The Case For Truth

I don’t know about anyone who might happen upon this blog to read it, but for me–the truth means, no lies or misrepresentations are presented to mislead the populace and that information provided is supported with evidence, not just opinion. Sometimes simple syllogisms present truth in a very uncomplicated way, when accurate conclusions are readily identifiable.

For instance:

Donald Trump is a pathological liar (over 8000 lies have been recorded by Washington post). People who work for Donald Trump lie to the public on a regular basis. Therefore, working for Donald Trump requires one to lie.

His inauguration crowd was not the largest.

No one has told him he’s the best president in all history.

Not every world leader likes or even respects him.

He’s not a great businessman or negotiator.

There is no “national emergency” or crisis at the southern border other than the one he created.

President Obama did not “tap his wires.”

Hillary Clinton is not a crook and no one is locking her up, but look at all of his associates who have been indicted and some either serving time, or headed to prison. LOCK THEM ALL UP!

Democrats are not demons and do not condone infanticide.

Black people are not “too stupid” to vote for him; we’re far too smart to vote for lying, con man who cheated his way into the White House.

He lied about Stormy Daniels.

He lied about the country being safe from N. Korea.

He lied about releasing his taxes and his eternal audits.

He lied about having any business connections with Russia.

He lied about anyone in his campaign being involved with Russia.

He lied about ignoring the FBI and CIA and their conclusions about not granting Jared a top security clearance.

His cabinet members have lied about events that are easily fact-checked.

His Press Secretary lies every time she opens her mouth.

Kellyanne Conway lies to the public in every interview.

All of his sycophants lie to defend him. How do we know? From the RNC chairwoman to the least of the Retrumplicans–they all repeat (parrot) the same talking points–all lies.

All those who continue to support and believe him, must also be liars since they have no problems supporting a liar.

Retrumplicans lie to their supporters when they promote false propaganda, trying to incite fear and hatred. They don’t understand what “socialism” means and conflate it with their distaste for helping others or providing an avenue for equality for all.

Videos and campaign ads promoted by the Retrumplican party and trump–all lie–to keep their base confused and fearful.

I could do this for hours more, but I really have better things to do with my time, so–I challenge anyone reading this to provide factual, credible evidence that my premises about trump are wrong.

Provide me with the links to credible publications, print or digital and or videos that refute my claims and I’ll write a retraction of all I’ve said. Please don’t use any of the lying sycophants or news pundits to win an argument because whenever they’re asked a direct question, they deflect and change the topic or fall back on: but Obama, but Hillary, or trump has the absolute right… (citing constitutional authority rather than answering the questions). What’s really amazing to me is the number of times trump sycophants can “cite constitutional authority,” but ignore Congress’s constitutional authority to conduct oversight over the White House.

At any rate, contacting me is a breeze if it’s actually necessary and I’ll be certain to post replies and my comments.

For me, the bottom line is this–there’s a lake of fire prepared for all liars and I don’t plan to spend eternity, roasting in it–so for me–truth is essential. One would think it would essential for everyone, but especially those in a position of leadership.

And Jesus tells us, “We shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free.” I believe Jesus–who is The Truth and certainly never lies.

Advertisement

Learning Russian, Yet?

I’m going to make this quick and painless, hopefully.

Russia Is In The White House.

Russia Has compromised Congressional GOP.

Russia is laughing at the chaos and disorder currently displayed in the United States.

Why should we be concerned about Russia?

Just in case anyone is taking notes, the issue of Russian involvement in our government was raised near the end of 2016, if not before (I don’t remember exactly). But once it was known that Russian interference actually influenced the outcome of the election (and it did no matter what the naysayers have to say), we should have been preparing to learn Russian. Actually, I started with a language app that taught Russian. I didn’t get very far because I thought (silly me) that I was simply over-reacting to the situation. Now, I know, intuitively, I was on the right track.

Recently a Russian fighter jet was heckling one of our military jets–the White House knew and did and said nothing about it.

