“Silence in the face of evil is evil. ” Dietrich Bonhoffer

This week I was listening to Glenn Beck and he referred to the movie Les Miserable in which the main character, Jean Valjean was faced with doing the right thing in the face of returning to prison if he stood up and spoke the truth that he indeed was the guilty party not the innocent man that had been accused.  He asked himself the question, “Who am I?  If I speak out, I am convicted.  Silent I am condemned. ”

I have said I will limit my political comments on my blog, but I have changed that stance and if it makes people not want to read it, so be it.  I have definite opinions and I will continue to point them out because I felt a powerful need to warn in 2008 that an Obama presidency wasn’t just a “change” in Washington, but a dangerous transformation of the United States of America.  And I was right.  There has been a complete division in this country and our rights have eroded horribly under this man’s lack of leadership.  He has apologized for America and has defended Muslim citizens over Christian citizens.  I see the path he has set us on and I am not optimistic about reversal of his actions unless God blesses us with a righteous leader.

We have 5 choices left in this years Republican  presidential primary.  John Kasich is just a  mess.  His latest is that he said just yesterday during an interview that yes, he believes that religious liberty is important, however when asked about a Christian bakery or florist, and should they have the right to refuse to participate in a same-sex ceremony, he said just bake them a cupcake.  Why do we have to make it such a big thing?  I can answer that, because our beliefs don’t stop at the door of our business and our closely held convictions aren’t waved off like a fly.  It is a big deal and the right for a private business to refuse services for a religious reason is certainly part of the very fabric of this country

Then there is Ben Carson.  He is a very intelligent soft-spoken man that truly believes in this country and believes the Constitution holds the answers because our founders based it on Biblical principles.  I agree.  I don’t have a problem with Dr. Carson, it’s just hard to see a path. My one concern is his 7th Day Adventist beliefs that I saw in an interview where he very specifically says he doesn’t believe in a “literal” hell.  His explanation of this was somewhat concerning to me.  I know God could use him because he does seem like a willing vessel.  So if that’s God’s plan, I would rest easier than with Kasich or Trump and in most ways, Rubi0.

Marco Rubio over the last two weeks has become the “ESTABLISHMENT” candidate and is now getting the backing of most of the people who have been backing Jeb and Christie.  A lot of the old stalwarts of the GOP are out in full force trying to get Rubio in because he is controllable whereas, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are not.  They are rogue candidates whereas, Marco wants this so bad, he will agree to anything.  We saw that with the Gang of 8 amnesty bill where he promptly forgot the promises to the tea party people who voted for him and came up with this compromise bill along with Democrats like Chuck Schumer. He also has taken to calling Cruz a liar while not fighting Trump at all.  That seems like a cowardly thing to do.  He has been affiliated with several different religions and seems changeable on almost every issue. Once again, if God has this for his plan then I can see voting for him and praying for God’s help to lead him.  He needs to stop whining also.

Ted Cruz cannot be called Mr. Personality, however, he should be called Mr. Constitution.  And he is my vote for the best hope we have.  He has been accused of dirty tricks and lying, yet when the candidates can’t answer his tough questions on their own records, they scream liar so you don’t pay attention to the fact they haven’t answered the question.  Cruz has fought for the Constitution  his whole career and is a solid Christian. His reputation on his character is one of integrity.   As for Supreme Court justices who would adhere to the Constitution, he is the best bet to pick Conservative justices.  We are only one justice away from loss of some of our sacred rights as Americans.  He is a born again Baptist and his father is a minister.  His faith has informed his decisions and he is our best choice.  Our hope is in no man, but God does use the willing to carry out His works.

