Faith with a side of Politics

Yes, it’s that kind of entree!

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about

I am a woman who loves God and His people. I love to write, talk about all things politics and my faith. I am a humble servant of God but also the proud mom to 2 fur babies, Athena and Artemis (Artie).

  • Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable…

    Philippians 4:8

    It has been a while since I have written and that has not been intentional. Life has been lifing and frankly I have not had much motivation to write. There has been so much going on in the world and it’s hard to pick and choose from the headlines of what to really write about these days. However, two stories which struck me as “wow” were the dereliction of duty for Speaker Mike Johnson and the demolition of the White House.

    Let’s begin with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Mr. Johnson has publicly declared himself as a bible believing Christian (https://www.baptistmessage.com/mike-johnson-faith-family-freedom-motivate-run-seat-u-s-congress/), although I am not sure which Bible he speaks about. Philippians 4:8 tells us to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. The Bible also tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. So let me get this straight, as the Speaker of the House one of your job duties is to swear in representatives once their elections have been certified and when provided push back on Fox News of all places as to why he had not sworn her in, his response was to pivot to blame someone else when they didn’t swear someone in? My response would have been I didn’t ask about someone else Mr. Speaker, I asked about your dereliction of duty. If you call yourself doing the Lord’s work, this is not doing it for His glory. This does not honor God in any way shape or form. If anything, it makes people think if this is how Christians act, then I want no parts of it.

    The other story which hurts my heart is the vision of the east wing of the White House.

    Courtesy: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/photos-show-white-house-east-233011614.html

    When I look at this photo is literally makes my heart sick. Why? Because it’s like he’s destroying a piece of history and he could care less about it. I know the White House needs upgrades/updates but it just seems like the more he does the more he destroys the norms of our republic. Do you know the thing which I have the most contempt for? How devoid of compassion as a nation we have become. From the top down there is no compassion for those who are on the other side of the political spectrum, who don’t look like him, who don’t have the same financial resources as him, and the list goes on. The dehumanizing of undocumented immigrants is appalling. Maga would call me a bleeding heart liberal. Yes, my heart aches for my brother/sister who is suffering or who has been dragged out of their house only to be shipped away to some foreign gulag by this current administration. My heart aches for the child who has had to witness insufferable human cruelty by an administration who is supposed to protect and defend them.

    Do I have a solution? Well it’s not to vote the same people who believe in these same cruel tactics back into office. It’s to make my voice heard, loud and clear. And it’s also to stop giving these corporations who provide financial backing to this administration my time and especially my financial resources. Will you join me in stopping your support of these same organizations? Stop supporting Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target, etc the list is almost endless but there are alternatives. You have the power to create a disruption. This is not going to happen overnight. But I promise you a disruption will happen and cripple them until they listen.

    Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about such things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

    May the God of all peace bless and keep you.

  • For God has not given us a spirit of fear….

    For God has not given us a spirit of fear….

    False Evidence Appearing Real

    When I hear something even remotely related to the Trump Administration’s shenanigans it many times makes my heart sick. When I think of the troops being sent into the streets of Washington DC, the capitulation of private businesses, academic institutions, or even media companies, or not honoring the sacrifice which soldiers have made to their country by way of their retirement benefits, or even these headlines:

    Trump names Stallone and Kiss for Kennedy Center Honors and says he’ll host the awards show

    White House orders a review of exhibits at Smithsonian museums ahead of the nations 250th birthday

    Harvard and Trump are nearing a settlement including a $500 million payment

    An appeals court lets the Trump administration suspend or end billions in foreign aid

    These are only a few. I constantly have to remind myself of 2nd Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and a sound mind.

    Fear. This is one of main focuses of the Trump Administration; to keep the people, namely us in state of fear and panic. Everyday there is a break from cultural norms. There is something he doesn’t like so he either feels he can manipulate a government entity, legal entity, private institution to bend their will to fit his agenda. Why? Because he is President of the United States…or as the representative of Texas said when asked why they were changing the congressional maps, because he can. Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

    For example, James and Mila Baturin have been making the Kennedy Center Honors medallions for over 47 years. This honor evolved into a family business and James was making steps to pass this business down to his children. However, in August of 2025 he was notified the contract was being terminated. The explanation given was ” transitioning to a new partnership for the creation of the Honors medallions”. Never-mind the fact there has been a war on otherism within anywhere the federal government has interest.

