Okay, how many here have siblings?  How many of you have said to them, what

are you doing?  What are you thinking about? How many times haven’t you see eye to eye on what

you/they should be doing?

 

My oldest brother Tom is 13 plus years older than me. His son Doug is 6 years younger than me. Doug is

closer in age to me than any of my brother’s, and lived with us in Greenock so his Mom could finish her

teaching degree at IUP while Tom was in Vietnam.

 

There is nothing quite like an invitation to Tom and Alice’s house.  Alice comes from a pure Italian family

and can she cook!  Tom, like all of us, also learned how to cook.  Dinner is always superb, the welcome

mat is out and you are made to feel at home.  They are very hospitable and make you feel welcome and

no one walks away hungry!

.

Tom’s son Doug is a logger and somewhere in the early 90’s, he and his business partner were bidding

on a tract of land in Sinnemahoning when they noticed a “for sale” on the property. The property is 150

acres with a two story cabin, which is approximately 1900 square feet and they bought the property

which is now “bear camp.”

 

When I think of bear camp, I think of Martha.  When it first started everyone kicked in cash toward

the groceries which Doug bought. People took turns cooking different dishes and the work was kind of

shared. Then people complained not everyone was there for the whole camp so why should everyone

pay the same. Others complained that the workload was not shared equally..

 

Over the years, it has gone from being a set cost, to people bringing dishes to share with everyone, to

people bringing nothing and eating at the Willows or the Sportsman Club and mostly, a combination in

between. Tom tries to keep the tradition that bear camp is a place where we break bread and eat

together.  I am a planner and an organizer too, so I understand his heart and his willingness to serve and

I appreciate that.

 

Three years ago when we were opening up camp I could see that Tom was really frustrated and his plans

weren’t coming together.  A Martha moment was on the horizon. Doug rarely comes to camp, many of

the regulars were not coming and everything was up in the air. Tom is more type D than I am.

I finally had to say to my brother, Tom, listen, why do people come to bear camp?  Silence.

It’s not because of the great bear hunting here. In fact, some actually have gone to spots where more

bear are harvested.  We go to bear camp to see each other, enjoy each other’s company, build big camp

fires that never go out, relax and hang out around the fire or in the house around the table.  This is

everyone’s vacation, let them enjoy it however they want.

In today’s passage, we find Jesus taking Martha up on her open invitation to come to dinner.  Now, try

to think about this in real time. Just how cool would it be for you to have an open invite for Jesus to stop

at your house anytime?  This is the same Martha and Mary who were sisters of Lazurus, whom John 11

records that Jesus loved. These are really close friends who live in Bethany, a stones throw from

Jerusalem.   I mean an invitation is one thing, but for Him to actually take you up on it!

How awesome!

So imagine for a moment: Knock, Knock.  Who’s there?  Jesus and my disciples Martha!  Well come in

Jesus, make yourself at home, which Jesus did. He went straight in to the living room and settled in and

Began sharing with them.

Martha began to make the preparations for her guests.  All was well, Jesus was sharing and Martha was

preparing. This is what they did.

Martha, being Martha, the hostess with the mostess, wanted to impress Jesus with a spread and started

to prepare one, and put herself behind the eight ball. She started thinking, what up with that Lazy Mary,

anyway?  I’ll teach her, I’ll embarrass her to help me, right in front of Jesus. He’ll tell her!

So Mary goes up, interrupts Jesus and rudely instructs Jesus what he should tell her sister to do.

And neither Martha, nor frankly many Christians today, were ready for Jesus reply. Sternfully loving,

Jesus tells Martha that she was stressing herself by making a feast when a lite meal would do.  The

reason why he came by was to be with them and share with them, not to get another of her well known

feasts. He probably loved her cooking, but today he came to feed her and Mary. Maybe this was when

he had come to share his time would be short with them, as hostilities had really grown toward him.

