Self-Reflection & Boldness
John Michener
1. OCPAC Program: Conservative Index
2. OCPAC Voter Guide
3. Self-Reflection & Boldness
1. OCPAC Program. On Wednesday, May 23, at noon at Mama Roja we will formulate the 2018 Oklahoma Conservative Index. This is an open meeting, and anyone may attend and debate for or against the inclusion of particular bills. However, in order to vote, you must have paid your membership dues prior to this week. The Index is a critical way to hold legislators accountable to their conservative campaign claims. It is an objective standard that grades actual votes against a truly conservative standard. See how your sitting senators and representatives did in 2017 on the Index page of The Oklahoma Constitution newspaper.
2. OCPAC Voter Guide. Over thirty years ago, friends of Charlie Meadows, founder of OCPAC, began asking him for his opinions on issues and candidates. Eventually the number of inquiries became so great that he began sending a mass email before each election which he called “Charlie’s Picks.” Even though Charlie retired from OCPAC over three years ago, the tradition of providing a well-researched, conservative voter guide continues.
Candidate interviews are ongoing, and you may expect our voter guide to be published by June 17. In the meantime, here are some of the candidates we have endorsed thus far:
Governor: DAN FISHER
SD 20 (Kingfisher, Logan, Noble, Pawnee) AIYA KELLEY
SD 22 (Canadian, Oklahoma) LESLIE NESSMITH
SD 30 (Oklahoma City, Woodlawn Park, The Village) JOHN SYMCOX
SD 36 (Tulsa, Wagoner) DANA PRIETO
HD 5 (Delaware, Mayes) JOSH RUSSELL
HD 8 (Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner) TOM GANN
HD 10 (Nowata, Osage, Washington) TRAVIS DUNLAP
HD 12 (Wagoner) NICK MAHONEY
HD 31 (Logan, Oklahoma) ROD BAKER
HD 38 (Garfield, Grant, Kay, Logan, Noble) BRIAN HOBBS
HD 41 (from Enid to Piedmont) GREG INGLE
HD 47 (Canadian) RAMONA RILEY
HD 69 (Bixby, Jenks, Tulsa) CHUCK STROHM
HD 76 (Tulsa) SHELLEY BRUMBAUGH
HD 101 (Oklahoma) RICK HORNER
3. Self-Reflection & Boldness, by Bob Donohoo. Whether we wait another generation for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade or implement Dan Fisher’s strategic state plan to end abortion now, there is another critical step that must occur first. We must experience the positive, healthy, motivational, and inspirational results that come from exercising a specific gift from God to his people. That gift is best illustrated by a recent example in my family.
Taryn, my daughter, recently completed a mission trip with an organization called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Prior to joining any mission with YWAM, every volunteer is asked to go through training and preparation. For this trip, the initiates were taken to the Australian Outback for a quiet week away from all distractions. Before the week was over, they were confessing their sins to one another and to the Lord, thus freeing themselves to be bold in their witness. One member of this group confessed her sexual immorality. To encourage her in her restored relationship with the Lord, Taryn gave this girl her own purity ring that her Mom and I had given her a few years back. It worked! The girl could not thank Taryn enough for validating her repentant heart. Taryn then purchased a new purity ring for herself, adding more meaning to it than her Mom and I could ever have given it. After a week of repenting before the Lord and confessing their sins to each other, this group went on to boldly proclaim the gospel to the people of Papa New Guinea.
As for me, I am far from perfect in the area of sexual purity. Over the years I have confessed to my children (in age-appropriate ways) that I did not always cooperate with God’s plans for me. I like to think they appreciated this confession and were encouraged to do better. My three children are currently committed to abstinence until marriage and fidelity to their future spouses. I trust that they have been faithful, and I hope and pray that they will continue to be faithful.
Our willingness to confess our sins to the Lord and to one another results in a sense of joy and peace. These vulnerable moments invite the love and care of others to surround us. As we repent and go in a new direction, God grants us boldness.
Out of the humility of repentance, we will finally be bold enough to call abortion what it is: Murder. Honestly, far too many Christian parents are quietly showing their children the way to the abortion clinic. Far too many of us cower in our church pews for fear that our brothers and sisters in Christ will discover our past and point the finger of blame at us. So, we stay quiet, and our witness is lost. Let us not forget that confession and repentance are lovingly accepted by God and fellow Christians and that they make us BOLD in our witness. We will never end abortion until we are bold enough to call it murder, and that boldness comes from confession and repentance.
(Matt. 7:5, Luke 6:42)
The views expressed in this email are the personal opinion of John Michener and do not necessarily reflect the views of OCPAC, its leadership team, or its members…although they should. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Authorized and paid for by Oklahoma Conservative PAC, PO Box 2021, Edmond, OK 73083.