Last week was the first presidential debate for 2024. To say it was awful is an understatement. President Biden didn't look or sound good. Former President Trump failed to answer questions and offered lies (it has been fact checked). I turned it off after a while because they were talking about golf handicaps and honestly that has no place in this debate. I was frustrated with both men not answering the questions posed. As I look at the election cycle, I am struck by how each of our Presidential nominees treats people. Who they are concerned about and what they try to do to aid the people of the United States. And at the end of the day - we have to have different candidates. We need new energy and new ideas if we are to move forward.

Support the Show.

If you have not seen Disney's Inside Out or its latest release, Inside Out 2, go see it. No spoilers here. The movies are about the emotional growth of Riley. We meet Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Aner in the first movie and more emotions come into play in the second. The team worked with psychologists to be as accurate as possible with how the mind works. It is all pretty amazing. In working with the church I serve, we are looking at Lament. It is anger and sadness turned to prayer. When we lament, as seen repeatedly in the Psalms, we turn to God, make our complaint known, ask for God's help and trust that God will be God, that God loves us and cares for us and God will act. Our society doesn't like to deal with hard emotions, but I think it is important for us to learn how to lament and let faith help us unpack and work through big emotions.

Support the Show.

Watching one of my kids compete in National Dance Competitions this weekend and the other trying out for competitive soccer a week ago, we put a lot of pressure on our kids to win and to be the best. One thing that we like about the Dance Studio we are in as well as the Soccer Club we are part of is that the emphasis isn't on winning, but on doing your best. Have fun, learn, grow, and do your best. Awards, trophies and the like will work themselves out and we love that that is not the focus. Too bad our whole society is caught up in who is the best and we have forgotten to let talent develop and grow. Hope you can find time this week to simply, do your best.

Support the Show.