In Jewish culture, hospitality was not a mere friendly gesture, it was mandated .  Hosts and guests both

had responsibilities toward the others. Catholic Culture.org tells us that hosts had a “sacred obligation”

to provide food , drink , water to wash their feet and a place to rest.  In exchange the guest was

obligated to accept what was offered. To do otherwise was a breach of their sacred honor. In fact,

guests were required to provide for the safety of their guests. Think back to when Lot offered his

daughters to protect the strangers under his roof. As such, there is no way we can interpret todays

passage as condemning Martha for her preparations.  Instead, Jesus had to lovingly rebuke Martha for

letting her zeal for being a hostess lose the point of the visit altogether.

This is the second passage that talks about hospitality. Last week in the Good Samaritan and now this week with Martha and Mary,

Jesus challenged ACCEPTED cultural norms.

In their culture, Mary was to be helping Martha, as women were to be serving men, not to be socializing

and fraternizing with them. Remember, in their culture women were often denied the right to religious

instruction. Jesus was giving both Martha and Mary the opportunity to sit as his feet as disciples and

feed them.  Awesome!

imagine again for a moment: Knock, Knock.  Who’s there?  It’s Jesus!  Is our response to Jesus, come in

and make yourself at home? Is your heart and life familiar enough for Jesus to just settle in and begin sharing with you?

He still comes knocking today, how do we respond?

In conclusion, in 1990 a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs in the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. While

she was ordering another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found

herself staring face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming a movie. His blue eyes

made her knees buckle. She finished paying and quickly walked out of the store with her heart still

pounding. Gaining her composure, she suddenly realized she didn’t have her cone; she turned to go

back in. At the door she met Paul Newman who was coming out. He said to her, "Are you

looking for your ice-cream cone?" Unable to utter a word she nodded yes. "You put it in your

purse with your change."

When was the last time the presence of God made you forget what was going on around you?

Made you forget the dishes? Made you forget the ball game? Made you forget the bank account? Made

you forget where...you put your ice cream cone?

 

In the mid 1990’s I bought my first PC and proceeded to get hooked up to AOL and this thing called the internet. I didn’t really know what I was looking for when I signed on, so relied on the AOL helps.

Within a year I had begun to experiment with building websites and built my first site using Trellix and experimented with a few different hosting companies. By 2005, I became a web hosting reseller and at one point hosted 16 different websites on that leased space. At the height of it,  I was using Microsoft Front Page on a Linux server, modified html and rewrote some Cascading Style Sheets on my blog.

But as time proceeded Microsoft Front Page became yesterday’s news, it wasn’t supported by all browsers, and PHP, Pear, PERL and other languages were emerging.  All of my software had become outdated, I was able to use some the new programs, but I didn’t understand the programming language. I couldn’t look at the code and have it make any real sense, and that was when I made the decision to stop designing websites.

I knew what I knew, the end product looked good, and I also knew the market I was serving, small non-profits who site I did for a donation and some small clubs and organizations who would not otherwise have a website. But put into perspective, it was a hobby and the amount that I would need to invest in time, education and the cost of perpetually updating software and upgrading my own equipment was not an investment I could justify.  This was happening at the same time I was struggling with my call to the ministry.

Now that I am in the candidacy process, I know what I know, I have great resources, but I am painfully aware of what I don’t know. I can find the sources to tell me what Greek and Hebrew translations are, what others say about it, but when I look at the Greek or Hebrew I don’t see or understand it.  Therefore, I have to go to school to learn more, which I am in the process of doing.

Well today’s text, put in simple lay terms, contains some really difficult Greek and there are some real disagreement on the translations.  So instead we are going to look at what this large lectionary passage has for us today here at Woodland Ave United Methodist Church. Okay?

So, what is happening that is causing this passage to even be here in the first place? Hebrews was a letter for the people in the early persecuted church, and more specifically the Jews. They were getting it from all sides.  We get a glimpse at their circumstances immediately prior to this discussion on faith In Chapter ten, verse 32 reminding them of the very public abuse, suffering and the persecution they had undergone for the sake of the gospel.

Their persecution had gotten to the point that some were considering taking the church underground or perhaps even abandoning the way of the gospel. How tough was it ? Verse 34 tells us that when they showed up to show their fellow Christian brothers and sisters compassion in jail, or would publically associate with other Christians, they would have their possessions taken from them and be humiliated. This is kind of reminiscent of Paul tracking back notes left for prisoners to their writers and then hauling them in.  Incidentally, much of the torture up to 64 AD was fratricidal. Today we term that as Christians or the religious folks eating their own.

