Western GOP Debate

If you know know me at all you probably know that I am a passionate political observer. Day to day I keep abreast on local, national and world politics and I enjoy giving my opinion (through Biblical worldview glasses) on just about any story you come across- just ask me and you'll make my day!

With the 2012 presidential race heating up and the GOP candidates debating on a regular basis I thought it would be helpful to have a record of sorts on what was discussed and what I thought of each persons performance and the substance of their message. I will be 'live blogging' tonight and for each of the successive debates to follow. I hope that this process is helpful to you too as you put your brain in gear and bow your heart in prayer. This is possibly the most important election of out time and how you vote in it matters, take the time now to get to know your choices!

I will assume that you are familure with who is running and with that assumption in mind I am going to be using abbreviations for each of the candidates names. If you have questions about how I have abbreviated something just ask... :)

Here we go!

Imperfection, Hindsight and The Single Girl

I've been in a mood today.

Yes, me, in a mood! Today was just one of those days where I felt like 'Will you people just get out of my way?!-- I have stuff to do--- I have plans and I'm not getting anything done!'

Now, don't look at me like that- you've had a day or two like that too I bet!

But tonight when I sat down to check all my email and news feeds what did I find waiting for me but a post from one of my favorite blogger-author-spiritual thinkers Jasmine Baucham. I eagerly clicked through to her post to see what words of wisdom awaited me this time and...as always...found myself struck, humbled and starting over at square one.

Jasmine's question was a simple one- "What would have happened if you got married at nineteen?" but it stopped me cold in my tracks. So much has happened to me since I was nineteen that if I was married then I think my life would be radically different now.

If I was Married at Nineteen:

• I would have been right on track with my timetable and planning a wedding not planning to go to culinary school (apprenticeship).
• At twenty I wouldn't be learning endurance and graduating with a group of people I still call family.
• At twenty-one I wouldn't be learning patience and helping to take care of my dying father.
• At twenty- two I wouldn't be learning Jesus is the light in your darkest self-dug pit.
• At twenty- three I wouldn't be starting in Bible Study Fellowship (Matthew) and learning Jesus requires of us obedience and understands all our weaknesses and struggles because as a man He experienced all we experience.  
• At twenty- four I wouldn't be available to give my Gran the care she needed after her four-broken-fingers accident and I wouldn't have the opportunity to devote my summer to reading and studying.
• At twenty- five I made big plans- for my life, for my business, for my personal habits but I learned in John (ch.11, again BSF) that just because Jesus delays in answering our requests (demands!) that it doesn't mean He's forgotten about us- it just means He has a bigger and better plan then we can see.
• At twenty-six I wouldn't be writing a letter that set a church on fire and contributed to uprooting people from a cancerous body; I wouldn't be able to 'redeem' my (business) time in the kitchen continuing to voraciously devour audio books and every single Vision Fourm lecture and conference I could get my hands on increasing my knowledge of church history and theology.  
• At twenty seven He wouldn't be teaching me to be humble and that I am to trust Him when I have nothing just as much as I trusted Him when I had (fairly) good health, good finances and good business prospects.

Next month I turn twenty-eight. (Twenty-Eight!) I am well aware, much like Jasmine, that the person I am today has been shaped month-by-month, day-by-day by the events, lessons, teaching and actions that I have experienced. I'm sure that if I had married at nineteen God would have gone about His teaching/sanctification process of me with different events, lessons, teaching and actions, He could have chosen to teach me the things I have learned, to grow me, to mature me in a different way. The daily life of a wife and mother way... In my minds eye I can see the brood of children daily gathered around me. Jam stained faces, piles of phonics books and a smattering of Character Studies flash cards, family dinner prep and mealtime....

However, I didn't marry at nineteen or twenty or twenty-one or twenty-seven- didn't even have the chance too....

What I have gained in this 'waiting time' is more precious though. It's more precious because it was His choice for me. All the things I have learned have been taught at His good pleasure to do so. He chose to teach me! He chose to mould me!

At twenty-seven I'm so much more me now then I ever was at nineteen.

Right now I'm enjoying growing (mostly :) ) and I don't plan on stopping- even if the next year or two brings something different along my path. Right now, with God's grace, I'll keep quoting with Jasmine:

"Keep from me Thy loveliest creature, till I prove Jesus' love infinitely sweeter." ~Charles Wesley, Written during his courtship with Sarah Wesley.

And, while I'm at it, I hope I learn how to have fewer moody days...