The Journey

Remember a few days ago I asked for you to help me find ways to accomplish Random Acts of Kindness with our elected officials, those who believe differently than we do and in the words and actions we share with those around us. I am like you, all the stuff going around: accusations, denials, lies, half truths, fake news and alternative facts… if we are really honest with ourselves we don’t know what to believe. This latest press conference with the President was very troublesome because of the wild unreality of Trump blaming everyone else for the problems going on in today’s Washington.

I know we want to be involved in things that lift us up and at the same time we want to accomplish that while honoring our own honesty and integrity. I want to help Washington heal, the country heal, while seeing the world being lived out around me through the eyes of truth. It does no one any good if we shower others with random acts of kindness while holding on to a lie, hiding the truth, and being dishonest with those around us.

Yes, I want to be part of the solution and not part of the Washington problem. To help get us all to a better place I plan to seek to offer random acts of kindness in truth to my elected officials, those who read my blogs, and others who know me. We must all seek to deal in truth not in that which is false, shady or half-truth. So I will require of me and of you that we tell and recognize the truth in all our dealings with each other. The reason for that is because I don’t think we can lift others or our own spirits on a lie. So I will tell you the truth. If you find that something I write is not truthful, I expect you to write me and share with me cited references about where I failed. I will search it out and seek to explain where I was coming from and how it could possibly be wrong.

I will also continue to hold the President, his cabinet, the Democrats and Republicans to the truth test… because if we do not start with the truth there is no way any of us can make the trip to the healing waters of grace.

In the process I will offer us some suggestions of random acts of kindness we may offer. Let me know how you feel about dealing with truth and kindness in this way.

ACT OF KINDNESS

We want kindness to be a win/win situation… where all benefit and are brought to a better understanding, deeper faith, and a way for all people to grow in their calling to be a people of peace.

Kindness is contagious!

And it’s a truly win/win situation – the person you are being kind to benefits through your help while you feel good for having helped someone. Ultimately, the world will become a better place through your kindness.

Send someone (perhaps an elected official or someone for whom this election has been tough) a hand written note of thanks for something good they have brought to the surface in your life.

Please apply this RAK in your life today – and let me know how you get on with your random acts of kindness. 

What goes around is sure to come around

Happy Helping

Happy Truthing

Hope you find some random acts of kindness in my books on line…

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Today, as I was thinking about what I was going to write tonight, this 1940’s song kept running through my head. I have been up and down and in and out on this roller coaster ride. I have been critical of Mr. Trump for his actions, language and betrayal of the American spirit. Some of you – even some of my own family members – have criticized me for the tone of my blogs. So I tried a different approach in speaking about the President – using grace where at all possible. A couple of days ago I even asked for help in how to enact this grace as random daily acts of kindness. So far… out of the 514 people who follow me – not one soul has responded to my call for help in grace… but you are not as sheepish when I speak about Trump in words that call his lack of honesty into question… or talk about his lack of character or leadership. And so this song describes how I feel today: “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” by people who say they want to help, we should all be on the same side and that I should be more fair in speaking about Mr. Trump. Come to find out perhaps you are like the Linda I spoke of several days ago… disappointed in me when my words hit home, but the very next day when I try to be more reconciling she calls all Democrats… especially me… cry babies.

Recently General Flynn resigned after being fired by the president. Trump, even though he has known for 14 days that Flynn lied to the VP, lied about that, did not tell the VP himself, and blamed the press for being unfair to Flynn for leaking when a few months ago… he just “Loved WikiLeaks .” I guess he likes it when it helps him… but used against him he says it is illegal and unfair. Double standard!!!

Now he has spoken about national security issues at the dinner table around a bunch of people – including the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe – from his so-called Summer White House. Discussing items of national security in public is against the law, Mr. President.  The full weight of the National Security apparatus – who will find out what was said on both ends of phone calls, emails and memos – are getting ready to bring forth its powerful investigative talents toward finding out about Trump, the Trump team and Russia. And as one of the old time national security people said: “Now is the time for all the people involved to lawyer up – because they will find out the truth… and the truth will not be pretty… people will go to prison. Here is where the American people need to make sure there is a full and open investigation into this matter… if not, Sessions may just do a private investigation and the American people will never find out the truth. We need to know the truth. The president should want the American people to know the truth.

I have said all along that I hope Trump does well because it will mean that America does well. However, as each day goes by I see more and more the ranting and ravings of and 8 year old and less and less maturity. Each day brings me more fear of what he might do and less and less sense of safety and security for our country.

Perhaps now Mr. Trump will do as he promised and release his taxes so that the America people will know the truth about his financial holdings… especially when Donald, Jr. says: “that the majority of their holdings are in Russia…” and bring about transparency in the search for truth.

