That was the question our son asked on Election Day, this year.
It's no wonder he would ask. With all the rhetoric and the dispersions being cast back and forth, it makes one wonder where God really is in this big, beautiful mess we call democracy.
We've removed God from our schools, but he's everywhere in the political process. Politicians love to throw in little bits of Scripture or "God bless America"'s when they feel it's to their political advantage.
So, where does that leave God? Democrat or Republican?
As we have been studying the names of God in our weekly Bible study, the name Melek Ha-Goyim "The King of the Nations" was introduced. He is God over all nations. All powers, authorities, and rulers bow to him. He answers to nobody.
"...and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one manhe created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us."Acts 17:25-27
However you feel about the outcome of the elections - whether you are elated or disgusted, let us be reminded that we can't place our total faith in any political party. They can and will disappoint us. While it's imperative to keep doing our part keeping the wheels of democracy moving, we cannot forget the "purpose of the nations" in our individual lives.
Seek after God. Feel your way toward him. Find him. He is not far from any one of us.
Yesterday I watched a video that somebody posted on Facebook. It was incredibly disturbing. I can't get it out of my mind. Here it is.
This video is upsetting on so many levels. The whole interview is not available to view but apparently Ms Ironside, throughout the course of the interview, lumps "the fatherless", and "the disabled" into the category of unwanted children. In her pro-choice worldview, this is all it takes to deem a child unqualified to live.
I hardly even know where to begin with this and I have to admit, I had to pause and take a moment to breathe and reflect so I could prayerfully respond to this woman's foolish remarks. Instead of spending my time pointing out how (deeply) flawed her reasoning is, I thought I would, instead, draw a contrast and use this as an opportunity to highlight a couple of my personal heroes.
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Psalm 82:3 (NIV)
I have had the great privilege of knowing many disabled and special needs people throughout my life. They are a constant source of inspiration as they meet life's challenges with a sense of joy and wonder and overcome the obstacles of everyday living. Behind the scenes, tirelessly cheering them on, is a team of parents, teachers, and caregivers who are devoted to caring for these precious souls. One of these was Eleanor Prime.
Eleanor was a force to be reckoned with. She devoted her life to caring for the developmentally disabled and worked as a special education teacher in Orange County schools for over thirty years. When she retired she came to her pastor, my dad, and asked what she could do to help serve in the church. They discussed the great need for a ministry geared toward developmentally disabled adults. At the time, no such ministry existed in a church in Orange County and Eleanor knew how desperately the families of these precious people would benefit from such a program.
The call went out from "Mrs. Prime" and before long former students and their families were gathering together on Sunday mornings and throughout the week for various social events. We never imagined how much these incredible people would impact our congregation and they became vital, integrated members of the church body.
As an extension of this ministry, Eleanor wanted to build a group home to house these adult children in the event of the death of their parents. So many of these parents had expressed their fears to her over the fate of their children as they were aging. With tireless determination, the Eleanor Prime Group Home became a reality.
There are some people who you expect will live forever. Eleanor Prime was such a person. Her sudden illness and death left a gaping hole in the lives and hearts of those who loved her and knew her best. Personally, she helped me navigate the maze of 504's and IEPS's within the public school system. She was someone I could always count on for sound advice, a helping hand and a warm hug.
Mrs. Prime is with her heavenly Father, but she lives on in the Eleanor Prime Group Home and the sweet group of ladies who reside there. When we are privileged to have them join us at church on Sunday, I see the legacy of my dear friend living on.
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 1:3
My other personal hero is my niece Aleisha. She is a non-stop OMG on-fire ball of energy~ LOL! She doesn't answer a question in single syllable responses - ever, but in rapid-fire stream-of-consciousness dialogue. BTW, she is beautiful, sweet and generous, to a fault.
Aleisha is an Educational Assistant (EA), and works with kids who have special needs or learning disabilities. She is also a respite caregiver to one very special boy. His name is Caleb and he is my nephew and her cousin.
Caleb is autistic and Aleisha is the angel who provides Nadine and Randy with the much-needed breaks that every parent of an autistic child so desperately needs.
Aleisha is a miracle child. She beat the odds when she was born severely premature and despite the doctor's dire predictions for her health and her life, is a living, breathing testimony of God's answered prayers. She should not have survived her mother's traumatic pregnancy. She was not supposed to survive the first days of her life. I remember her tiny little body in the hospital and how we all prayed every day that she would make it through one more night.
Clearly, Aleisha made it through. She's a fighter and now she is fighting for those with special needs and the disabled. She's an Eleanor Prime in the making.
