Shhhh!

It will be a quiet week for me in blog land. This will most likely be my post for the week.

We have our grandson Zachary until Friday. He and Gam' Pa should be having a wonderful time while I am at work. <<SIGH>>

I spent most of the weekend cleaning, chopping, cooking getting food ready that I know Zachary likes and that will help the Hubs when the inevitably, "I'm hungry, Gam' Pa!' is uttered.

Speaking of work, we have our annual (shudder) compliance audit this week. Being a government entity, we are accountable to John Q. Public. This is an internal audit. There will be questions, stopping my normal duties to assist with auditor's requests for paperwork, etc. I feel confident my 'ducks' are in a row!

It will be a busy and full week both at home and at work. Your prayers are coveted.


Hebrews 4:13 (NIRV)

Nothing God created is hidden from him. His eyes see everything. He will hold us accountable for everything we do. 

Blessings,

Tamara

XOXO

Silent Sunday

WWJD? or WDJD?

Immigration issues, migrant farm workers and “illegal aliens” are topics here in the SW that can generally result in shouting, screaming, knock down, drag out, let me put my wagging finger in your face, free for all debate. That is putting in nicely. It is a hot bed topic.

Generally I try to be politically neutral in this blog and I will preface this post by saying that I am not a registered Republican or Democrat. I will not and I refuse to align myself with one party to the exclusion of another. Each party has merits that I admire. Conversely, each party has ideologies I abhor.

I am an Independent voter who researches issues and candidates (and their historical stance and voting practices) prior to casting a vote.

The Tea Party lost its appeal to me early on. Although I’m not even sure why, but I am a coffee snob, after all!

I, for one, am already tired of the political ads and of the money being spent to win an election. When there are children going to bed hungry in this nation and we have a national debt that should the Lord tarry, our great grandchildren will wonder “what were they thinking?” I ask myself why candidates are spending that kind of money to get elected when it could do so much good in the ‘community’ at large.

Friday, June 15, 2012 was news worthy, indeed. Via the New York Times:

There has been no significant movement toward federal immigration reform since a bipartisan effort died in 2007, blocked by conservative opposition. But it has been the subject of a fever of legislation at the state level, and a new policy put in place by President Obama on June 15, 2012 seems likely to ensure that becomes an issue in the November presidential campaign.  

Under the new policy, hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children are now able to obtain work permits and be immune to deportation for two years at a time.  

The policy applies to people who are currently under 30 years old, who arrived in the country before they turned 16 and have lived here for five years. They must also have no criminal record, and have earned a high school diploma, remained in school or served in the military. These qualifications resemble in some ways those of the so-called Dream Act, a measure blocked by Senate Republicans in 2010 that was geared to establish a path toward citizenship for certain young illegal immigrants

It does not escape me that this move comes on the heels of a very tight and controversial election year and campaign.

I attend a United Methodist Church. This because I believe what they believe and especially because of their outreach to the community at large. They truly are a Sanctuary for all peoples, all races, all creeds and ages. Here is a statement on President Obama’s immigration policy decision via the United Methodist News Service:

A UMNS Report
By Amanda Bachus and Barbara Dunlap-Berg*

5:30 P.M. ET June 15, 2012

United Methodist supporters of immigration reform applauded President Obama’s June 15 announcement that the United States would change its immigration policy, ending deportation for some young undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children.

The action, brought about by executive order and not requiring legislation, is similar in some ways to the DREAM Act, a measure blocked by Congress in 2010. The DREAM Act’s goal is to set a path toward citizenship for certain young undocumented immigrants. The administration’s action could affect up to 800,000 people.

Under the new policy, immigrants younger than 30 who came to the United States before age 16, who pose no criminal or security threat and who were successful students or served in the military, can obtain a two-year deferral from deportation, according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Those meeting the requirements could apply for work permits, provided they are now in the United States and have been continuously at least five years.

Phoenix Area Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, a longtime proponent of the DREAM Act, responded with a statement.

“The Obama administration’s announcement today that some undocumented youth living in the U.S. will receive temporary relief from deportation and will be able to receive work authorization is an extraordinary way forward for much-needed immigration reform,” the bishop said.

“Among the young people who will be blessed by this action are United Methodists with whom we celebrate and give God thanks. This day comes as a result of the diligent efforts of many, including the hard work of immigration rapid response teams in our annual conferences, the work of several of our general agencies, United Methodist Women, and the clear and steady voice of our Council of Bishops.”

