Election 2016

First time I was able to vote in my life of 48 years. Outcome is quite shocking. Didn't see it coming in many respects. Ended up voting independent but was sure the American people would not vote for Trump. But that is what they did. Cried some in the morning but was surprised about the resiliency of my child who spent so much time on this election process. He was ready to go forward and try again. If not this year than in 2020 when he can run himself. Great confidence and much faith in this country that he loves.
Got immediate offers from the German relatives to move back, but know I am truly an American citizen now. See enough good people here, and empathize with the marginalized who were treated so badly through words by the new president elect. And have some fear about the seeming impulsivity and lack of wisdom of the new president: what if he decides to drop some nuclear bombs during his 4 years in office? Maybe I am catastrophizing, but I don't think I ever worried about that before.
God has placed many awful rulers on the throne before. It's part of Old Testament history and world history. But coming from Germany makes me really weary about saying it will be ok because it was God's plan.
I hope all will still be well in 4 years.

Why we belong to a CSA

Three years ago was our first summer of receiving vegetable from "Farmer John".  I think, originally, I just wanted a way to get more vegetables in the bellies of my three always hungry kids, and I was beginning to really become convicted about organic being the way to go, but not having the budget to shop at Whole Foods.  Buying a share from a local farmer seemed like a great solution to my problem.
Since then, our belonging to "our farm" has become so much more: we attend farm open houses/field days where we get to go on hey rides, see the fields where our vegetables grow, meet the farmer and other share-holders, play with the chicken and goats, and pick beans and flowers from the "you pick" garden.  My kids look forward to eating garlic scape pesto, broccoli, cabbage, poc choi, kale, chard, you name it.  It really does taste so much better than anything I ever bought at a store!
What makes our CSA even more special is the fact that our farmer is also gifted in the arts.  He made a film, depicting the history and struggles of what it means to be a farmer.  My son has watched this movie over and over and has really embraced this history of rural America.  It has opened his eyes about the sacrifices that others make for him and he appreciates his daily bread in a real way.
Farmer John also provides a news letter with every weekly delivery of vegetables.  Joseph and I read this letter faithfully and gain great insight from these very well thought out and written notes from our farmer.  One of the most recent versions of the news letter talked about the Brexit and how it relates to a general trend in society to be out for oneself only without regard to the common good.  I appreciate Farmer John's perspective on this topic and feel for him and all the other hard-working people who get so under-appreciated and slighted by our selfishness.
Farmer John has struck me as a man of integrity and great intelligence.  He has helped me become aware of issues that I never considered before, and his farm has transformed our family.  Thank you, Farmer John and Angelic Organics

The Near future because of Brexit

BREXIT

As most of you might know the British people have declared "independence from the EU". This is causing catastrophic economic affects. I have predicted the full result of this event:

-UK now has less trading partners, and so more money will be stuck in the UK

-Eventually all their money will be used up and their economy will plummet

-Soon companies will lose business partners and file for bankruptcy

-Workers will be laid off and they will lose their money

-Laid off workers will gather to protest for laws propping up businesses

-Buisnesses will reform and unemployment will go down

-Buisnesses will stretch across the world

-Economies will start to go up

-The UK will break apart and new nations will form

-These nations will join the EU and the world will end up the same way it was except the UK will be 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland(Northern Ireland will have joined Ireland).

Father's Day

Getting up at 4 am on Father's Day, trying to find words of wisdom in the Bible on what we are celebrating today in America.  Father's Day can be tricky since many have had less than ideal fathers, or no fathers present, or lost fathers. And then there are the tributes to all the great fathers on Facebook already...

What speaks to me this morning is this passage in Hosea: "when Israel was a child I loved him as a son and brought him out of Egypt. ...I trained him from infancy, I taught him to walk, I held him in my arms. But he doesn't know or even care that it was I who raised him. ...oh how can I give you up, my Ephraim? How can I let you go? How can I forsake you...? My heart cries out within me; how I long to help you! No, I will not punish you as much as my fierce anger tells me to. .. For I am God and not man; I am the Holy One living among you, and I did not come to destroy."