A few weeks ago, a Russian Spy Ship was noted in the Atlantic, headed up the East Coast to Florida. Nothing was said. I wonder why? No, that’s not the truth, I know why. Someone on that ship was trying to make it to the Mar-A-Lago party. It has been interesting to note that was not the first time a Russian Spy Ship has entered our borders with nothing said.

It has also been noted by those in the White House that #Rumplethinskin and Putin have an actual relationship going–they converse on a regular basis. Hmmm!

Yesterday, the sanctions Congress voted for last year and he signed were supposed to be implemented, but they weren’t. The White House says, they’re no longer needed. Hmmm!

Mike Pompeo, the CIA Director states Russia will meddle in our election again and are probably preparing to interfere with the 2018 mid term elections. But the White House is not concerned. Hmmm!

As often as Kelly Anne Conway and others in the White House disdain the notion that the only reason #Rumplethinskin won the election was because of Russian interference, it would appear they’re worried if sanctions are implemented, Republicans will lose in the mid term elections. Hmmm!

On top of all that, Devin Nunes and his secret society which includes: Mark Meadows, Kevin McCarthy (more McCartheism?), Jim Jordan, and Matt Gaetz and apparently sanctioned by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell–are scared to death of the Mueller Russia-Probe and are now attacking the veracity of the FBI and DOJ. I wonder why? We can’t forget that Nunes was seen heading to the White House and sharing classified information and then made it known, publicly. After which, he supposedly recused himself as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee (since he was on the transition team), but we now discover, he’s been behind the scenes conducting every move–orchestrating the outcome or at least trying to make sure if it got to close to him. Boy, I tell you, fear will make fools of the best of men (in this case–the worst of men) and truth is causing them to act as frantic as someone who’s head is on fire and they can’t put it out. Hmmm. “Head on fire!” I’ll have to remember that.

So let’s recap!

Russia is in the White House!

Russia has compromised the Congressional GOP!

Putin is thrilled with the chaos and discord sown in our democracy!

Time to learn Russian, yet?

Stay tuned and watch to see if I’m right or wrong. If I’m wrong, I’ll repent, confess and publicly acknowledge–but I don’t think I will be.

We’ve been sold a bill of goods by a Russian plant and many refuse to accept that truth so they’re to regurgitate: We got our pro-life supreme court judge, we got tax cuts so we can ignore all the rest of the dumb stuff and the economy growth–is the result of Obama policies, not this administration. On top of all that–93K jobs are still being outsourced, many companies who gave bonuses are laying off or outright firing people, so are we really better off? I think most of those who lost jobs would rather have their jobs rather than a bonus.

Pay attention: You got a stolen SCOTUS seat because a corrupt Mitch McConnell refused a vote on a nominee made by Obama (and don’t bother with the crap about a lame-duck appointment); you got a pittance for tax cuts while the corporations and very rich, made out like bandits (unless you make over $100K a year); and you got regulations repealed so that now, we no longer have access to clean air and water and our food is probably contaminated with pesticides that negatively impact the brains of children.

Happy yet? There’s more to come–including government controlled Internet–so only certain people will have access to social media and only for certain times of the day. Sound like any countries we know? How about China, North Korea and you guessed it–Russia!

Well, there’s hope for the future–and that includes every voter becoming educated to how Russia interferes with elections with the promotion of false propaganda–on ads on social media, kind of in-your-face stuff and the gullible will believe it. I won’t! I’m still planning my run for President in 2020. Need to know where I stand on the issues? Visit http://www.facebook.com/YesIAm2020 and let me know if I’m addressing your concerns.

Purpose of Truth!

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NIV

There’s so much behind this statement from Jesus that we should hold fast to that neither time nor space will be sufficient for the elaboration I could make, but I’ll go as far as I can, within the constraints that I have.

