It happened to me!

Well, I did it! I hit my first deer. Well, actually she hit me. I was on my way home from church Sunday night in the van when this doe just came out of no where and we collided. But if that wasn't enough, the stupid deer was stolen! Who else but me would hit a deer and then have the deer stolen? I was so mad. Then I realized how funny it all sounded and I had to laugh. Here are a few pictures of the van. You can see some of the damage that was done.
Mom and Dad have choir practice Sunday nights at 4:45 pm but church doesn't start until 6 so we drove separate, they took the car and I took the van. When, we left church, they were ahead of me. I was going down 50 and was right outside of Tecumseh, when this huge doe came out of no where! I knew when I saw here that I was going to hit her, but instead she hit me. She hit the left front corner of the van and then spun around and hit the side of the van. The head light was hanging out, the left fender is dented and the drivers side door is caved in. By the time I pulled over I was about 100 yards away from her on the opposite side of the road. A lady pulled up behind me to make sure everything was okay. She went back to make sure the deer was dead while I called my parents and told them to turn around. Mom and Dad decided they wanted to keep the deer for the meat and see if maybe Ben would butcher it for us. So I called it in to get a police officer out to tag it. While we were waiting for the police, who were only maybe 5 minutes away, a pickup pulled up next to the deer and started loading her up in the back. My dad took off down the road to try and catch them and I yelled down that the deer was ours and the police were on their way. But they didn't stop. They slammed the tailgate and jumped in the truck and took off. Dad tried to get their license plate number but it was too late. Not even two minutes later the police showed up and we told him what happened. He couldn't believe it. So, now we have a damaged vehicle with nothing to show for it! Can you believe it? Mom kept saying, "Well, now you have a story to tell." True, I just wish I had the deer to go with the story. Hey, instead of "the fish that got away story" I have "the deer that was stolen" story. I told you I liked stories. : )

Story Time!

I've always liked stories. Ever since I was a kid, I loved to read stories and I loved to tell stories. When I would have sleepovers, I would tell the bedtime story. But as I've grown, I've learned that stories are more than just for entertainment, stories are also to teach you life lessons. Those are the kind of stories I have come to love. The following story is one that was e-mailed to me almost a year ago, I added a few details of my own as well. This story has stuck with me, and tonight I felt like I should share it. Maybe you have read it before, maybe not. But if you have, it won't hurt to read it again will it? Maybe you won't even be as moved by it as I was, but that's okay, I still think I would like to share it. Hope you enjoy it!

The Rope
The story tells about a mountain climber, who wanted to climb the highest mountain. He began his adventure after many years of preparation, but since he wanted the glory just for himself, he decided to climb the mountain alone.
The night felt heavy in the heights of the mountain, and the man could not see anything. All was black for the moon and the stars were covered by clouds. As he was climbing, only a few feet away from the top of the mountain, he slipped and fell into the air, falling at a great speed. The climber could only see black spots as he went down, and he felt the terrible sensation of being sucked by gravity. He kept falling…and in those moments of great fear, it came to his mind all the good and bad episodes of his life. He was thinking now about how close death was getting, when all of a sudden the rope tied to his waist jerked him to a sudden stop. His body was hanging in the air. Only the rope was holding him, and in that moment of stillness he had no other choice but to scream, “Help me God!”
All of a sudden, a deep voice coming from the sky answered, “What do you want me to do?”
“Save me God!”
“Do you really think I can save you?”
“Of course, I believe You can,” replied the man.
“Then cut the rope tied to your waist.”
There was a moment of silence; cut the rope? The rope was all that was between him and death! There was no way he would survive without the rope. "Are you sure God?" he asked.

Again he heard the voice gently whisper, "Cut the rope."

Again, there was silence, then the man made his decision. He would trust in the rope, for he could see and feel that, so he decided to hold on to the rope with all his strength. Surely someone else would answer his cries for help.

Days went by and still the man did not return. Soon a rescue team was sent out to look for him. The rescue team tells that a climber was found dead and frozen… his body hanging from a rope, his hands holding tightly to it… only 10 feet away from the ground.

And you?

How attached are you to your rope?

Will you let go?

For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. (Isa 41:13)

(http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/bob/The-Rope/The-Rope.htm)

Life goes on!

