Who is this man and where is my Dubya? I'm just so sad right now.

For months, I've listened to disallusioned Republicans talk about how Bush has abandoned the party and how they regret ever having voted for him. I've always dismissed this because I can only imagine how much worse things would be if Al Gore or John Kerry had been President in his place. I will continue to stand by that.

When he liked the idea of selling port security to a company from the United Arab Emirates, I could come up with some plausible excuses for what he might be thinking and how he might have a point. When he created new entitlement programs that soared into the billions of dollars in order to work with his "democrat friends," I tried to see it from his point of view and give him the benefit of the doubt. His ideas about a guest worker program and comprehensive immigration reform still have me puzzled, but again, I have tried to see it from his side because of the fact that I have always trusted that he was attempting to make decisions in the best interest of the country.

He has been a fantastic war time president. I will continue to support his efforts in Iraq, because I believe that things there are far better than the pictures we see on the news, and that my country is a safer place today due to awareness and proactive policies in the war on terrorism.

So here we are today, the day after a resounding defeat in the general midterm election. A great number of Americans seem to have voiced that they want a change. I fear that they are going to get much more than they bargained for.

I am shocked that Rumsfeld's resignation was announced today. I am not shocked that he resigned, and I'm not even sure that this is a bad thing. I know that he is hated by the Democratic leadership, and if getting someone new in there means we have a better chance of succeeding in our war effort, then I'm all for it. My problem is that this looks like a huge sign of weakness and defeat. The votes are STILL BEING COUNTED.

Bush's press conference today just made me sick. Instead of realizing that the country was voting against the Republican party for straying from its basic conservative values, he seems to think that the country was voting against conservatism in general. I know this is not true, due to the number of democrats who ran on "conservative" principles and were elected. In the weeks and months leading up to this election, there was much talk of Republicans who were planning to either vote Democrat or not vote at all to send a message to their congressman that they are not pleased with the lack of conservatism coming out in their policies. This is what lost the election, I truly believe. But Bush seems to just be planning on handing his opposition all the things they want, starting with Rummy's head on a platter. Is he expecting them to be pacified with this? I seriously doubt it.

What upsets me most about losing yesterday is what we have to look forward to for the next two years. I can hardly say "Speaker Pelosi" without getting a little choked. We know that Charlie Rangel is no fan of tax cuts and he will now be the chairman of the Ways and Means committee. Alcee Hastings is set to become the chairman of the Intelligence committee, and he was impeached for corruption and perjury back in the 1980's as a federal judge before getting elected to Congress. These are scary, scary things to me.

Does anybody not think that there will be an effort to impeach Bush, oust Cheney, bring Rummy and Rice up on charges of war crimes, or any number of outrageous things? I really hope not, but I would so not be surprised.

I have to say that I'm a little bit worried about the fact that Corker got such an underwhelming majority coming out of Chattanooga. Do they know something that we're about to learn? I just found that really odd.

I'm also really sad about Rick Santorum, by the way.

So, what's the good news? I think it may not be a terrible thing for the country to get a reminder of what life is like when liberals are in control. I actually don't think it's a terrible thing for Republicans to be out of power, if it acts as a catalyst back to conservatism for the 2008 election. I hope that this serves as a wake-up call to those who would run for office next time, instead of making them think that moderate is where it's at. I'm not even terribly concerned about what's going to come out of Congress, considering that it is going to be split virtually 50/50 again, and we all know what a gridlock that was last time.

Ultimately, the good news is that God is in control. My pastor has taught me that God is not limited by which political party is in office. He can do whatever He wants to, without even checking His approval rating. It's up to me to work on His campaign, and ultimately I know that's a winning ticket.

Let The Games Begin!

I'm not delusional. I know that there are a huge number of people that really don't get excited about election day. But to me it's one of the most exciting days of the 2-year cycle. I am why the 24-hr news channels will be making predictions all day long. I will have nervous energy all day until the polls close and they start posting election returns. The fact that the races are so close and the stakes are so high just makes it that much more fun. Adding to the sheer joy of it is watching the media fall all over themselves trying to be first with the results. I don't think they're nearly as close to taking back the Senate as they think they are, so it will be fun to watch them try not to appear totally dejected if things don't go their way.

Anyone care to make a wager as to what time they will unofficially declare that the Dems have taken back control? 1 p.m.? 3 p.m.? Or will they wait until 7 Eastern time? It will happen, I assure you. They just can't help themselves. But you have to give them props for optimism, since it's the only time they seem to have any.

Decision 2008 begins tomorrow! What a wild ride that will be...

November 5, 2006
My Dear New Life Church Family,
I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for the horrible example I have set for you.

I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I and my family have experienced over the past few days. I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you.