But the writer here is reminding them (and us today) they chose to intentionally love their brothers and sisters , fully knowing the cost of doing so. Why?  They knew they possessed something better and more lasting.   “ For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting.”   Bythe personage in this letter, I believe the writer is also experiencing this because, in the crescendo/preamble to our text today he declares in verse 39, But, we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

While this is a foreign concept in the church today, the early church expected persecution. Why? Because Jesus Himself was persecuted, rejected and killed.

These Jews understood their Jewish heritage and that denying their faith to live was not even an option.  In the non-canonized book of fourth Macabees , sixth chapter we see the following discourse between Eleazar and Antiochus IV:

"May we, the children of Abraham, never think so basely that out of cowardice we feign a role unbecoming to us!

It would be shameful if we should survive for a little while and during that time be a laughing stock to all for our cowardice,
[21] and if we should be despised by the tyrant as unmanly, and not protect our divine law even to death.
[22] Therefore, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion!
[23] And you, guards of the tyrant, why do you delay?"

When they saw that he was so courageous in the face of the afflictions, and that he had not been changed by their compassion, the guards brought him to the fire.
[25] There they burned him with maliciously contrived instruments, threw him down, and poured stinking liquids into his nostrils.
[26] When he was now burned to his very bones and about to expire, he lifted up his eyes to God and said,
[27] "You know, O God, that though I might have saved myself, I am dying in burning torments for the sake of the law.
[28] Be merciful to your people, and let our punishment suffice for them.
[29] Make my blood their purification, and take my life in exchange for theirs."
[30] And after he said this, the holy man died nobly in his tortures, and by reason he resisted even to the very tortures of death for the sake of the law.

So when we look at Faith, and what it is, in the context of this book to this people, we are not discussing an intellectual exercise. We are not discussing a people who rationalized their faith. We are not discussing a people who prayed some repeat after me prayer and then told to never question their faith, that they were good to go for eternity. The idea that they would be saved and somehow get around to adding on faith and living the Christian life at their convenience would never occur to them.

Years ago I read a book entitled,” Mere Discipleship, Radical Christianity in a rebellious world” and it shook me up for a season. Lee Camp challenges his readers with Radical Discipleship, Pledging Allegiance to the Kingdom of God, the church as the body of Christ, Why Disciples love their enemies, why disciples don’t make good nationalists, Why Disciples trust God rather than their own calculations Communion and Sharing the wealth and How biblical discipleship makes a difference.  But do you realize that acting on faith has always been radical in the worlds eyes?  Sure we believe in the precepts, but this guy was actually advocating acting on them! The very nature of our faith, despite what Christianity looks like today, is counter cultural.  Hebrews is written to give foundation to the hope that is the foundation of a life of radical, risk-taking, sacrificial love.

Verse 34 builds the foundation for 11:1 as well. First it shows how their faith and their life are indistinguishable. They have an unshakable hope in God beyond this life, and will gladly give up their possessions in exchange for a better possession that lasts. This unshakable hope is foundational to the faith the writer describes. So if this power to sacrifice and love and joyfully accept the consequences of it is called faith and faith is the assurance of things hoped for, that you have a better and abiding one in God, then we see a link in between sacrificial love and faith.

This week in preparation for this lessons, I was pondering that “ Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”  As I am looking at the passage and looking at the Hall of Fame of Faith herein, the thought crossed my mind, How could Abraham be a great man of faith when there wasn’t even a bible written yet, as Moses wasn’t born until six generations later? Of course, the answer is He had the spoken Word, delivered by God himself.

Our main hero in the Hall of Faith is Abraham, our example to follow.  If he is an example, did he have blind faith?  Absolutely not!  He fell on his face laughing at God when he told him that he was going to father a child at 100 and his wife would at 90. The scientific and biological proof was it wasn’t going to happen. But God used this unbelief on their part, an unbelief with some “factual basis” to question, as a loving lesson in learning how to trust God and take Him at His Word.

Abraham had a long discourse and challenged God over Sodom and God engaged Him.  If faith involved never questioning or what some called blind faith, our hero in the Hall of Faith wouldn’t be there.

