Voting

Today was the big day.  I asked Luci if she wanted to come with me, to make sure that I voted for the one she wanted. 

Her response?

"You're going to vote for Mittens.  You won't vote for Obama because you don't like what he's doing to our country."

She listens.

John got his sticker--apparently his belly button voted, too.

There was a good crowd today!  Even though we already know who our state's Electors will vote for, it was good to see a good turnout.

This was from last week:  it was gorgeous, and I had to share!

Two Momentous Occasions

Bryan's first time to vote

And John's Retirement Party!  Bryan's voting was listed first, because there are fewer photos...John's party had many more.

So, here it goes:

Bryan looking oh-so-smart and sophisticated, having voted, and all.

 The spread at John's party.  It was great food!

 Packing up

 Reading Luci's letter...Luci is more interested in her donut.

 Laven, John's administrative assistant, who planned the whole she-bang.  She did an awesome job.  Luci says Laven is "Daddy's Boss." 

 Bryan with Rita and Baxter Graves.  Baxter is an elder at our church.  We were so tickled that they came.

 Waymon, John's real boss (well, besides me, that is).

 Kevin reading Heath's letter.  Heath teaches at a university about 4.5 hours from here and could not make it in person.

 Listening to Heath's message.

 Audrey called!  All the way from Germany.  Luci was happy because she got to say hi to Maggie and Haley.  Heath called a few minutes after.  Both phone calls were a total surprise and John loved them.  So did everyone else--it was a crowded room!

 Talking to Audrey.

 Luci wondering why it's all about Daddy.  Like most six-year-olds would.

Did You?

Vote Tuesday! -- But Remember This...

The world will not be healed and restored because we elect the right president. We live in a great country, with the best political process I know of, but our country is not the light of the world. Our president may be the most powerful person in the world, but he's not sitting at the right hand of God. Our military is full of brave men and women willing to die for their country, but they are not able to eradicate the world of evil.
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Christians should understand these things better than anyone else. Yet the anxious, fearful, and sometimes mean-spirited qualities demonstrated by many Christians at election time betrays just how little faith we have in King Jesus.
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The ascension is more than a cool special effect at the end of a Passion play. It is a dramatic political statement made by God himself about how the long-awaited King of the world has been enthroned in heaven. Slowly but surely news of his reign will spread through the world until someday the curtain separating heaven and earth will lift and the two realms will become one. Until then, our challenge as followers of Jesus is to live in such a way that demonstrates who the real King of the world is. This will be seen in our acts of service, stands for justice, and exhibitions of grace done in the name of Jesus, rather than in the name of partisan politics. In fact, every time we gather to worship and celebrate the risen, ascended King Jesus we’re participating in a political party of a different kind.
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It may just be that the most important political statement Christians can make this election season is to publicly declare that we’re putting our hope, confidence, and trust, not in any one particular candidate or party, but in our ascended King who will someday return and transform our world into a place where the streets have no name.
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By Wade Hodges, from this longer article in New Wineskins.

I Agree!

Vote! and John's Trip

Luci helped me vote this morning. The community center where we vote is only 1 mile away, a nice little trip compared to the 20 minute trip we used to make from the old house. The center was crowded, another nice change. Luci charmed all the retirees who were playing dominoes and cards. When we got home I wanted to take a picture of her with her "I voted" sticker and our flag, but she had other ideas (and I foolishly dressed her in pink, not a red-white-and-blue blouse!). I like this picture better than what I planned, anyway. It seems so joyful. And we didn't stage it!

John gets in to Los Angeles around 1 pm L.A. time. If you look at the schedule, he's either flying Air Fiji 810, Air New Zealand 4010, or Quantas Airways 3839. They all are the same jet! Amazing. John gets to Huntsville at 10:40 pm, assuming the weather is good--we are expecting severe weather after sundown tonight, so please keep his safety in your prayers. We've done the "pick-Daddy-up-from-the-last-flight-in" several times, and the trip out there and back so late is a killer (it's 1 1/2 hours each way). So John has reservations at the airport hotel and we'll pick him up in the morning. All he has to do is get off the plane and walk over to the check-in counter. Easy.

Kids' Blog

Bryan has a new post or two on the Kids' Blog. Be sure to vote in the new poll!