I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition to you. The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements. The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.

I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I’ve been warring against it all of my adult life. For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach.

Through the years, I’ve sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn’t want to hurt or disappoint them.

The public person I was wasn’t a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family. I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional allegations. But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An example must be set.

It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I did should never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and continues to be incredible. The problem was not with her, my children, or any of you. It was created 100% by me.

I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor, Ross Parsley, will assume all of the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance—I consider that confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.

I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things:

1. Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.

2. Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.

3. Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his actions will make me, my wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn’t violate you; I did.

4. Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each other and rejoice in God’s faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity.
Because of the negative publicity I’ve created with my foolishness, we can now demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I’m sorry I’ve created the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstrate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.
Ted Haggard


November 5, 2006

Dear Women of New Life Church,
I am so sorry for the circumstances that have led me to write this letter to you today. I know your hearts are broken; mine is as well. Yet my hope rests steadfastly in the Lord who is forever faithful.

What I want you to know is that I love my husband, Ted Haggard, with all my heart. I am committed to him until death “do us part.” We started this journey together and with the grace of God, we will finish together.

If I were standing before you today, I would not change one iota of what I have been teaching the women of our church. For those of you who have been concerned that my marriage was so perfect I could not possibly relate to the women who are facing great difficulties, know that this will never again be the case. My test has begun; watch me. I will try to prove myself faithful.

I love you all so much, especially you young women—you were my delight.

To all the church family of new Life Church—Ted and I are so proud of you. You are all we hoped you would be. In our minds, there is no greater church.

As you try to make sense of these past few days, know that Ted believes with all his heart and soul everything he has ever taught you, those things you are putting into practice. He is now the visible and public evidence that every man (woman and child) needs a Savior.

We are grateful for your prayers for our family.

I hold you forever in my heart,
Gayle Haggard

Assuming that these letters are geniune, and I have no reason to believe that they aren't, I believe that this couple will make it. I believe that Ted Haggard loves God, and I believe that God loves him and wants to bring him to full reconciliation and healing. I believe that it is not my place to judge him for what he has done. I believe that the same grace that covers my sins extends to Ted Haggard.

What worries me most is the impact that this story will have, not on cynics and non-believers who are relishing in another hypocrite exposed, but on brand new believers who will undoubtedly be confused by this.

Just last night I was talking to a friend who has only been a believer for a few short months. She was disallusioned because so many married men hit on her, and she was wondering if there are ANY decent men anywhere. I was encouraging her to make one of her requirements when dating someone that the man have a personal relationship with God. This is what grounds us, I told her. People who don't answer to a higher power than themselves will undoubtedly make bad choices if they live by just doing whatever feels right at the time.

So, how do you explain the actions of Ted Haggard, a man who does have a personal relationship with God, and who is the pastor of a huge congregation? We can't just write him off and say he probably wasn't really a believer to begin with, because I honestly don't believe that. I've struggled with my own flesh enough to know better.

What it took me a long time to learn is that my spirit is a totally separate thing from my body and soul. It is sealed, and Satan can't get to it no matter how hard he tries. But as long as I'm here on earth, he has access to my flesh. This is why we can relate to Paul in Romans 7, "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Thankfully, it is because of God's grace that our identify is defined by our spirit, not by our flesh.

This recent exposure for Mr. Haggard was certainly best for him in the long run. He obviously needed help and now he will be free to receive it. My heart breaks for him as I read his agonizing confession. His sin is no worse than any other, except possibly for the fact that he is accountable for his congregation. I know he will one day look back at this point on his spiritual road and thank God for giving him a chance to break free from the bondage that he's been in for so long.

My prayer is that the disallusionment about the church that is sure to follow will not win in the hearts of those precious new believers and those still seeking the Truth. I know that right now Satan is doing a victory dance. I just pray that one day we will be able to look at this moment in time through the lens of Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." May it be so.

Have you seen the new ad where Harold Ford says, "Come Tuesday, you won't have to hear me say, 'I'm Harold Ford, and I've approved this message' anymore"? Way to go, Harold! You've finally said something we can appreciate.

I heard today that Bob Corker has run over 12,000 ads since the August primaries. That feels about right.

Meanwhile, in Iran, they've just performed their third major missile test, code named "Great Prophet". They set off missiles that would be able to reach Israel, as well as a warhead that would distribute over 1400 baby bombs at the same time. The reason we should be concerned about this is because Crazy Dan Ahmadenijad believes that his purpose in life is to usher in Armageddon and the return of this "great prophet." Consider the article below from one of my favorite bloggers, Joel Rosenberg. It makes the daily media saga of Mark Foley, Rush Limbaugh, Michael J. Fox and the great John Kerry seem a lot less significant.

Four more days, four more days...