Now, as for Donald Trump, my opinion may not be a popular one, but, I am gonna give it anyway.  He is an overgrown whiny  baby who has gotten his way for so long, he doesn’t even understand how to sit down and be quiet.  But even more than that, he is a bully.  He threatened the family that owns the Chicago Cubs for donating money against him that they should be careful because they have secrets.  He threw a fit when the lights went out  at a rally and when they came back on he  led the crowd in a chant “Turn them Off’ so he wouldn’t have to pay the rent.  He said that’s the way to negotiate,  that our country needs that kind of sick thinking.   But the one that takes the cake and Christians should be aware of and take heed, he said he would be NEUTRAL in the situation between Israel and Palestine.  We cannot be neutral, in our support of Gods chosen people.  We know that He will honor those who honor Israel.  There is so much more with this man that leads me to question why leaders in the “Evangelical” realm would be giving him their blessing and endorsement.  This week I read Mike Murdock and Pat Robertson just heaped praise and adulation on him.  I don’t understand it and it has caused me to be frustrated.  This man is a danger to our country.  If he ends up our president I have to wonder if it is a sign of God’s judgement on us.  I know God can change people and even this man can change.  Mr. Trump does however have to believe that he has to ask forgiveness and at this point he still doesn’t think he has done anything to need forgiveness for.  HMMMMM????  Something to consider.

This week has been difficult for me to just rest in the assurance that with all the Christians praying for our country and for a righteous leader to be lifted up that things can and will be alright.  I realized about Wednesday that I was tweeting a lot and posting in FB posts comments to try to prove points.  Now some of that is ok, but when it is the activity that I spend my evening doing instead of reading the Word and being thankful for all God’s blessings on me and my family, I realize that I have tried to fight the battle on my own again.  In my own way and timing.  It doesn’t work that way and I was reminded in my devotional of the story of the Children of Israel at the walls of Jericho.  How they had to be faithful to God’s command and trust that in His timing and at the shout of his children the walls would fall.  It wasn’t about His power, it was about their faith.  I had to realize that in the election, it’s not whether God can raise up a righteous man to be our leader it is whether His church has the Faith to TAKE A STAND and keep marching until at the shout of His people our answer is as obvious as the walls falling at the feet of His children. Even though I can’t be silent about politics, there are moments of silence when He renews my hope and comforts me that He is still in control.

Here are two photos from Pensacola, Florida where my daughter and son-in law and granddaughter are living right now.  This EF3 tornado happened on Tuesday night and was headed directly for them.  We started praying and God protected them.  It went beside them about a mile and north of them about a mile or two.  This destruction was just a couple miles from them.  WOW.  God is good to protect our kids when they are away from us.  SOOOO…. Thankful for His hand of protection.

Have a good week and find a way to TAKE A STAND for Jesus!!

We are back from our trip to visit the kids in Pensacola, FL.  It was a quick but really good trip.  While on the trip, I saw the news about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death.  Wow, what a surprise and what bad news for his family and our country.  I had to work hard to get it off my mind and back on my family visit.  It did cause me to think about what is important in life.

Our relationship with God is the of the highest importance and should be prioritized over everything else.  In Matthew 16:26, Jesus is talking to the disciples about following Him and giving up everything in order to do so, and He asks, ” For what shall it profit a man though he should win the world, if he lose his own soul? (the Geneva Bible)  The importance of serving Him and leaving everything at the foot of the cross and not seeking worldly goods or importance at the loss of our relationship with him is something worth striving for, no matter what we may want as human beings with flaws.  In the NIV Life Application Study Bible, it suggests that a good way to look at life is through an eternal prospective.  It tends to change some of the decisions and directions we would choose.

I thought about the death of Justice Scalia and was dismayed because of his strong Constitutionalist approach to judicial decisions.  The Conservatives had a strong ally in Justice Scalia and with his death it now means another judicial nominee from President Obama who has shown disdain and been reprimanded by lower courts that he has exceeded his constitutional power over and over.  He sees the Constitution as a document of suggestions, not laws.  Justice Scalia saw the document as the fundamental foundation of our republic and it shouldn’t be litigated over and over and definitely not changed by political activists.  Now we definitely are at the crossroads and on the verge of a constitutional crisis in the United States of America.  Our very foundation is in danger of collapsing depending on who is appointed.  It is even more important to elect a president that will appoint a justice that will honor the Constitution.  We cannot be guaranteed that Donald Trump would.  He has suggested his own sister, who is pro-abortion and liberal in her moral stances to be a justice.  This is getting very serious and when praying on who to vote for, this should be your main priority.  If we lose to a liberal (or fake conservative) the balance of our country will topple toward socialism quickly.  THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

