It's a To Grow or Not to Grow Thing

Dear America,

"When you claim God's promises 

in a way that honors him, 

you'll grow in your intimacy 

with Him.  

And in the center 

of His Will, 

your Loving Father 

is able to bless you 

with his best."  

Charles F. Stanley

we are winding down with our summer compositions ....this one just so happens to be "numero ocho" in case anyone is keeping track...right, didn't think so.

no bother

#951

signing in.

This morning, this girl is finding herself enveloped in amazement, that, for one, I have reached 950 blogs in All-American Just A Girl Fashion -- 

and for two, that it feels like I'm only getting started.  Late bloomers, anyone?

I can remember early on, my mama wondering if I would really have enough to say; and to come to a time, now 950 blogs later, and still be on a roll (give or take the breaks in-between), my goal in getting to a thousand is just a hop skip and a jump away...and with any luck, it will align with the celebration of ten years, come July 2019.

Having said that, in this moment of reflection, I know I couldn't get here entirely on my own.  My circle of loyal supporters -- family and close friends -- have nourished me with constructive feedback, provided encouragement, and have directly, and indirectly, strengthened my spirit to press forward, onward and upward. 

And, of course, on a deeper level, my relationship with God shows me the way, His Way, every single day.

With maturity -- comes the ability to see the bigger picture, to give credit where credit is due, to foster a gentle humility, and be mindful of our weaknesses, as well as, our strengths. 

I realize we are still in the days of honoring an American Hero, in John McCain -- and that is all good and fine and dandy.  And yet, hearing the news of Sarah Palin not being invited, and further, being asked not to come anywhere close to the funeral, is just so disheartening.

With maturity -- even a John McCain had to realize that if it weren't for that shade of lipstick standing next to him, on that political stage, and coming in as his surprise running mate in 2008, his ticket would have tanked to the center of the earth, never to see the light of day again.  And that, my friends, is just the ugly truth.

I fault the McCain campaign -- if not, John McCain, himself -- for not championing a fighting spirit to support her to the fullest, both during, and especially after, facing their ultimate fate and miserable loss.

It is shameful that Sarah was told not to even think about coming, not after all she did to raise his campaign from the dead.  

And then to make her a spectacle, all over again?  

Are you serious?  Are you serious?!

It is just so wrong every which way to Sunday and back.

But now, noticing a twinkle of maturity illuminating in neon lights from my mind's eye, I will hold my tongue and refrain from making this any more than a reasonable observation.  But if you ask me, by "not inviting" Sarah, the family made Sarah a greater liability than if they had just sent her an invite like everybody else close to the good Senator.  It's like why create that kind of drama, right?

With maturity --  I have finally reached an age where I can actually see the lines being drawn right in front of my own eyes in real time...to create a little drama here or not to create....to make a big deal of this, or not....and so on and so on...asking ourselves, 'Is this a season  To Grow or Not to Grow?' that is the question.

And you know what?

If you ask me, and of course you're not -- but there isn't a whole lot in life worth the kind of nonsense that only senseless drama and sophomoric dust up's bring, you know what I mean?  I mean, eventually, somebody has to clean it up...namely, the person who made the fur fly in the first place.

The thing is -- as the quote at the top from Charles Stanley taps into -- if our actions, first and foremost, are executed in a way that honors God, then we should be golden.  However, if there is evidence of even a smidgen of selfishness, if we are being unjust or spiteful, if we are lacking in a show of good character in any way -- then the fate we meet up with around the corner is usually instantaneous! And it ain't in the least bit pretty, just sayin'.

The thing between McCain and Trump was a spectacle to watch, as well.  

And wasn't that something to get a note from the grave, cowardly projecting a political bias against a sitting president of his own party...."We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they’ve always been."

and then, coming to a close, McCain immediately contradicts himself, by adding --

"We are 325 million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country, we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do."

To honor our nation's sovereignty and security is not a bad thing; and John McCain --even in his final hours --  should have recognized that the majority, of not only this great nation, but the entire republican party, overwhelmingly supports policy to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws.  If  only he had a little bit of maturity to see it....

Maturity doesn't come automatically with age; it is a skill set that requires daily practice, role models, a relationship with our God, Creator and Higher Power to show us the true way,  and a personal commitment to want it, to make it our intention, every waking day.  Maturity is not for the faint of heart.

That's all I got today.

The end.

Make it a Good Day, G