How's My Bonnie Loon?

Agnes and Jim are my fantastic next door neighbours. Agnes keeps me well fed with the best of
North-East Scottish cuisine. She also has taken up the challenge of teaching me the fine points
of the Doric Tongue. She's a fine teacher, talking to me at least once every day. Jim, Agnes's
husband for nearly fifty years, is blessed with one of the nicest smiles on the face of any man.
He's always on the go, always doing something for one of their sons or grandchildren. They
also have taken on the assignment of keeping an eye out for me. They've helped me out in so
many ways. They are the best of neighbours. I've posted a picture of Agnes in a previous post.
Jim is shy about having his picture taken, even when he flashes his award-winning smile.

Rarely does a day go by that either Jim and I, Agnes and I, or the three of us, don't have a long
chat over the concrete wall that separates our two yards. For several weeks now Jim has been
using a different greeting than I have heard before. He asks: 'how's my bonnie loon?'It literally
means: how is my nice young boy? But in this situation, it means: how is my nice young man?
I reply with the standard North-East reply: 'nay bad' (not bad). Coming from Jim with his infa-
mous grin, I hear it is a term endearment. Sometimes I feel flattered that he refers to me as a
young man. But then I realise that from his vantage point of being nearly 70 years old, any per-
son younger than him is a young man or young woman. I am really humbled by the affection
and care that the two of them lavish upon me. What did I do to deserve that? Three weeks ago,
we had one of our two communion services of the year at the church. Agnes always comes to
the communion service, but Bill never has come, at least until three weeks ago. There he was,
sitting in a pew, and taking communion at the service. I really desire that both of them exper-
ience the depths of Jesus' love for them and enjoy him forever. I am glad they are my good
neighbours. I am truly blessed.

Blessings to you and yours,

Just Drop It, Get Over It, and Carry on

It is now six days after the election, and the loss by the Republicans still stings. A good number
of bloggers and commentators I respect are still stunned. There were reasonable expectations of
the Republicans taking control of the Senate and replacing President Obama with President Rom-
ney. Four years ago, there was no indication that Republicans would come this close. However,
strong Republican victories in the midterm elections of 2010 only stimulated a sense of hope.
But even six months ago, the prevailing narrative was that President Obama was safe in the
White House. Since the Republican National Convention there was a growing optimism that
the Republicans would do well this election cycle. There were a few vocal Republicans who
foresaw a landslide victory for Romney and the Republicans, especially in the Senate. But the
voices I trust the most spoke of a close race, perhaps one of the closest in decades, one that
could easily have gone either way.

But it was not to be the way I and many others had wished it to be. President Obama and the Democrats won a close election in terms of the popular vote and earned a decisive victory in
the Electoral College. They even strengthened their hold in the Senate. It is like I was watching
my favorite American football team playing in a championship game against an established team
that had an earned reputation for winning. It is a hard-fought game between my underdog team
and a team heavily favored to win. It comes down to the last minute of the game. Our hopes rise
as our team advances on the opponent's goal line. The other team leads by one point with just a
few seconds left. Our team kicks a three point field goal for the win, but it is blocked by a defen-
sive player from the other team. It was a very narrow margin of loss, yet it was a decisive win
by the other team. Their players are jubilant and celebrate their well-deserved victory. But the
players and supporters of my team feel great disappointment. Our team did well and played well
enough to win. Victory was in our grasp. We could see it. But how quickly it was gone. I and
many others feel the sting of defeat.

I have just a few comments to make about the election. I am deeply concerned about how easily charges of racism, greed, hate, religious fanaticism, and the waging of war against women and
the ninety nine percent spew forth from the mouths of Democrats. I would find it difficult to car-
ry on much-needed political conversation with someone who has been branded with one or more
of those charges. There has to be room for political dialogue without the fear of being accused of politically volatile charges. To many Democrats, Progressives and Liberals,  Republicans and
Conservatives such as myself are labelled as racist, greedy, hateful, and even evil; to most Re-
publicans and Conservatives, politicians on the other side are viewed as wrong and misled, but
not evil or bad.  Never has there been a sitting US president in modern times who has exercised
such a negative re-election campaign as President Obama. He had nothing else to run on. His
record is poor, and because of that, many Republicans were hopeful that the President would not
be re-elected. The negative campaign, however, was quite successful. It worked, and he was re-
elected to a second term. Some commentators suggest that the heavy negative messaging led to
voter suppression: indeed, it was a low turnout for election. People were put off by the negativ-
ity and stayed home rather than voting. I was relieved when I learned that the House of Repre-
sentatives had remained in Republican hands and did not go Democratic. It was an election that
favored incumbents of both parties. It preserved the status quo. Fortunately President Obama and
his fellow Democrats will not have the same control of the government that they enjoyed during
the first two years of President Obama's first term.

But enough of the election results. I am deeply disappointed at the outcome. I have vented my
feelings. Now it is time to just drop it, get over it, and carry on with life. I continue to pray for
President Obama, the Congress,  and the Supreme Court; for the state governors and the state legislators; and for Her Majesty the Queen, her counsellors, Members of Parliament, and Mem-
bers of the Scottish National Parliament. I pray for and support human government at all levels,
but I do not put my trust in them. I trust in the LORD God, King of Kings and LORD of Lords,
and ruler of all the nations. Human government fails us, but the LORD God never does. Since
the election I have felt a deep abiding calm and sense of peace. I have a pastoral calling to care
for the dear people of St Fergus Parish Church. I enjoy politics, but pastoral leadership is my cal-
ling and vocation.


