God Bless America

This will be all I say about the 2016 Election:

And I will say it here because I've already blocked/restricted/defriended the disrespectful and blatant babbling off my newsfeed. Both Trump and Clinton friends and even family.

1. The popular vote is just over 1/2 a million difference. Gary Johnson received over 4 million votes... MY VOTE DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

2. A 2 party system... 2 choices ... really America? Get your shit together.

3. Here I am above, in front of the white house and the capitol building.  I chose red on purpose. I'm thinking about going green.

Here's the kind of Republican I was/am even tho I didn't vote R for president.

I was/am the kind of republican:

• who doesn't believe in abortion, but I would never in a million years believe that there are "abortion lovers" out there. 
• who would never vote on one issue
• who does not live in fear
• who believes that black lives matter and who has a staunch respect for police officers
• who would invite refugees from any country into my home
• who loves this planet and does my part to take care of it
• who would photograph anyone's wedding
• who thinks it is wonderful that a girl wearing a hijab is now a "cover girl" girl
• who will still and always has used the bathrooms at Target
• who believes our veterans deserve more
• who thinks there is way too much government in our lives
• who has some ideas and thoughts on social security overhauls and a flat tax
• who has always referred to the current president as President Obama
• who is extremely patriotic and stands up (sometimes even in my living room) when the National Anthem or the Hallelujah Chorus is played)
• who cried when George and Barbara Bush walked down the stairs to leave the building
• who has always had a great respect for President Bush W and, still to this day, believes that maybe there WERE WMD's but they somehow got moved before inspections
• who strongly believes in government fiscal and social responsibility
• who will always vote policy over personality
• will call Mr. Trump ... President Trump ... and will NOT listen to anyone's disrespect of the office of president or first lady
• will keep praying for the Obama family and will start praying for the Trump family

What does it mean when it says;

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1

39

So I was searching this blog for some anniversary posts and realized the videos were quite outdated. Here then, on this July 30, 2016 ... is how we roll.

Happy 39th anniversary to us.

39 from STORIES Photography on Vimeo.

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I thought I'd get done transfering 2003 thru 2011 from iWeb to blogger while snow birding this winter ... I also thought we'd have time to change all our home movies into digital files. 

And silly me, I even believed I'd get all our slides made into jpegs.

This is what my home page looked like in the winter of 2011.

Some things never change.

The problem is, you think you have all the time in the world.

Facebook reminded me yesterday that I posted what follows these screen shots on May 4, 2011; the day "we got" Osama Bin Laden.  Five years later, I stand by the above writings and what follows ~

May 4, 2011

Good & Evil

Dear Max & Lilly,

This one is going to be extremely hard for me to explain.  

When God created the first male and female ~ Adam and Eve ~ he gave them a beautiful garden to call their home.  Can you imagine that?  Your parents work really really hard to care and provide for you and it doesn’t leave much time for lollygagging around in the cool evening shade.  Yet that is all Adam and Eve had to do.  Well that, and name ALL the animals, procreate (ask your parents what that means) and not play God.

But alas, they couldn’t keep their pride in check and now we have good guys and bad guys.

Us Americans are a prideful people, and pride is a sin.  We are supposed to humble ourselves before God and others, NOT puff ourselves up.  Jesus said this, in the book of Matthew:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends. So you must be good, just as your Father in heaven is good.”

If we would only study the Bible and realize that pride comes before a fall, I’m not too sure we would be celebrating what’s gone down the last couple of days.

Every since 9.11.01 (and even as far back as the civil war) the United States has always been pretty full of themselves.  Men fighting against other men, pursuing man-made ideologies and ignoring God’s ways, all in the name of USA, USA, USA.

So late Sunday night, I was upstairs in the home where we raised your parents.  Since we live at Great Grandpa & Grandma’s farm most of the time, we’ve cut the cable cord and can only get 3 TV stations.  Max, you and your parents were downstairs ... you had long since been asleep when your mom came upstairs to tell me that the United States had captured and killed Osama Bin Laden (the bad guy - don’t worry, by the time you read this you’ll have studied this in history class).

The blogs, facebook, and nearly everyone who calls USA home, erupted in chants and celebrations.  About half the country wants to make our president the king. The other half wants to claim their president did all the groundwork and therefore he should get some of the accolades. (you’ll get to learn all about the way politics run this country in civics class, too. Lucky you.)

What would Jesus do?

I’ll tell you what he would NOT do.  He would NOT celebrate a human being, whom he created, slipping from this world into the next without accepting his gift of salvation.  He wants ALL to come to the Father.  He created us ALL, even the bad guys.  We make choices.  He did not demand that Adam and Eve love him. He gave Adam and Eve free will so they could WANT to love him.  That’s how much he loves us.  

And so I can’t bring myself to cheer and promote either agenda. I am so so sad for all the people and their families who lost loved ones in the tumbling towers.  The guys that stormed the cockpit on Flight 11 will always be heros in my eyes ... in my heart, I pray they were believers.  

And in a strange awkward kind of way I feel a strong sadness for the 22 men that lost their lives in Sunday nights Middle East gun battle.

Your Aunt Melissa’s boyfriend (Spencer post coming soon) said what I wanted to say on his facebook wall ~ I love justice but I won't celebrate killing people. ever. I love life and life to the full. God bless America.

And I might add to that ... God has already blessed America.  Now it is our turn to bless the world with the message of the Gospel, and that includes the bad guys.

Thanks for stopping by today ... if you need me I'll be here transferring archives, taking a couple more laps around the trailer park, and fixin' to eat Mother's Day brunch somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico.  Northbound within the week.

Dear Grandchildren

Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging, more specifically, your Grandma's blog.

I wonder if you'll even know what a blog is. Hopefully, facebook will have joined myspace in the internet graveyard, by the time you care.

Did you know Grandma can predict the future?  Yup, that's right. I can see it all now!

I see disneyworld trips, cousin sleepovers, upnorth camping, and world traveling. You'll probably all love summer camp. You'll act like you own the place and watch the stars from the exact spot where your parents met and maybe even kissed for the first time! I KNOW...eeeewwwww!

This planet is jammed with giant redwoods, grand canyons, eiffel towers, mercy ships, and rapid rivers. Who makes such a wonderful world? 

God did.

I see basketball games, choir concerts, school plays, friendship and sibling rivalry. You are all going to be so creative and talented. I can say that, because I'm the grandma.

I picture trips to Grandma and Grandpa's indiana farmhouse, florida trailer, muskegon cottage, or urban condo.  Not that we'll have four homes ... but who exactly knows what the future holds? 

God does.

I envision so much for you guys. Especially, when you all live in the same town. Moses, when you read here, I want you to know that you've been wanted and prayed for the whole time you have lived in this world. We've been  excited to meet you since we first saw your picture on new years eve 2013. 

And though it's not quite grand rapids ...on Lucys 4th day in this world, your mom and dad got a very encouraging phone call that soon you may be moving back to kinshasa .... which is one step closer to home. Who can move mountains, calm the storms and orchestrate your arrival?

God will.

I know life won't always be easy for you, my grandchildren. We were all created with a place in our hearts for God.  You will be tempted to fill that space with all kinds of neat and fun stuff to do, like I mentioned before. I know this because Grandma tries to do that all the time.

People, places and things will worm their way into your life, and this won't always be good stuff and good guys.   But who can satisfy your soul like no other?

God can.

Lucille Rose 2.21.16