Thanksgiving.

As like most of us, there are 101 things going on this week.

A few thoughts:

First, how truly amazing to have a week where our whole nation is moving towards an attitude of thankfulness. What a gift and a blessing it is to live in a country that pauses, intentionally, to give thanks to God for all of His blessings to us.

Second, after just having been out of the country, I have to say what a humbling experience it was to pass through US customs to get back. On the way back into Miami, I found myself feeling overwhelmed with the thoughts of again facing the problems that our nation carries right now. I'm one who tends to get burdened by things a bit too much, & the prospect of picking up that burden again (after a brief but fun trip) was almost overwhelming. A few moments before landing back on U.S. soil, I had a little meltdown, during which one of my sweet friends took my hand & said, "No matter how bad things seem here, no matter what's going on in our country, it's still the best place in the whole world to come home to." Then she prayed for me, then I pulled it back together a little bit.

Passing through customs, the passport officer must have seen my emotion, because he cracked a small joke (the likes of which I don't recall). It must have been some questioning of my citizenship, because my answer was, "No sir (with a smile). I'm coming home."

Indeed. I don't know when I've ever loved my country more, than when I called her mine & was welcomed back home to her.

So remember this Thanksgiving, be thankful for the only country in the world that celebrates Thankfulness to God for just being a country! Be thankful that you are citizens of that nation which truly is the best place in the world to come home to.

Personally, I'm deeply thankful for my husband - whose love helps me live & breathe. I'm thankful for our 3 children who are delight & challenge beyond all I could've ever imagined. The gratitude swells up & it is humbling.

Our God is great. Our God is good. He is in control, & I am thankful.

~~~

Unintended Consequences?

Hi friends~
I have but a few quick moments to write today; will be leaving town (& thus blogging) until Wednesday, Nov. 19th. This process has been great for me, & so many new friends have added richness to my life. Thanks! I'll miss it in these intervening days.

However, my college friends & I are celebrating turning 40 this year, & are headed to an undisclosed location (okay, the Dominican Republic)! Yippee! And, no, we're not going on a mission trip. A mission, yes; mission trip, no.

Anyway, before departure, there are some things that just need sayin':

• Our country, as Peggy Noonan said today, has "thrown long," a hail-mary of a lunge toward someone/something/anything different. There are already unintended consequences of such a throw. It's like the addage says, "You'd better be careful what you pray for...you just might get it." (And I know, many were praying for 'change'...)


• Unintended consequence #1: Even with massive realignment of Congress, I don't believe voters themselves have moved as far left as the Left would like to think. Evidence? Ban on gay marriage passes in CA, AZ & FL, & largely due to the turnout of African Americans -yes, Obama voters largely- who are not up for any kind of massive shift to the left, it seems. Many, many thanks to these folks who have joined in the marriage debate & weighed in on whether it's a Civil Rights issue or not. Who would know better than these folks? (score 1 for us...but that's about it...)


• Unintended consequence #2: The election of Mr. Obama has sewn up a seam between the Far Left fringe & the left-of-center. They Far Left has, on cue, poured in torrents onto the Culture War battlefield with swords drawn & AK-47's firing (metaphor alert -I hope-, for those who're gonna fill the comment screen calling 'foul'): crashing/bashing of the evangelical Mount Hope church in Michigan, vandalizing Mormon churches, & sending suspicious white powder to several Mormon churches.

This is worse than vandalism & protesting, friends. It's domestic terrorism. Do these people feel entitled to engage their battle because Mr. Obama's campaign remained a blank slate? Because he could then allow himself to be all things to all people, for them to project their 'hopes' & dreams (however twisted) onto him? Do they believe they're entitled, because they identify w/ the most left-wing presidential candidate we've ever seen? I suppose they assume that since he's now on the national stage, they should be too. We knew Mr. O had ties to 'ancient history' domestic terrorism. We just didn't know that 'ancient history' was only last week. (Is it his fault? No, but is it an unintended consequence? You betcha.)

• Unintended consequence #3: Furthering the above, Mr. Obama has disrespected traditional Christians (as some suspected he would, eventually) by consulting w/Bishop Gene Robinson throughout his campaign. (Granted, this article is about as even-handed as the Huff. Post, but the inference can be made...) Will this be his new spiritual advisor? Gene Robinson is the Bishop whose appointment ripped the Episcopal Church in two. I mean, it's not that he shouldn't have an audience w/ the President-elect. But it appears the one seeking the audience has been Mr. Obama. So, for spiritual advisors, could BO have gone from Jeremiah Wright to this guy? Nice. (So far, he's not winnin' real big on doing what he can to earn being my President...)

So, it's grand that our country has elected our first African American president. It speaks to how far we've come as a nation. In my heart-of-hearts, I believe that. I am deeply grateful to live in a country that can progress so far & so short a time.

The victory has a sinister undercurrent though, friends, & I don't think those who've been so enamored of the load of *%@# called "hope" that BO was selling really get it yet. (Sorry, when churches get terrorized in the name of 'tolerance', I get a little ruffled.) But maybe they're starting to...

This man (I don't care if he's black, white, Chinese or Martian), because of his radical & largely untilled landscape of personality & history, is already serving as a launching pad for some of the farthest left, ugliest, most antisocial fringe in our society.

I read a comment yesterday which said, "Oh, let's just give him a chance." Indeed. We're already seeing the unintended consequences of that "chance." It's not even two weeks out from election day & already I'm thinking, "I told you so."

