I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I've never voted. I've never felt that my vote would matter. I was never passionate about who would govern the little world I lived in. But this election, yes this election, it's all different. If a person can feel "impressed or inspired" to vote a certain way, than I have been. I am overcome with anxiety over it. I can't believe it myself. I have been on the verge of tears for days now. I know it sounds ridiculous, but SOMETHING is making me so emotional. For no reason at all, I just feel like crying. I could barely go to sleep last night I was worrying about this election so much. Call me dramatic, call me whatever.....I don't care. A terrible feeling comes over me when I think about Obama. A dear friend asked me if I thought it came from all the false info flying around. Sadly, I don't think it's all false, and sadder yet, is that I don't think it comes from any info at all. You know how you just "get a feeling" about someone. Typically these are people you actually meet, but not necessarily. Well, that's the feeling that I get. I just cannot shake it.
I"m a firm believer in "our circle". What is "our circle"? Our circle are the people you surround yourself with. They are the friends, some of which, you wish your teenager didn't have. They are the people you take advice from. They are the people you work with or go to church with. The are people you spend time with. Obama's circle does not give me any warm fuzzies. He is far too worldly for me which is why many Americans are voting for him. The church talks about this all the time, being "in the world", but not "of the world". Many people have their blinders on about this. I pray, at the last minute, their blinders fall off. I pray that they do PRAY about their vote. I pray they feel inspired on who to vote for. I am just praying and I'm going to continue to do so till this thing is over.
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13 comments:
What a day, huh?
Ironically, I felt just like you when George W. Bush ran for the first time. I knew who the "right" vote was for and I voted it.
8 years later, I feel like such a sch**** now. I was determined to vote for who I felt should be president this time...not what my parents, sisters, church, friends, community, etc., told me to. How do people make the choice? Does the Spirit prompt? Do we flip a coin? I heard a testimony today on the news from an elderly black woman who truly felt the Lord's hand was in this election..."sparing me death so that I might see this day...this day when a black man can stand and run for President of the United States of America". Her emotions were running over...she felt promptings too.
We all have our own reasons for who we decide to vote for. There is no such thing as the "right" vote. My right may be different than my neighbor's right. That's what I love about our country!
Now where's Ben and Jerry's when we need them?!
LOVED this post, Lori. And I know what you mean about the feeling, I got it too.
Lori- I believe you have done the right thing. I am amazed at the number of supposely smart people who are going to vote for Obama. Your opinion of Obama is correct. I am sure that all good Mormans and informed voter would vote for McCain. Based on the following: right to life(abortion),taxes, Leadership, experience, less government, CHARACTOR, supreme court judges. The same party controlling all three branches of government not good for the country. I am sure the lazy and people who want something for nothing will vote for Obama. Lori you don't just talk you faith, you practice what you preach. I don't want to hear it when Obama dominates liberal judges and they let criminal out of jail complaining or when there taxes go up or alot of people loose there jobs. Unfortunitely the un-informed voter may affect all of us. SAD AMERICA WATEUP. PEOPLE SHOULD NOT TALK ONE WAY AND ACT ANOTHER, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THAT IS WHAT OBAMA WILL DO AND HAS DONE.
I bet you're feeling even better this morning... Let's hope change is coming in 4 years.
i prayed about my vote. i did a lot of homework on both candidates, more than most, and would consider myself an "informed voter". i am a "good mormon" and an educated woman. i don't consider myself a worldy person. and i voted for obama.
Wende,
I know all those things are true of you. I would never say otherwise. Many Republicans like myself just cannot get past some things that are so central to us: children. I have never been Pro-Choice nor will I ever be. Unfortunately, I just will never be able to vote for someone who does not value the life of the unborn. We, as Mormons, know when "life" begins, & I feel that women give up their choice when they do not act responsibly and get pregnant. The women getting abortions are typically not "victims of this or that" but are women who made a bad choice & then justify it by another bad choice. I respect your opinion & hopefully we can agree to disagree. Being a woman who YEARNS for a baby, it KILLS me that women get rid of theirs so easily.
I have a God-List. It's a list of things I just don't understand that I need the Lord to explain. Giving babies to women who never wanted them or who don't take care of them while so many of us ache for more is on the top of the list for me. As the mother of two foster children who DO have the possibility of returning to parents of the worst kind, I definitely have the right to ask.
I have to wonder as well, how did the leadership of the church vote? Obama's choices go directly against the Proclamation to the Family. I still say that if you can cry in Heaven, there's lots of crying going on up there. God bless President Monson. Utah should have been a clean sweep for the Republicans. Where were the Mormons? My prayers go out to him. I'm sorry if this offends you Wende or anyone else, I just truly feel that my eyes had to stay focused on what I believe. Money or lack of, economics, unemployment, foreign policy, all of it comes after life to me.
of course we can agree to disagree, this is america! i left the comment that i did because i resented a little what you inferred to in your post that if you pray about your decision you would obviously vote for mccain. i also resented brad's comments above that "good mormons" and "informed voters" would vote for mccain. and that he was surprised that "so many supposedly smart people" are voting for obama. i just wanted you to know that i am all of those things and my decision was different.
utah was not a clean sweep for the republicans, you're right. some of them i voted for, some of them i did not. when you ask "where were all the mormons" i have to tell you that 6 out of 10 utahns voted but of those 8 out of every 10 mormons did. so the mormon voters voted the democrats in.
i'm not saying i agree with everything obama stands for, i wish we had better candidates to vote for. i just wanted you to know that it wasn't only worldly people voting for him.
