why i'm NOT voting for obama.

i'm having a hard time with this election.
i'm not a political person to begin with...so elections and their antics always grate on me.
but this year...it's been especially annoying.
the main reason?

obama.

i don't know the man. but still, i'm frustrated by him.
i'm frustrated by how he's disillusioned so many people...
people i look up to...
people i respect.

i'm not an expert on the subject...
and i don't want to start a political debate here on my blog.
(believe me, that is the LAST thing i want)
but when an email landed in my inbox this morning...
something snapped.
and i realized i had to post it.

it's been checked out by snopes.com...and is the real deal.
i echo the sentiments of the author 100%.

(this was copied directly from snopes.com: you can read it on their site here.)

Huntley Brown

Claim: Editorial by pianist Huntley Brown explains why he won't vote for Barack Obama.

Status: True.

Example: [Collected via e-mail,October 2008]

I wanted to send this article from Huntley Brown - a fabulous concert pianist, a man of God and a black man. I appreciate so much his reasoning for not voting for Obama. I would like to see his article published or spread out via Email to as many as possible. It's good stuff!

Why I Can't Vote For Obama

By Huntley Brown

Dear Friends, A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating...

First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support. Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.

Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christ follower) means He leads I follow.

I can't dictate the terms He does because He is the leader. I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.

We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know Obama so all I can go off is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.

NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)

To beat Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with. There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him.

There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito. These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.

Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue

The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

*steps removed due to their extremely graphic nature. if you'd like more detail, (it really is disturbing) go to the link above.*

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

God help him.

There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.

Think about this: You can't give a kid an aspirin without parental notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.

Obama tells us he has good judgment but he sat under Jeremiah Wright teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?

Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 "Go and make disciples of all nations." This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to think like you, walk like you; talk like you believe what you believe etc. The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?

Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets that said they have a ...

1. Commitment to the White Community

2. Commitment to the White Family

3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic

4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the White Community.

5. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting White Institutions

6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the White Value System

7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.

Would you support a President who went to a church like that?

Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets of Obama's former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton would have been marching outside.

This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20 years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the whole world.

A church can't have a value system based on race. The churches value system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if it’s a white church or a black church it's still wrong. Anyone from either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.

Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him.

Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?

So what does all this mean for the nation?

In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead a nation it meant one thing - judgment.

Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king. First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."

Then God says

1 Samuel 1:18 "When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

Here is what we know for sure.

God is not schizophrenic

He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain. As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so obviously many people are not hearing from God.

Maybe I am the one not hearing but I know God does not change and Obama contradicts many things I read in scripture so I doubt it.

For all my friends who are voting for Obama can you really look God in the face and say; Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion. He might have to nominate three or four Supreme Court justices, and I am sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights, even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the other way because of the economy.

I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally I have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's value system has to be placed on the nation,

1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation.

2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?

Blessings, Huntley Brown

Origins: Huntley Brown is, as described on his web site, a "a Christian concert pianist whose versatile repertoire includes classical, jazz, gospel, reggae and many other styles."

An e-mail to Mr. Brown about the item reproduced above, an explanation attributed to him about why he would not be voting for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, drew the following response:

Yes, I wrote this e-mail. I was responding to my friends who asked me to vote for Senator Obama because he is black.

It was not my intention to send it around the world.

I did not post this e-mail or send out any pictures attached. I wish they had not done that.

My friends did not ask me to vote for Senator Mccain which explains why my e-mail was geared towards Senator Obama.

My e-mail was not meant to influence public opinion in any way, but simply to share with my friends my views on why I could not vote for Senator Obama.

I have problems with both candidates, but the differences I have with Senator Mccain are pale in comparison with the ones I have with Senator Obama.

For the record, I am not a politician. I am not a Democrat or a Republican. I am a Christian independent who just loves the Lord.

If Senator Obama wins he can count on my prayer support every day.

I tell my friends it's like a family where you have different opinions, but you love each other just the same. I love and appreciate Senator Obama but our views are diametrically opposed.

If I knew my e-mail would have generated this much interest on a national level, I would have left out a few points. I don't want people to think I am against gay people or against people who have had abortions. (I am not) We are all sinners saved by grace but we need to have some absolute laws to govern society or else we will self destruct.