Blessing to you and yours,

USA Election Day 2012

Earlier this morning, I was in the waiting room of the regional health clinic, waiting for my flu shot.
I started chatting with the guy next to me. He quickly picked up that I was from across the Pond.
The Brits learn quickly that Canadians do not want to be identified with Americans. So he asked
me if I was Canadian or American. When he heard that I was an American, he started talking
about the US presidential election today. I sensed that he had assumed I was supporting Presi-
dent Obama for another four more years. I told him I had mailed in my ballot four weeks ago and
that I had voted for Mitt Romney. He seemed stunned, but to his credit, continued to talk to me
about the election. He typifies most Brits with whom I have talked with about American politics.
They have a love affair with President Obama, a deep hatred for George Bush, and contempt for
Romney, Republicans, and the Tea Party. They cannot conceive how anyone can vote for anyone
other than President Obama and the Democratic Party. It truly saddens me.

But the atmosphere here in Britain is nowhere as toxic and acrimonious as it is in the USA. I won-
der how much longer Hollywood, academia, public sector unions, the gay and pro choice advo-
cacy groups, and the alphabet arms of mainstream media will continue to drink the bitter cup of liberalism and progressivism. I do not want the USA to go the way of of spiritual impoverishment
that I contend that the societies of  Western Europe, Great Britain, and Canada are following. I do
not want four more years of President Obama and/or at least two more years of a Democratically-
controlled Senate that squashes any hope of national economic, political, and moral recovery in
order to pursue their Big Government and social liberation agenda. Eight years of increasing po-
tical power of Speaker Pelosi, President of the Senate Reed, and President Obama have brought
us to the critically negative situation that the people of the USA now face.

President Obama is a good and decent man. I respect him as a man, a husband, and a father. But
I do not respect him in his ability to serve as President of the USA. Four years ago the people of
the USA elected him President because of his character and ability, not because of the color of
his skin. Now it is my hope that the people of the USA will vote for President Obama to retire
from office, not because of the color of his skin, but because of his inability to govern on behalf
of the people of the USA.  

It is my deepest hope and my greatest desire that tonight the people of the USA will elect Mitt
Romney as the next President of the USA and Paul Ryan as the Vice President. I look forward
 to the Republicans gaining control of the Senate. But the control must not be such that hinders
Democrats bringing their issues to the floor for discussion. President Obama spoke of cooper-
tion when he was running for President, and yet cut off the defeated Republican minority from
any participation in the democratic process. Then he vilified the Republicans for being obstruct-
tionists. I could not see a President Romney acting in that manner. Both as a business man and
as a governor, he facilitated discussion and interaction among various groups. I want Republi-
can majorities in both Houses, but I am against strong Republican majorities. The two parties
must govern together for the common good of the people. In so many ways, the Democrats
did not follow that path in four years of being in power in Congress and the Presidency. We
must fight against the Republicans doing as the Democrats did the last four years.

I have followed Romney with great interest ever since he came on the presidential scene six
years ago. He possesses the skills, character, and abilities to be a great President. If there has
been anyone who has been groomed to be at that position, it is Romney. In addition, he is a
good, decent, and kind man. I cannot understand the critical negative attacks that have come
his way from the mainstream media and the Democrats, including the President. Romney's
Mormon faith does not concern me. As Billy Graham has written, the people of the USA are
electing a President, not a Pastor in Chief. I firmly believe Romney will be a great President.
I am glad when I hear that fellow Evangelicals are enthusiastic about Romney. There is an
outpouring of support by Evangelicals for him.

I expect one of three scenarios today: either President Obama will win re-election narrowly;
Romney will win narrowly; or Romney will win going away. The Democrat narrative is
that President Obama has the election locked up. They would say that the polls show him
to be favored. The Democrat's organisers have succeeded in executing their ground game
that they carried out so brilliantly four years ago. That is the narrative that is being pre-
sented by mainstream media. It is so pervasive, that many supporters of Romney become
discouraged. Many of the polls are based on the turnout for the 2008 election when the
Dems soundly trounced the Republicans. Everything went right for them. It was like
the Perfect Storm for Democrats. Candidate Obama and fellow Democrats would have
won regardless of who the Republicans put forth. In 2012 pollsters used samplings from
that year, a year that heavily favored the Dems. But in 2010 the Republicans surprisingly
took control of the House and challenged the Dems in the Senate. The Republicans sent
a message that things would be changing. The Dems have given not attention to 2010.

The Republicans tend to pay more attention to the results of 2010. As a result, they see
the current political landscape differently. The Republican narrative is that Romney has
taken the momentum from the President. Voters were finally able to view a good and
decent Candidate Romney during the debates, especially the first one. People saw Rom-
ney for who he is, not in the way that the Democrats and the national media had selec-
tively presented him. Voters were impressed, and increasingly supported Romney. Yet
the polls still have been showing a slight lead for the President. There are problems with
the polls that have been favoring the President. Despite this bias, Romney is slightly
ahead or tied with the President. It could go either way, especially in the key battleground
states. But the Independent votes are swinging to Romney. I am expecting that Romney
will win this election, but it could go the other way for the President. If the President does
win, it would be a very ugly victory that would not serve the nation well. I pray the Presi-
dent and the Democrats are soundly defeated because the people of the USA cannot take
four more years of this.    

Well, I have to cut this off. I have to leave for a big meeting tonight and I want to get this
off now rather than waiting until later tonight. There is no time to proof read or smooth
things out. But it is better than nothing.

Blessings to you and yours,