THE DIFFERENCE ONE DAY MAKES - November 8, 2016

What a difference a day makes!  The day I'm referring to is Nov. 8th, 2016!
This is how I see it anyway!

On November 7th, 2016, the Democrats were happy, supporting their beloved President and the woman that would fill his seat come Jan. 20. 2017. EVERYONE predicted a landslide win for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the upcoming election. The glass ceiling would be smashed to smithereens and females everywhere would celebrate the historic moment.  A party to out-do all previous celebrations was being organized!  Happy Days were here and also on the horizon.

There was talk of unity for the Democratic party and more progressive measures were being drafted, staff positions were being filled and big plans were being made to cement the Obama legacy into the annals of history.

On that same day, Republicans were described as disorganized and deplorable.  They'd spent the last few years stewing over the progressive agenda path the country was embarking upon but if they voiced their complaints they were met with charges of racism. There was a seething rage right below the surface of politeness. People wondered,  but there was no way of knowing how far and how deep that rage extended.  It was if two foreign languages had been spoken for 8 years and no one cared to take the time to listen to their neighbors.

However on November 7th, ALL predictions agreed that the candidate for the party with the elephant logo was a  major loser that would fade from the national scene the next day. There was NO future for the Republican Party, EVERYONE was speculating that this election would become the demise of the Grand Old Party.  After a number of potential candidates bit the dust, an arrogant, boisterous, blatantly sinful, billionaire ended up at the top of the ticket and no one expected him to do well across America.

THEN.....Election Day rolled around.  The day that changed the course of America.

IT WAS JUST ONE DAY, one 24 hour period!  EVERYTHING CHANGED.

I believe the NY billionaire was just as surprised as everyone else in the country.  HE WON!

California, New York, and Chicago tried their best but had to concede that middle America AND some former "dyed in the wool" Democrats had come out in droves and voted for CHANGE! Both houses of Congress ended up with the majority being Republican which was NEVER supposed to happen. It was a VOTE heard round the world.

And the national dialogue transformed into an UPROAR! Talk about a 180? A flip? A U-Turn?

Unlike previous elections down through America's history, THIS ELECTION was not going to go down as a "peaceful transfer of power."

Vicious, vile, angry words splattered social media.  Protesters lined the streets of major cities carrying signs reading "not my President."  A movement was established called the "Resistance." Major news networks declared war as every move the President-Elect made and every word he spoke was dissected and judged.  Fake news was introduced for the first time in our history and folks lined up to embrace it as fact if it supported their ideas. The new President "tweeted"  and gave the Dems fuel to feed their fire of hatred.  A Women's March was quickly and successfully organized to protest in fear that something MIGHT HAPPEN to demean women everywhere.

NATIONAL FEAR was now in vogue. If you refuse to fear, you are labeled a Trump-ette!

 The new President could do or say NOTHING that pleased the masses. Every bit of air he breathed was despised. Those that voted for him were maligned as complete idiots, friends and family were as divided as the nation. There was the charge, "you rejected our President, now we will do the same."

Half the country was SILENTLY rejoicing at the new direction the government was taking, while the other half took to the streets, the airways, and the internet. Violence broke out, property was destroyed, fires were set and people were paid to protest all over the country.  All those happy, contented folks raised their voices because their hair was set on fire.  ALL THEIR CONFIDENCE had been shattered, in that ONE DAY. How could anyone reject the policies of the present administration?  It was a shocker-roo!

I saw news videos of people weeping uncontrollably in the streets as if life as they knew it was over! The private grief was even more profound.  Hillary's staff members were inconsolable and Hilary went into hiding. "How can we stand to live the next 4 years" was answered without much compassion, "The same way I lived the last 8."  Anger was rampant on both sides of the political battle!

In that ONE day we'd become the UNITED STATES OF HYSTERIA.  And there is no hope that anything is going to change in the near future.  Folks are MAD that their girl lost, they are FEARFUL that their rights are going to disappear, that laws are going to be enforced that will affect them or their neighbors directly, that concentration camps are going to be constructed and FILLED with Muslims, Jews, Mexicans and members of the LTGBQ groups (I've actually heard that from dear, educated friends) and that a wall defending the southern border will keep out every good and decent person that desires to come to the US.  Parents of adopted children fear that their child will be deported!

