A Dog Talked To Me About God.....

FIRST... I want to say thank you very much for going to GoodBlogs and voting my blog post onto their Homepage and thereby earning me an easy $20!! What a fun new site, you should check it out and make some fun bucks for yourself!

SECOND... Recently I spilled my guts to you about the tough time Hubs and I are going through regarding our job situation and the great big empty space we see as the next step. We still have no clue what is next or how we will earn a living. BUT...


My heart is no longer feeling so bruised and alone. Sometimes for a person of faith, it really takes a  very small event to remind them that they are not alone. My "small event" came in the shape of a dog named Sadie.

Sadie is a Blog-Friend of mine who somehow got her paws onto her owner's (But I actually believe that SADIE owns him rather than the other way around!) computer and sent me an encouraging email that was very sweet. THEN a little later Sadie wrote me again saying that as she was going to bed she suddenly had a Celtic prayer come to mind and thought it may help in my situation.

Here is where the "small event" became a big event in my week. I immediately recognized the prayer as Psalm 27:4 even though it was not marked that way in the email, because Psalm 27:4 has been my chosen life verse since 1997! Hello! 

Psalm 27:4

One thing I have asked of the Lord,

this is what I seek;

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life;

to behold the beauty of the Lord

and to seek Him in His temple.

The prayer included this verse and it was a strong reminder of the ONE THING that is important in my life, in this situation and how I will walk through it. My focus has been re calibrated, re-aligned so that I am refusing to allow the negatives around me to determine who I am or what atmosphere I carry around with me. (Is that churchy-talk? Sorry.) Not sure how else to say it other than that I am choosing to look at God and how much He loves me rather than the ugly stuff around me. It does not make the ugly stuff go away, but it truly is amazing how much it shrinks it! Ha! 

"Beholding the beauty of the Lord" means refusing to dwell on the negative and instead reminding myself of all the good things in my life and all the good things I have seen God do for my family in the past. It sounds so silly and simple doesn't it? But it is not easy, it is an intentional fight in my mind, to pull the worry thoughts back into line. 

To top it off I skyped my sister for the first time today and she asked what was going on with us. I didn't tell her much because I wanted the call to be fun and enjoyable not complaining. So she says...

"Well, I felt like I was supposed to

pray for you this week

and all I heard God say to pray about was

your work."

!!!

Haha! How do you like that? 

So my friends, you have had a small glimpse into my life and pretty much the way things happen for Hubs and I. I usually reserve my more "God-stuff" posts for my other blog and try to keep this kind of neutral so that anyone can feel comfortable here, but since I blubbered all over you with my doubts, I figured you also deserved to hear the result. Thanks for reading and thanks for all the kind words. 

I love this blog-world a lot!

As Real As I Know How to Be.....

Anyway, welcome to my observations on life.

 Somewhat witty, heartwarming 

&

 always as real as I know how to be.

The words you see above are from my sidebar, making you a promise that I intend to keep. You really are an anonymous unknown collection of people who I will most likely never see in "real life". That is not to say that I don't care about you and your lives, I do. I know some of your back stories and have even been known to stop and chat with God about your troubles and problems. But the majority of you are strangers so I should be able to be "as real as I know how to be" here on this blogspace of mine.

Even so, I hesitate to tell you about my recent struggles and I am asking myself why I hold that back from you. As a Christian I think there are still some ugly pieces of my old "cocoon" hanging on and causing me to hide my questions and doubts from you. There is an old mind set that I must PROTECT GOD'S REPUTATION. Ha! That's hilarious really! As if He needs me to help Him with His PR (Public Relations)!

I am going through a tough time. Normally I would wait until I came through the tough time to tell you about how I came out the other side and all is well with my soul, so to speak. We people of faith tend to shy away from admitting that we still have questions, worries and doubts. 

I know about and practice (and even teach) the gift of choosing our thoughts and keeping them positive. It is one of my main teachings in fact! It isn't just a christian "glad game". I believe that we are the masters of our minds and we can choose to wallow in the muck or get up and keep walking. But that does not mean I am willing to pretend to be happy when I am struggling. 