Well, I had hoped today I would be writing a victory post, that didn’t happen. I was really disappointed, I thought with so many unanswered questions around Obama that there was no way the American people would actually vote for him, but they did. I really didn’t think he had a chance, but I guess I was wrong.
Tuesday night we went to a party the Walberg’s were having in Jackson. We stayed there until about 11 o’clock. When we left, Walberg was over 3,000 votes ahead. The next morning I heard that he had lost by a small margin. Again, I was disappointed. I also found out that many other Republican positions were also lost. Now the House is mainly Democratic.
When I heard all this, the first question that popped in my mind was, “What are we going to do now?” Well, I think I have the answer. We are going to get up every morning, have breakfast, go to school or work and spend our days like we normally do. Do you see where I'm going with this? Life goes on! Yes there will be changes, and I can’t say that they won’t affect us, because they probably will. But it’s not the end of the world, I promise. : ) We have had presidents before that we didn’t agree with and we survived, how is it any different now? I am still a little scarred of Obama. I don’t fully trust him, but he is our President now, therefore, it is my Christian duty to respect him, as president, and to pray for him. I can only hope that he will take his job as President seriously and honestly do what is good for the American people and not just what is good for his career. Most importantly, we may have a new President, but we still have the same God. And He is still in control. No matter who is President, as long as we turn to God, He will take care of us.
Well, in four years we get to do it all over again, and you can be sure that I will be right in the middle of it all. I only regret that I didn’t do more this time. And for those of you who may be thinking, “What was the point in voting, it didn’t change anything, Obama still won?” It did matter; it did count; it did make a difference. It’s like playing sports. What’s the point in playing the game if there is a chance you will not win? The point is the satisfaction in knowing that you put forth an effort. You tried and that’s all that matters. You’re a good American, Charlie Brown. : )

Election Day!

Well, tomorrow is the big day! I hope you all have done your homework and plan on voting. I saw this advertisement on the internet today and thought it would be cool to share it. Maybe this will be enough insentive to get people out there to vote.

Are you a good steward?

I know I said I wouldn't say anymore about politics until after the election, but I really feel it is important for us as Christians to vote and James Muffet, President for Student Statesmanship Institute, says it much better than I can. I took classes through SSI a few years ago. They taught us how to do legislation and debate the issues as if we were State Representatives. I really enjoyed it. I actually took the classes with Ryan Watters at Lenewee Christian School.
I cannot tell you how strongly I feel about voting, but not just voting, informed voting. You should know who and what your voting for and why. A lot of this applies more to us Michiganders but you others should read this and take it too heart as well. Enjoy!! : )

Dear Friends,
For the past 20 years, the idea of "Responsible Christian Citizenship" has become more and more important to me. In fact, that principle is integral to my work as President of Student Statesmanship Institute and Citizens for Traditional Values. In my view, as Christians we must:

1. Be knowledgeable of the great Judeo-Christian foundations of our society
2. Be aware of the issues facing this generation
3. Be a part of the conversation and decisions taking place in the public square
4. Vote our values!

Will we fight for the sanctity of unborn human life? Will we stand up for the sacredness of traditional marriage? Will we uphold other principles that have formed the bedrock of our nation such as freedom of religious expression, educational choice for parents and the principles of limited government?

With the November 4 elections upon us, and all of these ideals at stake, I hope you will take the time to be informed and exercise the privilege and responsibility of voting.

Although Jesus told us that we are not "of" this world, He did not mean for us to neglect our God-given responsibilities as stewards "in" this world.

Be an Informed Voter! Although everyone is paying attention to the Presidential contest, did you know that there are other critical items on the ballot this year?

Supreme Court: The outcome could change the balance of this Michigan court for the worse!
U.S. Senate: The two candidates could not be further apart on the issues.
Proposal 1: Will Michigan legalize "smoked" medical marijuana?
Proposal 2: Will Michigan allow unrestricted experimentation on human embryos?
State House: Do you know who will be on the ballot in your area?

Citizens for Traditional Values I encourage you to check out the valuable election resources on the web site of Citizens for Traditional Values. CTV provides timely and accurate information on all of these issues, and much more. There are even resources you can make available to your church group, family, or friends.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just."
Let’s all practice "Responsible Christian Citizenship" by voting in the elections this fall.

Sincerely,
James Muffett

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan." - Proverbs 29:2

Politics, Politics, Politics!!!

Okay, so the elections are getting close, just a month away, and I've done pretty good so far on not blogging about them. But I can't keep silent forever!! So now the time has come for me to say a few things. That was a warning so you can't read the whole thing and then get mad or annoyed and say, "I didn't know you were going to talk about politics, I'm so sick and tired of politics." Which I'm sure the last part you all are probably saying, but it's almost over and now it's my turn to put in a few words. And hey, you can look at it this way, I'm your friend and you love me, (just nod your head in agreement) I'm not some stranger on the radio. And as your friend you actually like to hear what I have to say, sometimes, (again, nod your head).

