Ordinary Guy and Other things

We've been traversing our northern circuit over the last couple of weeks. We will be in Hot Springs, SD for a few more days and have been enjoying CBI's missionary conference throughout the last week. What a blessing this has been to glean from the knowledge and experience of diligent and faithful laborers. A side note concerning this conference, I have added a link under "Recommendations" that many might find helpful and I am looking forward to availing myself of it. The link is titled "Do Done" and comes from an organization called Christians Evangelizing Catholics. There is a wealth of information and helps to understand Catholic doctrine and history as well as tools to help in evangelizing these dear people. Check it out.

I have avoided commenting on the Political landscape this election season because I think that too many times I am too caught up in the temporal and eternally meaningless arena of politics. I have a lot of opinions and a lot to say about it, don't be mistaken, but I don't really think that there is a lot of value in adding my voice to an already crowded field when I have a message of far greater importance than who ever wins the White House. However, I will make this one exception . . . while in Minnesota last week I had the chance to attend a McCain/Palin Rally with my father-in-law Scott. Todd Palin (Sarah's husband) took a swing through N. Minnesota to try to sway a few votes from the hunters and sportsmen of the North Country. The room in Grand Rapids, MN was fairly packed with an excited and partisan crowd. We waited an extra 20 minutes or so for Todd to arrive and when he did, it was to an exhuberant welcome. I got the impression that the entire room would have welcomed a rousing, get out and vote, work hard, win for the team type of speach. They were waiting to explode. In the corner of the room where the McCain/Palin banner was there was no platform for the speakers to stand on and when Todd finally got his chance to speak 99% of the room hadn't even had the chance to see him yet. He shared a few stories and then someone hollered out that he should stand on a chair. Up on the chair where everyone could see him, he continued telling stories about his snow machine adventures and the exciting rollercoaster the campaign has been for their family. He then reminded everyone about how many days were left in the campaign and that we needed to work hard if we were going to win . . . then he got down and continued shaking hands down the rope line.

What was so remarkable to me about this event (it was the first time I have ever been in a state that could play an important role in who wins the White House, so it was the first campaign event of this type that I have attended) was how ordinary and normal Todd Palin is. He didn't carry himself with an elitist, idealogical complex that is common of so many politicians and their families. There was no rousing speech about foreign policy, judges, economic turmoil, or the second amendment . . . just a little hint about what it is like to campaign with a baby and a family.

I don't know what kind of understanding Sarah Palin has about world affairs or her role as a Vice-President. I don't know if their campaign's stand will help stablize a global market panic. I don't know if the Palins will spend a few years in Washington and become absorbed into the political class of eletists . . . I can't imagine you could spend that much time there and be unscathed by it . . . but for now it is nice to see what I understand to be a true outsider, one who is not afraid to talk about the rights of a baby, no matter how many days they have been alive, one who is not afraid to say that she believes that a Creator is the cause for this world's existence have a shot at turning the beltway on its head.