Thursday, September 21, 2006

MEDIA UNDER AHMADINEJAD'S SPELL: Why have Time, NBC, others refused to examine his dangerous religious beliefs?

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, September 20, 2006 -- updated on 9/21) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinjad has launched a charm offensive through the mainstream media. First was his "exclusive" interview with Mike Wallace on CBS's "60 Minutes." Now the Iranian leader is on the cover of Time magazine this week. Tuesday, he did a lengthy interview with NBC's Brian Williams. Wednesday, he did a 20 minute interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. And, of course, Ahmadinejad's speech yesterday blasting the United States (while on American soil) made headlines around the world.Yet something has been curiously absent from all this media coverage.

American journalists aren't asking Ahmadinejad about his Shiite religious beliefs, his fascination with the coming of the Islamic Messiah known as the "Twelfth Imam" or the "Mahdi," his critique of President Bush's faith in Jesus Christ and encouragement of President Bush to convert to Islam, and how such beliefs are driving Iranian foreign policy.

Time's cover story and exclusive print interview with Ahmadinejad never broached the subject of his eschatology (end times theology). Nor did Williams. Nor did Wallace. Nor does a just-released book, Confronting Iran: The Failure of American Foreign Policy And the Next Great Crisis in the Middle East, by British Iran expert Ali M. Ansari. Nor does almost any of the saturation coverage Ahmadinejad is receiving.

Journalists aren’t typically shy about asking tough, probing questions about the religious views of world leaders. President Bush has been grilled at length about being an evangelical Christian and how this informs his foreign policy, particularly with regards to Israel and the Middle East. Clearly the pope’s views of Christianity and Islam are now under fire. Why such hesitancy when it comes to the religious beliefs of a leader who has called for the Jewish state to be wiped off the planet and urges fellow Muslims to envision a world without the United States?

I think Ahmadinejad is waiting to be asked. He wants to talk about what he believes and why he believes it. His religion shapes who he is and what is driving him. When he addressed the United Nations General Assembly last year, he concluded his speech by praying for Allah to hasten the coming of "the Promised One," the Islamic Messiah also known as the "Twelfth Imam" or the "Mahdi." When he got back to Tehran, the Iranian leader told colleagues that during his speech he was surrounded by a halo of light, and that for 27 or 28 minutes as he spoke, delegates were so mesmerized by the words Allah was speaking through him that no one blinked. Not once.

In the months that followed, Ahmadinejad made his Islamic eschatology even more clear. He told followers that he believed the end of the world was rapidly approaching, and that the way to hasten the coming of the Messiah was to launch a global jihad to annihilate Israel and the United States. He also told followers that the "Mahdi" is already on the planet, but has not yet chosen to reveal himself. What's more, Ahmadinejad has said that he has personally been in contact with the "Mahdi" and received instructions from him, instructions that are apparently leading Iran to prepare for an apocalyptic war to annihilate Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it.

On Tuesday night, he concluded his speech before the U.N. General Assembly with this prayer: "Oh, almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirst for justice, the perfect human being promised [the Twelfth Imam, the Islamic Messiah] to all by you, and makers among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause."

My baby is screaming. He has another ear infection. I've given him Ibuprofin. He's still screaming. I used the numbing drops. He's still screaming. I've held him, rocked him, nursed him, kissed him, changed him, loved on him, scolded him (just a little), picked him up, laid him down... he's still screaming. Now he's crying. No, wait, that's me.

I love living in Nashville. Last night I went to see the Lion King (AMAZING!) with a group of friends, and as I was walking away from TPAC through Lesislative Plaza gazing at my surroundings, I just felt so happy to be there. During intermission, my friend Kristen had told me that she and her husband moved to Nashville without even having jobs because they just knew that they were supposed to live here. My experience was somewhat different.

When Jeff told me in late December 1997 that he was being transferred to Nashville, I cried. I had no desire to come here. "What's in Nashville?" I asked. What a dork. I grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee, and if I was going to move back to Tennessee, that's where I thought I should be. But we felt God telling us to go, so to Nashville we came.

When I first got here, I used to complain about the traffic all the time. Living in Birmingham, I was always five minutes from the interstate, and from there I could get pretty much anywhere I needed to be in 15-20 minutes, tops. Not so in Nashville. Both of our houses have been a good 10-15 minutes from the interstate to begin with, and then getting somewhere from there was a challenge. Not to mention the fact that Jeff moved here six months before me, so I was incredibly frustrated that he knew his way around and I was totally clueless.

Nine years later, I truly could not imagine living anywhere else. I have fallen in love with this city and its surrounding towns. What's funny is that even though we've moved 20 miles south of the city, I still consider myself a Nashvillian. I'm sure the natives of Spring Hill never imagined that their sweet farming community would one day become a suburb of the city, but here we all are.