Abraham left Ur to some unknown place because God told him to go. He was given a promise of a land, a place, an inheritance and of a lineage that would be innumerable. He went. He acted, He obeyed and he trusted God. Abraham lived as a stranger in a land promised to him. He looked beyond Canaan to a lasting, heavenly country and city, designed and built by God Himself

We are told one thing all of our hall of famers shared. They ALL died in faith, not having received the things promised, but had seen them from afar and greeted them from afar. They all realized that this was not their home, they were strangers and exiles and that their homeland and promises would be found and fulfilled in heaven. To avoid it sounding too spiritual let me put it another way.  There is an aspect of death in faith, and I would posit that to have this Hebrews 11 faith requires us dying to ourselves and yielding our lives to God.

They say if you come to point a finger to remember there are three of your own pointing back at you. Today was a tougher study than normal not only because of the text, but also because it spoke directly to me.

I am a Preachers Kid twice over. When the Lord put a call on my life, years ago, I ran. I did everything I could not to fulfill the call.  Why?  I will confess, it was because I knew the cost of going into the ministry. This past year, in obedience and in faith, I am answering that call.

Now, I will speak to both myself and to all of you.  Those of us who have made a profession of faith to be Christians and know Jesus Christ as our Savior, when asked would say we have given our lives to the Lord.

This week as we leave this place, I would ask you to take time and prayerfully consider if  we really have, or  what parts of our life we have not surrendered and ask Jesus for the faith to trust him with all of our life.

I invite you to ask Him for that Amazing Faith today!

Let us pray.

  Hebrews 11:29-12:2

When my wife and I were dating, we made a conscious choice to try and go somewhere out of town to worship at least once a month. Three weeks ago we had the opportunity to go to Pittsburgh and worship with Hillsongs United at the Consol Energy Center.  It was so refreshing to be able to worship together as husband and wife, away from our regular responsibilities. This is the third time I have seen Hillsongs and I really enjoy them because their major themes are faith, surrender and the Christian life and their concerts always have a serious time of worship.

As I was meditating on this passage, I was listening to their song "Oceans" and these words really spoke to me, as I trust they will to you;  “You call me out upon the waters, The great unknown where feet may fall, And there I find you in the mystery, in oceans deep, My faith will stand.”

The song goes on to proclaim, “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, Let me walk upon the waters, Wherever You would call me, Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior”

Like last week, this is another tough, long , action packed passage. Since this is a Part 2 sermon, let me quickly recap last week.

• Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were being persecuted for their faith by non-Christian Jews.
• Their faith and practice were indistinguishable
• They chose to love despite the consequences of sure persecution and loss of property.
• Faith is not believing in something
• Faith is not unquestioning
• Abraham laughed at the idea of becoming a parent
• Abraham questioned God
• God used Abraham’s unbelief to grow his faith
• God spoke. Abraham acted
• Faith involves death, especially dying to ourselves.

Faith is not an intellectual exercise, but rather is the foundation of a life of radical, risk taking, sacrificial love

I asked you as we left, for us to prayerfully ask God to show us how to have the Kind of amazing faith we learned about last week.

This week, I am trusting that God has a valuable lesson for us packaged in verses 29-40. If you have a Bible, please turn with me to follow along.  In these verses we see a summary of the faithful., but the writer doesn’t want to bog us down in details, as basically to go into details would be a case of missing the forest for the trees.  It is worth noting that all of the references herein are based on historic events of the old testament and have made for a wonderful bible study.

In verses 29-38 the writer mentions six miracles, five acts of God’s providence and eleven types of suffering, of which four resulted in death.

Now I told you today was another tough text.  Last week was tough because of some of the Greek words used in the beginning of Chapter 11 are interpreted differently because of rarely used Greek words.

Today’s text doesn’t share those interpretive issues. In fact, the writer is crystal clear on what he is trying to convey giving us ample examples of historical old testament events what this “amazing faith” looks like.

What can we take away from today’s text?