‘Overwhelming’ but ‘bittersweet’

“It’s really overwhelming,” said an 18-year-old woman, who was attending the Florida Annual (regional) Conference session when she heard the announcement. “I’ve been here since I was 2 years old and grew up American. And now, the fact that I can finally work and go to school here will make life so much easier.” She is a new volunteer for the United Methodist Justice for Our Neighbors program to help immigrants, and she wants to attend law school.

“But at the same time, it’s bittersweet for me,” she continued. “It’s great for everyone who qualifies, but I have mixed emotions because of my family. I think about my parents, my aunts and uncles — people who have never had a criminal record and have contributed to this society, they are really deserving of relief. So, the work isn’t finished.”

Calling it “a big day to celebrate,” Hannah Hanson, education and advocacy coordinator for JFON in Florida, said, “I truly believe that The United Methodist Church had a lot to do with this decision. We’ve been advocating for this a long time, all across the country. Tomorrow there’s a lot of work to do, but this is truly a day to celebrate.”

The president made the announcement in a news conference called Friday morning. “Effective today, the Department of Homeland Security is taking steps to lift the shadow of deportation from these young people,” Obama said.

“This is not amnesty, this is not immunity, this is not a pass to citizenship. It’s not a permanent fix,” he continued. Calling the decision “a temporary stopgap measure,” he said, “There is still time for Congress to pass the DREAM Act this year. … We still need to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

‘The right thing to do’

Sharing the story of a young immigrant serving in the U.S. military, Obama continued, “I’ve been with groups of young people who work so hard and speak with so much heart about what’s best in America.

“It is the right thing to do because these young people are already making contributions to our society,” the president said. Treating them as expendable, he said, “makes no sense.”

“We have always drawn strength from being a nation of immigrants … ,” he said, “and my hope is that Congress recognizes that and gets behind this effort.”

The American Civil Liberties Union said the announcement came on the 30th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision, Plyer v. Doe, in which the high court made clear that all children, regardless of their immigration status, must be welcomed in the nation’s public K-12 schools.

*Bachus is director of the office of Spanish resources and Dunlap-Berg is internal content editor for United Methodist Communications, Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Barbara Dunlap-Berg, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

There were few comments on the website and they were negative and one spoke to the separation of church and state, incorrectly. So, I thought a primer in the first amendment as it relates to religion might be in order.

Separation of Church and State:

A First Amendment Primer

The right to freedom of religion is so central to American democracy that it was enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with other fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

In order to guarantee an atmosphere of absolute religious liberty, this country's founders also mandated the strict separation of church and state. Largely because of this prohibition against government regulation or endorsement of religion, diverse faiths have flourished and thrived in America since the founding of the republic. Indeed, James Madison, the father of the United States Constitution, once observed that "the [religious] devotion of the people has been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the state."

Americans are still among the most religious people in the world. Yet the government plays almost no role in promoting, endorsing or funding religious institutions or religious beliefs. Free from government control -- and without government assistance -- religious values, literature, traditions and holidays permeate the lives of our citizens and, in their diverse ways, form an integral part of our national culture. By maintaining the wall separating church and state, we can guarantee the continued vitality of religion in American life. (Information via the Anti Defamation League.)

Some of the general thoughts in the comment made seemed to imply that those who are religious minded should have no say in politics whatsoever. Oh, contraire my friends! What this means is the government cannot tell us how or where to worship especially as this would relate to a government or state run church.

1.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) was the first corporate body in Britain and North America to fully condemn slavery both ethically and religiously. The North American body also helped to establish safe havens for slaves in the Underground Railroad. (A recommended read for children: Follow the Drinking Gourd – a children’s book by Jeanette Winter.)

Quakers in the Anti-slavery Movement

Before the eighteenth century, very few white men questioned the morality of slavery. The Quakers were among these few. The doctrines of their religion declared an issue such as slavery to be unjust. By 1775, the Quakers founded the first American anti-slavery group. Through the 1700s, Quakers led a strong-held prohibition against slavery. The Quakers’ fight inspired growing numbers of abolitionists, and by the 1830’s abolitionism was in full force and became a major political issue in the United States.

The Quakers were radical Christians. They believed that all people were equal in the sight of God, and every human being was capable of receiving the “light” of God’s spirit and wisdom. They also were against violence. Quakers were known for their simple living and work ethic. Therefore, to the Quakers, slavery was morally wrong.

It was as early as the 1600s that Quakers began their fight against slavery, and thus the beginning of the abolitionist movement. They debated, made speeches, and preached to many people. By 1696, they made their first official declaration for abolitionism in Pennsylvania, in which they declared they were not going to encourage the importation of slaves.

The issue has become clear to me. It isn’t so much WWJD (what would Jesus do?) but more WDJD (what DID Jesus do?) It is about justice. It is about human rights. It is about doing what Jesus did.