I love living here in the center of our state government. Walking past the capital building last night and across the Plaza, I was just struck with the history of the place. How many people over the past 150 years have enjoyed its majestic presence? It was a beautiful, cold, clear night last night, and the stars truly seemed to be dancing in the sky overhead. Did you know the capitol building served as a Union fort during the occupation of Nashville during the Civil War? President and Mrs. James K. Polk are buried there. The architect, William Strickland, is entombed in its walls. All those years of history. And since I've lived here, the Plaza was Ground Zero for defeating the state income tax (yes, I drove by and honked my horn just for the fun of it) That was grass roots at its best. And who can forget Al Gore standing on stage declaring that it was just "too close to call"? This is where I live.

Then there's just the fun of it all. I swore that I wouldn't become desensitized to all of the cool stuff that I've gotten to do through my church (see link on the right), like singing on stage at the Ryman with the Gatlin Brothers, filming a video segment for Martina McBride's Christmas concert (even if it did get cut), getting to sing with Twila Paris, Steve Green, Larnelle Harris, David Meece, FFH, just to name a few. Oh, and what the heck, let's be in Michael W. Smith's movie. My husband had a hilarious encounter with Kenny Chesney driving down the interstate one day, and had coffee right across Starbucks from the Governor and his security detail. And where else could I live where my daughter's birthday party gets crashed by Vince Gill?

I have been able to sing and record on numerous occasions with my church choir under the direction of David Hamilton, one of the nation's premiere conductors and arrangers. I truly have gotten to where I take all of this for granted because so many cool things are happening all the time. But even when we're not doing anything "special," just being able to worship at BBC on a weekly basis is an incredible privilege.

Moving to Nashville turned out to be one of the best choices we've ever made. I guess God knew best. Imagine that. :)

Happy Halloween! Bryant wasn't really big on trick or treating, but Brad and Bailey had a ball.

Anyone glad that this man is not called President Kerry?

I'm actually kind of amused by all the demands that he apologize for his moronic statements. If you don't know what I'm talking about, on Monday night, Senator Kerry was speaking to a group of college students in California. He stated, "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

Obviously this has set off a firestorm of criticism from virtually everyone in the country, particularly those who have served or are currently serving in our military. What amazes me is the spin that they have finally settled on. Why do I know it is spin? Because they sent out two or three trial balloons that failed before landing on, "It was a botched joke. Everyone knows I was talking about the President." Yeah, clearly. But the fact that it makes no sense has done nothing to stop the media from running with it. What he meant to say was, "you get us stuck in Iraq." Because that really makes so much more sense.

Diane Sawyer was talking to George Stephonopolous on GMA this morning and said, "George, he meant to say 'you get us stuck in Iraq.' Is all this criticism really fair?" Diane, I'm disappointed in you. The man said what he said. He says that he stands by what he said, owing no apology to the troops. He's so cocky and arrogant that he can't even muster up an apology for supposedly saying something he didn't mean to say.

Now, I must admit that I don't really care if he apologizes to the troops or not. An apology is just words. Kerry didn't say anything on Monday night that departs from his general attitude towards the military ever since coming back from Vietnam and testifying about all the atrocities he says he witnessed before Congress. (Remember the Swift Boat Veterans, anyone?) Just last year he made comments about our military terrifying Iraqi women and children by busting into their homes, disrupting religious services, yada, yada, yada. Even in his defense of his latest statement, he says, "Anyone who thinks that I was insulting the men and women serving in Iraq is crazy." Well, considering the fact that virtually everyone serving in Iraq felt insulted by the remarks, you've now just piled on some more.

So why should he apologize? Our society is really funny about that. We demand that people apologize for stuff, even if they don't mean it. I guess it just makes us feel better.

But what really makes me happy about this whole thing is realizing again what a blessing it is that Kerry lost in '04. The man can't ever be honest about anything. Imagine the huge foreign policy issues that we are dealing with right now with Kerry in office. "No, no, Kim Jong-il, I know that you heard me say we demand that you stop pursuing your nuclear program, but what I really meant was ..." Does anybody think he could have just ignored being called Satan by the demented president of Venezuela? No, he would have been outraged and done everything he could to gain the favor of the madmen Hugo Chavez's of the world.

Because, deep down, this is what liberals want. They want to be liked. It really upsets them to think that countries around the world don't like us. Well, what's better, to be liked by the weak or feared by those who wish to do us harm? In order to be liked by France, we would have to BE like France. 9% unemployment and $5.50 per gallon of gas? No thanks.

