GOD & I: OUR HOLY ENCOUNTERS
"This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.'" Isaiah 48:17
Boy have we been seeing the 18 wheelers on this trip! And numerous police suv vehicles, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time. Never have to worry about that with Steve driving as he ALWAYS goes the speed limit. Anyway...just thought I would post a few pictures of the trucks. I have been taking lots of pictures with our new camera so that I can be in good practice for our Alaska trip. Our Avalon was excited to see so many relatives. Some carrying interesting loads. I had no idea that trucks could run away from home :0 I was amazed to see this one, because I did not know Fruit Stripe gum still existed. I loved this gum as a kid. There were even flying trucks.
Finally today we took a ride on an Incline Train. It was a 72.7 grade built in 1895. It was interesting but definitely not worth $14.00 a piece for 30 minutes. Tomorrow it is on to Knoxville.
Steve and I are on our way to a wedding in Nashville. The wedding isn't until Thursday but we decided we would come early and just spend some time exploring Tennessee. We have both thought it might be a good place to find our "small town America" to retire. After talking on our trip today Steve is thinking maybe he would like Ohio or Wisconsin because there would be more opportunities to enjoy aviation events. We have heard that Ohio is one of the lower cost of living states. But most of all we want to go where God can use us...we realize that He can use us anywhere, but we are feeling called not to just be involved in "church" but to be more missional in the community where we live. We said maybe we should just stop at little churches on the way and ask them what they are doing and how could they use us. Just kidding...but it does bring up the question "how do we know where God wants us to go?" So for now we are just open. Today we are in Jackson with no plans yet of where we are heading tomorrow. I think we probably should have stayed in Memphis and then we could have taken the southern route. Guess we can still go south from here, but came a little bit out of the way. So stayed tune to see where we end up next.
We were creative today and besides spending time talking about retirement, we played a singing game. We tried to see who could come up with the most Beatle songs. We could only think of four so we then decided to try songs with a city or state in the lyrics. Steve won this one. I didn't keep track but we came up with a bunch. We then went on to songs with numbers in them and songs with names of birds. I then said songs with people's names, but by this time Steve was "songed" out.
You can't be a part of what has been going on the past couple of days and not think about death. Makes me wonder what my legacy will be when I die? Have to admit I can't help but wonder if Michael Jackson did not like being considered weird why he didn't do more to change his image. Okay and am I the only one whose favorite MJ song is "Ben"?
And Farrah Fawcett?? Hopefully after I die I will have contributed more to the world than being famous for my hair. Actually...I did find this picture of my Farah Fawcett hair that I cut myself. But today I went to see "My Sister's Keeper" and there is a seen where a 17 year old is dying and her younger 12 year old sister asks her "are you afraid to die?" and then asked "where do you go when you die?" She said she was not afraid to die and then replied, "I don't know, but where ever it is I will wait for you." It just made me think that if I didn't know that death is actually our victory and that life after death is so much more than we can ever imagine then how would I face death? Without God and His love facing death has to be scary. I am so thankful that when my time comes that I will be able to die in peace. However, I do think it is worth thinking about what kind of legacy I will leave when I die. I hope and pray that it will be one that glorifies my Father and causes other people to want to know Him better.
(our first attempt to download pictures from Steve's Blackberry)
Last night Steve treated me to a night of Il Divo for an early birthday present. If you are not familiar with Il Divo, Simon Cowell (yes from American Idol) had an idea of putting together four men who could sing classical music but not opera. He searched for two years before putting together an international group: Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Marín, a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller. Each of them have amazing voices on their own, but put them together and they are just bone chilling. Even though 90% of the concert was not in English, I still really enjoyed it. But here is the problem. Since it wasn't in English I had no idea what they were singing. My favorite song was one called Hallelujah. Listen to it and then read the rest of the post.
I thought it was so beautiful and had to research today to see what the lyrics actually said imagine my surprise when I put them into a translation service and discovered this:
A soldier home today returned and a sick boy he was cured and today there is not I work in the forest of the rain The deserted was saved because of a good deed and today nobody repudiates it Hallelujah [Chorus:] Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah An atheist that managed to believe and a hungry one today has to eat and today they donated to a church a fortune That the quick war will be finished That in the world to the end will reign the peace That there will not be any misery Hallelujah [Chorus:] Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Because the norm be the love and govern not the corruption but the good thing and the best of the pure soul Because God protect us of a badly final one Because a day we can learn Because to put an end to so much fury Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Because a day we can learn Because to put an end to so much fury Hallelujah
Have to say though I was glad they changed the lyrics from the orginal ones of Leonard Cohen.
Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you She tied you To a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Baby I have been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you. I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
There was a time you let me know What's really going on below But now you never show it to me, do you? And remember when I moved in you The holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain I don't even know the name But if I did, well really, what's it to you? There's a blaze of light In every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you And even though It all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Lesson learned? Just because the lyrics have the words Hallelujah, doesn't mean it is a religious song.
For their encore they did come out and do an amazing rendition of Amazing Grace. And yes, it was in English.
I am thankful that God has allowed me to spend another Father's Day with my Dad. He wanted to go to the Great Buffet for lunch, so we did that on Friday. Today was simple, he didn't want a dessert, so I just took him some grapefruit. He loves grapefruit that is peeled. It took me about 45 minutes to peel him four, but it was worth it because he was so pleased. I have to admit doing this made me appreciate my mom, because she peels them for him all the time, and it is quite a bit of work to get all that skin off. Anyway...that's my dad, so easy to please, and very appreciative of just the simple things in life.
