Frederick Douglass Quote

"The honor of a nation is an important thing. It is said in the Scriptures,

 'What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?'

It may be said, also,

 'What doth it profit a nation if it gain the whole world, but lose its honor?'"

Tough Decision

Have you ever been given a choice between two good things? Either way you go won't be bad, but trying to figure out which direction is the best is the hardest thing you've ever done. Perhaps you have people pulling and pushing you in both directions and the chaos in your own brain is almost more than you can handle. Weighing the options, wanting to go both ways, struggling with not being able to please everybody, praying for God's will but getting no clear direction, living in uncertainty, hoping for the best, tired of fighting.

For the past month what I just described has been my life. The toughest decision I've ever made was in front of me and I had no idea what to do. During that month the confusion was overwhelming and the constant battle in my heart was staggering. Either choice would have been good, but both decisions would have made some happy and others unhappy. So often I wanted to turn to someone else to give me the answer, I didn't want to have to do this on my own. But I had to and I did.

By now you're probably wondering what this decision was. Let me explain, towards the end of September I was really struggling. My life had seemed to come to a stop and I wasn't sure why or where I was supposed to go or do next. I felt useless. Little did I know that God was using this in my life to teach me some lessons.
After a long talk with my parents late one night I realized that I definitely needed to go back to school. Out of the blue my mom mentioned going to Northland International University in WI. I was rather taken aback but the sudden suggestion but I decided to look into it. Plans were made and I went to visit for a few days. I loved it. The students were focused on God, the faculty were friendly, the campus was beautiful, the classes were "mind stretching," and the church I visited was awesome. Everything inside of me screamed to go back in January.

Then I came back home to reality. I considered everything that I would be leaving behind, especially the Mourdock campaign. My heart yearned to stay and continue the fight for this race and really, for this country. The conflict that was raging inside of me between the two "goods" was gut wrenching. I spent many hours praying, begging God for an answer. Over the course of the month I went back and forth between Wisconsin and Indiana. One minute I'd be going, the next I'd be staying. It was the most frustrating month of my life.

I had determined that if I was to go to Wisconsin two things had to transpire. One, I would be able to finish my four year degree in two years. Also, I had to hear back from the registrar at NIU by Friday at 7 pm. Neither happened. I know that was God's sign to me to stay. Was it difficult? Yes. But am I okay with the outcome? Yes. This is where I am needed, this is where God wants me.

All of this being said, I'm not giving up on my education. I am planning on going to school online starting in January. Right now I think I am going to get an undergraduate certificate in public administration (it should only take me a semester to finish) and then next Fall I will either start a communications degree or continue in the public administration program. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

One of my biggest struggles this month was making sure that the decision I made wasn't just because that is what I wanted, I wanted it to be what GOD wanted. One passage in the Bible that really stood out to me was Matthew 10, the following are a few excerpts from it:

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

From My Cold, Dead Hands!

Best five words ever.

Moments that Take Your Breath Away

Life's not the breaths you take,

The breathing in and out

That gets you through the day.

You just might miss the point

Trying to win the race.

Life's not the breaths you take

But the moments that take your breath away.

{George Strait}

When most people think of this song they think sweet romantic thoughts of their significant other. They get this far away dreamy look and it's not hard to figure out what they're thinking. 

Not me.

When I think of this song I think of politics. Weird, I know. But really, in the past six months I've experienced many of those breath-taking moments while working on the Mourdock for U.S. Senate campaign.

For example, the time a dear, sweet old lady thanked me for being politically active because, "Most young people your age don't care about our country."

Or when I first met Richard Mourdock.

When I had the opportunity to do six parades on July 4th weekend.

At a meet and greet in Ft. Wayne Richard called me his "campaign hero" to the entire crowd. Definitely a breath taking moment.

On my 21st birthday, throwing out the honorary first pitch at a TinCaps game proudly wearing a Mourdock t-shirt and later that evening he called me to wish me a happy birthday.