Perhaps you are not answering my call for help with offering the Donald grace through random acts of kindness because you are just as bewitched, bothered and bewildered as I am. I will continue to pray for our country, our president and the successful outcome of legislation that will bring greater care and compassion for all people. And I will pray for the truth to be revealed, believed and acted upon.

Grace and Peace

Steve

I hope that you will give a look see and find grace in my on line books….

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Our first step into finding a place where we can thrive in becoming the person God wants us to become is believe, thinking, speaking and acting in a positive manner… that no mater what the issue we are to act in such a manner that after the conversation is over we remain brothers and sisters who have come to a deeper appreciation for each other’s point of view.

The second step is probably going to bring us greater fulfillment and a deeper sense of purpose: “It is we change the world through one act of random kindness at a time.” In my church life – my role as a pastor in the United Methodist Church I have sought out and accomplished the sharing of this grace. I must admit that it uplifts the giver and the receiver if we walk humbly in this role. However, if you walk into this seeking to use it as some sort of religious trick it may just backfire… and blow everybody to pieces.

With my past experience I was looking forward to using this as a tool to bring about peace and reconciliation. However, it seems that this has already backfired. I must admit up front that I was doing ok until this past Sunday when the Trump people sent this Stephen Miller guy out to blast all the talk shows with this statement: “The President’s powers here are beyond question.” That is so 1939 Germany… right in the middle of the night of the long knives… that I found it very difficult, almost impossible to speak a word of grace… not that I am above it or better… just that it seems that these people are making it almost impossible for grace to thrive.

So, my friends, I really do need your help. Republicans and Democrats alike need to send me ideas on how we all can come together in grace, live in grace and move forward in grace. How can we offer up random acts of kindness when we are being shot at before we even get to the church? How do we speak the gracious word when another lie is being discovered as part of the fabric of the Trump political cloth? So let’s join together to develop a plan to be kind, forgiving, honest and healing.

Thank you for making this journey with me.

Over the years I have written about the grace of God many times. God’s grace has seen me through some mighty tough spots… giving me strength in my weakest moments. In face, grace has been my theme. The majority of my writings has been about grace… the free and unmerited love of God which blesses us in our faith journey. I invite you to search out grace in my works on line:

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Perhaps you are feeling a bit like me lately… kinda overwhelmed and under-fortified? I have sought for over forty years as a pastor, four years as a Marine, and other growing up and into life years to be fair, kind, positive and forgiving. I learned early on in life from my parents that my being forgiven is tied to how I forgive. If I refuse to forgive… harbor ill will toward others… and keep sores recorded I will find that I am not hurting the other guy. I am ultimately hurting myself and stunting my own spiritual growth.

It hasn’t been easy to always forgive or to be positive even when the other guys is spewing out his venom. I have been hurt deeply by people I deeply cared about. I have even apologized in front of the church for something I did that was not wrong… the apology was given just to keep peace in the family. I have swallowed a lot of pride, dined on crow way to often, and had my teeth loosened from turning the cheek so much. I must admit there have been times when the Marine part of me wanted to take over and let the pastor in me sit this one out… times when I wanted to take that someone out behind the woodshed and have a good old fashioned “come to Jesus” meeting.

Over the 2016 election cycle I have found myself less and less forgiving and more and more angry. My world has grown darker as the days have gone by. I am not proud of who I have been becoming… for that person is not positive, uplifting or forgiving. I feel that I have become so angry because people have refused to see the darkness in the heart of Donald Trump… forgiven him of all the unacceptable things he has said and done while crucifying Hillary for emails. I simply could not believe that he got a pass on behavior that for anyone else of any other party in any other year would have found themselves totally unacceptable to people like Jerry Falwell Jr., Franklin Graham or the entire Republican Party. My anger grew and grew while I spoke more harshly to friends and family about their blindness to all things Donald.

After the election, in my shock, I was afraid that our new president would have us in WWIII before long. I think I formed a “defend the constitution party” of one… and I sought to make sure that Mr. Trump’s feet were held to the fire. I still believe he should be held accountable for his words and actions… but perhaps with a more gracious spirit.

So my first step in finding a thrive tribe… a place where I can thrive and become the person I have always sought to become… a peacemaker… is to be positive, speak in a positive manner… think in a positive manner. I simply cannot lose my own soul in the process of speaking the truth. I stand with those who believe that God is in control and in the end good will win over evil. However, I do believe that faith requires participation. Our prayers for goodness sake should have legs… knee pads and strong running shoes. Faith is not just right and wrong but many shades of grey. A debate can’t be just points scored… but compassion and understanding revealed. We must find a way to speak compassionately to those with whom we disagree so that after the conversation we have a better understanding of where we both are coming from and still remain brothers and sisters.

