Thy will be done

 If you have been around the church for very many years, you have prayed it many times. You have read it in your Bible. You may have even sung it. It is in the Lord's prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." But do we really mean it? Do I really mean it? Do I want God's will, or do I really want my own down deep where no one can see my true desires and wishes?

  If I were honest, I'd have to admit the desire for my own will to be done usually outweighs God's will. No matter how many times I mouth those words and sing "I surrender all", I am actually hoping for what I want, and that God's will look very similar to my will.

  I don't believe I am as bad in this area as I used to be. It is a growing process, and can even be one of a step forward and a couple of steps backward. As life goes on and we face different challenges and obstacles, we often find it more challenging to want God's will in some areas and situations that we haven't faced or dealt with before in life.

You want a wife/husband and 5 kids, but what if it is God's will for you to remain single?

You want to live near your family, but what if it is God's will that you live in another country?

You want candidate A as president, but what if it is God's will for candidate B to be president?

You want to live a long and satisfying life, but what if it is God's will you give your life early in the ultimate sacrifice?

   In spite of what many people think, I believe and have come to accept the fact that it is God's will for me to remain single. It took me a long time to get to that place. I wanted a wife, several kids.....preferable boys to make up for the brothers I wanted and never got (OK, I wanted the kids more than a wife...you can't drop her off at the babysitters!).......but life dealt me the same-sex attraction card.....and though He has brought me far and worked miracles in my life, I just can't see marriage ever happening. Even if I was suddenly attracted to every woman I saw, I know myself very well. Though I have my times of being lonely, and I love spending time with my family, I am a loner. I enjoy solitude, and a wife is 24/7.......and I don't think I could handle that. And so I am OK with being single.

  But there are other areas of my life that I question "why?" and want things to be different than they are....... but am I wanting God's will in those areas, or in just the areas that His will lines up with mine?

  These thoughts have been swirling around in my mind since I first heard a song this week-end titled "Thy Will." It has helped bring home the truth that if I am to truly follow Jesus, it must be His will I desire and follow, and not my own.......no matter where His will leads me.


"Thy Will"
(performed by Hillary Scott & The Scott Family)

I’m so confused
I know I heard You loud and clear
So, I followed through
Somehow I ended up here
I don’t wanna think
I may never understand
That my broken heart is a part of Your plan
When I try to pray
All I’ve got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done

I know You’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know You think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all Your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You’re God
And I am not
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will

I know You see me
I know You hear me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Goodness You have in store
I know You hear me
I know You see me, Lord
Your plans are for me
Goodness You have in store
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done

I know You see me
I know You hear me, Lord

God can do new things using whatever He wants to use, a reponse to Karl Vaters

   Sometimes you don't have to read an article to know you aren't going to agree with it..... such was the case with one that came up on my Facebook feed this morning: "Why God has never done a new thing using old songs." Too often people just respond to an article or blog title without actually reading it (happens to me all the time with my anti-Trump posts), so I decided to actually read the article first before commenting.....and it bothered me more after I read it. I commented a short comment saying why I disagreed, and now I am going to further comment via this blog post about why this article bothers me and why I feel this guy has it wrong:

1) The title. It makes a very wide and sweeping statement that the author has no way of proving or backing up with facts. Saying that God has never done new things using old songs is egotistical on Mr. Vater's part. Never? Really? Just how does he know this?

2) It limits God. God can use anything to accomplish His plan and purpose. He can bring about these nebulous "new things" Mr. Vater refers to, however He wants, using methods or songs as old as He wants. He is God, after all, and His ways are limitless.

3) To God there is no old or new songs. God is eternal. He sees the past, present, and future.....I don't totally understand that, but I have read and heard many people explain it in ways I cannot....... but if that is true, then He sees all songs in the same time frame.....not as old or new.

4) Worship isn't about us. Mr. Vater makes a big case for needing to have newer worship music for our youth, that we can't use yesterday's worship methods. we are losing the youth, and so forth.

  We aren't losing our youth because of our worship and music style or the songs we use. It is far more than that, and I don't believe it has much at all, if anything, to do with music.