• Through our faith God can and does work miracles and acts of providence to bring practical earthly help and deliverance to his people.  The writer gives us 11 examples in verses 29-35a,

Now most of us can easily wrap our heads around God intervening in time and space, to come to the aid of His people, whether it be through miraculous interruption of natural law or by working behind the scenes in what is sometimes called the invisible hand of God. These are types of temporal salvific acts, preserving us in the here and now as a testimony of God’s power to the non-believer. Remember even the raising of the dead were temporal acts, as only Jesus resurrection was a true resurrection, the one which we seek.

• God does not always work miracles and acts of providence for our deliverance from suffering; sometimes by faith God sustains his people through sufferings

The writer shares 11 types of suffering endured by the faithful for which they are commended, again with ten of the 11 types replete with old testament examples. The eleventh, the being sawn in two is believed to be a reference to Isaiah, which is alluded to in Matthew 24, and later recorded in extant history around 100 AD.

Now here is where the lesson get’s tough. As just mentioned, most of us would have no problem with God intervening on our behalf because of our faith to save us from disaster. In fact, isn’t that often the topic of our prayers, petitioning God for help in our time of need?  There is nothing wrong with that.

But where the problem comes is when people question God because He has not intervened into circumstances.  How can a loving God allow this or that?  On one hand people want to be complete moral free agents and on the other hand can’t understand when God doesn’t intervene. I have even heard people say, I couldn’t love a God who would allow”fill in the circumstance” to occur. I imagine they are correct, l;oving a product of your own imagination for a sustained period could be difficult and dangerous. Then, of course, there are those who would claim the people who suffered just didn’t have enough faith.

I told you last week that I am a pastor’s son, twice over. My dad who had a very good job with International Correspondence School as a proofreader, had a wife and two children when he answered his call to the ministry, starting as a licensed local pastor in the Methodist Church in the 1950’s. He proceeded to preach and finish his degree, then went to PTS, graduating in 1963 with Fred Rogers, whom many of you may fondly remember as Mr. Rogers.

In the winter of 1969 my dad got very sick, was admitted to the hospital where he spent two weeks and came home looking horrible. He was only home a few days when he had to be rushed back to the hospital, as he was misdiagnosed, and his kidneys were shutting down. Dad never came home. He died three weeks before my brother David’s graduation from HS My mother was left widowed with a ten-year-old son and was headed to an area we had never lived before- New Jersey.

I used this last example to drive home a point. Both Christians and non-Christians can have distorted views of who God is, and what the Christian life looks like.  Do you know how many Christians made statements like I can’t understand how God could take John when he still had a boy so young, or so early in his ministry, or about what he could have accomplished? Or how could a loving God take a pastor in His prime.

Thankfully, to the counter, I was taught by my faithful mother Lois the exact opposite. I often heard my mom tell the story of Dad asking her shortly before he died, Lois, don’t you hear the beautiful singing?  He was at peace, he saw and heard from afar off the cloud of witnesses, the promise to be fulfilled on the other side.

Mom knew that her and dad were called according to His purpose and stood on Romans 8:28, All things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.  Mom didn’t believe in God, Mom believed God, as she knew Him personally.

• Faith that escapes suffering and faith that endures suffering both involve believing that God himself is better than what life has to offer or that death can snatch from us. 

All of those mentioned in this passage were commended for their faith, whether they were rescued, persecuted or tortured.

In bringing my part of this two-part series to a close again let’s remind ourselves that:

• There is an aspect of death in faith, namely when we live for the Lord, we die to ourselves.
• Faith is the foundation of a life of radical, risk taking, sacrificial love
• Faith is not alone; it is a by-product of our love of God.

 

Let me ask you all a question, please raise your hand if you have ever been in a room, church service or anywhere where there was there was almost a tangible presence of God in the room? I believe that was what my mom was describing when my dad was in the presence of the witnesses, the heavenly choir.

I wasn’t there, but I have been in several situations, at bed sides, in vehicles, in worship, both corporate and private, where I have felt the undeniable presence of the Lord in the midst, and one thing I have always felt in that presence is His love.

 

If we want this type of faith that we have been studying in our lives today, then we need the same foundation that our forbearers had; where the love of God to be the foundation of our faith.

