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Thursday, November 29, 2012

A Hard Day

Yesterday was hard.  And sad.

Three of my friends and I accompanied another friend to her court hearing.  She had been arrested last year for a crime that she says she did not commit.  We believe her.  It is a terrible crime, but there is no evidence that she did anything, but it's also the type of crime for which it is very difficult to prove innocence.  She has no money -- which means she has a Public Defender.

In this county, most Public Defenders are overworked and underpaid.  They carry a huge caseload, and so it feels to us like she isn't doing much for my friend.  Most of them take this job because they sincerely want to help the indigent, because they certainly are not doing it for the money.

My friend spent several months in jail after her arrest, and then was let out on bond.  She was given the choice of a plea bargain which would be up to ten years in prison, or go to a jury trial with a possible sentence of sixteen years to life in prison.  She had decided to take the plea agreement; she has two small children and she couldn't bear the thought of possibly spending life in prison for something she did not do. 

She knew when entering the courtroom yesterday that she would be led away in handcuffs, and indeed, that is what happened.  But first she had to plead guilty to the charges; each charge was read, and all the terms were defined, and it was ugly.  The four of us seated in the courtroom were silently praying for her as she bravely replied "guilty" to each of the charges. 

The sentencing hearing will take place in January, and in the meantime, we will be writing letters to the judge, asking for compassion and mercy. 

My heart was heavy all day yesterday.  It is such a sad thing to witness but we know that God is still in control.  In the meantime, her two little daughters cry for their mother.

This was the first time I was in a courtroom, other than my divorce hearing.  The defendant who appeared before the judge right before my friend, was severely chastized by the judge because of his attitude.  The judge told him in no uncertain terms that in this judge's courtroom "there would be respect, so stand up straight and answer the questions and change your attitude; it was your actions that brought you here, and you have to take the responsibility for it".  This was a Spanish-speaking man, but there was an interpreter for him, so he had no excuse for his bad attitude.  Actually it was good to see enforcement of the matter of respect. 

Friday, November 23, 2012

The day after

As usual - we had far more than enough to eat!  We met at Paul's older daughter's home, there were only six of us this year.  Paul's youngest son and wife moved to Nashville this summer and we really missed them.  All the other families celebrated Thanksgiving with the "other side" of their family.  The table at Sharlene's house was heaped full of food, and every bite was delicious.

Today we're going to my daughter's house to help put up their Christmas tree.  Her husband had rotator cuff surgery this past Monday, so he is not able to use his right arm at this time.  My part will be fixing a delicious lunch, it's called "Swiss Chicken" and it is delicious.

So yesterday, many of the stores opened to get an early start to "Black Friday".  By the way, I hate that name - I wish they would think of something more positive, although I guess it is positive for the retailers.  At the Macy's store on 34th in New York, 11,000 people were waiting to get in the doors last night.

And the economy is bad???????

On the TV news, they showed one woman who was pushing one cart loaded high with big boxes, and pulling another cart on which she had piled 3 flat-screen TVs. 

And the economy is bad??????  I don't think so.

When you compare how we in the United States live with how a large percentage of the people in the world live, we are all wealthy - we are all very blessed. 

And I, for one, am very thankful. 

I'm thankful for family, for friends, for church, for our country, for our President, for a pantry and a freezer that are full of food.  For being able to live in comfort and have the freedom to go about our daily business without fear of bombs and missiles falling around us. 

I am blessed, and I thank the Lord.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Giving credit where credit is due

That's what I'm going to do in today's post.

I've been criticizing the Republican party quite a bit lately, but today I want to complement two Republican governors, who don't let politics get in the way of what they believe.

First of all:  Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey.  After Hurricane Sandy tore his state apart, President Obama came to meet with him and offer him all the resources of the Federal government.  And Gov. Christie thanked the President, and praised him for his quick response and his generous promise of assistance. 

And then -- other Republicans criticized Gov. Christie for saying nice things about the President.  But Gov. Christie stood his ground - it wasn't a matter of politics to him.  Way to go!

