 What the media thinks is largely irrelevant. Their opinion is not on par with that of elected officials. Their job should not be to characterize ACTUAL leaders. It should be to report on policies and outcomes along with substantive investigative candor. The stories cannot be one sides. That makes them even more irrelevant. Ultimately the modern media has relegated themselves to entertainment status. They seem to think that they are writing the script for a reality tv show. That is not how it works.
Friend asked about black churches, democrats, and D vs R “theology” this am. I responded this way.
Political party affiliation really has nothing to do with Christianity. Period. Worldview and politics are best rendered and focused to Caesar. I love attending “black” churches and all Great commission focused churches. There are plenty, look to left, look to right... and then focus UP. Philippians 4 addresses it perfectly. For record: All have sinned and fall short of glory. We are saved by Christ... not by govt or politics... or Caesar. Unity of purpose in great commission does not require uniformity of action. Period. It is a hard reality for all sides. I do not need to understand actions and choices of others if I’m focused on God and my assigned mission. Where I am. As I am. Be. Love. Serve. Repeat.  I saw this cartoon in local paper this am and it made me think. Pelosi and her cronies are expecting Biden/Harris to win the election. She knows that the 25th amendment is useless to her right now. Instead, I think that the Dem leadership is planning to remove Biden from office and effectively complete a coup for the radical left that the moderates can do nothing about.
solution: Vote Republican. We need to plan ahead. I rarely think that people are dumb or morally corrupt. I often think that they are wrong. There is a big difference.
Who is right is revealed over time with results at scale and duration. It is normal to be wrong, but it is dumb to know it and continue repeating the same decisions over and over and over. People are equal, but ideas and decisions are NOT.  Fear mongering is about focusing on what others cannot or should not do because of what you "might" lose...because of wildly speculative models and ideas with faulty logic and flawed assumptions... Hopeful leaders focus on foundations of faith and love... anticipating what we will all gain when we adhere to principles.. rather than principals.   The deciding part of Election 2020 is over. I don't believe that there are any significant undecided voters out there. Only questions and issues that remain are .. WILL YOU ACTUALLY VOTE? and will your vote be counted? Those are only real questions... all the rest is media hype...
We can all be UNITED over the concept of Free, Fair, Elections... and the need to VOTE as part of our civic duty as citizens of the greatest nation in the history of the world. VOTE... Be the hope and change that you want to see. This is how we stand together. WE VOTE. and then move on... -->also... If you are asking, I think you should vote Republican straight down the ticket. That is how I'll be voting. Debate is between two visions. This is how two party elections work.
Harris/Biden TOP 10 Desires. (regular stuff from Dems) 1. Higher taxes - redistribution of wealth by force 2. Open Borders 3. Socialized medicine - National healthcare for world 4. Abolish fossil fuels 5. Use taxpayer funds to support abortion. 6. Take guns - abolish 2nd amendment 2020 new stuff from Dems 7. Restructure the Supreme Court 8. National mask mandate 9. Use racism and segregation to “fight” racism. 10. Class warfare urban wealthy academic coastal elites vs rural working class  Let me be clear. Voting for Biden/Harris is not a vote for change. That man has been actively leading in the federal government for almost half a century. He is the epitome of establishment, system centered, big government, tax and spend, hunker in the bunker mentality. It is stunning to consider that the progressive coalition on the left thinks that somehow Biden will somehow miraculously become an agent of change... focused on the future... As they protest the "system" and call for change... they are simultaneously voting for the candidate most devoted to maintaining the SYSTEM... The reality of this is stunning to consider.
