CNN Hero of the Year

Taking the high road...

The only thing I knew about Representative Keith Ellison was that he the first Muslim ever elected to Congress.  That was yesterday.

Now, I've read a CNN article and I believe that he is a man of integrity. 

Here's the background, Representative Goode is all up in arms about Representative Ellison wanting to use a Qu'ran when being sworn into Congress.  Further, Goode has been making all kinds of remarks about how we don't need more Muslims in this country and equating electing Ellison to supporting illegal immagration.

Representative Ellison has refused to call Goode a bigot.  He has even gone as far as to say he looks forward to meeting Goode and he hopes Goode would take the time to learn about the Muslim religion.  Ellison wants to find some common ground.

What a stand up guy.  He's right.  We need to find common ground.

And, what does Goode have to say?

"I wish more people would take a stand and stand up for the principles on which this country was founded."

Excuse me?  Our country was founded on the principles that we would have the freedom of religion.  Representative Goode, you are not standing up for the principles on which our country stands.  You are standing upon the hollow ground of those who are scared -- scared of people of a different religion, scared of those of a different race, scared of those of a different sexual orientation.

America, my America, is a melting pot of races, backgrounds and religions.  America has the best of all countries because we strive for togetherness and tolerance.

I so hope, Representative Goode, that in the spirit of giving, especially in this season of Advent, that you can see your way clear to meeting with Representative Ellison.  As Sam Hutson once said, "A Nation divided against itself cannot stand."  We need to unite our country as we never have before.  We are fighting a Civil War without firing a shot and we certainly cannot have Representatives slinging arrows before they even meet.

I give credit to Representative Ellison for not lowering himself to the name calling that no one would blame him if he did.  I beg Representative Goode to take a step back and do the same.

MerryChristmas  & God Bless!
 


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Posted By Julie to Top of My Head at 12/22/2006 02:40:00 PM

Boycotts and Christianity

Many Christian groups call for boycotts when a company or TV network does something they don't like -- like offering equal employment for gays and lesbians -- but I wonder, should we?

And, by we, I mean all of us who identify ourselves as Christians. Should we support boycotts? Don't they put people out of work?

What would Jesus do? Would He support a boycott of a TV show? Or would He support a boycott of Ford by the American Family Association? Or would He decide that hurting the hardworking men and women -- I'm sure some are Christians -- with a boycott is the way to go?

Just wondering.

God Bless and Merry Christmas

Child's Play

I am nearly positive that all of you all ready know just what Child's Play is all about. But, for those who don't, here's what the website says:

"With the help of hospital staff, we’ve set up gift wish lists full of video games, toys, and movies. You can go to each hospital’s list and buy a toy, and that toy will be sent to the hospital. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape. Imagine being stuck alone in a hospital over the holidays, getting something from a fellow gamer would really raise their spirits. Some of the stuff the hospital will give away for kids to keep, while other gifts (like consoles) will be kept by the hospital for patients to use throughout the year."

The gifts shouldn't be gift wrapped. Any other questions should be checked out here.

Not to toot my own horn, but I donated last year. I try to give to a lot of charities, especially at this time of the year, but this year -- due to the fact I'm broke -- I'm going to have to cut back on the money I give. BUT, Child's Play is the one charity I'm keeping on my list. I'm sure there are others out there in the same financial spot as me, but try to give something. Even $15.00 can be used to buy a gift for a child. They raised over $600,000 for children last year. Let's help them make it to a cool million this year!

Also, I'll be placing a banner for Child's Play and leaving it there (and on my other websites) until after Christmas.

God Bless

If only this were true...

I found this in my email and it both uplifted me and made me doubtful.

Now, before you read this, I should say that I don't disagree that God works through us all in different ways. I'm not saying that this man didn't do a good deed and that God didn't make sure he was there to help. I'm just saying that when most people do a good deed, they may chalk it up to God's intervention to have them be at the right place and time, but they don't turn around and write an email and send a chain letter about it. Most people go through life quietly helping others and we never hear one peep, which is okay, because God hears the peeps. And, that's really all that matters.

But, I did like the story, which is why I'm posting it here.

Psalm 55:22 --- you really need to read this.

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

This was written by a Hospice of Metro Denver physician.

I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the phone call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I
got out to see if she was okay.

When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent
me."

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car and She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"

This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings...

Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, especially for the months in 2006, and I picked you.

Please pass this to four people you want to be blessed and a copy back to me.

This prayer is powerful and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.

Here is the prayer:

"Father, I ask You to bless my children, grandchildren, friends, relatives and e-mail buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace, In Jesus' precious name. Amen."

I know I picked more than four and you can, too. When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could You please get that for me?"

Being blessed is GOOD...being HIGHLY FAVORED is best!

God Bless

My Favorite Niece...

Caitlen Totsch, my favorite niece, has a cool opportunity to go to Washington D.C. next spring with her class. This is an expensive trip and to help with the costs, the school is planning a fund raiser.

So, if you have some spare cash and want to purchase anything from the below link, that would be great!

God Bless

http://www.eZfundraising.com/customer/customer.asp?evtId=75373&parId=88134

Guest Blog: Personal reflections on the Amish and the so-called Christian Right

I was deeply disturbed by the killing of the Amish schoolchildren in nearby Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Children bring out the best part of my personality and the warmest emotions in my heart. From personal experience, I am completely convinced that the Amish live the closest to God of any group of people in America.

In my teens, I worked for awhile picking up cans of milk from Amish farms in Lancaster County and taking them to the dairy for processing. Later in my late twenties, I lunched several days a week at auctions and flea markets with a teenage Amish girl from Lancaster County named Ruth Ann Fisher. We talked mostly about family and faith.

Those talks stirred my spirit so much that I struggled to learn to read the Bible in German and seriously considered joining the Brethren. Eventually, I realized that my experiences were so different that I would never successfully fit in with the Amish lifestyle. I would have been a miserable failure as a farmer and did not know how to really think like one of the Plain Folk. I lived in a world of electric power, higher education and ambition. My German was pathetic.

What I gained from those talks, nearly half of a lifetime ago, is still with me. My faith as a Christian was deeply influenced. There are many pathways to God but few as pure as the Amish. I cannot imagine anyone hating the Amish much less the Amish children.

In many ways, the Amish are like the Anti-Christian Right of the Christian faith although I doubt they had every considered the situation. The Amish are basically non-political. They are oriented toward peace, living plainly, living communally in many ways and care nothing for material wealth or power. They are into forgiveness instead of vengeance. Aggression and violence are alien concepts. Hard work is regarded as a virtue in itself instead of as an avenue to wealth and power.

The so-called Christian Right should look closely at the Amish lifestyle for lessons in what is wrong with their approach to faith and politics. The Amish are focused on becoming more Godly in their person and among their community. They do not seek to impose their values on others by law or force. They do not judge others but instead try to set examples in the way they live their lives.

Hate has no power or legitimacy in the Amish community or Church. They follow the example of Jesus Christ by forgiving and loving the worst of sinners. Only by understanding this fact can the non-Amish understand their reaction to the schoolhouse killings.

Personally, I find far more religious power in the Amish approach than in the approach of the so-called Christian Right. We can all learn from the Plain Folk. I hope our nation will be influenced a little more by the Amish even if we cannot fully follow in the footsteps of these Godly people.


Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com ). Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland 21919. Email: midsouthcm@aol.com . Phone: 443-907-2367.