We have managed to keep terrorism in check these past few years precisely because President Bush doesn't talk out of both sides of his mouth. His decision making is completely unaffected by polling data. Our enemies fear him because they know that he means what he says. We will not tolerate being attacked anymore. Period. Just IMAGINE the double-speak that we would get if the John Kerry's of the country were in charge. It is frightening.

What's really amusing is that the democrats missed him when they did their wildcard roundup. Pelosi, Kennedy and Reid have been nowhere in sight these past couple of weeks, and the party was doing it's best to make everyone forget who would be in leadership if the Dems take back control. Whoops, guys, you forgot one.

Thanks for the October surprise, Senator.

This past week it's been all about teeth. Bradley's are falling out, and Bryant's are coming in. (See the bottom front left of his gums; you can just barely see it breaking the surface.) I guess this is what it's going to be like having kids that are seven years apart. The thought of Bryant being Bradley's age meaning that Bradley will be getting ready to drive sends my heart into palpitations.

Bradley has lost two of his front middle teeth since Wednesday, which he thinks is really cool because now he and Dylan have matching smiles. He doesn't believe in the tooth fairy anymore, so he brought it down to me before going to bed and said, "Here Mom, where do you want me to put it?" So sad really.

Last time he lost a tooth, he just asked me point blank, "Mom, is the tooth fairy real? Tell me the truth."
Being caught off guard, I asked him, "Do you think the tooth fairy is real?"
"No."
Taking a deep breath, I said, "I will tell you the truth, but you have to promise not to ruin it for your sister or anybody at school. The truth is that I am the tooth fairy. I am telling you this because there are things in life that we can't see that are real."
"Uh-huh, like God."
"That's right. I don't want you to wonder whether God is real if I've told you that the tooth fairy is real and you find out later that she isn't."

I was really proud of him, because he took it all in stride. Later, when a neighbor asked if the tooth fairy had come, he just said yes and gave me a big wink behind their back. It was an edible moment. I'm kindof dreading having the Santa conversation, though. Hopefully he'll think it's fun to play it up for Bailey. He's a good big brother like that.

Anyone that knows me at all is aware that I'm a political/talk radio/news junkie. I always want to be aware of what's happening in the world, our country, our state and even on the local level. While I do think it's important to be informed, there are times that this knowledge can be oppressive. It's scary to pay attention to what's happening in Israel, North Korea, Russia and Iran. It's draining to see the ongoing violence in Iraq and wonder how it's all going to play out. It's maddening to watch the election frenzy and candidates attempt to tear each other down until there's nothing left but a shell of who they originally were. It's frustrating to see the millions of dollars being wasted on TennCare, and how the attempts to fix the problem result in people who are truly in need losing their healthcare insurance. If you dwell on these things, it can really drag you down.

Election years are the worst for me. As we all do, I HATE campaign ads. Just once, I'd love to see a candidate step up to the plate and refuse to sink into attack mode. I know they think they have to defend themselves, and that the best defense is a good offense, but I think all it would take is one person to refuse to step in the ring. Come out, talk about your plan. Tell me why you would be a good senator/rep/whatever. When the other guy runs an ad about the time back in college where you attended a seminar on Marxism, which surely makes you a member of Russian intelligence, take Jesus at His word and turn the other cheek. You could say, "I know that I'm being attacked right now, and please feel free to research my opponent's claims to see if they hold water. As for me, I'm just going to keep telling you what I want to do for you while I'm in office." If the other guy continued to run attack ads, he would find himself so far down in the polls that he would most certainly lose. You can't continue to attack someone who isn't fighting back. And if you do, you certainly aren't going to be winning people over to your cause. Come on, somebody, just try it! Once others see that it works, it could completely change the look of election year. What a serendipitous thing that would be.

But as I'm watching all of the frenzy surrounding the coming election, it's hard not to engage in the negativity. When I first heard the story that Bob Corker was running a racist ad against Harold Ford, Jr., at first I was curious. What ad is he running that's racist? Then after I saw it I was confused. How was that racist? Truly, no understanding at this point. Then once it was explained to me on Good Morning America why it was a racist commercial, then I was beyond offended. Truly, truly disgusted.

I think the NAACP is the poster child for racism. By saying that a white woman (who Harold presumably could have met at a Playboy party he went to, which was the point of the segment in the first place) telling Harold to call her will invoke fear of interracial relationship in the hearts of all of us backwoods, gun-toting, Bible-beating hicks in Tennessee, they are only pointing out their blatant hypocrisy. Who was it that noticed the woman was white? Certainly not the average Joe watching the commercial. It was just a tacky, although somewhat amusing ad. It's the NAACP who noticed her race first, which is what defines racism. To have to be told that something is racist, and then have it explained why is clearly a stretch. I'm just so disgusted by the whole thing.