Jesus was talking to the Jews who believed He was who He said He was and He could do what He said He could do. But let’s go back a verse. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” John 8:31. “If you hold to my teaching…” Whose holding onto His teachings? Certainly not the Republicans–who once claimed to the party of “moral majority” and who are now–the party of American Terrorists Inc.

I could start and end with the Tax Scam Bill that only benefits the rich, but there’s so much more. First of all, poor people and most of the middle class–don’t earn enough money to benefit from the repeal of the estate tax. We don’t private air crafts, golf courses or wineries. You know who does? Yep–you got it–trump crime family! And it doesn’t stop at them–Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell–the GOP leadership are also in bed with the Russians and since they fear losing their donors–Murdoch, Mercer and Koch brothers–more than their constituents–who actually voted for them, they are just as guilty as the trumped (I’ll explain in a paragraph or two) crime family. In fact, only one GOP senator, Bob Corker–cared enough about his constituents to vote against the monstrosity tax bill that will eventually be responsible for the deaths of millions.

Don’t take my word for it, go read the bill for yourself  https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s1 (it’s only 522 pages long) and then–using critical thinking skills–if accessible–decide for yourself.

But while you wade through the muddled waters let me summarize some points of interest. The elimination of the ACA mandate will lead to higher insurance premium costs for those of us who are unfortunate enough to use health insurance. But remember–we’re also the ones who can’t afford the coverage we pay for as it is. College students will no longer be able to deduct interest paid on student loans and if they receive scholarships, the scholarships will be taxed as income which will essentially wipe out any benefit for poor families who usually (not always) apply for and get the scholarships because they are smart enough to go to college, but families are not wealthy enough to pay for it. Charitable deductions will decrease because it is usually the wealthy who establish charitable foundations and just about anyone can contribute, but now–those contributions can no longer be deducted. Even with the decreased tax formula for corporations–they have already said, they would NOT use savings to invest in business, but will distribute to shareholders or CEOs as bonuses. How’s that helping the working class, again?

Then, there are all those other little nuggets that make Republicans spasm in ecstasy. Now, a fetus can be declared eligible for a 529 deduction, and for the purposes of circumventing Roe v Wade, GOP asserts life begins at conception in order to make women liable for having an abortion. Itemized deductions have disappeared along with state and local tax deductions, home equity, medical expenses and so much more. Now, remember I said there would be an increase in deducting estate taxes and that includes gift taxes. So, I guess for purposes of simplicity–IF the poor were rich, they could gift their money to their children and not pay taxes on it. But the rich get richer with changes to the AMT (alternative minimum tax rate).

Wow! Just found a huge break for poor people! Because we’re going to be paying more in taxes, GOP decided to make sure we would file by providing free tax filing through IRS (already in place, but don’t expect to get back more).

This could go on for days but let me get back to the trump crime family and how they benefit. A family corporation gets deductions and all sorts of breaks up to $25,000,000. Now, how many of you are making $25,000,000 a year in a family business? They’re also the ones who get the breaks on owning the wineries, the golf courses, and the air craft maintenance. Since we have no idea of what their taxes look like, we’ll never know whether they exceed the limit or if in fact they’re paying their fair share (fair as defined by the Greedy Old Predators).

The truth is–though the GOP claim to be Christians (followers of Christ), they know not how to do what He said. What did He tell us to do? Defend the rights of the poor and the needy; feed and house them (Matthew 25), love all–unconditionally (the greatest commandment) and to know–there will come a reckoning day when we’ll all stand before Him and give an account of what we’ve done in the earth. Some–(GOP primarily) who think they’ll get into heaven will be surprised when they hear, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I NEVER knew you.” They have forgotten one very important truth–it is more difficult for a “rich man to get into heaven than a poor one” primarily because the poor–spend more time trying to help others than the rich who worship their money. Don’t believe me–do some research! How about this one little tidbit–the trump foundation–collected money from others for the ostensible purpose of helping those in need, and yet they used the money for themselves–a football, a portrait, buying favors with elected officials–all the things–poor people don’t do.