~~~

Hope - Reprise.

Reprise seems to be a pattern here…

You should know I’m taking a break from political things in order to bring this piece to you. Actually, this follows very nicely with 11-07-08, which is the reason I’m writing this here & now.

Friends, there’s a movement afoot. As I see it, the Holy Spirit is on the move; whispering to me , nudging new friends, speaking to my brother – yes, my brother. One of my brothers is planting a church in Hickory, NC. It’s called Christian Fellowship Church (it’s AMIA - Anglican Mission in America).

After the tender mercy that God showed me last week with One True Hope, I received an email link my brother’s Sunday message. The title of it is “Holy Spirit is Where the Hope Is.” I was astounded at the parallel... If you have 15 minutes or so, go to this link & click on the message for 11-9-08. Listen to the message of hope; our one true hope.

Christian Fellowship Church, Hickory, NC

(When you see the picture of the prayer circle, he’s the one seated in the white striped shirt, big nose. I can say this…I have the same nose.)

God is speaking, whispering, nudging, beckoning.

Will we seek His Hope? Will we respond & move forward with courage? Will we see this as our time, knowing that our Hope is trustworthy, dependable, eternal?

“Now is the time for those of us who embody this kingdom to defend the truth, overcome evil with good, and live lives that proclaim and display heaven in the real world.” Steven Curtis Chapman

Hallelujah. Amen.

~~~

'Just say it' Reprise.

In an earlier piece I said, “Friends, when you are fortunate enough to recognize injustices around you, act. When you see unfairness, speak...” Just last week, I realized that an action my husband & I took several years ago had never been followed with ‘the speaking.’ Recent head-scratching among our local news organizations spurred me to share my perspective with them. They may not listen (or print it), but at least they can’t say nobody told them.

11-07-08

To the Editor:

Your Managing Editor’s 11-14-06 blogpost is titled “Job Cuts at the Journal.” I read the dated piece with interest, since I recently heard a local writer grieve the downward spiral of the Journal’s circulation. The Editor’s closing is myopic if not optimistic, “Journalism is in transition…I want to see what comes out on the other side & play a part in shaping the future.” Let’s have some retrospective analysis, please: five years ago, my husband & I canceled our subscription because of the Journal’s perpetual left-leaning orientation. Our decision was made over time & reluctantly, as we didn’t want to stand in non-support local business. But alas, we grew weary of sifting through commentary to glean facts. We lost patience & faith in this paper’s journalistic ability to present news that’s not shaded yellow. Though we revisit occasionally, we’ve found no reason to re-subscribe. The remaining faithful are either stroked by its leftist flavor, aren’t paying attention, or they enjoy seething while the Journal celebrates or lambastes the news, instead of reporting it. Even the recent endorsement of John McCain for president seems a cynical attempt to placate the masses (even as they slip away like sand).

The Managing Editor was right in 2006: journalism is in transition. If this protracted campaign has taught ‘the masses’ anything, it’s that journalism has nearly forsaken its mission, having giddily assumed the cult-of-personality mantle of left-wing political persuasion. Re-subscribe? No thanks. When Editors, et. al. choose to play a different part in shaping Journalism, realigning with its true calling, I’ll consider print media again. Until then, there are other outlets from which I can glean my news. I have to do a little sifting, I know, but at least I don’t have to pay for it.

So, there it is. The truth has been spoken. Whether it’s heard is altogether another kettle of fish. I don’t expect much to change in the near term, but maybe those who have ears to hear, will.

