A Team Week 112: My Dearest Boys...

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My Dearest Boys,

This week, history was written into your lives as our country elected the first new president since either of you were born.  It has been an election that has deeply burdened my heart as I consider your future in this country.  I've thought back on the previous elections of my own life (Mommy & Daddy have already lived through 5 different presidents!) including an argument I had on the school bus with my two best friends about who our parents were voting for back in grade school and a time that I was the only one in my class raising my hand to select the party that I best identified with in high school government class.  With these thoughts, I have also wondered for the past year or more who would be our next president and what I will tell you about this election in coming years.  Now I know...at least the first part: In January of 2017, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States and the 2nd president of your lives.  For the second part I haven't figured it all out yet, but there are several things that this process has placed on my heart to speak to you as your parent during this chaotic time in US history.  Here goes...

1. First and most important of all: No matter who becomes president, Jesus is King.  Love Him with all your heart, soul and mind in absolutely everything you do.  (Matthew 22:36-38)
2. Second most important: Love Everyone.  This is an incredibly tough challenge we had been given, but it is commanded by God.  In all that you do you must do your very best to live a life of love both in your words and actions (Matthew 22:39).  Before, during and after this election people have been upset and scared.  It was an election season full of idiocy, inappropriateness, hatefulness, assumptions, opinions, blame and more, but one thing it lacked was love.  Now, with the surprising results in, that unfortunately has only gotten worse.  I had hoped that the election would end it, but people are beside themselves with anger, worry and fear and hate.  In moments like these you still have to love...LOVE HARD!  So what does love look like?  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a says "Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preservers.  Love never Fails."
1. Love is kind.  Love does not dishonor others.  You will have opinions and others will have theirs but that does not give you the right to be rude or hateful. To be a [responsible member of a civic society, you must engage in discussion (Huffington Post Paraphrase)]. To have a reasonable discussion you must be willing to listen and be kind throughout so that the other person knows they are being heard.  Even if you disagree.  Remember, you can disagree and still be honorable and kind.  As you take part in this country (and the world around you), in who we are as a nation and what we are known for may you (we) focus less on "greatness" than kindness.  Leave the labels of society behind and simply focus on love.  There is no "Them" and "Us".
1. Riaz Patel via Glenn Beck: "The worst outcome of the election is that we have each been reduced to a series of broad labels that no longer reflect who we are. Mexican. White. Republican. Immigrant. Muslim. We may try to look at people as “labels” but we’ll never truly see them because THEY do not look at their own lives & families as labels. If, in the misery of this morning’s election hangover, we choose to continue to refer to Trump supporters as one collective “Them” I think that is as offensive as anything else I’ve heard in this election cycle and as ungracious as anything we feared from Trump supporters in the defeat we assumed would be theirs. I think a key part of beginning to heal is realizing Trump is not his supporters. Who he is and how he campaigned are truly distasteful to me. But his supporters are not him. They voted for a variety of reasons that are important and personal to them. And when I was with them this past weekend, everyone I came across showed me kindness & humanity. I hope, for their sake, the quality of their life improves. And that they are able to continue to work and provide their families with a safe and loving home.
2. Love does not envy.  Love is not self-seeking.  "We love because He (Jesus) first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  God calls us to love.  We love not to gain something (although we do definitely benefit) but because God calls us to love.  There is also no room for envy or jealousy in love.  God will provide all of your needs (And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)).  Everything else is in the end really doesn't matter. ("Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8)).  Do not focus on your own selfish desires but seek God.  "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.'" (Matthew 16:24).  A relationship with Jesus is the only thing that really matters in this world, so I pray that you will seek this relationship for yourself and then share it boldly and proudly with others so that the whole world may know.  Psalm 67: "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.  May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.  May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.  May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.  The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.  May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him."
