Loving Truth More Than Lies!

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 3:18-24 NIV

When we say we love–the words must be demonstrated in our actions for all to see. After all, the best sermon is not the one we preach, but the one we live. How can we convince others we love if we are not willing to walk in truth?

So, who’s not willing to walk in truth? It would appear from the daily news briefings conducted by Sarah Huckabee Sanders that truth is a foreign concept to her and others in the White House. Despite the fact that the entire family (Huckabees that is) claims to be Christians, they not only spout lies, but promote them–as though the rest of us cannot see through them.  Not only have they demonstrated their Christianity is not a true walk with Christ, but they support every lie the liar-in-chief tells. What’s even more phenomenal to me is the fact that they lie about what he says, when all who are listening hears what he says. Specifically–the most recent lie–“he didn’t say the justice system was a joke and a laughingstock.” We all heard it and there’s no spin that will make us “unhear” those very words.

For those of you who are tired of my tirades about the WH idiots, please know–I’m just as tired of them as you are, but I refuse to stop bringing truth to the forefront because I’d rather people disdain me for telling the truth, rather than love me for promoting lies. That’s my stand. I will not back down from always speaking truth as it aligns with The Word or as it aligns with daily events and those in leadership positions.

True Christians–those who walk with Christ on a daily basis and understand the greatest commandment is love–know God hates liars and because He hates liars–would not have chosen a pathological liar (or liars) to be in a position of leadership for the already greatest nation on the planet. What the faux-Christians have done–promoting the lie that God chose trump to be president–is to put America in a position of being a joke and laughingstock to other countries. Other world leaders are watching what unfolds in this country on a daily basis. They see the confusion and chaos that resides in the WH and the total incompetence demonstrated by the Russian installed–fake president. They see how he flip-flops on issues and lies unabashedly and dares others to challenge his lies. They see a dark pattern leading to a path of destruction for America and wonder–out loud–how that will affect them since they are supposed to be our allies. How can anyone trust a person to commit to an agreement (NATO) who has disregarded so many other agreements with vendors and others on a whim. The faux-Christians elected a dictator wannabe and the sooner they admit that and withdraw their support, the sooner America can get back on track, sustaining it’s position on the global stage.

The bottom line here is this–we all know (not think) Russia interfered with the 2016 election and yes, their interference with lies and false propaganda, influenced weak-minded voters who refused to do their own research, into believing the lies and false propaganda. We also know–those of us who are capable of drawing conclusions by analyzing the situation critically, that Electors in the Electoral College were bribed into voting for the national clown. Many of them knew what was occurring and still refused to stand in truth and act accordingly. Only a few electors followed their conscience and refused to vote for a liar.

If people choose to believe a liar when he has shown them that he is a liar and is willing to keep lying, they get what they deserve; but what about the rest of us? Why should we be punished and suffer the ill-fated consequences that fall upon all who lie?

We can change things and turn the situation around by loving truth more than the lies and liars and by Voting Blue in all up-coming elections. Democrats are not perfect people because there are no perfect people, but they also do more to demonstrate living as Christians ought to live than the current residents in the White House.

I’m sure by now, most know where I stand–I stand on the side of right, truth, and love. I hope you’ll stand with me in 2020 as I make my way towards a run for the White House.

I’m Mary Hall-Rayford and I approve this message and condone walking in truth and love towards all human beings.

Advertisement

Rumors!

Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her. Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her,”  declares the LORD. Jeremiah 51:46-48 NIV

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Mark 13:5-10 NIV

Have you heard the latest rumors? Some pertain to the latest gossip about celebrities, some pertain to the latest innuendo about the nation, and some pertain to rumblings of dissatisfaction in White House Administration. Who do we believe?

I have no time to devote to rumors and salacious gossip about celebrities and with all that’s happening in the nation–the NFL, the NBA, hockey, movie producers, mass murderers–it’s just too difficult to keep up. However, when it comes to the manipulative moves by the resident WH idiot, I tend to pay more attention to what’s being said. Why? It’s really very simple. I’m running for President in 2020 and I don’t want to make the same mistakes I see being made on a daily basis by not understanding the power of words.

