This is a test. It is only a test. If this event were an actual emergency, I would follow this blog post with some important information. however… nope. I am only testing the possibility of blogging from my iphone with my cool new app if I wanna. So wish me luck.

remote blogging shall now commence.

I don’t agree with John Piper’s view of women. I don’t think it is Biblically accurate. I’m not going to write a dissertation on it here in this post. (you can download a copy of a paper I wrote in review of a book on this issue for a seminary class I took last year here if it interests you. Don’t plagiarize it:)

However, I don’t think commander-in-chief of the army or government is anywhere on the pages of the limitations the Bible gives to women. He says it in the video below. He defends it here.

However, this does not mean that other things he says are not both true and good.

This video, which I saw on another blog, is not unlike how I felt about the speeches and positions of presidential candidates for this election. Some of what is said I found myself saying Amen in agreement. Others of it I found myself scratching my head and wondering why we were so disconnected. I both agreed and disagreed with this 7 minute assessment of the decisions I faced yesterday.

Which leaves me wondering…..

• am I to believe that no one could honestly fear God, love Jesus, and be faithful to the Scriptures and not agree with John Piper?
• Is it possible for two people to vote differently yesterday and still do so in obedience to God’s call?
• Was there really a Godly and an unGodly candidate to choose between?
• What is the issue that God gives the most weight to in the world?
• Which poor, orphan, voiceless, or widowed individual matters most to God around the world and in the womb?
• What do you do if all decisions lead to partial joy and regret?
• Are humility and wonder really the opposite of conviction and truth the way some want to make them out to be?

If you like the banner above, then go here and buy it. All the proceeds go to our adoption courtesy of a VERY generous and kind friend who is using her talents to advance global causes she believes in.

Her blog has a new address due to the fact that her “old blog” was accidentally deleted when she tried to dump her gmail account. Woops. Anyway, if you know any google guru’s who can resurrect stuff out of the might electronic trash can, shoot me a comment or better yet, shoot her one on her blog.

I voted for Obama yesterday. Here’s a few reasons why:

• because he told me that while he was a Democrat, he didn’t care to lead by that banner, but by the banner of the United States. I didn’t get that same sense from McCain.

• because I sensed a humility that I think is lacking in our leadership. I pray he keeps it.

• because I believed that the President of the United States is no longer responsible for just our portion of the North American continent, but to be a responsible Global Leader. I believed that Obama would bring a combination of humility and conviction to the table of world leadership discussion and debate.

• because in the end, I thought he made a wiser choice in a proven running mate. It was not as good for Saturday Night Live, but I’ll just watch the re-runs of Tina Fey if I need a good laugh.

In order to do so though, I had to come to 3 conclusions- each of which were a hurdle large enough to cause me to vote for McCain if I could not cross them:

• I was not voting for him because I desperately wanted to see a black man in the oval office. He got 95% of the black vote, pollsters tell us. I understand why, but I think some of that is unhealthy and unwise as a standard for our future. I hope that does not continue anymore than I hope any white guy wins 95% of the white vote or a woman wins 95% of the female vote. I’m excited at the historical landmark this is today- even brings me to tears at the significance of this and what it will mean for me and my children and for generations to come-, but there are lots of black, white, asian, hispanic, what have you- men and women who should not be in office. I had to believe that Obama was someone who could do the job, regardless of color or gender. The historical landmark was a bonus, not the point for me.

• The economy was going to be a mess for a while, and neither party has the right solution. I don’t believe that the Republicans or the Democrats hold the solution to the way we mismanage our money on a government level. But I was ready to try something else. Hopefully this will be the “something else” that will bring solution and not greater divide to our economy and it’s influence around the world.

• I had to believe the studies that said that the abortion and rights of an unborn child are not ultimately tied to a President. They go up and down regardless of the political persuassion of that person. If it were this issue alone, I would not have voted for Obama. I cannot fathom for the life of me, why a dentist cannot take out a wisdom tooth without parental permission but a doctor can perform an abortion without one or why a man of Obama’s influence/wisdom/etc. would see this as good. He makes me doubt the wisdom piece with this position. I also cannot see why one can- on a purely humanitarian level- support a partial birth abortion. We voted as a state of CA to treat chickens with greater dignity today than we give a human fetus just minutes from birth. I believe that pains the heart of God. I ultimately had to believe that this issue goes way deeper and must be solved by someone other than the man with the chair in the oval office.

Lastly, I completely and wholly agreed with this post from my friend and pastor- Ed. I prayed this today along with him and will continue to pray this for Obama and for myself for that matter.

My birthday card to her read, “happy birthday to a wife who has great patience, love, and devotion…. from the man who tests them all.” or something like that. Thanks for putting up with me oh most amazing friend and partner in this crazy adventure we call our life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WIFE and the MOM of our 3 boys. We took her to dinner last night ala Discover Card point redemption for Applebees card. Yeah for gift cards.

Here’s the pic I snapped. Cute wife. Cute kids. She’s gonna have to get Mrs. Incredible stretchy arms though, I’m not sure how she’s gonna fit 2 more kids in those.