I’m Back — And the Journey Has Been Long
Where It Began: A Young Mind on Its Own Path
At eighteen years old, voter registration was made as a Democrat. Then, in the twenties, the Peace and Freedom Party took hold — a young, pliable mind eagerly absorbing ideologies that felt like liberation. The ideas ran deep, branching out and taking root. It was a mind with God pushed to the shadows, charting its own course.
Looking back, it is clear now what was not clear then: there was a gift to influence others, and it was being used to plant seeds of toxic ideology that had already taken hold from within. Women’s rights — and all the agenda that came with it — felt like the whole truth. No one was going to dictate the terms of that life. Self was at the center. The views settled in comfortably, and they held sway. There was anger underneath it all — though the source of it was never quite clear.
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” — Proverbs 14:12 (cf. Proverbs 16:25)
The Republican Party: The Enemy, or So It Seemed
As far as the world was concerned at the time, the Republican Party was the enemy — a party that hated minorities and existed only for the wealthy. That view was not an isolated one. The entire family were registered Democrats; the thinking moved in one direction, shared and unquestioned. It was the same manna, laced with relativism, passed from one generation to the next.
There was a portrait of President Kennedy hanging in the living room — a kind of household icon. He was the family’s ideal. Our mother loved him and taught the children to respect and honor the Commander in Chief. President Kennedy will always hold a special place in the heart.
Mothers Do Know Best
Our mother was, until her final days, a political force in her own quiet way — always exercising her right to vote. That lesson was instilled in all of her children and has never been forgotten. She was a patriot. She always rooted for the underdog. Her dedication to making her voice heard was something to be honored — and it still is
The Transition
When Two Worlds Collide
Imagine moving from the Peace and Freedom Party directly into life as a Born-Again Christian — and eventually into the Catholic Church. That is precisely the journey taken. It was a paradox, and two powerful forces collided head-on. Only one could win.
During those formative years at Biola University, the Word of God was taking hold of the heart, and anger could no longer find a foothold surrounded by so much peace. The growth in belief surpassed everything else; nothing mattered more than pleasing God. Life was finally on track. This gradual, gentle transformation brought a new way of seeing — understanding the meaning of life, the purpose behind one’s very existence, and recognizing that God Himself had chosen Mike as a helpmate, all part of a divine plan. As the will was surrendered to God, the mind began to mature and grasp what was truly expected of a faithful Christian.
President Trump
A Vote Cast with Purpose
A vote was cast for this man because it was clear he would make changes. Not everyone will agree with the pace at which he has moved — but the reality is that he has only four years to address what has accumulated over many more. As always, the commitment remains the same: to pray that God guides President Trump in every decision.
Immigration
A Prayer for the Stranger
There is a genuine and sincere prayer held for all undocumented immigrants who have lived in this country for years — those who are law-abiding, God-fearing, and good people. A humane system that offers them a legitimate path to citizenship is not only reasonable but necessary. At the same time, a real question deserves an honest answer: Why are protesters flying the flags of other nations? It is difficult to imagine that approach helping the cause — and it is reasonable to suspect that many of these demonstrations are organized by American citizens rather than by undocumented individuals themselves. Regardless of where one stands politically, immigration must be handled with humanity, order, and justice.
What Scripture Says
Matthew 3:12 (NABRE): “His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The discrimination between the good and the bad is compared to the procedure by which a farmer separates wheat and chaff. The winnowing fan was a forklike shovel with which the threshed wheat was thrown into the air. The kernels fell to the ground; the light chaff, blown off by the wind, was gathered and burned up.
It is a powerful image — and an honest one. A nation, like a threshing floor, cannot simply absorb everything without discernment. There are many American citizens in genuine need; it is not unjust to insist that those who come do so through a lawful and orderly process. The solution is not cruelty — it is clarity. And the work of finding that balance belongs to those who were elected to do exactly that. May they be held to it.
