Sunday, March 21, 2010—Happy Spring!! 
First,
I want to share, with regret, that it is not physically possible for me to
attend every statewide event with John because of health limitations. But, when
it is possible, I will be thrilled to attend events with John, sharing in the
privilege of meeting so many wonderful and precious people that God has placed
within the borders of Kentucky. When I
can’t be with John, I will be with you in prayer and spirit. Like John, I love
Kentucky and her beauty and her diversity but mostly, I love her people, every
color and from every walk of life. Each one of us are Kentuckians because God
has placed us here. I don’t doubt this fact for a second. I believe we must
always be about keeping our ears and our hearts pressed close to the heart of
God, to hear how He wants to work through our lives, to touch the lives of
others and the times of our Commonwealth, our nation and our world.
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Friday, February 19, 1010—Jefferson County Lincoln Day Dinner
“I THANK MY God every time I remember you.”
(Philippians 1:3) I
have extended my thanks and appreciation to the organizers of this enjoyable
evening in February. But it just never hurts to show appreciation again and
again. It was a wonderful evening and I especially appreciated the “Fairness”
and “Equal Opportunity” forum for every Republican U.S. Senate
Candidate to speak. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and for your
commitment to the political process and for your fight for Godly government. I
want to extend a special thank you to those dear women who opened their hearts
to John and to me. You are a pearl in my treasure box of jewels.
+++++++
MARCH 2010
INEQUALITY
“The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) As the campaign continues, it is with a VERY
heavy heart, that Very sadly, in even in our great Kentucky, there continues to
be a prevailing and insidious presence of unfairness and inequality in the
political process towards candidates who cannot or who have not “poured”
hundreds of thousands of dollars into their political campaigns. I am not
suggesting that it is evil to be of wealth or fortune. I see this as a
blessing. However, having wealth or
fortune does not produce the character of a person. I do not claim to be an
expert on the subject of Political Science like John. My professional
background was medical social work. I must be candid and shamefully share with
you, that before John, I had very little interest in the political process;
locally, statewide or nationally. It was
John who taught me the importance of good government and its
functionality.
God has blessed me with the ability to discern and therefore, I
do have “eyes” to see. I also have a
heart that rejoices when others rejoice and a heart that is deeply hurt when
others have been hurt. In this campaign, I have witnessed forces of unfairness,
inequality and exclusion. I do not think it is important to “point out” all the
“who/s”, places and/or events, but I do want to share with you what happens in
a political campaign that is not understood by outside sources or when a
candidate is perceived to be “foolish.” “…God
has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and God has chosen
the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:12)
“The Lord said…’Do not look at his outward appearance or at the
height of his stature, because I have rejected him; FOR MAN LOOKS AT THE
OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.”
(I Samuel 16:7) Nationally and statewide, there is a prevailing
mentality, an arrogance of sorts, by many groups, cliques and “influential”
sources. Factions will try to control, stop or deny the political process and
the Constitutional Right of all, to be heard during a political campaign
for many reasons. What I mean by this is, even though you may be a formal
candidate, having filed your papers with the Secretary of State’s office and
paid your fee of $500.00, grievously, this does not always guarantee that you
will be respected, heard or given equal time, or even afforded an invitation to
participate in political forums or debates. While, however, other candidates,
(in a same race), are being extended such courtesy. I believe the greatest
foundation for this unfair treatment, the EXCLUSION and the DISREGARD of the
candidate, is the mindset of “unless you spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars, you are not a viable candidate and not worth being heard.” The tragedy
with this mindset is that there are many viable, worthwhile candidate hopefuls,
who are REAL PEOPLE, who will never be heard or taken seriously. What is more
grievous is that “We, the People” rarely get representation by a real person,
unfettered by the “world”. There is the
continuum of “the same old, same old.” Is there any wonder our nation is in the
condition we see it in today? Who will be the real voice for the real people in
Kentucky and for Kentucky in Washington?
I believe where there is such unfairness and disrespect for
every candidate, you will also find at work, “behind the scenes”, the
underlying forces of arrogance, ego, pride, control, greed and personal
insecurity. It is not news that “factions” will try to control the vote of the
public by “forcing” their opinions on you.
I want to encourage every voter to really take a long, hard look at every
candidate in every political race and study their positions. Do not
take the word of anyone’s opinion. I want to encourage you to form your own
opinion based on what you can glean from EVERY candidate. Ask one really
important question about the candidates and try to find the answer to, “What is the heart of the candidate?”
