The measure of my father

Hannity interviewed Ivanka Trump last night after the convention ended for the night.  He asked her if it hurt to hear her dad trashed. I thought that question was a little dumb, but her answer was priceless.  She admitted it was very painful, but she knows "the measure of my father." Wow! How powerful! Obviously, she was talking about her biological dad, but it opened my heart and my spirit to gain a new understanding of my relationship with my heavenly Father.

When others ridicule God, I can feel sorry for them and pray for them because they're spitting in the wind. The Psalmist says God laughs at them. Even better, it deepens my faith because I know He is all God's Word says He is. He is worthy of my love, my trust, my obedience.

Another thing Ivanka said that was so powerful is that her father taught his children to be grateful. She freely admitted that they could be considered "spoiled" because their childhood had so many advantages, but what kept them from being truly spoiled is that they were grateful. We could all take a page from her book. Not only is she articulate, she gives her dad all the credit.  That's another thing I can turn to a spiritual lesson.  Everything I have is a gift from the Lord and I need to be grateful.

She also mentioned learning as they go along, acknowledging mistakes have been made. They all seem to polished, so elegant, but admitting mistakes is good reason to admire the family.It humanizes them. Never mind the fact that all 4 adult children are so successful, so upstanding. They don't drink or do drugs.  How many American families can say that? Governor Pence said you can't fake good kids.  Trump's children are good kids.

Not much has been said about Tiffany Trump's speech. but she humanized her dad in a beautiful way. She does not seem to have the self-assurance of her half siblings and her history could be the reason. Yet, she stood up and spoke of her dad in a way that told why his children adore him.  She spoke of his warmth and his concern for other people, especially her family in Georgia.  I appreciated knowing he wrote notes on her report card that encouraged her without focusing on her grades. To know she's much younger than the other three and has a different mother could have made the relationship with her siblings difficult, but their care for each other is obvious and enviable.
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Perhaps her speech didn't get the attention it deserved because it was a love fest for her dad and then her oldest half-brother spoke eloquently about his abilities.  His comment that he and his siblings are the only billionaire's children he knows that are as comfortable driving a caterpillar as their own cars. His love for his dad was obvious, as was his admiration. Last night, he and his wife reached for each other's hands as they sat listening to other's speak.  I'm again reminded of the similarities between Solomon and Trump.  Neither are examples for marriage, but both know a lot about how to make a woman feel loved.  I say that because of the way Donald jr. and his wife behaved toward each other when they didn't realize they were being observed.  His dad taught him that, I'm sure.

Eric, too, seems to know the measure of his father. He spoke of why his dad took on this massive effort to right things he sees wrong with our nation.  He quoted his dad as saying he would only consider running if things got too bad and apparently, he'd reached his limit. Good thing.  Psalm 125:3 says, "The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil." Many of us are tired of evil not only being done, but celebrated.  Lord, keep me faithful. Thank you for his courage to stand up and try to do something when he didn't have to.

It's been said you can't have five children without at least one of them abandoning their raisings.  Thus far, Donald J. Trump has reared really great children.  Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying he could be in charge of the White House or he could keep his daughter, Alice, in line, but he couldn't do both. Since Trump has proved himself as a dad, we can be confident he'll do just as good a job in the White House.  Congratulations, sir.  My hat's off to you.

Unique Similarities

I've been reading some books in an effort to make sure the message I present in my books is what God would have me to say.  Something written by David Jeremiah brought the political situation to mind, kind of unusual since the book is about "Love, Marriage, and Sex."

Dr. Jeremiah's book is a commentary on the "Song of Song's" or "Song of Solomon," depending on which translation your Bible uses.  In today's chapter, Jeremiah states that many people have trouble getting past things that Solomon did in his life that were anything but Godly.  Let's be honest. 700 wives and 300 concubines is hardly a ringing endorsement for marriage. He started out great, but the Bible makes plain it was his foreign wives who led him astray. What that has to do with the Republican Convention and politics today, I'll get to in a minute.

Solomon's life was a recipient of God's grace from beginning to end.  God's grace and love is beyond human comprehension and Solomon's life is a good example of that.  In that day, adultery was punishable by death. Except for God's amazing grace, David and Bathsheba, Solomon's parents, could have died for their sin. God spared them and by extension, gave Solomon life.