When looking at the scripture above, I also thought about the very candidates who are running and some of the absolutely inane explanations of why Christians would vote for Donald Trump over Cruz, Rubio or Carson.  The latter three have professed their faith in Jesus Christ while one feels no need to ask for God’s forgiveness. Even though I support Cruz completely, I wouldn’t feel wrong in supporting any of the three.  I am struggling with whether I could even cast a vote for Trump and if I did it could only be because my trust is in God and not in a man and I know He has a plan for me and His sons and daughters.  However, when given a choice of Godly men or not, I can tell you that no economic policy that TRUMP could  “get done” can outweigh the importance placed on honoring life and marriage as God intended us to do.  Therefore, if I voted for Donald so he could “make America great again” based on the economics of it all, I feel it would be giving up my soul for worldly gain.  My soul is more important and from eternal aspect, we all will have to answer for who and what policies we advocated for, especially where innocent life is concerned.

Missouri will have a Presidential Primary on March 15, 2016.  This will be for Presidential Only.  This will decide who Missouri will support at the nominating convention.  I have always thought of this as the heart vote.  This is where you vote with your heart who best represents what you feel in your heart is right.  I will be voting for Ted Cruz because of all the candidates that I have seen, he closest represents how I feel.  Also, for anyone who would look at Cruz and think, no one likes him, he must be nasty, mean, a liar and numerous other things you might have heard, just let me ask you…. aren’t a lot of Christians looked at that way because they stand for principles that the world doesn’t always understand or like?  As Christians, we know, we won’t always be liked.  Anyway, do your homework and get out and vote on March 15, 2016.

On  August 2, 2016, Missouri will have a Primary Election for Governor of the State of Missouri.  I am going to be doing some homework before then and listening to some interviews and I will give you my opinions of who my choice would be sometime before then.  If you would like to listen to interviews, you can go to KSGF to the election tab or Nick Reed show and scroll through his podcasts for the interviews.  There are candidates for other offices also that you should learn about if you choose to exercise your duty to vote.  KSGF will have a sample ballot as soon as it is available.

Now, last but not least in any way, my trip.  Spending time with the kids was wonderful.  Eric and I got to attend a race at our granddaughter’s school.  She ran and came in first among the girls and about 5th overall out of about 80 first graders.  They didn’t give awards, which I think is a mistake.  Kids will do better if they have a goal and a reward that they earn.  Anyway, it was wonderful to get to be there for her school activity.

We also went to the Pensacola Lighthouse Museum on the Naval Base.  The top of the lighthouse is 191 feet above sea level and there are 177 steps up a wrought iron spiral staircase to the top. I have always loved lighthouses and think often about the song we used to sing.  Maybe because of my fear of storms when I was a kid, lighthouses have always seemed like a comfort to me.  We went in and there was a big warning sign about who shouldn’t attempt the climb and I probably fit about 3 or 4 of them.  I wasn’t as worried about the claustrophobic aspect as I was about the physical stamina to make it up there.  Wow!!!!  Eric and my daughter both encouraged me and the princesses’ little face looking down at me from the stairs above was inspirational and I thought, if I get part way up and need to I will just stop.  So about 3 spiral levels from the top and after a few breaks to gather myself, my daughter called out that I was almost there.  I told her I thought I would just start back down.  She told me no, that I would and could do it and I would be so happy when I made it.  So, because I didn’t want to let them all down and I did want to make it, I started saying, in my head, “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” and “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me”  and before I knew it, I was at the top.  I stepped outside and took 5 photos.  Promptly turned and started down.  I had done something with the help of family and God that I didn’t think I could do.  His word played the most important role because that is where my strength lies.  The following pictures are from the trip.