Many conservatives don't like Donald Trump's tone, character flaws, and mannerisms. We don't like the way that the country is so divided, but we believe that this division began long ago and that it is rooted in the leftist, globalist, collectivist ideology and lack of personal responsibility at every level. We believe that the Trump/Pence ticket is the best path forward because we trust in the citizens of the USA to stand up and take ownership of their towns, states, and regions... culturally, morally, financially, and yes in government. The governing ideologies rooted in change is ironically best achieved through the conservative platform, allowing federalism to work and the people to choose exactly how they want to live locally and in their states. We do not need a one size fits all approach and it has never worked in the history of the world, and never will. This Virginian wishes that President Trump would talk less, and smile more... and simply lead. Sadly, that doesn't seem possible because the attack narratives must be countered and embraced. That is where we are. We all want things to change for the better. We disagree on how to do that. The mechanism for unity is voting for principles... not principals and we must remember that God is in charge of all of it. ALL of it.  October 4 was my second 10 year anniversary with a major corporation. I began this IT career in the late 20th century as a project manager, desktop support engineer, network administrator, and finally a Lucent PBX and Videoconferencing engineer for smaller companies like Hoechst Celanese, AZ Photoresist and Clariant corporation... as a contractor and IT leader. As I learned to solve problems(both the real ones and the political ones), and lead teams, I progressed up the ladder as you might imagine. I feel lucky to still be working and contributing.. Blessed profoundly.
The 21st century has largely been a tales of two companies. Capital One and then Cisco Systems have each provided me fantastic opportunities to learn and contribute to their growth as I continued to grow. Two decades... and roughly 20,000 career hours later... I am focused on wildly different priorities from that Y2K project that put me on the map as a technologist, leader and success corporate citizen. I have at least another 15-20 years of this IT and corporate leadership work ahead... The future of work is as certain and uncertain as it has ever been. It is filled with opportunity and unbelievable challenge mixing tools, processes and people above all. Collaborate, Create, Communicate, and Deliver at Scale over duration... That is the record. I feel like I'm in a groove now, and I plan to continue to push the envelope of expectations, making changes, innovating and getting stuff done and most say can't be done. Let's Roll. NOONE with a mask or without a mask is responsible for you and your behavior. This idea that a person who is living is now responsible for you is worthy of ridicule. I don’t get to judge what you eat, where you go, what you touch, who you socialize with, or why you do those things. If you want to stay safe, protect yourself. We must Stop assigning deadly intent to choices. It is foolish and destructive. I decide for me, not for you.  I was in attendance at the school board meeting last night and I witnessed the consequences of fear on fine people. It is devastating. I could see the pain in faces of friends and leaders and so many others. I am sorry for that. I believe that our superintendent and staffing leadership is exemplary. Our School Board members are listening and leading. The efficacy of their decision will be told in results over the next year. Success is not certain with any of our existing paths.
That said... Finding a path forward rooted in principles and priorities is the only way. What we have now is NOT working. Maintaining a focus on the children is paramount in every sense and I’m proud to them leading our school system. I challenge them to their experience even in the face of the withering emotional toll from the fearful. Our culture is in a bad place currently. Poor behaviors and choices are infecting us all but leadership and bold thoughtful steps is the path forward. We must ALL Think outside the box. We MUST Get those kids back into rooms with teachers and trust in the skills and passions of the teachers to find a way. I believe that we cannot continue to allow families and children to burn 🔥 with the farce that is virtual learning 2020. Attendance, equity, special needs, arts, coaching, sports... The public services in these areas are failing daily. Burning is the correct analogy in every sense as families, schools, churches, workplaces and society is coming apart quite literally. Our future is in those children. Our present is with those parents and teachers. We do not have the choice to continue on We will must work together and help. Hard decisions are required. Leaders must lead. We the people must follow and then adjust in the future. This is the only way.  The presidential elections cycle has hit its final window of emotional insanity. If you believe that real world relationships are more important than elections, then now is the time to USE THE SNOOZE. Your friends and family are entitled to different views. They may even have radically different views. Your relationship with them is far more important than an election, and the only solution is to work together for a brighter future. Being right is not enough. Don't allow policy disagreements and governing decisions to permanently break the ties that bind. Social media monetization is built around getting US to engage and often fighting is the most profitable method. You can be part of the solution. Read, scroll on.. and when you decide.. USE THE SNOOZE. This is the way to circle back to smiles and fellowship.
Listen. -- needs to be clarified.