 There are young people all across the globe who are meeting in secret to worship God. There is no hip worship leader with spiked hair, there are no loud drums, guitars, and keyboards to accompany a worship band that more performs for the congregation than actually leads worship.

 The answer is not to be more hip with cooler new songs and make our shallow Christianity even more shallow.

 If we are in church for the right reasons and worshiping God for the right reasons, the music won't matter..We have somehow gotten the idea that worship is about how we feel... passing that idea on to our youth is not the answer. More of God and a true relationship with Jesus is the answer.......not newer and cooler music and worship styles.

5) Jesus never repeats what He did years ago........really?! My Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.....so to say He never repeats what He did years ago doesn't go with the Bible.

6) While claiming to not hate the old hymns, Mr. Vater does a good job of making it sound like he does. If the newer songs are so much better than the old hymns, then why don't the new songs hang around? The hymns have been sung for years....... some of them a few centuries or more. The new songs don't last. There aren't many songs written in my 47 years that are used as much and have done as much as the old hymns. I can't think of many songs even 10 years old in any Christian music genre' that we still sing. They are written, used a lot, then fade into obscurity.

  One hundred years from now, the modern worship songs people are singing will have been largely forgotten..... but the hymns will still be sung. Disagree? That is OK, but let me throw something out there:

Seek Ye First, As the Deer, Majesty, This Is the Day. These are all praise and worship choruses written in the 70's and 80's.....around 40 years or so old. Occasionally a CD will come out of classic praise songs that have them on it, but most churches don't use them anymore. I doubt most teenagers have even heard them. They have already faded into the past and have been shelved to make room for newer and more modern sounding music.

  Twenty years from now, churches won't be singing the current Chris Tomlin or Matt Redman songs..... but Amazing Grace, The Old Rugged Cross, etc will still be sung. And that isn't to say these new songs are bad..... it is just the majority of them lack the depth that the hymns have..... and I believe it is because most Christians today - myself included - lack the depth and spiritual walk that the hymn writers had.... and the songs are being written to fill a CD, get another #1, and other reasons than to have music for the church to sing.


7) The "worship Jesus in any situation argument." This section really bothered me, so I will put the whole paragraph here:

"We sometimes use the term "mature believers," when we're referring to older Christians. But if we really are mature believers, we should be able to worship Jesus in any situation, no matter what the style of music is. Like the Apostle Paul, we should learn to be "content whatever the circumstances ." Or, as I once heard an older pastor say, "I've learned to worship Jesus in a style of music I don't like." Now that's a mature believer.

The styles and methods of outward-reaching churches cannot and should not be directed toward the long-time members. If we really are mature in our faith, we shouldn't need things to be done our way.
So who should our methods and musical styles be geared toward? How about new and not-yet believers? Especially the young ones. Those are the ones who are at risk and are leaving the church in record numbers."


   He seems to ignore his own advice.....while saying we need newer music and God can't use the old music, he is then saying we should be able to worship God in any situation.......unless that situation is old hymns, and especially if the audience is youth.

   I also take issue with the last part about our methods and musical styles should be geared towards any group.....again, he is missing the point that worship isn't about us and how we feel... it is about God. The methods and music shouldn't be tailored to reach a certain part of the congregation to make them feel good.

8) Old doesn't mean bad, new doesn't mean good.....or vice versa. I have heard some old songs that I wish I had never heard, but have been helped and encouraged by many others. I have heard some new songs that I wished I'd never heard and are more shallow than a mud puddle, but I have also heard some very meaningful ones.

  If a song is written to glorify God, there should be no time limit put on it, and there should be no specific audience for it to reach.

     Overall, this article showcases the shallow selfishness of we modern day American Christians, and our inability to address the real issues. We aren't losing young people because of our worship styles or music....and we won't keep them by changing those things. If a person of any age is in this to serve God with everything they have, and if they go to church for the right reasons.....music and worship styles will be far removed from why they are there.

