God’s Mercy and Grace

Yesterday in church, our pastor told a story that was not only quite moving, but very illustrative of God’s mercy and grace.  He told us that one day as a young boy, he had gotten into some typical trouble.  When his father found out, he knew what was coming next:  a spanking. 

He assumed the position, bending over for his father to discipline him as he had many times before.  But instead, his father said to him,

“Peter, I’m not going to spank you.”

“You’re not?” Peter said, quite surprised.  He knew he deserved it.

“No, I’m not.  You deserve a spanking, but instead, I’m going to give you MERCY,” his father answered.  “I’m not giving you something you deserve.”

“Oh, I like mercy,” Peter replied. 

“Most people do,” his father said.

As Peter was inwardly rejoicing over this newfound mercy, his father spoke again.

“Peter, let’s go get an ice cream.”

Ok, something must be wrong.  He had already received mercy, and now his father wanted to take him for ice cream.  But who was he to argue.  After all, he did love ice cream.  So he and his father went for ice cream, and as Peter was enjoying his delicious, creamy treat, his father said to him,

“Do you know what this is, Peter?”

“What Dad?”

“This is GRACE.  I’m giving you something that you don’t deserve,” his father said.

After a moment of reflection, Peter said, “Dad, I like grace.”

“Most people do, Peter.”

And so we have the perfect illustration of what Jesus did on the cross for our sins.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  We deserved the death that Jesus suffered.  Yet he showed us mercy, by taking what we deserved for us.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  God gave us something that we did not deserve–the gift of eternal life and relationship with Him–if only we trust fully in His work on the cross, not our own works, and receive Him into our life.

Lord, thank you for your love, mercy, and sacrifice on that cross.  Thank you for dying for my sins.  I believe that you established victory over death when you rose from the grave.  I ask you to come into my heart and into my life.  Fill me with your peace and change me.  Make my life a testimony of your mercy and grace, the same mercy and grace you’ve shown to me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Healthier Snack Choices

My weakness is salt.  That means that I can find the bottom of a bag of chips fairly quickly.  But if we are to eat every 2-3 hours for better health and metabolism, as experts say, how are we to do that without piling on the calories?  We need to have a wide variety of healthy snack choices from which to choose. 

I am not a naturopathic doctor.  I’m just a wife and mom that has studied nutrition enough to earn a master’s degree and then fairly promptly forgotten some of it.  But these are some of the snacks I feed my family (snacks that my 4-year old eats regularly and enjoys); nutritious choices that work in my home to feed the brain and body the protein and nutrients it needs while curbing hunger and staying away from the chips and oreos.

• Pistachios–There is almost always a bag of pistachios in our home.  They are “good fats” while being great for your blood sugar levels.  Some call them “super nutrient dense” because they are rich in eight essential nutrients.  
• Turkey (or Buffalo) Jerky (also available in sticks)–We buy Golden Valley Natural because it is preservative-free, unlike so many of these that have nitrites.
• We’ve heard it said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away?  Well, try dipping apple slices in almond butter.  I was taught that almonds are a complete protein, containing essential amino acids, and almond butter is a better health choice than peanut butter.
• Avocado–another “good fat” and incredibly healthy; full of vitamin K, potassium, and fiber (www.whfoods.org).  Mix up a little guacamole and you have yourself a tasty snack that is also great for the heart.
• Rice Dream Supreme–non-dairy ice cream made from brown rice that I have become hooked on!  (The truth is nearly all of us are lactose intolerant to varying degrees, you just may not know it.)  Be sure you get the Supreme, as the originals tend to be a little icy, whereas the Supreme is quite creamy.  My personal favorite is the Chocolate Caramel Chai.
• Brown Rice–It took a little bit of time for me to really enjoy brown rice as a snack, but once I tried it with a tablespoon or two of spaghetti sauce on there and a pinch of sea salt (not table salt), I was sold!  It feels great to actually enjoy eating something that you know is also one of the best foods for you.
• Smoothies–it’s amazing what you can hide in a smoothie and even your kids won’t notice.  My family and I live on smoothies through the summer, and inside ours, you will find a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and ground flaxseed.  Blend that together with a frozen banana, another frozen fruit of your choice, and some rice milk, and you have a refreshing and delicious snack choice.
• Dried Fruits–my son munches on organic dried apples, pineapples, mangos, apricots and prunes often.  We buy the organic ones and we make sure that the fruit is the only ingredient (no added sugar whatsoever).  I recommend this brand, Made in Nature:

If People Really Knew the Truth About Abortion

If people really knew the whole truth about abortion, how many of them would still support it?