    Now Shawna why would you say that?

    In January 2025, President Trump signed Executive Orders (EOs) targeting DEI programs, framing them as “radical and wasteful” and discriminatory. The EOs: 

    • Directed the elimination of all DEI offices and programs within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security.
    • Ended the recognition of “unspecified” or “other” gender markers on federal forms, restricting the options to only “male” and “female”.
    • Prohibited using federal funds to promote gender inclusivity.
    • Ordered reviews of previous DEI initiatives within federal agencies to identify alleged instances of discrimination.
    • Eliminated the “equity” strategic plans that agencies had developed under the previous administration. 

    Recently due to these actions by the federal government we have seen many high profile private sector organizations roll back their DEI programs. These companies include Target, Disney, Paramount, financial institutions indicating scaled back or elimination of DEI initiatives entirely. However, other companies such as Costco have remained firm on their DEI commitments.

      So in not allowing these organizations or this administration to keep me in fear I just used what seems to get their attention. I stopped spending my greenbacks in places who considered my diversity to not be worth their time.

      I refuse to allow an administration to dictate the peace in my mind and my life. This does not mean I don’t think what they are doing and have done is cruel to families , to the people they have been sworn to serve. Sometimes I have to wonder if they even know what it means to have empathy and compassion on their fellow man. its funny (or maybe not) I was thinking today about this following headline:

      Trump bypasses Congress to cancel nearly $5 billion in foreign aid

      The thought which crossed my mind was this -> at the most basic of levels providing aid to foreign governments is simply being a good samaritan. And why do we provide foreign aid to foreign governments? First, so we can look as if we are a good neighbor. I help you, you help me when I need it type of thing. What will be the consequences for this type of thing? Well, people ALWAYS remember when you didn’t help them out so trust and believe this will come back to bite us. The actions of the Trump administration will be long felt in the United States even after he shuts his eyes never to open them again.

      The question to ask yourself is if you are living on the side of fear or faith.

    • Psalm 146:3 Don’t put your confidence….

      Psalm 146:3 Don’t put your confidence….

      You can’t leave me hanging with that!!! Where’s the rest, Shawna?

      I was listening to a video last night which I found completely strange. The video said the Trump administration had placed this condition on FEMA aid (which they retracted mind you) where the state requesting the aid must have provided aid in some form to Israel. Ummm excuse me?

      So let me make sure I understand this correctly…A state inside the confines of the United States has said disaster. Same state requires FEMA aid (I mean really they are requesting a refund of their own money which they lent to the federal government, but I digress) and they are being told…well we might be able to give it to you IF you can provide proof you have provided aid to Israel. First, I need to know why a STATE would even need to provide aid to Israel. And I can understand providing aid to Israeli CITIZENS but not to the Israeli GOVERNMENT. The two are very different things.

      Now back to this scripture: Psalm 146:3 NLT -> Don’t put your confidence in powerful people, there is no help for you there.

      Now I know you are wondering what is up with this whole aid to Israel thing. Well in Genesis 12:3 God says to Abram (later name changed to Abraham) I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.

      Many have interpreted this as a divine promise of blessing for supporting the nation of Israel. Do I believe God would support the current happenings of the people of Gaza? Absolutely not. We must tread carefully with our alliances which is why discernment is important.

      Discernment is a powerful skill to have and not just in a scriptural context. You have to be a good judge of character to know who is for you and who is not. How do I know Trump is not for me? Because first he has never done anything to help anyone else and he is a transactional human being. True people of faith are not transactional. True people of faith when disciplined or chastised, own up to it. People of character just simply don’t act the way he does. They don’t treat people who don’t look like him with disdain, disgust, or contempt.

