Today, I
want the question with which I am working is what was life-giving for me this
week.
It remains
life-giving to exercise physically. I continue with my total gym, free weights,
Anytime Fitness, and yoga. I have noticed improvement in my right shoulder. I
have gone off my fast this week regarding certain foods. Circumstances demanded
this, but I hope to be on it again this week.
I must say
it is life-giving when we as a family can watch some shows together. We completed
The Following, Season 2. We also watched Godzilla 2014, which was actually a
return to the original franchise of the monster defending humanity. The Edge ofTomorrow, a Tom Cruise movie, shows he can still carry a movie. Of course, for
me, the science fiction was wonderful, especially its dealing with time. I also
have a show I watch when I am alone. This time, it was Supernatural, Season 9. We
went to Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey. If you like science fiction
and movies that play around with time, this is excellent. Some good surprises
along the way. We also watched Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner. If you like
NFL or Costner, you will like this.
It was a
life-giving moment to spend some time with Suzanne at Starbucks in Kokomo.
Worship was
life-giving in many ways, both in response to the sermon, with communion, and
with the youth group Sunday evening. I found it life-giving to visit with a
young family in the hospital. It was life-giving to contact parents of Upward
Soccer children. This year, Staff-Parish was life-giving beyond anything I have
experienced. It was life-giving to teach Triple S on John Chapter 7. It was
life-giving to be part of the Domestic Violence food tasting fundraising event
at Cross~Wind with Suzanne, noted in the picture above. We had some good conversation throughout the
evening with others. I have been studying throughout the week for sermons,
whether for Sunday, for May 2015, or for December. We had some computer issues
in the office that I was able to help resolve. Of course, some administrative matters,
as with most weeks.
Election
Day was life-giving. I still like voting on Election Day. If find that this act
of citizenship is one I feel best about when I enter booth in the company of
others. It was life-giving as well because the Republican Party did well. This
decision came as I went through my 20s, reading people like William F. Buckley
Jr., George Will, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, and Milton Friedman. Of
course, my reading in this area would later expand, but that was the beginning.
I note that Mia Love, a black woman, won election in Utah as a member of the
House. I also note that Elise Stefinak of NYC is the youngest woman ever
elected. Senator Jodi Ernst is the female Senator from IA. Tim Scott is the
Senator from South Carolina. The governor of New Mexico is a republican
Hispanic. The governor of Louisiana has a heritage from India. The governor of
South Carolina is a woman. I also note that in these states, Democrats outspent
Republicans. This was true in AK, AR, CO, IA, LA, and NC, the key Senate
contests. If you expand beyond the expenditure to non-party expenditures, the
Democrat side still well outspent the Republican side. Yet, in these states,
the Republicans won. My reason for bringing this up is that you cannot really
buy an election. You still have to have an attractive (not a physical
reference) candidate who proposes policies to which people respond. I would
like to think that the rhetoric of the Republican Party being the party of the
wealthy would go away, but it will not. The fact on the ground is that many
wealthy, the upper one percent, are Democrat. Further, I would like to think
that the success of both women and black Republicans would put the race and
gender issue to bed. However, it will not. After all, the Democrat Party was
still raising the fear that the Republicans will take away Social Security.
What saddens me more is that so many within the black demographic and within
the single female demographic seem to believe readily the hype. For me, while
the baby-boom generation is highly ambiguous regarding what it has
accomplished, has done very well in leading the way for America to repent of
its racist and sexist past. Today, a racist would not receive the nomination from either
party for anything. In 1950s and 1960s, racists were prominent in the South in the Democrat Party. Further, no one wants to back to women staying at home and
relying on the man. The idea of gender war by a political party is ridiculous
anyway, for excluding half of the electorate would be suicide. In both cases,
the attacks are a smokescreen. The Democrats promote policies regarding
domestic programs that have the effect growing dependence on the small amount
of government support rather than encouraging people toward self-sufficiency
and independence. We need economic policies that promote economic growth.
Republicans know how to do that. Regarding women, the policy promoted is abortion.
If you want any restrictions on abortion, you are conducting a war on women. My
wish is that we have an honest debate regarding the political arrangements of
the country and their effect upon culture, family, environment, economic life,
and the role of America in the world. I have a small hope that some things
might get done. Several bills passed the House with some good Democrat support,
but died in the Senate. With some good fortune, bills like that will receive
support from both sides of the aisle and go before the President. In terms of
election analysis, it matters who turned out. Fewer of the “constituency” of
the Democrat Party showed up than in 2012, of course. This led to not just
Senate, but governors, more in the House, and, significantly, more in the state
houses for Republicans. It seems like Hilliary Clinton is a loser in all of this.
Todd Steyer (spelling?) was a big loser as he poured $100 million to Democrat
candidates who made climate change a priority.
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