God is both so much like an earthly father and so much different. It comforts me to know that God loves me like a father loves his child here on earth, but so much more. He holds me in his arms, and does not give up on me! He is distressed when we go astray, and longs to help us! He does not judge us based on his anger! I love this: "for I am God and not man". Hallelujah! Good to know, to remember, that we have a mighty father who can control his anger and wants to help us out of the mess that we got ourselves into.

Thank you!

The Work of God

For the past few days I've been attending Springhill day camp, which is a camp where children going into Kindergarten through 6th grade can learn about the word of God while doing fun activities. I was especially excited for this year because the theme is the Olympics. Another cool thing about this year is that we get to have water races on a slip and slide. I've won twice and my sister Kaitlyn has won once. And it was at Springhill my soul was telling me that me and my mom were using this blogger to spread the word of God and other cool stuff like Star Wars and Feste. Also I have realized that there is a whole community of pop music lovers, but also because Christian music has taken a step out of hymns, so there is now a community of Christian music lovers, which I consider myself to be a part of. Thank you blogger viewers and God. Without you this blogger wouldn't be what it is.

By, Joseph

Orlando

Joseph's commentary after watching the 7 o'clock news this morning!

A gift from The Lord

Two verses that I want to remember today are "children are a gift from The Lord ", and "be doers of the word"! Before spending another whole day with my three children this summer, I want to remember that this time with them matters.  Not a day to waste and end in regret. I want to hold on to the moments and cherish them, not wish them away.
Katherine and I decided to work on not being so harsh in my criticism. Instead of "what, you didn't feed the cat, even so I reminded you several times?", followed by "what, you didn't read again? I am so disappointed. No treat for you!", and "you left dishes on the table again! Why does nobody ever listen?", say "looks like you had a great day with Molly today! Let's go feed the cat and clean up the dishes, and then have a reading party."
Joseph wants some "special time" today, which for him means letting him talk, and for me to really listen. Even though it may be about the intecracies of some thoughts of his which are a bit cumbersome to follow.
Kaitlyn is more tricky. She pushes my buttons most frequently and I am sure to fail with her today. We will have to practice a lot of forgiveness and more relaxation and meditation skills. And keeping our tongues from committing evil!
Now to do this, I need God.  I need to remember to call on him and ask a million times for help and strength and less selfishness.

The Secrets of Star Wars: the Architecture of the Death Star

Many Star Wars fans have wondered over the past years about the interior of the Death Stars. Until we build a "Death Star", we will never truly know what it looks like on the inside. But we can make very accurate guesses. One way to do this is to look at the 2008 Lego Death Star. We already know how the "Superlaser" of the Death Star works. So we don't really need to look there as much as the rest of the Death Star. We also know that the Death Star has at least one trash compactor, and at least one prison block on each floor, as well as hundreds or even thousands of tractor beams. Plus millions of cannons, hundreds of tie fighters, and 15 million people. These are huge numbers. And now you must be thinking "How much does it take to keep these people alive"? Luckily, we don't have to do any CRAZY calculations, because people have figured that out already: The cost of the Death Star is $350 billion! Not even Bill Gates has that much money. And don't forget these millions of people are living in outer space! The Empire has to build recreational areas, Anti-Gravity Machines, and much more to keep their people sane. Given these facts, to build the Death Star is possible, but it would be the greatest feat ever taken on by humanity. It would cost so much that every nation would have to pool 0.5% of its total annual income. We will have reached our pinnacle, once we have built a Death Star.
There is a lucrative way to build a Death Star: Some "Super Star Destroyers", mile-long ships that house storm troopers, can fit entire cities on them. These would cost about anywhere from 3 billion dollars to 25 billion dollars. To be honest, I don't think the people of the earth should use Death Stars for blowing up planets. That would cause the ultimate World War. Instead, we should use these weapons as tools. We can solve poverty by housing the homeless on Star Destroyers, for example. So if we build these Star Destroyers and Death Stars, then figure out how to use them for good, we will indeed reach our "pinnacle".

Katherine's God

"There is only one person in the whole wide world who can do anything. God. I am so thankful for God. He made my family. I am thankful for my family because they take care of me and love me so much! I am also thankful for God because he made my pet Leo. Leo is my very first pet. He has a white belly and the rest of his body is orange except for some of his face. I love Leo! Without God, Leo wouldn't exist!"

