Blasphemy...

I hope most people who really know me are aware I feel I have close personal relationship with my God.  I say "my" God because sometimes when I hear others describe what "their" God demands from us, I do not recognize "their" God.  My God loves ALL of His children... like any good parent, He provides love, sustenance, guidance, rules, and natural consequences.  Some of His children do not listen to Him, do not follow His teachings, and basically just do their own thing.  I think any parent can relate to that...

I believe, as a loving parent, God does not wish harm upon any of His children.  He may be disappointed in our behaviors, hurt when we do not listen to Him as He tries to talk to us, and angry when we fight with our siblings (His other children).

I believe God has told us not to judge one another-- it is His responsibility to deal with our misbehaviors and poor choices.  I am not referring to the judicial system of punishment, but the spiritual kind.  Who are we to decide which one of His children are not true followers of God?  

I do not pretend to be a Biblical scholar... I more or less follow the basics of His Word.  I will even admit publicly I question the true accuracy of the Bible.  (Hold on, I'm waiting to be struck by lightening... wait for it... wait for it... hmmm... okay, I'm still here, so I'll continue...)  Why do I doubt the accuracy of the teachings of the Bible?  Because over the past thousands of years, it has been rewritten and translated multiple times by imperfect children of God who have had their own bias and opinions.  And I don't think any rational human being can state with all certainty these representatives of God are without imperfections.   All we have to do is look at society's current population of God's "chosen leaders" to see they are as vulnerable to sin and mistakes as you and I.

But I do believe in my heart that God has certain expectations from us...

• LOVE GOD... which means respect Him and obey Him... I personally do not need the Bible or a church representative to tell me what He wants... it's mostly common sense, don't you think?  The Bible and my pastor are loving guides for me, but when it comes right down to it, God directly tells me what He wants me to do.  I don't need an interpreter...
• LOVE ONE ANOTHER... that doesn't mean we get to pick and choose which children we get to love.  Cliques are so junior high, don't you think??  We are to love His children of color, His children who have challenges, His children who live in different countries (or states, if you are an Idahoan who has a particular animosity toward Californians!), His children who know Him by different names, His children who live in ways which are unlike the way you are living... I do not believe He has a clause that tells us to love all of His children except X, Y, and Z.
• DO UNTO OTHERS as you shall have them do unto you... that really shouldn't be that difficult.  Do you want affordable health care?  So do others.  Do you want to be able to work at a safe job and be fairly compensated for your labor?  So do others.  Do you want your family and children to live in a safe neighborhood?  So do others.  Do you want the freedom to worship (OR NOT) in accordance to your personal beliefs?  So do others.  Do you want to have the freedom to marry the partner of your choice?  So do others.  And so on.  It isn't rocket surgery... it's common sense.  And God expects it of us.

So why this rant?  Because I am tired of being embarrassed by certain fellow "Christians".  Those who thrive on hate and foster it in others.  Those who use fear and intimidation to force others to stay silent in the face of evil, to use religion to divide us into "them" and "us", and to claim use God as a reason to be cruel and hurtful to our brothers and sisters.  Most don't see how their actions scream "hypocrisy" to others.

The final straw is a "joke" that is going around on Facebook.  I know my friends who are posting it strive to follow God's teachings.  I just don't understand how they can justify, even as a JOKE, a prayer to our Lord asking for the death of another one of His children.  I don't see them joking about abortions or molesting young children... but somehow they've justified this in their souls.  I can't picture one of my friends joking to their own children to murder a classmate who he/she doesn't like... because they know that would be wrong.  How is this different?

I would like to ignore it and just pass it off as another example of ignorance.  But I can't.  I don't intend to offend or insult people who I really do like and care about, but I feel that God expects me... no, He DEMANDS me to speak up and say:

"Enough is enough, do not let them use My name in such a manner, do not let them abuse My will to amuse one another, do not let them disrespect My power."

No, I don't hear "voices"... but I do feel God speaks to me.  It is His voice which gives me strength and guidance.  And it is His voice which is telling me to not let this occur without defending His name.

It is not funny, people.  It is blasphemy.  And it needs to stop.  

[I can picture my Agnostic and Atheist friends using this as yet another example of how hypocritical "Christians" are... they don't need God to tell them that wanting someone to die, even in jest, is just WRONG.]

Enough is enough...

This was written by my dear friend, Kate Ruef... she took the words right out of my mouth...
I have about had it with the Obama bashing. Give the man a break. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Obama can’t repair the damage of his predecessors in one year. He probably won’t be able to fix it all in his entire term. Did I say probably? He won’t. Period. This country is a mess, and it has been piling up for a long time.

You’re angry? Fine. Direct it toward the people who deserve it. Contact your congressmen and representatives. Contact the elected officials in your states, cities, and towns. Odds are they have been in office a lot longer than the president has. While you’re at it, brush up on your American government. The president only has so much power. He can suggest. He can manipulate, threaten a veto, and cajole. But he can’t make the laws by himself. You want to be angry? Be angry at the lawmakers who chose not to vote about healthcare reform – or any other issue – because they didn’t want to make anyone mad.

