Miley Cyrus became so rich and so overwhelmingly popular that she began to make changes like dressing more provocatively.   She not only “grew up”; she changed her image.   She made very grown up videos with older men and she was caught on film smoking Salvia in a bong (which is not illegal in California but which has hallucinogenic affects on the people who smoke it).   Billy says that he always tried to be a friend to his children and now he regrets not being more of a disciplinarian type of a parent. Many parents realize this type of mistake…but, when there are people who form a wall around your child, I would imagine it is harder to talk things out.   Billy didn’t have the title of being his daughter’s manager in business either…so he had no official say so in those business decisions of hers.  He feels that much of what has happened in recent months has been out of his control.

Maybe that is true…yet truthfully, his children and his wife play a part in this scenario as well.  If they all respected him as the head of the family (instead of having the balance of power out of whack by earning power) then his opinion would carry more weight in their choices.  This is doubly sad because they all appear to love one another…but, there seems to be no authority except of those in their business life; who may or may not have their family’s best interest at heart.  Billy says that he has not profited from Miley as a person on her staff such as a publicist or manager.  I think that fact brings him some kind of comfort…but it has to be a small comfort.

Miley makes a lot of money through the sale of all kinds of merchandise & music.  She has become a powerhouse in the celebrity field and as such…she is afforded many “handlers”.  Those are the people who promote, publicize, and schedule Miley’s appearances and her image.  They are the only ones in control of her image. They are her authority, instead of her father or her God.

Miley’s father Billy says that when he has questioned some of those handlers about his daughter and the reason behind her handlers alleged attempts to desperately get their hands on some anonymous  young people’s cell phones and computers; he was allegedly told that it was “none of his business”.  While that may be true professionally, it certainly is not morally or in the area of parental concern.  His daughter and circumstances surrounding her well being most certainly are his business.  That is a God given right!

Now I don’t know about you…but when a man or woman’s child becomes a property that is so large that the parent is considered to be interfering when asking questions about how that child (even if that child is over the age of 18) representatives are dealing with details in his/her life; then, I have to question the motives of those behind the image.

When the Cyrus family came to California with the lure of the career and fame, they were supposedly a family united in faith.  It seems to me that Billy has regrets about where his family has found themselves at this point.  I can’t say that I blame him.  He and his wife Tish have separated at the end of 2010.  His children are all scattered.  He says that he would give it all up in a minute to go back to the way things were, if his family could be back where they started.

All I can think of when I read articles based on that interview is, Matthew 16:26 which says; “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or, what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”  They each made a decision to pursue their careers…and so it doesn’t just fall to the father.  Still, their intentions could have been the best when it all started.  After all, the show was a clean family show…who could have seen where it would lead?

This story still makes me sad, because like many Christians, you have to wonder if they thought they would go into the big city and change the dark places with the influence of their careers.  Instead, their family seems to have been changed, and if this interview speaks to the truth of the matter, Billy Ray Cyrus doesn’t appear to believe that those changes were not for the better or, worth the risk.  May God get into the midst of this family’s business and repair and heal the damage that has been done; restoring their faith and family values.  What are your thoughts?

        Patricia has played the character of Carlotta Vega on that show for over a decade.  I remember early on her appearances on that show, that she played a housekeeper, of sorts, for one of the main characters, Dorian Lord.  She played a strong role in voicing what should have been Dorian’s conscious when that character got herself into questionable situations by manipulating others.  Eventually, Patricia’s character Carlotta bought a restaurant and continued the role of adviser to many of the shows characters as they experienced problems in their “lives”.  Always her religious wisdoms and values showed through.

        I have quit watching soap operas and many other shows because of my personal beliefs.  I get tired of being “forced”, simply because there doesn’t appear to be many other choices, to watch entertainment shows that continue to erode and chip away at traditional family values or Christian values.   Our family recently gave up television because of many of these issues when the digital conversion took place.

