In November 2019, while reading my Bible I came across Jeremiah 33:3. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knows not.” The scripture caught my attention. For weeks I thought about it. I wrote the verse out and placed in on my desk at work. Over the course of the next several months, COVID-19 developed and created difficult situations throughout the world and in our own lives. On May 7th, while working, I noticed the scripture on my desk and read it again. Later in the hour, my wife called to inform me we lost our unborn child. She miscarried the day before her birthday and three days before Mother’s Day. We were planning on telling our children of their new sibling on Mother’s Day. At the county, we face difficult budget cuts to many county services. On May 25, George Floyd was murdered. I don’t know a single person, including those in Law Enforcement who believe his murder was justified.

We are in difficult times.

This is a time to unite, not be divided. We all believe it was wrong.

Last night at the dinner table, my family had a hard conversation. My kids wanted to understand what happened and why. They wanted to know what “racism” is, why it existed and if they were racist (they are eight and ten years old). I told them, as Christians, we have Christ’s love in our hearts, we are not racist. We know that all men and women are created equal. We are all children of God. Although our skin may be different, our belief systems may be different, we are all God’s children, we all bleed red blood. It is because of that love in our hearts which comes from Jesus Christ, that we are not racist. We look at every person through the lens of Jesus Christ. It says in Galatians 3:28 there is no distinction between us. “And we no longer see each other in our former state—Jew or non-Jew, rich or poor, male or female—because we’re all one through our union with Jesus Christ with no distinction between us.”(TPT – The Passion Translation)

Last night, we prayed for our County, our State and our Nation.

There have been many rumors that, today, during the peaceful protest in Sonora, there may be those coming to stir up violence. As stated by Law Enforcement Officials, they will not stand for violence nor will the citizens of Tuolumne County.

Today, I am asking anyone willing, during the peaceful protest, to be praying for our County, our State and our Nation.