 Every man or woman presented for a cabinet position is now characterized as a Hitler type or a member of the KKK. Congressional hearings to approve people nominated have turned into shouting matches of lies, innuendos and grandstanding. Past videos have surfaced showing elected officials drastically changing their positions on important issues to ride the tide of dissension. Folks that once praised their colleagues, now trashed them publicly because that old friend was now being considered for the Presidents cabinet. The Presidents son is under unbelievable intense scrutiny and today Trumps handshake is being analyzed as that of a lunatic.  And to top it off there have been calls from formerly decent, hardworking, professional Americans for the new President to be assassinated!!

 Basically half of America does NOT LIKE the President and NOTHING is going to change that.

We've lost our minds! How dare we surrender that much power over our  EMOTIONAL well being to any politician, no matter what the position.!

And we've forgotten our education.  You know, the Civic Classes that taught about the three branches of government put in place so each branch can check on the other from time to time. Legislature makes law, Judicial interprets law and Executive enforces law and if/when one crosses the line there are qualified elected folks in the appropriate position and  ready to call it out.

We've forgotten our history.  There was a time we were shooting each other and selling people on the auction block.  We've fought wars in  Europe, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East.  We've experienced the assassination of a President, the resignation of another and the impeachment of another. We survived the riots, murders and sexual revolution of the 70's. We experienced a seismic national change as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and grieved the loss of it's leader. Together we grieved the loss of 3000 innocent citizens in one day on 9-ll.  And the nation survived!

And we've lost common sense. No amount of protesting, sign waving, or vulgar cursing in the streets is going to change the outcome of the election.  It's a done deal.  And I am pretty sure NO ONE called an idiot, deplorable, uneducated fool is going to vote for a future progressive candidate.  Winning friends and influencing people has never happened through violence and vulgarity. Those silent folks that voted for Trump are watching and they will remember all this!

I don't know the solution to this mess. I DO know that the conflict is not centralized in Washington D.C.  It's in the heart of every one of us. We've lost the capacity to be civil.

I predict that ONE DAY  some event will occur that will unite us once again and cause us to pause and think about our destructive behavior.   ONE DAY something will remind us that we have the capacity to love each other and work together for the good of everyone. ONE DAY something will happen and our foolishness will be revealed.

I wonder what it will be, but I do NOT wonder if we will survive until that momentous event slaps us back to our senses.  We will survive, bruised and wounded.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST 2017

Rear Admiral Senate Chaplain
Barry Black

(I have to document these highlights before I forget!!)

The fancy engraved invitation came months ago, along with a schedule of events.  Andy had contacted the Texas folks that invite Texas people and asked if there was space for his parents to attend.  They said YES. We  RSVP'd, bought airline tickets, new clothes and cleared our calendars.

Andy works with folks in Congress that organize the prayer meetings, Bible studies and weekly prayer breakfast that are held each week for Congressmen when they are in session.  The National Prayer Breakfast is the granddaddy of them all and a huge traditional event since 1953.  I had no idea.  Until last week.....

We arrived last Tuesday, checking into the Washington Hilton (the place where President Reagan was shot years ago.)  It's a literal concrete fortress and a favorite place of the secret service when they are trying to protect someone important. Over 3000 people from 146 different countries descended upon the area. Security was tight, men and women with wires coming out their ears mingled with the guests.

We quickly learned that the theme of the week was "Unity and Reconciliation."  Wow, how appropriate! Unity and reconciliation are words that are rarely used now in the public square, but were repeated over and over again this past week.

There were meetings, prayer sessions, tours, dinners, lunches and private gatherings scheduled for all week long.

We met Andy and were immediately introduced to world leaders, congressmen, and staff people. We walked with him through the halls of the Canon Building where the offices of our Representatives are located.

There we attended a ceremony honoring a member of the prayer breakfast team that was instrumental in starting a prayer breakfast in ALBANIA!  We were introduced to heads of state from the Middle East, brilliant scholars and spiritual giants. My head was spinning.

Rabbi Sacks spoke at the Middle Eastern Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday. What a brilliant man!
Quotes:   "Can you see the image of God in a person that is not made in the image of you?"
                "Live unoffended."
                " If the person you are with experiences anything other than unconditional love, you have
                  failed."
                 "Love the person in front of you."

Oh, my.  I prayed that these words would be written on the insides of my eyelids so that every time I blink I would be reminded.