Solomon was not David's eldest son, the typical line of succession, but Solomon was chosen to be king even before David died, another unusual situation.  Both, to me, are again, evidences of God's amazing grace and Sovereignty.  God led the events that transpired to make Solomon king. To his credit, Solomon asked for wisdom when God asked him what he desired in a dream. He became not only the wisest man on earth, but the richest, too, all because God favored him. Unfortunately, Solomon did not follow God wholeheartedly, and yet, God said Solomon would not face the consequences his behavior deserved.  Instead, his son would.


Now, what does that have to do with what we're watching on television this week? For one thing, Trump also has been on a unique journey over the past year.  When he first announced his candidacy, he was pretty much considered a joke. His faults, foibles, and sins were well known, gleefully reported, and joyfully accepted. Then, his campaign style of name calling was a guaranteed defeat or so the media would have us believe.  Establishment Republican politicians have been loath to support him. They've blamed it on his campaign style, but it could be more that he's repudiated the establishment to the country and it's turned out America has agreed with him. Miraculously, he gained support in spite of his out of control mouth. It looks to me like God has His hand on Donald Trump.  I can think of no other reason he's done so well when he's made so many mistakes.

Then too, as I read about Solomon, I thought about the weakness of humanity in general.  We all are so quick to point fingers and scream about the sins of others to keep from dealing with our own. I know, because I've been there. What gives me the right to condemn him for Trump's past mistakes? The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  That includes me.  David and Job asked God not to remember the sins of their youth.  Me too, Lord. My criticism won't change Donald Trump. That's God's job.  And, it's God's job to judge him, not mine.

Dr. Jeremiah's point was that it might be better to think a little more positively instead of focusing on the negative. Is David and Bathsheba's adultery and the subsequent murder of Bathsheba's husband my first thought when I think of them?  No, I remember God saying David was a man after His own heart. It humbles and reminds me of my own shortcomings. What are my thoughts about Solomon? That he had 700 wives and 300 concubines or that he was the wisest and richest man on earth? Or do I appreciate and learn from his wisdom in Proverbs? Sometimes it takes work to think positively instead of negatively. What about Trump? Should I focus on the things he's done wrong? Or should I trust Sovereign God who has stated His ways and His thoughts are not ours? I say again, I am at peace about my choice to vote for him and leave him to God.

End to end

As I attempt to write this, I have to admit my thoughts are being distracted.  The Republican Convention has just now begun and I don't want to miss anything.  This has been a very different political season, to say the least.  It's touching to see the WWII vets present the colors. The last fellow can hardly walk, but he saluted the flag and sang the National anthem.

                                                        There has been a great deal of conflict and inflammatory rhetoric over the past year while Republicans chose their candidate for President.  Some have vowed, "never Trump," family members included.  Indications of voting for the Libertarian candidate has been been mentioned and. in the interest of learning, I looked up the Libertarian platform.  To be honest, I didn't study it, but I did read it.  It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that Libertarianism is one end of the utopian spectrum and Democrats are the other. It seems like about every paragraph of the platform said people are free to do whatever they want as long they don't infringe on the rights of anyone else. Trouble is, people are flawed.  The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  It also says there is no one righteous, no not one.  Therefore, who's to decide when there's conflict between opposing sides? Who's in the right and who's not? Another person?  According to the platform, that's not the Libertarian way. The realization that such a platform is not possible to implement hit the hardest when I read their paragraph on abortion, in which they say it's a matter of concern to the mother and her doctor. Babies have no way to say they want to live. Dads? Families? Society? Scratch self-determination. They also have no qualms about recreational drugs. I've seen too many lives destroyed to go along with that.  There are also historians who say the entire nation of China was destroyed by drugs.  People need guidelines, rules. Even God gave the 10 Commandments because He knew that.

The other end of the spectrum of utopia is the Democrat philosophy.  If we just let the government take care of us, all will be well.  How's that worked out for you?  We've just had 7+ years of that utopia and the country has taken a definite turn for the worse.  Just yesterday, a new friend said all the violence that's going on right now reminds her of the 1960's. I said the same thing just last week.  The problem is, so many of the rabble-rousers in the 1960's are now in leadership in the Democrat party. So, how's that working, America? Democrats have been in power for the last 7+ years, meaning their policies are well known.  There's so much hatred, violence, anger, hopelessness.  Policy failure. Have we learned nothing as a nation? Country after country has failed because of leftist policies and yet, do we think we can make them work in America just because we are American? Little needs to be said about the character failure, leaving the public with a very bad taste in their mouth and the bitter feeling that America got taken yet again.