Second:  Gov. Bobby Jindahl of Louisiana.  During the prseidential campaign and after the election, a lot of really dumb things have been said - sometimes things about President Obama that are entirely untrue, many times very unkind and disrespectful.  In the days since the election results, Gov. Jindahl has said several times "our party has to stop saying such dumb things".  He is honestly looking for ways to help his party win, rather than demonizing the party and the candidate who won.

An example:  yesterday as I was driving doing some errands I was listening to one of my favorite programs on the radio, and during the commercial break, a conservative "talking head" came on and blamed Obama for the adultery scandal involving one of our top generals (and now it's possibly two generals).

Now really.  My president has his plate so full with national security matters as well as matters concerning issues internal to our country - and I would rather have him pay attention to those matters than monitoring the private habits of members of the military or other Federal employees.  In fact, what president EVER has spent time monitoring the private habits of his cabinet members, Congress, military, or others.  THEY ARE FAR TOO BUSY - WHETHER THE PRESIDENT IS A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT.  In my opinion, this "talking head" reached an all time low.

Every day I think that I'll stop talking about the election fallout, and then something stupid happens, and here I go again......  I am not painting all Republicans with a broad brush of criticism; all my good friends are Republicans and they respect my viewpoint and I respect theirs, and our differences do not get in the way of our friendship.  Even my husband is a Republican!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Pardon me while I brag

We have a budding scientist in our family.
Joey is in the first grade, and recently did a science project about hurricanes.  He did it all by himself, and I think it's pretty terrific!

Fallout from the election

I heard on the news today that Texans are so unhappy about Obama's win that they want to secede from the Union.  I think that's a terrific idea!  If we'd have no more Texas, the following would result:

1.  Federal agents would no longer have to guard the texas/Mexico border.

2.  When the next hurricane hits Galveston, FEMA wouldn't have to come and help and then be criticized because they didn't do enough.

3.  If a terrorist would bomb Dallas, the FBI wouldn't have to get involved.

4.  All the people in Texas who are on food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other Federal programs would no longer qualify; the savings would be plenty to really reduce the national debt.

5.  The Federal government would no longer have to provide grants for highways, bridges and updating the electrical grid in Texas.

6.  Future U.S. elections wouldn't have to include someone like Rick Perry.

7.  The airways wouldn't be so full of "talking heads" talking trash about the President of the United States -- the man who the Bible directs us to respect.

Soo - if it comes up for a vote -- I'm for it!

When I came home this afternoon, the light on the phone was blinking indicating a voice mail message, so I dialed in and it was one of these "robocalls" (thought we were done with them after the election).  This was a message from someone who was ranting all kinds of untruths about Obama and raving that now was the time to impeach him!  (This caller must have been from Texas!)  Really, Republicans are such sore losers!
Obama won the election - 332 electoral votes to Romney's 206 votes. 

If you remember the 2000 election, George Bush won the electoral votes, but Al Gore won the popular votes, but the Democrats are far more gracious than the Republicans are when they lose. 

Frankly, I am worred about President Obama's safety.  In the last few days, a man in our city was arrested because he had plans to shoot up some schools, and also to assassinate the president.  If something like that happens, I can guarantee that the shooter is not a Democrat, nor an Independent -- guess that means it would be a Republican - a member of the "party of family values".  I agree with Gov. Jindahl (I think he's governor of Louisiana, but I'm not sure) who has come out and said that the Republican party needs to stop doing such dumb things.  AMEN, BROTHER!

Ok, now I've vented again.  Let's all get back to sanity!

Monday, November 12, 2012

We had company today.....

A phone call came this morning with a special request:  Would Grammy make "thin pancakes" (crepes) for her?  There was no way I could say no, even if we were out of milk; Grandpa had to go into town anyway for a blood draw, so he would pick up milk and maybe a few other goodies on the way home.  Before long, my two little special people and their mama walked in the door.