Ronnie Smith, Davey Blackburn, and the Christian voter

   I am currently reading No God But One: Allah or Jesus? by Nabeel Qureshi. He related the story of a missionary I was not familiar with. Ronnie Smith was a young school teacher who felt called to go to Libya as a teacher/ missionary, knowing the dangers of being a Christian in a Muslim country. Because Jesus was willing to die for those who sinned against Him, Ronnie believed that  following Jesus meant being willing to risk even his life to serve those who may be his enemies. On December 5, 2013, he was mowed down with guns and died. His wife published an awesome letter forgiving his attackers at RonnieSmithLibya.com.

  In November of last year, Amanda Blackburn was shot and killed during a home invasion in Indianapolis. She was the wife of a young pastor and was 12 weeks pregnant. Her husband made news lately with his declaration that he has forgiven his wife's killers and would like to share the Gospel with them.

  I think on these stories and am in awe... and guilt. Could I go to another country where I know I'd be risking my life to even be there as a Christian? If someone murdered a loved one, could I forgive them and want to share the Gospel with them?

   As we go through the messiest and most bizarre election I have seen in my life, something has been brewing beneath the surface of my thinking and emotions........ and it has been coming to the surface lately.

    The Democrats have as their candidate one of the most corrupt American politicians alive. She is guilty of crimes that should land her in prison, not to mention her politics and morality, or lack of..... and yet millions of people - including Christians - will vote for her because party and what she stands for them is so important that they will overlook anything bad about her to make insure she gets in the White House.

   And the Republicans are no better. The people who have supported Trump all along are beyond my scope of understanding.......I can at least understand the reluctant voters who are voting for him because he is the lesser of two evils in their eyes..... I don't agree, and I cannot ignore his present and past policies and the kind of man he is. Sure, I am also worried about our country and freedoms if Hillary wins......... but I am worried about our country and freedoms if he wins.

  So what does voting for evil #1 or evil #2 have to do with Davey Blackburn or Ronnie Smith? I am so glad you asked......

   These two men get it - well, Ronnie is past tense - but wow.....what models of Christianity. One man gave his life, and was willing to do so. The other man has forgiven his wife and baby's killers....... and wants to share the Gospel with them. He wants them to be Christians......he wants them to be able to go to Heaven, for that is what would happen if they listened to him and became Christians.

  And then there is us.....the American Christian voters. Could it possibly be that we have our priorities out of whack? We are so concerned with our rights, freedoms, and politics that we vote for candidates that no Christian worth their salt should vote for........ just to stop the opposite party from winning and putting legislation through that we don't want. Is serving God more important, or are our rights, freedoms, and laws more important?

Gun rights

Abortion

Gay marriage/gay rights

Supreme court justices

Religious freedoms

Comfort

Safety

    If we are so concerned with our rights that we will vote for the devil himself to stop the other party from winning and infringing on our rights, how could we ever be a Ronnie Smith and give up not only our rights and freedoms, but our lives? If we are so obsessed with getting our candidate in that we will argue and debate angrily with people who oppose our candidate, could we ever be a Davey Blackburn and forgive a loved one's killers and desire to share the Gospel with them?

  If we are so angry that people won't vote for and support Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, or others....... if we are so angry that people are voting for and supporting Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, then how on earth are we being the Christians that we should be?

  Are we too addicted to our freedoms and comforts to be the kind of Christians that we should be? Have we put our desire to keep our gun rights, to not have to our rights infringed on by gay rights, to see the right kind of Supreme Court justices on the bench above being a Christian? Have we turned our freedoms and rights into idols?

   I was recently berated for not supporting DT by one of his biggest cheerleaders. This young man pointed out we have to have him to stop illegal immigration, for the safety of my beautiful (his word) nieces and nephews could be at risk. He said I should PRAY, PRAY, PRAY that Donald Trump wins to protect us from illegal immigrants........ as if that takes precedence over my doing the right thing......as if Donald Trump is our hope instead of God.......as if immigration is more important than Biblical and Christian values and morals.

   Have we forgotten that this world isn't our home..... no, not even America. If we are following and serving Jesus, our home is in Heaven. Life isn't supposed to be perfect here. Have we forgotten that we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus? To love our enemies, be in the world but not of it..... and so forth?

  I had forgotten all of that. I wanted so badly for a true conservative to win  this time so Hillary Clinton wouldn't win and that we could preserve our country and freedoms.