So the first step in becoming and remaining positive is to go to where Jesus is, speak the words Jesus would speak, and act in the way Jesus would act.

Grace and Peace

Steve

Peacemaker… I have been labeled that over 40 years in ministry… because I have sought to live that way. You will find something of that peacemaker attitude in my writings found on line:

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Well, I thought I was doing so well… speaking the truth, revealing that which has been hidden, bringing light on that which has been so dark and mysterious. Some people agree with my findings while others think that I have wandered down wrong and forbidden paths.

Many of you accept my writings for what they are… a struggle in the darkness seeking to find light for the world, the community, but especially for myself. To that end a couple of people, Linda and Mike, took me to the woodshed this week… over the writing about Elizabeth Warren being told to sit down and shut up. I tried to explain that I was so frustrated with the outcome of the election that I wanted to just quit involvement in all things political. There are some of us who were just giddy with excitement about Mr. Trump winning while others, like my wife, spent the entire day after election in tears of mourning and disappointment. Mike seemed to be speaking from a Republican heart while Linda was disappointed in me not seeing that the world needed to come together on one side… not divided as we have become more and move violently over the last twenty years. I agree there should only be one side and that should be God’s side… but who of us is qualified to define the right and the wrong?

Today the sermon James preached took me even deeper into the woodshed… so deep the only light I could see was the light of Jesus Christ. I admit that I am allowing my eyes to see the wrong things and my hands to be hard at work accomplishing that which is not of peace and harmony. I try to do that which is right but end up lusting after that which is not of God. Yes, my hands need to be cut off and my eyes poked out… because they lead me to that which blocks my vision of God and the Godly things of this world… and put me hard at work doing that which keeps God from more fully living in my heart and life.

James, you are right… I need more of Jesus in my life… day by day and moment by moment. Come and walk with me Lord Jesus. Guide me along your paths of reconciliation and peace. Mike and Linda, and all the other Mikes and Lindas out there need to include me in your prayers… that I may be a person of peace and  brotherhood… who looks for the ways of forgiveness and restoration.

Yes, I know there are many examples of peace and harmony in my books which I often times seem to forget. Sometimes we all forget how to be peacemakers… perhaps I need a refresher course from my own writings. You will find these examples on line:

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My grandson gave me a list of the governments of the world, what they mean and how they act. This may help us all as we look at our own government.

DEMOCRACY:

You have two cows and your neighbor decides who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY:

You have two cows. You select someone with the best Television face to tell you how to take care of your cows.

BEREAUCRACY:

You have two cows. The Government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them, then pays you not to. Then it takes both cows, shoots one, milks the other dry and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out stacks of forms accounting for the missing cows.

CAPITALISM:

You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

COMMUNISM:

You have two cows. Your neighbor helps you care for your cows and everyone shares in the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM:

You have two cows. You have to take care of them, then the government takes all the milk.

FASCISM:

You have two cows. The government takes bow of them and shoots you.

FEUDALISM:

You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM:

You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else’s cows. They are cared for by chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took away from the chicken farmers.

SOCIALISM:

You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else’s cows, then gives you as much milk as it thinks you need.

How are your cows doing? Do you decide anything about them – how they are milked, how often, who gets the milk and how much? There is no mention of our cows kicking over the bucket of milk, swatting you in the face with her tail and even kicking you off the stool… all of which has happened to any dairy farmer. A word of advice may be to care for the cows as best you can, share as best you can with those who need the milk, and be as efficient as you can in continuing to care for this cow and all the other who may come your way.

I hope you enjoy my books which deal with faith and devotion.

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I have voted at every election except when younger and over seas. I didn’t about a ballot you could send in from wherever you were in the world. I remember the one election in which I did not vote. One of my members, Mrs. Polly Lauder, a retired school teacher, worked at the polls and knew I didn’t vote. When she got me alone she told me that I should always vote… that is a way that I can make a difference. I don’t know what her politics were but I do know that she believed in being actively involved in the process of selecting our public officials. After her wake up call I have always voted.

There have been elections when I really didn’t care who won – there really was no difference in the candidates – both equally bad or good. I typically voted for democrats simply because their message fit more with my Christian beliefs – that is democrats usually cared for and provided for the poor and marginalized of our society. They were the Good Samaritan party while the republicans were the party of the rich and powerful.

