It is hard to believe that in about three days we will know who will occupy the White House for the next four years.  I hope everyone who is eligible to vote has already cast their vote or is definitely planning to do so on Tuesday.  Who should you vote for as the next president of the US?  If you haven’t made up your mind yet, you should definitely vote for my candidate, the candidate of God’s choice! 
With all kidding aside, I hope everyone prayerfully seeks God’s guidance in selecting the next president.  I happen to live in the “swing” state of Virginia, where one vote is likely to make a difference one way or another on the outcome. However, many states – including Maryland – historically lean heavily one way, making voters of the opposing party feel as if their votes will not make any difference.
Often times we feel insignificant and unable to make a difference whether it is at home, at school, at work, or at church. “What can I do?  I am just one person,” is often the excuse we use to avoid getting involved with a cause that we feel strongly about. In times like those I remind myself of the Genesis account of Abraham pleading to God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction. Ultimately the two cities are destroyed completely by fire and brimstone because not even ten righteous men could be found in these cities of tens of thousands of people.  Am I saying that ten extra people showing up to vote will definitely make a difference in this presidential election?  No, although that is possible.  What is important to keep in mind, however, is to never underestimate the power of one - one idea, one vote, or one conviction.  No matter how impossible the odds seem, we who have been called to be the salt and light of the world should continue to “expect great things from God and attempt great things for God” as William Carey did.
Just as heated as the presidential election itself, seems to be the fight over what is known as “Question 7” on Maryland ballots.  I do not know all the details, but basically it is a vote on whether to make gambling more accessible to Marylanders and nearby residents. The plan includes building a new video lottery facility in PG County, increasing the number of lottery machines, and allowing video lottery facilities to operate 24/7. People with good intentions on both sides of the issue argue why voting for or against Question 7 will benefit the residents of Maryland.  The proponents say the proceeds from the expanded gambling industry will benefit the public schools while the opponents say it will further ruin the lives of those who are already susceptible to gambling. 
I am sure this is a complex issue with multiple dimensions, and I have not formed my opinion based on thorough research.  However, my gut instinct is against Question 7.  Why?  Simply put, I do not believe “the end justifies the means.”  When King Saul defeated the Amalekites in 1 Samuel, he spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD despite God’s command to destroy everything.  King Saul’s intention might have been honorable, but he disobeyed God in the process.  So my beloved MD church family members, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, pray hard for God’s perfect will to be done for the nation and for your state. But do your part; go vote. 

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
November 4, 2012

How was your Thanksgiving break?  Mine was one of the most peaceful in recent years.  No, I did not just eat and sleep all day.  In fact, I was quite busy hosting a huge Thanksgiving family get-together at my house.   Incidentally, the highlight of the Thanksgiving break for me was the success of my first-ever cooked turkey!  Thanks to the step-by-step online instructions, my turkey and all its trimmings turned out quite fabulously.   With the laptop right on the kitchen counter, it was like having a private cooking instructor right alongside me.  As wonderful as these online cooking assistances are, however, it no longer affords us an excuse not to be able to cook something.  At this rate, sooner or later, our husbands may demand we turn out Martha Stewart-ish dishes! 
The reason I felt peaceful and well-rested, I believe, has to do with how I spent the days following Thanksgiving – to be more specific, how I did not get lured into the Black Friday or Cyber Monday bargain hunting insanity.  Yes, I do confess I too have “been there and done that” in the past, but this year I had NO desire whatsoever to be a part of it.  Did I finally become completely sanctified, become like Jesus, with no worldly desires?  Did I get too old and weak to engage in this physically and mentally challenging endeavor?  Or was it because I now have everything I ever needed or wanted?  We all know that’s not the case.
Then why was it different this year?  How was I able to overcome the fierce enticement of amazing Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals?  I came up with three reasons, and I hope to apply these principles not only during the Thanksgiving holidays, but throughout the year from now on.  First, my mind was preoccupied with successfully hosting my first ever Thanksgiving party, which was going to be my way of expressing appreciation for each family member, who has so richly blessed my life.  With that “loftier” goal in mind, my selfish desire and need became less significant.  Secondly, as soon as all the sales ads were delivered home, they were dumped straight into the recycling bin.  Eve was tempted and subsequently sinned because she allowed her eyes to keep gazing at the forbidden fruit.  I knew better not to have them around to stimulate and overwhelm “the cravings of my sinful heart and the lust of my eyes.”  Thirdly, and most importantly, I had no desire to add even one more item to the ton of “stuff” we’ve accumulated over the years.  Most of these were probably things that  we ‘had to have’ at the time, but in this new season of our lives  as we prepare to go out as long-term missionaries, we wish we didn’t have as much stuff to have to get rid of. 
It’s not that we’ve lived a life of excessive luxury or indulgence (ask my children; they’ll vouch for it), but we surely could have done without a whole lot of things.  Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34).  I cannot help but think, “What if all this stuff distracted us from solely looking to Jesus for true satisfaction?  How much more fruit would we have been able to bear if we had invested more into the lives of other people?”  But thank God that He is the God of second chances!  As Elder Frank and I follow the Holy Spirit’s lead into the next phase of our lives, we pray we will no longer be weighed down by the things of the world, but passionately pursue after God’s heart.  We desire to “travel light, dwell deep” for the remainder of our lives.

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 2, 2012