Belated Halloween, Cats, Cowboys and the election.

This picture is living proof that miracles happen.

Bob has not been the biggest pet lover of all time. Until Mr. Tumnus. They are officially partners now. Bob is as surprised as anyone. God sent us the perfect cat for him, as well as the rest of us, but we needed less convincing.

  I thought the costume we chose for him was quite a coincidence after watching this:

Now, as promised, my thoughts on the election.

I have lived through these presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama. I have never seen a president so protected by the media, so immune to consequences (such as, for one, promising "transparency"and cooking up closed door Friday night deals completely disassociated from government process and the will of the American people.) (Obamacare.) (HHS mandate). On and on. He and VP Biden can literally say anything and never have to answer for it. The degree to which the media circles the wagons is astounding. He has behaved in ways I have never seen from a president, even Bill Clinton. 

Mitt Romney. He was not the candidate I wanted to see get the nomination. But now that he is, and I have heard him and learned more about him, here are the things I am encouraged about.

1. He knows what he is doing. 

2. He is a leader.

3. He loves our country and will see to it we are better protected and defended.

4. He has respect for people. Women, the military, people of all creeds. The irony that he is accused of being an out of touch elite while criticized for raising relief for Sandy victims, juxtaposed to the presidents' words and photo op with Gov. Christie that didn't translate to actual relief, are typical. What an infuriating four years it has been.

5. And this is not number five in importance. Life. The chilling coldness regarding human life made cavalier and discussed in a convoluted way during this administration should be waving 60 million red flags in the faces of all that work, pray and fight for the unborn. The most visible leader in the free world being  A-O-Kay with abortion on demand, partial birth abortion and with babies that survive botched abortions being left to die should be a hugely telling sign to Americans that if he is not willing to protect the most fundamental right to those most vulnerable little lives; what other atrocities, pray tell, do you think he will be willing to stand by for? I think what happened in Benghazi is illustrative of one of those things. And the fact that SO many Americans are being bulldozed on this by a few liberal elites (yep, I said it!) on this issue makes it particularly sickening. EVERY year at the March for Life in DC, more and more people show up. Last year, the number topped a quarter of a million. 350, 000. It was a rainy, muddy, cold day and that many people from all over the globe showed up. Do you think the media reported it accurately? Course not. the seven protesters got some coverage though.

6. He is a gentleman. His VP is not a buffoon. He doesn't talk down to or about America. He is not on a power trip. He has humility. He donated a large portion of his income to charity. He never took as salary as Governor of Massachusetts. He can work with both parties. He has experience governing.

7.The biggest reason I am imploring a vote for Romney is this. Our children and their children. I want to see future generations enjoy the greatest parts of living as Americans. The freedoms, the wholesome values, the opportunities. The ability to worship freely and live by our beliefs. The simple right to LIVE and be born. I will likely not be here in 30-40 years, so it is not for myself that I am fighting. I want to see the generations growing up now be able to live in our great country as it was meant to be.

I still ask God to recognize that there are many. many faithful that have not taken this country for granted, or the blessings He has given us here. Not all would spit in His eye and reject the life He gives.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

I do not hate you

I feel I must say this, or suffer the consequences in some form, whether it be an ulcer or the regret of being silent when I should not be.

Being a Catholic, Conservative, and (usually) Republican in Philadelphia is not a comfortable thing. But being maligned, misrepresented, and (to give benefit of the doubt where applicable), misunderstood, has been tough. I have lost some dear friends. Now, I am not whining, because I understand that to do one's best to follow Christ is to at times incur all of those things. But as the Presidential campaign heats up, and the verbal bombs are lobbed from one camp to another, I want to say a few things.

Bashing the Catholics and conservatives has become a pop culture badge of honor. It's so hip to slap labels on us. Depending on their origin, it goes from unintelligent,  "shiny objects" (DWS), to, racists, bigots, greedy wealth-hoarders, or war mongers. And don't forget hate-filled.

While I could very easily counter every one of those un-thought out labels, what I mainly want to clarify is this.

 I am your fellow human being.  

I may not agree with you on everything.

 I may not completely understand you.  

    But I do not hate you.

The political movers and shakers, mainly on the left, have found a few buzz words that are very effective and have plied them freely via every media vehicle available. It was so effective that even some people, in 2008, who identified themselves as Catholics or conservatives or what have you, suddenly felt that not to vote for Barack Obama was to embody all those labels, especially the H word.

I think that to fundamentally disagree with someone should not mean giving up your voice entirely in favor of dodging the difficult discussions. 

Sadly, some real hateful speech flies pretty freely in our direction. It is accepted and  popular now. I could, again, name names and specifics, but I am choosing not to go there right now. It's all a matter of record.