A well known, highly respect Muslim leader followed.   "We will solve the world's problems when we live the principles of Jesus." WHAT?  A Muslim respecting Jesus.  Yes...I learned that Islam regards Jesus as a prophet from God, unlike no other and that His teachings are the right way to live.

Wow!  We were beginning to understand that this conference would be like none other.

Next I attended a "Women of the States" meeting where Congressional spouses shared their ideas, advice and experiences.  Several wives of senators and representatives stepped up to the microphone and shared their struggles and their deep faith in Jesus.  They attend Bible Studies and prayer meetings weekly and find their support in deep friendships where R and D make no difference whatsoever. They were wise, articulate, and totally dependent on God. They encouraged us to enjoy the week and "take it in."  I was SO encouraged. One of their favorite Bible teachers brought the keynote address.  I came away from that session realizing that there are some terrific people in Washington, praying and trying to do the right thing in leading the country.

 WHAT?  That's not what we see on TV.  I spoke with Caroline Adderholt, organizer of that event, wife of Robert Adderholt, Congressman from Alabama and Andy's good friend, and asked her about that.  Her reply,
"You will see 10 people on TV, there are over 400 hundred of us that you won't see."

(We later learned that between formal breakfasts, lunches and dinners, delegations from the states were also meeting privately.  We heard of one group that took a "prayer walk" through the halls of Congress, praying for all that worked there.  Another group took a "Capital Tour" on a bus and prayed for the folks that work at the monuments, museums, diners, gyms, governmental offices and homes.
D.C. was filled with prayer last week!

 (We squeezed in some time with Andy when we could catch him and he shared his D.C. duties and life. He introduced us to scholars and foreign leaders we never realized we needed to know.  We came away thinking that he knows more people than God.)

Wednesday night was the first Congressional Dinner.  The dining room holds several thousand with 8 people to a table.  We met the most incredible people at each meal.  The conversation always started with introductions and handshakes all around, then polite questions.  Where are you from?  What do you do for a living?  BUT, quickly the talk turned to how important God was in their lives, their devotion to Jesus and how they shared the good news of hope in their ministries. Each person left an indelible mark on our memory. We sat with kings and princes, and  sometimes Baptist preachers whose congregation sold cakes and doughnuts to be able to afford their pastors ticket/travel. We sat next to an aviation investor, a devotional writer, businessmen and women, church planters, folks that run international charities, pastors, moms and dads.

After speeches by Republican and Democratic congressmen (friends and prayer partners for years) the speaker announced,  "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Vice President and Mrs. Pence." The crowd stood and cheered.  Mike Pence gave the most humble, godly welcome, with tears in his eyes as he shared his faith. What a lovely man.  Incredible!

Thursday morning was the National Prayer Breakfast!  The dining room doors opened at 7:15 a.m. BUT the halls were filled and the lines were formed by 5:30 a.m.  Thousands of  folks had to be seated AFTER going through security metal detectors a few times ending with a physical pat-down. Evidently the streets outside the hotel were shut down for blocks and the secret service had been combing the area for weeks in preparation. There were many heads of state, congressmen, & famous religious leaders in that room besides our own President and Vice-President and no harm was going to come to any of them!

Again, a lovely table set with 8 strangers that quickly became friends. They all shared their life calling as a believer and follower of Jesus.

The co-chairs, a Republican and a Democrat (lifetime good friends) introduced the keynote speaker.  This year, Senate Chaplain Barry Black gave the speech of his lifetime.  I highly recommend you view it on youtube. (Just google, Barry Black's National Prayer Breakfast Speech, it'll pop up.)

Toward the end of his speech all Congressmen, religious leaders, world leaders, and this mom and dad were on their feet clapping and cheering him on as he described the MAN he'd met in the scriptures.  Tears flowed down many cheeks as Chaplain Black poured out his heart. Brilliant and SO inspiring.  (We learned later that he leads a private Bible Study of 12 Congressmen every week complete with pages of questions and notes for each one to ponder when they leave.)

Music was provided by Mercy Me with a solo of  "I Can Only Imagine" by the writer of that song.

