I love America and am a natural born citizen. I have travelled abroad and have come to appreciate her rights and freedoms in contrast to what I have seen in those travels. I understand that America was originally begun as a nation under the principles of God and Christianity, but I also understand that, like Old Testament Israel, we too have gone astray. We live in a Genesis 3-Romans 1 world.
I am 44 years old and was raised in a Christian and Republican home. I am pro-life, anti-gay marriage and desperately want "our boys" to come home from the war in Iraq.
From my involvement with youth ministry in the forms of desiring it as a profession while in Bible college and putting it into practice as a volunteer youth leader for five years, I have come to understand and believe that, today's youth are today's and tomorrow's leaders*, be that in our own communities and our government. Yes, there should be times when they should take advantage of wise counsel from the "elders" (those of us who have experienced life and time before them), but in the end, they (the youth) will be making the decisions set before them to lead us.
As I have followed the presidential candidates**, their words, debates and advertising, I have studied their platforms (I tried very hard to disregard all the slanted critical commentaries!) and observed how each candidate responded both to each other as well as to the American public and her young people. In several instances, I was embarrassed and ashamed of the behavior in several instances in my own party's candidate in how they initiated mud-smearing against the opposing candidate and their running mate as well as delayed and completely disregarded some conversations with our young Christian leaders. Ignoring today's and tomorrow's future leaders can go very badly. While yes, there is a tendency to believe that young people are inexperienced in politics, they do also have the potential of bringing "to the table" fresh, new perspectives.
I cast my vote early this year and, suffice it to say, it was one of the toughest voting decisions I have ever had to make. I have prayed (and will continue to pray) for our leaders as they make the decisions that are necessary to lead us as a nation and as a people. May God continue to bless America.
*DISCLAIMER: Let it be understood that ALL leadership is under God's Divine Providence and will.
**John McCain/Sarah Palin, Barack Obama/Joe Biden