 

Let us seek the Lord now:

 

Almighty God, let us now turn to our High Priest, Our example, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Knowing that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us also make a conscious effort to examine ourselves and lay aside every weight and sin that we cling to. God help us run the race before us with perseverance, and to look to trust and love the author and finisher of our faith, your son Jesus Christ.

 

Lord, thank you for your Amazing Love, demonstrated to us by you taking on the form of a man to take on our sins and be punished unto death for that sin.

 

Lord we also ask if there is anyone here today who does not know this amazing, life changing, life giving love that we are talking about, you would surround them with your amazing love right now., so that they may encounter you here this morning before leaving this place.

 

Amen

Praying about a decision for college for the fall. My transcripts have been reviewed and a few options have been presented. I will have 60 credits they will accept for transfer at the end of summer session and I could transfer as early as this fall!

They asked me to consider changing my major (Organizational Leadership) to a minor and consider either Human Resources or Christian Ministry Leadership as a major.

They also asked me to consider starting this fall. If I take the Christian Ministry Leadership major, I will have to go to campus for a four hour class one night a week.

There is speaking truth to power, and then there is __REALLY__ speaking truth to power.

Case in point: Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, seems to be against putting a wall along the border.

This election cycle, Speaker Ryan is being challenged in the primary by Wisconsin businessman Paul Nehlan. Mr. Nehlan held a press conference at Speakers Ryan's home, reminiscent of Ronald Reagan calling on Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall! Nehlan is calling on Speaker Ryan to tear down his wall! Watch the video

Tear down that fence Mr, Ryan!
"As Nehlen was speaking, Ryan’s house was being protected by four large SUVs, a full-size van, several service agents, and a tall fence reinforced by high bushes.

Nehlen explained that “Paul Ryan is the most open borders, pro-Wall Street, anti-worker member of Congress in either party.”

No wonder Ryan despises Donald Trump! Trump puts votes behind the policies that American's have been demanding. Up until now, Ryan and the rest of the Republican elite have been able to give audience to and share a photo-op with folks from patriot groups, the tea party and just regular working people who come out to protest our current policies. Then they smile as they leave, close the door and go back to business as usual, secure in their seat.

While I doubt the Trump effect will cost Paul Ryan his seat, his primary is after the GOP convention! Hat's off to Mr. Nehlan for challenging Ryan! Mr Ryan is very well financed. If you think Ryan needs to go, donate to Nehlan !

I don't know about you, but it sure seems that the rule of law has merely become a tool to suppress the people when deemed convenient by those in power.

Recently, I had a few people ask me what I have been up to since my prolific blogging days.

 

1. Divorced , lived alone, then remarried

2. Went back to college and been on the Dean's/President's list every semester.

3. From 2009-2015 I ran an educational non-profit and also worked on several political campaigns.

I just revamped the  website of the educational non-profit I ran to be a blog and I kind of answer the question 2009-2015 question there:

Educate. Equip. Empower. Engage.!!

Our motto reflected what TURN began as, an educational non-profit formed during the beginning of the Tea Party movement. We felt quickly that enough "Tea Parties" had emerged and it was time to focus all the energy that the movement created and positively direct that energy into training people how to interact with government.

Within the first eighteen months, over 70% of our members had run for office, were on the county committee and/or regularly engaging and reporting on government meetings at all levels.

We regularly had County Commissioners, State Representatives and Candidates for office come and speak to our group. We held candidate forums, and the majority of our members actively supported candidates campaigns of their choice.

We also became involved in Public Policy decisions, with one of our largest victories being the PUC reversing it's decision to impose a new area code on our reason after we challenged their facts. After investigation, it turns out their facts were flawed. This campaign gave the opportunity to work with three different county commissioners (Clearfield, Elk and Jefferson), state representatives, local officials and the Chamber.

We were also given the opportunity to testify before the Joint State Government Committee during their hearing on legislative redistricting. We came to support the restoration of the political subdivision of the fifth congressional district and were successful.

Our direction went from holding regular meetings to working with groups throughout the commonwealth that shared similar missions so we could assist their efforts rather than duplicate them.

Once we completed the initial phases of our task, educating and equipping our members, we began working with others to empower them and while actively engaging our elected representatives.

The change of this site reflects the changes we have gone through as an organization. The old site served us well, but it had seen it's day. Today, we are more involved in the empower and engage aspect.

