Honeysuckle, Johnson Grass & Politicians

This past week Becky and I took a short trip down to our local City Hall to participate in “Early Voting” for the 2014 General Election.  We like to vote early because it frees us from having to run the gauntlet of candidates pitching for your vote if  you vote on Election Day.

Having entered the local political fray a few years ago I am blogging this week with a small degree of experience based wisdom and a dose of empathy for candidates and all Americans who must suffer through these election cycles.

Every two to four years, local and state public officials must campaign for election or re-election.  The ordinary citizen has no trouble knowing when this is about to happen because the roadsides, intersections, yards, and vacant lots suddenly become filled with “yard signs.”  These signs spring up like weeds that grow alongside the highways and county roads. 

As we drove to City Hall this week, we had no trouble finding the place because the closer we came, the more "Yard Signs" signs we found alongside the roads. 

 

 

 

 As we neared City Hall, the signs got bigger and bigger. 

 

 

There was even a big sign outside the polling site that told me that I had arrived and
 I was to VOTE HERE! 

 The entry door was also plastered with additional signage that provided warnings to candidates, felons, and consequences for three kinds of illegal voting, should someone be so foolish.

 

Enter here to vote, but read the fine print!

Just inside the entrance was a long table with the twelve pages of this year's ballot.  There are a lot of judges listed this year and you have the option of voting to  "RETAIN" or to 'REPLACE" each one.



Next, we had to show our voter registration card and photo ID to actually get the papers that allowed us to approach the electronic voting machines.

 On the actual voting machine screen you had to scroll through twelve pages and read carefully to know where to place you “X” mark for the candidate(s).  Voting is not really that difficult although at times it seems like you are running an obstacle course. 



Phil using the only power he has to impact local and state government!

 

But of all the signs we saw on the way to vote, the ones that really got me to thinking were these!

 


Honeysuckle, Johnson Grass and Political Candidates may have some things in common!

Yep, just down the road from my house I found these “Yard Signs” planted right in the middle of, and most appropriately, a big patch of Honeysuckle vines and Johnson Grass.  How interesting I thought, there's a good possibility some of them have much in common with those plants.

x    Most are perennial; they just keep coming back season after season, cycle after cycle.

x    Sometimes they can look pretty nice and smell sweet, but given too much time they can become invasive, aggressive and cover up the good stuff.

x     If you take just a casual look, their outward appearance can be pleasing to the eye and they don't appear to be too threatening.  But if you ignore them for a while and later try to remove them, you'll find they've grown powerful roots and will hold tight to where they are attached.

x    Ever try to get rid of Honeysuckle or Johnson Grass?  Pretty dang hard since it spreads from seeds and has roots that run deep.  I've been gardening on the same plot of ground for 30 years and I still fight Johnson grass every year.  I did finally eradicate the Honeysuckle, but the it took years.

x    Ever try to get rid of a politician who has been "planted" more than one term?  Pretty dang hard since the longer they stay in office the stronger their grip on the system.

 

Come to think of it, if you leave Johnson Grass and Honeysuckle alone the stuff will simply take over the landscape.  Often the same thing is true of political office holders.  If they stay in office too long they sorta take over. 

I will have to admit, not all of my political acquaintances fit in with my plant analogy.  There are a few public officials who continue to  "fight the good fight" and bloom like beautiful wildflowers even when surrounded by Honeysuckle and Johnson grass.  Thank you for your public service!

Oh well, you see where I rambled as I looked at the “Yard Signs,” Honeysuckle and Johnson grass on my way to vote this week.

The American system of government has its flaws, warts, and weeds, but it is still one of the best governance systems ever envisioned.  It is an amazing framework because it continues to work in spite of lack luster and self-serving politicians.  Unfortunately, it could work so much better if the “average citizen” would pay more attention to what is going on and keep office holders accountable.

Remember the definition of REPUBLIC: 

A state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

Based on the definition, the only real power you and I have for holding elected officials accountable is our individual vote, so don't fail to use your personal power this year.  Ramble on down to your local polling precinct and cast you vote!

Let's help control those officials who are similar to Honeysuckle and Johnson grass......if you know what I mean.
 

GO VOTE EARLY!

2014 Early Voting:  July 18 – August 2

Election Day:  August 7, 2014

 

Until next time, keep rambling!

Dear God, deliver me.…

Part of the Lord’s model prayer that we learned as a youngster teaches us to pray for deliverance, precisely, “deliverance from evil.”  Most of us, have taken that model prayer to heart and pray often for “deliverance from” many things. 

Dear God deliver me from these pesky mosquitoes and gnats, also the poison ivy growing in my flower beds and the weeds in my yard and garden.

But wait, didn’t God create these things?  Well, I guess he did since they are a part of the amazing and varied plant and animal bio-system He created.  But why did he create such pests?  They are nothing but a bother for me and threats to my enjoyment of life.  And we know for a fact that over the centuries some of these pests have spread disease and pestilence.

So how can I pray for deliverance from something God created?  Did he put these pests here for some purpose?

Remember the story of the frogs, lice, flies & locust that plagued the Egyptians?  Now these critters were also part of God’s creation, but he used them for a purpose.  So maybe I better think twice about those pesky mosquitoes and gnats. 