What has really bothered me is our beautiful black women constitute only 6% of the population, yet they comprise 36% of the abortion industry's clientele. Obama has done nothing to stop this. Most people don't know that the leading abortion providers have chosen to exploit us blacks by locating 94% of their abortuaries in urban neighborhoods with high black populations. Obama has done nothing to stop this?

To be honest I can't wait to vote for the first black President but it has to be a person who shares the values I read in the Bible.

Thanks for checking to make sure my e-mail is legit it is.

The sad part is I have been getting hate mail and my family is being harassed. As you can imagine not everyone is happy with my e-mail.

God bless you richly.

stuff.

just sent my very bundled up son out the door with his papa.
it's STILL snowing.
they're going sledding.
so fun.
i love it.
i love that my son finally gets to experience snow and all its wonder.
here it's like christmas in october.
it's snowed almost every day we've been here.
i'm glad i added some christmas music to my ipod mix. :-D




we saw two moose walk right by the house this morning.
most likely, they were the same moose we saw the other day...
but the were spitting distance from the window this time.
elijah was so excited.
we got him a little moose at the store to remember this momentous occasion...
he's hardly put the thing down since we bought it.



just read an article about a family who took a year off from normal life to travel around the world.
you can read the article for yourself here.
very cool.
ever since, i've been dreaming about doing it myself with my family.
obviously, something like that takes a lot of planning and saving...
but man.
what an experience.


i've had the travel bug for a while now...
i realize that i'm currently in a different state than my home
and that technically counts as travel...
but i've been itching for a different kind of travel.
to get out the country...
to experience life somewhere far from home...
somewhere foreign where maybe i don't speak the language.
like peru. or france. or india.
i've been thinking a lot about our trip to john's parents hometown in mexico back in 2006.
when i get home, i think i'll dig the pictures out and finally do something with them.
i'm thinking maybe a shutterfly photo book. a nice one.
or maybe i'll print the pictures up and do it myself.
we'll see.
all i know is, i need to do something with those thousands of pictures.
they contain memories too wonderful to just let them sit on my computer.


now for some fun.
the following mosaics are from today.
ahhh...they make me smile.


the first one is from this morning...
while e was sitting on the potty, he was also reading to me.
so sweet.

the second is from this afternoon.
he saw my camera and said, "mile?" (which obviously means, smile?)
i asked him if he wanted to take a picture with mama.
he said yes.
so i told him to smile...and this was the result.
four pictures...with no smiles.
ah well...
i suppose i should be thankful.
in a few years, i won't be able to get him to stop making silly smiles for the camera.


that's all for now.

more moments...

hello moosies. they posed so nicely, don't you think?

the second target in all of alaska. note the "hello wasilla" sign in the top right corner.

pretending to sleep at target

modeling his new elmo slippers, baba's tea cozy and thomas the train

feeding ducky some cereal.

eating baba's cereal like the little birdie that he is.

frosty, frosty

certainly soaking up the crispy, cold weather here in alaska. just checked the weather for hometown ripon and couldn't comprehend eighty degrees. seriously? no way is it eighty degrees somewhere in the world when it's a blissful 25 degrees here. today it's frosty, frosty, frosty. there's a thick layer of frost on everything...even the leftover spiderwebs clinging to the deck chairs. so, so pretty. just waiting for my camera batteries to finish charging so i can head outside for some shots.

elijah is loving his time here. he's become so much more animated in the past few weeks...in his expressions, mannerisms and verbalizations. i love to hear him talk; watching his little face pucker up in concentration while he tries to explain something to me is so amazing and precious to see.

elijah's first time in the snow pictures coming soon. my mom wants to use the computer now.

a few moments...

in the seattle airport...

just some moments and memories from our first days here in alaska. we're enjoying the early-in-the-season snow...the presence of baba and papa...and the general lack of anything to do (in a relaxing, rejuvinating kind of way). elijah is simply fascinated by the snow...it's so fun to watch him experience these kinds of "firsts". we finally picked up a pair of snow boots for him (at the brand-new target...quite the place. pictures to come...) and he had his first official snow experience in the fred meyer parking lot. good times. we still need to find some mittens...the only pair i brought are not snow resistant (in other words, they get wet very quickly as they're just fleece). maybe tomorrow we'll make the trek out to find those.

until then...i've got to go rescue my son from the pantry. *sigh*

singing songs of my hometown...