          The problem that Patricia is now voicing is that she was allegedly  given a script or a direction in which she, as her character, was expected to be supportive of a gay storyline  which Patricia says is not authentic to who Patricia is as a Christian; nor would the Christian character Carlotta  realistically support a situation like that.   Patricia has said it is not the gay storyline that she objects to; but rather, the way that her character’s storyline was written.   Christian’s, for the most part, do not condone same sex relationships, as it goes against scripture in the Bible.  The Bible calls homosexuality, or the physical expression of romantic love between two people of the same sex, an abomination. 

           Is it right, fair, or legal for an employer to demand an employee to go against their personal religious beliefs in a job environment?   And, if it IS legal, who should a person obey…their employer or God?

         After hearing that Patricia is alleging that she has been let go of her character and replaced with another actress I started wondering about making a stand in a person’s workplace, when expected in the workplace to violate one’s personal beliefs.  I don’t know about the legality of such issues…but, I do know that it would be especially difficult or impossible to make myself  do or perform any work related job when I felt that it went against my beliefs as a Christian.   In my heart, and here on the blog, I support Patricia and her efforts to put her convictions out there as a testimony to her faith. 

          I wonder, have any of my readers had an experience at work  where they felt conflicted about something the boss expected them to do in their work environment, based on their religious beliefs?  How did you handle that situation? 

          It has been called everything from a very prettified “Historic Election” to “A Mess”.  From the outset of this journey…it was touted as an election to take notice of, be a part of and yet; once the Democrats chose their candidate…and the Republicans chose theirs, the battle lines have been drawn.  The media has all but declared a win for Barack Obama.

           Each candidate has claimed that it is time for change.  Most Americans couldn’t agree more with that; however, the last few weeks have been increasing in ugliness.  Citizens are not happy with the direction our country has taken in the quality of life, nor in the image that has been projected of Americans around the world.  That has to be addressed.  Add into the chaos of the multi national financial systems collapse, and the housing market crisis, and throw into the mix health care & job losses; and you should have a clear platform for a political candidate to voice their position and their solutions.  It hasn’t happened yet.  The candidates are too afraid of voicing their true position on the issues in fear of alienating some section of voters…so we are left to our own impressions of where the candidates stand.

          Part of the fear and anxiety in this country has been the lack of information needed to make an informed decision.  Questions have been raised about personal integrity, honesty and positions of faith.  Candidates can say what they want about the image that they try to project…however, actions speak louder than all of the words written for them by their well-paid speech writers.  The truth of who a candidate really is will eventually come out.  I just hope that each will reveal themselves before the actual election.  We are in real trouble when the media and celebrity spokespersons are the go to sources of information.  We only learn what they want us to learn. 

           Hate and violence should never have a place in American politics.  Let the candidates show and declare their true value systems and positions on the issues.  There is a huge movement that has building over the last decade or so, against people of faith who try to vote their values and who hold their political leaders to some level of positive role modeling.  Why is that wrong? In my opinion, it isn’t.  Standards of behavior should be based on an acceptable level to the people that the candidates represent.

           We have, over the years, removed God from our schools, we have demanded seperation of church and state, and some talk of taking that even farther by removing the “Under God” from our pledge of allegience.  There is even an organization dedicated to supporting non-believers in God or atheists in their candidacy; it is called, Godless Americans Political Action Committee.  They have a right to form their committee just as others have a right to question a candidate about their alliance to such an organization and how it will affect their position should they be election to a position of power.  Plain and simple; let the truth be known if you are associated with such an organization and let the voter’s decide whether you merit a vote or not; don’t hide your involvement and don’t lie to the people who you would represent if elected.

            Really, if you are a Christian…this election is about staking your claim for your personal beliefs and value systems.  Don’t vote in this election based just on your economic situation; or, on falling for the one liner…”we want change”….because…if you don’t vote your Christian values then you and the rest of the citizens of the United States are on a slippery slope.  Quality of life is in question as it is with all of the challenges to traditional religious views such as one man one woman marriages and standing up for family values.  If we allow our leadership to rest in the hands of people who don’t consider themselves accountable to a higher power or authority under God, then we really are in trouble as a nation.

            I don’t think that America is ready, willing or able to endorse Godlessness in our Political leaders; do you?

