Spoiled America

I've had an opinion for a while regarding how this election would/should turn out. (I know that will surprise some of you...the fact that I have an opinion and all...:) And as much as I WANT McCain and Palin to win, I am not certain that is in our best interest. Really, when you think long and hard about it, what have we done to deserve God's favor? Cry, whine and pray for a few months when we see things start to heat up? Yes, I think God is pleased with the sudden turn to Him for mercy and help. So what? He gives us our own way, like a spoiled child who throws a temper tantrum or pleads incessantly for a short time without any real change in our behavior? Or might He go ahead and allow leadership that would KEEP us on our knees and REALLY cause us to change our attitudes and behaviors and truly draw us closer to Him? I will not be surprised one bit if it's the latter. And honestly, that's really what we deserve.

I had serious issues after 9-11 with all the signs and people saying, "God Bless America". Why? What had we done at that point to deserve His blessing? And I feel much the same way today. We have done NOTHING to deserve His blessing this time around except look out for self. And I'm as guilty as the next guy. God SPARE America. That is my prayer - but prayers don't always get answered right away.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with the words to the song that Tony and I sang as minister's of music the Sunday after the 9-11 attacks. It was a tough assignment finding a song that fit all that we were feeling and experiencing. But we felt clearly that this was the one God wanted. May it also be your encouragement in the days ahead. Notice the promise in the second verse, but notice also the condition FOR that promise.

WE SHALL STAND

We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but the powers of all darkness;
We fight battles everyday; it seems they'll never end;
As this war rages endlessly, our hearts start to falter;
We cling until His Holy Word and know WE SHALL STAND.

We shall stand in the face of tribulation;
We shall stand when the battle rages hot;
We've placed our faith in the King who reigns forever;
Let us rejoice, for we know we shall stand.

When we've done all we can, therefore we stand and wait upon the Savior;
We've learned from experience to place our trust in Him;
And when we give Him full control, He cannot be defeated;
The battle's His; the victory's ours; Praise God, we shall stand.

We shall stand in the face of tribulation;
We shall stand when the battle rages hot;
We've placed our faith in the King who reigns forever;
Let us rejoice, for we know we shall stand.

And THIS is how Janae might vote...

McCain Rally and Talon's Birthday

We hosted an actual registered McCain Rally at our home for the first of the PresidentialDebates. It was a private party with two other families...both Coopers.

It so happened that it fell on Talon's birthday. We'd been storing a pinata for several months waiting for an opportunity to use it so thought this would be the perfect reason. My batteries were on their last leg and the kids had waited long enough so I didn't get the greatest pictures but here are the most important ones...the birthday boy and then the mighty girl who busted it open.

The Faith Debate

Wow! Here are some excerpts that I've pulled from an article by Ralph Peters - posted in the New York Times (click here for complete article) If you have time, you'll certainly want to check out the article in it's entirety as there is much more there to make you smile or nod your head.

"NOTHING in recent memory has driven home the divide between our self-appointed aristocracy and "commoners" as sharply as the intelligentsia's rush to mock Gov. Sarah Palin's religious faith.

While the attacks and insults are backfiring on the mortified elites, the double standard applied to "Sarah America" is a disgrace that can't be excused as 'just politics.'

Certainly, much of the left-wing fury over Palin stems from the Democratic Party's assumption that it "owned" the exclusive right to nominate women to the executive branch (despite the crushing of Hillary Clinton's candidacy). How dare the Republicans advance a woman? How dare they change this year's election script?

But the root of the left's dread of this happily married mother of five seems to be that she actually believes in God: How could anyone be that stupid?...

...Believers are mocked (if not too publicly at election time). Sen. Barack Obama's behind-closed-doors remark in San Francisco to the effect that worried blue-collar chumps cling to God and guns perfectly captured the left's worldview, equating faith and firearms as equal menaces to an enlightened society.
Then along came Palin to appall the establishment - a moose-hunting Christian with a working-class husband, the precise stereotype Obama had mocked. The media's attacks on her since her nomination have been the most unfair I've ever seen.

Let me be clear: I disagree with Palin on a number of issues. But I believe in fairness. And I believe in freedom of religion for all who do not attempt to force their faith on others...

...I don't see extremism in Palin's faith. I see the love of God that prevails beyond the Beltway. The media's bigotry toward her tells us far more about the political biases and snobbery of journalists than it does about Sen. John McCain's running mate."

Why Your Vote Counts

I have one question for all conservatives. As much as we might disagree on some things with McCain, do we really think he would go THIS far on pushing his views? (following article taken from here.) Read my statement on my side bar for why I think it is imperative that we get out and vote no matter what!!

"Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, does not think marching in a so-called "gay-pride parade" is a proper venue for the president of the United States.

However, one presidential candidate has made a pledge to do just that – Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York). She says that Clinton made her pledge in the Washington Blade – a Washington newspaper serving the homosexual community. "...Really now! We've seen these gay pride parades in San Francisco and elsewhere," exclaims Donnelly. "Is this really an appropriate role for the President or the Commander in Chief of our armed forces? I don't think so..."

According to Donnelly, there is virtually no difference between Clinton and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) when it comes to advancing the gay and lesbian agenda. Obama recently wrote an open letter to the homosexual community pledging to end the ban on open homosexuals serving in the military, as well as repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

Donnelly says both Clinton and Obama would force the homosexual agenda on American citizens by force of law."