My precious second-grader

and

My just-as-precious first-grader:



After a late breakfast of thin pancakes, bacon and fruit, we watched the video "Toy Story 2" - which I enjoyed just as much as they did, played with Lincoln logs, trucks, a kitchen set, and read a new book I had gotten for them.  The name of the book is "Where's Jesus" and it's patterned after the "Where's Waldo" series; on each page there's a story about Jesus and the there is a picture with many people in it and you ave to find Jesus in the picture as well as some other objects in the story.  When it was time to go home, they really didn't want to go, we were having too much fun.

When I was young, my paternal grandmother was very special to me.  I knew without a doubt that she loved me and I have wonderful memories of her, and I want my grandchildren to have wonderful memories of me as well.

It's been COLD the last few days, with about two or three inches of snow.  However, it's supposed to warm up this week and I'm happy about that!  Winter will be here soon enough!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Do you know what it feels like?

Remember the last time you had a terrible toothache?  And then you went to the dentist and he fixed it?
How good that felt?

That's how good it feels now that there are no political commercials on TV!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Night

As I'm watching the election results coming in, I'm reflecting on what a privilege it is to be able to vote.  My forefathers came to the United States from Russia in 1874 with practically nothing, except a strong faith in God and a willingness to work hard. My maternal grandparents were only eight and nine years old when they arrived here, and went through unbelievable hardships as they homesteaded and raised a family of nine children -- all who grew up to be Godly, honest and hardworking adults.  It is a heritage for which I am very thankful.

It is 9:15, and it's just been announced that President Obama has gotten more than the 270 electoral votes and he will president for another four years.  Thank you Lord!  There are still several states whose votes have not yet been counted, but are projected to go for Obama. 

Is it too much to hope that the Republican controlled House of Representatives will work with him instead of against him as they've been doing the last four years?

Some other contests are interesting too.  Elizabeth Warren won the Senate seat in Masssachusetts, and I'm happy for that because I really admire her. 

In Indiana - the Republican candidate for the Senate is the man who said that if a woman gets pregnant as a result of rape, well that's just God's will - he has lost the race.

And in Missouri, the Republican candidate for the Senate who said that a woman can't get pregnant as a result of rape -- he also lost the race. 

Another interesting note is that Massachusetts - the state where Romney was governor, has gone for Obama.  And Wisconsin - the home state of the Republican candidate for Vice President, Paul Ryan, has also gone for Obama. 

I'm looking forward to hearing Romney's concession speech and Obama's acceptance speech.  I firmly believe in the verse found in the book of Daniel that says that it is God who puts men in power and it's God who deposes them.  Had Romney won, I had determined that I would continue to believe this verse, even though it might not have made me happy.

Election day

May I say HALLELUJAH again?  I'm so glad it's finally here.  I'm so tired of all the "talking heads" trying to get a new angle on the news from the campaign trail. 

I am praying that I can be gracious, regardless of the outcome.  Obviously as you know if you've been reading my blog, I do have a favorite, but above all - I know that God is in control.  I'm also praying that after the election, Congress will start cooperating for the good of the country instead of trying to block whatever the other party is trying to do.  I'm praying that the hatred will stop, and the lying will stop, and that our country can get back to the business of being the greatest country in the world.

Monday, November 5, 2012

He can't do anything right!

Poor Mr. Obama!  He can't do anything right!

Right after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, President Obama was present in New York and New Jersey promising all the help that the federal government could possibly give.  And the Republicans complained that he shouldn't be there, he was in the way of the clean-up and recovery process.

After a few days, he went back on the campaign trail.  Then the Republicans, in the form of Rudy Guiliani, former Mayor of New York, blasted him because he was campaigning, instead of being in New York or New Jersey and helping the recovery efforts. 

Sometimes I hope that Mitt Romney wins the election, just so the Democrats can treat him the way the Republicans have treated President Obama.

One more day....................

And then -- no more political commercials for four years!  Hallelujah!

Since Colorado is a "swing" state, we have been inundated with political commercials on TV.  They are non-stop, one after another, the same ones over and over.  The mute button on our remote control has never been used as much as during this campaign!