Sitting through many of Mourdock's speeches, listening to him move the crowds with his passion for what he believes is right. Watching him tear up at certain parts as he talks about things that are near and dear to his heart.

Having the opportunity to tell others about a candidate I not only think is good, but a candidate I firmly believe in and actually trust. The best part is swaying them to vote for Mourdock in May.

Driving Richard's truck in parades.

Being the first "Super Volunteer."

The best one -- standing in a circle with several others on the campaign, holding hands and praying.

The list could go on and on.

My Finest Hour

Since April and really my entire life I have spent countless hours volunteering for various organizations, churches, politicians and on the list could go. I've done things from entering data to collecting signatures, making phone calls to working in a nursery, and scheduling appointments to walking in parades. However, tonight I did something that I will never forget as long as I live: I stood in front of Planned Parenthood for just one hour holding a sign that read, "Pray to End Abortion."

It's called "40 Days of Life." It's a pro-life movement. It's fighting for the lives of unborn babies. It's a cause that is paramount to every other cause. Standing on the street corner in pouring rain I felt as if it was my finest hour and the only thing I could wish was that this was not my first time but my 10th or 20th. Cars rolled by me, some honking, others waving, some not doing anything but smile, some looking the other way. Yet I felt deep in my soul that this was something worth standing for an entire day in the rain. Why? Because for once I was doing something that could effect a life, or rather two or three lives, or possibly an infinite amount of lives immediately.

There were two particular incidents in this hour that stand out in my mind. The first was a man who turned his truck around and drove back by us; rolling his window down he simply stated, "Thank you for doing this." I was surprised because I really wasn't doing anything that thousands of other people had done for years before me, yet he was thanking unworthy me. About halfway through our shift another man brought us hot chocolate from the gas station across the street, thanking us for standing in the rain and supporting the lives of unborn babies. Again, a not expected or deserved blessing.

Overall, my short experience holding a sign in front of Planned Parenthood was rewarding, humbling, and a wake-up call. I realized that fighting for a tiny unborn baby is a cause worthy of a life long dedication on my part. As Horton says, "A person's a person no matter how small." That tiny, unborn life is worth everything, for in it is the future.

Problems

Sorry everyone for the constant changing of my blog -- I'm having issues with it. Hopefully it will be back to normal soon!

The Greatest Generation

An Honor

Today I was honored to be the "Super Volunteer" of the month for Richard Mourdock. It was announced in an email and linked to a blog! I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to work on his campaign. He's a great, humble, honest candidate, strong conservative both socially and fiscally, has been endorsed by many conservative groups including, Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate, Mark Levine, Gun Owners of America, Herman Cain, and the Tea Party Express. If you want to read the whole article click here.

He Knows the Way I Take

"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold."

~~*Job 23:10*~~

When I read this I was overwhelmed by God. He not only knows the next step that I am going to take, He knows my whole path. He knows each hill and each valley; each twist and each turn. Each pothole and each bump. He knows each potential hazard that can trip me up and each flower along the wayside to brighten my journey. He knows it all because His loving hand created it uniquely for me.

Sit back for a second and reminisce on how crazy your life has been in the past year, five years, decade, or even your whole life. Think about all the times you didn't think you could carry on one more minute. The times that life seemed so bleak and dismal that you thought for sure the clouds would never pass and the sun was no longer in existence. Amazingly, you did make it through, the sun did shine again, and your path once again became flat and much easier. So often I find myself in the depths of despair, wondering if my path will ever again gain the same altitude that it once had. I feel lost in despair and cry out, "GOD WHERE ARE YOU?!" How foolish of me. God is there. He created this specific detour in my path so that I would learn to trust His guidance once again. He did it so that I would, "come forth as gold."

God loves each one of us, and He will never give us more than we can handle. Yes, He pushes us, and yes, He stretches us, but He never destroys us. If we break because of pressure it is our own doing, not His. When our loving Father created the trials of our lives, He created them so we could learn to trust His leading, trust His path, trust His trials, and yes, trust His blessings. He longs for each of us to take Him at His Word and realize that He knows our path better than we do because He created it for us.