Over forty million babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade in 1973 and approximately 93% of those occured for social reasons (not medical problems, rape or incest)(http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf3.html).  It is estimated that 43% of all women will have an abortion (at least one) by 45 years of age (www.abortionno.org).  If what pro-lifers are saying is the truth, isn’t this abysmal and abhorrent infanticide on a mass scale enough to at least give us pause?  As a friend of mine said, this is a “modern day sacrifice of the most innocent of human beings to a god of comfort and convenience.” 

Those who are not in Christ are spiritually blinded to His Truth (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). I understand the spiritual side of the issue of abortion. But I also understand that there are medical and biological facts. And if we approach this issue logically, I have a difficult time understanding why people that know the facts through and through, still believe choosing abortion is a moral choice. 

What causes us to instinctively celebrate with friends and family when they announce that they are pregnant?  Is it because they are pregnant with a life? 

When Does Life Begin?:

The 30-year old question of when life begins is not a religious one, as pro-choice proponents would like to have you believe.  This question can be (and has been) addressed scientifically, and plenty of evidence has shown that life does begin at conception.  It just has not been fully accepted by those unwilling to see the truth.

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous–how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:13-16).

Wikipedia says “life is a characteristic of organisms that exhibit certain biological processes such as chemical reactions or other events that results in a transformation.”  Time Magazine had a cover story in November of 2002 that addressed the issue of life at conception and detailed biologically what happens to an embryo from conception to birth.  This article states that cell division begins within hours of conception.  Is that life?  National Right to Life reports that a heart beat is formed somewhere close to 22 days after conception and brain waves at 40 days.  Is that life?  And yet, abortions usually are not performed until after those days. 

So is it biology that determines life?  We’ve just seen above how biologically there is life in the cell division, heart beat, and brain waves of an embryo.  Is life determined by viability outside the womb?  Babies outside the womb can die without caretakers and those on respirators are still filled with life.  That is not a valid argument.  What about size?  Is a child that is 5 years old more alive than one a couple of weeks old? Is it intellect?  Is it brain development?  Do you see the flimsiness of these arguments?

Why are Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice activists fighting the Ultrasound Bill, that would “require all expectant mothers considering abortion to be shown ultrasounds and hear the heartbeat of their developing child, which is almost non-existent in abortion clinics.”  Are they really interested in reducing abortions as they claim, because the simple act of viewing an ultrasound first has been shown to change 80% of women’s mind about abortion (http://www.freemarket.org/Img/November%202008%20Design.pdf).  Are they afraid of this bill because they are not really interested in reducing abortions?  That would then reduce the millions of dollars that are made each year from this “medical” industry.

Why was Scott Peterson, for example, convicted of two counts of murder when he killed his wife Laci and their unborn child, Conner?  The courts have recognized, in such cases, that an unborn child is a life for which we can seek justice.

Right to Choose:

Can we be honest for a minute?  What are pro-choice advocates really asking to choose?  If we establish that life does begin at conception, then aren’t they asking to be able to choose one life over another?  Their convenience over a defenseless baby?  Remember, according to statistics cited above, only 7% or less of all the millions of abortions are performed because of the life of the mother or rape and incest.  So let’s address the 93%.  Do we have a right to take that baby’s innocent life?  If we take a baby’s life after he or she is born, then we are put on trial in a court of law for murder.  But “it’s our body” women will say.  Do we have a right to “choose” our body over that baby’s body–a body with a heartbeat, brain functioning, fingernails, and the ability to feel pain, especially the pain of an abortion?  Do we have that right?

Unwanted/Unplanned Pregnancy:

What if the child is “unwanted” or the pregnancy “unplanned”?  According to the National Council for Adoption, “there are 450 married couples for each child waiting to be adopted, and millions of qualified singles who could foster parent or adopt as well.”  Given those statistics, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.  And to turn an unplanned pregnancy into the gift of a lifetime for a couple desperately wanting a child. . .what an incredibly selfless act that will bless others for years and years to come.  Many children secretly labeled unwanted or unplanned, or born into less than ideal circumstances, have gone on to become some of the world’s leading figures and incredible defy-the-odds success stories.