Listen... to the voice which tells you what you can be, what you can do. Listen to the voice which explains how and when and why. Listen most of all to the voice which shows you the way in action, sacrifices, and accomplishments. Do not listen to the voice which highlights your failures. Do not listen to the voice which applauds itself for its greatness. Do not listen to the voice which speaks the same tired semantics in the same scenarios, oblivious to its own demise. Listening is harder when talking. Consider to whom you listen carefully. Consider the impact of your actions and inactions even more carefully. 2020 is the year where each of us plays a massive game of 52 card pickup with all of the things and people we take for granted. Some cards are lost, some are bent and broken and some of them are burned up in the fires of cancel/condemnation. Jokers wild doesn’t help much.
How can we as business and community leaders change things in our capitalist system to be more equitable across demographic segments including race, nationality, education, and geography?
Access to capital and customers is the life blood of trade and progress. As trade increases, context is provided for relationships, and community is a natural outcome. Trade is the natural opposition to violence and conflict. Local businesses, owned by local people, buying and selling to local diversity is key. If you want to make a change, provide capital and customers to minority owned and operated businesses. We must STOP waiting for the government to use force to impose equality. Force requires using division to enforce a bureaucratic equity that is too rigid to evolve and succeed. It always fails. People working with people is how things get done and how change occurs. LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL x1000. Capital $ and Customers ;-) It is easy to find people and things to hate. It is even easier when our world view is based on victimization and comparison. This hatred often flows into violence and oppression.
Newsflash: the solution is NEVER more hate. Violence is a symptom of the hatred not a solution. Loving and serving in a world based on individual accountability, honor, and respect is not a utopian dream. It is achievable here and now. Every day is an opportunity. Every person is a specific, beloved, first born child of Christ. When we start acting like it, things change.  "Tebow extended peace and BLM extends judgment and division, not unity. Black lives matter. Free speech matters. Prayer matters. Sports and entertainment matter. But at the end of the day, at the end of life, I believe it is one’s faith that truly matters." brilliant and elegant analysis. -- From Julie Boltz.. Today's NFL and pretty much all of the sports "protests" are driving people apart.. not bringing them together. Why.. because there is no faith at the center.  Big things are managed by little things. Big problems are solved by many little solutions. There is no easy button and there is no magic bullet. Do the work. Make good decisions. Good BIG things will happen. Keep your eyes on the right prize. This is a big thing.
Luke 16:8-18 MSG [8-9] … God Sees Behind Appearances [10-13] Jesus went on to make these comments: If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank. [14-18] When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance. … I just watched Bob Woodward speak with Dana Perino and provide overwhelming evidence that he is suffering from TDS. I’m wondering if he got a payout from the dems for becoming an active campaigner. What would Bill Bradley, legendary editor of Post think about Woodward’s conclusion?
Proud to have spent the day with such a fabulous team of Help4School volunteers. The collaboration and communication was astounding. Complex problems have complex solutions. Period. There is no middle ground and our problems with virtual schooling are far deeper than technology. The pain cut to the core of our culture and exposes priorities and choices with unprecedented ferocity. We the people must stand up and choose to change for our future. Everything has changed and the change is permanent. We are not going back. Where are we going exactly? That is a great question. I believe it is all about small group accountability in organic growth and education pods. MicroSchools built and supported by landing zones and central facilities. This fundamental shift is profound and will be costly in every sense. We can use this pop up model to support and encourage organic institutional flexibility from the bottom up. Top down is effectively dying. IMO.
Teaching and teachers are essential. What we are doing now is leaving too many behind. We can do education and inspiration differently. We must do education and inspiration differently. Our youngest generations lives are at stake and ours with them. You choose whether you focus on what you can do... or what you can't do. Words have power. Are you so tired, so sore, or so sleepy... or are you focused on how you can be less tired, less sore... less sleepy. Be better. Don't seek affirmation for failing in others. Be inspired by achievements of others. Be more than you are. Choose what you tell yourself and others.   We live in a country where far too many are addicted to anxiety, fear, dependency, and victimization. Faith and choices focused on God and service to others is a proven therapeutic and it vaccinates and empowers US in community. We must choose to love and serve others above self. That will change everything. Peacefully.
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