And let’s not forget how we arrived at this place–loss of integrity and honor from elected leaders–the evangelical community–the ones who are supposed to truly reverence God and His Word–lied to their congregations about trump being a Christian and in some cases, beat them over the head with the notion that as a Christian–they HAD to vote for trump. Pushing a personal agenda by manipulation is not exactly the Will of God–as they promoted. The Will of God–as bestowed upon us all to choose is accepting the fact that God is a God of choice, not manipulation. He does not and will not take “choice” from us and makes clear there are consequences for our choices–good or bad. We’re now in the “horrible consequence” phase because of weak-minded individuals who chose to join a cult and worship the demagogue–trump. This cult supports and encourages corruption at the highest level (evil in high places), sexual predators and pedophiles and wants us all to look the other way–when treason is about to be laid out before the nation. They attempt to “gaslight” us with screams of “fake news” when the only groups reporting fake news is Fox News, Breitbart and Infowars (as well as trumptv). These groups only present opinions without any journalistic integrity and they certainly don’t represent Christ-like values promoting bigotry and hatred.

Okay, I guess I have to end this, but I wanted to make some truths clear so people would be “free” to read, research and judge a matter for themselves, rather than just accept the talking points of a corrupt group of Greedy Old Predators. I believe America can do so much better without those professing to be Christians and aren’t with those who are and live the life so all will know–who truly knows and trusts Jesus Christ.

I’m Mary Hall-Rayford and I’m exploring a possible run for office as the next President of the United States in 2020. I think I have what we need as Everyday American who can serve the needs of all other Everyday Americans–fairly, with justice and integrity and honor intact. Watch for me! facebook.com/YesIAm2020

In Need Of Leadership!

Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men, nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, for everyone is ungodly and wicked, every mouth speaks folly. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; they will not spare one another.  Isaiah 9:16-19 NIV

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Matthew 15:10-14 NIV

There has been more hatred and bigotry spewed in the last weeks than we saw in the last eight years. Never has there been such a sad representation of humanity stemming from the White House as we’ve seen: hatred spewed against Black NFL players, NBA players, and worst of all–the residents of Puerto Rico–Brown population in crisis due to Hurricane Maria–suffering from loss of homes, electricity, water and the basics one needs to live and the WH idiot unloads on the mayor of San Juan because he’s just that–a total and complete idiot.

And the sad part of the entire situation is those who are consistently propping him up by creating lies to justify his lack of empathy and compassion as demonstrated in his thoughtless tweets. Mick Mulvaney, and Steven Mnuchin and all the other spokespersons in this administration are a perfect example of the blind leading the blind when tell the public lies. They have also been exposed for their use of private jets for which tax payers have paid the price. But then again, they’re following the lead of the WH idiot who has cost tax payers millions in his use of his properties for his weekend forays and charging the government for the security detail to stay there as well as the cost of security for all of his children’s play times.

This administration is the biggest joke on the global stage since the resident of the Oval Office has not yet demonstrated an ability to think–rationally and logically–and is more prone to act out of his hurt feelings–his fragile ego–and narcissistic personality disorder than with any wisdom (not demonstrated in anything he’s said or done).

There are a number of people responsible for this dilemma–the Evangelical leaders who lied to their congregants about trump being God’s choice, the Russians who orchestrated the rigged election, the Main Stream Media who chose not to call out the lies perpetrated by the trump campaign, and the gullible, weak-minded, frustrated, angry people who refused to see truth, and voted for the menace. Though some have recently acknowledged their regret, there are still far too many haters–bigoted persons who support this white supremacist who is anti-American and shows it on a daily basis. And we cannot overlook the role of the GOP who allowed his nomination because of the fringe benefits they received–a guaranteed win because of the collusion with Russia. They are all complicit and are doing nothing to protect Americans from the onslaught of other nations or even protect us from the greed and corruption of the reigning political party. And they think–this is God’s best for us!

