The Value in Traditions!

Follow my example as I follow Christ. I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. I Corinthians 11:1,2 NIV

There are some traditions that hold intrinsic value to a functioning society in stabilizing order and peace. When we think about which traditions we follow and honor–some without realizing how they came to be or why we still do them–we should also consider the purpose or how they impact society as a whole.

If one continues to read the above-referenced passage of scripture, they would notice a tradition that was established by many churches because they misunderstood what Paul was saying. First of all, in order to understand why Paul said anything, we have to know that he was responding to questions posed to him by members of the churches. He provides us with a specific order that we should recognize and to avoid further debate about the man-superiority/authority-over-woman syndrome, understand this reference was to those who are married.

The head of every man–is Christ and if that is not true, nothing else matters. The head of the woman is the man (in Christ) and the head of Christ is God. While understanding this, we have to know that God is the head of all. This is why Paul implores the church to follow him as he follows Christ.

Okay, getting back to the tradition–women wearing hats in church services–some people missed the point that Paul said, “her hair is her covering.” Anyway, here’s where I catapult to other traditions.

Some traditions we should honor and some we should abandon. We should honor those traditions that were instilled in us by loving parents and a caring society.

We should speak to people in passing since it doesn’t cost us anything to be polite.

We should raise our children to be respectful of self and others; especially the elderly.

We should instill in our children the value of doing what’s right and always telling the truth.

We should always instill in our children the value of earning respect and their way in life, legitimately.

Raising children right these days appears to be a challenge for many and I can only conclude that somewhere along the line–valuable traditions were dropped by the wayside.

When it comes to our contemporary society, we must encourage all to pay attention to truth, push back against the lies, and be willing to stand for justice–for all people.

One of the reasons why we have such chaos in Washington right now is someone dropped the ball. Discipline was not the rule of the day in the household of the trump family and it is evident in what we see in the Oval Office and how out of order things are.

I was thinking back to some of the traditions I was taught as I was doing my mile walk this morning and I appreciated my training in common courtesy. Everyone I saw, I spoke to and they returned the greeting. This happens on a regular basis, but it made an impact on me this morning, realizing that it was because of those traditions instilled in me that I could speak to a person and be pleasant to them whether I knew them or not. In fact, most people I pass by often smile with their greeting and I can only imagine it’s because I smile when I greet them. Such a wonderful tradition!

The other traditional values instilled were about honesty and the consequences of lying. I learned early in life that the consequences were not worth a lie. That still holds true–it is so much easier to tell the truth and not worry about anyone discovering a lie.

What I often repeat to my grandson is this: If you only do the right thing, you never have to worry about doing the wrong thing. It’s a premise that works and leave me in a position not to concern myself with oppositional research.

I can own truth and disregard manufactured lies. I have no control over what people manufacture and I have no reason to address such things. I do know everything I’ve ever done and nothing in that knowledge led me to jail or doing drugs. Therefore–all the haters can do is seek and discover truth; if there are lies presented it’s because they manufactured them. Simple as that.

No matter what happens, I’m on a mission to seek support for my presidential bid in 2020 and I won’t stop until it’s over. I hope readers will have an opportunity to review my stances on some issues, what I think a president should know and hear me speak out about the same. Videos are less than three minutes long and will be updated periodically. I encourage all to stay tuned in to http://www.facebook.com/YesIAm2020.

 

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When Evil Frustrates!

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD. But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Psalm 14 NIV

Where are the true Patriots in the Republican party in Washington, DC?

Is there one–just one Republican–who speaks truth any more?

Is there one–just one Republican–who cares about the poor and needy?

Is there one–just one Republican–who is more loyal to country than “pledged loyalty to a man” who has no values other than greed and power?

Is there one–just one Republican–who cares more about their constituents than their party agenda?

Is there one–just one Republican–who is bold enough to stand up and speak out against the atrocious policies being implemented that discriminate against the poor and promote hatred?

Is there one–just one Republican–who is courageous enough to convince the party to put an end to this charade of a presidency that has the world laughing at America?

If there is one–then where are they and what’s taking them so long to stand up and uphold the oath of office they took or does that oath no longer mean anything?

Have they–succumbed to greed and need for power over doing what is best for the entire country?

Where is the  moral outrage of the so-called christians who voted for all the “negligent, obstructionists” who put evil in the seats of government?

It would appear to me, that everything we say–as Christians and Americans–we value has gone out the window with our current leadership and no one seems to care about the people or what they need. No longer do we see integrity and honor ruling in the hearts of those in position of leadership. No longer do we see patriotism honored by elected leaders who have apparently forgotten–the voters who elected them. No longer do we see those who have publicly taken oaths of office–uphold them.

But we–who truly know God and live according to His precepts and are loyal to Him–understand how God will frustrate the plans of those who frustrate the plans of the poor.

For this reason–there is fear and anxiety–overcoming reason and logic by those who plot evil or won’t stand against it.

