Keep it real, get it right.

Here we sit in the middle of another very hotly contested, and somewhat distressing, Presidential primary season. The last affair had Democracts in the "eye of the storm" on their way to the the "eve of destruction."

Americans are an interesting people. If the polls are to be believed, we hate what our political process has devolved too. Yet the very things we hate about the process, we allow to shape the way we think and, too often, vote.

Let's take a step (or four) back; four years ago a young upstart, albiet rising star, named Barack "Barry" Obama was challenging every pundit's pick for "first in history" female President, Hillary Clinton. They battled each other well into June before Clinton conceded the nomination to now President Obama. The media beat the drum of devastation if Barack pulled off the upset; he was just too liberal to be elected by the more right-of-center American electorate. Rush Limbaugh even got into it, urging Texan Republicans and Independents to register in the Demo primary, then vote for Obama because he didn't stand a chance of being elected President. Well, how'd that work out for you Rush?

What can we learn from that last epic battle?

First, resist the onslaught of information from two very powerful groups of people seeking to shape our opinion, our outlook and our vote. The frist: the people who REDACT the news; these are not the people who make the news. The media shapes the context of the news they deliver into whatever it is THEY happen to believe or WANT the consumers of news (that's us) to believe. The second: the speical interest groups (Corporations, mega-wealthy individuals and lest we forget Unions!) and campaign professionals who have become masters of distortion, fog, and 60 second sound bites. Don't be taken in by these spinmasters!

Second, take personal responsibility to get informed about what candidates believe, what they stand for. Look at what they do, or have done, not simply what they or the surrogates say. In this information age we live in, there just is no excuse for depending on others to shape the matrix of factors you may use to make up your mind. All the candidates have websites, visit them, study their position statements, get informed.

Next, don't allow others to "suppress" your enthusiasm about your party or your candidates.  Pundits from both parties work hard in an attempt to persuade us to embrace their reality and discourage us from fully engaging in the process and supporting/campaigning for our candidates.  

Finally, remember...there is plenty of time and this election will be a wild affair with twists and turns that will leave us all breathless with anticipation and racked by anxiety over revelations we did not anticipate.

Bottom line...keep the main thing, the main thing.  We're electing a President, Vice President, Senators and Representatives who will shape the nation...our children and grand children will inherit.  Let's keep it real and get it right.

Where's the party of ideas?

The more we hear conservative pundits whine about "the hate speech on the left" the more ground is lost in the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans.   I don't understand why conservatives can't keep their "eye on the ball."

It's not too late to turn this election cycle around...but we can see that "point of no return" from here.  It's time they started acting like this election matters...or it won't. Quit whining and give America a compelling vision to guide the nation for the next eight years.

Win the battle, or win the War...suffer the consequences or reap the rewards.

We can do better...

In the wake of the Rush affair we're hearing a lot of conservative say, "Yes, but what about..." And it's true. Some on the margins of the Progressive movement have said some terrible things. But I submit that it just does't matter and frankly isn't relevant to the Rush affair. I want to be a part of a conservative movement that is smart, tough, assertive and relentless; all in a context of civility, innovation and integrity. I believe that will resonate with people from every demographic; just sayin...'

We can do better, yes, we can.

The emperor has no cloths...

The drama that many analysts call "political theatre" has claimed the credibility of star of the show.  Rush Limbaugh's credential as a political-pundit was dead on arrival at the EIB network.

Rush built his chops being a "main-stream" conservative analyst. He has been an incisive and persuasive, if not acerbic, pundit who built a formidable reputation and following since his quiet ascendance in 1988.  However, over the last 7 to 10 years he has operated with an increasingly shrill persona that has marginalized him. One can't have it both ways, main-stream and lunatic fringe.

Rush's self-indulgent rant at the now "darling of liberalism"--Ms. Fluke from Georgetown Law--has made a caricature of him; the "Bill Maher" of the wacked-out right. Unfortunately, it's at the cost of his credibility. Most of the country could care less about what Maher...and now Limbaugh...thinks.  Yes, it's true; Limbaugh could care less about what the country thinks. 

Herein lies the bitter irony; the conservative movement needs that EARLY version of Rush now as never before. That's why progressives are dancing with delight today--Rush had chops and now...not so much.  He's the rock-star that routinely filled stadiums...but now plays the 4H Fair.

This was no Fluke; the emperor has no cloths.

All gave some, some gave all...

"Uncommon valor was a common virtue"
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz

Today marks the 67th Anniversary of the fateful day, February 19, 1945, US forces launched the assault on a cipher in the South Pacific, the volcanic Island, Iwo Jima.

Big thanks to Navy and Marines.  

The Congressional Medal of Honor, our Nation's highest award for Valor, defined as "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States..." was awarded to 22 Marines and 5 Sailors--nearly one for each day of the battle; 13 of the 27 were awarded posthumously.  

Consider the human carnage: Thirty-six day campaign; 26,800 American casualties--6800 dead. Of the 22,060 Japanese soldiers entrenched on the island, 21,844 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide. Only 216 were captured during the battle.  It was hell on earth.

