You Will Find Me

Psalm 19:1-2 - The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Psalm 105:4 - Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Isaiah 60:2 - For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Dear God, help me always to see You in the creation around me. I already do, but help me to always see You there. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Seeking Perfection

Exodus 20:3 - You shall have no other gods before me.

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Dear God, no other gods. Money is a god for some people. I think it is a god for most republicans. They have it. Others don't. Because money has become their god, they treat those who don't like they are not even people but objects. That is what they do when they threaten to take healthcare from people or when they threaten to discriminate against people who receive SNAP by trying to dictate what they can and cannot eat or drink when the real culprit is one ingredient: high fructose corn syrup, and the reality is that there are more fat rich people than there are poor fat people. And in the south, it is more of a problem of the obsession with fried foods. But this belittling of the poor and judgment of the poor whether it comes to trying to dictate what they can and cannot buy because they assume there is "rampant" fraud - I am pretty sure that less than one percent fraud is nowhere near rampant because rampant means widespread and there is more fraud in congress than in SNAP or Social Security combined! - or whether it is trying to deny healthcare to people just because they are poor (congress keeps trying to repeal the ACA or Bentley is blocking Medicaid expansion which is forcing hospitals in rural communities to shut down in Alabama because they can no longer handle the financial burden of the uninsured poor) has become their god. Duck Dynasty guy was telling the republicans to get more godly, and now I understand what he means. The anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality fixation they have developed alongside the anti-poor and hate the president mentality they have has become their god. Money has become their god. They get paid $174,000 per year and yet they do nothing for the people anymore. They even shut down the government because of their sick obsession with trying to keep people from gaining access to affordable healthcare. They have it, so why shouldn't everyone else? Not every job provides insurance. And insurance used to illegally discriminate against people. Now they want government to discriminate against people who receive SNAP by dictating what they can and cannot buy when there are already restrictions in place. Discrimination - denying a group of people something others can have for some reason. Insurance used to deny people with pre-exciting conditions. Many places still discriminate against the disabled. Many of the pre-existing conditions can be disabling. Places used to discriminate against people of color and some places still do. If banning the purchase of soda is good enough for people who get SNAP, then they must ban purchase of soda for ALL of the people, or else it is called discrimination. Instead of a ban on purchasing it with SNAP, they need to ban HFCS which has banned in other countries already, is no longer needed, and is more directly tied to obesity and diabetes than anything else. Don't believe me? Do some research about when it became the main ingredient in sodas and when fast food restaurants began showing up on every corner. You also will find that that is around the time girls entered puberty earlier and earlier. Another thing to consider is that the cost of healthy foods needs to be brought down in price and grocery tax needs to be repealed in all states with the exception of the proposal to tax products containing HFCS. The ban of HFCS or the special grocery tax on products containing HFCS will go further and be more effective than dictating what SNAP recipients can and cannot buy which then has to be a sweeping restriction on all of the people to prevent illegal discrimination. Look, God, I know You already know these things, but Bentley and DeMarco and that Palmer guy they said will be in some runoff do not seem to get it. Another god? Guns. They are obsessed with guns to the extent that some idiot actually tried to carry his (more like flaunt it) into a church that was serving as a polling place. All the polling places are subject to federal guidelines which prohibit guns or any other weapon. The church does and maintains business on a daily basis and I believe offers childcare and it is private property. The man was disrespectful and arrogant. Now he is threatening to do it again, which I hope police will just take action at that point because if he wants to break the state law and the local law, then he should have to deal with the consequences. But they are so obsessed, I have seen people claim that it is a "God-given right." When asked to point to where it says it is his God-given right in the Bible, he said it isn't in the Bible. So I said, well then it isn't your God-given right; it is a man-made right, and not even one intended for the general populace. But it is my God-given right to live and have food and healthcare if I am sick and to be treated with respect with dignity. After considering a lot of things from the past few days, I now know why Christians should not be involved in government. As congressmen or senators though. One of them is out on the radio saying if he wins, he will impose his religion and his beliefs on everyone. Well, that is a violation of the First Amendment. Little wonder why America is so messed up right now. They lost focus and their moral compass has shifted too far into legalism. And that is what the Pharisees did. When a pope who exemplifies what Jesus did while on earth actually commends the president for his efforts to help the poor in regards to access to food and healthcare, you know he must doing something right. When the pope actually criticizes what congress is doing, you know they are doing something wrong. I am not even catholic, but even I like what the pope is doing! By the way, if Bentley or DeMarco happen on this, I do not care how good a Christian you claim to be but if you block access or take away access to healthcare from someone because you hate the president so much, then you are not a Christian because a true Christian would not do that. Matthew 25:31-46 and Romans 13:1-7 guys. As long you disrespect the president, you disrespect God. And I do not support anyone who disrespects the president of the country my mother and my ancestors served. Furthermore, DeMarco, if you hate the president so much and have no intention of actually working with the president who will basically be your boss in D.C., then why are you even bothering to run? If I went to apply for a job with your attitude, I would not be hired. Period. God, five more months until November. Give me peace and comfort and most of all wisdom. I am now finally gaining understanding of what some of those lessons I have been taught actually mean! Now if Tom would just exemplify You and seek restoration with me like You say he is supposed to have done to start with. Sigh. God, thank. You for lessons learned and revelations of Yourself. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Worth Celebrating