Some would ask if an unwanted child then becomes an abused child?  Statistics actually show the opposite.  Child abuse has been on the dramatic rise since abortion on demand became legal in 1973.  Could this have to do with a culture that devalues life and treats it as a disposable commodity?

The Procedures:

This is by far the most disturbing part of this whole debate, and I firmly believe that this is where the greatest myths and lies are perpetuated.  Not all women seeking abortions have ultrasounds beforehand.  Why is that?  We discussed the Ultrasound Bill earlier, but shouldn’t all women see the truth about what they are aborting before subjecting their baby (or themselves, for that matter) to this “procedure”?  Planned Parenthood, on their website, admits that an abortion may or may not be preceeded by an ultrasound (and I will not link to them for obvious reasons, but you can find the source if you so desire).  I wonder what lengths Planned Parenthood goes to discourage young, vulnerable women considering abortion from obtaining an ultrasound.

If people really knew the procedures for abortion, and had a chance to not only see their baby with an ultrasound, or see an abortion in progress, would humanity really sit by and advocate for this brutality?  Well, we have a chance to not be in the dark anymore.  If abortion providers and pro-choice advocates are not afraid to support these procedures (even though they are afraid of being honest with the public about them), let’s combat this by being bold enough to know them ourselves, and speak out against them.  Check out “The Silent Scream” on YouTube.  It is the video that many abortion providers do not want you to see.  (Warning:  This video is incredibly disturbing and many, if not most, of you will be unable to watch it all the way through).

Let’s begin with the most egregious and inhumane of all the abortion procedures, the partial-birth abortion.  This is for women beyond 20 weeks into their pregnancy, and sometimes much later.  Here is what a 20 week old baby looks like.  In this procedure, the doctor pulls the baby out by his or her legs until only the head remains inside the womb.  (If the head isn’t “born,” does this keep it from being called “murder” in their eyes?)  “Then the abortionist jams scissors into the back of the baby’s skull and spreads the tips of the scissors apart to enlarge the wound. After removing the scissors, a suction catheter is inserted into the skull and the baby’s brains are sucked out. The collapsed head is then removed from the uterus” (source).

Other procedures include:

• Suction Aspiration–the baby is essentially cut into pieces and suctioned out with a vacuum; the patient is at risk for infection if all of the body parts and tissues are not removed properly.
• Dilatation & Curettage–very similar to suction aspiration
• RU 486–the abortion pill that starves the baby to death, causing the “embryonic baby to be expelled from the uterus.”
• Dilatation & Evacuation–similar to the D&C except the baby is torn limb from limb and the hardened skull is sometimes crushed before removing.
• Salt Poisoning (aka “Saline Amniocentesis”)–some of the baby’s amniotic fluid, allowing him or her to live and breathe, is replaced with a concentrated salt solution causing ”painful burning and deterioration of the baby’s skin” until the baby dies.

The Aftermath:

Despite what many would have you believe, there are side effects to abortion in many cases–physical and emotional.  Bleeding, hemorrhage, laceration of the cervix, and infection are among the most common physical complications, but there are also psychological complications such as guit and regret (nrlc).  Some studies show upwards of 50% of the women experience this guilt, as seen in the many sources below:

• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125515.php
• http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/after_effects_of_abortion.asp
• http://www.pregnancycenters.org/Fact%20Sheet%20on%20abortion-emotional%20risks.pdf
• http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf13.html
• http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf14.html
• http://www.thefloridacatholic.org/mia/2009_mia/2009_miaarticles/20090205_mia_shanice.php
  
• http://prolifeaction.org/providers/everett.htm  (Carol Everett is a former abortion provider that is now a strong pro-life advocate because of what she saw.  Her story is quite compelling.)

Now What?:

I have nothing but compassion for the majority of women who have had an abortion.  As stated earlier, I believe most of them are deceived, without the truth, and taken advantage of during a vulnerable time.  And knowing that many will feel guilt, regret, or experience significant physical complications from their abortion, I am not in favor of using our pro-life passion to condemn those already feeling the weight of their decision.  God is a God of forgiveness. . .it is not in His nature to deny anyone forgiveness when they seek it and it certainly isn’t in His nature to condemn those who are in Christ.  As Christians, we need to remember that this issue, although heated at times, involves children of God (both the babies at risk, the women who are choosing abortion, and even the doctors who provide and perform these abortions).  Our approach must always be loving, and never violent, no matter how passionate the protest. 

