The Father

There is no specific saying that I can recite. There is no specific moment of admonition. Yet it is the culmination of years spent under the love, wisdom and knowledge of my Father, imparted to me that has helped mold and shape the man I am today. It is too lofty a goal for me to reach to that pinnacle of closeness that my father shares with our God. I would be blessed to amount to half of what my father is. It is too arduous to grasp the wisdom that has been gifted to him by God, and to be as steady as the North Star guiding his family towards Christ...Yet I still strive, for the sake of my precious daughter.

I must endeavor to amend myself as a man, as a husband, as a father. The strengths I offer, often pail in comparison to those I have enjoyed as a son to my father during the past 33 years. His finest qualities I endure to represent, and the humbleness in his weaknesses encourages me to rise again when I have fallen.

When my Father in Heaven corrects me when I falter, the rebuke I receive is tempered with His love and grace. It is not unfamiliar, as it is mirrored in the correction I received from my father. Seeking wisdom from my Father in Heaven I often hear God's words of wisdom come from my father's mouth and I find it awesome and inspiring.

Though how much more difficult for those raised without a father, or those whose father did not live up to the expectations of fatherhood? Yet, our Heavenly Father reaches his hands to those, desperate for the love, guidance, wisdom, encouragement and grace and freely gives it. God declares himself as “Father to the fatherless," His word declares that we may find refuge in his arms, his compassion will not fail, and his love endures forever. God the Father's desire for us to come to him and have a relationship with Him is so strong that He gave his only Son to die in our stead, in order to allow us that very possibility. There is no greater love. There is no greater relationship. There is no greater God.

This Father's Day I encourage you to think of the relationship you have not only with your father but more importantly with God the Father. Are you in a close relationship with Him that you can come to him for wisdom, guidance, inspiration and grace? Don't turn your heart away from the Father, but embrace the status of son or daughter of the living God and bury yourself in the tender arms of Abba Father, also warmly understood as “Dear Father”.

Seperation of Church and Vote

This topic came up during a recent discussion of Colin Powell's comments made when he made his speech supporting Barack Obama for President. Powell made the statement, "What if he (Obama) is (Muslim)?"; "Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this county?"

Before delving deeply into the topic at hand, I'd like to preface it with this thought, "Separation of Church and State" does not apply to my individual views, but in a broader context of the intrusion of government into church affairs and the intrusion of church affairs into government. As an individual, I am not precluded from qualifying any judgment without the full measure of my religious convictions.

I would not have supported Barack Obama had he been Muslim. I always consider the religious beliefs of candidates who are running for office. Although potentially perceived as close minded, the majority of people professing a faith, hold that faith close enough to their hearts to guide them in the decisions faced on a daily basis. A personal religious conviction ought to mold the social, cultural, and political perspective of their immediate world. These same religious judgment of conviction will lead a President to make decisions that will have consequences for a nation. To suggest that a person of faith ought leave their religious convictions outside the voting booth, or a political office is credulous. The assumption of separation of church and person is a galling request.

Just as I would not have voted for Barack Obama if he was Muslim, I would not have voted for Mitt Romney for his beliefs as a Latter Day Saint. When a candidate offers up his religious faith as part of their personage, the religion must be understood and reviewed as to the teachings within which may or may not affect the policies of that administration.

In fact I was more concerned about Barack Obams's religious views that were exposed during the campaign. Even though he distanced himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright after much pressure to disavow his relationship, the 20 years he spent under Wright's tutelage is dangerous for our country. When anyone sits under a religious minister for that long, he will bury those teachings in his heart. If he truly found Wright's teachings repugnant, he would have disavowed his relationship with long ago and with personal judgment, not public scorn.

Colin Powell asked, “Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this county?" No, I do not believe there is. Just as there is nothing wrong with being a Voodoo priest, or Wiccan, or Jehovah's Witness, however when it comes to positions of leadership in our country, I firmly believe that their religious beliefs must be inspected, for it is the religious beliefs that will shape the actions of the leader. I propose this question. Would you vote for a presidential candidate that strictly practiced ahisma? Ahisma is tenant of faith that prevents the killing or injuring of living beings, and is found within Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. How would this person lead if our nation was attacked? Being honest with yourself, you would not want a leader with that level of pacifism to guarantee the protection of America's citizenry. Powell is wrong, and religious background does matter, and it is not un-American. It is foolish to ignore religious beliefs that are at the core of a candidate for the President of the United States, or any publicly held position, for it is those beliefs which guide the heart and mind.