   But you know what? Ted Cruz is just a man..... a very decent and godly man...... but just a man. My hope shouldn't be in him, but in God. And no matter what happens in this election, no matter what happens to our country and freedoms, God will still be on His throne. The Church will survive even if America doesn't survive a Trump or Hillary presidency.

   And shouldn't that be our main concern - not that our country survives, but that the Church and our faith survives? It was God's will that Ronnie Smith give his life in Libya......what if it is God's will for us to lose even more freedoms and rights in this country we call home? What is more important: who is president, or our faith and doing the right thing? What if the revival we want in America can only come under a Hillary Clinton presidency? What if God's answer to our prayers for revival is.......Hillary Clinton.

  To vote for Donald Trump, ignoring or overlooking all of the reasons a Christian should not, is putting politics, country, and freedoms above God.

  But to worry so much and have so much anger towards Trump and Hillary supporters for helping to bring the further destruction of our freedoms and country is also putting politics, country, and freedoms above God.

  We may be called upon to some day give our life for God.....and if we can't even surrender our freedoms, rights, and country to God......how will we ever truly surrender and give up our lives to do the right thing?

  I am still not voting for either candidate, but I am trying to dial it back. It is just as wrong to have the wrong attitudes and so much anger and worry over this election than it is to vote against conscience.

Singles challenge day #2

   As a joke -  and out of being weary of so many people doing the "Marriage Challenge" on Facebook, where people are challenged by a friend to post a picture of them and their spouse for 7 days to promote love and marriage (does EVERY married person have to do it, and why 7 days?!) - I posted a picture of myself and said I had nominated myself for a single's challenge to honor, encourage, and promote singleness.

 I don't want to be narcissistic, so on day two, I am going to feature some famous singles as my single's challenge for day 2:

1) Jesus. Yeah, our Savior never married, so when you're praying, you are praying to a single male adult. (take that feminists!

2) Henri Nouwen. Interestingly, this well known author and thinker dealt with same-sex attractions, but lived for God instead of his sexual desires.

3) Kraft singles. This one needs no introduction. Where would we be without these delicious single slices of cheese?

4) Paul. Sure, it is a common theory that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a wife, but the Bible does seem to indicate he was unmarried.

5) Music singles. What would the music industry be without singles being released by artists?

Avoiding evil

      I get it. If I was voting for Donald Trump, I wouldn't like people telling me I shouldn't, or why it is wrong to do so......though if I was voting for Donald Trump, I would be so ashamed of doing so that I would do my best to keep that a secret.

     I have felt for some time, whether I am right or wrong, that pastors need to speak out more about the issues of our day. Years ago, preachers spoke out against kings........ and paid for it with imprisonment and their lives. Today, our pastors don't usually speak out against our presidents and others in government. I don't know if they are afraid to lose their tax exempt status, are afraid to lose members, or if they just feel it is something we shouldn't talk about in church.

    And it shows. No Christian that is worth their salt should ever have voted for some of the politicians that we have had through the years. People like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and more. These politicians who claim to be Christian, yet live lives that are far removed from the Biblical definition of a Christian, and who fight for causes like abortion, gay marriage, and other things God condemns......no Christian should have cast a vote for them.

   I have found myself wondering how any genuine follower of Jesus could vote for these candidates who are so godless and fight Christians and Christian causes with everything they have.

  And then there are we conservatives. We have been consistently voting for the lesser of two evils: Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and on and on.... and now we have the worst choices we have ever had in my voting history.

  Hillary Clinton is a terrible person and candidate. She should be in jail, but is most likely going to be the next president....... and there will be thousands, maybe millions, of people who call themselves Christians who will help get her in  there. I cannot imagine how anyone with common sense, much less with Jesus in their heart, can support and vote for her.

  And then we have the "lesser of two evils." Donald Trump is a man who held the same views and policies as Hillary for years, was friends with her, supported her and other liberals, and only changed his views and policies when he decided to run as a Republican. I am unconvinced that DT is a lesser of two evils, and weighing everything I know about the candidates, I believe one is as bad as the other.

  I have asked Trump supporters/voters if they vote for a candidate as bad as DT to stop the Democrat, how much worse of a person/candidate will they vote for next time to stop  the Democrat. Surely anyone with integrity would at least admit Trump is worse and to the left of any Republican who has won the nominee.