I am just thankful for the gift he has been to me and the most important gift he has given me which is the gift of having a father who has a heart for our Father. He is a wonderful vessel that God has loved me through and I am eternally greatful. I am not ready to say goodbye to my Dad, but he is sure ready to go home. I will just be grateful for each day until God calls him. Recent picture of my Dad and his great grandson Talon
I love going to weddings. It is just fun to watch a couple start life together, really clueless as to what really lies ahead. There is such innocence. I love sitting next to my husband during a wedding and just reliving our own vows and being thankful that 20 years later I can have all confidence that we have kept those vows to one another.
Today's wedding of Erin Snyder and Marshall May had to be one of the funner weddings I have been to, in that Marshall and his groomsmen seemed to have fun. Hopefully that means that he will keep things lively in their marriage. And I must say that Sara did an amazing job in sewing all the bridesmaid dresses.
One thing I have noticed about weddings is people do not arrive late. At Richardson East people are always talking about "R.E. time" because no one ever gets to Bible class on time. It is almost like it is just acceptable to be there at 9:15. As a Bible class teacher I find this to be very frustrating because you do have a couple of kids that get their early (because their parents are also teachers) and you have to begin class for them, and yet the kids that come in so late want to do the activity but don't get to because you are ready to move on to the next thing. Anyway... my question is why can people get to wedding's on time, but not Bible class? I guess one thing that makes it easier is weddings are usually later in the day. Anyway...just wonder if God thinks our excuses for being late to meet Him are acceptable?
I don't think much of what I miss by living in the city, but my recent trip to my brother's in Olympia have motivated me to once again think about moving out in the country. Here are a few pictures from his place. I love sitting out on a deck, and this was the view from my brother's. The haze did not go away enough to see Mt. Ranier, but it was still a pretty valley below. Two different days and deer showed up to eat plants and grass in the back yard. There were rhodendrums everywhere. His were lavendar and purple, but there were beautiful pink, yellow and orange as well. Eventually wherever we move, I want to have a deck to just sit out and enjoy reading and God's beauty of nature. My mom and I both enjoyed a ride in my brother's Rousche Mustang. What a life :)
My friend Andrea sent me an email today with this story and I thought it was just a sweet reminder of who we are called to be.
"Excuse me, Are you Jesus?" This is really powerful and makes one think!!!! A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.
He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace..
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
This morning we attended worship with my brother Brad in Olympia, Washington. I thought the minister had a good sermon from Exodus 6. He talked about how God's timing is not our timing and what lessons God can teach us when He asks us to wait. He started out by saying that "we are always in a hurry and God never is". He said when God asks us to wait we usually do 3 things: 1. We WONDER what God is up to and how He will respond. 2. We WORRY because He isn't moving at our speed and think He may not respond at all 3. We WHINE asking God what's taking so long?
He stated that God will actually answer our prayer when He can manifest His power in such a way that He will get the most glory.
God told Moses I AM (not "I was" OR (I will be)
It is never about what we are doing for God but what He is doing for us.
In waiting for God's plan to be revealed we will see a revelation of God's power and a revelation of God's person.
Exodus 6:2-3-God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them."
They only knew God partially, not totally who He was as LORD=Yahweh. If we don't wait, we will not know God for who He totally is either.
We can be confident that God will always finish what He starts.
Seems like this summer is going to bring more travel than usual. Today, my mom and I leave for Olympia, Washington for my youngest niece's graduation from High School. After we return on the 10th, I will be home two weeks before Steve and I head off for Nashville for a friends' son's wedding. Then we are home a week before we leave on our Alaskan cruise.
So....won't be blogging a lot, but will have lots of pictures to share after each trip.
Everyone have a GREAT summer!!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
This note was in a Focus on The Family email that Steve forwarded to me today.
June Declared 'LGBT Pride Month' President Barack Obama has proclaimed the month of June 2009 as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." "The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress," Obama states in the official proclamation, "but there is more to be done." The most recent reliable figures, from a study called the "National Health and Social Life Survey" in 1994, found that 2.8 percent of American men and 1.4 percent of American women reported some level of homosexual or bisexual identity. [OneNewsNow.com; Edward O. Laumann, et. al., The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, University of Chicago Press, 1994]
No, I am not going to post comments about President Obama. What struck me about the article were the statistics. 2.8 percent of men and 1.4 percent of women report some level of homosexual behavior. Does that surprise anyone else besides me? How does such a small percent of the population have such a loud voice? Unfortunately, I think it is called media.
My niece Danette (who just happens to be my namesake Danette Lynn) and her two year old son, Talon, came for a visit from Denver this weekend. It was such a blessing to get to spend this one on one time with her. Danette has a special place in my heart, not just because she is my namesake but mostly because she is the only sibling's child who actually takes the time to stay in touch with me. She never forgets my birthday or anniversary and stays in touch via email, she ALWAYS sends thank you notes for anything I have given her. It was so sweet of her to come because she realized that my dad would never be ever to travel to Denver again and she wanted him to see his great grandson. Well, this weekend she even grew more dear in my eyes because I got to see what a GREAT mother she is. She has done a great job of raising her son Talon (along with her husband Steve). Talon was one of the most well behaved two year olds I have ever been around. And he just had adorable antics and was cute as a button. We really enjoyed our time together. Here are just a few pictures of our time together.
I said I would blog about the other Pursuit of God chapter entitled "Meekness and Rest'. Meekness would be an area of my life that drastically needs improving. This paragraph spoke to my heart.
"In a world of men we find nothing approaching the virtues of which Jesus spoke in the opening words of the famous Sermon on the Mount. Instead of poverty of spirit we find the rankest kind of pride; instead of meekness, arrogance; instead of hunger after righteousness we hear men saying,"I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing"; instead of mercy we find cruelty; instead of purity of heart, corrupt imaginings; instead of peacemakers we find men quarrelsome and resentful; instead of rejoicing in mistreatment we find them fighting back with every weapon at their command."