Though some of the religious wing-nuts–such as Pat Robertson–are claiming the natural disasters on same-sex marriage and even saying, the Las Vegas massacre is a result of our sinful acts. I happen to understand the ramifications of climate change and the need to change how we live in order to save our planet and in the need for common sense gun control legislation. I refuse to join the hateful rhetoric designed to stoke fear by lying on God and what His Word says. In fact, the more people lie on God, the more inclined I am to distance myself from those pseudo-Christians and concentrate on my personal relationship with God and in promoting love. Since God is love, it is far more important for me and true Christians to promote love, not condemnation. When we can bring others to Christ by the love we show them, we can also bring them into a place where God’s love will ignite a change in them to want to please Him, not people.

And pleasing people seems to be the catalyst that will eventually lead to the ruin of a nation. Our current Congress appears to think it is more important to keep “campaign promises” that were lies to begin than in listening to those who elected them. It would appear–that those who invaded and infiltrated the Republican party–have forever decimated the mission and have caused many to flee the party. I’ve never seen so many Republicans plan to not run in coming elections simply because of the invaders who are detracting from the party’s stance. No longer is the Republican party the party of “moral authority” or “family values” since they have demonstrated they have none. They nominated a foul-mouthed, womanizer who thinks of only himself and denigrates women and minorities at every turn. They knew he was not a Christian, but promoted him as one and now they wonder why their party is falling apart.

Did not they not read the Word or understand The Word when told that God hates liars? Did they not understand the lake of fire was prepared for all those who lie and promote lies? Did they think that God was not going to take His hands off situations and allow the consequences of all the lies to fall upon those who perpetuated them?

This is what happens when people promote–rumors–the lies people spread about God choosing the most inept, incompetent, racist bigot to be president. If those who promoted the lie haven’t figured it out, yet-I suggest they find a quiet place, with no distractions, and seek God for themselves. God didn’t tell anyone that He chose trump to be president; that was a rumor perpetuated by those who merely wanted to gain control of the White House and Congress to force their beliefs on others. And now, because of their lies we now face the drum roll announcing rumors of war and discontent with other nations because the WH idiot acts more like a school yard bully than an aging adult. He can’t help it–he never matured and is totally incapable of acting like an adult–no empathy, no compassion, no heart. And for those who think he has compassion because of his ability to read a speech others wrote–same the violin strands for someone else. He’s a phony, just like the pseudo-Christians who promoted him.

But let’s get back to the rumors of the end coming. We’re told in God’s Word that there are things which must happen before the end is yet and one of those things is that, the Gospel must be preached to every nation. The Gospel hasn’t been preached to every nation, so we still have time to get living right and that means, stop spreading rumors which are lies. Before the 2016 election many of us experienced being inundated with false propaganda we now know was perpetuated by the Russians and promoted by so-called Christians. The pseudo-Christians never thought about seeking God and His wisdom before promoting photo-shopped videos, manipulated videos, and false advertising–deliberately created to undermine Hillary Clinton. I never believed the lies and did not promote them and tried to convince others that the lies were just that. But when people think they are so righteous they cannot or will not hear truth, they become the impetus of the rumor mills and they just keep the lies going.

With the upcoming elections, the rumors will get started again. I won’t participant in spreading them and I pray everyone reading this won’t either. But if you do, know that God will have the last word about your life and you will stand before Him in the end. I know that to be true and I only plan to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

As a good and faithful servant–one who knows how to serve others–let me start this very true rumor–I will run for president in 2020 and I plan to win! For all who are familiar with my stance on the issues that matter to most Everyday Americans, join me and help me to Raise The Standards for all. Spread The Word!

 

When Will Enough Be Enough?

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. When wickedness comes, so does contempt and with shame comes reproach. The words of the mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream. It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice. The lips of fools bring them strife, and their mouths invite a beating. The mouths of fools are their undoing, and their lips are a snare to their very lives. Proverbs 18:1-7 NIV

Since I highlight in red for emphasis, it would have been appropriate to highlight the entire passage, but there are specific points I want to make here about fools and what happens when they run their mouths without thinking.

The real problem before I began to clarify is this–when will Americans say enough is enough?

There is a segment of America who did not speak out and denounce the “birther movement” perpetuated by trump and it was because of this lie, he ignited hatred and bigotry against Barack Obama and America didn’t say, “enough is enough!”