For this reason–instability and anger–rests upon those who do not know God and will not obey Him.

For this reason–many Republicans–are afraid to face their constituents and hide from them.

For this reason–the American people–will seek those who care about them and change the political landscape from the red of anger and frustration and greed to the blue of hope and integrity and honor.

The frustration felt by those who have been ignored will result in a tsunami of blue waves that wash across this country in upcoming elections–no matter how much money–the Republicans spend–unless they have chosen to “rig more elections” like 2016.

God knows and He’s watching and His purposes and plans will not be frustrated by evil, for He has overcome evil and evil will be overthrown and cast into the pit of darkness, never to be seen or heard from again. Watch for it!

 

 

 

Building Walls or Relationships!

Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction. Proverbs 17:19 NIV

Whoever–means anyone–without regard to gender, race, or belief. So anyone who loves a quarrel–will say offensive things to ignite strife, loves sin. And anyone who loves sin, cannot love God for God hates sin.

Anyone who builds a high gate/a wall invites destruction. They encourage unrest and fuel hatred–bringing destruction on themselves and others.

As I reading the 17th chapter of Proverbs, I realized that there is so much that could be discussed about our current political atmosphere, but I chose this one.

If we need to see, reflectively–how The Word–is a blueprint for our lives, understanding The Proverbs is a good place to start. These are are not ancient words that have no bite; in fact they sting when we understand how relevant they are in the 21st Century.

When we speak without thinking–we open the door for strife and offense and in that offense, retaliation is sometimes the response to the offense. That response promotes quarrel and within the quarrel between two or more people or even nations–someone will inevitably commit sin (using profanity or plotting to undermine).

The building of a wall–segregating Mexico from the United States–will do more to cement hatred than keep people from crossing our borders. We need to build bridges to cement relations–of trust and integrity–not walls to fuel hatred and animosity.

There is a gap–of trust and integrity–evidenced in what we see in the political arena which does nothing to inspire relationship-building from within the country or without. If we think we can survive–isolated from all others–we are truly delusional and will fall into the hands of the enemy when no one has our back. We need one another and we should learn to respect one another in order to cement relationships, not cementing hatred. A little common sense is all we need.

Common Sense–a commodity once revered in our society–has taken a leave of absence and no one knows when it will return. And from all the yapping without thinking we see in the political arena, common sense may no longer exist–becoming a relic for those who remember when exercising common sense was more important that proving academic prowess. All the “book-learning” in the world will never equate to the value of exercising common sense in all areas of our lives.

Perhaps, if we really want to see a difference in what happens in our country, we ought to encourage every politician to read the book of Proverbs–with an open mind and a heart willing to see themselves when they’re revealed through The Word.

I’m Mary Hall-Rayford and I approve this message!

Truth, Mercy, and Love!

“Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths, Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Remember, Lord, Your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are good.” (Psalm 25:4-7 NIV)

Sometimes, admitting the truth a matter can be a shock to the system and an ego, but the truth–no matter how much it may hurt–is always liberating. “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall you free.” The truth–about so many things that has entangled my time, has shown me that I’m too old to do certain things and must make way for younger people to do them.

The truth of matter is–I’m from the old school–the school that taught us that our word was supposed to mean something and when we commit to doing something, we should honor our commitments.

Apparently–commitment and honoring one’s word is not taught much these days and as a result–confusion ensues and chaos thrives when commitment is not honored. I know some would say I’m too old-fashioned, but I like who I am and the values I was taught and would like to think that I still exhibit. When I say I’m going to do something, I try to do just what I say, I’m going to do. Now, unexpected things may occur that would hinder my mission, but attempts are always made to stay focused on the mission.

My focus on trying to make sure an event was a success, proved to be a distraction–not a fatal one, but a distraction none-the-less and made me aware, that one person cannot undertake the responsibility of what requires a small army of committed people. My first mistake was in trusting others to honor their word.

But God is merciful and He has shown me mercy and not allowed things to get so far out of hand, they could cause irreparable damage. That’s one of the things I love most about our God–His mercy and love–in spite of us. He never lets us down and in spite of my own shortcomings, the event was successful–as defined by Him, not me. We had absolutely wonderful weather for an outdoor event, sunny skies, and moderate temperatures. People were friendly and most complimentary. I’d like to believe the end result was a testament of His love for me because He knew, I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing, but He made it possible to happen any way.

So, with this event, I’ve learned some valuable lessons–about me and others. I do not have to accept responsibility for the things that others do or don’t do, but I must own my missteps and correct. I cannot expect others to uphold the same standards I have because they are not me and I don’t know what they’ve been taught. I can count on friends and relatives–when all else falls apart–to keep their word. Most of all, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and have an appropriate response to it all.

Thanking God this morning for allowing me to see truth about me, be grateful for His mercy, and ecstatic over His love for me. And yeah–facing truth–is very liberating!