"There are two things standing in contrast to each other, a burden and a rest...The burden borne by mankind is a heavy and a crushing thing. The word Jesus used means 'a load carried or toil borne to the point of exhaustion.' Rest is simply realize from that burden. It is not something we do; it is what comes to us when we cease to do. His own meekness, that is rest."
"The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort."
"The meek will not care what people think of us so long as God is pleased."
He closed with another heartfelt prayer: "Lord, make me childlike. Deliver me from the urge to compete with another for place or prestige or position. I would be simple and artless as a little child. Deliver me from pose and pretensee. Forgive me for thinking of myself. Help me to forget myself and find my true peace in beholding Thee. That thou may answer this prayer I humble myself before Thee. Lay upon me Thy easy yoke of self-forgetfulness and through it I may find rest. Amen"
I did not get to go the the Pursuit of God discussion tonight because I have a special friend in the Holy Butterfly class and they were doing their closing program.
But in reading the two chapters we were suppose to cover tonight there were some thoughts that Tozer related that again were some "ah ha" moments for me.
In the chapter entitled "Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation" there were these thoughts: "We are right when, and only when, we stand in a right position relative to God, and we are wrong so far and so long as we stand in any other position." "God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relationship between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours." "God was our original habitat and our hearts cannot but feel at home when they enter again that ancient and beautiful abode."
And the chapter ended with this amazing prayer: "O God be thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be thou exalted above my comforts. Though it means the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Thou didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of an ass, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, 'Hosanna in the highest." Amen
This is getting long, so I will post about the other chapter tomorrow. I can only hope that one day I will know the Lord the way Tozer does and be able to say a prayer such as this.
Today I was on Facebook and looked at some pictures of a girl who is a senior that was from my time at the Mesquite church. She had a picture of her senior tea and I was wowed! I did a senior tea at my house for a couple of girls and it was nice, but these tea oozed of elegance and yet fun. Look at the difference between my table and the one at this tea. Just left me feeling a little envious that I don't have those creative gifts.
I went to watch Jennifer Matthews graduate from the University of North Texas today. First of all I just want to praise her for completing her degree. First is not easy to be a single mom of a 3 year old, work and go to college. But she did it!
I found some of the titles of the dissertations for the PHD's to be rather interesting. Here are just a few:
An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of Attachment Process, Conflict Resolution, and Psychological Abuse on Relationship Quality in a Community Sample of Heterosexual Couples
A Regulatory Role for N-Acylethanolamine Metabolism in Arabidipis thanlian Seeds and Seedlings
From Reactionary to Responsive: Applying the Internal Environmental Scan Protocol to Lifelong Learning Strategic Planning and Operational Model Selection
The Global Village Playground: A Qualitative Case Study of Designing an ARG as a Capstone Learning Experience.
An Exploration of the Relationship between Effectiveness of Filial Therapy Training Groups and Group Cohesion
An Examination of the Adoption of Preservation Metadata in cultural Heritage Institutions: An Exploratory Study using Diffusion of Innovations Theory
Don't you just feel smarter by reading the titles?
"And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." --Romans 8:27 This verse popped out at me today. I think I have always focused on verse 26, where we are told the Spirit intercedes for us with groans. I don't know about you but I don't always know what to pray in every given situation. It is comforting to know that is when the Holy Spirit will help me, and intercede for me. But what was new is seeing that the Spirit pleads in harmony with God's will. So many times I have wondered "what is God's will for my life?" So again it is something I do not need to worry about, just trust that the Spirit will do His job and will make sure my prayers line up with God's will. It is interesting that following Romans 8:27 is Romans 8:28. "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." There are times when I am overwhelmed with the way life is going. I am so distressed that I don't even know how to pray, so I just sigh or groan. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit takes my groans and sighs and turns them to prayers to the Father. No matter what is happening, God is going to take my present circumstances and bring good out of bad. But His ultimate goal is take all that happens, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, and make me more like Jesus. I find that comforting to know. Thank you God for taking my feeble attempts to pray and giving me the Spirit who makes them into what you would have them to be.
Last night our chapter in the Pursuit of God was entitled "The Gaze Of The Soul" and was about faith. Tozer had some comments about faith that once again were attention getting. Here are a few that I particularly liked.
"Faith is a redirecting of our sight, a getting out of focus of our own vision and getting God into focus."
"When we lift our inward eyes to Gaze upon God, we are sure to meet friendly eyes gazing back at us."
"When the habit of inwardly gazing Godward becomes fixed within us, we shall be ushered onto a new spiritual life more in keeping with the promises of God and the mood of the New Testatment."
"Believing is directing the heart's attention to Jesus. It is lifting the mind to 'Behold the Lamb of God' (John 1:29), and never ceasing that beholding for the rest of our lives. At first it may seem difficult but it becomes easier as we look steadilyat His wondrous person, quietly without strain. Distractions may hinder, but once the heart is committed to Him, after each brief excursion away from Him, the attention will turn again and rest upon Him like a wandering bird coming back to it's window."
So who knew all these years when we sang "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look into His wonderful face", that we were really singing about faith and what it looks like?
Father God, may I keep my eyes turned towards you more and more and less and less on me on my circumstances.
Yeterday we went to the Highland Oaks campus in Plano for worship with my mom. Christopher Green was the speaker and he spoke about submission in their new "One Another" series. He said some good things but the one that caught my attention the most is that when we submit to one another we are really submitting to Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
I know I knew this, but it hit me anew yesterday. Why is it that so often we forget that it doesn't matter what we do, when we do it, it is as if we were doing it to Christ Himself. Perhaps if I kept that at the forefront of my mind at all times, I would do a better job of being Christlike.