      Can we point to the same behavior to Benjamin Netanyahu? Is he transactional? Is he a true person of faith or does he follow Trump’s playbook?

      Let’s finally just stop tip toeing around the issue and stop putting confidence or any sort of anything in this man who has become the leader of the United States of America. Start calling out this atrocious behavior to his face. I get so frustrated with just the bending over backwards to explain what he meant or just accepting the disgusting things he says right to people’s faces with no consequences. It’s time he’s held to account. Past time.

    • Faith Without Works is…

      and democracy is NOT a spectator sport.

      I used to have this running conversation with my father and it used to annoy the heck out of me. You see my dad was in an accident and suffered a pretty severe blow to his independence in that he had to depend on others to do things for him which he used to readily do himself. He firmly believed the Lord was going to heal him. Insert my exasperation.

      Now I am not saying the Lord would not heal him. I whole heartedly believe in God’s healing presence, timing, etc. However, if you are not doing ANYTHING to help in the process of healing, then why should God heal you? Hence, faith without works is dead.

      The same principle can be applied to politics. If you firmly believe things will get better or the mechanisms in place will hold but you are not doing anything in the realm of your influence to ensure they will, then change is not going to come. You must be an active participant in the democracy you want to see or the healing you want to have in your body. If you are waiting for someone else do it, then you have already lost the battle.

      How can you look at whats happening in the world and you not think to yourself what can I do? Ask yourself how can I leave the world in which I live in a better place today than I did yesterday?

      I constantly think of my ancestors who fought for their freedom in perilous times when the price could have been their very lives. They weren’t just protesting and fighting for themselves but for the least of them. No matter what this administration attempts to do we cannot allow them to diminish the fighting spirit that lies just beneath the surface.

      What does action look like for you? Is it postcards to your fellow voters to get the word out about a particular delegate in their state? Is it providing a correction to possibly some misinformation which has been rampantly spreading across the interwebs? Is it attending Indivisible meetings to stay abreast of various issues or topics which are at the forefront of the political arena? Is protesting your jam? Whatever it is..DO IT! Don’t talk about it. Don’t hem and haw around it. Don’t even dance around the thing. Put your feet in your shoes, your keys in your pocket and go do it! Someone is waiting on you to just show up.

    • I am part of the 92%

      I am part of the 92%

      I am a woman of faith but I also have compassion for my fellow man, woman, and child. If you are wondering what this 92% I am speaking of its the number of us who voted overwhelmingly for Kamala Harris.

      Some might argue I was voting for abortion and I would argue I was not. I was voting for your right to choose. Some might say I was voting for the destruction of America, however I would argue I was voting for the right to preserve it.

      You see when I look at the discourse of what is going on today it makes my heart sick as leader in the church. Why? because we are supposed to be standing up for the least of these and yet we are being the most silent.

      In the face of name calling, abhorrent treatment of brown bodies, putting people in cages, rounding them and shipping them off to who knows where, and this is labeled as Christian? Then I want no parts of this new age Christianity. What I do not see happening from a legislative standpoint is our lawmakers developing a comprehensive system of immigration reform which would make the system more effective and efficient. However, what I am seeing is modern day slavery dressed up to make a group of people feel better. I am not much removed from the era of Jim Crow and from America’s history of slavery of my ancestors. To think this is the place we are heading towards in 2025 with our brown brothers and sisters makes my heart sick. lf anything would keep me up at night, this would keep me pacing the floor praying to God for a miracle.

      Day in and day out the news cycle is bombarding us with one thing after another after another. I suppose to keep us in fear of the next thing they plan on doing. Well I for one REFUSE to live in fear of an administration who thinks I have no power.

      I am going to keep telling my stories through this blog weekly. Life is too busy for me to do it more than that. I am going to get involved politically in my local community. I mean I have to start somewhere to build my tribe. And by all means, find some joy in the day. Don’t let this administration steal your joy or your peace! Even one act of kindness for someone else is doing some good. We all have to start some where. Eventually once we all start, we will begin to see dents and cracks in this regime. And when it falls, its going to fall HARD!