Heaven help us all to live through this nightmare and bring us back onto the path of light and truth before total disaster can befall us. Open our eyes so we can see without the blinders of hate and distrust and bigotry and misplaced loyalty. Open our hearts so we may know and reveal truth that aligns with God’s Word. Open our mouths so we may speak out against lies and untruths and injustices of all kinds. Open our ears so we may hear God when He speaks and act accordingly for the benefit of all mankind, loving as He does–unconditionally.

We are not defeated–yet and where there is a will, and people who act according to God’s Will–we will survive and thrive in spite of the attempts to cause immeasurable harm to many–especially those who not white. We can do this by electing an Everyday American who cares about all–regardless of skin tone, religious beliefs, or anything else. In this country, Americans need an American with heart and compassion to lead us–with wisdom and truth being our standard of integrity.

 

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.

 

 

How Misplaced Hope Blinds

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down–this leaning wall, this tottering fence? Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies.  With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Yes my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock , my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” Psalm 62 NIV

We all have hoped for things that were just out of our reach or have blindly placed our hope in people, only to be disappointed, time and time again.

We are reminded in The Word, that our hope cannot reside in things or people, “some may trust in horses and chariots, but we shall trust in the name of our God.” Only when we trust in God, totally and completely can our hope attain its goal.

Therefore, once we understand that hoping in people is futile, we can see beyond the blinders and face reality. There is no hope for this country if we depend upon its current leadership to retain its position on the global stage. That knowledge was reinforced on 7/7/17 when we witnessed (some of us) a meeting between trump and Putin (the initial meeting and handshake), and then later learning that trump caved–being “honored to meet” the person who attacked our free and fair election process. Putin played trump like a finely tuned guitar–stroke, by stroke–arousing his ego to the point of blindness.

Anticipating trump’s reaction to this alleged, “first meeting,” I posted a thread on Twitter and pinned it so all who care to dispute what I said won’t have a problem finding what I said.

Body language says it all. With the initial greeting–the handshake and pat on the back (reassuring Putin that he–trump was being obedient) was telling for all who were observant. While trump sat anxiously awaiting their “time alone” Putin was relaxed and acknowledged–intentionally or unintentionally–their “finally personally meeting.” Now, some could say I was deliberately attempting to make something out of nothing, but from everything I’ve discovered about Putin–he understands the import and impact of words–they matter. He wanted the world to know and especially Russia to know–he and trump had been communicating for some time. In fact, I’ve concluded the entire meeting was choreographed by Putin so he could make sure that his wishes were being followed. We are in the throes of being absorbed by Russia and its autocracy since trump doesn’t have the balls or backbone to stand up to a tyrant. And it would appear that the GOP Congress is also missing balls and backbone to address the situation and to remove the traitor from the Oval Office.

Anyone hoping trump will become “presidential” is blinded by their refusal to see the reality playing out in front of them. He may hold the title, but he is not the president of the United States when he undermines and bashes American intelligence officers and our Free Press–disavowing any acknowledgment of our Constitution. 

My hope–is in Jesus Christ–and Him alone and I trust Him to guide me in all things. I know Everyday Americans are smarter than those who were gullible enough to vote for trump in the first place, and they’ll research and discover the plausibility of supporting me, as the next president. I’m not asking people to have hope in me, but to have faith in their own judgment and relationship with Christ as they ponder supporting me.

 

Are We Still Free?

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:31-35 NIV

Our Liberty Is At Risk! (original posted on medium.com)

There are numerous ways a person’s liberty can be risked and most of us — with functioning brain cells, understand that liberty — in it’s truest sense — always comes with a price and that price has often cost lives.

America — this land in which European immigrants came to escape the persecution of English Rule — this land that was inhabited by natives who lost their own freedom and liberty at the hands of those who “took” more than they ever gave — to anyone — this land on which two wars were fought — Revolutionary War — pitting settlers against England and the Civil War — pitting brother against brother to end slavery.