I do think that this submission thing is the reason Steve and I have such a special marriage. Interestingly, it was just about a year ago (May 19, 2008) I blogged about how opposite Steve and I are but how our marriage works because of our mutual submission (Steve definitely being better at it than I)
Putting our needs aside and putting someone else first is not natural. It is only when we realize that we are really serving our Lord when we do that, that it makes it easier, and eventually maybe we won't even have to think about it, it will just become our nature. "Oh to be like Him."
I have been wanting to write this post since Wednesday, but just have not taken the time to do it. Steve and I are attending a discussion group on A.W. Tozer's book "The Pursuit of God:the human thirst for the divine".
There are some really deep thoughts in this book and I just thought I would post a few of the quotes that have caused me to stop and think a little.
"Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted."
"Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
"Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise HIm for all that He has done."
"No point is nearer to God than any other point. It is exactly as near to God from any place as it is from any other place. No one is in mere distance any further from or any nearer to God than any other person."
"God is forever speaking Himself out to His creation. God is speaking, not God spoke, but God is speaking."
So today in Ladies Bible Class we finished the "I Saw The Lord" study. There were several comments in the video today that caught my attention that I thought I would share.
The lesson was about God's call on Nehemiah's life and Nehemiah's desire to rebuild the walls. He prays this prayer in Nehemiah 1:5-7, 11: "Then I said: 'O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome god, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites including myself and my father's house have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. O lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'"
Made me wonder if I have ever had that kind of passion in a prayer?
If God is the Lord of your life you can't play it safe. We must do whatever the burden demands. Faith is like a muscle...the more your exercise it the stronger it gets. Don't look at what resources you have before you step out. Trust God will supply all my needs. God will never call me without equipping me first.
There was also this verse from I Samuel 2:35 "I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind." So could God say that of me??
On a side track Henry Blackaby was talking about how he hears a lot of people complain about the condition of a church and try to explain why they are leaving to find another church and he said he will just ask those people "do you think God knew the condition of that church when He made you a part of it?" That is a soapbox of mine. Do I know other members well enough that when they leave I actually feel like one of my fingers or toes is missing? God does make us body and when someone leaves we should notice our body is not complete.
Sunday was Senior Sunday at Richardson East where we honor the seniors by giving them a Bible. It is always accompanied by a slide show of the children growing up. They also put together a little book where the parents write their child a note of blessing. In his sermon, John mentioned how children are a gift from God. And my head said "I wonder why God did not want us to have that gift?" Today I read someone's Facebook post that said "children are such a blessing" and my mind thought "I wonder why God didn't want us to have that blessing?" When John mentioned in his sermon what was going on in 1991 when this senior class was born, I thought "that is the year we miscarried". Don't think I realized before that our child would have been a senior this next year. Steve named our baby Pat, because it was a gender neutral name.
Another mystery from God that we will not have the answers to in this lifetime. I am not sure why God thought it wasn't best that Steve and I have children, but I have to accept that it was His plan for us. A lot of people tell me that He blessed me with hundreds of children, and while it is true I have been blessed to minister to children, it doesn't take away the pain on days like Sunday when I remember that I will not have the blessing of children or grandchildren. But there is always the hope of heavenly reuinions. And there is the confidence that God is faithful to supply all my needs (in His way and in His time).
Two weeks ago today I woke up with a cough. Today it was better, but still there. What was better today, is I didn't break out in a sweat. That has been happening for two weeks as well, several times a day. The doctor said it was just my bodies way of fighting off the infection, even though I wasn't running a fever. I thought that was strange. So hopefully the "no sweat" day means I am finally on the mend.
You think because of not feeling well, I would have lost a bunch of weight when I weighed in at Weight Watchers today, but...not the case. I gained .2 pounds. Just glad it wasn't more as the doctor had told me the prednisone would probably cause weight gain because of water retention.
Today's discussion at Weight Watchers was good because it was on "stinkin thinkin" and all the negative things we tell ourselves that sabotage whatever we are trying to accomplish, in my case weight loss. I am learning to just take it one day at a time and not look at how far I have to go. She ended with a quote that I thought was good "Whether you think you can or can't, you are right." Henry Ford
So for those of you who are regular readers of my blog, I apologize for a couple of weeks of minimal posting. I cannot get over this upper respiratory infection and it is just zapping all my energy from me. I haven't done much more than sleep for a week now. I went back to the doctor today and am on another antibiotic. Hopefully, it will do the trick soon.
So I don't have anything from my own thoughts to post again, but thought another article by Greg Laurie was thought provoking. I don't know that I have ever thought about God's righteousness in the way he references it. I really liked the last paragraph.
"God Is Righteous For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. --Psalm 11:7 Not only is God truth, not only is God holy, but the Bible also teaches that God is righteous. Holiness describes His character, while righteousness and justice describe how He deals with mankind. In the book of Exodus, we read about Pharaoh, who hardened his heart by holding on to the children of Israel when the Lord had instructed him to release them. As the Lord sent a series of plagues to Egypt, Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron, " 'I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked' " (Exodus 9:27). Even that hard-hearted, powerful ruler came to realize that the Lord is righteous. We know God is omnipotent, all-powerful. If He were all-powerful without being righteous, He would just be a celestial tyrant doing whatever He wanted wherever He wanted to do it. If He were righteous without being powerful He would be unable to execute justice on this earth. But the good news is that God is all-powerful--and He is righteous. The psalmist says, "For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright" (Psalm 11:7). He can do whatever He wants, but He does the right thing in every situation. We ought to thank Him for that!"
Seems like all around me right now are people who are going through a storm. I read this article on a Greg Laurie post and thought it was a great reminder for us all today.
"Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God. --Acts 27: 25 One night on a storm-tossed ship in the Mediterranean, the apostle Paul headed toward Rome. He had been persecuted and imprisoned, and he was going to appear before Caesar for judgment. On the way, a horrendous storm came up. It was so bad that the sailors on the ship thought they were going to die. They hadn't seen the sun or stars for days; they didn't know where they were. But Paul was able to stand up on the deck of that tempest-tossed ship and say to that fearful crew, "I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me." (Acts 27:22--26) It's a wonderful thing when we as Christians can say those words, "I believe God." It's especially good to be able to say that in this crazy world that seems to get darker and stormier and even more wicked. In fact, we are living in a time when wrong seems to be right and right seems to be wrong. Everything is turned around. But God is eternal, He never changes. He said to the prophet Malachi, " 'I am the Lord, I do not change' " (Malachi 3:6). We can trust Him. Like the apostle Paul, we can say, "I believe God."
If you have been reading my blog for long, you know I am not a fan of President Obama. But I do think we need to be praying fervently for Him. If I didn't think so before I definitely do after reading this article. Please join me.
100 days in office, coronated Messiah Arms outstretched, he wears crown of thorns on his brow
WND previously reported a website called "Is Barack Obama the Messiah?" capturing the wave of euphoria that followed the Democratic senator's remarkable rise. The site is topped by an Obama quote strategically ripped from a Jan. 7 speech at Dartmouth College just before the New Hampshire Primary in which he told students, "… a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote" for Obama. WND also reported on near-religious experiences surrounding Obama on the campaign trail, as supporters who came to hear him speak on several occasions fainted in the middle of the candidate's speeches. As WND reported, some compared the fainting to fanatical swooning in the midst of a mesmerizing preacher; others, like radio host Michael Medved, thought the collapses were staged moments; and still others believed it was simply a matter of people standing in the crowds too long and growing dehydrated. P.J. Gladnick of NewsBusters, in an article about D'Antuono's painting on the eve of the Obama administration's 100-day-mark, notes that the messianic parallels begun early in the presidential campaign don't seem to be stopping: "The artist quite clearly portrays Obama as a latter day Christ-like figure, considering the outstretched arms and the crown of thorns. Obama worship, complete with halo images, has been noted before," writes Gladnick, "but it was nothing compared to current expressions in awe of 'The One' as we approach his hundredth day in office on Wednesday."
It is time for high school graduation celebrations. Today I hosted a tea for two of our senior girls. In looking for help for a blessing to read over them, I found this story and thought it was worth a post.
Graduation Blessings - God Bless Us Every One
"They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears. This class would not pray during the commencements ----- not by choice but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the rules. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches were nice, but they were routine......until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, "GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!" And he walked off stage...The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval."
I call that creative thinking! Don't know how these kids grow up so fast! It just seems like yesterday we were going to camp.
I spent nine hours today in the emergency room with what I thought was a heart attack. Monday I woke up to a chest cold. Tight chest and dry cough. I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon when things weren't getting better knowing that I have a really busy weekend and could not just wait to get better on my own. He gave me an antibiotic and cough syrup. Went to bed early and then awoke about 11:30 coughing so I decided to take some Nyquil (which always kills the cough and allows me to sleep) Well, then I awoke about 3:00 to very sharp chest pains and difficulty breathing. When I sat up I broke out in a cold sweat. I woke Steve up and told him I needed to go to the emergency room, that I thought I was having a heart attack. They took me right away and did an EKG but it did not show any abnormalities. They gave me a nitroglycerin and then a little later I was sick to my stomach. After vomiting a little, the pain subsided for about 15 minutes, and then it returned with a vengeance so they gave me 2 shots of morphine. That knocked me out :) They did blood work and then sent me for a chemical stress test. Fortunately, that showed there were no heart problems. My heart is strong and I have no blockages. Praising God for that news! So nine hours later I left with a diagnosis of esophageal spasm (which is related to acid reflux), two more medications to take.
I didn't panic during any of this process and did have somewhat of a peace, but at the same time I kept saying "God why now?". I have so much to do this week to get things in order for a tea I am hosting on Saturday for two of our senior girls. I had asked for a group of ladies to pray for me yesterday and was wondering why once again God was choosing to answer my prayer in a way I could not immediately see? But it was okay, I have learned that His ways are not my ways and I trust Him. But I am being honest in saying that if it had been my heart and I had been hospitalized I wonder if I could have remained at peace? I hope so.
Did you see in the news today the footage of the Miss USA Pageant last night and how Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked a loaded question by Perez Hilton (who is he anyway???). Anyway.. she was asked "“Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?”
First of all who in the world allowed that question to be submitted?? What is a neutral answer to that question? Once again the homosexual agenda was being forced. But Carrie stood up for her beliefs and did not compromise and stated that she actually believes that marriage is between one man and one woman.
The reports are that she was the front runner to win until that answer, and she just got runner up. Because Perez (who is a homosexual) rated her so low it tanked her scores. Fortunately, she has been asked to speak on several different shows, where she has been able to say that she would not change her answer, even if it meant the crown.
So my question is how does one judge with his own agenda get to ask a question that is that volatile? If a Christian judge had asked the same question and had rated her high because he approved of her answer would not everyone be yelling "unfair"??
May the Lord bless us all with the courage of Carrie, to stand up for His truth regardless of the personal cost. May we all daily remember to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 and beg for God to heal our land. Our country is not just going to turn back to Him on their own.