      Just wait! Think about all the investigations into their shenanigans which will come out…then we will really see the chickens coming home to roost or taco!!!

    • Therefore by their fruits you will know them…

      What does Trump’s ‘fruit’, if you will, tell you about who he is?

      Let’s keep it true to the word of God and go to Matthew 7:15-20:

      15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. [b]Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [c]know them by their fruits.

      Let me highlight one point, verse 20; so then you will know them by their fruits.

      When I consider the presidency of the United States as an office it’s one to aspire to. It’s an office of distinction. However, lately the fruit which has come to bear at President Trump’s feet has been one of tension.

      As a woman of color, I was proud when President Obama was first elected but I would be a liar if I said I didn’t have fear for his safety. Why? Because let’s be clear, our country hasn’t always embraced my brown skin and if truth be told it still has trouble doing so. And then there were comments such as these:

      1. Tweet in August 2012 @BarackObama’s birth certificate is a fraud -> courtesy of Donald J Trump.
      2. “I think President Obama has been the most ignorant president in our history…” Donald J Trump, July 2016
      3. “He has been a disaster as a president. He will go down as one of the worst presidents in the history of our country. It is a mess” – Donald J. Trump
      4. August 2016, Donald J Trump suggested Obama founded ISIS which raised eyebrows at the time. Consequently, he also gave this same honor to Hillary Clinton.
      5. On the O’Reilly Factor, he quipped “I believe I know far more about foreign policy than he [President Obama] knows”.
      6. At a town hall in September 2016 he boasted, “Under the leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the generals have been reduced to rubble.”
        • Politico, “9 of the Most Nastiest Things Trump Has Said about Obama”, 11/10/2016

      Granted many of these things were said on the campaign trail, however our current Commander in Chief has said far worse things than these since taking office.

      As the daughter of a veteran I was highly disappointed and disgusted with him earlier this year for one event in particular.

      In April 2025 there was a dignified transfer of four United States soldiers killed in a training exercise in Lithuania. The Lithuanian President attended the departure ceremony for the fallen soldiers so one would think it would have only been fitting for our Commander in Chief to receive their remains.

      I am sure he was made aware of the transfer but he chose his response. We are all given a choice as to how we react or don’t react to certain circumstances. It just seems to me his tree bears bad fruit.

      When a reporter is attempting to get at the truth and asks you a question you don’t really like, he or she is not being nasty. They are doing what they are getting paid to do. Seems like the tree is bearing bad fruit.

      When the private college institution is bringing in the best and brightest from other countries but you feel you don’t want immigrants in the United States period, the one way you feel you can stick it to them is by cutting said institution’s federal funding. More bad fruit.

      When your federal policies are harming more people than they are helping, they are wreaking havoc on our financial infrastructure, and you are oblivious to it all, then your fruit is rotten.

      I don’t necessary fault Donald Trump for having bad fruit. He has had a lifetime to develop characteristics for his bad fruit. He has enablers. He has a whole army of people willing and able to carry feed bags of bad seed and plant them in the minds and hearts of the American people. What can we do to fight against it? As a good friend told me you have to know what you are fighting for, what you are fighting against, and what success will look like once you get there. I know for me, I want people to know I have good fruit.

      Share some good seed and let it be planted in good ground. I hope it’s received well and I hope you have an amazing day.

    • The Big Beautiful Monstrosity

      The Big Beautiful Monstrosity

      As I consider the ‘accomplishment’ of this past weekend, July 4th’ I came across a particular verse of scripture that seemed fitting for this particular piece of legislation and for whom it was written:

      1 Timothy 6:18-19

      Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

      The context of this scripture is Ephesus, being a wealthy city which we can only surmise the church of Ephesus had wealthy members. To whom much is given, much is required. It is a blessing if you have great wealth. Many people have said money is the root of all evil, but this is only a half truth. God does not condemn you because you have great wealth but rather if you place more trust in the wealth you have than in the provider who gave it. It’s the love of money which He has a problem with.