        John Edwards’ wife Elisabeth has fought and battled cancer for years…she was in remission…however, she has now been diagnosed with a form of cancer that is incurable.  I remember an interview, that she did at the time that it was announced she had incurable cancer…and i thought…how strong she was…how composed.  Now to think that she had to also deal with the knowledge of her husband’s affair during that time…just makes me realize how much stronger she was, than anyone knew.  It also makes me wonder how he thought he would be able to support his wife during her battle, run for President, all the while knowing that this affair could harm his family and come out in the press.  How was Elisabeth able to handle the difficulty of the disease as well as the emotional trauma of the affair?

        It was said that as recently as two weeks ago, he was still denying an affair with this woman…and yet, a month ago he had a meeting with her; an now he admits the affair. 

        That can only mean one thing in my mind; somewhere, someone has proof that can’t be denied.  There will be an investigation, i am sure, about whether she was paid hush money as she denied the affair at one point as well.  If it can be proven that he paid her money to keep it quiet…there will be an even bigger news story here. 

        However, I can’t help but feel badly for his wife…who not only has to battle a cancer that will end up taking her life…but, now she is going to have to deal with the added stress of the intense media attention; and, try to deal with the fall out for her children.  Obviously, she and her husband have dealt with this privately; as some have said, she became aware of the affair in 2006 and they have stayed together since that time.   They have been through much together in their marriage with the loss of a teenaged son years ago, her first round of cancer, campaigning together on the road, and having a second set of children many years after the first. 

           Who is to say what their relationship can and will weather.  I will say that it is sad; years into the future, after the children are grown up and can read and understand all of this family and political history…they are going to have some hard questions for their father regarding this time in their family’s life. 

          Still, there are those who will be thinking things like liar, liar pants on fire when they hear John Edwards’ name; maybe, they will be wondering whether he is lying about that child, really being his as well!  A marriage or relationship is between two people and God; but, when they are running for the highest office in the United States and their judgement and integrity is a qualification for the task of running the country…then, it becomes an issue for those of us who would be under his authority!  Are there any politicians that still possess traditional family values and integrity?

          Lance Bass, a former singer in the boy band N’SYNC, announced that he is gay back in 2006, I believe.  I think that if ABC took a chance to shock viewers by allowing such a trouncing on the mainstream traditional family values they would stand to lose not only sponsors; but, ratings as well.  The sponsors themselves could potentially risk loosing lots of money.  Public opinion carrys alot of weight with television…and with the networks struggling and competing against cable programming…i wonder if they would truly risk such a decision.

        Also, it seems to me that there would also be a question of an unfair advantage of having two partners with the combined physical strength that two male dancers would have, over the traditional dancing partners of one male and one female.  I doubt that the other teams would feel that they were evenly matched in comparison.

          The new season will begin on September 22, 2008.  Who knows whether ABC even seriously considered this idea; or, whether it has been put into the media by the organizations that try to push the gay/lesbian agenda on television.  People are people no matter what and deserve respect, not hate; often these issues push hot buttons…however, i do think that Cheryl Burke was right…I don’t think America is ready, willing, or able to be participants in watching the show if it violates their personal beliefs.

          The question is, Dancing with the Stars…could they, would they, or should they, do something so contrary to traditional family values as to allow a gay man to compete with a dance professional of the same sex during a prime time television show that many families watch with their children? 

       It is the National Baby Food Festival in the Baby Food Capital of the World.  Gerber baby food company is known around the world for it’s innovative production of baby foods and products; and it is celebrating in the town where it all began, Fremont, Michigan.

        Dorothy Gerber was the mother of two young girls…she was also the wife of Dan Gerber, who just happened to be the son of Frank Gerber, the president of the Fremont Canning Company.  Dorothy’s children’s pediatrician was recommending a new dietary approach to her children’s eating habits; he recommended strained fruits and vegetable starting around the age of 5 months old.

        Now today, that is sort of standard practice in raising young children…but in 1927 it wasn’t.  Straining fresh fruits and vegetables in small amounts several times a week is not an easy task when you are caring for two toddlers.  It became too time consuming and she wondered aloud to her husband; if it was possible to puree tomatoes at the cannery, why couldn’t baby food also be done?  The idea was discussed and a business model was born after much consultation with the experts in nutrition and business.  The Gerber baby food era began with an immediate success.