Do I want to vote for either of these guys? In all honesty, no. But I do feel compelled to vote for the one that I believe has the greatest chance of representing my values once he gets to the Hill. So it boils down to holding my nose and pulling the lever.

At the risk of this becoming an obscenely long post, I have another rabbit to chase. Lately I've been pondering about the hatred that so many people in this country have for our president. Because I'm not one of them, I often think, "Why can't you get past it? He's the President, just accept it and move on." And then I'll be flipping channels and see Bill Clinton. My stomach immediately churns and my teeth begin to involuntarily gnash. While it should have been obvious, I'm coming to realize that I harbor the same level of loathing towards our former president as some do for our current one.

I started checking off why I feel this way about him. 1) I think he was a lousy president, putting his self-interest ahead of the good of the country. Bush's opponents think this exact same thing, claiming that he is only interested in making his oil buddies wealthy. 2) I think he made disastrous choices with foreign policy that set us up to live in a much more dangerous world than the one he inherited. Bush-haters would definitely apply these words to GWB. 3) His smug, cocky, arrogant personality made me want to throw stuff at the TV every time I saw him. Need I say more?

Now, I had lots of other reasons for thinking Clinton was a terrible president, most dealing with character flaws. But if I stop and think about how upset I used to get that he was destroying my country, I have to acknowledge that there are many people out there voting blue that are just as worried that Bush is destroying theirs. Of course I think they are wrong, because I'm passionate about what I believe. But I'm trying to put myself in their shoes to see if there's not some area of common ground in there somewhere. And setting myself up in case my side loses next time to hopefully not panic. I'm not promising anything, though.

I am very thankful that Governor Bredesen is going to win in a landslide against Jim "Vote for me, I'm tall" Bryson. I was already trying to determine whether I could ethically vote for someone who I think is doing a really decent job running the state if I disagree with his position on abortion. Thankfully I won't have to wrestle with that one this time around. The 2008 Presidential election could get really tricky, though.

In summation, Psalm 146:3-4 says, "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing." Nothing like the word of God to put everything in its proper perspective.

Have you ever noticed that there are no pay phones anymore? Of course we don't notice this, because we always have our cell phones and have no need for a pay phone. Which I'm assuming is what Bellsouth was thinking when they got rid of them all. However, as anyone who has ever gone out without their cell phone knows, we are really, really used to having them. Not having my phone always makes me uncomfortable, as if I'm going to miss something vitally important. This is crazy, but it's just the way I've allowed myself to become programmed.

So what does this have to do with the adorable picture of this 3-year-old soccer player? Nothing, except that it was at my precious nephew's soccer game on Saturday that I somehow misplaced my phone. Not realizing this, I left the Bellevue area headed back home. Just a couple of minutes down the road, I tried to call Jeff to see what kind of progress they were making coming home from Mississippi. Since I obviously was having trouble finding my phone, I pulled off into a parking lot to conduct a full and complete search. Becoming ever more frustrated by the minute, I realized that I was going to have to go back to the soccer fields and hunt for my phone. Full of fear and trepidation over having to tell Jeff that I had lost my phone, I lugged all three kids back to the scene of the loss.

Parking as close to my original spot as I could, I had Bradley look under all the cars as we were walking towards the fields to see if he could spot it. I even asked a very nice (albeit suspicious) lady to call my phone just in case I could hear it ring. No such luck. When I got to the concessions stand and asked if anyone had turned in a phone, the lady told me that someone had already come and picked it up. Well, this couldn't be my phone, because no one knows that I lost it. She asked me if I wanted her to call it, so I gave her the number, hoping that I would hear it ring in the big bin of lost soccer balls, but no luck. So we headed back to the car.

As fate would have it, Bradley had to stop off at the Port-a-John, since it had been a good seven minutes since the last time he used it. As I'm waiting for him, the lady from concessions comes up and tells me, "Ma'am, your sister has your phone and she's waiting for you at the mall." Great news! I tell Bradley to hurry up and we're off to the mall. Just one problem. I have no idea where at the mall she is, and of course, I can't call her.

So we get to the mall, and I'm driving around the parking lot muttering "serenity now" over and over under my breath, hoping to see her standing by her car waving me down. No such luck. Bryant is starting to protest in hunger, and the other two are becoming really bored with this whole thing. Finally I park and unload them all, hoping to find a set of pay phones somewhere in the mall so that I can call my sister and get my phone back. As we're walking past the food court, she calls out to me. Sweet relief! She says, "I waited outside for you for a while, but Cooper was getting hungry." I told her that I had been driving around looking for her. She says, "Didn't the lady tell you that I said we'd be at Chick-Fil-A in the mall?" No. No, she didn't. That would have been a really useful piece of information.