Ironically, the very reason I feel free to share my wonderings with you today is that I know that I know that I know, that my God is good. I do not doubt Him. I am not worried that tomorrow I will lose my salvation and decide to become a hooker to make some money for us. (Ha! Too many funny one liners popping up right now, must refocus! )  

But I am wondering why He is being so very quiet right now. Hubs and I shared a  ministry job for ten years and it ended unexpectedly about 11 months ago. We are now living on 1/3 of that salary. There are many complicated friendship intricacies involved, too much to go into here, but mainly we are in a place of "what now?" and IT IS NOT FUN!

God and I have been more than friends for over 40 years so I have no doubt that there will be an end to this yucky season and I will be able to look back and see what it was about. I can say that because we have a history together and I simply know it will be alright.

But dang it, I am not used to it taking this long!! I am asking Him if I am missing some important clue, is there a step that I missed or a turn I did not take? 

For the first time in my life, the idea of going away and living the life of a hermit sounds really good and comfy cosy. Today on our bike Hubs slowed down enough to say, "Hey how about we sell all we have and just travel for a couple years then come back and let the kids take care of us?"  I told him that I never thought I would agree to such a plan, but it sounds perfect right now! 

We are using up our savings and even the small income we do have will be ending in June. C'mon God, any time now would be great! I know You well enough to trust You, so the panic has not taken over, but it would be oh so lovely to hear a little something to hang on to right about now.......

Always Worshiping....

Recently my good friend, Stephanie sent me the following note, (Caps are mine.)

“I've been thinking of you this morning, and I feel like there's something in 2Chronicles 20 for you-

Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were faced with an army come to take them out. The people turned to the Lord and testified of His power, greatness and willingness to move on their behalf. With their hearts turned to Him, they said,

“WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU.”

Then the Lord said-

"Do not be afraid or discouraged of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you.”

The people POSITIONED THEMSELVES IN WORSHIP. They sang, “Give Thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever!” And as they sang and praised, the Lord set ambushes against the army that had rose against them. The enemies turned on each other and WIPED THEMSELVES OUT!

When it was all over, it took 3 entire days for Jehoshaphat and his men to carry off all the plunder from their defeated enemies!”

Stephanie followed that scripture description with some beautiful words of encouragement meant just for me. (Thank you Stephanie!)

When I turned to that passage in my Bible, it was almost completely underlined! Worship has been very important to me for many years. At one point I even fell into the sneaky trap of worshiping worship.

Today this has me pondering the wonderful wisdom of these men. The second half of their prayer….BUT OUR EYES ARE ON YOU….reveals some deep wisdom. I don’t know if they said it with an expression of exasperation or with quiet faith. Either way, it shows us what the perfect DEFAULT is for any situation! Wonder how long the battle would have gone on if they HAD KNOWN what to do!?

Worship is a state of mind. The POSITION of worship is simply PUTTING OUR EYES ON HIM! It is a state of heart. Which comes first does not matter. The worship of God’s people is a mysterious and multi-layered thing. As I read this story I was overwhelmed with the intricate and detailed threads that weave through us as we worship!

There is POWER in worship.

There is SAFETY in worship.

Worship reveals TRUTH.

Worship brings us WISDOM.

Worship can be DESPERATE.

We can find REST in worship.

We can acquire COURAGE in worship.

Worship releases CREATIVITY.

Worship is BATTLE.

We must BATTLE to worship.

Worship is REFRESHING.

Worship is CLEANSING.

There is more! Each of those statements is full of keys and revelation that lead us back to LOOKING AT HIS EYES.

Worship really is the ONLY sensible thing to do when we do not know what to do! It has become my DEFAULT. Unanswered questions and nagging doubts still hit me, but they do not overwhelm me anymore. He does not mind if I say, “God, I do not get this, but I am looking at you!” My default is to look at Him. For several years I have signed my letters, “Always Worshiping”. It has not been written lightly, it is where I live.

Who Do You Think You Are?

This graphic has been around for quite a while now and most of us have seen it and nodded in agreement. So have I, but there are a few thoughts I would add or change about it.

But first let me tell you how I am learning to know myself in a much more clear and truthful way. Over the years as I have spent time talking to God and listening to Him talk to me in a variety of ways, He always seemed to be stuck on one theme again and again. "Child, I love you."

Well, of course you love me, you're God, you love everyone, you kind of have to, right?

But time after time this is the message He sent me, through others as they prayed

for me, it's all over the Bible, and through hearing those love words in my own heart and thoughts when I prayed. I would hear others tell of God giving them huge visions and jobs to do in the world. But not me, to me He continued to just whisper intimate, sweet nothings of love in my ear.