Disagreement     ≠        Hate

 


I have the responsibility to speak the truth at all times, with humility, and in love. As I had to explain to one of my daughters the other day, truly loving someone means NEVER lying to them to smooth things over. ALL my kids know that I love them to the ends of the earth and back again. For example, I will not lie and say that unmarried cohabitation is really okay. I will share my own heartbreak and failures at having tried that. But I will keep right on loving them if they make that choice. I will love their boyfriends/girlfriends. I will take them shopping, laugh, cry, joke, and be here for them.  There is no hate in the equation.

There is fear that some choices can lead in a direction that could possibly drag them ultimately to hell. I will work at living, loving, and praying them away from that end. I lay awake last night praying this:

Listen, I am not the author of Truth or the Universe. I am bound to love and serve the Savior who loves and saved me.  But He loved and died for the whole world. He does not hate anyone.

There are many, many great people, some great thinkers of history, who have died for love of Christ. I submit to any that would brush off all believers with easy, lazy reasoning, to do some objective research. Read the Early Church Fathers, who lived with Jesus or those that knew Him. Pray and ask God to help you really understand. Don't be so immersed in the pop culture, make-it-up-as-they-go-along, media icons. Don't do what we are so oft accused of -- following blindly. Think and reason for yourself, and let Him reveal Himself to you.

Demonizing people of faith, as frail and flawed as we may be, is no way to go about moving "forward" in this country.

I will support Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan because I believe they will do better for ALL of us. Do I endorse every single thing they promote? No! And I will take every opportunity to communicate that, if hopefully, they win the election. 

I will not apologize for my beliefs. But if you, dear reader, believe that I would hate you for yours, you would be wrong.  I have lived and experienced the following verse.

"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."  

Luke 7:47 

God Bless you~

+JMJ+

Kelly

We are Here, We are Here, We are Here!

 Our country is descending into tyranny.


There are two elements that stand out.

1. The spiritual.
The day Barack Obama was elected, I said to my husband that I believe now all Christian believers' faith is going to be tested. One choice is to go along, get along, and compromise ourselves into something that cannot be recognized as Christian. Some are doing that. Catholics for Choice comes to mind here. The other is to become firmly rooted. To learn, know and live out our faith, and if things keep going in a direction pointed directly in opposition to God and to freedom and liberty, then believers will stand out in more and more relief against the backdrop. Our call to be salt and light will be the rubber hitting the road. I didn't really want to be right about that, but in the wake of yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, I feel it all the more, times ten. We will be sifted like wheat, believers. We will either cling to God and His way, or we will not.

2. The Natural.

For all people of faith, and for all others that want to live in a free America , we must get out of bed, literally and figuratively. Wake up and see that America as we have known her is slipping away.  We have to fight for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. We have to be an example of fortitude. And above all -- because this is the only way we can make our voice heard -- on Tuesday, November 6, we ALL get up and go vote. Every last one of us. The media would have us believe we are a small, fanatical segment of the population, like one of the *Whos in Whoville,  too small to be heard. We are not, in reality, that small, but the principle applies. To every  *JoJo out there -- if we all speak on November 6, it will be a resounding WE ARE HERE!, shouted to this administration. We must encourage every single person that their vote matters. I live in a city that is heavily democratic. But I know that my vote still matters! I live in a city where Black Panthers stood in front of a polling place with billy clubs to intimidate those that would not be likely to vote for Barack Obama. So guess what folks--that means OUR votes are worth suppressing. (a little aside -- those Black Panthers got off scot- free because a certain attorney general did not think it necessary to prosecute them.) (oh, and in my city, dems are boiling mad that people will have to show a valid ID to vote. Speaks volumes.)

You get the point.  Vote. And get everyone you know to do the same.

 *references, to those not familiar, are from Horton Hears a Who, a very prophetic story, full of spiritual truths.

the rest of the analogy is also quite apropos-

 "Rot, rot, rot rot! It's a plot, plot, plot, plot!
We’re the Wickersham Brothers. We're on to your plot.
Pretending to talk to Whos who are not.
It's a deep dyed evil political plot.
Pretending your talking to Whos who are not.

We’re the Wickersham Brothers. We’re vigilant spotters.
Hotshot spotters of rotters and plotters.
And we’re going to save our sons and our daughters -from you.
You’re a dastardly, gastardly, shnastardly schnook,
and you’re trying to brainwash our brains -with this gobbledygook!

(spoken) We know what you’re up to, pal.
You’re trying to shatter our morale.
You’re trying to stir up discontent...
(sung) And seize the reins of government.

You’re trying to throw sand in our eyes;
You're trying to kill free enterprise;
And raise the cost of figs and dates;
and wreck our compound interest rates.
And shut our schools, and steal our jewels,
And even change our football rules;
Take away our garden tools,
and lock us up in ves-ti-bules!
...But for-tu-nate-ly, we're no fools.

We’re the Wickersham brothers. We know your type!
And we're putting a stop to this trickulous tripe
We’re the Wickersham brothers; we're squashing your plot.
There'll be no more talking to Whos... who are not!

There'll be no more talking to Whos who are not!
There'll be no more talking to Whos who are not!
There'll be no more talking to Whos...
-no more talking to Whos... who are not!"