Presidential Elections - Part One

I haven’t written for a while because of illness. Today is the day that I start my blogging again.

The topic is the upcoming presidential election. This blog will be in six parts detailing the presidential candidates of the USA to this point.

I am not sure how many are aware of those people who are seeking the seat and the actual process behind the election of the president of the USA.It is the same as it was more than 200 years ago. A general election is held by popular vote but that doesn’t make the popular electee a winner. Members of the electoral college (an alleged representation of the people), which is based on the population of a state, vote on the president; they also don’t always vote the way you want them to either. When this process was set up, it was done because the average man couldn’t comprehend and or did not have the intellect to choose a president.

It is a much outdated system.

Up until the general election, we have primaries voting to choose a candidate for each political party -- generally established as Republican and Democrat. Of course there are independents who can make the general election ballot but very seldom do they get more than a very small percentage of votes in the long run. As a result the people do and do not actual vote for the President. My concern(s) have been if the people actually do not vote for the president, how can the president uphold the Constitution of the United States. After all, he is in the employ of the people and the constitution was written up as “We the people…” 

Now for the introduction of the Presidential hopefuls:
Democratic Party: 
Hillary Clinton - wife of former President Bill Clinton, mother, and grandmother. 
Qualifications:
Former Secretary of State under President Obama
former US Senator for the state of New York
practicing lawyer and law professor
graduated from Wellesley College Yale Law School

Prior to running for presidency, she championed for children’s healthcare, human rights, women’s rights, and education.

Issues:
Alzheimer’s disease, campaign finance reform, campus sexual assault, change and energy, college education costs, criminal justice reform, disability rights, economy, gun violence prevention, health care, immigration reform, infrastructure, k-12 education, labor, LGBT equality, national security, paid leave, racial justice, small businesses, social security/medicare, substance use disorder and addiction, veterans, armed forces and their families, voting rights, Wall Street and corporate America, women’s rights, workforce and skills, and rural communities. (1)

The only real question that I had was under campaign finance reform. What is Citizens United? It is a political action committee of what seems like the “filthy rich” ultra conservatives.(2)

”In the 2008 election season, Citizens United the PAC sought to broadcast TV ads for a video-on-demand film criticizing presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, but doing so would violate the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (known also as the McCain–Feingold Act), which barred corporations and unions from paying for media that mentioned any candidate in periods immediately preceding elections. Citizens United challenged the law, suing the Federal Election Commission (which sets campaign finance laws and election rules), and the case made its way through lower courts until an appeal was granted by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling, the Justices declared unconstitutional the government restriction on “independent” political spending by corporations and unions, and determined the anti-Clinton broadcast should have been allowed. The decision overturned century-old precedent allowing the government to regulate such spending. As a result, Citizens United has greatly affected the way corporations and unions can spend on elections (more on that below).” (3)

I have sort of already made up my mind as to who I will vote for. I am a mid-line conservative but will hold my opinion until I finish detailing all the presidential candidates.

At this time I want to change lanes to something interesting: GOD.

God made different languages for a reason. With those languages come different cultures. It was for our own good and to save humanity. Too many of the same anything can promote gluttony and it does bring out the worse in the human behavior. Too much of anything can lesson the good of humanity, increase the possibility of criminal behavior, social ills, and tragedy. We need to preserve patience and work on our humility as well as self worth. Different languages promotes diversity and increases learning. It also increases humanitarianism for all people. Since the population of the earth is vastly growing, we all can use the comprehension of other cultures to realize that not everyone is like the American people, but the basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) are the same.

Peace be with all. God bless each and everyone.

Footnotes: (1) https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/ (accessed 3.5.2016)
(2) http://www.cupvf.org/ (accessed 3.5.2016)
(3) Bently, Nick Reclaim Democracy. (accessed 3.5.2016) http://reclaimdemocracy.org/who-are-citizens-united/

The Light Brigade

The Light Brigade, I must confess is a poem I had never heard of until I watched the movie The Blind Side. If Tim McGraw was my high school English teacher, I would have not only sat up straight, heard it and memorized; but done a somersault, landed and licked my eyebrows clean in one breath with an incredible smile on my face. I had to read this poem. Since I enjoy history and facts, straight to “GOOGLE” I went to look up everything I could find on it.

 

Wow! Blow me away. Courage! Honor! We do not often hear words like that used in our society today. In the positions of Mike Oher and the Tuohy family took courage and honor applied it to a  giving and receiving type relationship. This type of blind faith is how we help God meet the needs of the people that walk the face this earth

 

LSU Tiger Stadium is nicknamed the “Valley of Death”; though The Light Brigade is not about the football team. It packs in over 100,000 guest. That would be scary knowing that many eyes were watching you.