After years of trying to believe that the Holy God of the universe actually loves little old me, I finally began to grasp it, claim it and revel in it! Me! God loves me! My walk became a bit taller, my smile to others became more genuine and the confidence of knowing I was loved by God affected every part of my life and personality. Then He began to tell me what He loved about me! He loves my compassion for others, my wisdom from years of walking with Him, my humor and the way I accept people just as they are. He told me things about myself that I did not see yet, some things that I still do not see yet. His idea of who Brenda Susan is, far outshines my picture of Brenda Susan.

Knowing who I am has made me stronger when the little nagging negative thoughts come and try to pull me down. I am not easily intimidated by negative thoughts about myself. I hope this does not sound arrogant but I simply don't allow those doubts about my worth to linger in my mind. I used to wallow in that negative place for weeks and weeks. That is why my God had to keep sending me those intimate love notes over and over again. I just did not believe it.

I really love words. Look at this......I have found my ID in my intimate times with God. Knowing my ID has protected me from negative ideas that try to intimidate me. My INTIMATE times give me my ID and do not allow doubts or fears to INTIMIDATE me. What is the difference in those two words?

INTIMATE

INTIMIDATE

ID!!

I love that! Cool huh?

OK, about the cute

pic up top. The words I would prefer would be.."What matters most is how God sees you."

Also, which is more real, the little kitty or the image in the mirror? It looks like the reality is a kitten and he just thinks he sees a lion. But the true message is that the kitty REALLY is a lion, not just that the kitty SEES a lion in the mirror. What God see and says you are is MORE REAL than what you see or feel.

Who are we to argue with God? :)

One Happy Mom!

OK, this is one of those times that I am extremely happy that this blog is a secret between you all & me! My friends & family do not have the address & if some friends have found it on their own I have asked that they not tell me. (They all know I have the blog but I don't give out the address.) I like the FREEDOM to write without worrying about feelings & whatever.


ANYWAY!.......


See that picture of the happy lady? Multiply that expression about a million times & you'll get me & my face! I still want to protect my loved one's privacy so I'll be sorta careful here but oh man, am I happy about this development!


Writer Son has finally realized that he is in love with his best friend! Ahem, yes, she is a she! They have been super close for the last 4 years & have adamantly defended their friendship from others who kept saying it really looked like a deeper relationship. Nope, nope it is just a friendship they have been singing for a long time. They know each other so well & have seen one another through fun stuff & really hard stuff, ugly stuff & beautiful stuff.



Two nights ago he came over & sitting on our couch told us that they have moved to a different relationship. Hubs & I have long wanted them to see what we see, but could not say anything, so as he is talking to us, my grin is getting bigger & bigger & it is hard to contain my joy & happiness! I glance at Hubs & he is staring at the floor, obviously (to me) also working hard to hold in his enthusiasm so we don't overwhelm the poor boy! Ha! Hubs & I have talked to each other about our love for this little amazing girl & how perfect she is for Writer Son. At last I hug the boy & tell him how happy we are to see him so happy. After he left the house Hubs & I just looked at each other a practically did that girly scream you see on TV when women get excited!


***So, if you are a friend of mine in real life; don't you dare tell my guy that I wrote about him on the internet ok? Big trouble for me. Thanx!***

Rocker Son is Doing Better

Today Rocker Son's back boo-boo is looking a bit better. He is keeping it bandaged & covered with triple antibiotic cream & it is getting smaller & a little less gross. Being the mom to a 22 year old who does stupid stuff is not any easier than parenting a 3 year old who does fearless things. But at least the 3 year old is just exploring his world & doesn't know any better. Can't say the same for Rocker Son & his night time exploits which make me kinda crazy at times. Most of the time I have remained calm & not given in to too much worry about him & his wild lifestyle. I really have been pretty amazing, I think!

But when he comes home from a wedding with a drunk induced injury, I am grabbing at all the peace I can get. PEACE cannot live along side fear, have you noticed that? So, I am not allowing fear to make me crazy when he is out partying with his huge group of friends. I am remembering the times that he has been rescued & protected in his life. I am recalling the time he fell off a tube in a rushing river & was pinned under the water when he was about 6. He told me again recently that he saw an angel or something bright under there & seeing it made him feel that he was going to be OK. I believe he was protected. But.....