~~~

One True Hope.

From the front page of the newspaper to the deep, hidden corners of the human heart a cry is going up. It's the searching, longing cry of a culture and, in fact, a world in crisis. Where is the hope? Where is the peace? Where is the purpose and meaning for life here in the real world? The answer lies beyond the reaches of governmental policies and great humanitarian efforts, as needed and good as they may be. It lies in a lowly manger, a cruel cross, and an empty tomb. For it is here that we see the kingdom of heaven bursting onto the scene of what has often been called the "real world." Charles Colson calls it "a shining kingdom that reaches the darkest corners of every mind. A kingdom of deathless hope, of restless virtue, of endless peace."

God has heard our cry, He has sent His Son Jesus Christ, and "heaven has come to the real world."
Now is the time for those of us who embody this kingdom to defend the truth, overcome evil with good, and live lives that proclaim and display heaven in the real world. God Bless you!
~Steven Curtis Chapman, artist's note from Heaven in the Real World, 1994

God is so tender and good, friends, & He is speaking to us this very day. I re-found this CD two days ago. It was written in 1994, but the message for this very moment is pristinely clear:


“Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people, and that’s where our hope is in this country, and that’s where our hope is in life...”
~ Charles Colson

I saw it again today in the face of a little child * Looking through the eyes of fear & uncertainty * It echoed in a cry for freedom across the street & across the miles * Cries from the heart to find the missing part *

*** Where is the hope, where is the peace? * That will make this life complete * For every man, woman, boy & girl * Looking for heaven in the real world ***

To stand in the pouring rain & believe the sun will shine again * To know that the grave is not the end * To feel the embrace of grace & cross the line where real life begins * And to know in your heart you’ve found the missing part *

*** There is a hope, there is a peace * That will make this life complete * For every man, woman, boy & girl * Looking for heaven in the real world * Heaven in the real world ***