This is what I found in my daughter's memory book from this school year. I've been laying awake since 2am worrying- about money, and finally got up at 4. While the coffee was brewing, I emptied out the backpacks from the almost last day of school and started reading through my little people's writing projects from the year. And among them this: God speaking to me.

Matthew 6:25-34. Just listened to a sermon on this...no, it was a children's church lesson that I was facilitating! You of great faith, Sunday school teacher. (Maybe they should have some kind of screening questionnaire for people who teach kids at church?) I need to listen to those little people around me.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end"' says The Lord. (Rev.1:8) That's what Katherine was referring to. Now how can I believe it? Write it on my forehead, tuck it away in my heart? Live out some of these truth that I know? God can take care of our money problems.

"For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me." (Jeremiah 29:11). I want to find you, hold on to you, and believe.

The Future of Earth

Space exploration will be a pivotal point in the future. It will enable us to travel across the universe, so that when we ruin Earth - if we do, we will have a home.  So there will be times when we achieve a goal that will take us one step closer to unlocking the vastness of space. Jeff Bezos said he will start offering flights to space in 2017. One ticket will cost $1.5 million. Also in the 2020's humans might return to the moon and establish a base there.
But there are some limitations to our future. We must think about the economy. For example, America owes $14 trillion in debt. But there is a solution to debt: an International Bank. And so I have a proposition for a "Committee of  Nations".

PROPOSITION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PEACE

All nations must swear to peace.

All nations* must deposit ALL their money into an International Bank.

*Nations owing debt must pay 10% of their debt to the IB.

The International Bank donates money to the International Space Agency(ISA).

A nation may borrow money for a national project.

State income will pay debt.

Citizens will pay 7.5% of their taxes to the state, 2% to the county, 0.3% to the town, and 0.2% to the neighborhood.
                                                                                             
Finally we must think about peace. But of course the IFOP covers that.

The Lord is my strength

"Somewhere in your head, you still think of yourself in these terms: cherished, loved, encouraged, acknowledged, accepted, protected, worthy, wanted, or abandoned, rejected, put down, criticized, judged, unwanted.

And He speaks a new word, and avails a new work.My daughter. My son. And the work of our healing begins."

Tessa Afshar speaks those words in Ann Voskamp's blog that I read every week.  It's about Jesus taking care of our deep sadness over father wounds.  I'm glad she also says it's "work" to heal and it's a process.  I help people who come to me for counseling deal with their pain from the past and the present. So much sadness in relationships, but also beauty and hope.  We are driven to intimacy with others.  It was designed that way from the maker. Yet, we don't seem to be able to get it right.

I have father wounds; can identify more with the words rejected, put down, criticized, and judged, than cherished and accepted.  And that has consequences for my relationships. I often dish out a heaping serving of criticism with my declarations of love and acceptance to those I was given to raise.  But I want to get it right; use these moments with my children for their good.  To build them up, and not tear them down.  

Bringing up children is hard work, and I get tired so quickly.  Thus my quest to find a source of new strength in Him.  It hasn't worked yet, but I won't give up.

Isaiah 40:29 - 31 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youth will become exhausted, and young men and women will give up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

The history of Star Wars

A looooooooooooooong time ago . . . in a galaxy far, far away . . .
Daaaa da da daa da daaaaaaaa . . . Ok never mind. So this is the actual history of the Star Wars galaxy.  About 13 billion years ago (right after the Universe began), a galaxy formed. And for a looooooooong time there were thousands of races, but every planet only had one race each. Until they all found something. So they worked on organizing a meeting on a planet called Coruscant. They discussed something they had discovered. They called it "The Force". They decided that because they had met on Coruscant, it would be the home of the Jedi who are the keepers of the force. So the Jedi Temple (including the Jedi Academy, Holocron Collection, Jedi Archives, and the meeting place for the Jedi) was built there. But some Jedi discovered a new part of The Force. Therefore, they broke off and traveled to the planet Sith. There they studied "The Dark Side". They were called The Sith because of the planet they lived on. They then worked on a Civilization for the Sith. They also created the "Sith Rule of Two".
The dark side was unknown for a long time. The Sith also had a Civil War which was interrupted by an important event. During the Sith Civil War, some merchants found the Sith. They befriended a Sith named Naga-Saki. They left, promising him help in his war. But they had lied. Instead, they became Jedi, built the Republic, and sent troops to destroy Naga-Saki. When the troops arrived, Naga-Saki thought they were reinforcements. But they destroyed him. The other Sith leader escaped though, and trained Darth Plaguies and Darth Venoumous.  About two decades later, Plaguies killed his master and Venoumous. Plauguies then captured a Jedi and made him a Sith who was named Darth Evan. But Evan turned to the good side, and nearly killed Plaugies. So Plaguies suited up in a black cape and a black metal suit, and trained Darth Sidious. Sidious went on to lead the Republic, trained Darth Vader, and made the Empire. And the rest is in Episodes 4-9 of Star Wars.
Hopefully, at the end, the galaxy will finally return to a peaceful state.  And I hope our world will follow suit.

