Don’t be fooled by the polls showing Corbett behind. Those are “soft” numbers that don’t reflect the reality. It is important to remember that in the 1980’s Republican Governor Dick Thornburg was 15 points behind his challenger at this point 5 weeks before the election and won. So there’s no need for us to give up.
A little info …
Tom Corbett won the first debate with his opponent last week. In that debate Tom Wolf showed that he has no specific plan or ideas for PA and that his high tax and big spending ideas will drive jobs and prosperity out of Pennsylvania. Why would a Pennsylvanian choose a man with no plan, no experience, and only bad ideas shared with the worst President in American’s history? The next 2 debates on Oct 1 and Oct 8 will further reveal that Tom Wolf is not qualified to be governor.
Compare & choose …
Tom Wolf is a millionaire’s son who spent 13 years after graduation from high school being a “professional student” in college and the Peace Corps to avoid the draft. When he finally started his first job at age 31 he took over his father’s company. He’s never run for elective office and served only 2 years as Revenue Secretary for Ed Rendell which was largely a political appointment. Tom Wolf will be Pennsylvania’s version of Barack Obama with no experience, no qualifications and radical left wing ideas. By the way, Wolf has maxed out his contributions to Barack Obama.
In contrast, Tom Corbett has had a long career of public service starting as township supervisor in Shaler and serving as assistant district attorney in Allegheny County, U.S. attorney, and then PA Attorney General. Not only is Corbett experienced and competent but he is honest and decent with humility that Wolf seems to lack. Please check out this link to Tom Corbett’s web site for more info – http://www.tomcorbettforgovernor.com/
PLEASE …
This election is so important for the future of Pennsylvania and for the quality of our lives and the future of our children. We cannot just sit on the sidelines and allow our state to fall into the hands of those who will destroy jobs and prosperity. Everyone seems to have high level strategic ideas for how the campaign should be run, but the best way that we can can really affect the outcome of this election is by rolling up our sleeves and doing the needed grassroots work in our community to persuade people to vote for Tom Corbett. This means talking with friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers about Tom Corbett. It also means bumper stickers and signs in your yard and canvassing and phone calls. Too many people are not willing to work for good candidates and that’s why we end up with so many unqualified and corrupt elected officials.
Is the future of Pennsylvania important to you? If so, then it’s time for us to stop complaining and pitch in.
“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to.
God whispers to us in our pleasures,
speaks in our conscience,
but shouts in our pains:
it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
I had an interview a couple weeks ago, and the interviewer told me he was a Christian. We talked a bit, and he said his 6 yr old grandson had just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He was struggling with this. He said the child asked him why God was mad at him. He was actually asking my opinion.
So, I carefully asked a few foundational questions concerning the Nature of GOD:
1. Is GOD sovereign?
2. Does GOD love each of us equally?
If GOD is Sovereign …
The concept of GOD’s sovereignty rests on His nature as Creator. If He designed and created all things, then He ought to have “sovereign” control in the design and functionality of all He created. Isn’t that the “fair” thing? Whatever we create, we expect to “control,” yes?
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. ~ Jeremiah 18: 5-6
If GOD is sovereign, He can rightfully do with each of us as He pleases. It is really that simple. So then, the companion question revolves around the perfect Love of GOD.
Does GOD love each of us equally?
Romans 5: 6-8
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4: 9-10
9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
There are many more parts of the Bible that talk about, define, and express the boundless unconditional Love of God freely given to you and me. In fact, honestly the entire Bible is one giant “Love Letter” explaining how deep, how wide, how high, and how limitless GOD’S LOVE is for us. He created us for His pleasure, to have an open friendship with Him. To apprehend that the Creator of the Universe desires an intimate friendship with us, with each of us, as David says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.” (Ps 139:6)
“The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word “love”, and look on things as if man were the centre of them. Man is not the centre. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake. “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the divine love may rest “well pleased”.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
The Problem of Pain, by C. S. Lewis, takes a deeper look at the difficulty so many Believers, and the Church at large, have with the reality of PAIN. Sometime in the last century, the Western Church adopted a wrong mentality in the belief that becoming a Christian meant suddenly that all pain and difficulty would be removed from our lives. To accept that belief is to deny reality AND the ability of GOD to walk us through pain.
In fact,Jesus promises us pain … tribulation, affliction, difficulty – whatever word fits your situation or mine.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16: 33
Why would Jesus bother to say this if He planned to remove all our pain?
Pain is a part of the human condition, and it is here to stay. Going back to the statement the interviewer’s grandson made, the fact that this child has diabetes is not an indication of GOD’s wrath or disapproval. Nor is it a curse, a punishment, or just for fun.
I don’t pretend to understand why beautiful, loving people are stricken with cancer or helpless children become victims of abuse. This much I do know: GOD loves endlessly, so I have to trust that GOD, in His sovereignty, has a GOOD purpose even in those events or situations that seem irredeemable because GOD is good and He cannot move against his nature.
“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation- either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
James 1 starts with this admonition:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James tells us that our “trials” have divine purpose, and that purpose involves growing something in us of Christ, that we “lack nothing!” So we’re encouraged to “count is all JOY!” Elsewhere, we’re told to “In everything, give thanks!”
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 136: 1-2
It’s all a matter of perspective.
We can choose to sit around and bemoan the imperfections of our life, the apparent areas of lack, the unanswered prayers, or
We can do as the Psalmist does in this Psalm, and rehearse the GOODNESS of GOD, and give thanks for GOD’s faithfulness to us, especially in the dark places.
Seeking perfection in this life will only bring us disappointment and despair, while rehearsing GOD’s GOODNESS will enable us to savor richness of this life.
The facts remain. GOD will never leave you no matter what happens. His love for you and I doesn’t hinge on our behavior, our attitude, or our faith! GOD chooses to love us … each of us. He gave us hundreds of promises and He is not able to lie because He IS Truth. He is not able to break His promises because His name is “Faithful and True!”
“There is no security is what God is doing. There is only security is who God is!” ~ Graham Cooke”
Graham Cooke
As many of you know, I have three adult children who continue to teach me about life. Funny how we, as parents, think we will teach our children, and we do, but only in proportion to who well we learn from them!
Family is about LOVE. Home should always be a “safe haven” from the harsh realities of life for each member of a family, a place of acceptance and truth. This is not so simple these days! We all have many influences in our daily lives and not all of them are healthy. Choices are a requirement!!! We have to learn to choose what builds us up rather than what destroys or corrupts us.
This reality prompted me on many occasions to ponder the “Nature of LOVE!” Parents, teach your children LOVE by loving them … by giving to them not material things, but REAL things that will help them through life. Things like manners, integrity, and kindness are foreign in our modern culture, particularly in our celebrities and leaders, yet if well-learned, they can lead to a satisfied life.
We SPEAK our love every time we part from one another, whether for a routine trip to work or to go to our separate space. But words sometimes fall short. Have you noticed? I cannot be content simply saying, “I love you!” Since my kids were small, I have prayed for creative ways to DEMONSTRATE my love to each of them in unique ways, personal to them. LOVE is a VERB, and it is not only a CHOICE we make, but actions take confirm our choice.
One thing about a basic life truth is that it fits every situation from the most public to the most intimate. The same active-love that motivates my daily life with my family simultaneously impassions me as regards my country. I cannot simply SAY, “I love America,” I must DO whatever I can do to strengthen her, to build her, to inspire her to further greatness, and to unify her.
Do you love your family? your GOD? your nation? Are you as tired of all the divisive, hate-filled rhetoric filing the airways? We must overcome hatred with LOVE!!! What actions demonstrate your love?
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