What we can do is speak up, stand on the Truth of God’s Word, and not be passive anymore.  Let’s be advocates for these precious children, let’s refuse to allow them to be “sacrificed to a god of convenience,” and let’s get this information out to as many people willing to listen.  Then, knowing that we have the power of the God of the universe behind us, let’s pray with fervency that the eyes of those who are blind will be opened and that one day soon we will see an end to these deaths. 

I’ll close with God’s Word on the matter, as well as links to ways that you can further educate yourself on abortion and then make your voice heard.

Support Pro-Life Groups–with your time, talents and treasures; groups such as the National Right to Life (http://www.nrlc.org); or volunteer with a local crisis pregnancy center–to find yours, click here.

Contact Your Elected Officials–let them know how important this issue is to you and your family, especially when there is legislation pending that threatens the right to life (such as now with President Obama).  Click here to locate state and local elected officials by zip code.

Get and Stay Informed–with credible websites such as http://www.abortionfacts.com/ and books such as  Why Pro-Life? or  Prolife Answers to Prochoice Arguments, both by Randy Alcorn.  He also has an excellent article on his webpage http://www.epm.org entitled, “Fifteen Pro-Life Truths to Speak.”

Encourage Your Church to Speak Up and Get Involved

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.  So you must honor God with your body.”

Proverbs 31:8-9  “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

Proverbs 24:11-12 “Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.  Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know’.”

You Know You’re on Vacation When. . .

1.  You wake up to this every morning. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. You get sunburned from a 30-minute ride in a convertible!

3.  You try to use your cell phone by the ocean and it says “Out of area.”

4.  You keep asking yourself, as Jesus’ disciples did, “Who is this man?  Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:27)

5.  The sand from your hair sprinkles in your refreshing iced tea. . .and you don’t care!

6.  “O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!  In wisdom you have made them all.  The earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small” (Psalm 104:24-25).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  You’ll stand in line for an hour at Disneyland to be submerged in a submarine with other vacationers (much like sardines in a can) only to see a recreation of the “Finding Nemo” movie, watched more comfortably from the couch!

8.  Your son gets a kick out of making footprints on the sidewalk from the morning dew. . .and you find so much joy watching him.

And You Know This Vacation is in California When. . .

9.  Liberal bumper stickers, serious bikers, and sun-bleached blonde surfers surround you.

10.  The toilets and light bulbs are eco-friendly and you pass war protesters on the walk to the beach.

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Spring Break!

Vaccines: What’s Really at Stake?

I’ve had a couple of friends over the last month ask my opinion about childhood vaccines.  They know that my husband and I chose not to vaccinate our son and they knew this decision came after hours upon hours of reading, research and prayer.  I recognize that our decision is not the most popular one.  In fact, we have faced criticism from the medical community as well as a friend or two.  Although I have done quite a bit of research on this subject, I am not an expert, and I recognize that this is a very personal and difficult decision for many parents so I will never try to force my opinion on others.  However, I think that it is only fair and right that all parents know the whole truth about what they are really being asked to put in their baby’s body.  These children are a gift from God; a blank slate on which we, as their parents, either build good health or poor health.  They have little say at this point over how healthy or how sickly they will be.  But we have much of the say.  We are ultimately responsible for them, and to God, and therefore, I think that having all of the information before making a decision so vital to their health is wise. 

Let’s begin first with vaccine ingredients.  Ask your pediatrician for the informational insert that comes with each vaccine.  This will list the ingredients in that particular vaccine.  If he or she refuses to give them to you, you may want to consider finding another doctor.  No doctor should be intimidated by a parent wanting to be informed.  My son’s doctor gave them to us.  For an online list of the ingredients, click here.  From that list, please notice some ingredients in particular: 

• Human diploid cells (lung tissue from aborted fetuses)
• Thimerisol (the toxic compound that, because of it’s mercury content, has been suspected by many as contributing to autism)
• MSG (monosodium glutamate, a food additive that is best avoided for good health)
• Formaldehyde
• Aluminum in various forms (if you recall, there is also speculation about an aluminum-Alzheimer’s link)
• Various parts from chicks, mice, and monkeys   

Ask yourself, are these “natural” ingredients or manmade additives, chemicals and toxins?  Do these sound like things you want being absorbed into your newborn’s body? 