Does protection happen when you are being stupid? Tonight I am choosing to say "Yes" to that question. If it was God that rescued Rocker Son then, why not trust that God would protect him now? God has certainly gotten me out of some dumb situations! Aren't most of us being stupid at least 50% of the time anyway?

That is how I get myself back to PEACE. By remembering the times that the "bad thing" I was scared of, never happened. Remembering the times that everything worked out great & even better than I could have arranged on my own. I am so thankful for my healthy sons & the normally pretty sensible heads they have on their shoulders. Call me a "Pollyanna" but it works for me & keeps me from getting all over-protective & control-freaky over my family.

(Didn't know I was going to go this direction when I sat down to write, but I guess whatever is "on top" comes out, doesn't it?)

Joy is Stronger Than Crap!

It is 9pm on a Sunday night & it is 105 degrees out there in the world beyond my wonderful air conditioned home! The sun of sunny California can actually be too much of a good thing sometimes! The last 4 years our AC was broken so I lived in front of a small fan on days like these so...yah, I am extremely thankful for our brand new AC in the house!

Something else I am thankful for this week is the very powerful force called "joy". Our church family is walking through one of the worst experiences I have ever been forced to endure. Hubs & I have been close friends with & worked with our Senior Leader & his wife for nearly 25 years. A week ago Saturday their 31 year old daughter who also attends our church died suddenly of a blood clot. No warning, no reason, no explanation. The pain is overwhelming & frightening.

My faith was tested this week. My deep belief that God is good was questioned & examined. I don't think that I have faced anything in my life that truly had to "try out" the strength of my faith in God like this tragedy has. The trite platitudes that people speak in these times are all wrong & do not represent the God that I have come to know. You know the sayings, like, "God must have needed another angel, so he took her to heaven." or "He just loved her so much he called her home."..... UM....no, I & the rest of my church community do not accept such silly & unhelpful words.

It is a mystery why this happened. We do not have the answer. I don't know why some people get healed right before my eyes & others do not. I don't understand why the majority of children in the world are living in extreme poverty while we bask in a Toys R Us land! There are so many unanswered questions, that a person could easily become a true Eeyore if they watch too much news on TV.

The first 3 days after getting the phone call about our friend's shocking death, I circled my house in a daze of questions & fear. I could not go to my God for comfort because I was too angry at Him for letting this happen! It left me feeling like my feet were on slippery ground with absolutely nothing to grab onto. If I could not trust Him to protect my kids & my friends then what in the world was I to trust? My rock-solid foundation was crumbling & it was mind-numbingly frightening.

But I also knew that He can take my questions. I have learned in just the last few years that God is big enough to welcome my anger & my doubts, He wants me to question the things I hear in the pulpit on Sundays. The bible is full of stories of people in hard situations & when they asked God their accusing questions, He answered the questions they should have asked. So I stopped with the wrong questions & asked a right question. Where are you God?

He said, " I am right here, ready to hold you, just like I am holding her parents."

This morning her parents talked about resting in the goodness of God even in this nightmare of crap that is happening to them. (Their words.) They have chosen to not live in sadness or madness. Joy is not the same thing as pleasure. Joy is a deep, living thing that can be underneath the sadness. Joy is not giddy or silly, it is strong & intentional. The grief is not being pushed down or even held back. It comes & overwhelms them without warning. Our church community is on the same page & we watched a video of her growing up years & thanked God for the crazy, daring & full life that she led.

Personally, I faced all my old fears again during those first three days last week. I cracked open the door to them & almost allowed them to make me go back to hiding in my house & never trying anything new ever again. That is how I lived for 40 years; always choosing the safest option, the least stretching job & relationships. But my young friend certainly did not live her 31 years like that & for me to do that now would be like asking a butterfly to crawl back into her crusty old cocoon again! Not gonna happen! I am choosing joy...even when it does not make sense.

Prophetic Words Can be Wrong

Let me introduce you to Jubilee & her daughter Sarah Grace. They are the center of a funny story about a prophetic word gone wrong. Last year when we were in her hometown in the Philippines she came up to me during a prayer time in her church. She spoke little english so just pointed to her lower stomach & asked me to pray for her stomach pain. As I began to pray, her friend told me that Jubilee was pregnant & worried about her baby. So I gently placed my hand on her tummy & asked God to heal her & her baby. It jumped under my hand! I laughed & said that the baby likes to be prayed for. Jubilees' eyes got super big & she looked shocked & surprised. I asked why she was so surprised & her friend said that the baby had not moved for a few days & the pain she was feeling made her feel it may not be alive!