Let's be direct. politics certainly involves building relationships with others, and those relationships, built over time are ones built on a track record of dealing honestly and fairly with our representatives. Many time there is no agreement we can come to, but we are able to engage each other in discourse and discuss the reasons why. We live to engage another day on another topic.

When we speak of honest engagement, our goal is never to go for a gotcha moment or a soundbite as some groups do. Honest enegagement is built on trust and respect and not blind-siding our officials. That said, there are times when we disagree and have to hold a representative to account for their action or inactions.

There are several representatives who are very nice people, friendly, engaging and we disagree with 80-90% of their policies, Yet, we have an open door with them. There are others, I hate to admit, we agree with 80-90% of the time and appreciate their votes, but do not have any relationship with because of past dishonesty on their part.

As we taught, and also learned, Politics is a full contact sport, played with real people. Are you ready to engage?

 

"Who among your circle of family, friends and loved ones might be in need of God’s great mercy?  Who among them might have dragons that need slaying?  Who among them might need to experience the invisible but tangible presence of God?

As I write this, and as you read the words written, people all around us are facing desperate situations causing them to, silently or aloud, willingly or instinctively, cry out to God for help and compassion, kindness and forgiveness, healing and love.  Indeed, for mercy."  Source

Came to check and see if Xanga and my blog was still up on the internet.  I came back looking for articles I had written quite a while ago. Odd how some things don't change much, just insert some different names.

Life has changed so much for me in the past two years!

I was remarried January 2015

I went back to college August 2015. Finished my first semester with a 4.0  and the Presidents List.  Doing well this semester, but I think the 4.0 will be elusive this time.  Online education is tough if your professor does not employ audio lectures into the course and are not interactive at all. Maybe I just got spoiled my first semester.

My daughter has just moved to South Central PA near her brother and grandparents.  I am surprised it took her so long to leave the area, as there really isn't much here to keep the kids in rural NW PA.

I am also in licensing school this spring to be obtain the credentials to be a pastor. You don't actually receive a license until you are serving at a church.

So in between college, licensing school, family and church, my involvement in the political world has cut back.  And the days have gotten longer.

Provoking...something

Ted Cruz was a Tea Party darling when he was elected to the United States Senate.  However, once he was elected, he has been unable to get much accomplished, mostly due to his attitude.

The more I listen to Ted Cruz, the more I realize that he is a whiner.  It is easy to be second or third in command. But when you are the responsible one, things change. It is time to lead.

Listening to Sen. Cruz in this Presidential cycle I have come to the realization he has very few ideas of his own. He makes his hay off the front runner. Donald this, Donald that. What about Ted?  Well, I guess he does want to eliminate the IRS and have you file your taxes by postcard.  Oh, where would you send the post card or pay the tax to?

Then I hear him complain he would be winning the race if it wasn't for Jeb, Marco, Chris, Ben and John.  They are stealing his votes! Then they drop out and Ted is still not winning like he claimed.. Now it is John's fault.

And then there is this anti-Trump money spraying Trump anywhere and everywhere and he still can't win.  The one PAC puts out an attack on Trump's wife and Ted is silent as a church mouse.  Then this morning, we see Ted on TV shaking his finger and acting like a street punk telling Trump to leave his wife alone.

After hearing that I thought about the post I wrote in November ,2010, addressing this very thing with our newly elected leaders:

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Many of us will never forget , The One saying I won;

Many will never forget Nancy Pelosi's Parade with her gavel.

Now that the leadership of the House and many State Houses and Governorships around the nation has changed, remember, it is time to lead. It is time to leave the whining and blame game behind.

When you run for leadership positions and get them, it is time to lead. If you were not up to the job, didn't understand how tough it would be, then don't run again.

Leaders lead. Whiner whine. Many have to learn how to change hats and take on leadership roles. It is easier to be a minority party that always complains and protests. When it comes time to take the reins, lead.

The democrats did. The people did not like the results. Now the reins in the House are being handed over.

The TEA Party has to make the same transition. It is time to go from protesting to leading with innovative ideas and supporting legislation.

Now let's do it.

Originally posted:  November 12, 2010