      How do those who have great wealth put trust in something that could be here today and gone today?How do you not have compassion and use your wealth to do good? to give generously to those in need? I mean really in need. I am not talking about your donor friends who already have as much wealth as you do or more.

      The accomplishment I speak of which occurred over this past weekend is the signature legislation of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let’s start with the name first. If I were someone who knew nothing about politics, the name alone would provide me with no indication of this bill’s purpose. This is possibly intentional and if I were someone who didn’t care about the things which go on around me then I would not even do any research to find out what the bill is about. I mean certainly by the name alone one would surmise the bill is wonderful because it includes the word beautiful, right?

      I would implore you to dig a little deeper. This is a budget reconciliation bill passed by the 119th Congress focusing mostly on tax cuts and federal spending. This bill was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 4, 2025.

      Let’s just look at how many pages this bill is, 1,082 pages. One thousand eighty-two. I want to know what Congressman or Senator actually read the whole thing. I’ll wait.

      This bill extends the tax cuts from 2017 to make them permanent. The Republican establishment historically does not like when you spend government money on something in the federal budget but have no plans on how to pay for it. Generally those would have been your historical establishment Republicans. These new age Republicans don’t want you to cut anything like oh I don’t know DEFENSE SPENDING in order to balance the federal budget.

      Think about this. In your own household budget, if you continue to spend without adjusting based on your income, what is likely to happen? You are going to overdraw your checking account and you end up in the hole. Well honey, we are already in the hole and then some with this bill.

      The Child Tax Credit? Oh wait, thats not permanent. It only lasts until 2028. I wonder what happens in 2028? Oh yes, we have another election. Sounds like something to blame on the next administration as to why this is not permanent.

      Senior Tax Deduction of $6,000; well it can only be taken for single filers with an adjusted gross income up to $75,000 or couples making up to $150,000 for tax years 2025 to 2028. So not permanent either.

      Oh and that car interest deduction? Only for cars assembled in the United States and it phases out for those incomes over $100K…and only if you itemize!

      What about that no tax on tips? Well there is a caveat to that campaign promise too. Those with tip income up to $25,000 and it phases out for incomes above $150K…again only for tax years 2025 – 2028. Again I wonder what’s happening in 2028?

      But what about changes to student loans? This monstrosity of a bill reduces the number of income-based repayment plans beginning in July 2026. Experts state many borrowers will see higher monthly payments under the new repayment plans the administration is proposing. The difference with the old versus the new? There will be a minimum monthly payment. Sounds like many student loan borrowers will have a credit card with the government.

      What else? it lowers the limit on graduate loans, eliminates the Federal Grad PLUS program, and caps Parent PLUS borrowing. Basically they want you to move to the private sector with your graduate borrowing. Thats not really solving the issue now is it?

      Oh wait, I forgot one of the best parts!!! Trump accounts…I can’t believe they are calling it that. This is a tax favored account for newborns, but only born between 2025 and 2028. They get a paltry $1,000. Ummm a lifetime raising a child versus $1,000. Something is not adding up here.

      And here are some more cuts. To our nations healthcare program. Medicaid. This is a program for low income, disabled, and some of our most senior Americans. This will also affect those who have paid into the Affordable Care Act, or for those who have no idea what that is -> Obamacare.

      -Work requirements. Let me be frank. The pace of corporate profits versus the pace of offering employees a living wage has not and I repeat has not kept in lockstep. So if you think paying someone $15/hr and they should be able to pay for groceries, child care, AND healthcare, then my dear I have a bridge to sell you. A bridge to insanity.

      These work requirements will lead to eligibility checks every 6 months. Have you ever dealt with paperwork for the federal government? I rest my case. This is why the pundits and everyone else keeps saying people are going to be kicked off of their insurance. The administrative burden is going to skyrocket.

      The real toll of this bill is the human one, which as a Christian hurts me to my soul. To see republicans cheering the devastation they have caused breaks my heart. Its my hope we can start to pick up the pieces of what used to be the heart and soul of America, and learn to love each other again.