Mark Burnett, film producer, gave a delightful introduction of President Trump by relating how he came to meet him, how the idea of "The Apprentice" transpired and the depth of their friendship of years.  President Trump addressed the crowd with jokes and light hearted banter. (His joke about Arnold and The Apprentice were serious headline "breaking news" the next day, as the major networks twisted his comment, disregarding everything else he said. I must add NO ONE in the room was offended, but laughed at his reference to Mark Burnetts story. That made the journalists look like fools to the people that actually witnessed the event.)  Toward the middle of his speech he  grew very serious as he shared that this country would always be "under God" and how he needed God's guidance.  The crowd approved and respected their President and he left the room with a standing ovation.

At lunchtime we attended the Leadership Luncheon.  We had no idea what to expect but after being seated the announcer stated, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome King Abdullah of Jordan."
Roaring applause and a standing O!  What a brilliant Muslim man and leader of his country.  He said much, but stressed the need of Muslims worldwide to rise up and end the movement of radical Islam.
Jordan receives more refugees than any other country and participates in the battle against ISIS, often with the King flying one of the fighter jets himself.

(We later learned that King Abdullah received his education in the US and as a prince in line for the throne had to learn Arabic before assuming  the crown.)

Sister Rosemary of Uganda was next up to the mic.  She is the subject of the movie "Sewing Hope" and runs a school for young women who have been abducted, forced to be soldiers, raped and tortured in that country.  When the girls escape they find their way to her and she works to restore them to wholeness and dignity.  Her young friend Josephine told her story in broken English and the crowd was mesmerized. Always smiling, full of life and hope, this chunky little nun is being used mightily by God.

We also heard from a baseball player....from the CUBS! After a lovely video of his team and their accomplishments this year he shared of his love for God and the necessity of humility.  His famous wife sang beautifully for the crowd.

At an afternoon session we heard from a Palestinian Christian that spends his life drawing people from Israel and the West Bank into conversations of unity. His talk was filled with hope but laced with twinges of discouragement at the depth of hatred between people of that area. He prays for peace.

At the closing dinner we were seated next to Joseph and his son Daniel.  Joseph is from the Ukraine and doesn't speak English, his son translated for him.  This kind and gentle 84 year old man shared his story of being held in a Soviet prison for 9 years because he would not recant his faith in Jesus Christ.  After being released he brought his family to America where they settled in California. I asked what he wanted the US to know, he replied, "Socialism doesn't work."  He then proceeded to tell about the shock his family felt when he realized that socialism was being accepted and promoted in AMERICA, the very land where they would be free of such a movement.  We talked about the signs, 1. Overbearing government into the lives of the people. 2. Remove God from the marketplace 3. Tell the church what it can and cannot do.....etc.  He was thrilled that Donald Trump had won the election and felt only Trump could stop the tide of the cultural acceptance of socialism.  He is on a speaking circuit and travels the country with his daughter as a translator.  He has a passion to "tell the world" about the horrors of socialism.

The keynote speaker at that session was Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of the huge Saddleback Church in California.  Oh, my....what a story!
He shared of the "worst day of his life" when his tender- hearted, mentally ill son committed suicide.  Pastor Warren did nothing for 16 weeks following that day.  He did not go to work, hold any meetings, write any books, work on the charities he sponsors, or see anyone but his wife.  He told of his becoming a different person during that time of silence and now he's ready to write of his experience of HOPE. He said,"never does the Scripture tell us to share our faith, but repeatedly tells us to share our HOPE in Christ Jesus."  He found HOPE after tragedy.   Again, a standing O.

After spending some more time with Andy, a few more private gatherings and tours the week came to an end.

Our heads are spinning on our shoulders, trying to process all we saw and heard.

Unity and Reconciliation, between political parties, countries, and religious leaders?
Everyone sensed that it's POSSIBLE.....when we PRAY together in the name of Jesus.

Jesus was the MAN of the week, far more important and influential than any other big name attending.

(We left "Unity and Reconciliation" and came home to the news of student protests, private property being burned, & vulgar discourse from people interviewed on the street that cannot articulate WHY they are protesting. It seemed to be other worldly. There is certainly no unity or reconciliation on the streets of America these days.)

The National Prayer Breakfast and the people behind it lift up the person of Jesus.  He's the person for a culture that has lost it's way. He alone is the source of unity and reconciliation.

( He is the ONE hurting and fearful people in our nation are longing for and they have no idea they need Him.)

 We learned and are ENCOURAGED that there's a remnant of believers in our nations capitol and other nations capitols and cultures that look to Him and there they find strength, guidance, comfort and HOPE.


(Thanks Andy!  For this once in a lifetime, life-changing adventure.)