 

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me..." (Psalms 23:4) In your lifetime, how many people will be watching you? What examples are you setting for them?

 

It takes courage to stand up and be noticed. God has commanded us to be courageous and not to fear that courage. (Joshua 1:9)

 

Maya Angelou wrote:  “Courage is one of our most important virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage."

 

Tennyson wrote it to memorialize men during an impossible battle that would be considered “a suicidal charge.” Their leader commanded them and they followed without question.

 

You know Jesus’s Father? So, if God knocks on your door, who are you to question whether or not you are home, ready, willing and able? God’s business ain't no Cheech and Chong movie where they say:

 

“Who is it? Nobody’s home come back later I am washing the dishes!” (Or was that Animal House?)

 

We can honor by at least trying. We aren’t perfect, we are just human. Tennyson agreed with God as courage is commanded of us from God. Angelou states the actual importance of courage is the most important characteristics.

 

Regardless of how we are raised, courage is the ability to stand up and try. Honor is the ability to learn and give back for trying. Ask yourself if there is any courage and honor in killing another child, in killing for sport another creature, in being mean and having the lack of humanitarianism for one’s self worth, or life in a community? We should do the correct thing that God wants us to do and that is between God and our self.

 

Did it ever occur to anyone that the reason God judged Adam was that he lack courage to stand up to his wife and he chose not to. He then turned his back on God which was dishonorable.

 

 

God bless each and everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Complexities of men

Man is a complex piece of very fine instrumentation. There are inner and outer components. I am not going to be philosophical and use words like a poly-nominalist or the like in from the world of distinguished gentlemen the ancient classical. I would look stupid if I did.

There two sides to everything which is the age old argument in the big arena of life. This is just a simple rendition of the separation of traits or characterization of that individual--a simple understanding that many Christians seem to forget. Simplify there is an in and an out; seen and unseen. What is the driving force? Once a motion has been set into play it continues in motion. Well guess what that answer isn’t good enough. A motion just doesn’t continue without a driving force and that is the Son. I did not say Sun; I wrote SON.

The very existence is due because his Father, my FATHER, created that SON. What is the first thing we feel when we go to the beach? Strip off our street clothes for sand and water fun? Now close your eyes. Feel the warmth deep down to the bone. The toes are tingling in the sand. We are totally relaxed and refreshed.

Now we open our eyes and everything seems new. We can face another day. The brightness has added to a lives an energy. We have accepted the sun. In essence, the principle is the same only this time we have accepted the SON of GOD as that saving grace to be the center of our universe because he is the ultimate creator, the challenger. The once earth/heavily spirit that has provided us with the renewal that we so richly needed. Our internal nature is then healed with power that we cannot even imagine how to replicate it or dream of where it came from. It doesn’t matter what science does. We cannot fashion what we do not understand.

Now man is very complex. We know there is an inner and outer shell to man. Just because we don’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

If it did and we could see it many would be speaking:
“Well how is your rotator today doing?”
“As you can see it is stopping here on this bone spur. When it rubs against this tissue mass it is very painful.”

Being a Christian is not rocket science. It is living life to the fullness as God and Jesus would want us to live it. It is humanity toward all men. It is the love of a child. It is the comfort to the sick. It is the patience to yearn for hope. It is faith, a belief, and follow actions of helping GOD meet the needs of others. It doesn’t stop because the power only belongs to him.

God bless everyone.

Student walks up to minister and states:

“Oh Brother Bob, I am sorry I missed church last Sunday. Some friends and I want to get into some water and last minute rays as the beach before school started.”

“Well, looks like you were worshiping the wrong sun. Looks like you got burned!! I will keep you in prayer for a speedy recovery.”

Do not getting burned.

Roller Coaster

UP DATE:   

I do apologize for not being able to write for some time. My final semester of graduate school approached with a vengeance. I took a logic class. For someone like me logic is like algebra or reading through a mirror upside down, backwards while hanging from a cliff. Do not try to understand it. Just try to memorize it. Now it is two semesters later and I get it some of it. My light bulbs may come on in the elevator of life in which I ride to get or the concept at a later date.
 

