Maria
I've walked the valley of death's shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
And I've questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

And we are Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
All the greatness and power, the glory and splendor and majesty
Everything is Yours
Yeah, it's all Yours
We are Yours
The glory and honor is Yours, everything is Yours

Day 5: Today is the first day of...

Well, it's going to be an interesting few years.

I can hope that his socialist bent can and will be tempered by conservative values.

I can hope that he is what the country truly needs.

I have to trust that God is in control and remind myself of that often.

I will pray for him, just as I have prayed for Bush and for Clinton and for each President before them.

Day 4: Election Day

Make your voice heard. Vote.

Vote your conscience. Vote your ideals. Vote your morals.

Your vote can and will make a difference.

(Besides, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain when you don't like the outcome.)

Day 3: Public Service Announcement: How to Vote

Tomorrow is election day. If you want the right to complain about the government if "your" candidate isn't elected (or even if he is), you have to vote. If you do't vote, you don't get so-called "bitchin' rights."

No, I'm not going to tell you *who* to vote for. I'm not even going to tell you who I voted for, although those who know me know who I likely voted for. (I early voted last Wednesday to avoid the lines on election day.) This post is a guide to how to decide who to vote for.

You see, I have noticed an alarming trend in recent years, and in this upcoming Presidential election especially. That trend is a movement toward moving away from voting actual issues and instead voting on pure emotion. In other words, people are voting for charisma or gender or simply against someone they don't like. Personally, I think this is a lot of what's wrong with politics today.

Anyway, this is simply my take on how voting should be done.

First, don't look at the candidate as a person. What!? you ask. No, seriously. If you look at the person, emotion gets involved. You might vote because he's "old and wise" or "young and charismatic."

Second, write out a list of your "hot button" issues. Yes, with a pen and paper (or a computer and keyboard if you're more inclined) sit down and think about what is important to you. Are you pro-choice, pro-family, want lower taxes, think strong borders are important? Well, write those down, then rank them in order of importance. I recommend at least 10 "hot button" issues, but you can have more.

Third, with list in hand research where the candidates stand on these issues. Don't just rely on sound-bytes from network media. Don't rely on what you hear on the news. Go to unbiased websites (or even somewhat biased ones) that have answers to questions from the candidates that are on you "hot button" list. Read what the candidates acually believe on certain issues, look at their voting records in the Senate, think about what they really stand for and not just what the media makes them out to be.

Finally, go to the polls tomorrow and cast your ballot based on your own study and opinions and thoughts. Don't rely on friends, family or (*shudder*) the main stream media for your information. Read and think for yourself. Please?

Public Service Announcement: How To Vote

No, I'm not going to tell you *who* to vote for. I'm not even going to tell you who I'm voting for, although those who know me know who I will likely vote for. This post is a guide to how to decide who to vote for.

You see, I have noticed an alarming trend in recent years, and in this upcoming Presidential election especially. That trend is a movement toward moving away from voting actual issues and instead voting on pure emotion. In other words, people are voting for charisma or gender or simply against someone they don't like. Personally, I think this is a lot of what's wrong with politics today.

Anyway, this is simply my take on how voting should be done.

First, don't look at the candidate as a person. What!? you ask. No, seriously. If you look at the person, emotion gets involved. You might vote because he's "old and wise" or "young and charismatic."

Second, write out a list of your "hot button" issues. Yes, with a pen and paper (or a computer and keyboard if you're more inclined) sit down and think about what is important to you. Are you pro-choice, pro-family, want lower taxes, think strong borders are important? Well, write those down, then rank them in order of importance. I recommend at least 10 "hot button" issues, but you can have more.

Third, with list in hand research where the candidates stand on these issues. Here, I'll help you with a few online resources to get you started: On the Issues, Free Market Foundation, Project Vote Smart. (In the interest of full disclosure, I've not read any of these three websites for information, yet. I will, but I haven't yet.)

Finally, make your decisions based on your own study and opinions and thoughts. Don't rely on friends, family or (*shudder*) the main stream media for your information. Read and think for yourself. Please?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

The weather outside isn't frightful today, but we actually had snow last night. Honest to goodness, big, wet flakes. There was about 2-3 inches of accumulation! We started the day with spring-like thunderstorms and tornado watches/warnings and ended the day with winter weather and snow.

But, knowing the fickle weather of North Texas, I got out last night after school to catch the snow on 'film' (as it were). Here's a few of the shots I got!

Besides snow season (aka that one day in March), it's election season. I love politics, really, I do, but I like it much better when I'm not inundated with political ads. I mean, I really think it's sad that so many people will base their entire vote on 30 second spots on TV and the soundbites from the news. Those things don't say anything other than a slogan that means little or nothing. There are big issues at stake and too many Americans are ill informed at best and flat out too lazy to research their issues at worst. Too many people are going to vote on emotion rather than issues. I know it is generally that way, but still, that is sad!

Since I think so many are too lazy to do the research, I'll help. Here are some great sites I've found that ask questions of candidates on issues. Granted, it isn't perfect, but it's better than a 30 second soundbite. On the Issues, Free Market Foundation Both sites ask politicians the same questions and give their answers with as little bias as can be expected in today's society. (Is anything really unbiased?)

But still, I voted this morning. I voted my conscience in the Primary and will probably vote for a lesser of two evils in the General Election in November. But hey, I'll make an informed decision and vote for the person who most closely believes as I do and if "my person" doesn't win, I've got bitchin' rights for four years!!