A few days later we were in her meager home as she proudly showed us her treasured belongings & talked to us about her baby girl that was on the way. After visiting for a little while, one of our fellow teachers came in & offered to pray for her & her family. He began to pray for Jubilee & then began to speak about the strong & courageous son she was going to have. My friend & I looked at each other & shrugged our shoulders, wondering what that was all about. He also said that the new son would someday go to China & be very powerful, at that point Jubilee interrupted him & said, "No China, go to America!" Ha!

After the prayer I asked Jubilee if she had seen a doctor that told her the baby was a girl. She said no, but she already had 2 boys & she wanted a girl & it is a girl! Then she pointed to the big bed in the room, obviously the bed she shared with her husband & it had a pink chenile bedspread on it! Family planning, I guess! Ha!

As you can see, she had a gorgeous baby girl the following September & she is a very happy mama! And yes, we did tease our fellow teacher about his totally "right on" prophetic word!

This pic is evidence that you are NEVER too old for a fun treehouse lunch break!

Do You Validate?

I had an interesting “aha!” moment last week that I want to tell you about because it kind of woke me up a bit. And that’s always a good thing! It changed something inside of me & so far I really like the change.

The background is that I have had a few tough weeks at my job, which is weird to call a “job” because I love it so much that I would do it for free (and have). My hubs & I, along with a team of others are overseers of a ministry school that is really more about getting your inner life transformed than becoming a preacher. In fact we kind of shudder at the thought of creating more preachers & pastors in a world that really needs more passionately caring surgeons, bankers, teachers, carpenters etc.

I love what I get to do every day but……..there are always a few students who complain & criticize the school, even though they chose to come & are paying to be there…….& those negative words about what we do were kinda getting to me. It happens every year & I have been learning not to take it personally but it’s amazing how 2 negative words can so outweigh 10 positive words! Why is that?

So my “aha!” moment was last week as I listened to some of our former students come back & talk to the current students about their lives & how impacting their school time was for them & how thankful they are for our school. Two of our students from Denmark graduated last June & are now married & leading a church there using the things they learned in our school. Two others talked about their recent move to the Philippines to start a school like ours. They described the practical ways they are changing the lives of the people who live in the slum areas & providing college scholarships to the children there. Another young lady is working as a mentor to at-risk teen-agers in her town; they are referred to her by the local Juvenal hall. Another student described praying for a guy in a motorcycle accident on the freeway even though the EMT had given him up for dead, no pulse. The student said his mind was blank & he tried to recall all he had learned about praying for the sick & remembered that the words & formulas are not important. So he just found a clean spot to touch the guy & said ‘God, don’t let this guy die.” The guy coughed sat up & said, “Hey I think I was in an accident!” Ha!

As I sat there listening to this stuff my eyes filled & I felt overwhelmed to be a part of their lives. I also thought, “I wish the rest of the church staff could hear this.” (The school is connected to our church.)

A few days later other former students shared similar stories at the church staff meeting & again my thought was, “Wow, I sure wish the current class could hear these stories.” Immediately I “heard” God ask me a one word question…."Why?” Oh man, He is good at those tiny little one word questions that carry some huge meaning!

Now I could easily have said that my reason for wanting others to hear the stories was because I wanted to uplift them & encourage them….but nope that was not my motivation at all. So, my honest answer (what other kind of answer can you give Him? Ha!) was, “Umm validation?” I wanted others to see what we have done in the school & that it was a worthy & valid thing we were giving our lives to. I want some credit, some kudos. God then said one more thing to me, “The only ones who need to know the true value of what you do, are you & your husband.”

And those last words I heard made a huge difference inside me. That difference has also affected the outside of me now as I am walking straighter, looking my co-workers & students in the eye with a new authority & confidence. I know where my validation comes from & that assurance has given me a new strength & joy in what I do & in who I am. Last night as I changed the status on my Face Book page I hesitated before pushing the button to post it. Can I really say this about myself? Yep! My new status line says, “Brenda is changing the world one handful of students at a time!” Woo-hoo!

(Here are a few of our gang telling a special couple on our staff who were moving away, what God had to say about them. They wrote, drew & sang His words to them! )

Get To Go Back to The Philippines Again!

I get to return to the Philippines in April with our students! I am so excited & ready to see those wonderful faces again.

