Quote of the Day

Christian & Jewish martyrs say: "I will die for what I believe."
A Muslim martyr says: "You will die for what I believe."

Source unknown

Bumper Stickers

"I've had enough change. I want my country back!"

"America: Love it or leave it!"

"IS IT 2012 YET?"

"Only a Liberal could turn a terrorist into a victim!"

Long live the King!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mommy-brain syndrome

I need to post something but I just don't know what! BTW, in my previous post "A Pact With the Devil" I talked about "Pat Roberts." Well, my husband has since reminded me that his name is actually "Pat Robertson." Lol. I guess I had a temporary brain lapse. Whenever that happens I have nicknamed it, "Mommy-brain syndrome." My mind is being pulled in so many directions that I temporarily experience a lapse! Ha, ha. I guess I only get to use that excuse as long as I have young children, right? :)

Hate Incidents

“Two city officials in a California town are being targeted for possible hate crimes over comments they made recently about the Christian and Muslim faiths.” Apparently, one of the city officials, Mayor Parris, encouraged the Christian community to keep growing. This little snippet of enthusiasm toward the Christian faith is now under fierce attack and Mayor Parris is being accused of a “hate incident.” Another city official, Sherry Marquez, has created quite the offense by posting biblical references on her Facebook and encouraging Christians to defend themselves. She has also posted quotations by Muslim leaders who have exhorted their own followers to convert the world to the Islamic religion. Marquez’s posts are also under investigation as part of the “hate incidents.”

Hate incidents?! The words that come to mind here are, “You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” Two Christians are trying to encourage and defend their Christian faith. And this in the face of Islam, the one religion whose holy book calls everyone who doesn’t believe in Allah “infidels” and proclaims they are deserving of death. The last time I checked, Christians aren’t going around suicide bombing people for not believing in their God! And Mayor Parris and councilwoman Sherry Marquez are being accused of “hate incidents?” That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Woe to those who smile upon Islam and defend it against Christianity. Islam hates the world and all that dwell therein. Islam doesn’t even favor its own much less those who don’t adhere to her doctrine. Islam demands that her followers convert or conquer. Christianity demands that her followers preach salvation and love even their enemies. Tell me, who is really guilty of “hate incidents” here?

I Believe

What God declares the believing heart confesses without the need for further proof. Indeed, to seek proof is to admit doubt, and to obtain proof is to render faith superfluous. Everyone who possesses the gift of faith will recognize the wisdom of those daring words of one of the early Church fathers: "I believe that Christ died for me because it is incredible; I believe that He rose from the dead because it is impossible."

A.W. Tozer; The Knowledge of the Holy; p. 19

A pact with the devil

So, Haiti made a pact with the devil, huh? And now they have their reward. Hmm...I think Pat Roberts needs to get a reign on that tongue of his for behold, whole forests are set aflame by but the smallest of sparks.

If Mr. Roberts wants to think that this earthquake was God's judgment on Haiti, fine. However, unless he is a prophet sent from God Almighty to proclaim God's judgment in such matters, he needs to keep what he thinks to himself.

And I would submit to anyone that Pat Roberts is no prophet. When the prophets of the old testament proclaimed God's will concerning many people and nations, their prophecy always concerned events that were going to happen. They didn't wait until after some catastrophe and then say, "God's judging you." They spoke of things that would come true in the future. That is why they were called PROPHETS.

So, it is very unfortunate that he made such a statement so publicly. One would think that he learned his lesson the last time around. Like I said before, if Pat Roberts suspects that this could be God's judgment on a certain group of people, he is free to theorize. But, given that he cannot know for sure, he shouldn't say anything at all.

Merry Christmas!

Tim Hawkins on "Do you hear what I hear?"

My son the fanatic

My seven year old is a sports FANATIC. He loves basketball. Well, he loves all sports but especially basketball. And he is now creating basketball schedules for himself. He came to me today and said, "Mom, I have a game at 3:40pm."

Around 2:30pm we did Reading (Logan is reading to me the book John Smith) and I was so tired I started falling asleep. After he was finished, I asked him his science review questions and then we only had History left. I was so tired that I said, "Let's take a small break before we do History, just 10 minutes." By this time it was 3:19pm. Logan's like, "No! I don't want to be late for my game! I want to do history right now, Mom."

Well! I was tired but how could I refuse my seven year old wanting to get History over and done with? So, I read to him about the Vikings and resolved to do review questions tomorrow. Then, I curled up on the couch for a nap. Logan says to Job and me, "I've still got about ten minutes. I'm not going downstairs just yet." Then five minutes later, he says, "I'm going down now to get ready for my game!"

