Respect The Office Of The President

“True patriots really do exist. Which doesn't necessarily  mean this man is voting Democrat, but that he has an idea of how to act.” We need more of his kind....

Something that really bothers me is people don't have respect for the Office of the President of the United States. It doesn't matter if you disagree with or hate the occupant of the Office, you still need to show respect toward it. It is wrong to make fun of the president. Whether good or bad leadership, The Word of God commands us to pray for our government leaders, not make fun of their faults, mistakes, and wrongdoings. It drives me crazy when I see parts of speeches from presidents posted on various social media where things have been taken out of context, or when false propaganda is spread.  A good example of a president's speech being taken out of context, is something I saw recently on my Facebook newsfeed. If you are not familiar, let me explain. There has been a video circulating in which President Obama seems to be telling a group of college students that a people can only exist under strict government control. Now I realized right away that there was no way a president of this United States would make such comments. So I did a little research and found a video of the entire speech. Better yet, I found this video below explaining how the president's words had been taken entirely out of context. Click on this link to see how people manipulate the pubic by cutting parts of a whole speech out: 

found out today that the video I posted is not able to be viewed. So I found the full speech. It's over 30 minutes long, but If you watch from minutes 3 to 4, you will hear the words in context. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVZWLqkBtf0#t=337

 Now I have my reservations about our current president, but I research the facts, to try to get at the truth. and I have found that nine times out of ten, something that is really hard to believe is usually a lie put forth by special interest groups who will stop at nothing to sway our opinions to their way of thinking.

To be honest,  I was a bigger supporter of President Bush but I realize he too came up against extreme scrutiny. I am the first to admit I was not a fan of his "No Child Left Behind" act. But why do we have to bo so disrespectful of the highest office in the country?   Here is an example of propaganda spread to compare this former president to Hitler: (Please pardon the profanity here)

George Bush another Hitler? Really? Funny but I must have been on vacation when he sent  millions of Americans to the gas chamber! Here is is again, total disrespect for the man WE voted into office to serve and protect compared to a mass murdering madman! How do these things help our country? Frankly both these examples I take as an insult to my intelligence.

 The same point goes for my feelings on law enforcement officers. I may not like the attitude of some members of law enforcement, but we should still show them respect by addressing them as authority. There are bad cops out there just like there are bad presidents, teachers, pastors, priest...doctors...But they are in the minority. the vast majority are good, caring and decent human beings. Many times we get ourselves worked into a frenzy, over things we know little or nothing about!!  Our children are watching us people! What are we teaching them?

 Please don’t misunderstand me, we should do everything we can to expose corruptness, and those who misuse their authority, in fact, it is expected of us to call out all works of evil. But we need do it in a way that brings the real truth to light.  Too many of us today just don’t want to take the extra time to really research and find out the real facts about what goes on in government, law enforcement or education. Unless you are a teacher, an officer of the law, or even the president, we really  have no idea what it is like to walk in their shoes for even one day! 

 Please.  This is America. We are not barbarians!! And America's respect for everyone, even the office of President, seems to be spiraling to a new low.
It doesn't matter how much disrespect our leader 'invites', he still holds the Office of the President of the United States. Criticizing is one thing, but attacking him because of reasons not related to his Presidency or comparing them to the likes of Hitler or Bin Laden is not in line with Christian principles. Paul wrote: "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God" (Romans:13:1). Even the Roman government of Jesus' time had its own problems with corruption and abuse of power. But such behavior does not give people an excuse to disobey the law or disrespect the authority of their leaders. You can say Bush made some poor decisions or Obama made stupid decisions, you can say they are leading us in the wrong direction, but insulting them personally or spreading untrue propaganda is going too far. We have a system of government in place that I believe in, and I hold fast to the hope that good will prevail as long as we act as concerned citizens, not ravenous rebels. Once the election results are tallied and the Oath of Office is taken that person becomes the President of all Americans. Whether Democrat or Republican, Conservative, Progressive, Liberal or Independent, that person becomes OUR PRESIDENT. We all live in this country and we all need to come together in the spirit of love and concern for truth. The presidency is an office that shoulders massive responsibility not just as the American President but as the leader of the free world. Those who take on this job deserve our respect, regardless of party affiliation. Once elected, the person in office is the President of the United States and that alone deserves your respect as a citizen of the country they lead. If you are an American citizen it is your duty to respect the Office of the President of the United States. If you disagree, please let me know, by posting your comments; otherwise, won’t you join me in praying for our country and It’s leaders? I believe it’s the only way to real change.  The state of the world today and the way so many have turned away from Biblical principles should motivate us to pray, for Divine intervention.  If you love our nation and the independence we enjoy as I do, then I challenge you to kneel before the Lord and cry out to Him on behalf of our country and those who lead us. Ask God to send another Great Awakening to revive America and give us strength for whatever our future holds.