We have the book – read it for yourself: He fed the multitudes (without regard for their race or gender). He gave living water to those who thirst (even a dreaded Samaritan woman). He traveled as a migrant from place to place with no place to lay his head. He served others, to include washing their feet.

In the account of the Nativity in Matthew 2, the toddler Jesus and his parents Mary and Joseph fled from Bethlehem to another country. They went to Egypt where they lived until Herod’s death. This was for a period of years. Were they not refugees? Wanderers? Immigrants?

There is another wonderful children’s book that brought the migrant issue forefront to my mind and heart. It is Amelia’s Road by Linda Jacobs Altman. Truly, it changed me from the inside out when reading about this little girl, the daughter of migrant workers living in work camps and going from school to school without anyone learning her name.

Now why am I touting children’s books? As a former prison librarian who did a literacy program with inmates to encourage them to read to their children, these were two titles I used. Find the two mentioned children’s books at your local public library and read them to your children or your grandchildren.

These are merely more musings from my heart…

Tamara

P.S. Isaiah 59:15 CEV 

"When the Lord noticed that justice had disappeared, he became very displeased"

Silent Sunday

People Watching

It is Wednesday, June 6^th, at 1330 hours. I feel compelled to use military time. I have accompanied my husband to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson AZ. I see many faces, many ages, many races, both genders and far, far too many disabilities.

I wonder if the women who appear to be my age had been military nurses in Vietnam. Are they now waging a personal war of their own? Is it a battle fraught with illness and disease or perhaps mental health issues? I cannot fathom the battle fatigue and the horrific scenes these women saw, let alone what the soldiers of that era saw. Then to return home and try to act with a semblance of normalcy, all the while wanting to just ‘talk’ about what they experienced, yet due to the political climate of the day, no one wanting to hear about it. How it must have damaged their psyche, their soul, their spirit.

Years ago when in Washington DC, we visited the Wall. While there we also saw the Vietnam Women’s Memorial which had been newly erected in 1983. I stood there weeping with and for the women of the memorial. The artist captured in heart wrenching detail the emotion and feeling of that era. Glenna Goodacre, sculptor of the Vietnam Women's Memorial, is internationally renowned for her work in bronze. 

The Vietnam Women's Memorial is dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict. It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier. The woman looking up is named Hope, the woman praying is named Faith, and the woman tending to a wounded soldier is named Charity. To read more about the Women’s Memorial, follow the hyperlink.

God Bless the Warrior Women!

Some of the patients at the Veterans’ Health Center enter, proceed to the desk and then are routed elsewhere. Some, the frequent flyers, enter and turn left at the hall and proceed to the pharmacy.  They exit in short order carrying a brown paper bag laden with medication.

Some are thin and gaunt and not dressed ‘well’. I wonder if they are part and parcel of the invisible homeless veterans we don’t like to acknowledge. Not dressed well? By who’s standard? Are you judging, Tamara?

As I people watch, I am struck by a woman pushing a wheelchair with a thin, emaciated African American man. Due to his age, I wonder if the woman transported him over to the clinic for treatment from the ‘VA Community Living Center’. He cannot hold his head up. She does this for him as she softly and gently speaks to him. She leaves him and his wheelchair and exits the building. My heart feels squeezed and compressed with emotional upheaval.

Soon after checking in we proceed to the second floor. Again, a cacophony of faces and sounds greet us in this new waiting room.

I see a woman of Asian descent and wonder if she is Vietnamese and waiting for her soldier husband. I wonder how she was treated when brought to this, the land of the free… so far from her country and people. Did we welcome her? Did we treat her as a foreigner or an object of disdain? Words from Emma Lazarus’ poem, The New Colossus resounds in my brain; 

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I am surprised by the young veterans. I shouldn’t be. This generation, not far removed from their I-Pod, I-Pads and I-Phones served and are still serving in a war so much more technological in nature than I care to imagine. They communicate in ‘real time’ with loved ones at home via their I-Phones and Skype. Drones are used for military intelligence. These young men and women are also maimed, crippled and killed via similar technology of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and again, in ‘real time’.

They are far too young, far too young…

These men and women in the waiting room nod to one another, searching faces for something familiar or of possibly seeing someone they used to know…

in a different life…

in a different setting…

half way around the world…

and many years ago…

They shake hands and “thank” one another for their service. Husband met a ‘brother’ who had served in SE Asia at the same base where he was stationed. Sure, it was a few years after Husband had been there, but the camaraderie was immediately evident.

Mostly, people kept to themselves. One man and his wife came out and took a seat; she sat down, I began moving items to make room for him. He stopped me and said, “That’s alright, I can use this contraption (his walker) as a chair. It works well for that.” “It sure does,” I said, “and if you get in my way, since you are on wheels I can move you to wherever I like!” The three of us had a good laugh about that.