I can't remember who he played but he later informed me that his team won. He is always the Kansas Jayhawks and he's always playing some other college basketball team such as Texas Tech or Mizzou.

God, a faithful God

In reflecting on the men who gave their lives for the freedom of America, I can’t help but think how God has honored them.

Not all the men who fought and labored for this free country were Christians; however, there were many who loved the Lord their God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. And they fought for the righteousness of God and for His truth. They fought because they loved their Creator and they would have a country that was free to honor Him and follow Him with all their hearts. So many died. So many shed their blood for this cause. And I cannot help but reflect upon how God has honored them. He has lifted up their cause and given them a nation full of people that are free to worship Him any time and in any place and in any way they want. He has given them America. And He has blessed her, not only with freedom, but with security. He has made her a land of plenty. He has poured out bountiful blessings upon her the likes of which our Christian forefathers couldn’t have imagined. Oh, how He has honored them! Oh how He has lifted up their namesake, the cause for which they gave their lives.

And His truth, the Bread of Life, is with in arms reach of any one who would reach out for it; His salvation easily accessible to any one who would seek after it—and this, without fear of persecution. Yes, He has honored their wishes and blessed them abundantly. Their God, our God, is a faithful God indeed.

O Majesty unspeakable

O Majesty unspeakable, my soul desires to behold Thee. I cry to Thee from the dust.
Yet when I inquire after Thy name it is secret. Thou art hidden in the light which no man can approach unto. What Thou art cannot be thought or uttered, for Thy glory is ineffable.
Still, prophet and psalmist, apostle and saint have encouraged me to believe that I may in some measure know Thee. Therefore, I pray, whatever of Thyself Thou hast been pleased to disclose, help me to search out as treasure more precious than rubies or the merchandise of fine gold: for with Thee shall I live when the stars of the twilight are no more and the heavens have vanished away and only Thou remainest. Amen.
-A.W. Tozer

A Thanksgiving Reflection

Today, as I was riding the elevator to the 6th floor of my doctor's office, a lady joined me for the ride up and, breaking the "we never speak to anyone in the elevator" rule, she asked me and another lady already on the elevator, "How was your thanksgiving?" Both I and the other lady replied, "Good! How was yours?"

"Great!" She replied. Wanting to keep the friendly chit-chat going I asked, "Lots of good food?" "Oh yes," she replied, "but the important thing is family!" At this point, the other lady got off, leaving us to ride to the 6th floor alone together. I did not say anything else to this lady because her remark felt more like a rebuke to me than friendly chit-chat.

But it got me thinking. Why do we look forward to Thanksgiving? Is it the food? Is it the day off work? Is it because we get to spend time with family? Family is most certainly important; however, family is important every day of the year. What, then, is so special about Thanksgiving?

I believe what is special and most important about Thanksgiving is why we celebrate the holiday. How many who gather remember the story of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving and why they celebrated it? How many who gather give thanks to God Almighty for His bountiful blessings and even the trials, which keep us to look upon His shining countenance?

Hmm. Not many, I fear. Instead, we look forward to food, time off, and family-all things which, in and of themselves, are not bad. But we would do well to remember what is most important about Thanksgiving: giving thanks to God and blessing His holy name for all that He is and all that He has given, and even the things He takes away because our God is good! Praise the Lord!

Happy Thanksgiving!

INNOCENCE IS PRICELESS

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names and small American flags mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said quietly, 'Good morning Alex.'

'Good morning Pastor,' he replied, still focused on the plaque. 'Pastor, what is this? ' The pastor said, 'Well son, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.' Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally, little Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear asked,


"Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:30?"

Global Warming Scam Exposed

Well, I just learned today that an entire team of scientists have been exposed in their attempt to lie about the truth of Global Warming. A hacker was able to access their emails and it was shown that these scientists were encouraging one another if they could not produce enough evidence to support global warming, that they should make up the facts to support it!

Now, why would one want to lie about something like that? Maybe I'm just crazy BUT if we can't find evidence to support global warming and we happen to find out that global warming is not occurring, isn't that a good thing?! Shouldn't we be jumping up and down in our seats rejoicing? Maybe I'm just crazy.

Click here for full story

Being Transparent-Republished

When I originally published this post, I received a handful of emails letting me know how helpful the article was. So, I have decided to republish it because it has been on my mind lately...

What exactly does this mean? What does it mean when someone says, “We all need to be transparent with each other?” Not only this, but is it actually true? Just because someone says it, doesn’t make it true.