** It happened one night with a tiny baby’s birth * God heard creation crying & He sent heaven to earth **

*** He is the hope, He is the peace * That will make this life complete * For every man, woman, boy & girl * Looking for heaven in the real world * Heaven has come to the real world * Heaven has come, come to the real world * He is the hope, He is the peace * Jesus is heaven, heaven in the real world *

~~~

Forward we go.

Several weeks ago, my wise friend Betsy reassured me of this truth:

God is in control. He will put us under the authority He chooses within His perfect will, and will work all of it for good! Fear not…!

Ever since, God has been nudging me with other assurances & truths, like how desperately our nation needs to put down arms against itself. Since Bush/Gore 2000, disaffected citizens & media seem to have assumed a solemn duty to tear down the presidency of George W. Bush. It has been vicious, & lately has bled out into other scorned targets. Our national dialogue has decayed to the degree that anger & hatred – real hatred – have become the blinding impetus of an entire social/political movement. It has deteriorated into a national disgrace. Any clear-thinking, honest person would be willing to agree.

Challenging policies & debating platforms is productive & clarifying. But likening your own President to radical, truly evil despots is demoralizing to the esteem of our entire nation. Before you jump to the defense of Michael Moore, the media elite, & even school teachers who allow their students to disrespect the President, know that this opinion isn’t mine alone. Jeffrey Shapiro, investigative reporter, attorney & former intern with John F. Kerry’s 2004 presidential legal team, gives a scathing rebuke of the disgrace that the treatment of President Bush has become.

So, back to assurances…I have worried & wondered what could possibly curb the molten hate which has oozed through our national landscape. The answer has come to me over the past several weeks: a nudge here, a nudge there. As a Presidential loss for John McCain seemed increasingly possible, clouds began to clear in an eerie, strange way. As last night’s results came in, a beam of sad but necessary clarity thrust into my consciousness. I emailed the following to a friend who was scared, sad & worried, “Maybe, just maybe, tonight's results will allow those who are so angry at George W. Bush to finally get it out of their system. Maybe the Left will feel a grand sense of vindication & give themselves the freedom to put down their hatred."

I’m one like Hewlett, NY who believes that President Bush holds in his heart the best interests of our nation. I believe he is a citizen who has done the best he knew how for our country - out of a true patriot's heart - during a terribly difficult season in our history. Agree or disagree, we owe him respect for that. We would all be better & more noble if we could summon that respect, & perhaps attempt to lay down our anger in the process.

So here we are, at the edge of a new time. The historic election is over. The votes have been counted & the message is decisive, thanks be to God. I believe the elasticity of our Republic has been stretched–to-breaking, & I'm not sure it could have withheld much more tension.

In this new day, let’s look to the leader to whom nearly half the electorate gave their vote, “These are difficult times…& I pledge to [Mr. Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next President our good will & earnest effort. And to find ways to come together to bridge our differences…Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans, & please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.” What a valiant, generous & gracious concession this was. Honorable, noble & just. It is to Senator McCain’s great credit (& to ours) that he is willing, even in defeat, to put his country first.

As I watched that speech last night, my heart was swollen with the sadness & disappointment of losing a hard fought battle, but also filled with the gratitude of knowing that my position was also honorable, noble & just; if not the winner this time. In his generosity, Senator McCain’s words prepared me to receive the next words that would fall on my ear…

I listened intently as I watched President-elect Obama. Throughout this campaign, I’ve been keenly aware of the bitter-sweet paradoxes that he represents. I ‘get’ why so many are drawn to him & inspired by his message. Never was it so clear as last night’s speech, delivered with a measure of humility not before seen in his countenance, & received with that same measure of humility by a throng of deeply grateful citizens. The gravity of the moment, & of history, had truly fallen upon the crowd. They all seemed aware, as I was, of the precious cornerstone of victory over our nation’s troubled past that Mr. Obama’s win signifies. I get that.

So today, I am willing to acquiesce to the authority placed above me, if not to the persuasion of its ideas. I am willing to ride this momentum into the future, not relinquishing principles, but certainly some degree of temporary jurisdiction.

Perhaps as a nation we can muster the courage - as Mr. McCain urges us all to do - to lay aside the penchants that have driven some toward a blinding, life-sapping hatred of our own countrymen. I’m willing to take up Senator McCain’s call. I will respect Mr. Obama, knowing that I stand, as he so finely noted, on the “enduring power of our ideals: Democracy, liberty, opportunity & unyielding hope.” As I do that, I trust that our nation’s character is more elastic, more resilient & greater than the strength of any one man to carry that torch of hope into the future.

~~~

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” Philippians 3:20

~~~

Roll Call.

My friend Tanya has kept me informed, updating me with a Reuters News service article, “Palin Effigy Removed from US Home After Protests.”

It’s gratifying to know that there has been sufficient pressure that Mr. Morrisette removed his display, but not before others were incited into countering with ugly displays of their own. Mr. Morrisette’s comment exhibits his complete ignorance of human nature (or maybe his keen understanding),

“There was a huge mob scene. The whole thing became a life of its own.” (Was he surprised or gleeful? We can’t know for sure…)

Still, I find puzzling the statement of the Mayor’s spokesman, “He had made his point and it was becoming counter-productive."

I wonder just what, exactly, was Mr. Morrisette’s point…? And which part was counter-productive: his point or the public outcry? Devoid of direct answers, I’ve drawn my own conclusions & I’m actually glad for the clarity this episode has rendered. I’m glad I know who in the Media Elite is willing to set aside bias, & stand up against such a spectacle. And I also know who is apparently willing to remain silent, hoping they might not be exposed, hoping we, the unsophisticates, might not notice.

I’m glad. Because they have been exposed; we have noticed, and I think we're all quietly taking names.

~~~