"Day by day we are given not what we want but what we need. Sometimes it is a feast and sometimes....sweet crumbs. but by faith we believe it is enough." Barbara Brown Taylor
I know that I have bragged on Steve before, but here are a few more things about him that I love. -he unloads the dishwasher -he does the laundry -he fills my cpap machine up with water for me every night -he keeps the toilet paper dispenser filled with toilet paper -he refills the napkin dispenser -he NEVER leaves the seat up on the toilet -he always compliments my meals and says "thank you" -AND BEST OF ALL...he rubs my feet
Now there are many, many more important things Steve does but what makes these unique is that he does all these faithfully without me ever asking or saying a word. They are all things that he doesn't have to do, none of them are major time consumers, but he just does them out of love for me. I try to tell him thank you often, as I never want him to think that I take all the things he does for granted.
Saw these quotes in "Readers Digest" about marriage and thought they were good. "The formula for a happy marriage? It's the same one for living in California: when you find a fault, don't dwell on it." Jay Trachman "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." Mignon McLaughlin "A happy marriage is the union of two forgivers." Ruth Bell Graham
Steve and I are blessed to be in a Bible Study on Wednesday nights where we are going through A.W. Tozer's book "Pursuit of God". Our discussion tonight centered around our ability to come into God's presence because when Jesus died for us the curtain of the temple was torn in half. It is just amazing to think that only the high priest were allowed to enter into God's presence in the OT, but now we are all invited. How can that be? I am definitely not as holy as a high priest? Because Jesus is the ultimate high priest and He made it possible for all of us to be invited into God's presence. So Tozer asks this question "Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter to look upon God. 'Let me see Thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is they voice, and thy countenance is comely' (Song of Solomon 2:14) We sense the call is for us, but still we fail to draw near, and the years pass and we grow old and tired in the outer courts of the tabernacle. What hinders us?"
Tozer says it is our fleshly nature. Not things we do, but who we are. "To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them."
So what can we do about it? The only thing we can do is bring our self-sins to the cross and lay them there for judgement. "God must do everything for us. Our part is to yield and trust. We must confess, forsake and repudiate the self-life and then reckon it reconciled."
Again this lesson went hand in hand with our Ladies Bible Class lesson this morning which was "Rendering Your Heart". The lesson was on David and Psalm 51. If you have not read that Psalm lately, take some time and you will encounter what it means to really come into God's presence. Just lay it all at His feet and be assured that His mercy, kindness and grace will cover the multitude of your sins. Then praise God that He is who He says He is and praise our Lord Jesus for His work on the cross. Then enjoy God's presence.
Hope everyone had a wonderful resurrection celebration. It is impossible to come through Easter weekend without being untouched by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and once again being amazed by the victory that He won for us. Today a couple of things have been on my mind. First of all even though my robe will be white in heaven because of Him (Revelation 7:9, 7:13 and 7:15) His robe will still have blood on it. Even in eternity it is His blood that continually cleanses me from all sin. "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." Revelation 19:13
Secondly, I cannot even wrap my mind that the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is living in me. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." Romans 8:11
Why is it I so often feel powerless if this kind of power resides inside of me? Next time Satan tries to convince me of my powerlessness, I need to remember to quote this scripture to Him and know that God's resurrection power lives inside of me. How awesome is that?
This is the first Easter weekend in 15 years that I was not committed at Leadership Training For Christ. I tried to go down last year but it was just too hard on me to walk the long hallways. I didn't want to ask Steve to push me around in the wheelchair (and he even offered). So I wanted to take advantage of the slower pace this weekend and really concentrate on the ressurection of my Lord Jesus.
So last night Steve and I went to our first Good Friday service at the Presbyterian church. (first Good Friday and first Presbyterian service). We enjoyed the simple service of readings and music in a small environment. Focusing on the crucifixion actually prepared our hearts to focus on the ressurection.
Tonight we went to Prestonwood Baptist to particpate in their Saturday night Easter service. It was a great celebration of the ressurection. There were two songs that caused tears to flow tonight. The first was "They Didn't Know" and the second was "In Christ Alone".
Jack Graham then preached a sermon that reinforced a message that the Lord has been giving me for a few weeks now. If I truly am a believer in Christ, His ressurection and that He is in Heaven waiting for me than it should impact the way I live today. Every day is a gift and I must be present to receive it. His text was 1 Peter 1:3-5 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
Keeping an eternal perspective makes every day extroadinary. Heaven is just not a location or destination, it is our motivation. While he was preaching I could not help but remember a song I used to love by Newsong called "Fingertips and Noses". If only I would keep my eyes to the skies in anticipation of my Lord's return, I am sure I would live life differently.
Hope you have a wonderful Ressurection Celebration!
Up in the hills somewhere in Kentucky In a little old school way back in the nothing Where special kids born with special needs Are sent to learn life's ABCs
Their teacher, Mrs. Jones, tells them all about Jesus How in the twinkling of an eye He's coming back to get us About streets of gold and pearly gates How they want to go, they just can't wait And she can't keep them in their seats They're all at the windows straining to see
And it's Fingertips and noses pressed to the windowpanes Longing eyes, expectant hearts for Him to come again All they know is that they love Him so And if He said He'd come, He's coming And they can't keep their windows clean For fingertips and noses
She tried to explain to the kids about His coming She tried to calm them down, but they just wouldn't listen They just giggled and they clapped their hands They're so excited that He's coming for them And the first thing you know they're out of their seats Back at the windows straining to see
Where will Jesus find us when He comes again? Will we be like little children waiting just for Him?
With our Fingertips and noses pressed to the windowpanes Longing eyes, expectant hearts for Him to come again All we know is that we love Him so And if He said He'd come, He's coming And we can't keep our windows clean For our fingertips and noses
This is an appropriate devotional thought for this Good Friday, that touched my heart from Michael Card.