He rode this lie right into the hearts of haters who elected to govern America for all Americans, but nothing has changed–if anything his rhetoric is about to ignite all sorts of wars, because Republican leaders haven’t said, “enough is enough!”

Recently, he practically endorsed the behavior of white supremacists and the killing of Heather Heyer when he said, “some of them are very fine people” and America didn’t say, “enough is enough!”

He has criticized Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee to protest injustice and igniting polarization against him because he was exercising his 1st amendment rights and now all the ruckus has resulted in a great football player being deprived from doing what he loves and America has not said, “enough is enough!”

From the podium at a press conference, Sarah Huckabee Sanders that Jemele Hill should be fired because she told the truth in saying trump is a white supremacist and America has yet to say with a loud voice, “enough is enough!”

At the United Nations General Assembly, trump vowed to commit war crimes in threatening to, “totally destroy North Korea” which entails murdering 25 million people and some see the statement as “strong” instead of deplorable, but no one has said, “enough is enough!”

Now, he’s turned on Steph Curry simply because once again, Curry decided “to not visit the White House and ignited the rhetoric again and here we are, with not many saying, “enough is enough!”

But perhaps the most telling racist and bigoted remarks (of late) is his calling Black Athletes, “sons-of a b****” and calling them to be fired by owners. He didn’t call the white supremacist who killed Heather Heyer a hateful name, but Black Athletes–he’s perfectly comfortable with calling names. Is it enough, yet?

Then he turned on the owners who honor a person’s right to express themselves. Is it enough, yet?

He hasn’t said a negative thing about Putin and has attempted to excoriate every other person who does not agree with him. Is it enough, yet?

He’s promoting the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Reconciliation that guarantees over 30 million Americans will not have access to affordable healthcare. Is it enough, yet?

There’s a “base” of people supporting the nonsense and bigoted rhetoric who have ignored the fact that this draft-dodging, tantrum-throwing-toddler-in-chief has no clue what it means to “serve” America or what the Constitution means for all Americans. Is it enough, yet?

His Cabinet is using the United States Treasury as their personal ATM and no one has said, “enough is enough.”

Will Americans wait until a nuclear war is ignited to say, “enough is enough?” It will be too late then, not just for America, but for the world since radioactive material doesn’t discriminate in destruction of human beings and the planet.

If I had the time and thirty extra fingers, typing on three more laps, I still wouldn’t be able to express all that I feel about this horrendous apparatus sitting in the White House, tweeting threats and igniting racial divide in this country. Many of us–recognize what he’s doing and it is not for the benefit of the country, but to appease his base in keeping the racial strife alive–hoping it will be distraction enough to keep the media from reporting on the status of the Mueller investigation. We know distraction when we see it and most of us know, truth will be revealed and he will be exposed as an illegitimate president because of his involvement in the election meddling, he probably applauded.

It is more than enough for me! I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired with his maniacal megalomaniac wannabe dictator and his nonsense. It’s time for everyone with a functioning brain and a heart for Christ to stand up and speak out and say, “Enough is enough!” We have become the laughingstock of the world and the WH idiot thinks other world leaders like him. He’s too foolish and self-absorbed to know, they all think he’s an idiot and none of them trust him.

I’m standing up and speaking out and today, though I’m not normally sitting in front of a television watching football, I will “take a knee” as an expression of my support for those on a football field anywhere and as my right to do so.

When will you say, “Enough is enough” and demand Republican leaders censure trump or start drafting articles of impeachment for his many violations of the constitution?

And since I’m tired of complaining (though I will continue to speak out against all the hate and bigotry), I’m doing something about it. If you’re tired of all the nonsense, too–join me in my quest to become President in 2020!

 

 

Fighting Against Hate!

I’ve been a little busy lately fighting against hate and sooner or later, I’ll have to amend my self-designated blogging schedule from daily to whenever I can post.

At any rate, all is not lost, I refuse to give up the fight–daily everywhere I go.

Can We Bury Hate?