I know many of you do not understand my passion for politics. But it's just like having the passion to play the piano or to sing or even the passion to preach. It's something inside of you that just draws you to it. I have tried in the past to explain, but I have not been that successful. For years now politics has been all about Power and Prestige, you run for office so that you will be recognized as the person with the power. That's wrong!!! WE, the people of America, have the power. I cannot stress the importance of exercising that power by voting in this next election. In fact, I feel it is our duty, not only as an American Citizen, but also as a Christian. As Christians it is our duty to stand against evil, that also means in politics. Honestly I feel Barak Obama is an evil man, therefore, as Christians, it is our duty to stand against him. The only way we can stand against him, other than pray, is to vote. If you're not convinced, look at these videos, the first one I received in my e-mail, and have already passed on to many of you. Rev. Wright is a man that Obama himself called his mentor and spiritual leader. A man Obama sat under for 20 years. As a guest on Hannity & Colmes, Rev. Wright asked Sean Hannity what he knew about Black Liberation Theology and how many Cone's books Sean had read. James Cone was a very scary man who wrote about Black Liberation Theology, which is Liberation Theology plus Black Power, in an excerpt from one of his books he said that if God was not for the Blacks and against white people then God was a murderer and should be killed. That is the kind of teaching Obama was under for 20 years. Also in the first video, Obama has the audacity to say that the Declaration of Independence and many famous speeches are "just words, just speeches"!! Isn't that all he gives, "just words, just speeches"? He even called Romans 1:26-27 an "obscure passage". Do you really want him to be president? Do you really think that "one vote doesn't matter"? It does!!!! Please do not let a man like this win! I would even be disappointed in my fellow Christians and Americans if Obama lost by just a few votes. A man like that needs to lose by a landslide!!! This is not because of race but because of character. There are three fundamental things that we, the American people, should look for in a president: Experience, Integrity, and Character, three things that are hard to find in Obama. Okay, you've read this and watched the videos, hint hint, now I promise I will not say anything about politics again...until after the election of course : ). Thanks for listening to all my ramblings. Honestly, I am really riled up about this election, so I guess I should be saying thanks for letting me vent : ). Have a great rest of the week!!

Mind if I ride along?

Tonight we had Michael and Ruth Anne over for a little while and Michael told a story he heard from a man at his church during their Sunday School Class. They were talking about hearing God in an audible voice. Out in the man's field there is an oak tree where he always goes to to pray. One day he was out in his field riding his tractor and he was particularly worried about his family that day and he said, "God, I'll meet you at the oak tree." And he said it was as if he heard God say, "Mind if I ride along?" That got me to thinking about something that happened to me yesterday.

When I got back from GBS I was looking forward to working with the Walbergs. Well, as all of you know, that didn't work out. Honestly, I was very, very disappointed. I wanted that job more than anything. Well, since then I have had numerous jobs fell through. It seemed like one job after another, that I really wanted, just didn't work out and I was starting to get a little discouraged, well actually very discouraged. Then, finally, in August I got a job at an orchard. But I haven't really been all that happy there either. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't quit because I really needed the job. So I decided to just stick it out. Well, now, I don't know what to do again. Yesterday, I received a call from Mrs. Walberg. She needs some help around the house and running errands at least two days a week. It's not exactly working on a campaign, but it's close enough. I worked with Mrs. Walberg a few years ago and I loved it. She is so much fun to be with! So now I am going to see if I can make both jobs work or if I should just work for her. Oh, and get this. I will be making more a week for two days with her than I do four days at the orchard. And it won't be as stressful!

The thing that is so funny, is that I was in the process of getting a nanny position to work around my orchard schedule. It was a very promising looking job. They contacted me and sounded like they really needed me. Then, just like that, I didn't hear from them again. That's the second time I've had a nanny position open up for me and then all of a sudden I never hear from them again. Wait, no, that's the third time. Plus a gazillion other jobs I applied for and never heard back from. I even had a job that I went for an interview and it just didn't seem right. It seemed like right from the beginning it was wrong, I got lost going there, but that's a whole other story.

I guess my point is, that it doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, it doesn't matter how we think things ought to go, or how we plan things out for our own futures, God is not just at the oak tree, He's been there for the whole ride. He knew from the very beginning what I needed, I'm still not sure what it is that I need, but God does and that's good enough for me. So no, I don't mind if He rides along. In fact I would prefer it if He drove. It's safer that way.