Dear Editor,

     In my world, now that I am 90+, there are many disturbing things happening in my wonderful homeland U.S.A.

     This is an all-important election year and as I watch the T.V. news and read the newspapers, I am so shocked as to so many in the political arena who would have me look at the many issues in my beloved country through the eyes of men and totally ignore the writings in God's word that I have been taught since childhood. God's holy word never changes. It was true yesterday, is true today, and will be true tomorrow.

     As to the many critical issues we are facing in our country (that also affect the world), the answers are found in God's holy scripture.

     Since my fast-growing family (I now have 21 sweet great grandchildren) is scattered in all directions, I do not get to see them together in one place very often.

     So these days, my refrigerator serves as a backdrop for photographs of my family. Mounted in acrylic frames with magnets on the back, they represent at least twenty-five families totaling a few hundred people. As I stand back and survey the "big picture" and ponder the scene before me, I am struck with the wonder and significance of these family members.

I am concerned about the moral values that I have cherished are fading, day-by-day.

I am convinced that the family is at the very heart of what really matters to all of us. If things aren't well at home, every other area of life is affected.

     As I look at scores of pictures in my photo albums, I see women sitting like mother hens (I was raised on a farm) surrounded by their brood of young ones and feel a sense of gratitude for the willingness of these women (who are my daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, granddaughter-in-law, nieces) to be givers and nurturers of life. We hear so much these days the statement "Choose Life." I am so blessed to have been raised in a family and had a mother who "chose life" or I and my siblings of 10 would not have been born.

     So to me, it was a beautiful choice to give birth to four beautiful babies and I am eternally grateful to God for choosing me to be their mother. I knew from "day one" what a sacred privilege and honor it was, but also the grave responsibility of rearing them according to His plans. My mom told me "they did not belong to me but were on loan from God." What a wonderful statement of truth and I took it very seriously. I went to God's word often (especially Psalms and Proverbs) to discover the plan I was to follow and it has been a beautiful journey.

     It is a beautiful choice women make when they choose life and bear children. (By the way, only women can bear children.)

     We, as women, keep on choosing life with meals we prepare, every load of dirty clothes we wash, every kissed boo-boo, every bye-o-be-o-baby, Jesus loves me, sleepless nights, listening with concern and answering questions, homework, ball practices, band practice, choir practice, piano, trips to the grocery store, Bible stories and songs, reading to them, doctor and dentist appointments, packing lunches, settling arguments, taking them to church, waiting up when they're out on dates, the list goes on and on and on, day in and day out. Women are building a home, being life givers, laying a foundation, and building a memorial that will outlive them for generations to come. I am now witnessing the fourth generation and I am very happy and blessed with what I see. When women are doing these things, we are honoring our Creator in the greatest possible way.

     As I have entered the last decade of a century of living in my beloved country, I am deeply concerned about the kind of future my generation is leaving for our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The legacy we leave is terribly important to each one of us.

     We, as Christians, must take a stand on the all-important issues of abortion, same-sex marriage, drugs, drinking, and others. We must vote for the ones who will protect the sanctity of life and support the definition of marriage that's found in God's Holy Word.

     It is vitally important we vote for candidates who base their decisions on Biblical principles.

     Thank you and please vote on November 6th.

                                        Wilma Bell Proffitt