There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth. You levy a straw tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph. Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, says:  There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square. The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail. There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the Lord. Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light–pitch dark, without a ray of brightness? “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.  Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:10-24 NIV

Creating an analogy of our political miasma with this segment of scripture is easy. People believed Hillary was evil because of the lies and false propaganda, ignoring the truth of her words and allowed evil to waltz into the White House, unfettered, surrounded by hate in Bannon and Miller and Gorka,  inbred within himself. People thought they were running from a lion and ran into the Russian bear. And now, we are all victimized by the twitler’s ego and rashness, demonstrating his lack of concern for anyone other than himself.

It is his ego that tweets out foolishness and won’t harness his insecure tongue.

It is his ego that won’t allow him to admit when he’s wrong.

It is his ego that bullies others when he’s really a coward.

It is his ego and fear that keeps him sheltering evil in the White House and allowing it to run rampant in the streets as demonstrated in Charlottesville, VA.

It is his ego that keeps him from resigning, allowing others with more experience and knowledge to set things right on the world’s stage and reshape our image.

It was his ego and lies and fascination and debt to Putin that brought us to this place where the snake has bitten.

How do we rectify this situation? We consider the political party or person who is most concerned with all Americans and in keeping peace with the rest of the world. We do not need a warmonger who is “fiery and blustery” in a tweet or behind a podium. We need a strong, clear leader who can and will defend America and our allies against those who would attempt to provoke and threaten others with carnage.

Notice that we are to hate evil–acts and ideologies–not people. And the only way we can overcome hate is to learn to love.

We must bury hatred of people and all the elements that allow it to spread like wildfires and replace it with the growth of love within and all across the land.

There are many who will enter into the race of the 2020 election, but before we get there, we must change the landscape in Congress so we uproot all the evil that allowed us to get to this place. We need to VOTE BLUE in 2018, clearing the path for greatness without egos reigning in the process.

After the 2018 election and installing a new Congress, we must elect a person who is committed to steering us in the right direction for all Everyday Americans. We must elect a person who will listen and abide by the consensus of Americans with the ability to lead with the approval of bipartisanship in Congress. We must elect a person who is free to make decisions without provocation of donors, or political baggage that blinds and colors perception, or indebtedness to celebrities or cronies.

I’m Mary Hall-Rayford and I am ready to serve all Everyday Americans!

Love Combats Hate, Every Time!

I Corinthians 13 NIV

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. v 1-3

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. v 4-8

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.  v. 11

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. v 13

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in his first letter, he wanted them to understand that when love is the key element that guides–things will work themselves out to the benefit of all. Now if love is key to positive things occurring in our midst, the opposite would be true as well. If love is the greatest of all the virtues, then hate is the worst.

Without love, all the talk becomes a lot of noise–as we see in the White House–noise about everything, but caring about all Americans. Without love–we are nothing and gain nothing worthwhile in life.

Let’s look at what happens when hate (the polar opposite of love) abides in the hearts of men and women.

Hate is impatient with self and others. Hate is not kind, but brutal, lacking compassion for others. Hate is envious of everyone and leads to mindless, incoherent obsessions about others. Hate is always boastful about perceived accomplishments, even when none exists. Hate is proud–always wants to be the center of attention, taking credit for what others do that is good, always blaming others when things don’t go their way. Hate shows contempt and disdain for others, never respecting others as they want to be respected. Hate shows no concern for others, but always pushes forth what they want regardless of circumstances. Hate gets angry easily–everything is a trigger for their anger when people don’t agree with them or praise them. Hate keeps an enemy list–always ready to seek revenge upon those who dare to oppose them. Hate promotes treating others with contempt and with violence and never accepts facts as truth, but instead promotes alternative facts as truth and then gets angry when they are disputed. Hate trusts no one, but self and those who worship them; hate never hopes for anything but what they want, and is constantly changing directions (flip-flopping) just to align what happens with their “lips” in an attempt to take credit for whatever good occurs. Hate doesn’t protect anyone other than self and will throw others under the bus in an instant.

Because hate destroys, nothing can be built on a firm foundation unless love exists to build.

When most of us navigated childhood into adulthood, we stopped thinking like spoiled brats and accepted responsibility for all we do or did. We understand that we are accountable for everything we do or don’t do and we cannot blame others for our shortcomings or ineptness.  When we became adults–we left behind the ways of the child that we no longer were.