While the Republican party is by no means perfect, it is also more pragmatic.  As the Bible says, we're imperfect. We're seriously flawed. However, I do see the Republican party as more logical, much more central on that utopian spectrum. When the primaries began, I was astonished Donald Trump was so popular among Christians. I was astounded that he could say some of the awful things he did and still win the nomination. It was disappointing and I said so in a previous blog. In it, I proclaimed I would never vote for Trump. A short time later, I changed my mind.  It came with much prayer and struggling about my reasons for making my change. As time has progressed since those first wild, disturbing, primary debates my impression of Trump has improved.  I was especially pleased to learn he'd chosen Pence as his Vice Presidential Running Mate. Until last night, about all I knew about Pence was his statement that he was a Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third. That fits me as well. There is a small group that has formed and calls itself the Conservative Party.  I confess I know nothing about them,and would not consider voting for their candidate until I do. Before Pence was chosen, Dr. James Dobson said that Trump had become a Christian.  For his sake, I hope so, but experience has taught me the spectrum of people who call themselves Christians is an even broader spectrum than utopianism.

Who will win? Or will the racial violence become so great Obama will declare Marshall Law and we'll have no election?  It's been suggested by several people. Only God knows.  Again, I say, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence The Lord knows what He's doing and I am confident that His purpose will be fulfilled.

Closing the gap

Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah led the committee hearing on FBI Director Comey's justification for his findings regarding Hillary Clinton's email uses and abuses. Chaffetz said whatever the FBI needed to investigate her lies before Congress, he would get.  Comey dodged a reciprocal answer when asked for information from the FBI. "As much as I can," was his answer.






Congressman Cummings begged, not asked, FBI Director Comey to "close the gap," indicating that even he doesn't understand why Comey excoriated Hillary Clinton and then said there wasn't enough there to prosecute.  Today, Comey is being cross-examined by the Congressional oversight committee because of that gap that even Democrat Cummings acknowledges.

Has he done it? I've listened to the majority of the questions and answers and I have to say a resounding NO for a few of the following reasons.

1. The law clearly states that intent does not have to be proved, but Comey's entire defense is just that. Does that mean, as one Congressman suggested, he believes he has the right to rewrite the law? And, a former judge states Comey's very wrong when he said no one has

been prosecuted for being ignorant of the law.  Trey Gowdy stated he'd prosecuted many who didn't believe there were laws against murder.

2. Comey stated that Clinton did not lie to the FBI.  Repeatedly, she lied to Congress and the American people. He refused to discuss what she said to Congress. Why? How can he say with certainty that she did not lie to the FBI? He did admit at one point he hadn't paid attention to what he said to Congress.

3. He stated that the decision was unanimous among all who worked the case, yet he admitted he did not canvas or even speak to all the agents. How then, does he know?


4. He claims Clinton to be technologically naive and that's reason enough to say she should not be prosecuted.  However, he did admit that she signed the document that clearly states what she was doing was wrong.  Nor does he believe anyone who worked for her and knew it was wrong should be prosecuted, either.

5. He has repeatedly defended himself and yet, he has NOT closed the gap. He has the same answers for the questions that Republicans are asking him in different ways, trying to get him to explain himself, but he has not done it. If anything, the gap is even wider.  It almost seemed to me like he had made up his mind going in what the decision would be, regardless of the facts.

6. He continually refused to accept the fact that lawyers erasing and then scrubbing computers to keep the FBI from getting to the truth was a strong indication of intent. No one asked him if he just might be wrong.  I'd have loved to hear his answer to that. Even honorable, honest men with integrity can make mistakes.

7. The FBI would review any person working for them and have consequences for such behavior, but he doesn't believe the evidence reaches the prosecutorial level with Clinton.  Why not?

It seemed as though every one of his answers only exacerbated the feeling that government workers are above the law.  It was very sad.