    It isn't a popular stand, and many would like me and others to just keep quiet who are not going to vote for Hillary. Even other Christians cannot seem to understand that some of us honestly feel as Christians we cannot vote for Trump. They would rather we go against our conscience and what we believe, and vote for him anyway to try to stop Hillary.

   It is between you and God if you vote for Trump and are a Christian, but no one has the right to tell me I must also do that, and go against my conscience and what I believe God wants me to do. Is it important who becomes president? Of course... but is politics and our rights and freedoms more important than doing the right thing as Christians?

  We live in a day when even other Christians won't understand you not doing something as a Christian. If you dare say you don't believe a Christian should do a certain thing, you are judging and will receive as much hate and flak as if you were dealing with non-Christians. There isn't much difference in the world and the church anymore, and politics is just one area where we have become just like the world and don't vote any different from the world.

  It is very likely that if Christians had dug in their heels years ago and refused to vote for the lesser of two evils, and demanded a candidate who actually stood for the right things, we wouldn't have the choices we have today..... but we kept lowering our standards to keep the other candidate from winning - not that it has helped most of the time - and now we have gone lower than ever before........ and the Republican party and many Republicans expect us to do as we always do - fall in line and vote for the candidate they have picked.

  I am very offended, hurt, and disgusted.... and maybe some other negative emotions - by Christians who give we "#nevertrump" people a hard time. No, not all Trump voters do, but there are many who do. They don't care about our conscience. They don't care that we feel it is wrong to vote for either candidate. They claim we are voting for Hillary if we don't vote for Trump, and toss out other crazy statements like that.... as if being a Republican takes precedence over being a Christian  As if our rights and freedoms as Americans are more important than doing the right thing, doing what God wants us to do.

   I am including myself in this, so don't get your feathers too ruffled: is it possible we have put our political party, our rights,  and freedoms too high in importance? Is Jesus truly first in our lives, or is our country and freedoms first before Him? I have voted for candidates I didn't like, candidates who I felt were way too weak and shaky on the important issues, and regretted it. Beating the Democrat was so important, I set aside misgivings and everything else and voted for the lesser of two evils..... and they lost anyway.

  The thing is, how long can one vote for the lesser of two evils, before it affects you? Our actions can be like throwing a pebble in a pond....the ripples keep going further out..... and what if voting for godless candidates, and by doing so voting for the policies and values - or lack of values they possess - affects us and our relationship with God?

    There is a limit for all of us on this lesser of two evils. If Barack Obama was the Republican, knowing everything we know about him, I don't believe the Trump supporters would vote for him to stop Hillary. If Adolf Hitler was running against Hillary, he wouldn't get the Trump voters' support. Well, Donald Trump is my limit.

     I have prayed, thought a lot, talked to a lot of people, paid attention to what Trump says, how he acts, how he changes positions, and what he has stood for and done in the past......and it isn't that I won't vote for him....... I can't vote for him and do what I feel and believe is right. My conscience, my Christian beliefs and values are more important to me than trying to stop Hillary Clinton. They weren't always, but in these last few years God has worked a miracle in my life and changed me in ways a lot of people can't see....... I can no longer put politics above God. I feel I have done so in the past, and I cannot anymore. Am I saying other Christians are doing so? Maybe they are, maybe they aren't........ but if they refuse to understand that some of us cannot vote for him and they demand we go against our conscience.... then they are most likely putting politics above God, and trying to get us to do the same.

   I probably have been too outspoken about this election. I am very angry and upset at the voters who gave us these two horrible choices when we could have had a very decent and godly candidate..... and I have let that anger come through too much. I am trying to dial it back a bit and also not post as often about Trump, but contrary to what some people think, we who are not voting for Trump not only have the right to withhold that vote, we also have the right to post how we feel about him and about voting for him. Yes, we need to tone it down, but no more than the Trump supporters do with their attitudes, insane comments and accusations, I do believe that Trump is the most divisive candidate to come along in the Republican party and is causing division even among Christians.