Do I need deliverance or just some insight? Is God trying to tell me something?

Dear God, it’s been awfully dry this summer, deliver me from this drought.  Now, we did get a good shower one day last week and I’m not complaining about that, but we could use a good soaker.  Depending on where you live, we did get a good rain the last couple of days. 

Does God control the weather or is that just a function of ocean currents and the jet stream?  After all, God must have put them into motion as a part of his creative genius.

Best I can recall; weather played a role in several biblical stories.  Noah and the flood was a memorable one for sure.  I also remember the story of Elijah and a long dry spell.  Seems like those folks went without rain for about three years because Elijah asked God to “not let it rain,” then later Elijah asked for a deliverance from the drought and prayed for it to rain; and God sent a big “gully washer.”  More recently, big swaths of the west and southern California are in the grip of a terrible drought.

Maybe I ought to pray for rain with a different purpose that just something to make the grass green or to help the farmers grow corn and soybeans.  Maybe drought is not an inherently evil thing.   Maybe there is another “Elijah” somewhere that has asked God for a drought to “teach us a lesson.”  Should I be praying for deliverance or insight?

How many times have we prayed, Dear God, deliver my children from the evil influences of this world?  I didn’t keep a tally, but with two boys, we probably prayed this prayer a lot during their growing up years.

But on the other hand, didn’t God give my kids brains to make decisions?  Did God not give us some measure of “free will” to make choices in life?   

The Bible is full of stories about somebody’s kids falling victim to evil in the world.  Remember the stories about Cain & Able, the prodigal son, Esau & Jacob, Samuel’s priestly, but wicked sons, and about 100 others.  Seems like no matter how much a parent might pray for deliverance for their children, evil often has its way with our children.

I’ve been a “professing believer” for almost 65 years now and despite the absence of a 100% guarantee of God’s deliverance, I will continue to pray for God’s deliverance from evil.  No doubt, I’ve personally been delivered from a lot of the evil in this world, mostly as a result of other folk’s prayers on my behalf.  But based on personal observations and life experiences, I know for a fact that despite our petitions, evil will not go away.  Evil is always going to be a threat in this world.

In all honesty, I’ll have to admit that as I’ve gotten older it has become much easier for me to focus my prayers on another part of the model prayer, the part that says, “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  I do not know the “mind or will of God,” but I must simply trust that his will is always better for me, even when it doesn’t mean deliverance.

Now, let’s ramble!

Second Source......Second Chances

 Since January 2013, my wife and I have been volunteering one day each week at a community thrift store called “Second Source.”  It is a wonderful little thrift store that provides a great variety of clothing, household goods, toys, miscellaneous hardware, furniture, and home houseware items at very affordable prices.  Each Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until around 3:30 p.m., Becky and I work as a team; I run the cash register and Becky bags the goods.  We enjoy interacting with the customers, other volunteers, and store staffers. 



Second Source is located in a small strip shopping center in the west end

of Jefferson City, near the intersection of Hwy. 92 and Old Andrew Johnson Highway

 Thrift stores are neat places to shop and several such stores are in our little community.  .  But getting a “good buy” on something is only part of this story.  The rest of the story is that Second Source profits are used to help give “Second Chances” to families and single women who suddenly find themselves homeless.  

Second Source gives 100% of earnings above operational cost to a homeless shelter called Samaritan House.  This shelter is part of a larger benevolent ministry called Appalachian Outreach, locals simply call it “A.O.”  This non-profit agency is under the umbrella of Carson-Newman University, but the story of A.O.'s operation is too much for this blog, so back to the shelter and Second Source. 

The short of it is that single women, mothers and their kid can find a home for up to 45 days while they stabilize their lives and make a plan for independent living.  They not only find a beautifully furnished place to sleep and shelter; they also find, food, tutoring for the kids, Bible study, and caring Christian friendship and encouragement.

A few paid staffers and lots of volunteers and contributors make this wonderful thrift store ministry run like clock-work.  At Second Source, there are only five paid workers and around twenty to twenty-five regular volunteers who keep the thrift store operating.  Donations of resalable items pour in almost daily from individuals, as well as some retail outlets.  All of the donated items must be sorted, checked for quality, sized, priced, and put on hangers or displayed.  The store personnel and volunteers use three prep day each week (M-T-W) where a lot of behind the scenes work is done and three “sales days” (Th-F-Sat) for customers to purchase goods.

The homeless shelter has been in operation since 1987, using an old house donated by a local couple. The Second Source thrift store emerged some  years later, the brainchild of a few volunteers who began it around 2002 as a means of providing a steady stream of financial support for the homeless shelter. 

The thrift store has flourished over the past twelve years and much of the profits were placed in a building fund to help build a new and larger shelter facility.  That dream was finally realized just over a year ago when a new shelter was opened.  The shelter received many donations from businesses, churches and individuals, but would you believe; some 60% of the 1.3 million dollars needed to build the shelter came from Second Source revenues.  That is simply amazing!



Front side of shelter into reception area and dining area. 
Living and sleeping areas are on provided in family suites and individual rooms.



