Children of a Living God

Sometimes I ask God, “Why do You love me?” I ask Him this because it blows my mind that a perfect, holy, sovereign Person could love someone like me. I am selfish, an idolater, a hypocrite. I lie. I am a murderer, a respecter of persons, an adulterer. What did Jesus say? If I have broken the law in just one point, I have transgressed the entire law. And it is so true. I am inefficient, absent-minded, and undisciplined. Forget undisciplined—I am just downright lazy. I am arrogant, stuck-up, prideful, conceited. I am defensive, quick to become angry, and slow to admit when I am wrong. I am hateful and a murmurer. I am all these things and more and yet, He loves me. WHY?!

And He asked me, “Why do you love your children?” Mmm. Talk about a lynchpin. God loves me because I am His child. In fact, He loves me even more than I could love my own children because His love is perfect. Though my children make mistakes and though, at times, they are rebellious to my authority, I still love them. Though sometimes my children upset me and say things that hurt and disappoint me, I still love them. When my children make bad decisions (and, let’s face it, sometimes they screw up royally), yet I love them. They are mine. Their very mannerisms and quirks reflect me. Their DNA is laced with my own. They are a part of me; I cannot disavow them. To do so would be to reject a part of myself. It is the same with God. We are a part of Him. He has made us in His own image! We reflect Him, the Sovereign God of the universe! Can I just say, HALLELUJAH!

Before my children were born, before they were even conceived in my womb, I looked forward to their birth. I anticipated their existence. I couldn’t wait to have children. Before my kids were, I loved them. It is the same with God and us. Before we ever existed in our mother’s womb, He loved us. He looked forward to our arrival. He couldn’t wait to create us, His children. The bible even says that before He formed us in the womb, He knew us (Jeremiah 1:5).

What would I do for my children? Almost anything I would do for my children I can parallel with that which God, our Father, would do (and does) for us. I teach my children and discipline them when they go astray. I nurture my children; I make sure they eat properly. I keep my children clean and clothed. I don’t buy my children everything they want because I know it is not good for them to have all that they want; however, occasionally, when I know there is something that they would really like to have, I give it to them. I give it to them because it blesses my heart to see them happy. I want my children to be happy. When my children are sick, I nurse them back to health. Whenever my children are in pain, I am in pain. I would gladly take their pain unto my self and bear it for them—gladly. I would even die for them. So great is my love for my children. And so great is God’s love for us. He does all these things for us and more.

We are greatly blessed with God as our Father. A better father cannot be found anywhere, not even in the imagination. Paralleling my relationship to my children with God’s relationship to His children gives a whole knew meaning to the verse, “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

The Adventures of Wormwartt cont...

Wormwartt pounded his fist into the side of the tall black book shelf that lined Mike’s office and slid down to sit in the corner that it formed with the wall. His face contorted in sullen anger, he mulled over the consequences the skinny twirp should suffer for the blow he had previously inflicted. It being the lunch-hour, Wormwartt had plenty of time to think it over. After all, Mike was off eating lunch with that other chump, David. Wormwartt scowled at the thought. He could not stand David! He was just as bad as Mike—just as sickeningly nice and clean and well-kept (gag him)! That’s OK. At least he was in the other room—most of the time.

What to do to Mike…hmm. He could do the usual moving around of items on Mike’s desk to make him think that someone had come into his office, but no (sigh)—that just didn’t seem mean enough. Hmm. Wormwartt, starting to get bored of all this thinking, began to chip away at some paint that was peeling just behind the book shelf. His scaly fingernails dug into the paint and dug and dug.

Slowly, an evil grin began to spread across Wormwartt’s face. He started digging faster and faster. Finally he stopped when the hole was just the perfect size. Wormwartt stood back to admire his work and crossed his arms in satisfaction. Now all he had to do was find some mice…

The Perils of Winter are not over

Well, our house is, once again, under the cover of sickness. I have a sore throat, cough, and both my ears ache. Logan has a cough and Job has a cold. When, oh when, is it going to end? Mike also has a cold but he and Job aren't as bad as the rest of us...yet. I say this because I have had this thing for 10 days and it took a turn for the worse last night.

So, what it all comes down to is that once again we must skip church and be cooped up inside and not be able to go anywhere. It's like being jailed or something and to be quite honest, I hate it. Hate it, hate it, HATE IT. I guess I really shouldn't be complaining. It could always be worse. I could be really sick and so could the boys. Well, gotta go. If I'm going to be stuck inside my house all day and all weekend, it is at least going to be a clean house!

River Phoenix

I was on Facebook today and stumbled upon a group entitled “You know you grew up in the 90’s if…” or something like that. One of the “ifs” was you remember when River Phoenix, Tu Pac, and Selena died. Well, I grew up in the 90’s and I don’t remember when any of them died. However, I have heard of River Phoenix before and his name caught my eye. So I googled his name.

His story is a sad one for sure. He was the oldest of five children. Joaquin Phoenix, who played the evil Caesar in “Gladiator,” is his younger brother. River’s parents were involved in a cult called Children of God: The Family. It is rumored that for a time, the group promoted sexual conduct between adults and children. It is also supposed, based on brief comments made by River Phoenix, that he was sexually abused when he was a child and most likely by a person belonging to this cult. Now, please keep in mind, that everything I am telling you here is based on what I have read off the internet and of course, could all be not true. However, I believe it is true and I will tell you why.

River Phoenix led a pretty clean life up until the point where he overdosed on drugs at the age of 23, I believe it was. Family and friends began to notice changes in Phoenix. I don’t remember what the website said those were, but it seemed to indicate that they were for the worse. Phoenix had always been a humble sort of person and reserved and deeply devoted to such things as saving the rainforest. Not long after his conservative countenance changed found him doing drugs in the bathroom of Johnny Depp’s nightclub called The Viper. He was in the bathroom with other drug users and drug dealers and his overdose was due to an intake of multiple drugs including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines.

As I read this man’s biography, a feeling of depression and dark gloom settled over me. What happened to River Phoenix was a tragedy for sure and one of the darkest kinds. This young man was most likely abused when he was but a young child. This affected him in such a way as left great cracks in his healthy human heart. No human being could respond well to such abuse—it is the flaw of our flesh. Someone, involved in a cult (that very much resembles fundamental Christianity), by sexually abusing a young child put a major stumbling block in his path. What’s that verse? “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

This sexual abuse left deep cracks in the heart of this young man that may not have been readily seen due to his “squeaky clean” rep; however, his demise reflects the gross emptiness inside. And I can assure you (and would even be willing to bet money) that demonic forces were at work in the belly of Johnny Depp’s club that night. I could easily picture the numerous demons whispering into Mr. Phoenix’s ears through the tongues of drug dealers and his own thoughts rooting him on toward death. The heart of God was grieved deeply that night as one of His creation was lost to the spiritual forces darkness.

Now you may think that I am being wildly exuberant and overly liberal in my rendition of what happened to this young man. While all my facts may not be entirely accurate as it is hard to know for sure if the information that online websites present is as such, it does not matter. There was a deep hurting in the heart of River Phoenix and God Himself will see to it that justice is paid to the one who caused it. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” Matthew 18:7