  We who are not voting for Trump have been accused of:

Pride

Stubbornness

Stupidity

Vitriol

Of voting for Hillary by not voting for Trump

And more.

   I had a man about my age who is a pastor add me as a friend on Facebook because we were both against Trump and in the same Facebook group. After Trump got the nomination, he continued to post anti-Trump stuff and also posted that we need to vote for him. He called we who will not stubborn and stupid, and when I called him out on it.... he deleted me. Come on.....aren't we better than that?

  There is wrong on both sides. We who are against Trump have been too angry and have vocalized that anger too much and in ways we should not have....... but many in the the pro-Trump crowd have been as bad as liberals in defending their candidate and attacking anyone who is against him........ and I said many, not all. We need to stop the anger, the insane accusations, the stupidity. We need to stop putting politics and politicians above God and above decency and kindness. Go ahead and support Trump and say we are wrong to not do so.... but don't be ridiculous about it. Go ahead and oppose Trump and withhold your vote due to conscience, but tone down the anger (yeah, that is me!)

  I believe 100% that Hillary Clinton will be our next president. I still believe that Trump was originally - and maybe still is - part of a plan to destroy the Republican party, wipe out the conservative competition for Hillary, and help guarantee her the presidency. I could be wrong on that..... I am willing to admit that.... but I am convinced she will win and our country and freedoms will never be the same..... but even if he wins, I fear he won't be any better and our country and freedoms may never be the same. I believe with all of my heart that we are doomed as a country.......and maybe that is what we need to wake us up.

    We American Christians in general are too like the world. We are too shallow, too concerned with things of the world, and the idea that most of us are carrying a cross and denying ourselves in a life of surrender is a joke. Maybe we need a Trump or Hillary presidency to shake us up and wake us up to fully depend on God and truly surrender our lives to Him. I don't want persecution or loss of freedoms and rights.......but we have it way too easy and have sat idly by as our country gets more and more wicked, and we keep voting for the politicians who help make it more wicked. This election may be the time we pay the piper.

   I have been reading about Christians in Muslim countries and what they go through to follow Jesus.......one man felt that God told him that if he became a Christian, he'd lose all he owned, his 2 year old son would be killed, and he would face persecution and torture....... and he and his wife still converted to Christ........ and it all did happen. He was imprisoned in an underground bunker and tortured with snakes and other means by his own father......and if we keep voting the lesser of two evils, we could be there some day. Far-fetched? There is a lot happening in this country we never dreamed would happen...... people losing their jobs for being against gay marriage or transgenders, people losing their businesses and being fined for not performing a service for a gay wedding....we are no longer a nation that honors God and respects Christianity.

  So go ahead and support and vote what you consider the lesser of two evils. That is indeed between you and God..... and it is also between we and God who cannot vote for Trump or Hillary.

Ways Hillary is better than Trump

**Disclaimer: I am NOT pro-Hillary, nor will I be voting for her. This post is just to try to show how I view Trump isn't any better than she, or vice versa.

   Both candidates disgust me, and both are so far removed from what is important to me, that I cannot vote for either. Many Christians and conservatives are urging support for Trump just to beat Hillary. I don't consider myself smarter or better than anyone, though I do consider myself pretty politically savvy..... and to me there is no lesser of two evils. You have to overlook and ignore way too much about Trump to say he is the lesser of two evils, and I won't overlook that.

  I know all of the reasons Hillary is a terrible choice, and the reasons Trump is a terrible choice. I know the ways she is worse than he is, but there are also ways she is better than he is...... and in this "stop Hillary at any cost" rush we are in, these are ignored and no one wants to talk about them. It probably is not an exhaustive list, but this is what I came up with:


1) Foreign policy. Trump is clueless on foreign policy. Hillary is corrupt, but she does know a lot about foreign policy.

2) Trump is unhinged, quickly flies off the handle, goes after anyone who disagrees with him, is thin-skinned, and a bully. The idea of him having control of our military and our nuclear codes scares me more than Hillary being in that position.

3) Hillary is more qualified to be president. No, I didn't say she is qualified or fit to be president, but she is more qualified than DT.

4) Trump is far more vulgar than Hillary is.

5) Hillary has been more consistent with her policies and views - not totally consistent, but more consistent than DT has been.