Things My Mother Taught Me

My mother is never far from my mind. This weekend was a little difficult, I was really missing her. Sundays are the hardest because we used to try to get out and do something fun together before she became too sick to leave the house anymore. This past Sunday was a beautiful day, and it got me to thinking about some photos I took the day after her funeral. I had taken a drive that day to her favorite places before heading home. I guess I wasn’t quite read to begin life without her just yet. So I traveled about that day.   One of those places was the Loess Hills.

Stopping at different places we used to go.

She loved those hills,  having grown up in them, and she love to go to an overlook  in the hills, where you could see for miles. There she would always recite to me the history of their geology. She would tell me how this particular chain of Loess is unlike any other in the country. “When you think of Iowa and Nebraska,” she would say, “you think of flat plains and rolling fields of corn. But here, we are standing over 200 feet above the plains,  on one of only two places like this in the entire world” She would proceed to tell me again how only in China are there a chain of hills like this, formed during the Ice Age, when glaciers advanced down into the mid-continent of North America, grinding underlying rock into a fine powder-like sediment called "glacial flour."  She would recite again as she had every time we visited that place that as temperatures warmed, the glaciers melted and enormous amounts of water and sediment rushed down the Missouri River valley and the sediment was eventually deposited on flood plains downstream, creating huge mud flats. She would go on, talking about prevailing winds, blowing in a cycle for thousands of years, creating dunes and eventually, the hills we stand on today. She talked of the creatures that once roamed these beautiful hills, now extinct and of the first peoples who roamed these hills as evident in the artifacts found all around. Then, she would stop, and listen to the sounds…..we would listen together in the silence….only the sounds of birds singing in their treetop homes and the whispering of the wind through those beautiful rises.  We would smell the air, and take in the beauty around us.

The Loess Hills are a rare and unusual landform, but they are not permanent; loess terrain is dynamic and rapidly evolving. The Loess Hills of Iowa are extremely fragile. They have one of the highest erosion rates in the U.S.. Erosion from rainfall and flooding removes loess from the hills and redeposits it on the flood plain from which it came, and the clearing of some of the land for agriculture has accelerated this erosion.

My mom was a master naturalist, long before that idea had a name, and  had a deep appreciation and love for nature and for it’s history. She worried about the future of places like this, and if they would be here for future generations to enjoy. She once said to me that we need nature to live not just physically but spiritually. “Nature feeds our spirit,” she would say. “In nature, we can get a glimpse of the majesty and wonder of Our Creator.”

 I know she was right.  I was oh so lucky to grow up with a woman who instilled in me her love of God’s earth and to appreciate it’s beauty.

Because of her, I can recognize a bird by it’s song, and name countless wildflowers and native vegetation. I can sit in silence, alone in the hills, and feel close to The One who created it all.

When I am lonely for her voice, her touch, her smile, I know I can go to those hills, and feel her presence. I know I will find comfort there, I can feel God’s presence in places like those hills better than I can any place else on earth. I can hear His voice, and, I can hear my mother’s voice too, echoing in my mind, telling me once again the stories of the land, and I am comforted. 

If You Don't Like It..Do Someting!

Photo origination unknown.

We live in a “Jump on the bandwagon” culture of distraction. I’m sorry, but the truth is it doesn't matter what race, color, religion, lifestyle or gender we are....we are all just one mistake away from becoming just another infamous hashtag.  I scroll through my news feeds on Twitter or Facebook and have to admit, I get a little cranky sometimes. I’m not refering the cute or funny images intended to brighten your day or make us laugh. I love to see videos of people making positive changes, photos of family and friends, and the inspiring post to that may help to lighten the load of a burdened friend in need of  an uplifting message.  I’m talking about the violent videos, the one sided news flashes, or the messages that convey hatred, anger or just plain lies. Too many of us are manipulated by the latest hashtag campaigns and flashy pictures that deliver a false sense of camaraderie. Seriously folks!!  Posting random videos, caricatures, or statements you just happen to run across on your social media site because it looks good and initially may seem like you agree doesn’t change anything really, and it doesn’t truly help anyone!  Change won't come with anger and hate or posting commentaries  aimed at misleading individuals. There are always two sides to every story, whether you are willing to admit that or not.  Hate only breeds more hate. Love and concern for all humanity can make the changes necessary to turn things around.  People need to educate themselves and do the real work of starting in their own communities and working to change things and inspire people in their own backyards.