The Revolutionary War ended with those immigrating to this land defending their right to be free from English Rule and taxation and in establishing Independence from English intervention in whatever they decided to do. Though many lives were lost — America gained it’s liberty — and we now celebrate that on the 4th of July — our Independence Day — breaking the chains that bound us to England. France celebrated with us by giving us a gift — Lady Liberty — who stands in the harbor of New York as a beacon to everyone entering the sacred portal of American freedom. Now, we may have to give “Lady Liberty” back to France since our liberty is at risk.

The Civil War — the north against the south — primarily about liberating enslaved human beings from the dictates of cruel slavemasters — ended with the Emancipation Proclamation — signed by Abraham Lincoln. Another war — costing lives — ending in the liberation of slaves as an ideology, but not a practicality since “Black People” were still not viewed as equal to their white counterparts and were not treated as Americans with the same rights as others. Another venue to obtain liberty for Black People — who had been imported to this land to build it as “free labor,” resulted in the fight for Civil Rights. Notice that both fights involve the term — civil — and yet civility has yet proved, elusive to our society.

As long as there are those who allow superiority-complexes and hate to drive them — there will never be liberty for all in this country and we see it played out in our political system that is eroding on a daily basis. Though we have a constitution — written by those who declared the first leg of freedom from English rule — those in Washington now, apparently feel it has no purpose and it is certainly being ignored by the GOP Congress. If Congress will not uphold its oaths of office, there is no democracy or liberty and we are all left to deal with the fallout of idiocy that reigns in the White House.

There are no excuses — aired or unaired — through any venue or platform that can justify the continued support of the GOP congress for the unfit, temperamental, toddler-in-chief who makes a mockery of hard-fought freedoms that allowed him to be elected in the first place. He avoided serving in the military with phony deferments, lied to his “supporters” about caring about them, and continues to ignore the Constitutional policies put into place to save us from tyrannical rule and financial destruction. But Congress won’t act and as long as they won’t act — the liberty — which cost lives for over two hundred years will be gone and in its place — a Russian agent will dictate per the orders received from Putin.

America is not at risk of danger from without its borders, but from within the White House and on Capitol Hill. I understand why Congress won’t do its job; too many of them knew about the Russian meddling and went along with it so they would win the majority in the 2016 Election and are afraid of being exposed. They have demonstrated that their oaths of office mean nothing in comparison to the “power” they think they have — because they have forgotten — 2018 and 2020 will yield a change in Washington and those who propped up the fake president will pay the ultimate cost — loss of their seats and scorn from their constituents.

The terrorists we should fear are not coming into the country from the Middle East — they are installed in positions of authority in Washington — and they are determined to undermine the stability and security of every American with their “misguided and hateful determination” to revert any policy established by President Obama to save lives, destroying lives in the process, but they don’t care! That’s what hatred does. That’s what ISIS does. That’s what the Taliban does and where I sit — I see no difference in the behavior of either terrorist group and our current Congress.

Of course — everyone is entitled to their opinion and I often air mine through social media platforms. I am not one who is willing to sit silently and allow events that devastate to pass me by without comment. In this current environment of chaos and foolishness, I refuse to be silent, and I will fight for continued liberties of all people and the best way I have determined to do that — is from the White House as President 46 in 2020. With our liberty at risk from the current administration, I encourage all to support me in this endeavor so we can remain “independent” from all foreign influence — especially Russia.

 

 

Is Solomon Speaking To Us Now?

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 1:20-33 NIV

The question–is Solomon speaking to us now, can be answered quite literally if we’re honest about what we see on a daily basis.

The first chapter in Proverbs is dedicated to understanding the role of wisdom and what happens when we don’t exercise wisdom. This segment–referenced above–puts us–all Believers in a position to see why America is in the shape it is in–and possibly the world.

Let me break this down a little further–when we–those who call themselves Christians–lie on God, we end up with the only possible consequence of our lying–God ignoring us and allows the calamities of our own rebellion to overtake us. God is not mocked nor deceived by lying tongues, but He will allow our lies to make fools of us. Though I have categorically denied that God chose trump to be president of the United States, I have to include myself in the throng of Believers–who didn’t do enough to persuade others that God does not intervene in our choices. He allows us to make the choices and allows us to handle the consequences of our actions.