My mother was very ill during my final semester in graduate school, had a massive stroke three days before graduation. The car broke down and I almost didn’t make it. For those of you who do not know me, my mother and I were not friends; love? I took good care of her in her elderly years as did my eldest brother. I needed a break and just until the last semester started slowly moving her and my brother back to my daily routine of a questionable life. It surely wasn’t a life enjoyed or expected it was hard and my children made it wonderful for me.  After mother’s stroke she tried to recover, but it was her time to go home. She died in the nursing home peacefully in February. She just went to sleep and never woke. I finally let everyone know that mom had an aneurysm in her brain and that I had promised her not to say anything about it when I found out about it last October 2014.

 

Many things went downhill--my middle brother (the continual drug/alcohol recovery) moved back with us after a 15 year hiatus. Well actually after trying to get his act together in the Alabama Department of Corrections.  His act is ready for a road show. He is very good too. Knows exactly what to do and how to fool the best until the liquor and crack totally takes over. Then Beware! Everything that anyone has or owns must be locked up and secured. He is very consuming of one’s time and energy. He is someone where on the streets of Houston as I write this post. I do not like his actions and will not have it around me.

          Many things went uphill as well. A terminal chronic illness that was stressed upon my eldest brother is not nor never has been an issue with his health because he didn’t have it. Thank you for North Carolina Doctor who stated otherwise. He was so very relieved as we all were since he had stopped living for the past 13 years. He then met his “soul mate.” Over the internet of all places. He left to be with her in Florida. I am very happy for him.  There were issues over money between he and I in which we will just have to iron out. My children told me I lost it a long time ago with the financial aspect of living. I have had to turn over to them to handle especially when I ended up in the hospital.

The first diagnoses was low oxygen possibly COPD, possibly enlarged Aorta, congestive heart failure or possibly pneumonia. Well it wasn’t any of those things, just a really bad case of upper respiratory infection from a sinus infection like I thought. In all the process.

I had forgotten to take care of me.

While trying to diet, I had forgotten to eat and hydrate properly. Meanwhile I am on my deathbed according to the medical community assigned the hospital’s “Doctor from Hell!” (That is a physician -- a little manicured mini-god-- who knows everything about you without even looking at one’s chart, assessing their medical history,  or asking their name.) He is the type of person, and not his profession, that one would love to empty fecal projectile on his "perfectionism" or pummel his face with my food tray. Regardless of the urge I didn’t! I did scream bloody murder, recovered all my oxygen, heaved the last of the mucus (landing on the window dead center target) that was strangulating my vocal cords and felt 100% better. Carol Burnett would have given that scream in the House of Loud Screams" a TEN on the rector scale for earthly movements. All my daughter did was raise her eyebrow and ask,

    “Do you feel better you big baby after pitching that temper tantrum?” Meanwhile she continued to read me the daughters riot act about me wanting to checkout on life after I had made the decisions that my mother was moving back into the house with me. I didn’t want that to happen and I was trying to get out of it. Time to “shit or get off the pot!” I swear the things we teach our children.

Well God exists.  He places a little of those sharp edged “Jobial” trials and tribulations in our paths. No one is exempt like we think they are. I am still here and have a purpose for living. Great news in all of this. My daughter married a very wonder man and had a baby one week later. I am his Gammy. My son and I have a little flat where I am learning to take care of me. He is not stupid. When I say I can’t he says,

    “I am not calling 911. Get your own ass up!” What do you think I do? Angrily I get up.If he thought I was in need of help beyond his control he would call 911.

God does exists. Whether or not we want to admit it, we loan credence to His wonderful existence in just thinking about him on a daily basis. But it is not my time to meet him.  I am sure he will let me know when.

God bless each and all.
 

Sabbath a day of rest, reflection, worship

It has been a long day, as many can tell within your own lives. Friday always seem the longest. It is a day that embarks on a period of rest and reflection-- which within itself is very interesting. One of the requests that God had of us, which I personally feel is misinterpreted, is to rest on the 7^th day, the Sabbath to keep that day holy.  

There are two definitions that I could find pertaining to the Sabbath: (1) a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday, and (2) a supposed annual midnight meeting of witch with the Devil. If the Sabbath in 24 languages means Saturday and God rested on the 7^th day, the Sabbath in accordance with Genesis 2:2-3, then the Sabbath means Saturday. It is the same (Sabbath) as mentioned in Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12, and Mark 2:27-28. Then why do we not meet on Saturday, as Christians to worship. Man has determined this request was not reaffirmed as justification. Is this a good enough reason? Well yes and well no. There is no clear cut answer.

Christians began to interpret that we should worship on Sunday based off of Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. I always understood that Luke wrote NT book of Luke as well as some of the beginning of the NT book of Acts, because he was in attendance with Paul on some of his travels. That information and the overall authorship are still in question to this day. The remainder of the book, though, is attributed to Paul. We would like to attribute 1 Corinthians to Paul but the research again, is still out on that. It is said to possibly have been written by Paul with Sosthenes and Marcion (who were some church leaders of the Corinthians at that time.) 

Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” On Sunday, Paul came together with some people, had a meal and began to speak at length because on Monday he was leaving the next day.

I understand that this meeting which Paul had arranged was about Eutychus raised from the dead at Troas. Eutychus was listening to Paul when he dozed off to sleep and fell out the window. Paul insisted he was not dead, took him inside and continued to speak until well after midnight. When Paul left, he (Eutychus) was discovered not to be dead and made a full recovery from his fall.

I Corinthians 16:1-2 states: “Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”  This instruction was strictly made by Paul, not God and certainly not Jesus.

Jesus said in Mark 2:27-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This is interpreted various ways when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. The practice of fasting was nothing uncommon during the time of Jesus and the Pharisees had gotten carried away that practice. It was nothing unusual to eat on the Sabbath when man was hungry; but they did without unless you were a priest and therefore gathering food to eat was prohibited. It has been interpreted that man was made for God and the Sabbath was made for man as an advantage for us to improve, to rest, not to be tired, but not to restrain or destruct especially from food. God had a lot of forethought about our souls. I understand that Jesus was gathering food to ease the flesh. When the flesh is at ease, the word of God and Jesus is more readily acceptable. Jesus was making a very valid point which was to not get carried away in tradition that it relates harmful behavior. Too much fasting can harm the body.   

Use common sense. What is the one thing that gets man detracted from hearing the word of God and Jesus on Sunday morning? Majority of all church worship takes place around 11:00 am. The stomach growls distracting the thoughts from God’s word to the human biological function—“my stomach says I am very hungry.” Jesus was pointing out that it is okay to eat even if you have to work slightly to gather a few grains. What is the difference in hunger from the year 30 and the year 1950 or 2014? The common factor between the years is that when man gets hungry, he thinks about feeding himself – nothing else is important, which is common human nature.

This is where I have trouble on “man’s interpretation.” Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath. That is easy to understand. The Sabbath was made for man as the 7^th day to rest, improve, and not be tired, not to restrain, or destruct; but, to worship in rest and reflection. On the first day of the week our collections are made for another week has arrived. If man was made for God and God made the Sabbath for man, then, do you not think we Christians should be worshiping, resting, and reflecting on God that day, the Sabbath? Why does the interpretation have to be so complicated? Why should we take mere man’s word over Gods or Jesus’?  

Jesus repeated the commandments of God according to Matthew 19. But, the Sabbath, the day of rest, the day to keep holy was overlooked. In John 14:15, Jesus said: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John the Epistle recorded in 1 John 2:3, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” We can reflect on the other verses such as John 14:21, 1 John 5:2, 2 John 6, Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12 as well. What can we gather from this information? In Matthew there are details not mentioned in Mark, Luke or John and vice versa.  That does not mean that it was or was not reaffirmed of any event in the Old Testament or the New Testament. This is just a point of view of different authors which was recorded differently like the first two chapters of Genesis. We teach the Ten Commandments to be kept yet, we do not abide by them because it was overlooked or misinterpreted. Well the Bible is not contradictory but mere man can be. 

As time passes on, we all understand that historical presentations have been known to be incorrect. Why should this be any different? I am going to for once and all solve this solution. Christians you are wrong in worshiping on Sunday because you are not keeping with God’s commandments. However, it is not for me to judge other than to offer my opinion, for whatever it is worth. Therefore, we as Christians have to do what is best in our heart. We have to ask ourselves, what is it that God wants us to do? What is best in my relationship with God?

Sometimes we find ourselves outside out given groups with our ideals. But, being a true Christian in most cases, you walk alone with God and not in a group.

This just my opinion

God bless each and everyone 

A word to the wise, learning about the intricacies of the Bible and the meanings therein, should not ever detract from your faith, belief, or general understanding. It is meant to enhance, to draw you personally closer to God and to Jesus Christ (our Lord and Savior.) 

I have the answer!

How many of you have often wondered why good things happen to bad people? I personally have for numerous years. I have asked and received all sorts of answers. Those answers just lay there. It is as if they are just a choice conversational reply with no real substance.

Today I the light came on and there was a great epiphany in my mind and soul. I am very elated to for once understand the answer to this question!

I am reading St Augustine dialogue On Free Will which is some of his earlier writings. He contends that God is not the author of evil a man does though he is the author of evil a man suffers when God punishes us. Evil deeds are punished by the justice of God when man performs evil acts voluntarily.