Isaiah 26:3 - O Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

James 1:2-3 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know I the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Dear God, it is definitely a challenge to consider problems as pure joy. When on the midst of trouble, there is no joy most of the time because of anxiety or frustration or even anger or sadness. Right now, I am troubled. Bentley won and DeMarco won in the primaries. The bright spot is come November, the general election will be here. Then we can make sure the hypocrites do not win. When Bentley first ran, he said he hated the president and that because of that he was going to block the Medicaid expansion for those who need it and yet he claimed to be a Christian. Why would someone who is a Christian hate the president so much that he would take it out on the least of these? Unless he is not a Chrsitian. DeMarco is now doing the same thing. He says he is a good Christian, goes to church, hates the president, and will do everything he can to repeal the ACA. He will not listen to the fact that many of his potential constituents have been positively impacted by the ACA. Instead, all he cares about is disrespecting the president and taking his hate for m out on the least of these. This has to be stopped! God, I am so sorry that these people are doing this and acting against Your word. I know You will intervene somehow. But I am worried and not really feeling like celebrating right now. Please help me. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

When You Are Afraid...

II Thessalonians 3:16 - Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

I John 4:20 - if anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Dear God, please cast put the fear today. As I read further, I also learned that those who hate their fellow brothers OR SISTER do not love You. I wish Tom would evidence Your love, but he did lie and he ended up doing things that were very hateful. The thing is, though, I do not hate him. I just need him to come to a peace making with me. Extending further though, that verse would also indicate that Mathis and DeMarco are liars because they say they are Christians yet they hate the president so much that they want to take healthcare from the poor and the disabled! If they are Christians, then they should not hate anyone and they should respect the president (Romans 13) and they should do everything they can to strengthen the ACA, not destroy it. Mathis even claims he want to protect the constitutional freedoms, yet if that were true, why did he block people with opposing viewpoints regarding the ACA? He violated my First Amendment right to express an opinion just because it was different than his. And he did not like being exposed for lack of ethics. God, today, I am not at peace because of the stupid primaries. Alabama is rigged this time. Democrats in my district only have one race - governor. Of course, anyone is better than Bentley. Bentley is just a hateful, old, white racist and sexist pig who claims to be such a good Christian that when he ran, he actually stated that he hated the president so much that he was going to block the Medicaid and do everything he could to prevent the ACA from working in Alabama. Well, he failed. The ACA IS working in Alabama. When I read Vigneulle's statements, he was also stretching things. Okay, he has three children and a wife. He has a family plan. And he states that his plan went from $680 to $1500 per month. If all five members of his family are on the plan, then his plan is $300 per person per month. If only four of them are on it, then he is only paying $375 per person per month. Guess what? That is actually thie CORRECT rate! Why? Because I am an individual and I pay $320.75 per month or $352.75 per month if you add the separate dental plan I now get to have. And that is a gold tier plan. Vigneulle did not tell the entire truth in his statement. To have truth in his statement, he would need to state how many people are on his plan and what level the plan is. But from what it sounds, he may have a similar plan to what I have if it costs that much and he pays less per person than I do as an individual! This is the kind of thing that irks me about these republicans and tea party people though. They either ignore the truth, gloss over the truth, or do not tell the full truth. They do not understand how insurance works now is how insurance should have always been working. His family plan before, if all five of a members were on it, only cost him $139.69 per month per person, and if only four were on it, it only cost him $174.50 per month per person. Guess what? Cry me a river! I was paying $298 per month for an 80/20 plan that was JUNK! And I knew it was junk long before the term came into existence