He Shed His Blood So I Can Be White As Snow "'Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.' Hebrews 13:12
The love of Jesus washed Golgotha in cardinal hues. Darkening to terracotta, and then to nearly black, His blood left a mark on thorns, iron, wood, and soil. And it stained the hands of His oppressors. But here is an enduring mystery of the cross: When you kneel there, the dark stains on your hands disappear. By the miracle of grace, the blood of Christ cleanses you completely. “The blood of Jesus…purifies us from all sin,” wrote John (I John 1:7). According to Revelation, the miracle of Jesus’ blood will be one of the grand hymns of eternity: 'You are worthy…because you were slain,and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.' (Revelation 5:9) Even in heaven, Jesus will appear 'dressed in a robe dipped in blood' (Revelation 19:13). But if you have let His blood stain you, you will be as white as snow.
Prayer Jesus, You who bled and died for me, Bring me now to the foot of Your cross. Let me see Your wounds. Let me hear the sound of Your blood crying out to the Father…for me. By Your grace give me to understand, as much as I am able, that it was my sin that brought such violence to You, and Your love that allowed it. I fall before You in thanksgiving for the grace of cleansing through Your blood. Praise You, my Savior! Praise You for all Your have done! Amen"
Tomorrow marks the 4th anniversary of my car accident. It is hard to believe that it has been that long ago, and yet it seems like yesterday. One of the things I have struggled with over the past four years has been "what was the purpose?". Not so much about the accident itself, but why the Lord did not heal me completely. Don't get me wrong, I try to be thankful for what He did do and the fact that I do have a leg and it did not have to be amputated, I am indeed grateful for. But everyday, the pain I have been left with reminds me over and over again that I am not completely healed.
Well, this week God revealed the purpose for me. I am currently in three Bible studies. One is with my Life Group "God Is Closer Than You Think", one is in Ladies Bible Class "I Saw The Lord" and the last is on Wednesday evenings "The Pursuit of God". I don't think it is a coincidence that all three of these studies are interconnected. I think it is deliberate on God's part to get my attention. (yes, it is hard to get my attention). I began to hear Him speaking over the weekend, but yesterday afternoon He came through loud and clear and I did hear him. There was no mistaking His voice.
This is a quote I wrote down in yesterday morning's study "God keeps me in a deficit position so I will realize His strength and the way He completes me. He will always call me to be over my head so that He can show me His sufficiency."
Then in last night's study we were talking about God asking Abraham to sacrifice Issac. A.W. Tozer's thoughts on the issue are that Abraham had elevated Issac to a place in his heart as his beloved son that replaced God's place. He says this about the sacrifice " God let the suffering old man go through it up to the point where He knew there would be no retreat and then forbade him to lay a hand upon the boy. To the wondering patriarch He know says in effect 'It's all right Abraham, I never intended that you should actually slay the lad. I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there. I wanted to correct the perversion in your love. Now you may have the boy sound and well."
That was my ah-ha moment. See more painful than losing my leg strength in my accident has been the lost of "my ministry". Notice I called it "my ministry"...that would be the problem. I did not see my ministry with children as God's ministry. I had too much pride in it. I took pleasure when other's noticed and would invite me to do a workshop or presentation on how things were done at Richardson East. Don't get me wrong, I would include God in my ministry by asking His blessing quite frequently, but it was always AFTER I had made the plans. I never asked Him to lead it, just to bless it. I know I have posted before that I have learned I was too busy "doing for God" and not "being with God". I actually had to have ministry removed from me so that God could once again take His proper position in the throne of my heart. But then because I could not see that I have allowed endless hours of television watching and being on the computer to take up the space He has wanted to regain.
I now join Tozer in praying this prayer "Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there." In Jesus Name. Amen.
I am thankful to God for this revelation and pray that He will continue to reveal Himself to me. I know He will because that is what He has promised in Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Today I had a six hour lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with two girls from my high school youth group. One I hadn't seen in about five years and the other forty years. Jane had reconnected with me via Facebook and when she asked if we could have lunch, I called Carol to see if she wanted to join us. We had a great time catching up. We talked about many things but one of the things that we talked about is what it was in our backgrounds that helped all of to remain faithful to the Lord. We all agreed that our youth group significantly contributed to that . We all agreed that the youth group was where we had our identity. It was not at school. While we all had friends at school our best friends were in the youth group. We had much more fun doing youth group activities than any activities school offered. Every Friday night after football games there was an activity at the building, so even though we probably attended 5 or more high schools we would all come together and eat and play together.
It was interesting to share our stories of faith and see all the places the Lord has taken us. It made me want to get together with other friends I have lost touch with and see where life has taken them as well.
If you have been reading my blog for very long, you know I love to post about song lyrics that speak to me. Today as I was getting dressed for a luncheon, I had my cable station on the Contemporary Music station and a song came on that I did not think I had heard before (although I have the CD, so I am sure I had) Nevertheless when it started, I thought to myself this is not the song of my childhood, just the words. But it is so filled with truth about how Satan takes us down the road to sin in such small steps at a time that eventually we are waist deep in it, and often have left a path of destruction. See what you think.
Slow Fade by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see It's the second glance that ties your hands As darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go For it's the little feet behind you That are sure to follow
It's a slow fade When you give yourself away It's a slow fade When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made A price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade It's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear When flattering leads to compromises The end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say For empty words and promises Leave broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade When you give yourself away It's a slow fade When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made A price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands Is shorter than you're thinking Be careful if you think you stand You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade When you give yourself away It's a slow fade When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made A price will be paid When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day Daddies never crumble in a day Families never crumble in a day
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see Oh, be careful little eyes what you see For the Father up above is looking down in love Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Yes, I know I am not always original in my posts, but sometimes you just have to share a good story or quote :)
Ginger Steinmetz sent this out tonight and I thought it was really good. She said Lynda Monroe gave it to her (to make sure everyone gets proper credit)
THE BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT: The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.
Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.
My friend Andrea sent me this and I thought it was fun for those of us who are Baby Boomers to take a trip down memory lane,
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because.
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING ! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computer! s, no Internet or chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's ho use and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
Today my parents celebrated 40 years of marriage. Steve and I were blessed to celebrate it with them. We went to a Chinese buffet on Park (don't remember the name)and it was very good. I actually ate Sushi for the first time and really enjoyed it. We then just enjoyed the pleasure of each other's company for the rest of the day. I wrote them this poem that cannot begin to express all that I could say about their 40 years of marriage and what a blessing it has been to see them loving each other and their God all these years.
Celebrating 40 Years Of Love
Forty years ago today you two become one, After you each had each other’s heart won. But we know that the real matchmaker was God Today we thank Him and praises do laud.
You came together as husband and wife And committed to the plan He had for your life. It included doubling your families to six, A better mother or father we each could not pick.
Side by side you served the Lord from the start You have shown each of us the look of His heart. Your love for each other has been centered in Him Sacrificial giving, serving and lost souls to win.
Your children for sure have all had the blessing Of never wondering, or worrying or guessing, If the two of you would stay faithful and true We rise up and bless you, for praise you are due.
For long after the Lord has called you both home The roots of your love will continue to grow. A lifetime of lessons planted deep in our hearts Will be eternal even when we’re apart.
So I really don't think I can be accused of having my head in the sand, but the things I have been posting about the past couple of days just make me wonder if I am really in touch with the true spiritual battle that is going on in the world for the hearts of our children and for that matter all of us. This recent alert by the American Family Association just made me sick at my stomach.
I have never watched the Family Guy, I just figured it would be too much like the Simpsons, and have found that show to be more offensive than not. But after seeing an episode of the Family Guy on an AFA notice, I could not believe how far we have gone in allowing such to be on prime time television. I understand that we all have control of our remotes, but this particular episode really hit me at far we have allowed our values as One Nation Under God to erode.
AFA is asking that you boycott Pepsi as one of the major sponsors of this show. I was hesitant to do so, not because I drink Pepsi, but because I love Fritos and Frito Lay is a subsidary of Pepsi. But after watching the show, I signed the petition. Now the bigger question for me is can I actually boycott Fox?? After all American Idol and 24 are two of my favorite shows. At best for now, I do plan on writing Fox a letter expressing my disapproval.
I do not want to post the video here on my blog and subject anyone else to the perverseness of it. If you would like to watch it you can go to: http://www.afa.net/familyguy2.htm Just suffice it to say the father allows himself to be given the "gay gene" by a shot so that he can be paid $125.00 and comes home and pronounces he is a homosexual, later resisting the sexual advances of his wife and then bringing home his new boyfriend and kissing him in front of his family. There was also a scene where he is sleeping naked and a horse walks into the bedroom and starts licking his bottom, which he mistakes for advances from his wife. And even more corrupt things than the few I have listed here.
Don't know about you, but I don't think we can just stand idly by as more and more things are thrown at us in attempt to "normalize" them. I think it is our call to stand up for what is right. I do think we need to do that in ways that honor God and do not inflame. Perhaps the greatest weapon of all that we have in are arsenal is prayer.
So I don't want to be accused of being a "Chicken Little" and go around pronouncing doom and gloom. But neither can I just close my eyes and ears and pretend all is well. Hear is another article I read yesterday. Allie Martin, One News Now
"The Institute on Religion & Democracy is blasting the religious denomination of President Barack Obama for its recent stance on condom distribution inside houses of worship.
Recently, the HIV and AIDS Network of the United Church of Christ (UCC) said condoms should be handed out at places of worship. The statement was issued during a presentation to the denomination's Wider Church Ministries Board and also advocated making condoms available at faith-based educational settings.
A UCC executive said that condom distribution is a matter of life and death and that condoms should be made available to save the lives of young people.
Calling it the denomination's "moral responsibility" to make condoms available, the UCC's executive for health and wellness advocacy said "people of faith make condoms available because we have chosen life so that we and our children may live."
Alan Wisdom, with the Institute on Religion & Democracy, believes the UCC's statement is dangerous. "It sends a message to youth particularly, the kids who meet in their Sunday schools, that the church really has no expectation of them in terms of sexuality, that it expects them to enter into multiple sexual relationships in the same way the world does, and that its only concern is they not pick up diseases," he notes.
The UCC's condom distribution is the latest step in the denomination's departure from its Puritan roots, Wisdom concludes."
Begs us to question does the end justify the means?? What is wrong with teaching abstinance to our children? What is my responsibility? What is yours?
The following are some quotes I read today from an article in "Answer" magazine.
"Last November four U.S. states-led by California-voted to recognize only heterosexual marriages. But homsexual rights activist took consolation n a new study which indicates that they are winning thehearts of the next generation even among evangelicals. A survey of Americans last fall found that young adults (ages 18-34) were more likely to support homosexual marraiges than the general population (46% versus 29%). Among evangelicals, young adults were also more supportive of homosexual marriage (24% versus 10% of the general evvangelical population)."
So this is my question? What responsibility do those of my generation have in making sure that we help our young people develop Biblical world view?? We are living in the age of tolerance. Where do we draw the line? Seems like it just keeps getting moved further and further and if the next generation doesn't know how to stand up for God's truth then eventually the U. S. could look like Sodom and Gomorrah. So how do we turn the trend the other direction? Wait till you see what I am reporting on tommorrow and we'll explore this a little bit further.
