If I was, you'd probably think that since I'd be President ....then, I should support everyone.

And I don't ...

That is to say, I don't support everyone's actions.  I am in support of what God supports.  Of course, that very statement brings on a dilemma ...not so much for me, as I don't believe I am that harsh.  I can often calmly express what I'm trying to say ...if given the time to say it, and I believe I can give an adequate presentation of my opinion.

But, some people get very agitated by just the opinion ...and give no time for it to be discussed at all.

And speaking of who we support, or who we look to for support ...well, I look to Jesus for support. And I believe it is very clear in the Bible that the Son supports the Father, the Father supports the Son, they both support the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit supports them both ...which is to say, they are all One.

Yes, I look to God for support ...yet, not as often as I should.

And I glorify Him ...though also, not as often as I should.

Many of the people in our country would not be satisfied with me merely being a somewhat sincere, yet flawed Christian ...as that is sort of what I am.

I would have to be a perfect Christian in the eyes of some people ...but, that is not truly a genuine assessment of it.  Most people don't look to perfection ...they use our failures to justify their known wrongdoings, somehow sufficing themselves by drawing attention to the faults of others.  And the statement, "Nobody's perfect!" is a phrase that people don't seem to tire of.

So, the question (or accusation) is not to the fact that I'm not perfect ...it is the view of being a Christian that often appears on trial. How one is to act, is a guideline or standard that is so varied ...that it often cannot be perceived as a standard at all. And a big part of the reason why it is so varied ...is that we try to decide for ourselves, instead of sincerely reading to see what the Bible says.

If, as Christians, we focus only on loving ...we can tend to use the definition of love also to our advantage.  And we argue that love means accepting ... which often means compromising, which often makes us seem much less of a Christian than when we first sincerely tried to be one.

Satisfying others ...is usually satisfying to us, and ultimately we usually end up trying to primarily satisfy ourselves ...not God's standards.

And speaking of the office of the President ...some people vote on what is satisfying to them.  This is the essence of what is said in comparing Norman Vincent Peale, with his positive thinking ...and the Apostle Paul, with his many letters to churches.

There has been the saying, "Peale is appalling, and Paul is appealing."  And one person commented that it is a quite complex viewpoint ...as this person says, that Peale is appealing and Paul is appalling.  Yet, this person says,  it's the fact that Paul is appalling ...which makes him appealing.  And that Peale is appealing to many of the wrong people, or for the wrong reasons.

There are certain narratives which are very attractive ...to those who've already had their feelings tickled in that area.

Love is like that ...

How many definitions are there for the word, love ...??

And how do we define it ourselves??

I know the line from the movie, Love Story, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." ---means that it is not necessary, with its unconditional acceptance of a situation, to say all the right words that would satisfy another's definition of love.

It's like a special friend gives you a birthday gift, and you say, "You didn't have to!"  It's like saying thank you so much, yet if you hadn't given the gift ...it would not have changed the special bond of our friendship.

Many times friendship does not appear to be altogether friendly ...and in the heat-of-the-moment, things can be said that elicit a back-and-forth exchange which is more like venting misplaced emotions, or like misunderstandings that need to be clarified.

And love is not defined by how often, or how quickly another person concedes in any spirited exchange.  The true Holy Spirit compels us to regroup, and move on ...but, not moving on by leaving our burdens on another before leaving them in the dust of our rapid departure.

I know the Bible speaks of shaking the dust off your sandals ...and moving on.  I do believe there is a time for this ...and it certainly shows its merit at times where it may not be best advised to stir up more dust.

But, love means commitment ...and has many 'in spite of's.  And spite, in and of itself, is not something we commit to.  It is forgiveness, along with the shared accountability, which brings the most growth.