We will be feeding the kids in the slums & providing new clothes hopefully.

Aren't those joyful faces amazing?

We also have meetings for the adults & pray for them as you can see in the next photo. If you've never seen one before, that 2nd pic is a prayer tunnel.(Enlarge it to see some REAL joy on faces!) They walk through the tunnel as we pray for them! So fun, so beautiful!

Woo=hoo, can't wait!

Case of The Stolen Fudge! or Linen Closet Secret

As mentioned in my post about making my first fudge, I have a bit of a history with the yummy stuff, which may be what kept me from attempting to make it for myself all these years.....here's the story........
Ever so quietly I reached my skinny little eight-year-old arm deep into the back of our linen closet and found what I desired most. Cold, crackly foil. Under the foil were pans and pans of wonderful chocolate fudge. My mom began her Christmas baking early in the month and knew that in order to have any goodies by the special day; she would need to hide it somewhere safe from our little hands.

What can I say? I don’t recall how I found my favorite brown nutty treat in among the towels and sheets, but once I discovered the secret place, I returned there very often. I only took a couple pieces at a time and then had to stick it in my pocket until I found a spot to enjoy it by myself with no danger of little brother or sister following and telling mom.

The only problem with my system, other than the crumbs in my pockets, is that I never actually looked at the pans. I just let my fingers grab a few chunks of candy at a time. It felt like a never-ending secret supply at my finger tips. Well, I guess the other snag in the growing addiction was finding a place to eat the forbidden treat. Sitting in the dog yard behind our house was really not the most pleasant place to savor my stolen fudge. My dog was my best secret keeper though.

Chocolate has been my weakness for as long as I can remember. I even shared cocoa powder with my goldfish when I was under three. They actually survived, but coughed up little brown clouds for several days!

My eighth Christmas Eve did not have a happy ending. When my mom pulled her carefully prepared pans of fudge from the linen closet, they were strangely light. I had eaten almost all her supply of Christmas fudge and she was not happy. Her punishment was perfect; in a house where every flat surface held a fancy dish of candy, bread, pie or cookies, I was not allowed to have any kind of sweets all of Christmas Day!

I used to think of my sweetest times of worshiping God as a taste of forbidden dessert meant to be saved for later; only to be enjoyed after a soul searching time of travailing prayer. Only after confessing everything I could think of and praying all the way down my prayer list; then and only then was it okay to wallow in the love of God for an extended time. The intimate, exhilarating moments of abandoned worship were the sweet dessert after the prayer work was done.

And again; what can I say? I was wrong! God offers me a never-ending secret supply of His sweet presence, in the closet or out of the closet...where ever, whenever! Now my intimate times with Him are powerful times of wonderment and warfare, tearful and ticklish, happy and heavy. Now…I eat dessert first!

Thankful

I am thankful for this view out my classroom window.
I'm thankful for a husband who looks at me in my sleep.
For two sons who are good men.
I am grateful for the amazing friends I get to work with every day.
I am thankful for the ability to travel for my work.
I am thankful that my lifelong headaches have gone away at last.
I am full of thanks for a beautiful home.
I am thankful for words.
I am thankful for praying parents & grandparents.
For a brother, sister & many neices & nephews.
I am thankful for lots of new freedoms in my life.
I am thankful for my health & strength.
I am grateful for my faith, laughter, lessons learned & battles to fight.
I am thankful for an amazing life!
I am thankful that I know exactly Who to thank!

Praying About The Outcome

My main prayer this voting day is about the outcome. No, I am not praying FOR a certain outcome. I am concerned for what the outcome will bring OUT of us. Specifically believers. I am a believer & I am worried about how other people of faith will react if their choice does not get into office. Unfortunately, my husband & I were deeply dissappointed in the reactions & words spoken when Clinton was voted in. We heard wonderful, loving, devoted christians totally bash him & speak horribly about him once he got into office against their wishes.

I think that once the person is placed in office we need to express prayers of honor & thanks for what God is able to do no matter who is the "king" of the country. We need to be very careful to speak only words of hope & possibility, because it is really difficult to pray FOR someone that we are verbally abusing to our friends.I'm really not a political kind of person. I don't get out on street corners & try to legislate righteousness. I don't think that holding a sign up is going to change someones' vote or values. But I do believe in prayer & in making a difference one person at a time through kindness & truth. That kindness includes how I talk about my leaders. God help us.