when insurance companies scrapped those junk plans! I knew it was junk when an ENT told me after my fourth surgery in 12 months and after I began allergy shots and only needed minor care that I should consider finding a catastrophic plan that would cost less because essentially that is what my insurance had become. Yep. My rates kept going up and my coverage kept decreasing! And that was before the ACA. Now people foolishly believe their rates went up and coverage decreased, when in reality, their coverage increased because now they have ten benefits that are not subject to out of pocket costs or deductibles! That is a lot of potentially FREE care coming from those premiums now. Of course, rates are going to go up! When insurance pays more out per person in terms of what they cover, the rates do go up. And because they can no longer charge more for a person who is sick (or disabled - Americans with Disabilities Act is being enforced), each person is rated the same. Brooks, I do not even want to talk about him, using a gun to demonstrate how he feels about the ACA? What is to say he would not turn it on the president himself? I am starting to run out of people here, God. They all have their downsides. And Shattuck? He may be a flip flopper. Give me wisdom today though. I am going into these elections today, and now I know what it means to have to choose the least of the evils. But God, if none of them are going to be for me, or for the least of these, then we are doomed! As a nation, as a state, and as a district. God, please hurry back. I cannot tolerate this level of hate being directed at me or my fellow especial needs families who are also in lower income brackets. My heart aches today and I not only seek Your wisdom, but I plead with You for You to intervene and weed out the worst of the candidates. I have no doubt there will end up being at least run off election either. But even still, weed them out God. Come November, that is where the true power will take place. Until then, my world has been shaken and stirred and anxieties have returned. Anxieties I should not have to face as an American or as an Alabamian. Please, please, fill me with Your peace, God. Calm my anxious spirit and my anxious heart. I do not hate anyone and I never will. I hate what they do though. Thank You for listening to me. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

You Are My Child

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

I John 3:2 - Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Dear God, in today's lesson, You said do not be like the Pharisees who made up their own rules and to just relax in Your peace. So basically Pharisees were legalists? And republicans and especially that extremist tea party are like Pharisees? They sure do make up a lot of rules that You did NOT make. They demand on having the right to carry guns while also being stupid and self-entitled by trying to take healthcare from those who are less fortunate. Well, frankly, if they get to keep their guns, then I get to keep my healthcare and my insurance so that when one them stupidly shoots off their gun, I have medical treatment that I will not lose my home over. Of course, then they would be sitting in jail for life for shooting me and almost killing me and they would be responsible for making sure those hospital bills are paid because it was their fault to start with and it would not be my fault if out of their hate for the president I lost my insurance after eight years of fighting to be able to have better insurance because I already knew my old plan was junk even before the media started calling those plans junk. I was just never allowed to get new and more comprehensive insurance or even dental insurance until the ACA came along because before the ACA came along, insurance companies were allowed to violate the ADA and discriminate against people with disabilities. Well, God, I know what I have to do tomorrow regarding the primaries, and my mom might do the same thing. I have prayed through Matthew 25 and Romans 13 and some of the other passages I have journeyed through, and I feel at peace with my decision. Just move through the hearts and minds of other evangelical Christians in the district and give them the wisdom and the insight to make the right decision in the best interest of the least of these as well. Thank You for Your peace. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Working Through Matthew 25:31-46 Entering the Primaries

Where do the candidates stand in relation to the treatment of the least of these?

Focal question:

Does this candidate have the best interest of the sick in mind?

Alabama Congressional District 6

Scott Beason - Threatens to repeal the Affordable Care Act. No. Also disrespects the president. Violation of Romans 13:1-7. 