What I see in the constantly unfolding events in the political arena and the rise of hatred in the land is the result of wickedness and lies promoted by those who claim to know God. Let me say this again (and I’ll probably say it often)–GOD IS PRO-CHOICE! He honors and choices and allows us to deal with the results–in every area of our lives–not just as it pertains to abortion, elections, marriage–but in everything.

When Christian Believers (the Evangelicals who lied) acknowledge that God allows us choices, then perhaps, they can also begin to repent and rescind the notion that trump was God’s choice–unless they are totally blinded by hate and bigotry and want to see the chaos continue.

I’m no more perfect than any other, but I do accept my limitations and acknowledge them. I depend upon my relationship with God to do the right thing at all times, but when I stray, He won’t pull me back unless I submit to His pull. That’s how He operates–with our submission to Him. He does not coerce, bully or bribe us to do anything; nor does He belittle or humiliate us–we do that on our own when we refuse to hear Him and obey.

At all times–we must speak truth whether we agree with truth or not–because truth will set us free from all the stupidity we now see. Truth can and will come through various people–both Republicans and Democrats (Conservatives and Liberals), but we must be open to hearing it and acting upon it or we’ll cease to exist as a nation since truth has surfaced, the Russian interference into our election and the erosion of our democracy was planned years ago. They deliberately established relationships with those who–out of their greed and need for power–were easily influenced and duped into doing their will–not God’s.

All of this is easily discovered with a little time taken to research it, so there is no need for anyone to just take my word for it. Once research is undertaken and truth is known, what should we do with it?

I’ve known the truth all along and have my blogs to verify what I’ve been saying and now I implore all who know truth to assert themselves into the throng of existing chaos and confusion and promote truth–if we don’t change direction soon, we will no longer be the United States of America–a sovereign nation, but under the command of the Russians.

Now, can we honestly answer the question, “Is God talking to us?” Yes, because He is and will continue to speak to us through His Word and through Holy Spirit, if we’re willing to listen. If we don’t listen, we have only ourselves to blame for the calamities that will overwhelm us. As a society of civilized people, we can no longer allow ideologies and emotions to rule us; we must develop critical thinking skills and know how to determine when sources are credible or not–facts and evidence matters. Any news source that promotes hatred of anyone for any reason–is not a credible source of information; it will be biased based upon the hatred they promote. 

Therefore, I beseech every reader to reflect upon their relationship with God and know His truth and make all decisions pertaining to life and living upon that fact–proven through His Word.

In 2020, remember maintaining our democracy will depend upon all those who seek truth and promote it, rather than fuel ideological beliefs that have no foundation in truth according to God’s Word. I’m counting on the wisdom of God to lead us all in turning away the whirlwind that will overtake us if we don’t act. If we actively #resist the devil, and submit to God, we will know victory!

 

 

Comfort Is Ours!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves we receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 NIV

As I read this, I am reminded of the daily struggles and uncertainty many feel with our current situation in Washington. But I want to encourage all to know, that no matter how dark and ugly things get, know that there are millions of people working to right the injustice that we have endured with a rigged election.

From the beginning–I understood when trump screamed, “it’s going to be rigged! They’re going to steal the election,” I knew he was referring to his team. I didn’t know how, but I knew it would be those who supported him who would help with the election rigging. And I said so, though there were some who tried to convince me I was wrong.

Now, we see unfolding, daily just how it was done. It has already been determined that Russia was involved because they favored trump and hated Hillary. The players–Flynn, Manafort, Page, Ryan, McConnell, Kushner, Burr, Sessions, DeVos and others are all being exposed, one-by-one and it will be revealed how trump conned 63 million people into believing he cared about them.