If this being the case would it not be evil to let a baby suffer from cancer? God did not cause the cancer. The suffering is primarily done at the hands of earthly men and not God, Jesus, or his heavenly creatures.

During the creation God turned dominion of the earth over to man. (See Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2: 19-20) Through the evil acts of free will and not making the proper decisions, man (himself) has caused catalytic events which changed the original biological composition of the body from when God had intended. God then allows man to correct errors they have made. Because man is not perfect, the correction may not be as well or what should be rendered is less than humanly satisfaction. Not all free will is evil or bad just like learning is neither good nor bad.

God guides and answers prayers. They may not be the answers we want to hear. Always remember that God is in control and will use everything in his power, his reach, his creation to maintain that control. 

Man has to want to submit 100% to the will of God which includes seeking the grace of God through (1) spiritual revelation and (2) work. Alone work or spiritualism separate will not cut it. It has to be both. This means we are accepting God 100% and everything else is secondary. In the modern evangelical times, this is often overlooked and not even considered; it is also, very much so, taken for granted.

DO NOT BE FOOLED when we are told, accept Jesus and you are reborn. That is true in part and understand that is just a beginning ideal theory.  To accept the road to the path of eternity we have just began again. It is a long hard working battle of mentality (spirituality of the soul) over the work of physical deeds. While on this work submitting 100% to God, there is always the possibility that the evils of man can interfere with our physical being. But, we have to put our faith that they evils of man should never be allowed to interfere in the spiritual composition that belongs only to God

Never forget separating the body and the soul while in present form on earth is an impossibility when seeking the grace of God. The separation of such only comes in death. Therefore, the spirituality and the physical work of God have to go hand and hand.

That answers the question of why bad things happen to good people.

Go with God and stay safely in His arms.

Naked butt on my Bible!

There are sometimes many things that we wish to tell our children. Some of those things have to do with what parents to do who is low income just to make ends meet like taking on a second job. In 2008, I did just that. I took a second job. It was the hardest thing I ever did. Oh, I have had second jobs before but at this age in my life I was not the healthiest and I knew that this second job would eventually cause worse damage to my physical and mental health. But, my children were and are worth it.

I would get off of work at 11:00 pm and then pick up the “green cab” until 7:00 am the next morning. Of course there was always fear and severe risk involved in driving a cab, so I had decided to keep my Bible on the front seat next to me for my only protection. It saved my life more than once. On specific two occasions my hand was on the Bible and God’s hands were on me.

One night I had received a call to pick up two men at an adult men’s club. They had prepaid with a credit card and needed to go to their hotel. I responded to the call and was there to pick them up. Both men were highly attracted. Well what can I say—I was not your average cab driver. Of course, my hair and makeup was in place and I have naturally long nails which I keep manicured. My cab smell was Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘White Diamonds’ cologne. That is me and I am a picky person about smells. When I arrived at the club, the men told me which hotel they wanted to go to. While in route, one of the men was amorous and extremely flirtatious. I ignored his talk. Even though they were very physically attractive, I was not interested.

One thing I have learned over the years is to hold true to my convictions, and I politely ignored the one man and his sexual advances. The topic eventually turned to me being offered a $200 tip for an hour roll in the sheets in his hotel room with his friend watching. As strapped for money as I was and how great it sounded, I declined. We pulled into the hotel parking lot which was our destination. One man had already exited the cab and went inside the hotel. Meanwhile the propositioning man pulled his pants down, so fast, and jumped into the front seat—plopping his naked butt on my Bible. 

There was a naked butt on my Bible. The emotions went through me were extremely overwhelming. What was once a physically attractive man became a slithering, smelling, and foul serpent in my eyes. He wasn’t dangerous he was just utterly and truly disgusting.

“$200 baby! Have you ever seen a big dick like this in your life?” He said in his repulsed low keyed voice.

I sat staring at him for a moment that seemed like an eternity. What went through my mind was that I don’t ever want to be touched by another man again in a sexual manner. All of it made me utterly ill. I don’t ever want to be touched again by anyone in a sexual manner.  

“Please” I asked. “Please pull up your pants, and get your naked behind off my Bible.” I instructed. I was not upset. I did not yell. I wasn’t rude.

At that moment he looked me square in the eyes and became really calm and with no further amorous behavior. He turned around, and got out of the taxi cab. He gave me a $200 tip and left. I drove off. I 

honestly couldn’t believe what had just happened. I prayed to God a prayer of thanks.

What did I learn? 

I learned no matter where I go or what I do...

God will take care of me.