The contrast is clear between my two incredible heroes and someone like Virginia Ironside. She is to be pitied and to be prayed for. She lives her life with hopeless resignation and fatalism. My heroes have lived and are living their lives with faith in the One who gives life, with determination to make others lives better and make every life count.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
My hero today is an incredible young lady. I know once you read her story you will fall in love with her as I have. The first two things you notice about her are her height (tall, like me!) and her fabulous smile. I met her when she was a teenager and have watched her grow and blossom into an incredible young woman with a deep compassion for the poor and the abandoned in the country of Romania.
These are the facts - in 2005
~ 4000 babies were abandoned at birth in maternity wards in Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine
~ another 5000 babies were abandoned in pediatric wards (Unicef Romanias 2005 report)
~ in 2009 those living in poverty increased from 369,000 to 1.59 million. 351,000 of these are children.
These numbers are staggering and I find it hard to wrap my mind around what this truly means and how it must impact a whole society. Most of us hear figures like this, see a picture that tugs at our hearts and feel a moment or two of heartache but then we move on.
When Raegan Glugosh was faced with the impact of this poverty and abandonment, she could not move on. In 1996, Raegan, an RN licensed in California, went on a short term missions trip to Romania. God stirred her heart to minister to the needs of the forgotten children and become his hands and feet extended to these hurting souls.
In 1998 she moved to Romania permanently, leaving behind the affluence and comfort of Orange County and trading it for the challenges of daily life in a developing country. Out of this obedience was birthed the ministry Touched Romania, continuing today in a children's cancer hospital and facilities for abandoned babies throughout the city of Bucharest.
In 2006, the ministry expanded to include Hagar Home maternal center for the prevention of baby abandonment. This aspect of the ministry empowers and disciples women in all areas of their life. As a result, they have seen a decrease in abandonment by dealing with the source of the problem, working with mothers and families.
God has placed it on the hearts of Raegan and the staff at Touched Romania to become a voice for young mothers. These single mothers have no government assistance in a society that requires little accountability from the biological fathers. By working in the areas of advocacy and lobbying within the Romanian government, their plan, with God's help, is to effect a change in Romanian society. Wow! What an incredible goal.
This is the challenge that is facing Raegan and her team. Touched Romania has an individual in mind to fill the position of lobbyist/activist. They need funding to assist paying this extra salary. If your heart has been stirred by the plight of these women and children, please consider giving toward this worthy cause.
'I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.' "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' Matthew 25:35-40 (MSG)
I have been reading the book 'Dangerous Surrender' by Kay Warren with my Girls Book Club. It is not an easy read. The words and the book itself aren't that difficult, but Kay challenges us to look beyond ourselves and our needs to a sick and dying world. Not only to see what is going on around us but DO something about it. I have to admit, there are times I am ready to say 'forget it, I'm busy enough and don't need the challenge', but I am drawn in and keep reading through my discomfort.
In the 5th chapter she presents especially difficult world issues that she wants us to think about - HIV/AIDS, genocide, world hunger,sex slavery and more. Like I said, this book is not for the faint of heart.
So, what does this have to do with The Real Housewives of Orange County? Well, I AM one of those Real Housewives and so is Kay, both of us living here in affluent Orange County. The glossy image that is portrayed on television of pampered, self-indulgent women is certainly one that exists, but it is not, by far a 'true' picture.
Real Housewives struggle to make ends meet.
Real Housewives carpool to school, Little League and recitals.
Real Housewives spend more time at Target and Costco than at the mall.
Real Housewives work hard to juggle home, work, children and relationships.
Real Housewives garden, cook, laugh, play, cry, dance, mourn, and pray.
This Real Housewife has been challenged - to go beyond the everyday scope of my life and ask "what can I do to help a world in need?" It isn't easy but I'm starting to think more outside of my little bubble and allow God to show me what this Real Housewife can do!
'I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
We recently spent a family day with our favorite ranch hands - the Pirelli Family of beautiful Calicinto Ranch in the foothills of the San Jacinto mountains. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a full day of eating, horseback riding, BB guns, basketball, eating some more and just relaxing (after all that eating!).
If you are ever looking for a retreat destination for a group, give the Pirelli's a call. They will treat you like family, feed you well and make sure you have a lot of fun!
They also operate Angel Tree Camp every summer, ministering to the children of prison inmates. There are opportunities to be a mentor to these incredible kids. Our daughter RA did last year and can't wait to go back again. You can find out more at www.calicintoranch.com.
I have listed a couple of horse-themed items in my etsy store. Click on the picture above for a direct link. I have also listed some beautiful vintage tablecloths that you will want to take a peek at.
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