Politically Engaged

Looking back at the year 2019, I must admit, I was more engaged in the political arena than I ever thought possible. Though I was politically inspired to run for president in 2020 (reaction to trump in 2017) and motivated to support candidates in 2018, I never thought I’d actually run for an office. Although I didn’t win the seat for City Council, I gained so much more—friends, experience, and respect from the residents of Eastpointe (at least that’s the way they make me feel). And of course—support from family is always appreciated.

First of all, I attended my first swearing-in-ceremony for our Governor in January of 2019 and later that night, attended her inaugural ball. What a blast—from freezing outside in the morning to enjoying the glitz of the evening.

Later, in the same month, I was inspired to run for a seat on our City Council during a meeting with our State Representative, Kevin Hertel. I knew there were two seats open and knew one would be retained by the incumbent, and thought I had a shot at the other.

Thanks to the help of Robert Roscoe (who became my campaign treasurer), we were able to obtain the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot and from that point on—my life was a bit of a whirlwind. I was also serving as the secretary for our 9th Congressional District, secretary for the South Central Macomb Democratic Club, secretary of the Official Democratic Black Caucus of Macomb County and on the executive board of the Macomb County Democratic Committee. I also learned how to get endorsements by other groups

I began attending City Council meetings in 2017 and was even appointed to our Zoning Board of Appeals in 2018. Attended a class to enhance my understanding of what the role entailed and met Cliff Wilson (a really great guy), who was also in the class.

Did I mention that I also started working for the Eastpointe Community Schools District? Well, I did and met the most awesome women anyone could ever hope to meet—Karen Beltz, Michelle Dyrval, Helen Lee and Laurie Jeffries. Not that the others at the school weren’t awesome as well, but these were the women with whom I worked,  on a daily basis. During my short tenure at that school—we had a blast and I am so thankful for meeting them and still enjoying their company when possible.  They did not hesitate to support my political ambitions and I’ll be forever grateful to them.

The run for City Council entailed so much more than I’d thought about, but I was up for the challenge. Filed paperwork, opened bank account and ACTBlue Account, and planned a fundraiser, as well as attended others. I attended school board meetings, council meetings, city events, marched in parades, and trekked about the city wearing out two pair of gym shoes starting on a third pair. I participated in candidate forums, completed questionnaires, and was interviewed by local newspaper and television reporters, as well as an independent filmmaker (released later this year in 2020). I had meetings with residents on a regular basis, ramped up my social media accessibility for all and marveled at all the people I met—online.

There were people online (especially Facebook) who didn’t appreciate my campaigning on community group pages, but then there were awesome defenders of my campaign—Lauren Tossey immediately comes to mind, along with Laura Pagels and Jeanne Trice. And after that, a number of residents—Frank Accavitti, Phil DiMarialet, and others, let me know they supported my efforts.

During this time, I also became a block captain involved with our Eastpointe Neighborhood Watch Program—that’s how I met Laura and Jeanne and other residents on our three block area. I have the best neighbors in the world! And those in the NWG are the best. For “First Responders Day,” we provided our fire department with a meal and with a plea to assist, many of the block captains participated in providing a “Thanksgiving Meal” to our police and fire department.

Additionally, I met many people on the NextDoor community site. Tom Klawender will be a lifetime friend along with others, Gayle, Victoria, Danielle Gaston, Devi, Carol, Rhonda—and so many more, I can’t even remember everyone’s name at the present moment. And then there are is my Twitter Family (numbering over 9K) that were encouraging and supportive of my efforts in my political run. My social media family makes me realize how blessed I truly am.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t win the seat, but my determination to keep my promise, being a voice for the community, has put me on a different path—one I know I’ll enjoy and with the help of the residents, I know we’ll make a difference in this city. Here are the thoughts of one resident, posted on her page on Facebook and had me in tears:

I could be here the rest of the year ( ) writing about all the people that made 2019 better.

I’m going to keep it to one aspect and two people.

When I was in college, I had a professor in my ‘State and Local Government’ class who exhorted us to pay more attention to our local leaders, as what they did would have more of an impact on our daily lives than anything done on a federal level. He was right. Most of us can’t even name their Mayor or State Representative, but can tell you everything they like, or don’t like, about the President.

Keeping this in mind, both Ril Brozowski and Mary Hall-Rayford have reminded me of Professor Jarvis’ words from almost 40 years ago.

Ril for making Dania and I aware of the ‘players’ on our City Council, and for giving us some great advice PRN during our local elections this year.

Mary was a candidate for City Council this year. Unfortunately she did not win, but that has not slowed her down. Mary has some great insight into character and she has continued to be involved in the community. She makes herself available to all.

These two are the people the Prof spoke of and they have inspired me to heed his words….even if it has taken me years to do so!   Comment by Sue Fancett

So, this is how the year ended—with me in tears reading what a resident thought of me.

Now, I’m more determined than ever to make sure Eastpointe Residents have a voice in our local government—someone who will stand up for and with them as we move forward in becoming the Family Town—that embraces all.

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Have You Tasted Him?

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8 NKJV)

When I cook, unlike many other cooks, I don’t always taste the food I’m cooking, while it’s still cooking. I don’t have a “big spoon” to dish out samples to determine if the seasoning is right. I’ve been cooking long enough to know when the seasoning is just about right. And since I don’t use a great deal of salt or other “spicy” seasonings, anyone who wants to add some after their plate is prepared is welcome to do so. And inevitably, someone either adds salt or pepper to the food on their plates.