If we look closely at what Paul is saying, we can easily see that love is a far better virtue than hate. What I don’t understand is how–people who claim to be Christians can allow so much hatred to abide in their hearts that they do all sorts of hateful things to others and think they have a right to do so. There is a difference between people being religious and being truly Christian and those who hate others–are not Christians, they are merely religious.  Christians–by the virtue of who Christ is–are never to hate people, but sin–the act of opposing God, not the person opposing God. For if we are always condemning others because of what they do, we will never win them with love.

Are we so “perfect” that we forget we, too were once sinners (and some still are)? We are not perfect people and we will never be perfect people as long as we can “choose what we do.” That is an inherent fact that many so-called Christians overlook in their condemnation of others–not one of us is perfect.

I am dismayed over the revelation of right-wing Christians and white nationalists groups in their attempts to overthrow the government by voting for the current resident in the White House. I have found evidence that points to what I have long suspected that trump is simply a tool and now that things appear to be unraveling, those behind the plot to destroy democracy expect to escalate their plans–including getting away with murder of anyone who doesn’t look like them (the purpose of Sessions as the AG). And the saddest revelation is that Russia is behind it all.

Nevertheless, I will continue to love and speak truth to those who hate and those in positions of authority until I can speak no more. Love is all we really have to combat hatred and I will not submit to the enemy and hate other human beings. 

It is because of love that I plan to run for president in 2020. It is because of my love for children, the working class, senior citizens, veterans of the military, and all those who work to protect and educate others. It is my love for my colleagues, family and friends–known and unknown that I know I can be a president to and for all Americans. When love leads the way, all benefit and none fail.

 

 

Now What?

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him, but their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. Psalm 115: 1-8 NIV

Those who praise people more than God and give people greater esteem than they do God, are idolizing the creation, rather than the Creator.

I’m reminded of trump in this passage–he has a mouth that never speaks truth, eyes that cannot see reality through his delusional alternative universe, ears that block out sound, wise advice; he has feet but cannot walk the path of integrity because of his crooked ways, and he utters sounds that are incomprehensible and astounds the world at his mental incompetence and ineptness.

We are in the throes of the beginning of a national crisis because we have allowed an idiot–that very foolish, stupid person–to make decisions for all when they do not have the mental capacity or expertise to do so. He relies upon those who hate and promote false news and lies to give him advice–though he claims to work for the people who voted for him. Here’s the problem–the people who voted for him were only a fraction of the total population and some of them are now seeing the error of their vote.

But trump is really not the problem right now–unless we allow him to continue to be one. The real problem is the complacent and impotent GOP Congress. They have a job to do–upholding their oath of office and they are negligent in doing their job. Pressure has to be brought upon them to honor their oaths of office over any pledges of loyalty to a person. Patriotism does not mean standing by a president; it means doing all one can to preserve the nation–placing priority to country over political party. They need to be reminded over and over again, until they do their job. 202-224-3121 is the Congressional Switchboard number–start calling now.

If they fail to do their job, we can rest assured of continued destruction and erosion of what we once understood a democracy to be. Putin gets his wish and takes over America without firing a shot–all because of an idiot who allowed himself to be put in a position where others have leverage over him. And the collusion–is real and dangerous since it involves the exposure of all in the GOP who have been complicit in the disastrous 2016 election results. They knew then and know now, the price of winning a rigged election will cost them their political careers. They have been duped, willingly.

What do we do now? We call, we email, we fax, we tweet until we get tired, then we rest and start all over–letting Congress know what we think of them and how they should do their jobs. I’m planning to contact at least 20 a day–by one means or another until they take notice and rethink their positions which are all on the line. The other 261 million people will vote for integrity in 2018 and in 2020–removing them from their positions.

I, among many others, will be seeking the opportunity to truly serve all Americans and I know–if Everyday Americans are fed up with the nonsense we see on a daily basis, they will appreciate having someone who understands the challenges they face, making decisions in the White House for all Americans.  Only time will tell if Americans will wake from their daze and see truth and love as a means to accomplish greatness rather than lies and hate. It is up to us, all Americans who care about this planet, to rise and change the narrative so we’ll have a bright future.

When Hatred is The Foundation!

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:11-18 NIV

How many times do we hear people ask, “Why is there so much hatred in the land?” There are many reasons for the hatred–or rather excuses for the hatred for no one has to hate another–they simply find excuses to hate because they are devoid of love.

