First Time Voter!

November 4.

National Election!  And, this was Thomas' first time voting; he turned 18 this past May.  Of course I was going to document it, just like his three brothers.  I "snuck" my camera into the polling place; Illinois law doesn't have anything specific regarding taking pictures, but if the election judges want to ask me to stop, they can, and I must.  I was wearing my cape-like coat/jacket, so I simply pulled it over the camera and stood off, away from everyone (this was a school cafeteria, so a pretty large room).

There was a line, and since the touch-screen machine (also a handicap-accessible machine) was free, an election judge asked Thomas, who was next in line, if he'd like to use it.  He shrugged and said, "Sure!"  So it was his first experience on a couple different levels.

Scanning Thomas' ballot.

I snuck one of Jacob voting, too.  Right after that, one of the election judges came up to me and quietly told me that a roaming election judge was there inspecting everything.  He said he didn't want me to get in trouble.  I smiled, put the lens cap back on, and thanked him.  I had already gotten the pictures I wanted.

I'm so thankful our young men desire to take part in the democratic process of running our country.  They're keenly interested in the issues; Jacob spent hours researching the judges up for retention, writing recommendations based on his political leanings.  Although the election results were disappointing this year, we're glad we went out to vote.


Back to life,
Christine

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On the Way to the Voting Booth...

March 20, Illinois primary elections.  Our polling place was a new location, the elementary school at the end of our street.  Since it was in the 80s that day, we decided to walk down and cast our votes.

It was so nice to see all the flowers and budding/blooming trees this early in spring!

Your typical polling place...

I carried my camera in to the polling place with me.  Ellie is a large camera, and she was hanging around my neck.  It's kind of hard to miss seeing her!  So here's the story...

We walked inside the school gymnasium and up to the tables.  The polling judges took our names and handed us our ballots.  I announced to them, "We have a first-time voter (Danny) with us today; I'm going to take his picture.  I will stand over there (way out of the way)."  One of the judges (a woman) said, "Okay."  Joseph, Danny, and Jacob each chose a booth and began to mark their ballots.  There were two other voters there, and they were almost finished with their ballots.

I walked over to my "spot" and held the camera up.  I even said, "Hey, Danny, vote slowly!"  (I had to adjust the camera settings.)  Then I pressed the shutter--snap, snap.

Immediately, an election judge (a man) got up and started walking toward me.  He said, "You can't take pictures in here!"  I told him I had announced that I was going to do so, and that another election judge said it was okay.  (At that point she interjected weakly, "I didn't know.")  The man told me, "Well, you can't.  Only press is allowed.  You can shoot from outside the building, if you want."

I told him, "Fine," while trying to be cooperative with him, and just took my ballot and voted.  I had already gotten the below shot.

The crazy thing is, is that there is no ordinance or statute against photography in the polling place in the state of Illinois.  The only thing mentioned in the statutes is that the election judges can take control of the polling place to avoid disruption.  But, we were pretty much the only voters there at the time, and I stood out of the way of any potential voters or anywhere people could have walked--it was a gymnasium!  And, if I had stood in the doorway like the one judge suggested, I would have been obstructing other potential voters from voting--which is in the statutes regarding polling places!

So goes another voting experience.  At least it was legal to shoot outside on the way home, so we stopped by the neighborhood pond and spotted a couple of turtles on some rocks.

The geese were pretty bold, paddling right up to the shoreline and even "posing" for me.

And to further calm my spirit, the Lord provided flowers along the way home for me to photograph.  That made me happy.

To top off the day, Danny and Thomas completed the upgrades to their computer so that my photography software could run more quickly.  Aren't they great?

Back to life,
Christine

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Month of Thanksgiving -- Blessing 8

This post is part of a giveaway at Tamara's blog.

Please click on her tag below to find out more!

Many have blogged about thanking the Lord for the privilege of voting; I'd like to do the same today, now that most of the election results are finalized.

I thank God that in the USA we are allowed to vote for those who would lead us in government.  Here in Illinois, we had some tough choices to make.  Though I do not want to get into a political debate with my readers, I have a few personal quandaries:  Do I vote for the republican candidate, even though he is almost as "dirty" as the democrat candidate?  Do I vote for the upstanding Christian pro-life woman candidate running against the liberal incumbent, even though I believe that if she is a Christian, her ministry should be geared toward her husband and children?  What about school district superintendents and judges, when we have searched for information about them, and found almost nothing?  These are just a few of the questions that were floating around my brain in the days leading up to election day.

The four of us voters in this household did vote on Tuesday, and prayed that God would approve our choices--because ultimately, we have to answer to the Lord for how we voted.  We prayed that the Lord would providentially allow Godly people to serve in leadership over us.  We waited through the day on Tuesday, and watched the results on TV as they were reported to the news stations.

Almost none of the candidates for whom we voted was elected.  It is frustrating to live with the realization that our taxes will rise (that was the newly elected governor's campaign platform).  It is disturbing to see the character of the people elected into office both locally and nationally.

Jacob votes in his first national election

I hope the above doesn't sound like a complaint, for it is not.  This election was a deeply thought-provoking one, and I've simply shared those thoughts here.  When all is said and done, I am able to say that I voted my principles and my conscience, and that I followed my husband's lead in the voting booth.

My thankfulness to the Lord is for the fact that He is in control; He providentially moves the hearts of men, and knows the thoughts of a king.  If we are living in perilous times, I am to rejoice!  What can man do to me?  Fear God, and worship Him.  I am determined to live for Him, come what may.  God is in control.

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD;

He turns it wherever He wishes.

Proverbs 21:2 nasb

The LORD is for me; I will not fear;

What can man do to me?

The LORD is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

Than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

Than to trust in princes.

Psalm 118:6-9 nasb

Please visit Tamara's blog to find out more about Month of Thanksgiving,

to be encouraged by others' blessings,

and to participate!

Back to life,
Christine

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captured by Christine Anne