I see so many people complaining about the issues of the day and not really doing anything about it. I witness every day well intentioned individuals unknowingly promoting racism, hatred and ignorance. I have a news flash for some of you.  All white people aren’t racist, all black people aren’t thugs, all the poor aren’t lazy and uneducated, all Christians aren’t fanatical loons and just because someone is wealthy doesn’t mean they are evil or greedy!!

Where is the real revolution?  I can promise you won’t find it on your computer screen following the mindless dribble put out there by small-minded people with a hidden agenda. Don’t’ get me wrong, social media can be a good thing…..and raises awareness on a number of social issues; it can bring about a fast and powerful movement. But the dark side of those movements is that too much background is ignored, hidden, misrepresented and limits any real action.   We have all fallen victim at times to the latest frenzy of information overload at one time or another.  NO one is immune. But we all have the ability to step back from the hype and think for ourselves, examine the facts and then act in a way that inspires others to join us in a movement towards a rebirth of the Spirit. It feels like we are living in the days of Judges again where so many do what they think is right in their own eyes. We tend to reflect our own righteousness and not the righteousness of Jesus.

What is the change that really needs to happen? Where are the stories of people actually making a difference for the good of all mankind? Do you want to spark a change in society? Do you want your voice to be heard and respected and to be the movement for real transformation?  Or do you just want to be another annoying voice among the crowd of sheep being lead to the slaughter?

 If you want to make a change, then do the real work my friend. Talk to your elders, listen to the voice of those who are peaceful, spirit-filled and have proven themselves to be real leaders. Study the politicians, look at both sides, write your congressmen, (do you know who they are?) speak at your church or community centers. Find out the truth for yourself!!  Come on folks……there are plenty of us however too many aren’t’ really doing anything but staring at computer screens or phones, looking to sharing the latest diversion.  Get out and interact, be creative, pray for a spirit of understanding and compassion, connect with people instead of provoking them into mindless drama-queen blither, disguised as real dialogue about the important issues of the day. 

There’s a lot of hard work out there to be done.but I have faith in My Father in Heaven and, in the goodness that lies within each of us. I truly believe we need to focus on the bigger picture, and remember that the greatest gift we can bestow upon our children for the future is the ability to be mindful – to pay attention to the things and to the people that are actually around us. Volunteer at a shelter,  talk with a troubled teen, host meetings to discuss the needs of your community and putting a  plan into action or organize a fund raising for those less fortunate both in and out of our communities. There are a multitude of things we can do that actually CAN make a difference.

 So what are you going to do?  There is a quote from a favorite movie of mine that says, “Get busy living or get busy dying”.  Let me change that a little and set a new challenge before you : “Get busy living or stay busy distracted-- dying---in front of your computer---while the world falls apart around you”. Which will you do?

Did He Just Say That???

“It is finished.” I sometimes wonder how Jesus’ disciples felt when they heard those words. After all the horrible things they had watched that day. Witnessing the man they had loved and followed for 3 years being tortured, beaten, and humiliated, and finally, dying right before their eyes in what appeared to be a tragic failure of justice; an innocent man, their friend and brother…dead. They had no idea what was about to happen in the next few days. We know how the story ends...they, did not. Think of the desperation and sorrow they felt!  To us the cross is a symbol of salvation and forgiveness. To them,  it must have been surreal; a picture of a vicious and deep failure.  Jesus was dead.  They had given up everything in their lives to follow him. They believed he had come to bring liberation from the Romans and a new Kingdom for their people promised so long ago.  I think we have all been where the disciples were that day.  We have all been at the foot of the cross, like them, wondering, bewildered and confused. What do we do when we hear of and experience all the darkness in the world full of injustice, misery, violence, hate, and persecution?  Do we act like Judas and betray Him? Or like Peter and deny our association with Him? Maybe we slip into the safety of the crowd who shouted “Crucify Him”; or maybe we are just like Mary, grieving silently, feeling powerless. I have been like all these people at one time in my life.  I guess it is all part of my journey. But what gives me hope, is when I read about the men who came for Jesus’ body. Two men, who secretly followed Jesus  were the only ones to come and claim his lifeless body and give it a proper burial. All through Jesus’ ministry, they remained silent, afraid to admit their allegiance to him out of fear. What compelled them to come forward now, into the light and do the right thing? It must have taken great I know I did. And I know that this is not the end…but rather…this is an amazing beginning. He is not finished….not by a long shot.

courage…but then, sometimes people find their faith in such darkness. They find the strength to stand up and claim Him for all eternity.