If we remember–only what resides in us will come out of us–we get a better understanding of why people hate–no love inside.

I listened to the news and saw the man in Portland who stabbed two people to death simply because they tried to stop his harassment of two young women. Killing out of hate wasn’t enough–he stood defiant in court–spewing his hatred and what I noticed was his eyes–they were dark holes in his face, no light and certainly no love for himself. If he could not love himself, he certainly could not love others.

We cannot control what emotions people feel–only they can. I pray for all who harbor hatred and have allowed it to develop into a foundation on which their every act is determined–Lord, destroy the foundation of hate and replace it with love.

If hate is a driving force–forging the way for all we do, just imagine how much we could accomplish if we allowed love to be the driving force in our lives.

I know there are some who think because we disagree with others–and sometimes the disagreement is intense–I have never allowed disagreement to merge into hate. If a situation gets so intense that hatred might drop a seed and grow–I walk away, turn away, distance myself from the person so the hate won’t stand a chance and I turn to The Lord, asking Him to fill me to overflowing with His love. For with His Love, running over in my heart and stretching out before me–I don’t have time to hate. Besides, life is so much better when love rules.

We have a right to agree or disagree with people and we also have a right to own our emotional responses to others. The responses exchanged between people are a direct reflection of what we allow to reside within us. Think about it and make sure the love within is all the world sees. And if the only response we make is one of hatefulness, we need to back up and away from others until we learn to love self (not self-centered love), but wanting the best for us and always mindful of the feelings of others.

If we do not love self–there is no love inside–we cannot love others for all we have is an emptiness that opens the door for hate. We can get a lot further in life on a tank of love instead of a tanker of hate.

Think about how you feel about self and others and note which emotion drives your actions. Don’t let the foundational emotion in your life be hatred because hate destroys–you and others.

I’m Listening!

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it! These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it. Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech: “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD. Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Proverbs 1

ATTENTION ALL WHO BELIEVED A LIE AND FOLLOWED A MOCKER!

When we listen to God and know He speaks to us because we understand His Word, we avoid falling into the snares and pits plotted for us by those who choose to lie and make a mockery out of those things we hold dear and sacred.

Traditions–established to maintain continuity and stability–especially in how our nation functions–should not be abandoned for the sake of ego. Now we see the consequences daily of ignoring traditions and respecting those which keep us safe from harm.

Those in the White House have disrespected its purpose, its honor, and the history of maintaining order so all Americans can feel safe.

There is no order or stability in the midst of chaos.

There is no honor or integrity in lying and mocking the most important position of the land–governing the people–who will not tolerate a dictator.

I do pray that all the Republicans and Evangelicals, who are about to see how The Lord reveals truth and exposes wickedness thought hidden, can handle the repercussions of promoting a pathological liar whose only desire in obtaining access to the White House was to assuage his ego and to humiliate President Obama and all he tried to do for the benefit of all Americans. No true Believer would have taken part in this mockery of justice and who we are in Christ.

I am a true Believer and I’m listening to God and watching and warning! If people choose not to listen–that’s their prerogative and they will have to deal with the consequences of not listening.

It’s time for a change–a change in this country’s views and actions that can only led by an Everyday American who understands–what all need to survive and thrive in this nation.

Let The Lord Lead!

Listen to my words, LORD, consider my lament. Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest. But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.  Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5 NIV

Is the Lord leading our already great nation? Too many (without express guidance from God) are saying that God is using Trump to bring people back to Him! Does God need to use deceitful tactics to bring awareness of who He is? Does God need to take “choice” from us to bring people to Him?

If that was the plan (and I sincerely doubt it), it’s not working. More people are turning away from those bastions of religious ardor than ever before. In fact, the attitude of a number of people is borderline hatred for anyone claiming to be a Christian. I was told that I couldn’t be a Democrat and a Christian. When I asked the person who said this, “why not” they responded by saying Democrats don’t believe in the bible.

NEWSFLASH! From what I see of Republican behavior, they are the ones who don’t believe in the Bible. Oh sure, they “select” a few talking points to justify what they do, but the bible should not be used for talking points, but righteous living before God. If a person spewing forth cherry-picked scriptures are not living The Word, what they say means absolutely nothing. They are not letting The Lord lead them anywhere other than to “seize opportunities to control the masses,” just like the Pharisees.