Thanks for responding Wende. I am sorry if I offended you, but I was not saying that if "everyone prayed" they would want McCain. I was saying that MY prayers prompted me to pray for McCain. None of that changes my point about the Proclamation to the Family though. Who did President Monson vote for? I can't believe he would vote for a candidate who's values will ultimately abuse everything that the church holds dear. DON'T take this the wrong way, but I feel I have to ask it. How do I follow the church & follow the Prophet & vote for Obama? That's why I said, "Where are the Mormons?" It was obvious they showed up. But I can tell you that if I believed that the Prophet, the First Presidency & the Twelve Apostles all voted for Obama that I might as well go to a new church. That's what upset Brad so much. I talk about the church all the time. He now knows they don't practice what they preach. There's no chance of him becoming a Mormon any day soon.
My mom is inactive now, & it breaks my heart every time I see Grandmas at church with their grandchildren. My mom should be at church with us. But I respect the fact that she wants to go with her husband. I just always, secretly (till now), hoped that someday they would join the Mormon church. Many people do not become members because they think the church has too many "rules", & that they would not be able to follow them. Well, we do have a lot of "standards", and I can assure everyone that they don't teach Pro-Choice to the young women on Sunday morning. That's my point. I am NOT by ANY means a perfect, Molly Mormon. But, some things cannot be comprised for me.
As I've given myself one week to be crabby about this election, I've decided to contribute just one more time... :)
There are some fundamental principles that each of us decide are important to us, and these are the principles we vote on. I for one, agree with Lori, the sanctity of life is a critical one. For once I was relieved to hear from not only McCain, but also Palin in regards to this issue. Simply put, life begins at conception. Unfortunately there are times, not many but a few, in cases of incest and rape, that make this decision even harder. There are women that have done the unthinkable and carried a child full term, and delivered a life, that came on such unfortunate circumstances, and have either kept, or given the baby to willing parents. These women are miraculous, and deserve honor for the intense sacrifice they've made. I believe they will forever be blessed for the decision to choose life. Not only has Obama suggested that he wouldn't want "his daughters to pay for a mistake, by having a baby", or that this issue was "above his paygrade", he also as a president has the opportunity to appoint Supreme Court Justices that can influence the decision further. So if you are a pro-lifer, in ALL cases, I find it difficult to vote for a Pro-Choice candidate.
I'd also like to add that this is only one issue of many that had me voting another way. We've just completed a six year service to our country, including two deployments, and I have serious issues with a commander in chief that has never served a day in the military. I have serious issues with a man who would like to use "diplomacy" with terrorists.
In fact, it was the first time that Iran has sent a congratulatory note to a President Elect. Great. So it begins...
I could go on and on about his associations that seem to be 'no big deal', or the fact that he lied about accepting public financing, or the 'spreading the wealth' economic policy, or a myriad of other issues that make him a very risky choice.
But America voted, and America will receive the consequences. I seriously hope, I'm wrong. For the sake of this country, I am keeping my fingers crossed that his "hope" strategy works. But, I for one, am holding my breath, as I think, America has been duped by his "flattering words".
God Bless America. We need it now more than ever.
You know, I'm sorry I can't get off this bandwagon, but I do have one more thing to add. If a person knows me at all they know I cannot STAND people who are arrogant & think they are better than everyone else. It literally drives me crazy! It's pretty black & white for me. You're either humble or your not. I can add this to my Obama list. Of all of you that did your Obama research, how many of you had a relative working ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL? I have kept this to myself up to this point. I don't know why, but I have. My cousin originally worked for the Clinton campaign, but after her campaign was over he got a job with Obama. He is not a democrat (funny) and did not vote that way. Anyway, one would think that despite what kind of person you are, that you would try to show your best face to those you work with on the campaign trail. Guess what my cousin's description of Obama was, ARROGANT. Hm...and this was BEFORE the election. If he wasn't humble before, you can be assured he isn't humble now. Oh yeah.....
Hey Lori its mom. Just thought I would put my two cents in not that it is worth that. Short comment on the election. Thank you for having the guts to speak your mind, but it wouldn't be you if you didn't. As you well know I voted for McCain. But each day in my prayers, I ask God to let the best man win. Am I happy about the "best man" ? NO. But I am trying to tell myself that we on earth do not know the future so I have to believe that everyting will, by the Grace of God, be okay. Now as for church. As you may remember I used to wish so much that your Dad would go to church with us, but he didn't. In fact he tried to make every Sun. that we went miserable for me. Yes I joined the Morman church and I have no regets about that, even though I am not active there anymore. More important is that I go to church anywhere.... And happily_with_ Brad. And he has joined me at the Morman church when I have gone from time to time. I think that the values of that church are wonderful especilly when raising a family. I appreciate that I still get visits from the church. And if, God forbid, Brad should leave this earth before me, you will probably find me back there. You know over the years I have seen mamy miisters and bishops. And in both cases ther were the good, the no good, and the great that I had great respect for. Bottom line to me Lori is that it is what is in your heart and the personal relationship we have with the Lord, more than what doors we walk through on Sunday. We need to worry more also about what we do the other six days a week. I love you and admire all that you do and am very proud of you. Know that always. Love Mom
Hi Mom,
I respectfully disagree about the "Best Man" comment. I don't think the best man won. I think we all have free agency & now we will reap the "rewards" that we voted for. I would bet my life that if the Lord himself voted, he would not have voted for Obama. He's never going to vote for someone who does not believe in life at my moment of conception especially when the Lord himself created that life. I love you Mom!
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