One Evangelicals Road to Trump

Abigail and Dolley readers if you are an American, no doubt you have been drawn into the Presidential Primary Season, whether you wanted to or not!  Long term Abigail and Dolley readers will recall a time when this was a political blog.  Even the name, Abigail and Dolley, is political.  My frustration and rejection of Bush Republicanism and Obama Socialism was the impetus for creating this space.  A search of early posts reveals a feisty Tea Party Patriot but also a love of Jesus and stong Christian faith.  Thus, these are my positions and credentials.

The last political post I recall doing was in the dark days after the 2012 Presidential election, there might be others, but not many.  I gave up on politics, I gave up on trying to influence others for a political party or candidate, and decided to pour my passion into Christ.  If I am going to try to persuade others, it is going to be for Jesus.  I pray that I have been faithful to that calling.

Economically and professionally, my life since the 2008 crash has been a whirlwind.  On paper, I'm a job hopper.  In reality, I've just been trying to find a place to settle down, do a good job for my clients, and earn a decent living.  Around 2006, I stopped fitting into corporate America.  I never bought in to this Six Sigma "process map" culture, I actually wanted to accomplish something and not attend endless meetings and conference calls.  I balked at fish bone analysis, reverse process mapping, and special B-SQUAT teams.  I rolled my eyes at the "consultants" who did not have a clue about what it took to be successful in my business.  I got in trouble for criticizing beautiful power point presentations that did not say anything or address issues.  I made enemies for asking hard questions.  Twice, I was aggressively recruited to be a "new type of manager" only to be fired from both organizations because they really wanted their same old manager.  I spoke up and because I am not a man, it did not work out so well for me.

Something cool happened to me six months ago, I moved from Wall Street to Main Street.  It was amazing; to work in an environment that was void of idiocy, endless meetings, KPI's and reports, and restrictions to getting the job done.  I can now do in a day what used to take me three weeks to accomplish.  My stress level is down, my clients are so happy, and I go to work everyday eager and intellectually stimulated.  We have a unique objective, "Keep the clients happy and make money."  What a revolutionary concept!

With this backdrop, I started listening to speeches by GOP candidates.  It is inevitable, I don't live under a rock.  My kid and his friends started talking about Trump.  I rolled my eyes.  I liked Rick Perry - I thought he'd gotten a bad rap in 2012.  I also liked Bobby Jindal - he's been a great governor.  Scott Walker - what a great turn around in Wisconsin!  I was interested in Mike Pence from Indiana but he never threw his hat in the ring.  I looked at my 2012 candidate Newt Gingrich and wondered if he'd run.  Ben Carson was intriguing.  I tend to think Governors make good Presidents, Senators bore me.  The field was enormous - 17 candidates.   Trump?  No way.  I was savvy enough to realize he wasn't my kind of conservative.

Then I started listening to speeches and I'd cringe at the Senators, you see they sounded like these corporate guys with their process maps, KPI's, and endless meetings.  I'd get queasy because these types don't get anything done.  They take over successful companies, run the producers off and then ruin everything they touch.  These guys are not game changers, they are the creators of the problem.

A pivotal moment for me was watching Jerry Falwell Jr.'s endorsement speech of Donald Trump.  This endorsement gave me the motivation to take another look.  What I found was a man who had grown and evolved.  I too had changed my opinions about things in the last 20 years.  I admit as a young woman, I voted for Bill Clinton, twice.  At one point, I was pro-choice.  I was a nominal Christian.  I have a bit of a sordid past, there are many things I am not proud of.  Do these things disqualify me from being who I am now or is that just the road I took?  Do I not have any credibility because I haven't been a perfect conservative and Christian?  The God I serve changes people.

I want somebody that can make things happen, not just run reports and manage the optics.  This country is going the way of Rome and if the Lord tarries, I'd like my teenage son to have a shot at the American Dream.  No other candidate gives us that chance, none.

As for the abuse Trump voters incur?  Well, we just shake it off.  I read memes and headlines that distort and misrepresent, he can be sarcastic and joke around, so it is easy to distort!  We're accused of not being led by the Spirit, not voting for the most Christian guy, not being informed, engaged, or rational.  I've seen memes of Trump as the devil.  Frankly, I'm a bit sick of it.

Well, like Jerry Falwell, Jr. I have a Savior, we need a CEO.  I'm not voting for a Sunday School Teacher, I am voting for the President and we need a revolutionary one.  Apparently, I'm not alone although sometimes on social media it feels like it!

Interview Pit Falls

There are thousands of articles on the internet about interviewing, techniques, and ways to prepare for a meeting with a prospective employer.  This is not one of them, this is simply a collection of anecdotes and perhaps some interesting insights that are not the same ole same ole.

You showed up too early - while some might appreciate the eagerness, I do not.  Corporate cuts have eliminated the receptionist in most small to medium offices.  This means that the person you are interviewing with is the one that will be called to greet you at the door and get you settled in.  A good executive prioritizes their tasks and runs a tight schedule.  If the prospective employee shows up 15 or 20 minutes early, they may put unnecessary pressure on the person they are interviewing with.  Small and growing offices may have expanded into the "lobby" and "the conference room" and there is no true place for the interviewee to sit and wait.  It's a good idea to arrive early but stay in your car until just a few minutes before you are supposed to meet with the hiring authority.

You peed on the seat - I swear this happened.  The candidate was not hired.