The more I talk to Believing Christians (not the pseudo-Christians–who profess a form of godliness, but know not God), the more I realize that people are running from those who claim to be Christians but don’t want to love others.

Let me see if I can make a case for what I see and believe (based upon The Word). The first thing I look at in The Word is knowing what I’m supposed to do–Love God and love others.  God gives each of us the right to choose what we do and He honors our choices--and leaves us to receive the consequences of our choices–good or bad. This is why I am Pro-Choice (which does not mean I am pro-abortion as some are saying–promoting the lie that a person cannot be pro-choice and a Christian).

According to The Word–Christians are to defend the rights of the poor and the needy, those who are vulnerable and don’t have a platform to fight for themselves. I have been involved with non-profits and in volunteering for many years–making sure the rights of others are not trampled and that they have access to what they need. This is the Christian walk–always considering the needs of others above self. Do we see that from Republicans or the rats scurrying around the White House?

Do I love God? More than life itself and have enjoyed serving Him. If He called me home right now, I would not be concerned about His final words to me for I know, I’ll hear, “Well done.”

How do I know this? I say what God says and do what He tells me to do. When I allow Him to lead, I cannot go wrong. Does He always take the road I’d like to take? No, and I often wonder why I can’t go the way I want to go. I can–He doesn’t force us to do anything nor does He make choices for us. He has planned our lives (Jeremiah 23:11) and if we want to obtain what He has planned, we must believe Him and follow His directions, not man’s.

How about loving others? Not a problem–I know how to love because of the love He pours into my heart–unconditionally, even the unlovable. That doesn’t mean that I like what others do or condone lifestyles that are not of God. I discovered a long time ago that we encourage people to come to Christ by how we treat them, not by preaching them into hell. Christ loves the sinner–so can I–but I don’t become a sinner to show them Christ; I live what I say I believe. If people don’t want to change who they are or what they do–they won’t and that’s not on me. My responsibility ends with my representation of who Christ is, not whether they accept and believe it.

And herein lies the problem with the “representation” of who He is by Republicans who promote a liar-in-chief. Many who have straddled the fence in coming to terms with Christianity have now chosen the other side–alongside the non-believers and atheists because they want no part of “Christianity” as demonstrated by pseudo-christians. I refuse to be a hypocrite, listen to them or support them since they lie to themselves and others about who they are.

That is truly the sad part. When people have an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ, they have chased people away with their attacks and delusional beliefs that God would choose a mentally incompetent pathological liar to lead millions of people–into total chaos, pulling apart families, making people fearful and obstructing justice to try to keep their wrong-doings hidden. That doesn’t sound like the God of Heaven to me and it certainly doesn’t demonstrate who He is.

Fortunately for me and a number of others, we won’t have to answer to God for this folly when we stand before Him. On a daily basis, I seek The Lord for guidance and implore Him to help me get through another day, without resorting to the tactics I see from others. That does not mean I won’t use every avenue open to me to point out the hypocrisy of those in leadership positions or to let them know–they lie and mislead and we see it. I thank God for Him keeping my words–civil (just barely, but He does rein me in) so I don’t come across as a hypocrite.

My criticism of those in White House and on Capitol Hill is justified and needed in order to bring them to a place where if they never respond to me or others; they will not be able to stand before God and say, “they didn’t realize they were wrong.” There are a number of us who remind them on a daily basis that what they’re doing is wrong. We can’t make them do right, but we can keep letting them know just how wrong they are and we do.

Whenever anyone attempts to violate a person’s rights–in Christ or according to the Constitution, they are wrong.  Using bullying tactics and deceitful strategies and bribery to get others to do what they want is wrong. Separating families who have committed no crimes and just want the opportunity to have a better life is wrong. Yeah, yeah, I know there is a “legal” way to obtain entrance into this country, but desperate people often do desperate things in order to save the lives of their family–especially when children are involved. So what happened to “defending the rights of the poor and needy?” With those who love Christ and have more love to share with others, we’re doing just that. It’s the others–the pseudo-christians–who are not being led by The Lord.