Remember this next week to TAKE A STAND for what you know in your heart and soul to be RIGHT and do not compromise for worldly acceptance.  Eternity is worth TAKING A STAND FOR.

Just some quick thoughts because I have a lot to get done tonight. Above 2 of my favorite ladies.  Great concert tonight, Rebecca.

Eric and I went to see 13 Hours the other night.  I don’t go to many movies but after following this story on the news and seeing the families of the men who died in Benghazi, this was one of the movies I decided to go to.  So, I went in and when I left I was in tears and I surprised myself by being so emotional about it.  I have thought a lot about it and I know that what I felt was ultimate disappointment in my country.  That our President is such a careless leader and the state department under Hilary Clinton was so incompetent that we (America) left men there with no help.  I know there is the administrations story of what happened, but excuse me if I take the word of the men who were there, physically fighting, over the word of an administration that has lied and spun everything.  People, we need to be serious when we chose leaders.  It matters greatly who we elect.

Now another thing, after the New Hampshire deciding to vote for a socialist, Bernie Sanders  and Donald Trump, I am really wondering if people understand the seriousness of this election.  Socialism is a political term applied to economic system in which property is held  in common, not individually.  Common ownership does not mean decisions are made collectively.  Individuals in power make decisions for collective.  It ultimately removes group decisions in factor of one leader.  Alexis de Tocqueville said, “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality.  But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.  Socialism is basically when the government regulates the economy, the opposite of capitalism where the government leaves it up to the people.  AMERICA IS A REPUBLIC!!  If you want socialism, GO TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY!!

Last thought, Christians need to take this very serious.  I know a lot of Christian people and if you are reading this and you think Donald Trump is the best choice I want to ask you to explain it to me.  I do not understand Christians backing him.  I won’t go into all the decisions of Mr. Trump in the past years, I just want to know how his morals that are on display constantly in his rallies can be upheld by pastors and Christians.  I don’t think that dropping F-bombs and calling other candidates another word for a kitty cat when there are children in those rallies is appropriate for any decent people, let alone Christians who are supposed to be an example to those around that our inside is cleansed and we are different as a result of our salvation.  Our prayer should be that God raise up a leader that will honor God, life, Israel and to be a leader that will protect our country and make us a country that will honor God.  If there are two or three men that are running for an office and one of them shows no honor toward God and is offensive and immoral and there are 2  that are outwardly open about their relationship with God and look for His guidance in decisions, as a Christian what should your choice be?  I would love to have someone explain this Trump thing  to me.  I say, Take A Stand for A Christian mad if there is one running!  But most of all TAKE A STAND FOR GOD!!!!!

What a week!!!  It has been a busy week and I am having to make myself shut off all media about the Presidential Election.  This was the week of the Iowa Caucuses.  Ted Cruz won and that was good.  I support Ted Cruz.  Now look for everything and anything to be said and done to Ted Cruz.  I am going to be praying for our country.  I encourage everyone to  be praying for the best godly man to be our candidate.

A few days ago, Hillary was asked about Supreme Court nominees if she is president and Barack Obama was suggested.  She said, oh my goodness, I never thought of that but what a great idea!   If that doesn’t send you to your knees, I am not sure what will.

Here are 7 things to look for in your Republican candidate:

1. Opinion and/or action on Obamacare
2. Guns
3. Amnesty
4. Tarp, Stimulus
5. Marriage, Religious Liberty
6. Budget Issues, Planned Parenthood
7. Iran Deal

These are a guideline that can lead you to a candidate that most represents your convictions.

The scripture that should be foremost in our thoughts during this election year is:

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people , who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

It is always easy to go along with the school yard bully, it is harder to Take a Stand and stand up for the unpopular kid.  It is our duty to stand up against the mean and evil and call it what it is.  Find a way to Take a Stand for God this week and maybe find an underdog or needy person to help or stand for.

These photos were from last year.  Alana has grown a lot.  Valentines Day is coming up and it’s a wonderful time to treasure all those we love.  We will be making a trip to Florida soon and I cannot wait to see my girls.

Have a great week and find a way to Take a Stand!!!