You did not follow directions to the facility and then called the interviewer to walk you through them because you were late and lost - I really don't even know why I sat down with this person when they finally made it to the office.  Our office was a bit difficult to find on a GPS, so I explained that in an email to the candidate and told them to follow these simple directions, they did not.  The candidate was not hired.

You spoke negatively about your old job/boss/co-workers - an interview is not a complaint session about your current or former situation - blaming or deflecting blame is a big warning sign.

You kept trying to fill in your ideas about the job you were interviewing for instead of listening to the need and requirements of the position - just because the title is same, it does not mean that the duties and expectations from one company to the next are.  Eagerness to demonstrate your qualifications is one thing but constantly going into specifics that don't apply the current position is a big no no.

There are dozens of other reasons but I suspect they have been covered ad nauseam .  These are a few interesting tid bits to help along the journey.

Death of the Branch Manager

Abigail and Dolley readers for a nice change of pace, let's look at the current mindset of corporate America.
 Keep in mind, big business by and large is now completely dominated by leftists.  They are running companies the way they run government - from the top down.

(Disclaimer:  This blog is a broad stroke observation of the last 15 years in corporate america, it is not necessarily my personal experience nor is it an indictment of a specific company, past or present.  It is inspired by observations, news reports, friends and colleagues who all share their tales of woe.  It is not industry specific as these stories come from banking to retail to manufacturing to logistics to education.)

They have embraced the "economy of scale buys efficiency and cost saving model" with a reckless abandon.  Ignoring lost revenues, lost business, low customer satisfaction, and low employee morale they venture forth adding more and more layers of bureaucracy and processes.  Ivory Tower executives double down on failure and assert it is the people, the customers, and the soft markets fault - never stopping to consider that their MBA inspired plan is wrong.

It started with the destruction of the Branch Manager.  At one point, being a Branch Manager was the best job around.  They were captains of their ships, miniature CEO's, empowered to make money for the company, take care of the customer, and attract the best talent.  Capitalism at it's finest.  Market pressure would drive quality and the best and the brightest would make themselves and their company a handsome profit.

Influence by socialist university professors and executive MBA's, the Branch Manager's pivotal position has been largely eliminated or reduced in power to be completely ineffective.  It is destroying American Capitalism.

Modern Idolatry

In Second Grade, the highlight of the week was Wednesday when the retired Senior Pastor would teach Old Testament Bible class.  He was gentle story teller who wove pictures and told tales that came alive in our imaginations.  We cheered the victories of the heroes and hung our heads in shame at their failures.  His stories about the Patriarchs, Moses, the Judges, and the Kings were fascinating.

The Old Testament is full of heroes and miracles but it is also full of idol worship.  Idol worship is strange to the modern mind, it seems silly.  As a kid, I always thought that I would never fall victim to all of the sins of the Israelites.  I mean who bows down to a cow statue, right?  I thought idolatry was dead, but is it?

Idol Worship - Then and Now

Idolatry is anything you love more than you should, where you devote your passion, your time, your money, and your thoughts.  Often your devotion will become part of who you are, your defining characteristic and part of how other people describe you.  Think about it for a second, what is the first adjective that comes out of someone's mouth describing your character?  Do they say: "He's an Executive", she's a "Sports Mom" or "She's in great shape"?  How do you describe yourself?  Be honest, what's the first adjective that you use?  How are you defining yourself?.

Now take it even deeper, what do you love?  Do you love your company, your work, your team, your children, your body?  Do you love them more than God?  Do you chose that activity over attending regular worship?  Will you drag yourself out of a sick bed to go to a game but pull the covers over your head for church?  Are you spending evenings reviewing spread sheets and reports but haven't picked up your Bible in years?  Will you drive two hours for a business appointment but not set aside a lunch hour a month to go to a men's Bible Study? Will you drive your exhausted children to football practice four days a week but let them sleep in on Sunday?

Where are your priorities?  Because, my Friends, I will tell you idolatry is not dead, it just wears a new face.  It has a business suit, a yoga bra. or a sports jersey, it might even be looking back at you from that selfie.  Is it in your children, who you try to give a perfect life free of the pain and failure you experienced as a kid?

The first two commandments state, you shall have no other God's before me and you shall not worship idols.  My friends, we are a nation that puts money, business, ourselves and sports above God.  We worship at the alter of the Dow Jones and fret over every jobs report.  We ecstatically worship in arenas, stadiums, and high school football bleachers and turn our noses up in disdain if the person beside us in church lifts their hand in worship and praise.  We care for our bodies in such a way that we are afraid to eat Salmon that has swum by a Salmon farm for fear of contamination.  We have become shallow, lame, and utterly boring in our inward focus and our worldly worship.

Sports Worship

We are a world of idolaters who thumb our noses at the Most High God.  We are a world ripe for judgement.  We are a world of scoffers and idolaters.  God will not be mocked, HE will not stand idly by forever.  Our world has been under a series of judgments for decades and they have escalated since 9/11.  I truly believe a third major judgement will soon befall this world soon if we do not repent and turn back to God.
We can not as individuals control the disintegration of this present darkness but we can change our own hears, we can change our families.  I implore you to look inside, look deeply inside, judge yourself harshly, judge yourself by the standard of perfection - look upon your life, repent, and change.  Ask God to be merciful to you and to your Nation.  Ask for His healing, return to Him.  He loves you, He'll take you back.