So, what do the head cowboy and his wife think about the all this political bru-ha-ha going on? Well, first and foremost, hallelujah - election season is almost over! At least there is an end in sight to all the hate, evil thoughts, tweets, ads etc that have inundated all of us for too long.
Now, I know that once someone is elected today there won't be an immediate end to said chaos - unfortunately I don't know that there's enough dignity on either side to concede graciously. But I pray that by some miracle there is both a gracious winner and loser. As I prepped for my Junior High Bible study this week, a passage from Exodus really stood out to me.
"And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men (and women) - men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible - and appoint them as leaders." Exodus 18:2. (Parentheses added by me).
Whether or not you characterize yourself as a Christian - can you imagine if we as Americans, as people, still held these values as priorities and requirements in our leaders? If we required our leaders, officials and ourselves to be held to these higher standards? Stereo-typically speaking, the fact that you are a conscientious consumer of food products tends to place you in a category different from the majority. What if we could take some of our effort and concern for the food movement and transfer some of it to the political and social movement? Perhaps many of you already are, and for that we applaud you!
I'm challenging all of us, myself and the head cowboy included, to go make a small difference in this next presidential season. I'm not asking you to change the whole world, but if you want to rock that - YOU GO!! Realistically, let's start small, let's think about what comes out of our mouths at home, at work, at school, at church...make it positive.
Take it to social media: check your posts, your responses - are they helpful, kind, fruitful...unfriend those people who fill your feed with hate or send your blood pressure through the roof. Take 10-15 minutes each day to meditate, pray, journal; just to be still and contemplate what brings you joy. Because here's the long and the short of what I believe.
No matter who wins the election today, no matter what party is in control, they can't take away any of these things from you or me! We still are so fortunate and blessed to call ourselves Americans - we have more freedom than so many others can even imagine.
We have the ability and duty to take responsibility for our own joy, our own values and what we instill in ourselves and those closest to us! No political candidate or party can take that away from us.
Here's to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Joy (Because that's so much better than Happiness)!! God Bless America and Everyone in it.