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Robert Yanok For President

Reflecting on the Days of Ronald Reagan

As the Democratic National Convention begins tonight and the Republican National Convention is around the corner, since my admiration for American Politics, my mind goes back to the days when Ronald Reagan served our country as President. I was in 6th grade when he came into office and remember vividly the years of his leadership and how it shaped our generation. It was during that election that my Dad changed parties. He was a lifelong Democrat and became a Republican.

He was one of the most popular presidents of all time and I choose to remember Reagan as the greatest president ever to grace the White House. None can deny that his love for American ideals and his passion for the miracle of self-government remain unmatched in modern times. He redeemed us from the devastation of error of Jimmy Carter's White House. President Ronald Reagan brought financial greatness back to America by reducing regulation, government spending, marginal tax rates, and inflation. Increasing regulation, government spending, and raising taxes will not bring greatness to our nation.

I must say that I have mixed feelings concerning this coming election and I am longing for the Ronald Reagan leadership of the 21st Century to step up to the plate and lead us to victory.

I leave you with this quote:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. Ronald Reagan

Just 5 more days......

Go Buckeyes!

A Statement and Appeal Regarding Lakeland By Dutch Sheets

Letter from Dutch Sheets concerning the circumstance in Lakeland

Yanok Kids have Buckeye Fever! Go Bucks!

Thoughts to think about

“Do you suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused? Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women?” 
– Martin Luther

"It is better to eat meat and drink wine and not to eat the flesh of one's brethren through slander. Abba Hyperechius"

FaithPointe Church Ministry Fair

Today was our Ministry Fair at FaithPointe Church. It was a total success. The people really responded. I spoke on the subject, "Get in the Game".

Take a look at the photos. Thanks to Pastor Scott Melson.

I Can Carry You

Sam: [Both are overcome by exhaustion] Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
Frodo: No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes!
Sam: Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!

WOW....what a statement! Every Frodo needs a Sam. Who is your Sam? The above statement is from The Return of the King. Powerful. They are on the slopes of Mount Doom, tired, weary, hungry, thirsty. A task that was given to Frodo to destroy the ring, they are almost there, but because the journey, Frodo is exhausted, and Sam makes that powerful statement, "I can't carry it for you...but I can carry you." What a statement. We all have days where it seems like everything is just too much for us to handle. Been there before? You know where the circumstance was just to heavy, and you were tired, but you knew you still needed to do the right thing. You just needed Help! Yes, we've all been there. Some of you may be there right now.

We all need someone in our life that can carry us, maybe not the circumstance, or the dilemma, or the problem, but someone who can just carry us. We know from reading the scripture that Jesus is there to do that for us. Not only can He carry "it" but He will carry us. He would say "his yoke is easy and his burden in light". Peter would say, "Cast all your care on Him for he cares for you".

But just as Paul had Silas, Batman had Robin, Lone Ranger had Tonto, JFK and RFK, and Frodo had Sam, we all need that someone to walk beside us in this life and not necessarily carry "it" but somedays carry "us". If you need someone to carry you, try being that someone who will carry them.

Things are Worth Fighting For

Sam: It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.

Happy Birthday! We Miss you Pap

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa, whom I lovingly called, Pap. He died a few years ago, and we miss him very much. Today would have been his birthday. I have some mixed feelings today. Missing him and missing our family. There is nothing like a close family. I am very close to mine and I miss them very much. I do admit it is a struggle at times being so far from them. Our kids struggle with this also. One of them came in our room last night and just broke down and cried about it. At my age I am learning more and more the need to be close to your family. God ordained the family. It is a type of His Church.

It is tough losing a family member through death. But we know where they are and we have the hope of seeing them again. Even having that knowledge, it still hurts. I thank God that He gave us the Holy Spirit....simply to comfort us in our time of sorrow.

I encourage you today, to love your family. Call them today, hug them today, embrace them today. Let them know how much you love and appreciate them in your life!

The Way of the Reformer

I read this little booklet my uncle gave me 20 years ago. It was actually a chapter from another book and the title of the chapter is "The Way of the Reformer". It was given to him my Pastor Jim Roam, a great man of God who has since gone on to his reward in heaven.

"The reformers of the world are its men of mighty purpose. They are men with the courage of individual conviction, men who dare run counter to the criticism of inferiors, men who voluntarily bear crosses for what they accept as right, even without the guarantee of a crown. They are men who gladly go down into the depths of silence, darkness, and oblivion, but only to emerge finally like divers, with pearls in their hands."

Reformers are square pegs trying to fit in round holes. It doesn't work. It doesn't fit. I am currently reading Here I stand: The Biography of Martin Luther.

Here is a song that I listened to last week on my ipod....you would think it would relate to a high school senior more, and not a 39 year old Pastor. :-) None of us have arrived in life. We are all on a journey still searching. My final thoughts: As Martin Luther stood, so do I, and I plan on emerging with pearls in my hands.

The wind is moving
But I am standing still
A life of pages
Waiting to be filled
A heart thats hopeful
A head thats full of dreams
But this becoming
Is harder than it seems
Feels like I'm

Chorus:

Looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

If there are millions
Down on their knees
Among the many
Can you still hear me
Hear me asking
Where do I belong
Is there a vision
That I can call my own
Show me, I'm

A Place in this World - Michael W. Smith