Catch the podcast link to this blog post HERE!! (link)
(Note that I made a good mistake with this podcast as the sound came from my tablet and not my microphone and mixer)
Personal Note: I did my first podcast as a part of Discerning Whitewater on Sunday night. So I will be fumbling thru the process of learning how to podcast, and I am sure I will make mistakes along the way. But the first podcast was fun, and I was humbled to pick up two subscribers! That is two more than I expected. I have many items for discussion and look forward to some great conversations.
I wanted to write sooner. The last couple weeks in Whitewater have definitely provided lots of potential content. So bear with me as I discuss events up to two weeks old.
So three random thoughts for Wednesday morning:
#1 – Reflections on the status of the School Board race (and the LWV Forum)
- My first thought is how much I look forward to this race being complete. I know for whom I am voting. I will probably throw out a couple endorsements in the next week or so. I do not like politics, particularly school board politics. I grow tired of the gossip, and even catch myself engaging in it (which is humbling).
- For the LWV Forum, I have several takeaways. The first is how rude the audience was to Chuck Mills. This includes members of the LWV. People could not be respectful to Chuck as he spoke. The jeers and the comments and the faces they made as Chuck spoke were disappointing. The LWV did nothing to quiet their friends in the audience (even more disappointing).
- Joe Kromholz made a comment towards the end of the forum that <conservatives> are “upset that they can’t announce their bigotry anymore.” My takeaway (my opinion) from this is that Joe does not have the emotional maturity to work with people on the school board. The comment is simply so drowned in ignorance and pride. I grow tired of the dehumanization of conservatives by some progressives such as Joe. I cannot imagine Thayer Coburn or Miguel Aranda making such a comment.
- I believe the message from the forum to the candidates is a deep desire for change.
#2 – The Parable of the Seeds
I receive some feedback (more than some) regarding my insistence on including my Faith in my blog and on day-to-day issues. To help explain my thought process on this, I will read Matthew 13.
Matthew 13:1-23 NASB
Jesus Teaches in Parables
13 On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell [a]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 The one who has ears, [b]let him hear.”
An Explanation for Parables
10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And [c]Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And [d]in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘[e]You shall keep on listening, [f]but shall not understand;
And [g]you shall keep on looking, [h]but shall not perceive;
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the [i]word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [j]word, immediately he [k]falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the [l]world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it [m]becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”
#3 – Reflections on the Library Movie Night
Further takeaways:
- My largest takeaway from this event is how this is entirely a woke, progressive movement. There were no conservatives present (in favor of the movie). (I recognize that there are a couple uber-progressive churches in the area, and I did see a pastor from one of them present; however I reiterate that those people are not following the Word; they are openly disobedient and unrepentant.) Physically watching the grooming take place provides a powerful perspective. I can appreciate that life can certainly be challenging, and men and women can often rebel; however these parents have added to the strife of life on their children. They have done this for their own agenda, their own selfishness. I pray that their children are spared the rotten fruit of their parents.
- Certainly, present is the appearance of stress within Whitewater City Hall. The city clerk has resigned and with that comes (more than) speculation to city employees “walking on eggshells”. There is a rule that when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you must do is stop digging. The digging does not appear to have stopped as declarations and new rules appear on a daily basis. What is needed is humility and servant leadership.
- Sun Tzu once said that when an adversary is making mistakes, do not get in his way. Again, I am praying for humility.
- I do not plan on engaging on this topic other than attending city council meetings and prayer for those involved. I do not want to get sucked into the toxicity.
With that, I am planning on turning this blog post into a podcast. Also, if any school board candidate wants to talk (podcast) I am open to speaking to any of the six remaining candidates.
Subscribe here.
Peace, OUT!
-mike
Discerning Whitewater 