i'm getting ready to leave for alaska for two weeks and believe it or not, this is actually on my list of things to do! i told you i was trying to be a better blogger. but my list is ridiculously long, so i do plan to keep this short. while i'm gone, i am going to try to post daily or every-other-day pictures on here for hubby at home to see. not sure how well that'll go...i haven't had much success in the past...but the good intentions are there.

before i leave you for my list...here's a song i always sing when i'm heading up to alaska (my homeland)...or when i've just returned from there. it's called 'faith my eyes' and it's an oldie-but goodie from caedmon's call.

as i survey the ground for ants
looking for a place to sit and read
i'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
how they're much like this concrete that's warm beneath my feet

and how i'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
with a touch of my father just up around the eyes
and the sound of my brother's laugh
but more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

but if i must go
things i trust will be better off without me
but i don't want to know
life is better off a mystery

so keep on coming...these lines on the road
keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
keep me guessing at these blessings in disguise
i'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

my hometown weather is on tv
and i imagine the lives of the people living there
and i'm curious if they imagine me
they just wanna leave...i wish that i could stay

but i get turned around
i mistake some happiness for blessing
but i'm blessed as the poor
still i judge success by how i'm dressing

so i'll sing a song of my hometown
breathe the air and walk the streets
maybe find a place to sit and read
and the ants are welcome company

the choices we make.

my kitchen counter is littered with the leftovers of this mornings cookie baking session.

my kitchen table, normally clear glass, is frosted with milk from breakfast (courtesy of elijah-man's attempt at eating cereal with milk like a "bii boy!"), "elmo soup" (earth's best's yummy vegetable/noodle soup with elmo on the can) from lunch mixed with cookie crumbs from a little taste test we had before naptime. (cookies before naptime? i know...probably a bad idea.)

my living room floor has toys scattered hither and yon...in every corner, another lego or car or ball peaks its head out at me.

my bedroom has a mountain of clean clothes growing there, just waiting to be folded and put away.

there are dishes in the sink.
the toilets need a good scrubbing.
i won't even get started on the state of my closet.

all these things...but today i choose to sit here instead. because honestly, i'd rather be doing this than any of that. oh choices...

ah...pregnancy.

so...i've been a bad blogger. a really bad blogger.
but that's not the only thing i've been bad at lately.
a bad photographer? yup.
a bad housecleaner? yup.
a bad "let's get creative and do something fun together" type mom? yup.
a bad wife? yup.

my poor family. they've had to deal with crabby, nauseated, headache-y, pregnant me for the past few weeks. and i can tell they're tired of it. heck, I'M tired of it. so...even though i don't feel like it, tonight, i'm going to cook dinner. even though i'd rather be lying down on the couch, watching elijah play, today, i'm going to get down on the floor and build lego houses with him. and maybe a blanket fort. and maybe let him use the "special markers". even though i really just want to sit down, today, i will do the dishes, clean up the kitchen after dinner and help elijah pick up his toys. i won't give elijah just fruit snacks and goldfish for snack. i won't let john fend for himself for dinner. i will pick up where i left off those few weeks ago when first trimester pregnancy hit me like a crazed linebacker.
and even if i don't get half those things done...at least it's a start.

one thing i did do with elijah during this past month was take him to the pumpkin patch. it's not a true pumpkin patch...more like a road side fruit stand turned pumpkin crazy. i actually took my camera along and didn't leave it in the car! we had a great time, exploring the mazes, picking out pumpkins to take home (just three), climbing all over the tractor...etc. etc. so glad i made myself summon the energy to take him. thinking about making it a friday ritual until it's gone.

dancing.

went and saw fireproof this past tuesday with some couples from our small group. really great film. if it's playing near you, i highly recommend checking it out. it was worth the $7 popcorn!

in keeping with my plan to be on top of things, i should go clean up the kitchen, make my grocery list and print out some recipes. while i can't guarantee that i'll be a fantastic blogger in the next few weeks (i'll be in alaska for two of those weeks), i can promise that i'll be trying. really hard.

oh...one more thing:

i'm selling these hats. please contact me if you'd like to purchase one. prices are as follows: $12 for newborn size. $15 for 0-6 months (size pictured). $20 for 12-24 months. $25 for 2t-5t. shipping is included in the cost. i'll have a christmas themed one soon too. it's a red and white or red and green striped stocking cap. super cute. i'm taking orders for those too.