Losing so many of our WW2 vets every day.  Invest time this week in an effort to make contact with one you might know or not...and tell them how much their service means to you.  (Why not call a local Nursing Care facility or American Legion Post and get some contact info...make a call, write a note, drop in for a visit.)

Semper Fi.

Hopeless? Not.

It's nearly dawn as I set at the table in our kitchen; dark.  But hope penetrates the darkness, for He is alive, in us!

Listen and worship through whatever part of the day you discover this..."You reach for us from heaven's throne when we have no hope...the enemy is under our feet, we are free...death has been defeated by love..."

Is it just me?

It's been almost a week since the NFL gave us Super Bowl 46.  Lot's of speculation and controversy in this week of post-game brinksmenship.

So...let me add some post-game whimsey; is it just me, or does anyone else think Madonna looked out of her depth in the half-time show?  I confess, I've never seen Madonna perform an entire "routine."  She simply looked out of sync...almost like every one else had to slow down to accommodate the pop-once-diva.  I was reminded of the auditions for "So you think you can dance."

Perhaps it was a "dumbed-down" version forced by NFL sensibilities; or I needed a special pair of glasses--who can say.  This is what another season watching Brett Farve attempt to play quarterback would have been like;  good call Brett.

Oh...by the way; Loved the outcome of the game. 

Lost and found...

Loss. I've had my share over the years.

Two weeks after I graduated from High School, my father died, I was 17. In 1984, just after my 31st birthday, my mother died . I was 38 when I learned I had diabetes. I began a "rest of my life" battle with skin cancer in 1996, at age 43. Disappointment...oh my, where do I start. Failure--several crushing instances. Unrealized dreams, of course.

My story isn't unique. It's called, "being human." Loss is just a part of the "living experience." Life is hard, and, can be very harsh--and it's not fair. Loss, though we all face it, is not simply a one size fits all process. For some, loss means never experiencing "what could have been." For others it's remembering "what was." For all of us it's losing people we love, to death. Life's "Harsh passages" include broken relationships, disease, tragic accidents, children "lost" in adolescence and never able to move on to productive adult lives, addiction, betrayal, unfaithful spouses and/or friends...have I described your "loss-story" yet?

Recently, an extended family member, and friend, facing a number of very difficult circumstances posted a comment about loss, she concluded, "Easy to be philiosophical...easy to be grateful too." As I paused to reflect on her words, I was struck by this profound insight.

"Easy to be grateful too..."  Really?  We can't, generally, control loss. Bad things happen to good (and bad) people. We can, however, control our attitude and our response to loss. We can ask "why me?" or we can declare "why NOT me!" That's the "philosophical" part.

The "grateful" part comes when, our pain notwithstanding, we aren't swallowed by bitterness; through the darkness of the moment, we still see the sunshine we've experienced over the years--as well as the expectation that the sun will shine again. Loss frames our perspective. It reminds us of the providence of God and the blessings we enjoy and have enjoyed through the ebb and flow of life. It's ironic, loss and gratitude are two sides of the same coin. Tennyson understood this when he penned"It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all."

The sentiment that struck me as so profound was "easy." It just never occurred to my friend to not be grateful. The emotional and spiritual place that she "lives" made gratitude a logical extension, not of her pain, but of His promise. The Psalmist (42.5) said it this way..

"Why am I discouraged?

Why is my heart so sad?

I will put my hope in God!

I will praise him again—

my Savior and my God."

Loss isn't abandonment. It isn't the death of hope. It's an intersection of life where one can step back and see life not just for what it isn't, but for what it is; it's at that place, in that moment, we see the goodness of God, and it's easy to be grateful.

Lost and found. A fitting description.

Where Can I Run...?

Can swift water outrun its flow,
Can darkness swallow the sun?

Where can I run…
His lovingkindness not transform?
His watchcare not attend?
His provision not sustain?
His strength not carry?

Can swift water outrun its flow,
Can darkness swallow the sun?

Ready, aim...

(This blog was originally posted 1/4/11.  It's worth a second look...)


Quick thought: we tend to get what we aim at.  Good, bad, indifferent, unhealthy.The "cause/effect" relationship between the way we think and the outcomes we achieve is uncanny.  A "mind," even a poorly developed one, is a powerful force.

God blessed us all with "beautiful minds."  Having been fashioned in His image gives us access to considerable resources, built right into our DNA!  Our minds are of course the most unique aspect of our beings.  So...what are you doing with yours?  It's January 4.  A great time for resolve to retool the way we think and as result, the way weexperience life.  What must be done for that to happen? 

Give up painful thinking.
Seek balance in your life.
Look for the best in people.
Refuse to think like a victim.
Go to and get out of bed earlier.
Don't allow yourself to be a cynic.
Transform obstacles into opportunities.
Refuse to associate with negative people.
Find ways to add value to other peoples lives.
Read good books that make you feel enriched.
Begin something that makes you feel challenged.
Volunteer and serve in some fashion, some place.
Mentor someone younger and/or less experienced.
Don't participate in throwing others "under the bus."
Find someone to mentor you; be accountable to someone.
Make the effort to grow your intellect and expand your perspective. 

Journal...keep it simple and short; then watch that discipline begin to expand.   

Finally...

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through him to God the father."    Colossians 4.16,17 NLT