3. Love does not boast.  Love is not proud.  Your discussion must [not be for the sake of winning, but for the sake of understanding and being understood (Huffington Post Paraphrase)].  As mentioned above that will not happen without kindness and it will not happen without love. 
4. Love is patient.  Love is not easily angered.  During your discussion you must remain patient, calm and level-headed...even if the other person you are talking with does not.  No good will come of losing your temper or giving up on your attempt to understand.
5. Love always trusts.  Do not make assumptions of others.  We are a fallen world and we are all sinners, but we were also all made in the image of God.  Give people the benefit of the doubt that what they say and do is what they honestly feel is true and right in their eyes.  You do not have to agree with them, and often you won't, but still try to understand where they are coming from.  In this election everyone had a reason to vote who they voted for and despite the rampant accusations following the election that all of those that voted for Donald Trump are hateful bigots, I believe the truth to be that most voted for him for other reasons such as the Supreme Court nominees, pro-life agendas and/or "because they feel frustrated with the economy" or "they feel socially left behind" (Huffington Post). 
6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  Our world is overwhelmed by media and everyone has some sort of agenda.  While I do believe you need to trust others and give them the benefit of the doubt that their intentions are good, you also need to seek the truth.  [Learn to check facts, to weigh news sources, to question taken-for-granted assumptions, to see [your] own biases, to take feedback, to challenge one another."  You need to learn "how to disagree—with love and respect".  (Huffington Post Paraphrase)].  Jesus says that "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13) and that "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).  Jesus is Truth.  The world will mostly disagree with this and yet my prayer is that you will seek Truth throughout life and through that journey I know my prayers for you to make Jesus Lord of your life will be answered.  Once you know Jesus, study His Word throughout your life and He will guide you for truth in the other parts of your life.  "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." (Psalm 119: 105).  "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17).
7. Love keeps no record of wrongs.  In your discussions and search for truth, you will likely be hurt by others along the way.  Forgive them and pray for them.  Satan does not want you to find the truth, but remember he also does not want them to find the truth.  Let that knowledge show you that you are on the right path rather than allowing it to discourage you.  Colossians 3:13 "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."  Matthew 5:44 "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  Additionally, when things do no go your way and there are consequences that result do not blame others.  Rather see that everyone has a part in the greater whole and search to find what you can do to improve circumstances where you are at.
8. Love always protects.  No matter your differences with someone else, you need to stand up to what you see that is wrong.  Show others your love and support and don't be afraid to walk against the current.  Don't be a bully; be a friend.  Stand up for truth and love.   [Stand united and protect one another.  Silence is dangerous.  Speak up when something is wrong. (Huffington Post Paraphrase)]
9. Love always hopes.  Love always preservers.  Our hope is found in none other than Jesus Christ alone.  Never lose sight of that.  When all hope seems lost, when your grief and despair weigh you down heavily fix your eyes on "Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
1. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)
2. "Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:12-13) 
3. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:3)
4. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:12)
5. "Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
10. Love never Fails.  Never forget this.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  (1 John 4:8)  We are more than conquerors, and we "can do all thing through Christ who strengthens [us] (Philippians 4:13).  Romans 8:31-39 "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Third Day

