Thursday, February 10, 2011

Shake, rattle, and roll. Also noisy. This describes my bones on this cold morning.

Today is a very cold day here in our area. (23 degrees with a feels like of 14) It's been well below freezing since early last evening and my bones are talking to me in an unknown tongue. But, I am so very thankful to be able to be up and about, and to bring you greetings on this Thursday, February 10, 2011. My wife does not care for me to write so much about politics and I do try to limit the amount of space I devote to the subject. She, like so many others, actually work at tuning out much of what goes on in Washington DC. The problem is an issue of influence and impact. What the people in those two bodies along with the President do has a tremendous influence on our lives, today, tomorrow, and in the future. In addition, the longer term implications will show up in the life and times of our little great grand bundle of Madelyn Joy. Therefore, I do pay attention and, yes, I at times get frustrated and perplexed by all the shenanigans that go on. And, unless you think I believe it to be a one sided affair, they go on pretty much from all the variety of stripes in the political world. I've actually seen more about how the pop star botched our National Anthem at the Superbowl than coverage of the remarks by a senior senator from New York who actually got the divisions of power incorrect when he named the branches of government. A flubbed line in our anthem from someone who looked to me like she was trying out for a yodeling contest is embarrassing. But, for a United States Senator who has long seniority and significant influence to misstate the very foundation of checks and balances designed into our form of government, that's downright frightening.

But it did not get much play in the MSM, that's what they call the mainstream media these days. Why? This particular politician ranks real high on the liberal scorecard, therefore, he gets a pass, while any prominent conservative gets tarred and feathered if they dangle a participle. Former Speaker Pelosi is absolutely beside herself because Bill O'Reilly asked President Obama why he thought so many people hated him. She went ballistic. To use the word hate was about the worst thing she believes she has seen in terms of disrespect to the President. That's odd. She and her colleagues were on a tirade of hateful words when George W. Bush occupied the oval office. She is not on record for ever having been distraught over any of the hateful things said about President Bush. I suppose it has to do with which side of the street you are standing on when the parade comes by. The question was an accurate one. There are folks who do hate our President. I am not one of them and while I disagree with his policies on almost every front, I have no ill will towards him or his family. Some do. And, sad to say, many of the most hateful and slanderous things said, as well as racial slams, originate with folks who call themselves God fearing Christians. The name Christian is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Acts and it was likely a derisive term at that time applied to those who identified themselves as adherents of Jesus the Christ, or as some have put it, they were called "little Christs." What a badge of honor! Our Savior hated sin but loved sinners and gave Himself up for us all, including, you and I, and our President. Surely we can stand up for godly principles without resorting to the ugly and hate filled stuff that I see so often.

My wife and I watched a two hour special on Ronald Reagan this past Monday evening on PBS. It was very interesting. One of the main areas of emphasis had to do with his deep religious views. He believed in God's sovereign plan for each person. He operated his life within that concept. That is, that God had something for him to accomplish. After he was shot, he became even more committed to doing the work God had given him to do. He was not perfect. He made many mistakes. But, he was a God fearing man devoted to his country and to the principles of freedom. His belief in God's plan for his life reminded me that this same trait was a feature in the life of our first president, George Washington. Battle after battle, even as a young man, his horse was shot out from under him several times, and he had bullet holes in his clothing. His officers said that he so believed in God's plan, purpose, and providence in his life, that he was able to lead, leaving the results in the hands of Almighty God. While many thought he was working his life without a net, he actually had the greatest safety net anyone could ever hope for, that being the hand of Almighty God to protect, lead, guide, and direct his steps. The rest as they say is history and I am thankful to God for these testimonies of flawed but faithful men who contributed so much to the well being of our nation. There's probably a lesson in there somewhere for us as we are challenged to live out our lives. Right? Have a great day and may God bless and also keep you warm, wherever you happen to be. Amen.          .....More later.

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