Today's cool quote is from Joyce Meyer and I love it because I've always been the strange one of any group: You will never be anointed to be anyone else. Be careful of comparison and competition. Just be yourself

The theme of this blog is about creative inspiration: how to find it, use it, and have a creative life. Sometimes, though I think there are issues that need to be discussed because they are inspiration blockers; negative feelings are simply that.

Here goes: There's part of me that doesn't like to tell people I'm a Christian. I'm not ashamed of my relationship with Jesus, but I'd rather say 'I'm a follower of Jesus' and hopefully not be linked with the many undesireable traits that our society associates with the term Christian or born-again Christian. This unfortunately works for all sorts of words that have certain connotations - Republican, Democrat, liberal, religious, or spiritual - any word that has lately gotten a lot of press in describing a certain people group. I'd rather not label myself. I hope I can state with certainty that I do not fit into a group whose identity is predetermined by society's perspective rather than reality.

The recent inauguration demonstrated to me that feelings sometimes determine how we act more than the truths we have stated that we have committed to. Many of my friends and aquaintances who are Christian are still bitter over Obama's successful bid for the White House. I did not vote for Obama simply because I didn't feel I could support a platform that supports abortion not because I didn't like his political ideas. This issue is very important to me and I stand behind the decision. However, Mr. Obama is now our president and I feel that despite the party difference that we need to come together as a people and be united for our country if we truly desire to affect change.

Contrary to my beliefs, some Christians feel that it's acceptable to spew hateful comments about President Obama because they don't feel that he is a Christian president (mostly based on the pro-choice beliefs though there are some who believe the propaganda that says Obama is a terrorist.) Don't we owe President Obama the respect that the office of the president calls for? Aren't we called as Christians to love one another and treat each other as people that God loves and died for regardless of whether they are or aren't Christians?

I find the negativity unscriptural and counterproductive. No matter who voted how, President Obama is in office because God let it be so. Therefore, as people under his authority, we are required to pray for him as a governemnt official. God will use whomever He pleases to accomplish His purposes for His glory. He chose. It's not up to us to dispute that choice. It's now up to us to pray for the good of our country to be done through this man.

I don't expect to agree with every decision that President Obama makes, but I know that I am called to pray for him with a pure heart, not one burdened with an attitude of bitterness or anger or hate. I also know that my Lord has called me to be steadfast, as He has been, standing for what is right and knowing that He has a purpose and He is in control. He is the victor, not the Republicans or the Democrats.

When I pray for my country now, I pray that our eyes would be opened to empathy and compassion, and that we would come together in unity and truly love those that we find it difficult to love and that we would be able to look past the circumstances that distract us and see the people God loves before us.