Ripe for the Giving

Our nation is facing a financial hardship we have not seen in decades. If it's not glaringly obvious to you, come out of your rock that you have been hiding under, and turn on a TV, get on the Internet or read a newspaper! You cannot escape the headlines these days whether it be an auto manufacturer going under, a CEO we are stringing up to blame, or thousands losing their homes. People are hurting.

Many, heeding good advice have tightened their financial belts to be better stewards with their own finances during this recession. People are cutting back financially, hoping to wait out the storm. While this is a very responsible way to make it through this time, the news media are missing part of the story.

The time is ripe for the giving.

With so many people hurting financially, an opportunity is present for us to put Christ's words into action! Initially, a knee-jerk reaction to this proposal may have you reaching to protect your wallet. Aside from Christ needing to do some molding and making within us to be cheerful, selfless givers of our money, there are many other ways for us to help those in need. Homeless shelters demands are rising. Soup kitchens are serving record numbers. The help we can offer goes beyond dollars. Offer your time and volunteer a few hours where your help is desperately needed.

This isn't to say you can't help with your dollars too, and it doesn't have to be large sum checks written out to charities. You can be a blessing in many other ways with your finances. Do you know of someone struggling to make ends meet? Buy some groceries and leave them anonymously at their door. Offer to watch a friends children for free so they can get out of the house for a cheap date! Send an anonymous letter with cash for someone that is strapped. You can go as far as to buy the meal or coffee for the person behind you in the fast food lane. Of course there are also great charitable foundations that really feel the crunch during these times as regular donors scale back their giving. Contact your church and see what ministries they have reaching out into the local community, and if they currently don't have one...start one!

Make effort to give to someone. Remember, acts of giving often spurs further acts of giving by those who have received or by those witnessing the act! Not only should our hearts already be compelled to give through Christ who lives in us, but sometimes a little encouragement is all it takes to get us into action. Use this opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around you and make an impact on your community!

“...It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)

Criminals Welcome Zone

Criminals prefer gun free zones. Why wouldn't they? It is almost guaranteed that the victims within the GFZ will be unarmed, and easy targets. High schools, colleges, public buildings, and even some private businesses are GFZs depending on your state laws. So what purpose does a Gun Free Zone serve? One purpose only, to keep law abiding citizens from carrying a gun in that area. Does a GFZ sign make a criminal stop and think to themselves, "Gee, I guess I am not allowed to carry my gun here, so I'll have to find another place to commit a crime."?

By examining the facts, it is clear that the ability to conceal carry actually has lowered crime rates. In states that allow their citizens the right to carry guns for self defense, total violent crime is 13% lower, homicide is 3% lower, robbery is 26% lower and aggravated assault is 7% lower. Statistically, the right to carry a firearm is even more beneficial to women. When a woman carries a gun concealed, it reduces the murder rate for women by about three to four times more than an additional man carrying a concealed handgun reduces the rate for men.

The ability to conceal a handgun legally should not stop on the campus of a college. Independent researchers and state agencies agree that concealed handgun license holders are five times less likely than non-license holders to commit violent crimes. Eleven U.S. colleges/universities that currently allow concealed carry report no incidents of gun violence, gun accidents, or gun thefts.

We need to fight for this right and to expand the number of places that legally licensed permit holders can carry. Expansion of the carry right will only serve to decrease the amount of crime in areas such as high schools, colleges/universities, and other places currently considered "sensitive areas" that criminals target as defenseless zones.

If you have a fear of those who carry concealed, just remember that more than likely you have run into the trained, licensed adults in locations such as churches, office buildings, movie theaters, Wal-Marts, grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, banks, and more. Have you had any negative impact from your unknown encounter? No.