It has been awhile....

 I haven't blogged in a long time, life got busy and changed.  No more school kids anymore as all are adulting.  Doubled the grandkids with much delight.  Made our first visit to Hawaii!  It was a beautiful adventure with my favorite guy!  Now we are about to visit Europe with stops in London and Paris to take in the Christmas lights and atmosphere! So you could say this second part of life as Milly and Grandy is starting off pretty .... well Grand!

With growing older and life changing it has given me greater perspective. With each stage of life we gain or lose perspective.  What I have learned is perspective comes with experience and loss of perspective always comes from lack of experience.  Therefore I always feel like it is important to speak myself only of the things in which I have experienced.  For example as we are about to embark on a trip to a city we have never been it would be foolish for me to say it will be like this....because while I can read and watch videos and all those things, I have no experienced it yet.  Now once I return I can give my opinion based off my experience.  I bring this up because of the current state of this home country I am in.  Too many opinions floating around lack experience, especially from those within the church.

While I did not grow up in an evangelical church, I adopted it as my home church 20 plus years ago.  I "due to lack of experience" jumped in with both feet and got burned many times when I would realize I had put my hope in the pastor (who failed), the study (which didn't meet my expectation), the friends (who failed), the mentor (who went to be with his Savior), the people (who lost my trust and hurt me or my loved ones).  I assumed being a later convert that the excitement of Jesus and his promises would drive everyone to want to dive in and get into the trenches.  I suddenly was aware of hurting people all around me and all I wanted to do was love them and let them know they weren't alone.

Over the years much of my life has revolved around my faith and church, how we lived and who we were around.  With the country being so divided it has challenged my hope in the American Church.  I will say that because of my life experiences I did not vote for Trump and his administration and I do not support his agenda.  This has left me feeling much like a fish out of water in my current churched area.  Many people have given or represented so much information on why it is OK to overlook Trumps behaviors as "for the greater good" "to save the unborn" "to protect our children" But none of that has been my experience and so here are the personal reasons I cannot and will not support his administration.

As a survivor of sexual abuse and parent of victims of sexual abuse, I will not vote in or rejoice over a sexual abuser who is given the highest job (we wonder why so many woman don't come forward?)

As a parent to international children and tutor to children who are not born here.  I will not vote for a person who not only plans mass deportations, but has no compassion for immigrants making up lies and putting families in danger.

As a parent of special education students and teacher, as someone who took advantage of FAFSA to attend college and have children who have making college possible, I cannot vote or support a candidate who plans to close the department of education creating less opportunity for children's futures

As a multiracial family I cannot support a candidate who has said disgusting and hurtful things about others and continues to push a divide between people

As a woman and mother of women who have experience with pregnancy and pregnancy complications, including a condition that the only save my life by delivering my son early (thankfully after he was able to survive on his own) I cannot support a candidate who refuses to allow women to fully autonomy over their health care.  Even organ donation after death requires consent, the law cannot force one to save another even after death!

These are just a few of my majors......but the saddest part is if you have actually read this far, and the part that breaks my heart, is around where I am the biggest reasons people said they are voting for Trump was abortion, gay rights and the economy.  So here are my take aways....

Abortion, As a Christian it was never forced upon me to have one, I have always maintained the right to decide to keep my child.  As for others they have made decisions based off their experience, which I am not going to speak on, however most of the families that are around me are NOT currently raising any children that were not born to them, that struggle with physical and mental handicaps, that have lifelong issues from drug or alcohol exposure in the womb, they have no low income parents and children staying with them..... so I cannot understand how legislating abortions and having more children born into situations like these will not just lead in a Christian view to more people who never find the Lord?

Gay Rights, I won't speak to much on this as I don't have personal or family experience in this area, but I will say gay trans people are not a new phenomenon and it has never affect me or my families ability to live a lifestyle I chose or worship in a way I chose

Economy....this one is my biggest irk...especially as a Christian who is told to NOT have a love of money.  I live in a very affluent area, homes are big, cars are expensive, even the ones for the teens and new drivers.  Drive throughs are packed, Starbucks on every corner in business. The Christmas lights that the people have put up are beautiful but pricey. Are there struggling families 100% but I can tell you from personal experience we live in an area with more people who say I want to serve people/homeless/food insecure than there are people who need it.  They can pay a few more dollars for gas, eggs, orange juice, it just dips into the vacation or daily coffee run money.  THAT IS NOT SUFFERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OK off my soap box.... 

OK thanks if you read that long!  My response to the election results is this.  I truly hope I am wrong and that this will be as great as some around me think.  My fear is though that my people have begged for a King and the Lord has allowed them to have their King.  My fear is that this will push those who need the gospel the most to completely shut out the church.  I will keep on loving those around me because that is what My Jesus commanded.