The shelter also has an outside play area for young children and walking trails for the adults.

 Over the years, hundreds of individuals and families have found temporary shelter and hope through the ministry of Samaritan House.  The new facility is serving well, but operational costs are significant.  Money from Second Source continues to provide a steady stream of financial support for those expenses and other ministry needs.

When folks shop at Second Source they get great deals, but in the process they also are providing “Second Chances” for folks who need temporary shelter and a safe place to live.

So, when you ramble next week, if you live in our area, stop by Second Source and save a buck while also giving somebody a “Second Chance.”  

Learn more about A.O.’s many ministries @ http://web.cn.edu/ao/default.htm

or Samaritan House @ http://web.cn.edu/ao/SamHouse/SamHouse.htm

Patriot & Citizen: Do I have the Right Stuff?

Seems like every year on the 4^th of July, Veterans Day, Memorial Day and other such days, we put all of our focus on past wars and the price paid by individuals and families from the loss of lives of those who fought.  

We also memorialize those who died as well as those who survived and returned home.  This is not a bad thing to do.  In fact, I think it is a good thing to do individually and as a nation.  We need to remember the past, appreciate it and hopefully learn from it as well.

As the 4^th of July rolled around this year my thoughts rambled to my own ancestors to see how many men have served in the military or were involved in wars that revolved around securing freedom or defending citizenship in America. I’ve been able to trace mine back to my 5^th Great Grandfather who immigrated to America in 1774.

Here is the list.........

5^th GGF, Bartholomew Kindred (1727 – 1804)

• Immigrant to America in 1774
• Weaver by trade for Thomas Jefferson
• Enlisted, but did not fight in the Revolutionary War

4^th GGF, Thomas S. Kindred (1760 – 1835)

• Immigrant to America with his father in 1774
• Served 1777 – 1781 in Revolutionary War
• Served at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered
• After the war, he moved to Tennessee,  farming and raising a family

3^rd GGF, Thornton Kindred (1797 – 1872)

• Never had to serve in the military
• Farmed & raised a family in Tennessee

2^nd GGF, James Alfred Kindred (1828 – 1903)

• Never had to serve in military
• Farmed and raised a family in Tennessee

Great Grandfather,  Dorcy C. Kindred (1878 – 1940)

• Age 39, Registered for Draft September 12, 1918
• Never had to serve in military
• Coal miner by occupation & raised three sons

Father, Phillip C. Kindred, Sr. (1920 – 1944)

• Enlisted in U.S. Army, 12 May 1942
• KIA, July 16, 1944, St. Lo, France

Phillip C. Kindred, Jr. (1942 – Living)

• Registered for Draft, age 18
• Classified a 4-A, age 23
• Never had to serve in military

Robert Alan Kindred (1968 – Living)

• Voluntary enlistment in Army 1987
• Served 2 years active duty

Phillip Michael Kindred (1972 – Living)

• Voluntary enlistment in U.S. Marine Corp. 1992
• Served 4 years active duty

So, out of seven generations, only two fathers had to serve in combat; one in the Revolutionary War and one in World War II and only one sacrificed his life.  The only others who served are my two sons, both serving terms of active military duty during times of peace.

Most of my grandfathers simply lived their lives, worked hard at a job, and raised their family.  They enjoyed the blessing of liberty and citizenship through the sacrifice of others. 

This little family history got me to thinking that maybe around the 4^th of July I need to spend more time focusing on being good citizens rather than being a patriot.  Most of us will never have to fight in a war, but we are citizens every single day.  Then I listed some of the traits I think would make me a good citizen.  It is not an exhaustive list, but it's a start.

§         Honesty with others and yourself.  Honesty means sincerity, truthfulness, integrity and openness, not just on Sunday or the 4^th of July, but every day.

§         Compassion is the emotion of caring for people and other living things.  Compassion helps bond us to others and our world.  It leads to caring and sharing with others.

§         Respect is like compassion, but can be directed toward yourself (self-respect) and toward things, like “the Flag” “the law” or even “ideas”.  You can even respect someone you may not necessarily admire.  Seems we don’t do enough “respecting” these days.

§         Responsibility is an “action” word that reflects what you do.  We have personal responsibilities and public responsibilities.  Even groups have responsibilities.  Unfortunately, seems like a lot of folks are shirking any type of responsibility in America today. 

§         Courage is important to good citizenship.  It enables people to do the right thing even when it’s unpopular, difficult, or dangerous.  It’s important whether you are a weaver, a farmer, a coal miner, a teacher, a computer specialist, or a surveyor.

Tonight, after the smoke clears from the fireworks and July 5^th rolls in, I think I’ll give a little more serious thought to my role as a citizen in this great land. 

Hopefully I can practice honesty in all my dealings, show compassion to others, respect everyone, always be responsible, and have the courage to always do the right thing.

In your rambling I’m sure you’ve already discovered it’s a “war zone” out there every day.  Maybe if we all practiced our citizenship traits we’d have fewer declared wars around this planet and maybe even congress could get something done. :-)

Hope you had a great 4th of July!

Thank you Lord for a beautiful day in East Tennessee!