You’re afraid? Join the club! We’re all afraid, and probably none of us more than the man sitting in the Oval Office right now. If we make a mistake, we may lose a job opportunity, or maybe some money or a car. If he makes a mistake, he could lose his LIFE. He could be gunned down like a dog in the streets by his own fellow Americans. You think he’s not afraid? You think he’s not doing the best he can with the hand he was dealt? He’s a man, like any other, with a family that depends on him. He has children he wants to see grown and living secure, fulfilling lives, just like many of you. But he has an entire country depending on him, too... looking to him to be some sort of instant savior. You think he’s not feeling the pressure? You think he’s not afraid?

It took years… YEARS… for America to get in the shape it is in. Where were your cries and rallies then? My God, people!! Most of us have trouble putting together all of our children’s toys on Christmas Eve. What makes you think it is any easier to put a country back together??? If Disneyland was bought out - bankrupt and failing - would you blame the new owners if the debts weren’t paid and some of the rides and attractions were not repaired and open for adventurers the next month? How about six months? A year? That’s what’s happened here. We’ve been living fat and happy for a long time, letting things fall into disrepair. Now the “park” is just short of condemned and everyone wants the new owner to reopen immediately. It’s not going to happen. It is going to take a lot of work, a lot of commitment, and a lot of time to get this country back on its feet. Is Disneyland a bad example? How about New Orleans? Obama wasn’t president when Katrina hit. He wasn’t president for a long time afterward. New Orleans is still a mess. Why? Who is to blame for that?

I get it, okay? He’s the PRESIDENT, and he’s responsible. He made all those promises during the campaign and when he took office. You want them fulfilled, and you want them now. He needs time. When our children were born, we promised to take care of them, to protect them from harm, and to raise them to adulthood. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years… eighteen, and sometimes a lot more. And we don’t protect them from every scratch and bump and bruise that comes along, no matter how much we want to. We can’t. Sometimes, the best we can do is to hold them while they cry. That’s part of growing up.

You’re angry? You’re scared? You want jobs and a strong economy back in America? Fine. Boycott the companies that send their jobs overseas. Demand better, safer, more durable products. Give an honest day’s work and take pride in it. It doesn’t matter if you are a janitor or a CEO. Do the work you are paid to do and do it to the best of your ability. Show these companies why American workers are worth a higher wage. Contact your elected officials and demand responsibility and accountability to the working class voters who are the backbone of this nation. Read the Constitution, read the public laws, know your rights… and your responsibilities as a citizen of this country. Citizenship is not a birthright. It takes work. Look up the definition some time. Then look around your neighborhoods, towns and states, and find out what you can do be an active part of America.

I don’t say this lightly. I am not privileged, or rich or even particularly enlightened to what the future may hold. I am just as frightened as anyone else. I have also buried my head as deeply into the sand as anyone else for a lot of years. Now I am waking up. I am coming into my own as a Citizen of the United States. I have come to understand that people die every day trying to come to this country and start a new life. They are glad to take the risk. My great-grandparents took that same risk long ago so that my grandparents, my parents and, eventually I and my siblings could have a life that was better than what they had known. I am sure they had so many reservations, so many reasons not to make the journey that I will never know. I am sure they had doubts and fears. But they left everything behind – friends, family, everything familiar and safe to them. For that, I owe them a debt that can only be repaid one way: by living up to the citizenship they fought so hard to secure for me. We all have the same history, if we only look back far enough. We all owe the same debt to the people who built this nation, the people who made it strong. We owe it to the next generation of Americans to rebuild that legacy of strength and of hope, to make America once again a nation of promise.
~~Kate Ruef

Road Trip, anyone???

Obama will be visiting Boise this upcoming Saturday...

If you are an Obama supporter...
If you are an undecided Democrat...
If you are an American who wants to make an informed choice at the polls...

Consider being a part of this gathering!!

{Currently, there is a group from the Gooding area who is coordinating a "road trip"... contact me for more information if you would like to join us! The song that is going through my head right now is "Convoy" by C.W. McCall! Can you picture it... from Eastern Idaho, picking more in the MiniCassia area, then Twin Falls, then at the Bliss exit, then Glenns Ferry, then Mountain Home... and then BOISE?? Wouldn't that be a sight to see!!)

It's your ONLY chance!!

If you are Republican or Independent (or ___!) and either still thinking about it or possibly leaning toward a Democratic candidate, please read the following with an open mind...

For ALL Idahoans, it is VERY important for you to know about our political process...

If you decide that you wish to support one of the Democratic nominees for President, you need to know Tuesday, February 5 is a critical day.

No matter what your party affiliation, if you support a Democratic president, Feb. 5 is your ONLY opportunity to participate in the selection of the Democratic candidate for the November election.

Yes, I said "ONLY" opportunity.

The Democratic Party nomination for President is based upon Caucus results... NOT THE MAY PRIMARY. This is new information to me... maybe not to others, but I'm still in the "learning process" of politics!

IF YOU ARE NOT A DEMOCRAT...
The Democratic caucus does not require participants to be members of the Democratic Party!!! We only ask you NOT to vote for a Republican Presidential candidate in the May primary. You can still vote on the Republican side of the ticket in the Primary—just not for President. And however you choose to vote in November is still your choice (obviously!).

IF YOU ARE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE...
You can vote in the caucus as long as you are a county resident, whether you are registered to vote at that time or not. (You can register at the caucus if you choose.)

IF YOU ARE 17 YEARS OLD...
If you will be 18 by November 4, you can also participate in the caucus.

IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION...
For further information about your local Democratic caucus, please go to the Idaho Democratic Party website. If you are in Gooding County, you can contact me if you want.