So, you're wondering how my sister had my phone in the first place? Perhaps you're not, but I certainly was. This is the part where God truly was smiling down on me. It just so happened that a few minutes after I left, Jeff called me to tell me where they were. Someone had already turned my phone into lost and found, and they answered it, hoping to find whoever it belonged to. They told him that they had my phone. He called my sister, who was able to pick it up from the concessions stand because they were still at the field. Obviously she couldn't call me to let me know that she had it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says to "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Although I wasn't feeling particularly thankful for the wasted hour, I have to thank God for keeping it from being so much worse. After all, someone could be walking around with their SIM card in a brand new phone that just happens to have a picture of three adorable blond children on the face plate. Or I could have gotten all the way home and had to have driven an hour back to Bellevue to get my phone back. And in the broader scope of all the problems of this world, please. This was strictly a minor annoyance. Besides, I still made it home in time for kickoff, so all was right with the world.

It feels like Bradley is growing up at warp speed. Public school is teaching him things I really wasn't ready for him to know yet. Like tonight when he asked me what "making out" means. "Where did you hear that?" I asked. "On the bus." Oh right, of course.

Lately it seems we've had all too many of these frightening moments. But then they get balanced out with the funny ones. Since the kids were helping me sort the laundry tonight, I put Bryant in his fenced-in area and turned on a Playhouse Disney show called Handy Manny. It's really a Hispanic knockoff of Bob the Builder, but it's pretty cute. Bradley says to me, "Mom, I know it's kind of strange, but I really like this show." I said, "Why is that strange?" He said, "Because it's a baby show." I'm already not liking where this is going.

"Who told you it was a baby show?"
"Nobody. I just told myself. Most of the shows on Playhouse Disney are baby shows."
"Oh really? What makes them baby shows?"
"Well, on big kid shows, the characters don't ask you questions."
Oh. I can see that.

How can I slow this down?? I can see how if I didn't have Bryant to baby I could get seriously depressed. God bless him when he hits second grade. We may both need therapy.

It seems that Bryant has chosen sides. They say in Alabama you have to declare your football loyalty on your birth certificate. Since our kids live in a divided household, I kind of thought our kids would just have dual citizenship, so to speak. Yesterday morning it was pretty chilly, so I dressed Bryant in a cute little UT sweatshirt outfit. Although he hasn't leaked out of a diaper in months, he somehow managed to both pee on AND spit up on his cute little UT outfit. So he ended up watching the game in his Alabama jersey, which he kept in pristine condition throughout the entire afternoon. Looks like he's going to be true to his namesake after all. Roll Tide.

Yeah!! My husband is on his way home! They worked like crazy yesterday to get everything done, and now they're on the way home. I knew he wouldn't be able to miss the UT-Alabama game!

What an amazing thing they've accomplished this week, building a house for a family in Mississippi who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina last year. Jeff said the couple is completely overwhelmed, and keep saying how unworthy they feel. I know this trip has been a blessing for all of them. It's a beautiful thing to see the body of Christ at work.

GO VOLS/ROLL TIDE!! (I'm so confused.)

I miss my husband. I really need him to come home. It's been a full week now, and I'm really tired. This morning I learned that it is possible to take a shower and wash my hair while holding my baby. I thought I had done everything under the sun one-handed with my first two kids. Apparently there's still some unexplored territory. Don't worry, Mom, I didn't try to shave my legs.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. My sweet baby boy is growing up way too fast. While not yet seven months, he is already crawling all over the place, pulling up to a complete standing position, and yesterday he attempted to climb up the stairs. I so wanted to squeeze the life out of this child and keep him a baby as long as I could. He's just not cooperating. Thankfully, he has the sweetest temperment and the cuddliest personality. Even though he's a mover and a shaker, he will also let me hold him, hug him and kiss him as much as I want. I'm so grateful for that.

So, back to desperate measures. Seeing as how he will absolutely never stay in one place for any amount of time, I was constantly having to chase him around. Putting him in the Pack 'n Play was met with screams of protest after just a very few minutes. So we had to come up with a compromise. Now we have a slightly bigger boundary, but I can still leave the room with peace of mind. Introducing... the Bryant cage. I really hope he doesn't need therapy for this.

I love Beth Moore. Next to my own pastor, she is my favorite Bible teacher, hands down. I want to be able to study the Bible the way that she does. Every time I go through one of her studies, I see things in the sripture that I've never seen before. I'm so thankful that she was obedient to God to write these studies, because I know that thousands of women have been changed by looking at God's word through her eyes, and discovering His truth in a new way.