The amazing thing to me is watching people who add salt and pepper or hot sauce or ketchup to food without tasting the food, first! How on earth do they determine what’s needed to make the food more flavorable or palatable to their taste buds, if they don’t taste it first?

Now, I also realize that we cannot judge how food tastes by looking at it. Everything that looks good does not taste good. I know this from experience. But then if we’re going to judge a matter–rightly, we have to taste it before we commend or condemn it. I once thought a cake was going to be absolutely scrumptious–based on how it looked, bought a piece and gagged--trying to get it out of my mouth. And then, there are some dishes that didn’t look very appealing, but tasted like a bit of heaven and had me drooling for more.

We cannot always rightly judge how anything tastes or how good a person is by looking at appearances. I’ve known some suited-up folks who looked professional and smiled at all the right times, but they were the devil’s own and I’ve known some folks who only wore sweatshirts and jeans who were so kind and generous, they were absolutely unforgettable. Sometimes our eyes deceive us and we must take a closer look or experience a matter for ourselves before we judge it.

This is why it is so important for those who have experienced God’s goodness to have a testimony and can encourage others to “taste and see” how good He is. “He’s Sweet I Know” is a song, but it tells the whole story–sweeter than the honey in a honeycomb–that’s how good our God is. No matter what our circumstances have been or may be, when we look to Him for the solutions to our problems, He never forsakes us or leaves us with no direction.

We have to trust Him and the only way most of us will ever trust Him is by trying Him–tasting His goodness for ourselves, but we need a witness to encourage us to “taste and see” so they’ll know for themselves.

Let’s get out and encourage others who have been discouraged by the events of life to taste Jesus for themselves and know He is good and we can put our total trust in Him. He is not a man that He should lie nor will He change His mind about who He is in our lives; He is worthy of our trust, love, and obedience to His Word.

O Taste and See just how good He is!

Purpose of Proverbs

“Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance” (Proverbs 1:5 NLT).

A “proverb” by definition is a popular saying (some say of unknown origin) that expresses a common place truth or useful thought (online dictionary). King Solomon is credited with most of the proverbs included in the Bible and we can say (those who Believe The Word) that Solomon was a very wise man. Of course, the wisdom he gained, he received from God and through experience. Experience–is a very wise teacher for those who are able to discern such.

When we look at this one–that supports listening to proverbs–we see that if “we think” we are wise, we can become ever wiser when we pay attention. For those who understand the importance of listening to those who learned by experience so they won’t have to “repeat” the stumbling to learn, the proverbs are designed to guide us.

I’ve often said–of my mother who died at age 58–that I wish she had lived longer to prepare me for the challenges of aging. My grandmother died before she turned 68 and had no real insight to offer us since she had her own challenges to handle. At this point in my life, I plan to live until I’m 95 and I have no problem telling anyone who listens about the challenges I’ve faced so far. Listen and learn if you plan to live as long as God determines.

1) Don’t squander your money when you’re young. You’ll live to regret it.

2) Don’t think youthful, foolish behavior is acceptable past the age of 20. It is not. Learn from living if you want others to respect you as an adult.

3) Seek The Lord in all things by getting acquainted with His Word and developing a relationship with Him early in life. The earlier you hear Him speak, the sooner you benefit from His goodness.

4) Retirement should be uppermost in your mind when you start working. Don’t take that job for granted and save as much as you can to provide for yourself as you age.

5) When you have parents who know God and have experienced His goodness–listen to them. It will save you a lot of headaches later in life.

6) Take care of your body–you only have one and you need all of your body parts to live a productive life–keep your lungs healthy, your heart pumping and your blood flowing–unrestrained by toxins and fat. Keep brain cells functioning with clarity and not fogged by smoking (anything), drugs and misuse of alcohol. You’ll have healthier children.

7) Don’t ignore the warnings of those who have gone before you–most of them know what they’re talking about because of their own experience.

Of course, this is just a handful of things I’ve learned in my life, but when I have any questions and need direction, I seek God for the answers because life is too short to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. I’d like to think that I’m wise enough to listen and receive direction–from Wisdom.

We Need Experience!

“Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19 NLT).

Peter acknowledges that having an experience with Jesus–gives one greater confidence in the proclamations of the prophets and encourages all to pay attention to what they wrote–as noted in The Word!

We can learn much–from reading–historical accounts of events, but the greatest lesson that leaves an imprint on our hearts is the personal hands-on experience with anything that gives us confidence and understanding.

So,while it is good to hear the testimonies of others–what The Lord has done for them–it is better to have a testimony of your own--an experience with Jesus that solidifies the confidence you have in Him and His Word.

While it is good to read The Word–it is better to experience The Word–for that lasting impression that no man can erase.

Having an experience with Jesus showing up and showing out is no different than learning a new skill–it is not really learned until one can do it–not just read about it, though reading about how to do something first–makes the “doing” easier.

Keep reading, keep listening, but pray for an opportunity to experience Him for yourself.

 

Father, in the name of Jesus, we look forward to having a life-changing experience with You that settles once and for all, all our hopes in You. Thank You for loving us enough to have inspired men to write Your Word, now move into our hearts and give us first-hand knowledge with the experience that only You can provide. Amen!