6) We know what we are getting with Hillary. Trump switched his views and policies so recently and has changed them too often, that the devil we know may be better than the devil we do not know.... no one knows what Trump will do, but just "hopes" that he will do better.

7) The Republicans are more likely to fight Hillary on bad laws and policies, but more likely to go along with whatever Trump tries since he will be in the same party.

8) Conservatism may not survive a Trump presidency, but we would survive a Hillary presidency.

9) Hillary knows the Constitution and separation of powers... Trump has no clue about either.

10) To our knowledge, Hillary has been more moral personally than DT has......no, I didn't say she is moral, but appears to be moral than he.

Trusting God in the woods

 

 My sister and her family were the singers for a church camp in Kittanning, PA that I attended regularly as teen and young adult. From the age of 13 til around 22, I went every year, and stayed all 10 days most of those years, washing dishes and later running the small bookstore to pay for my room and food.
 
  I hadn't been to the camp for around 24 years, so I decided to go after work on Saturday and surprise my nephews, sister, and brother-in-law. And I did. I had a great time, got to see people I hadn't seen for years, got to meet some new cousins I had never met (4 siblings a cousin of mine adopted 9 years ago), and got to meet some people I had only previously known through Facebook.

  I attended the Saturday evening service, which was great, and the Sunday morning and afternoon services... then I packed up and headed for home around 4 pm

. I had bought a sub, some tomatoes, and chips and planned on stopping halfway home at McConnell's Mill State Park to eat and sight-see a bit. I got there around 5:00, ate my little picnic meal, used the bathroom, then drove down the 1/2 mile or so of very winding road through the woods to the mill and covered bridge.

  There is limited parking.... which was all taken, so I parked beside the road where it said "no parking", planning on only being there 5-10 minutes. I wandered around, took several pictures, got back in the car...... and it wouldn't start. I tried several times, and no success. It turned over, but wouldn't start. I got out, put the hood up and peered underneath as if by looking under the hood, I would suddenly turn into a knowledgeable mechanic.......... and that didn't happen. Just as I closed the hood, an SUV pulled up to the mill and two young park rangers pulled up and exited their vehicle. They noticed me and headed my way. Uh, oh..... they're going to yell at me for parking where I am not allowed....... But no.... they offered assistance, and one went to get his portable battery jumper, even though they and I didn't think it was the battery. The other ranger asked for my license.......great, they are going to fine me.......but again I was wrong. As if he read my mind, he explained they always have to get that information and a signature in case of damages when they help someone. Sure enough, the car couldn't be jumped. I thanked them, and they headed off promising to check on me if I was there when they came by again.

   I decided to call my dad for advice.... and there was no signal/service at all. I was way down, surrounded by trees and rocks..... so taking a drink of water, I locked my car and headed up the steep trail through the woods all uphill up to where I had eaten. I hadn't gotten too far before I wish I had traded my sandals in for the tennis shoes in my car, and I also wished I had brought one of those bottled waters along.

  I finally reached the top, and called my mom's cell......nothing. It was around 5:45, so they were probably at church. I called the church....no answer. I called my sister Vicki.......no answer. I called AAA and discovered they would only cover your car being towed 3 miles, then it was $3 a mile......really?! So you have to break down within 3 miles of a garage or home? Yuk. So I called my brother-in-law back at the camp. He knew a pastor close to where I was who was good with cars, so he called him.... that pastor couldn't come, but said he could send a member of his congregation that was good with cars. I headed back down to my car, hoping and praying that the rain that was approaching would wait until I got to my car.... so down the steep trail through the woods I went, and got to my car...... not too long before it started pouring down the rain. I put more sensible shoes on for walking, and waited.