I don't mind the commercials that are positive about what that candidate is planning to do if he wins the election, but unfortunately, most of the ads are negative about the opposing candidate.  So many of the Republican commercials have outright lies about President Obama and his record, and it makes me so angry! 

Another thing I'm angry about is the amount of money spent on this campaign -- when there's so much poverty in our country, it's obscene to spend a billion dollars on a presidential campaign.  There is a Republican casino owner in Las Vegas (I know his name but I won't mention it; if you want to know the name, send me an email and I'll send you the internet link to read about it) who vowed he would spend up to $100 million to defeat Obama; as of this summer he had already spent $45 million - mostly on TV commercials.   I hope that $45 million is a complete waste.

I was in a meeting this morning and one of the women said "Obama is a Muslim"; I would have corrected her but I think not too many of the ladies heard it so I let it pass.  President Obama has never been a Muslim, but that is a lie that so many people like to spread.  He has been a Christian for more than 25 years, and in the October issue of "O" magazine, there is an interview of him and he is asked what it means to him to be a Christian.  His answer:  "To me it means that Jesus died for my sins."  They would rather believe a candidate who is part of a cult that doesn't believe in the Trinity, that believes that men can be baptized for the dead, that believes the Book of Mormon is another inspired word of God - plus other non-Biblical beliefs.  I don't get it.

One more day and then I'll quit with my political ranting and raving!!!

But then what will I have to write about????

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Another beautiful day

It's days like this that make me glad I live in Colorado - November 3 and it's warm and not a cloud in the sky!

My day started with going to the basketball game at the YMCA to watch my grandchildren play.  They are both on the same team, and their daddy is the coach.  Carly is the only girl on the team, and there are no girls on the opposing team.  Most of the kids really get into it and put everything into the game.  Carly made two baskets; Joey almost made several baskets, but I consoled him by telling him that he's the fastest runner on the team - which he is.  He is also the shortest player on the team, but he puts his whole heart into playing.  He, Carly and Daddy practice in the backyard every evening.  I'm really proud of Carly that she plays in spite of being the only girl, and she does well.

After that we went to the house for awhile; Joey played a Christmas song for me on the piano - he had just been given the song at yesterday's lesson, and he did really well.

After that we all went to the Chinese Children's Adoption International office where they were having their annual sale of gift merchandise.  We go there every year, and it's always fun.  This is the agency that is responsible for giving us those two beautiful grandchildren. 

Well, I guess I'm dammed.....
Mike Huckabee, the former pastor who ran for president in 2008, recently said in a published article, that anyone who votes for Obama is dammed.
I wonder who made him judge and jury?  How is he going to explain that statement to Jesus some day when he appears before the judgment seat of Christ?

Which leads me to one of my favorite topics - the matter of judging.  Why do we as Christians think God gave us the responsibility to judge everybody?  Jesus said "the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself."  He didn't say "the first and greatest commandment is to be judge of all those people around you who don't live by your standards."  In fact, in the Bible it says quite clearly "judge not lest you be judged". 

I grew up in an evironment where everyone was very judgmental, and I learned to also be judgmental.  I cringe now when I think of some of the things I have said through the years.  But I have come to realize that God put me on earth to love my neighbor instead of judging him or her.  I have a hard time being silent when I'm with a group of Christians and they are making such judgmental statements about people who have various types of what they classify as sin.  Our own sins are probably not so apparent to other people, but that doesn't give us any special kind of license to do the judging.  I remember the story in the Bible when someone was caught in sin and Jesus said "let him who is without sin, cast the first stone" and the crowd all dissipated when they heard those words.  It would take so much responsibility off our shoulders if we would just let God do the judging!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

What's in a name?

When I was young, I enjoyed reading the comics about Lil' Orphan Annie and her dog whose name was Sandy.  It was an appropriate name for a shaggy looking dog.

All this week we've been hearing about hurricane Sandy.  Hardly an appropriate name for a storm that is turning out to be the worst in America's history.  It should have been named Jezebel or something in that order.