         Today, Gerber is owned by Nestle’s; but the Gerber Baby Food is still made at the Fremont, Michigan site.  Fremont celebrates with the annual National Baby Food Festival.  There are amusement rides, sidewalk sales, two parades, a baby crawl, pie eating contests, hula hoop contests, penny scrambles, karate demonstrations, Wii challenges, guitar hero challenges, turtle races, bubble gum blowing contests, concerts, safety seat inspections, frog jumping contests, fireman’s water battle, bingo, bike races, 5k & 10k runs, bed races, karoke, photo contests, picnics, petting zoo, chalking in the streets, information on nutrition, an arts and crafts show, pregnancy, and breast feeding, crafts for kids, clowns, a praise service on sunday…and of course, a baby food eating contest.  One of the big draws is a concert by Lonestar.

        As you can see, there is a little something for everyone; not to mention a whole community of stores, services, and restaurants.  There is alot of great campgrounds, bed and breakfast inns, cottages for rent and there is a hotel in town as well.  Fremont, Michigan has alot to recommend for a complete family experience.  Do your family a favor and spend some time creating some positive family memories this summer.  The festival runs from July 15th through the 19th.  http://www.babyfoodfest.com/ or go to the chamber of commerce at: http://www.fremontcommerce.com/   The theme this year is America the Beautiful.

       In an economy that is rife with companies moving across the borders…I say, kudos to Nestle’s (as well as, the other sponsors of the festival) for keeping true to the rich history of the Gerber Baby Food Company; and continuing to support the family values of small town America; and, the American workers who work hard to maintain the high quality for which Gerber is known for in the town where it all began.   The impact of that should be an inspiration to other corporations thinking of picking up and moving out of the United States!

       When families had to seek jobs and living conditions that allowed them to survive; they were often seperated from one another.  In those days and before…when family had to become distanced from one another they kept in contact by writing letters, journals or diaries; or in cases of emergency, they sent a telegram.  Phones became the next form of communication and true to form; technology is leading the edge of communication in today’s relationships.  Cell phones, email, computers with instant chat, faxes combined with air travel, train, busses and boats are our links to one another.  Many families just don’t have the advantage of living as close to one another as they would like to be physically present in each other’s daily lives.  Because families don’t get lots of time together…alot of our conversations are spent on surface things…or skimming the surface of what’s happening with one another. 

        It doesn’t go without notice that many people are surrounded by lots of people but are lonelier than they have ever felt.  Family support, often is non-existant; or ,not consistent enough to give children a foundation upon which to build their own families when the time comes.  Divorce has played a part…but, we all crave closeness and support in spite of such adversities.

       That is why i have been interested to hear about those who are finding ways of reaching out to their family and friends in ways that will cement their relationships, in no uncertain terms.  Last winter, i took a course on documenting memories or experiences in a written form; so that future generations can have a window into how we each thought, felt, or acted in any given circumstance.  The instructor just happened to be my former kindergarten teacher who i was reconnecting with some 30 odd years later .  She impressed upon us all the value of passing on memories and experiences to those that we cherished in our lives. 

      This week i heard about a celebrity who was doing something similar, in his own way.  Sidney Poitier has written a book for his great granddaughter.  He decided to write down things of importance for him to share with his granddaughter.  He is in his 80′s and his great granddaughter is now somewhere around 2 or 3 years of age.  He talks of how he was moved to put into written word, things that had relevance for him to communicate to his family member when he was standing in the room with four generations of his family after her birth. 

       Why do we wait until some monumentual moment in our lives to make these decisions; we all have value to share with one another.  It is a form of sharing and caring to be able to “talk” about issues that are near and dear to our hearts with those that we love.  It is our legacy to each other.  When we are gone…everything we think and feel goes with us; unless we have taken action to preserve such things.  Who do you wish to connect with; and what is it that you wish to tell them?  Don’t waste another moment…make the time…it doesn’t have to be a novel…don’t worry about grammar or form…just write it down…you will be glad that you did.  The words you leave behind may just help to influence the next generation when all of the “other” voices they hear may not have their best interest at heart like you do!