Today, is a day that I wanted to experiment with words. With so much attention over the significance of this day, I wanted to say a few gentle words as a small hope filled act.

A letter to God’s called and sent people who happen to live in the United States:

Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our king, our leader, our hope in all situations. Grab hold of all of the things you have been given through his death and resurrection. Live a life, full in Him. He is our daily bread, our 401K, the author of our domestic and foreign policy and does not waver even when the economy does.

Rise up, you precious one, and embody the life and calling of our King. Feed the hungry, adopt an orphan, take care of a widow, give generously to those in need. Really, I mean you do it, not the government, not the leaders of the church, or organizations. Don’t wait for “someone else” to do it. You do it… now, today. Go find one of these and do that..do what Jesus did and calls us to do. If we all decided to do this, then days like today would be held in their proper perspective.

Do your civic duty, as one that is prayerfully asking for guidance from God on high. The one that holds countries in His hands, the one who seats kings and rulers up in power. It is interesting to me, that I know and love people, who love and follow Jesus, in all three camps, who feel deeply called to act in the way they are acting in regards to all of this political stuff; Democrat, Republican and Conscientious Objector. It is a mystery to me, and yet I know the God who sits on high, is not confused or in fear about our future as His people. What a beautiful hope, to be a part of the people of God around the world. That our hope is in Him in every season.

What if we did more than vote? What if we lived our vote with our lives? What if we gave so generously that government programs wouldn’t need to exist, and what if we did such radical acts of counter cultural things that we would really start to see some change move at the grass roots level?

So go ahead today, and check your box, but do not stop there, keep going. Keep voting with your life and your words and your actions. Vote all over the place in word and thought and dead.

In Him we will see lasting change,

Signed by a little homeschool Mom who’s voice does not even break out against the roar of the parties, but still believes that Gentle Words spark life in the Kingdom of God.

I just finished reading Jesus for President. I read it on my way up to Green Bay and finished it on my way back. I will be honest when I say, that I wept all the way home. I challenge you to read it and maybe you will weep too. I was seated among several large business men, on their phones with their coffee, and I tried to control it, but I just couldn’t. Tears and snot just started flowing and flowing. I didn’t care. It was beautiful.

I will say that I am pretty weepy right now. I was cleaning the floors today, and I just wanted to break down and cry and cry and cry at the faithfulness of God. He is so good, and loving and so many other things I don’t have words for right now. I have been living on worship music right now. I want to say a hearty thank you for the commenter who recommended Kelanie Gloeckler. I wanted to leave you with the lyrics of one of her songs.

Responding
VERSE 1
Anticipation comes up with the sunrise
You’re here again, waiting for me
Relentless love is the rhythm of Your voice, drawing me closer…
I wanna worship ‘til Your heart is satisfied
All I am, I give You gladly
Letting my heart overflow to adore You, beautiful Jesus…

CHANNEL
I will not miss this moment to… tell You I love You
You are the song of my life

CHORUS
I’m weak in the heat of Your glance
And I resonate under Your hand
Responding to the One that my heart loves
With the breath that You breathed into me
In the fire of intimacy
Responding to the One that my heart loves

VERSE 2
Today’s another day to obey and surrender
Bending to hear the secrets You breathe
And You delight to see how I respond to each new revelation…
So I’m searching for language to capture Your wonder
Fold You in worship as You consume me
Ev’ry cell of me sings when I see You, beautiful Jesus…

BRIDGE
When I see the passion in Your eyes
You make all my senses fly
In Your presence I am alive
You make all my senses fly

Many of you may be shocked and horrified at this post.  Sorry…. well kind of because this is about as real as it gets for me. 

For many years now, I have been processing through politics and my faith.  You see, while I was in college, I spent a very small amount of time in Florida Blue Key which is the collegiate level of politics.  Let me just say, if that is a small microcosm of what happens on a National Level, I am skeptical to say the least. 

Every time I go down the road of even educating myself on the possible candidates, every sort of whistle and bell goes of in my mind.  For me, I just can’t vote with any passion, because although I am thankful for my country, my allegiance is to the King of Kings and Jesus is the only person that can heal anyone or anything.  In my mind, it is incredibly hard to be authentic in one and do the other. I am sure there are people who can very well, I just can’t right now.  Maybe one day I will.  I wonder if Jesus was walking the earth right now, if he would even give a hoot about the elections?

I remember the day distinctly, when it hit my like a ton of bricks.  I was sitting in a very large church service and the pastor read the passage form Isaiah about “If my people who are called by my name…etc. etc. etc. and related the whole thing to America. I almost stood up and said “Excuse me sir, isn’t this passage dealing with the nation of Israel and not America?”  That was when things went a little south for me, and I am still trying to make since of it all. Seriously, I couldn’t even have my kids go to AWANA because they were making them pledge to the American flag and the bible.  All I could think was, NO WAY!  I don’t want our kids to think that being an American means they follow Jesus or even worse vice versa.   That is a whole other discussion.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am all for Honor and service and submission to authority, just as long as we know we we are honoring, serving and submitting to.  OK - I don’t have tattoos and a nose ring, I don’t live on a commune, I am just an ordinary person, who lives in a suburb and drives a minivan by the way, trying to make since of all of this political stuff as it relates to my discipleship to Jesus.  So. Shane Claiborn’s book Jesus for President is on my reading list.

I am almost scared to ask, but any comments?