Don’t despair! Be comforted in the knowledge that truth–not alternate facts–will prevail and even many of those stalwart surrogates are beginning to cave. I watch their body language and even though they try to defend the indefensible, it’s beginning to wear them down. Kingston, Miller, McEnany, Scott, Dennard, and others look frayed as they try to convince–there is nothing to expose in the #trumprussia investigation. We all know by now when they’ve reached the end of their delusional defenses, when they leap to…”but Hillary, …but Obama” refrains.

The end is near (but near is relative in a timeline controlled by others) and we will all be able to breathe a sigh of relief when we get all the con artists out of the White House and put into prison. While we wait–know there are millions praying and actively involved in making sure this type of travesty never happens again. Our phone calls to legislators, emails, postcards, tweets, are making an impact and we will not be ignored. Now is not the time to give up; now is the time to dig in, taking a firm stand against the wiles of the enemy who governs from the WH and reigns on Capitol Hill (the high places Paul warned us about).

Comfort is available for all who stand firm in their beliefs and their actions to fight against tyranny and fascism. We will win–one way or another!

 

When Hatred Drives The Narrative

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.Whoever winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin. 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 over 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. Proverbs 10:8-18 NIV

There is therefore, not much need for me to say much more, but I do want to focus on how this segment from Proverbs–reveals why we have the current climate in Washington that we have.  If we look at what occurred prior to the 2016 Election and during it–and actually see “without the hate-tinted glasses” we understand how tRump’s hatred of Obama drove him to run for president and the false propaganda invigorated hatred of Hillary drove people to vote for tRump.

But let’s look at this in a point-by-point analysis:

• A chattering fool comes to ruin–chattering–running of the mouth or in the case of 45, his twitter rants are equivalent of someone running their mouth without knowledge–just talk.
• A crooked path has been taken to the White House since Russian hacking and the promulgation of false propaganda against Hillary caused otherwise rational people to vote against their own interests.
• Hatred stirs up conflict–whoever holds hate in their hearts against anyone or anything, allows emotions to become the driving force in their life and it taints everything they do. From rallying cries of, “Lock her up,” “crooked Hillary,” and encouraging the production and sale of the most vile, and heinous campaign memorabilia–the conflict is obvious. Though there was at one time a “cordial relationship” between the Clintons and 45–his hatred drove the narrative that created the gap and animosity that continues to exist.
• A rod is for the back of those who have no sense–normally referencing the need to use corporal punishment for those who refused to obey, in this case--the disapproval rate of 45 should serve as the rod to bring a change of behavior.
• Poverty is the ruin of the poor and with the tax cuts for the wealthy and the programs that benefit the poor–the poor will come to ruin if they don’t wake up and smell the stench emanating from the White House.
• The earnings of the wicked are sin and death--whenever anyone increases their wealth by illegal, questionable, or immoral means--they have put themselves in a position to at some point–lose it all. God is deceived and He is watching all.
• Discipline–it is highly obvious that there has been no discipline in the life of 45 as a child and his temper tantrums have evolved into his Twitter rants when he doesn’t get his way. His greed for power and complicity in the 2016 Election fiasco has led to the ruin of the GOP leadership who went along with it to gain power for themselves.  None of them have any credibility at all since revelations are made daily about their knowledge of the Russian hacking surfaced.
• Hiding hatred behind lying–has never worked and will never work. When lips say one and actions say another–the concealed hatred is exposed for all to see and then to spread lies–because of the hatred–reveals the fool. By definition–an idiot is a foolish or stupid person.

The bottom line to all this is, Americans (the gullible) have allowed hatred to drive the narrative in the decision-making process of the 2016 Election and now–we all suffer the consequences and risk losing lives in an ill-fated bullying tactic which could lead to a war with N. Korea at its helm.

Is that the narrative we really want driven in this global environment where peace is tenuous at best, but could be destroyed forever?

There is a better driving force that makes for a better narrative and that force is love. Why not allow love to drive us on the journey to peace and prosperity for all!