Psalm 136

Looking for a Bible passage today to go with my feeling of thanks.  Is is good to give thanks to God, so we are told. And I do believe it and tell people to try it as a discipline. Lots to be thankful about today: almost last Wednesday of quiet and peace in the morning before summer; no cavities for all 4 of us who went to the dentist yesterday and today; organic produce from Aldi and Hagn doz vanilla ice cream with honey and walnuts; a calmer period in my marriage after some crippling storms just a few weeks ago; kids doing well in school and a teacher so willing to help with the not so well parts; a photo of the children in Bavarian clothes from the homeland that hasn't been home in 30 years; my boy who announces that he wants to spend the summer reading, writing, and thinking; not so little girls anymore willing to give the still-not-being-able-to-swim problem one more try; and the sunshine today.
So I find Psalm 136 and it causes mixed emotions. His mercy and love endureth forever, yet only to the Israelites and not their enemy. On which side am I ? I want to give thanks this moment, but know that I will be grumbling at God before the day is over! How fickle I am in my faith and my character. I am so silly to believe that I can just avoid praying for God's will, so the seemingly bad that comes with the good won't happen. Like I have any control over my life by using strategies to keep God from reaching in to this life that he gave.
That's where I am today: thankful and holding back.

Triumph for Feste

Thank you Feste supporters. I just received news that 41 people looked at our post about the campaign. That is about 0.02% of the vote  - not to put hopes down. But it is good news saying our campaign is growing! We have people looking at this post across the nation, and even in Germany!!! And I owe all of this to my mom who put my campaign on Facebook, and that is when many people looked at it. So I will put her as one of our campaign managers.
Now that the Front runners have secured their nominations, Feste is moving on to debating Trump and Clinton. At this moment, I'm watching a controversy between Trump and a reporter. It seems they still haven't settled things, which isn't a first for Trump. The Feste campaign announced it's economic ideas today. We will be compromising between Democrats and Republicans. Because democrats mainly support socialism and Republicans support capitalism, a compromise is needed between capitalism and socialism. The compromise is that every citizen should be required to at least once in their life time supply any amount of money, time, or resources to a charity. If a citizen isn't able to, they will receive these gifts. I also need to say personally to Feste - if he is reading this - I'm trying to get the campaign as public as possible and promising good ideas to fix our nation.
Thank you supporters! Down and out.

Always a bit on the edge of despair

As a mom it's hard to feel good about yourself. So many slip ups, so many not good enoughs, which are magnified by those little eyes watching, absorbing, and eventually playing back to you in their own behaviors.
Trying to start a new chapter today. Of reading just a very small chunk of Scripture to fill the despair with hope.
"Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What joy awaits us inside your holy temple."

FESTE 4 PREZ

We are running out of hope. After Cruz and Kasich fell out, there are only 3 candidates left: Clinton, Trump, and Sanders. Trump is a tyrant, Clinton will destroy our economy. Sanders is a good guy, but we need a variety of good candidates. Therefore we need Feste: Feste was born in Illyria, a Greek country. He was a fool (jester) to the Countess Olivia, and was a character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. He is very smart, pulling off many tricks on Olivia and Malvolio. After Super Tuesday, he announced his candidacy. His campaign formed the "Twelfth Party", which Feste represents.  He won every primary and caucus he entered. I then endorsed him and hosted the Twelfth Party Convention. He won his party's nomination and now campaigns across the nation debating other front runners and meeting voters. This summer the Chicago Shakespeare theatre will show Twelfth Night in parks on select nights, and Feste will be there to promote his ideas after the show.  So VOTE 4 FESTE! : )