Another man came out of the clinic and sat to the left of me in the corner, but only for a bit. The television above him distorted his hearing so he moved. “Was it something I said?” I kiddingly asked, “Really, I’m not Jane Fonda – I’m too heavy and out of shape!” We all chucked about that, being that I was dressed in similar uniform clothing of the 60’s & 70’s.  My signature Patchouli oil was wafting in the air.

Speaking of Jane Fonda, not too long ago I received a >>>forward >>>forward >>>forward email from a church friend. It spewed such hateful, awful things about Jane Fonda, some of which I had not heard before. Me being me, I checked with the local urban legend Guru – Snoopes and what was being spouted and touted as actual truth, was in fact, untrue.  I contacted this ‘friend’ to let her know and provided her the web address for her own verification of said article. Her response was, that’s interesting – but no retraction.

If you are interested in more about Jane Fonda’s current activities, 

follow the hyperlink!

For what it’s worth, we all have done and said things when we were younger that we are not that proud of now. That is part of being young – learning who it is we are, what it is we believe and then having to live with the consequences of our actions. I have a few areas of my life where I’d love to have a ‘do-over’ but that just doesn’t happen. But then my life hasn’t been as public and publicized as some. Then again, I wonder if I would do a ‘do-over’ for even those things I’d like to erase from my memory (and everyone else’s) have helped to form and mold me into whom I am today.

When husband exited the clinic appointment, I called out to him, “You need to check out!” and pointed to where that line was. He struck a pose and sauntered back over to my area as if it were a model’s runway all the while saying, “Check me out!” It was quite laughable and quite memorable, bless his heart!  Laughter does indeed do the heart good!

I believe I mentioned before that Husband did two tours of Southeast Asia. He was in the Air Force and stationed at two different supply depots. He developed severe asthma at the age of 38 when we lived in Ohio.  We were in the emergency room at least once a month and he was being admitted to the hospital once every six months. Then at the age of 55 he had a heart attack.

Surprisingly, the VA is covering all medical aspects of his heart condition. The jury is still out on whether or not his asthma is service related. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is one of the top rated VA facilities in the U.S. We are blessed beyond measure. Yet we remained quiet and reflective on the 2 hour trip home.

Today, June 9^th, 2010, we were awakened early (0330 hours to be exact) by our 4-year old grandson. He crawled into bed with us, nestled under the covers and then said, “I’m hungry.” He wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast. We obliged. We also had a lesson in humanity. We’ve been purchasing lovely brown eggs from the local farmer’s market. I showed them to him and said, “Look, Zachary! They are all different colors – just like people!” He looked at them intently and said, “Yes, Ga’Ma, they are different colors!” It was a wonderful teaching opportunity moment.

Being that we were up so early, we were able to run to the “Wal-Mart Corporate you can’t get it anywhere else this time of the morning especially in a town this size” to purchase some small flags to wave. Our local National Guard Unit was being deployed to Afghanistan. The community was encouraged to line the streets from the Armory all the way out of town. This was scheduled to begin at 0600 hours. We decided to head to the main highway leading out of town and just in front of the Chamber of Commerce. I was good to see families lining the highway waving flags in support of the leaving troops. Admittedly, the crowd wasn’t as big as I recall from 2001 when the Unit first deployed to the Middle East, but it was nice. Various police departments and the volunteer fireman were all helping to escort them out of town. I always cry at these events – the going out and the coming home.

Until the next installment,

Tamara

p.s. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.     ~Romans 13:7

Silent Sunday

Coffee, Anyone?

Emails are often forwarded that end with the all inclusive statement, “send this to 2.5 billion people within the next 20 minutes and something good will happen in your life” or the guilt laden, “if you are not afraid to profess Jesus as your Savior, then forward this email to every one in your address book and on that day He will acknowledge you in heaven…”  As a general rule, I read, but then delete those emails. Sometimes I even designate the person to my junk mail folder... However, every now and again a good one comes along.   I sometimes choose to share it in this medium. This is one of those times.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and about how things were so difficult for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if when one problem was solved, a new one arose to take its place. 

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. 

In twenty minutes or so, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. 

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. 

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. 

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, "What does it all mean, mother?" 

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - the boiling water. Yet each reacted differently. 

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. 

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water its insides became hardened. 

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

We too can ask ourselves, “Which am I?”

Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Do you have a fluid spirit but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, do you become hardened and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? 

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? 

Coffee anyone?

Tamara

p.s.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Silent Sunday

~tamara 2012