Unconditional Acceptance

The following story has circulated over the Internet for years. Yet each time I read it I am reminded of the powerful lesson it conveys. Just as Jesus Christ and Buddha told parables to explain morality so do such stories that come either from a real incident or the mind of those who would wish it to be true.

Breakfast at McDonald's

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring, with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, "Smile."

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around, I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me, were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling".

His beautiful, sky blue eyes were full of God's light as he searched for acceptance... He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged, and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all, Miss," because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me, to give you hope." I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.

When I sat down, my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope."

We held hands for a moment, and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given, were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers.

That day showed me the pure light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?"

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read, and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor,and every soul that shared the classroom, on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

John McCain - Not My First Choice But He Will Get My Vote

The time has come. I must cut bait or fish. I will be the first to tell you that Senator John McCain does not represent my conservative views, however, no one since President Ronald Reagan has. He will get my vote this year but I will no longer send any money to the Republicans or the Democrats because quite frankly the system is broken and neither party represents the grassroots of the American people. So, Senator I will vote for you and my wife and I will support you amongst my friends and even amongst your opposition.

The following letter sent to me by my dear friend Lynn Beckman and recently shared with her summarizes well why I will vote for the Senator from Arizona.

However, I will not stop with this vote. I want my country back from the extremists on both sides of the political aisle. I want the Sean "Vanities" of the world who purport to represent me as a conservative to stop "whining" and making money off his "Stop Somebody's Express" and I want my country to return to supporting the very constitution on which this great Nation was founded.

AN INTERESTING VIEWPOINT

This is very well written and I recommend everyone take a little time to read this entire write-up. You won't be disappointed!


Dear Friends:

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not the Republican or the Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas" - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be, if they'll just work to get there - and nowhere else on Earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government
should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long.

Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.

We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job.

I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it . They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change". Change what?, I ask. Well, we're going to change America, they say. In what way?, I query. We want someone new and fresh in the White House, the young exclaim.

So, someone who's not a politician?, I press. Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama, they state.

So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong? No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change. And so it goes. "Change we can believe in." Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change.

I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth - other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this, and for a moment put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT? Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to - can spell out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one.

Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice. Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6,000 meals, 20 give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began. Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service... BUT....", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference.

Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to the Senate in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than trust. Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "ENOUGH." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens.

I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead. I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

This Story Summarizes My View of Congress

Indian story


An Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgunin one hand pulling a male buffalo with the other.He says to the waiter:

'Want coffee.'

The waiter says, 'Sure, Chief. Coming right up.'

He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee.

The Indian drinks the coffee down in one gulp,turns and blasts the buffalo with the shotgun,causing parts of the animal to splatter everywhere and then just walks out.

The next morning the Indian returns.

He has his shotgun in one hand, pulling another male buffalo with the other. He walks up to the counter and says tothe waiter 'Want coffee.'

The waiter says 'Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What was all that about, anyway?'

The Indian smiles and proudly says,'Training for position in United States Congress: Come in, drink coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day.'

Contemplation

In contemplating what the future of this once great country of ours is, it came to me this morning we are headed back to the days of Jimmy Carter, with sweaters, unemployment, inflation and stupidity!

If the American public is truly stupid enough to elect Barrak Hussein Obama our president then they should be stupid enough to elect me. You see at least I have handled budgets of several million dollars and dealt with these idiots in D.C.

What experience does a state senator, who wanted to prosecute a man for protecting his family with his legally-registered handgun and who has been a "community activist" and hangs out with the Reverend Wright have to be our Commander in Chief?

None!

Perhaps friends, it's time that we all converted our money to gold and went to the backwoods to retire.

By the way, I am not a John McCain fan either. He is an old and I mean old in the sense of the word, non-inspirational, angry man.

My vote: "None of the Above."

Depression

Many of you have been kind enough to drop me an e-mail to check on me, call or simply ask. Truthfully and candidly I am slowly coming back yet I am fighting a pretty severe round of depression brought on by the loss of my buddy Stimpy. However, like all things in my life this too shall pass.

And yes, Virginia I am doing an exhibit of my photography this month in Princeton at the art guild.

For those of you interested you can see much of it online at http://www.ldarrylarmstrong.com/index.html