What is his motivation to run? What does the candidate view to be the most
important issue/s and does the candidate have the ability to understand, to be
empathetic to “We, the People”? When candidate information is intentionally
being withheld from you, I want to encourage you to take the time to contact
the candidate directly. I have never known a candidate or their campaign staff
who would not be happy to share with a voter what their campaign stands for and
why the candidate may be running. I was pondering over the weekend just where
our nation would be today if President Lincoln had been “silenced” or
“excluded”. Please remember, that possessing more money and more powerhouse
backing, does not a viable candidate make!!
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REAL PEOPLE—REAL KENTUCKIANS
Saturday, March 20, 2010, 7:00 A.M.
Following prayer, and asking
God for His will to be done through our lives, the trip begins. John and I
traveled to three areas of Kentucky this weekend campaigning: Frankfort—Franklin County; Tompkinsville—Monroe County: and Grayson—Barren County. “And HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, because the love of God has been poured
out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
(Romans 5:5) The beautiful spring like weather throughout Kentucky made our
drive time pleasurable. With spring there is hope and there is the promise of
new life. Our first stop Saturday morning was to our state’s Capitol,
Frankfort. We stopped at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, where several conferences
were taking place. I never imagined that in the period of three hours, I would
meet so many wonderful and different people. Each person had a story to share;
stories of joys and stories of sorrows. Memories from these brief meetings,
with so many dear people and from many walks of life, will last a lifetime.
LABORERS
9:30 A.M. “Then the Lord said to Moses…I have
filled him with the spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all
kinds of crafts…to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship….I have given skill to
all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you..” (Exodus 31:1-8) John and I introduced
ourselves to, and visited with several wonderful AFL-CIO labor representatives.
I have such great respect for tradesmen and women. My late father and his
brothers were home builders and stone masons. I have family who are in the
building business, as well as iron work, plumbing, and electricians. Whenever
the word “Laborer/s” is mentioned, I experience a sense of admiration and
respect. I believe my admiration for “Laborers” is related to the talents they
possess. I believe the skills and abilities that Laborers are equipped with are
innate gifts from God. If you read about the history of the Israelites, you
will soon discover that there were many talented laborers on board and God used
them greatly in the design, planning and building of the “Wilderness
Tabernacle”, as well as in the monumental project of King Solomon’s great
temple. Just consider for a moment the amazing Roman Empire and Babylonia of
old, and their incredible water ways, roadways and structures that were produced
by many mighty laborers.
I think sometimes there is “snobbery” towards Laborers, a
“looking down upon” and that is a real tragedy. Our nation stands because of
the blood, sweat and tears of many wonderfully gifted laborers. We should
always remember this as well as expressing our gratitude to every Laborer. In
the late 1960’s, I recall wanting to take an Industrial Arts class at my high
school. At that time, my request was “unheard of.” I was told “Home Ec” was the class I had to take. I must confess, I did not
fare well as other girls, who excelled at sewing and cooking. The point is,
regardless of one’s background and calling, blue collar or white collar, the
vocation one finds oneself in, is of great value to our Kentucky and to our
United States. Our nation and our state are like the human body, made up of
many members. Any assault or injury or
disease to a human body will cause the entire body to suffer. Our nation and
Kentucky must treat our Laborers with TLC. We must learn to be a “healthy” nation
again. Thank these great people for who they are and for what they do.
CLASSIFIED WORKERS—UNSUNG HEROS
10:30 A.M. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with
joyful shouting.” (Psalm 126:5) John and I met several solid
people while visiting the Capitol Plaza hotel. As I mentioned earlier, there
were several conferences taking place. One group holding their meeting, at the
Plaza, were the “Classified Workers” who are represented by the Kentucky Education
Association. I have to confess that I was not aware of this specific title
given to employees working in and for our school systems in Kentucky. John
explained to me that some of the positions considered “Classified Workers” are
janitors, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, school nurses and bus
drivers, just to name a few. The first two words that came to my mind, while
talking with two ladies referring to themselves as “Classified Workers”, was
“Unsung Heroes”. Please understand that I am not implying that teachers
or principals are not deserving of such titles. Many times over, complaints
will first land at the feet of the teacher or the principle, long before a
“thank you” will. What I am trying to say is that many “Classified Workers’” and
what they do, can go unnoticed and not be appreciated for their part in keeping
the school engine running properly. I want to encourage you to tip your hat to
these great people. They are performing very important services to our children
and to our education system and we need to let them know that we appreciate
them. To every “Classified Worker”, do not lose heart. You do make a difference
in the life of students. You may not always see the fruits of your labors, but
you do make an impact on the life of every student. I remember fondly “key”
school-related people that made a difference in my life. You make a difference!