I have heard this said at Bible studies and also in casual conversation and, to tell you the truth, it has never sat well with me. I didn’t realize this until I started thinking about it. And this is what I came up with…

Everyone has their own definition of what “transparent” means. But I think there are two common meanings that people generally adhere to. The first one is that the person realizes that in order for people to have healthy relationships, they need to be able to first, have someone they trust and respect to confide with and share their deep, serious struggles with. And second, they need to not be afraid to share in a group setting how God is teaching them and working in their life. They don’t need to (and shouldn’t) share their major issues with a group of 15 people who are not close confidants but they should be able to share what God has been teaching them in a general sense.

The second definition that I think people apply to the word “transparent” is that of the “we all need to air our dirty laundry and be willing to share our major (and even devastating) struggles with anyone and everyone.” Now, before I go on, I would like to say that the people who adhere to this definition would probably never say that they adhere to it, but that is what they are thinking when they say that we need to be more transparent. My theory is that people who think this generally are dealing with issues in their own lives that are very difficult and hurtful and they feel like their life is messed up and, to be quite frank, they want to know that other peoples’ lives are messed up too. This makes them feel better about themselves. Now, I am not, in any way, trying to be insensitive here. On the contrary, I am merely trying to explain the “transparent” phenomenon.

I believe that the first definition that I mentioned is the healthy meaning of what it means to be transparent. For example, when asked about their week, I think someone should be able to share, “You know, my week really hasn’t been that great.” To which someone should respond, “I’m sorry! Let me know if there is anything I can do.” And that person may reply, “Thank you! I will keep that in mind.” Or “You know, it would be great if_________,” fill in the blank with “you could pray for me” or “we could talk for a few minutes (if they feel comfortable doing so).” I don’t believe that, in order to be “real” or “transparent,” that person has to say, “Well, on Tuesday my husband and I got in a major fight and I slapped him across the face and on Wednesday, I lost it with one of my kids and told him he was a snotty little brat and on Thursday, my husband got drunk and smashed our front window, etc.” These are certainly major issues that need to be addressed but that doesn’t mean you share them with just anyone.

You don’t have to be transparent in regards to the second definition in order to be real and sincere with people. If you choose not to divulge your most intimate struggles in life to a group of people or to just anyone, it does not mean that you are being fake. Rather, I would submit that you are being wise. Over the years, I have had people share with me that they took others advice and were more transparent and they were burned—burned badly. Be careful who you are sharing with and what you are sharing with them. To share deep struggles with a person is to trust them with a lot. Being vulnerable in such a way is not a thing to be taken lightly. Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Psalm 145:8,9

The Lord is gracious and merciful;
Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are over all His works.

Classical Conversations

All right. This blog is totally off the cuff but I just have to say I am so excited about Classical Conversations! We had our first day today and my boys are learning history time line of events using Veritas Press history cards, the basics of Art using Monart's Drawing With Children, as well as, English, Math, Science, and Latin grammar! I am PUMPED! Next year (when I'm not pregnant or nursing), I might even be a tudor! www.classicalconversations.com is the website. Check it out...you'll love it!

Three Words

The Nativity Story.

Watch it.

The Homeschoolers Have It

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090811/study-homeschoolers-scoring-well-above-public-school-peers/index.html

Trust No One

I was glancing through a church products magazine and happened across a page displaying wheelchair signs. Then I saw a man in a wheel chair and I was reminded of something my husband once told me. He was in the living room watching an episode of "Fringe." Fringe is the latest Sci-Fi series and so, of course, my husband is drawn to it like flies on honey. It deals with the most bizarre cases you ever heard of. It is almost like an X-Files but in reverse. Anyway, I was busy in the kitchen when my husband called me into the living room, nodded toward the screen, and said, "I want you to see this." I thought, Oh great, some giant bug is about to suck the brains out of someone through their feet (or something like that).

He pushed play. The episode he was watching was about a serial killer who would stalk and kidnap women who he felt needed to be more beautiful. He would kill them and then make them "beautiful" by doing their make up and removing tattoos and dressing them in gowns. In the scene I was watching, a woman exits a building with a man in a wheel chair whom she has just met. The man is super friendly and the woman walks him to his van. The man opens up the side door to let down the ramp so that he can get into his van to drive it. The latch to let it down is stuck and the man can't reach it. The woman offers to help. The super friendly wheel chair bound man graciously thanks her and backs out of the way. The woman leans into the van to unlatch the ramp. The man in the wheel chair stands up, walks over to her and injects her with a sedative to incapacitate her. Then he shoves her inside.

Now at the time, I didn't realize what the show was about and had no idea the man was the serial killer. And when I saw this supposedly handicapped gentlemen get up out of his wheel chair and walk over to the woman, I was seriously disturbed. Moral of the story: Trust No One. Not even people in wheel chairs.