National Prayer Breakfast

There are two sides to a pancake and there are two sides of opinions when it comes to President Trump.

I know there are many out there who are so disgusted with anything regarding politics or the government and have "written it off years ago."

I know there are many out there who just frankly "have no use for it."

It has been a great privilege for me to be able to vote, listen to Presidential speeches, and watch candidate debates.  

It was something that was stripped from me and it's something I am thankful to have the freedom to listen and watch if I want to.

I was able to watch and listen to a little bit of 
President Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast.

In my very short time of tuning in to speeches and watching the news I personally have never heard the things I heard this morning from a President.

President Trump said, 

"All children born and unborn are made in the holy image of God."

"Every life is sacred and every soul is a precious gift from heaven."

"As the Lord says in Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were born I set you apart."

"So today and everyday let us pray for the future of our country.  Let us pray for the courage to pursue justice, and the wisdom to forge peace.  

Let us pray for a future where every child has a warm, safe, and loving home.  

Let us come together for the good of our people, for the strength of our families, for the safety of our citizens, for the fulfillment of our deepest hopes and our highest potential.  And let us always give thanks for the miracle of life the Majesty of Creation 

and the grace of Almighty God.

Thank you.  

It is an honor to be with you.

God bless you and God bless America."

Obviously I am pleased and thankful to hear this.

I've heard

Oh he's reading from a Script.

It's staged specifically for the National Prayer Breakfast.

If he's truly a Christian why does he act the way he does?

It's all staged.
He just quoted Scripture.

He didn't have to agree to read it.

He's the President.

He could have re-worded it.

He didn't.

He quoted Scripture.
He could have chosen to quote something else.

I'm thankful he quoted Scripture.
He put the Word of God out and the Word of God does not return void.

I'm okay with being irritated.

I'm okay with being frustrated.

I'm okay with being upset.

I'm not okay with the anger and aggression that is expressed in someones irritation.

I'm not okay with condescending words and actions in someones frustration.

I'm not okay with vial things that come out of peoples mouths when someone is upset.

I was always taught to respect those in authority over you.

I came from an abuse of authority.
Abuse of position.
Abuse that violated me
mentally
spiritually
to name just a few.

If I can ask God to help me to forgive I ask you to do the same.

Who are we to judge?

Pray for those in authority with a genuine heart not for your own agenda want or desire to be accomplished instead pray God your will be done.

Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing and this should not be so.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

I want what I say to be good and helpful and not abusive and foul.

Once again I want my words to encourage and lift you up.

Blog 4 of 4

Jeremiah 1:5,  Matthew 7:1, Isaiah 55:11, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Matthew 6:9-13, 
James 3:10, Proverbs 18:21, Ephesians 4:29

Conformity-Women in Congress

I didn't get to watch the State of the Union address on 
February 5, 2019.

I did watch Fox News the next day and saw some of the highlights.

I wondered why many women were wearing white.  

I saw something. 

I felt something.

Vox.com 

"The effort was led by Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL), chair of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group. That working group includes all 66 Democratic women members and delegates of the US House of Representatives, many of whom participated in the action."

“We wear white to unite against any attempts by the Trump administration to roll back the incredible progress women have made in the last century, and we will continue to support the advancement of all women,” Frankel said in a statement. “We will not go back.”

Nbc.com  
"The move is a nod to the women's suffrage movement, which encouraged followers to dress in white as a symbol of purity."  

What is the Women's Suffrage Movement?  
"Women's suffrage movement is the right of a woman to vote in elections.  Four women lead a march of thousands, holding a banner that says, "We demand the passage of the Bristol-Mondell amendment," at the women's suffrage parade in Washington on March 3, 1913, just one day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson.  It would be another seven years before the Nineteenth Amendment secured the woman's right to vote in 1920."  

Thank you. 
Thank you to the women who marched that day.


That was all I needed to read to figure out what was irritating me.


I didn't see "unity."
"We wear white to unite against any attempts."

I saw conformity.
I saw consistency.
I saw agreement.
I saw allegiance.

I don't like herd mentality.

I don't like conformity at the expense of everyone else having to keep quite.

I don't like condescending tones.

I wondered how many of the women want to speak out but feel they are knee deep standing in allegiance to one.
Perhaps now that they have conformed to the agreement,
they can't exercise their freedom of speech for fear of rejection and becoming an outcast, losing position and status.

I didn't see "purity."
"Dress in white as a symbol of purity."

I saw conformity.
I saw suffering not suffrage.
I saw an abuse of power.
I saw a dark cloud of oppression.

My hope and prayer is that the women who stood for this movement at the
State of the Union address
would embrace the additional definition of suffrage:
"a short intercessory prayer usually in a series."
My hope and prayer is that perhaps those that feel they don't have a voice in that group
would begin to pray.
Simply pray.

Conformity, can I see it a mile away? I think I can.