For instance, right now I'm doing her study on the Patriarchs. This one is right up my alley because it has a huge emphasis on history, and I'm a big geek. I love it. One of the neatest things I've learned so far is where the word Judaism comes from. That's just something I've never thought to think about before. The word wasn't born until way after the kingdom of Israel split into two, becoming the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The people became known as Judah-ites (later shortened to Jews) and their religion was Judah-ism. Hence, the word Judaism. Before this they were known simply as Hebrews and Israelites. Fascinating.

I also learned that the ancient enemy of the Israelites, the Philistines, who brought fear and trembling into their hearts (David and Goliath, anyone?) and was just a general thorn in their side all throughout the Old Testament, are now known by a slightly different derivation of the name, Palestinians. So this conflict that we see in the news today actually does go back to the beginning of time. Technically, the Palestianians were there first. Unfortunately for them, God owned the land and gave it to His chosen people. I'm thinking they're still not over it.

But today I learned something I've never ever seen or given one single thought to before. Genesis 25 tells us about the death of Abraham. Verse 8 tells us that "Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people." That part I had seen. The next verse just totally snuck up on me, though.

"And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah..." Whoa. I never knew that Ishmael came back to bury his father. This has sent my mind wandering all morning. Did Abraham send for him? Did Isaac send for him? The last recorded encounter between Isaac and Ishmael is when Sarah gets ticked at Ishmael for laughing at Isaac at his weaning party and convinces Abraham to send him away. He almost dies of heat exhaustion and starvation in the wilderness before God rescues him and Hagar. There had to be deep layers of resentment towards Isaac that Ishmael had carried pretty much since he found out Sarah was pregnant. I'm amazed that he even came to the burial, and then it makes me really sad for him. It makes me sad for Abraham, that he wouldn't have seen his firstborn son for all these years. No matter how he came into being, I know Abraham would have loved him and I'm sure he missed him. And here we see Ishmael, coming back for the funeral. What a stressful, awkward encounter this must have been for them all.

I've often wondered why God didn't allow Ishmael to die in the desert, knowing that his descendants would be at war with Isaac's until the end of time. I guess I'll never be able to understand the depth of His love and mercy. I'm just so grateful that it extends to me.

What is it about Fall that makes me so happy? I know Spring is when everything begins again, a time of new life. I do love it when everything starts to bloom. But my favorite season is when everything is so gracefully dying. It's as if the trees burst to life with one last gasp of air before the light burns out and they lose their grip. I wish that it didn't happen so quickly, but I guess it's the brevity of it that makes me appreciate it all the more. Ever since I saw this rainbow of color at the entrance to my subdivision last year, I've been waiting for it to happen again. I promised myself I'd take pictures this year so that I'd be able to hold onto the feeling just a little bit longer. Every time I come in or go out of my neighborhood, I just can't help but smile at them and thank God for this incredible display.

I remember one Fall when I was about 16 when I took a whole roll of color pictures of different trees around my neighborhood and other places in my town. There was an incredibly beautiful tree right outside my high school that I would just stare out the window at all through Economics class. To me, it's the same as watching a fire burn, equally as hypnotizing. One of the biggest things I miss about the town I grew up in is the way it looks in the Fall. My street was full of the biggest and most beautiful trees I've ever seen.

I hope that when I die, I go out like one of these trees. Energetic beauty and grace, standing tall, and leaving everyone I touch with a smile.

Ah... being 5. My sister sent me a card the day after this was taken that said, "Remember when we could show up somewhere wearing the exact same outfit and everyone thought it was cute?" That's exactly what happened on the Sunday morning Bryant was dedicated. I didn't even know Bailey and Riley Grace had the same dress, much less that they were both going to wear it that morning. The girls were almost identical, which tickled them to no end. My dad took this photo, which I think beautifully captures their spirits. I can't wait to see where this friendship goes.

As for life application, while we grown-up girls would be embarrassed to show up wearing exactly the same thing, we STRIVE to show up wearing something from the "approved" list. If we see a friend wearing something we think is cute, we will comment on it. This has the double purpose of uplifting our friend, and also finding out where they got it. Because it's not necessary to ask. Simply saying, "I love that skirt!" will immediately be responded to with both the location of purchase and the price, assuming it was a good deal. For example, me saying, "What cute shoes!" will automatically be replied to with, "Thanks! Target, 14.99!" It's a dance we women do, and it's as innate as driving bad at night.

So, while we don't want to wear exactly the same thing, we want to find something REALLY close to it and wear it in front of that friend the first chance we get. We want to be able to say, "Thanks! Kohl's, 10 bucks!"

I guess some things never change.

This is what I want my blog to be about, chronicling the life of my precious family. These are the most important people in the world to me, and I am thrilled to have a place to share their stories, and just get them down on paper so I don't forget them in the continuing craziness of life. I never would have dreamed how blessed my life would be.

This picture is from Bryant's baby dedication on Sunday, October 1. He was so precious!