Will Brooke - Used guns in an ad to show his opinion of the Affordable Care Act. No.Disrespect for the president in violation of Romans 13:1-7. Wants to oppose carbon rules. Great. So he wants to take healthcare from the sick and contribute to the pollution that makes people sick. 

Paul DeMarco - Claims to be a good Christian. States that he will fight against the president. Yet he is running for congress, a job which involves working WITH the president. Threatens to repeal the Affordable Care Act. No. And his lack of respect for the president overall is a violation of Romans 13:1-7 as well. Threatens those who are disabled and elderly as well a s those who are poor and hungry. We all know the "cuts" lately have been targeted at the least of these.

Chad Mathis - Threatens to repeal the Affordable Care Act. No. Committed unethical abandonment of patient care. I was the victim. Personally have reason to be against him. And he is arrogant. A doctor who opposes helping those who are sick be able to get insurance that can help them afford healthcare? Bitter irony. Committed mudslinging right out of the gate. Wants to lower corporate taxes. That is the opposite of what needs to be done.

Gary Palmer - Have not heard much about him, but he also opposes the Affordable Care Act and fails to understand that as long as people can go directly through insurance companies to get insurance, free markets are still working. Threatens to "cut" spending which translates to more cuts for those who are disabled, veterans, poor, hungry, and elderly as well as college students. 

Robert Shattuck - Who? But I like his acknowledgement: "The premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act are just taking effect and provide a significant benefit. Unemployment benefits can be extended. There are job training programs galore. More could be spent on education. Food stamps could be expanded." So let's see. Wants to help the sick? Yes. Wants to help the poor? Yes. Wants to help students? Yes. I may have found a good guy here who understands what his potential constituents are going through and will fight for them.

Tom Vigneulle - How do you even say his name? Haven't heard much about him either. 

Issue: Budget. 

What is their mindset regarding programs that help the least of these, or the poor? Consider that many elderly, disabled, and veterans fall into the category of poor as well.

Scott Beason - Does not seem to understand Social Security is not just about the elderly but also the disabled.

Will Brooke - Wants to privatize everything. This will not work.

Paul DeMarco - The only thing that makes sense about him is that he does think it is appropriate to stop payment to congressional members if both chambers do not approve a budget before the start of a fiscal year.

Chad Mathis - Well, based on his standing, the disabled, elderly, college students, veterans, and poor and hungry are all at risk again. He does not realize the painstaking efforts that agencies go through to reduce any fraud to start with and seems to think there is more fraud than what even exists. Less than 1 percent in all agencies. Typical tea party for you though. Cut the benefits from the hungry, cut them from the veterans, cut them from the disabled, cut them from the elderly, and cut them from the college students. 

Gary Palmer - Send spending programs back to states to avoid duplication. That fails to consider many states do rely on federal fudging for the federal programs that have been delegated to states. Definitely worse.

Robert Shattuck - No preset ideas. Which means he has a fresh approach.

Tom Vigneulle - Another privatize everything person. And wants to cut everything. 

Are they trying to buy their way in? All but Robert Shattuck. Which actually does make feel better about him even though his approach is a bit less conventional. Also he does not have any known endorsements (people or organizations buying him). This would actually mean a clean campaign overall when they head into the general election in November. 

Dear God, as we approach primaries this week, may we all make informed decisions in accordance with your words, not only in Matthew 25:31-46, but also in Romans 13:1-7, and in other passages where You talk about how our approach should be regarding money, helping the least of these, helping the poor, and what Your approach would be. If our approach is not inline with Your approach, may we realign the approach so that it follows in accordance with Yours. Thank You for giving me understanding and a brain to use the tools that have been given to me so that I could make a more informed decision. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Don't Look for Unnecessary Trouble

Psalm 18:30 - This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30 - As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.

Isaiah 41:13 - For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fera not, I am the one who helps you."

Isaiah 41:13 (CEV) - I am the Lord your God. I am holding your hand, so don't be afraid. I am here to help you.

Dear God, guide me through every step of the way, through times of trouble and times of peace. And that requests extends through the primary elections this week as I work through what Your word overall says regarding treatment of those who are the least of these. Help me utilize the newspaper's charts and Matthew 25:31-46 effectively. Give me wisdom. In Jesus Name, Amen!