I was born and raised in a well oiled machine of conformity and it looks like this:

Brainwashing > Mind Control > Conformity > Repeat

The result:
You get compliance in action to the rules.
You get actions and behaviors acting as one.
You get submission to the specified standard to the authority over you.

Thinking + Words + Beliefs + Behaviors ='s a perfect match for a well oiled machine of
conformity.

Blog 3 of 4

https://www.genesis5020ministry.org

https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/2/28/14748562/trump-congress-women-house-wear-white-suffragists

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/trumps-address-to-congress/why-are-democratic-women-being-asked-wear-white-trump-s-n726761

Blackface

What is Blackface?

I'm 44 years old and it's the first time I've ever heard the word.

I first heard the word this past week on the news regarding 

Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia. 

I saw the picture that showed me what blackface is.

 Governor Ralph Northam (blackface) next to someone dressed up in KKK attire.

Oh but wait he retracted that confession and proceeded to 
confess dressing up as Michael Jackson at another time.

I have little to no tolerance for

denial

lying by omission

flat out lying

and putting things under the umbrella of

"I really don't recall."

In my little tolerance I pray for God to fill me with His forgiveness and grace.

Days later Attorney General Mark R. Herring 
acknowledged that he had worn blackface at a party.

I began to hear things and see things from what I will call the 
WHY side.

Why is it offensive?

Wait, what's wrong with blackface?

People have done this at Halloween for years, 
it's a costume what's the big deal now?

Stop political correctness!

It's a joke.

I began to hear things and see things from what I will call the 

You shouldn't have to ask WHY side.

I'm shocked.

I'm sick about it.

I'm disappointed.
It's offensive.

The Governor needs to resign.

Then I see a photo with 

Ted Danza (blackface) with Whoopi Goldberg by his side and she seems okay with what he is doing in his blackface.

What do I think?

How do I feel?

I have the freedom now to come to my own conclusion.

From the Why side the words that jump out at me are:

Costume

Stop political correctness

It's a joke.

A costume is:  
An outfit worn to create the appearance of a particular 
period, person, place, or thing

Stop Political correctness: 
When I hear someone say "politically correct" my mind produces irritation and confusion.  What I really want is for the person standing in front of me is to take off their mask and be honest with me.  

Don't lie by omission be honest.

It's a joke: A joke by definition is something said or done to provoke laughter
the humorous or ridiculous element in something
something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter
often used in negative constructions

Ask yourself are my actions and words good and helpful and do they encourage and lift up the person I am portraying?
Could I potentially cause hurt or harm now or in the future towards someone by my words or actions?

From the You shouldn't have to ask WHY side:

Enough said. 

You shouldn't have to ask why.

Blackface original origin:
"Its American origins can be traced to minstrel shows. In the mid to late nineteenth century, white actors would routinely use black grease paint on their faces when depicting plantation slaves and free blacks on stage."


Know why you believe what you believe.
Be ready to always give an answer for what you believe and what what you stand for. 

And always remember

Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing and this should not be so.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

I want what I say to be good and helpful and not abusive and foul.

I want my words to encourage and lift you up.

Blog 2 of 4

1 Peter 3:15, James 3:10, Proverbs 18:21, Ephesians 4:29

https://www.vox.com/2014/10/29/7089591/why-is-blackface-offensive-halloween-costume

Raised In Conformity

Raised in conformity 

my mind was not allowed the ability to freely think. 
With the freedom to think, process and come to conclusions for myself it's something I still at times sit in awe of.

I'm having one of those moments.

It takes me time to process words, phrases, and statements that I'm not familiar with or have just never heard.

When I hear someone say "politically correct" my mind produces irritation and confusion. What I really want is for the person standing in front of me is, to take off their mask and be honest with me.
I like dialogue.
I like hearing things from different perspectives.

Raised in conformity
I was not allowed to share what I was processing in my brain,

especially with those in authority over me.

I had to comply with the rules and standards in place.

I believe
in freedom of speech.

I believe
when we speak it should be

in love

in truth

in kindness

and

respect.
I believe
we can walk away still believing in what we each stand for.

I believe I should not speak
with the intent demanding you walk away with my view.

I believe I should not speak
with an agenda at hand to make you conform to my way.

I believe I should not speak
with annoying relentlessness so that I get my way in the end.

I don't like herd mentality.

I don't like conformity at the expense of everyone else having to keep quite.

I don't like condescending tones.

I'm okay with passive. (my husband)

I'm okay with aggressive. (me)

I'm not okay with passive aggressive.

In our day and age we can express our freedom of speech
daily, hourly, minute by minute.

Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing
and this should not be so.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

I want what I say to be good and helpful and not abusive and foul.

I want my words to encourage and lift you up.

This past week my mind has been swirling on three topics that I have seen in the news:

Blackface

Congress women wearing white at the State of the Union address

President Trump's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast.


Post 1 of 4

James 3:10, Proverbs 18:21, Ephesians 4:29