But the weather here in Colorado is wonderful.  Both yesterday and today, the temperatues have been in the 70's; in fact, as I was driving around today, I had to run the A/C in the car.  Unusual for November 1.

My day started with the Bible study at Bible Study Fellowship.  This is a weekly in-depth study that meets all over our country and other countries around the world.  We are studying the book of Genesis, and even though I grew up with the Bible, I am learning all kinds of new things.  There are six days of homework each week, so it does take some commitment to be in the class. 

After that I traveled into Denver to get a perm - it was very badly needed, as my last perm was a disaster and led me to change hairdressers.  I really enjoy the one who is doing my hair now, we have great discussions about politics because we both are registered as Independents and both of us spend time studying both sides in this campaign. 

President Obama was at his presidential best during the storm emergency this week.  So of course Romney wanted to get a photo op related to the storm; he went to a location where donations of food and other necessities were being processed and he was photographed holding a package of toilet paper.  If I wouldn't be a nice person, I would say that Romney and toilet paper are related....But I'm a nice person...

I found the following article on the CNN web site today, and I'm posting it here; I agree completely with him.

Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "The American Bible: How Our Words Unite, Divide, and Define a Nation," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN
(CNN)–Why are evangelicals like Billy Graham and Ralph Reed stumping for Mitt Romney? And why are roughly three-quarters of white evangelicals inclined to vote for him? 
Because politics matters more to them than religion. 
Last year, in a talk at a conference on Mormonism and Islam at Utah Valley University, I asked my Mormon listeners why they had not rushed to the defense of Muslims in controversies such as the one that raged over the Park51 project near ground zero. After all, they have been the victims of religious prejudice. Their founder, Joseph Smith, was killed by a mob of vigilantes.  Given this history, I expected that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as Mormons, would feel the sting of anti-Muslim prejudice and speak out against it. But neither Mitt Romney of the GOP nor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of the Democratic Party did anything of the sort. In fact, Romney issued a statement opposing the construction of the Islamic center.
Why? Because they were thinking and acting as Republicans or Democrats first and Mormons second.
I see a parallel story playing out this election season with the religious right.
Until quite recently, many evangelicals saw Mormonism as a dangerous cult spreading false theology and dooming its followers to hell. In fact, only after Romney showed up for a meet and greet with Billy Graham in North Carolina earlier this month did the website of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association erase a reference to Mormonism as a “cult."
Did Mormons all of a sudden change their theology? Did Graham change his definition of a “cult”? Of course not. It just became politically expedient for Graham to declassify Mormonism, given the fact that Romney, a Mormon, was the presidential nominee of his beloved GOP.
Ralph Reed, too, is forsaking his theology for his politics, mobilizing his Atlanta-based Faith and Freedom Coalition to place voter guides in Ohio churches in the run-up to election day.
I am old enough to remember when the main purpose of Reed’s Christian Coalition and other groups on the religious right was to put born-again Christians in the Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court. And for decades those who were running those groups saw Mormons as non-Christians.
And don't get me started on Mike Huckabee, who in a recent ad says that a vote for Obama is a vote for your own damnation.
Have LDS Church members repudiated the Book of Mormon as “another testament of Jesus Christ” or their view that the Bible is the word of God only “as far as it is correctly translated”? Have they accepted the Trinity? Rejected their teaching that there are many gods?
As Ben Witherington, Albert Mohler, and many other evangelical thinkers continue to insist: no, no, and no.
I used to believe that the purpose of the religious right was to infuse American politics with Christian politicians and Christian politics. I no longer believe that. The purpose of the religious right is to use the Christian God for political purposes. Why any Christian, conservative or liberal, can say "Amen" to that is beyond me.
I am perfectly happy to see Reed stump for Romney in Ohio and Graham plump for Romney in an ad in The Wall Street Journal. Just don’t tell me they are doing so as Christians. They are doing so as shills for the GOP.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephen Prothero.
Stephen Prothero - CNN Belief Blog contributor