 I waited, and waited. I got my umbrella out and wandered around, went over to chat with a Mennonite family who were standing close to the mill to avoid the worst of the rain. Finally, the rain slowed down to a trickle, and the mechanic arrived shortly after. After introductions, he started trying things, checking things, having me try to start it while he did this or after he did that. The car started a few times, only to immediately stall. The Mennonite guy came over and tried to help... no success. A tattooed dude with a shaved head in a black Escalade  stopped with his wife and asked if we needed help, and said he'd be back through. The mechanic dude kept trying things with no success, telling me his story of being saved from drugs and other stuff. The Escalade dude came back, and came over to help, with no success. He and his wife walked around for a while, then came over to wish me luck. He said he had cold water in his vehicle and offered me some. Out of water by now, I took him up on it. He also offered me a sub from Jimmy John's, which I turned down. He shook my had, and wished me luck. I thanked him for everything and said "God bless you", and he told me that back, and they left.

 I told the mechanic a few times I was just going to have it towed home - about 50 miles at $3 a mile......sigh. He kept wanting to try one more thing. Finally, he gave up and gave me a ride up to the top so I could call AAA and have my car towed to a garage near my church. I got up there and got several text messages and other messages from concerned family and friends who couldn't get hold of me for a couple of hours......it was now after 8 pm. I called my parents, answered some texts, and called AAA to order a tow truck. They said it should be there within the hour - which by this time meant around 10  pm..... or as late as 11 she said if they were behind. Eyeing the approaching darkness, I headed back to my car, choosing to walk the winding road instead of the trail through the woods since it was getting dark.

 I got to my car, and started waiting.....and praying.....and worrying. There I sat in the dark in the woods with no one around. I put my passenger window up that was by the woods, afraid someone would sneak up on me that way. I found myself wondering if anyone had ever been murdered in this area. If someone murdered me and threw me in the water, my body may never be found.... A man stopped and asked if I was OK. I thanked him and told him I was waiting for a tow truck. I waited more. Wished my cell had service so I could keep in contact with people. Listened to some music, but was afraid I'd run my battery down, so I went back to watching the darkness and listening to the rushing of the water over the dam.

 I prayed more, got freaked out more.

Another man stopped and asked how I was.

I waited more. It was close to 10:00. Turned on Christian radio and listened to a few songs. Shut it off, drank some more. Prayed some more.

Maybe I read too many suspense/mystery novels.....

Another guy stopped and jumped out to see if I was OK.

Now it was  10:00 What if the tow truck driver can't find me and goes home......he can't get a hold of me. I can't walk up that road at this time of night..... it is dangerous.

I wonder if there's any bears around here?

Why me God? I just had such a great time at a camp meeting and got help and encouragement... now this?!

This guy isn't coming. What will I do? Stay in my car all night, but my family will be freaked out.....

I wish I hadn't even gone to camp. My week-end is a disaster. (As soon as I thought that, the meme went through my mind I shared recently "did you really have a bad day, or did you have 5 bad minutes that you milked all day?" OK, touche', God.....

   It was now after 10. I was really doubting this tow truck driver now. I had occasionally tried to start my car, but had no success. I tried again.....and it started..... and stayed running. I cautiously put it in park and headed up the long winding road through the woods and rocks, knowing if the car quit again, I would be in an even worse place..... but it kept running. I got up on top and headed for the main highway.... still no cell signal. I pulled onto State Route 422 and restarted my phone..... and called my parents. Dad figured I might as well drive it home, and said to call them if I had problems. I called my worrying best friend and told him what was going on, only to be interrupted by my little sister calling me to tell me they were on their way home from church and was about an hour behind me if I had trouble.

   But I didn't. I made it safely home at 11:30, five hours later than I had originally planned. I unpacked, and started the car again.....success. This morning, it started again, so I drove it to a mechanic we use and he is checking it out, figuring it is the fuel pump.

  I'll never get those 5 hours of my life back, and sitting there in the woods between 9;00 and 10:30 pm at night is something I didn't enjoy, but I am glad I went. The car would have had trouble at some point anyway, and God helped me through it and no bears or deranged murderers ran across me. I am not out the $120.00 or more I would have paid in towing - and yes I canceled the tow truck who truly was on his way - and I ran across several people who went out of their way to help..... the mechanic who would take nothing for his trouble, the 2 nice park rangers who tried to help, Mr Escalade dude, the other 3 guys who stopped to check on me.....

 I learned a few lessons last night. I still feel sorry for myself too easily. I still don't trust God enough. There are some really nice people out  there. And God is always with me, even in the dark in a deserted state park in the woods.