My first encounter with the primary and election process was the committee of dirty tricks (Watergate scandal) put in place by Richard Nixon. Up until that point I was naïve to the underhanded dirty tricks each party would play on the other. The Republican Party was the only one who was forced in court to stay away from polling places or have anything to do with limiting the voting rights of any person or group of persons. This is not the first time the RNC has been accused of voter intimidation. Back in 1981, Republican Party “watchmen,” some of whom were off-duty policemen and security guards, showed up in minority districts donning guns and wearing armbands. They were going to make sure the election went their way — and it did. Posters were put up containing the word “WARNING” in giant red text and a reward of $1,000 was offered for reporting bonafide fraud. The posters also included a phone number, which led callers directly to a Republican National Party office.

Since then, the RNC was has been under a court-ordered consent decree that severely limits their election activities due to their actions in 1981. They were just about to come out from under the court order in 2017, but Trump changed all that. With his continuous call for big, bad poll-watchers to pack and head to polling stations, he has nixed the RNC ability to slide out from under the decree in 2017, and caused the DNC to launch a legal action in a federal court claiming the RNC is violation of the court. This failure to comply will most likely extend the RNC’s consent decree for another eight years.

Over the years I came to believe that the republican were quiet shameful in the things they were willing to do to win – win at all cost seemed to be their slogan. I learned even more of the underhanded dealings with the way the Secretary of State for Florida, Governor Jeb Bush and the Supreme Court worked together to give the election to George W. Bush over Al Gore even when Gore had more popular votes. In other words the votes were not all counted by Supreme Court direction and thereby handed the “selection” to G.W. Bush. A lot of the same irregulars happened with Bush against Kerry. Polls in black democratic areas where closed early or closed while people were still in line not allowing them to vote, and others having to leave very slow lines in order to get to work. Some places voting machines would not work others lock and they could not find the keys. Millions of democratic names were swept from the voting rolls. (The Stolen Presidential Election)

My next encounter was with the elections of Barack Obama – the first black president. I loved his high moral character, his great intellect, his sense of fairness for all persons. I was shocked to learn that many of the high ranking republicans met for four hours on inauguration night and made a pact to not allow Obama to get one single bill passed. Mitch McConnell said in October 2010 that his party’s primary goal in the next Congress was to make Obama a one-term president. They set out to become a congress of obstructionism. They did not give Obama a chance to get anything done… and yet the American voter somehow thought not passing anything was ok and blamed Obama for all the woes of the country. When given a choice between doing something to help the American people or make Obama look bad they chose the later.

And so going into the 2016 elections I already had a deep sense of wondering just how bad the dirty tricks would get. Well they were far worse than anyone ever imagined. I could not believe that the American people would chose the totally moral bankrupted Donald Trump. I could not imagine how a so-called Christian nation would chose as a candidate for president of the United States someone who did the things he did, speak the way he spoke or believed the things he believed. He proved himself to be a racist, one who assaulted women and believed that was ok even wanted by the women because he was a star. He called for Russia to hack the emails of the Democratic Party, especially the campaign chairperson and Hillary Clinton. Voters somehow believed the hacked emails from the democrats but not the proven bad behavior of Trump.

I have never invested so much in any election than I did in the 2016. I became informed about all that was going on in the election. I followed the news daily. I could not believe what was happening…how blind the people were. I honestly believe they could watch Trump grab a woman in her private areas and think it was ok… not real. I couldn’t believe the FBI Director bringing up the email stuff he did less than a week away from the election. I couldn’t believe that the news outlets kept reporting on the hacked emails – giving them the credibility of real verified news findings. I could not believe that the people did not see how dangerous he was and would be if elected… because of the way he spoke of other countries, leaders and people in general. If you didn’t agree with him you were targeted with very mean spirited comments.

In choosing his cabinet he has chosen many people who are so unsuited for their jobs that it makes even republicans worried. But they are afraid to go against Donald. I had come to the point where I was so discouraged that I had said I am just going to stop my involvement in the political process altogether.

I thought that way until the senate majority leader Mitch McConnell pulled out an old time rule and placed a gag order on Senator Elizabeth Warren in the open session of these Senators. He basically told another Senator to sit down and shut up… meaning she could no longer speak during the interview with Jeff Sessions. He used the words, “she persisted” to describe why he was doing this despicable thing. I decided that I am not going to let him get what he wants – for me to sit down and shut up – no now I am going to stand up and speak out and convey to my friends and family what I see and what I believe is happening. Thanks Mitch for getting me (and other democrats) back into the forefront of the political game. I will not allow your lies – alternate truths to have the day….

So instead of shutting up my blogs will now be used to give my opinions about what is taking place. I will not publish anything until I check it out and make sure that what I am sharing with you is indeed the truth.

Thanks for allowing me to share with you

Steve

I hope you enjoy my books which deal with faith and devotion.

You can find them on line

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