Thank you for what you do!
COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS
11:30 A.M.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice;
and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) As
John and I were looking for a conference room at the Capitol Plaza, we crossed
paths with some extremely special people; members of the national organization
called “The Compassionate Friends.” I was not familiar with the group, but I
soon discovered that these dear ones are some of the strongest people you will
ever meet. Before I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease
years ago, I served as a Hospice Social Worker in Cincinnati and later, as an
AIDS Case Manager in Northern Kentucky. I enjoyed my jobs and I considered it a
great privilege to be part of the final chapter of a client’s life on earth. We
all, at some time or another will be faced with Death; our loved ones and
ultimately, our own death.
As I sat in a lobby, waiting for John, I was so moved by the
strength and dignity that I witnessed on the faces of these very special
people. The members of this “club” are able to share their pain and loss of a
child in a safe environment. They are able to work through their grief, and
anger and guilt feelings and at the same time be nurtured and affirmed. My
family is no stranger to this painful ordeal. My younger brother and his wife
lost their precious sixteen year old son, Jimmy, in an auto accident. This
coming November will mark the tenth year anniversary of Jimmy’s death. The loss
of a child is devastating to the parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, cousins, friends and communities. The death of a child is “unnatural”
to us on so many levels. I happened
to be sitting near a beautiful water fall, which happened to be located next to
the Compassionate Friends “resource” room. As people were entering and leaving
the room they had to pass by me. Each person was proudly wearing a picture pin
of their late child on their lapels and tee shirts. My heart was crushed as I
glanced at each picture, of each child. I wondered what would these children be
doing today had they not been killed or died and how these sweet parents and
family members must be deeply hurting. I
found myself crying for their losses. Many of these children killed in auto
accidents, some lost to suicide. Death is inevitable. We cannot control Death
but we do have control in how we “handle” it. I would like to offer a word of
advice. WHEN, (not if,) you are faced with a family member or friend’s loss of
a child, or any loved one for that matter,
don’t be concerned with what to say or how you can help. Just hug them.
Let them know you love them. Just “be there” for them. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give
someone is silence and a hug. Thank you, “Compassionate Friend” volunteers and
all that you do to help so many hurting families through the transition of
grieving.
2 P.M. and 6 P.M. Respectively— Monroe County and
Barren County Lincoln Day Events. John
and I want to thank the dedicated women of both Monroe County and Barren County
Republican Party Clubs. Behind every successful event you will find hard
working people with a purpose. There are just not enough ways to say thank you
for your part in ensuring that every candidate is given the opportunity to be
heard. Others can learn a great deal from your fairness and respect for the
political process. You ladies gave your all and John and I want to thank you
for all your hard work. Your years of
loyalty and dedication to ensuring Godly government are truly appreciated! We thank each of you for allowing us to be
part of your special Lincoln Day events. God bless you and keep you!
+++++++
Sunday, March 21, 2010 1
A.M.—Waffle House. After a total of eight hours of drive time and events and
meetings on Saturday, John and I struggled with staying awake while trying to
get back home to Northern Kentucky. It was a very long day but it was a very fulfilling
day. Just when you think you have experienced all that one could experience in
such an event filled day, we surprisingly were met again by another group of
wonderfully precious young people, working at a local Waffle House in
Louisville. Three young men and one
young woman, sharing their life stories of struggle; a father of five; an aunt
assuming legal custody of her niece and nephew; a young father’s
disappointment, discovering that the apartment community he moved into, that
was once safe, is not safe now. These
hard working young adults were not looking for John or for me to “fix” their
problems. They simply wanted to be heard and to be encouraged. What a better
place our country would be if each of us would just take a few minutes out of
every day and just listen to someone and hug someone, extend a helping hand or
sing a song to someone. For our friends at the Waffle House, thank you for
trusting us enough to even want to share your concerns and your struggles with
us. You are precious and I will keep you in my prayers and in my heart!
At the end of every day, as our heads hit our pillows, John and
I thank God for using us and we ask God to bless the lives of every person that
we met that day. Thank you God, for from
you all blessings flow. Many blessings flowed our way through so many wonderful
and dear people these past 24 hours. Bless them with your favor and love, God.
Father, that they may know just how much you love them in a personal way. In
Jesus’ precious name, we pray these things. Amen and Amen.
June Geiman-Stephenson