So, that is what I've got.  That is what I want you to know, and that is what I believe will not only help you decide on who to vote for when it is your time, but also how to approach pretty much everything you say, do and think in life.  Throughout this election, I have no doubt that most of the people in this country voted for what they thought was best for the future of their country.  We have different opinions, beliefs, and views but in the end Jesus Christ is really the only one that knows our future or what is best for us.  However I think if we really want to see change in this world one of the best places to start is in the young hearts and minds like you.  I may never be able to tell you who to vote for and maybe we will even disagree on that in the future, but I vow to always direct you to Christ as our Hope is Truly found in Nothing less.  In GOD we trust; Not a president, not politics, not even in ourselves, but in God Alone.

(c)Brian Gordan FowlLanguageComics.com

Finally before I move on to the less presidential events of our week, let me leave you with a little advice:

Whenever you see fear, let it motivate you to love.

Whenever you see anger, let it motivate you to love.

Whenever you see pain, let it motivate you to love.

(Parent Cue:)

Credit.  Remember To Shine.  Philippians 2:12-15 "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.  Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." 

As I already mentioned, this week was election week.  On Tuesday, I left work a little early to get out and vote.  After more than a year of hearing about the candidates I was ready to get it over with, but I was also apprehensive about what may lie ahead.  Throughout this election, my heart has been heavily burdened by what is going on in our country.  Hate, violence, fear...all signs that our country world desperately needs Jesus.  With people I love on both sides of the fight, it is hard to choose a side.  I do not agree with most of the liberal viewpoints but also cannot rap my mind around voting for a man that encourages hate and seems to have only selfish ambition in mind.  In the end though, what mattered most to me is that I would be able to tell you who I voted for and why someday without feeling guilty or ashamed.  Everyone votes for who they feel is best for our nation, and I will not fault them for that, but for me the only thing I am sure of is that people need Jesus and all I could see is that neither option given to me would help me bring people to Him.  Neither option would show my unbelieving friends, family, neighbors, etc. love.  So, I drove back to Kenosha, parked at the VFW and did what I had to do and along the way I could see the sun setting just beneath the dense clouds reminding me that no matter how I voted or who won the election, I would see that sun again in the morning.

The next morning, the sun did come up.  With it though came an angry storm of emotions, opinions and actions from people across the country.  The election was over but people were angrier than ever as Trump surprised many with an electoral win.  My morning scroll through Facebook literally sent me to my knees in prayers as I was sick to my stomach reading the stream of social media on my phone, and God reminded me that people need Him.  People need Love.  Being that it was Wednesday, you and I had our day off together and as I watched you tenderly hug and kiss your Daddy goodbye as he headed off to work, I vowed to myself that we would have a great day together...for what better way to bring love to the world than by pouring all my love into you so that you too will learn love and share it.

So, we set off to have a great day together and guess what...we did!  You played outside while I made us some special colorful pancakes and then we all headed over to church for playgroup and fun with our friends.

Avery helping Mommy make pancakes.

Avery with his colorful chocolate chip banana pancakes.

After having fun at playgroup, we headed back home for lunch and naps.  Then we headed back outside to enjoy God's creation as we embarked on a Fall scavenger hunt together through Petrified Springs Park.  You both had a great time looking for different colored leaves, different textures of rocks, bugs, animals and more, and I had a great time just being with my two little loves.

After Wednesday the week continued on and the sun continued to come up each morning and go down each evening.  Our life continued as usual and very gradually the hateful words and actions in the media were replaced with the everyday moments.  Our week finished out without any more significant events and I simply enjoyed the company of each of you and your Daddy.  I don't know what 2017 will bring, I don't know what type of president Trump will be, and I don't know what direction this country will head, but I do know that Jesus is King...

...and I know that I love Him...and I love you all with a fierce, unmeasurable, unstopping LOVE.

Avery eating a cookie with Daddy after being coaxed into eating his dinner so that he could have a treat.  Avery, I love how you always have your little feet crossed in pretty much whatever you do!  <3

Like Father, Like Son.

Avery concentrating hard on your dinosaur puzzle.

Video: Goodnight Moon

Avery, you recently discovered Goodnight Moon and it is now one of your favorites...and becoming one of mine.  I have always hated that book but reading it with you is the cutest thing ever.  You say goodnight to everyone in the cutest little way, and you get excited to point out all of the balloons, mice, bears and more.

One of the things I love most about being your Mommy is watching the two of you play together.  I pray that you are always the very best of friends.

Video: Laughter Heals the Heart

...my silly boy...because we all needed a little laughter this week.

On Saturday afternoon, Avery and I enjoyed our naps while you (Asher) had no interest in sleeping.  Instead, Daddy took you for a walk with your bike and you enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa at the local cafe.  Lucky Bum!  Nothing like a good cup of cocoa and some one-on-one time with Daddy!

Video: "Uh-ide."

On Sunday, Asher went outside with Daddy and Avery was desperate to follow...so desperate that he got his boots on all by himself and pushed the chair over to the closet to try and reach his jacket.

Little Stinker!

Video:

Asher, I love how you are becoming such a big guy these days.  On Sunday you insisted on making your own afternoon snack and I watched (quite amused) as you enjoyed your graham cracker sandwiches with cheese and animal crackers inside!