What about the rise in the number of vaccines included in the schedule today as opposed to 25 years ago.  Generation Rescue (www.generationrescue.org) estimates it to be a 260% increase!  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are approximately 25 shots scheduled for the first 15 months of life, and many times, a combination of these shots is administered all in one visit.  Isn’t it possible that this amount constitutes immune system overload?  Dr. Mercola, a board certified family physician who has been practicing natural medicine since 1990 says,

“By suppressing our immunity vaccines actually make more diseases available to our body.  Vaccinated children suffer more colds, ear infections, and rhinitis than unvaccinated children as a likely consequence of vaccinations.  Unvaccinated children stand a much better chance at avoiding disease, because their immune system has not been tampered with.”

I have seen this to be true in my own son’s life.  He has had no ear infections, no severe colds, has not required antibiotics since he was 6 months old, and is one of the healthiest children I know.  God knew what he was doing when he created our immune systems.  Our body works best when it is allowed to fight invaders naturally if at all possible.  When we interfere too much and too frequently with toxic ingredients, we run a risk in hindering our children’s immune systems for years to come. 

We are told by Mayo Clinic that, “vaccines help stimulate your immune system to fight off certain diseases,” but that, “a compromised immune system can’t recognize and fight off bacteria, viruses or other germs the way a healthy immune system can”.  Basic biology tells us that a baby’s immune system isn’t fully developed until they are several years old.  But then we are asked to add viruses, germs and some of the most toxic foreign invaders (see vaccine ingredients above) to our child’s admittedly immature immune system.  Am I missing something here?  It seems like a logical A+B=C to me.  To read Dr. Mercola’s full article entitled, “Vaccines Against Natural Processes,” click here. 

What about the necessity or efficacy of vaccines?  When was the last time that you heard of a major (or minor) outbreak of polio or diphtheria in the United States?  Now, the medical community would say that this is because of vaccination and that unvaccinated children could launch another life-threatening outbreak of some kind.  However, there are plenty of studies that show that these diseases were on the decline even before widespread vaccination, simple due to improvements in sanitation in developed countries (cleaner water, for example).  Dr. Robert Mendelsohn M.D., said “there is no convincing scientific evidence that mass innoculations can be credited with eliminating any childhood disease.”      

We also need to compare risks.  The CDC reports on their webpage that “approximately 30,000 VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) reports are filed annually, with 10-15% classified as serious (causing disability, hospitalization, life-threatening illness or death).”  But those who have studied vaccination and its risks (such as advocacy groups) believe vaccine side-effects to be grossly underreported.  Compare this to a U.S. News & World Report from November 2008 which says that with regards to the risk for these childhood diseases (pertussis in particular), “In 2003, 13 children in the United States died from pertussis.”  I am in no way minimizing those 13 precious children who lost their life to this disease.  What I’m hoping to call attention to, and what I hope all parents consider strongly, is the vast difference in the chance of death from childhood diseases verses the significantly higher chance of life-threatening or life-altering complications over the course of that child’s life from vaccination. 

Let’s consider a child’s overall health.  Are children healthier over the course of their life with or without vaccines?  What we need to remember is this debate is not only about measles or chicken pox, diphtheria or polio.  It’s not even solely about autism or Alzheimers.  And the more research you do, you will find that there are many parents that are convinced that vaccines are responsible for their child’s SIDS, ADHD and asthma as well.   But it goes beyond even these.  Don’t we want our children to be healthier overall, from birth through to their older age?  Don’t we want our children to suffer less colds, ear infections and allergies and grow up to be cancer-free, disease-free, healthy adults?  As Dr. Mercola says in the aforementioned article, “To give one another disease to get rid of one disease is not a fair trade.  Allopathy is pathetic medicine because causing cancer by ‘preventing’ many innocuous childhood diseases is not a fair trade-off.”  Of course, the CDC has not admitted to any link between many of these diseases and vaccines (although the courts have), but when I consider how big the money-making business of vaccines really is, I am not surprised that causal links have not made it definitively to the surface of public knowledge yet.  For example, think of how many prescription medicines have been slapped with a black-box warning years and years after they have been on the market, doing their damage.  I am not willing to take the risk with my children. 

The debate continues.  But for now, we as parents need to decide what is best for our children’s health. . .but only after we have all the information.  Pray for God’s wisdom as you research and see this process as good practice for all the tough decisions we will have to make on behalf of our children. 

For those of you who have already vaccinated your child and would like to look into a gentle detoxification for children, contact a good naturopathic doctor (N.D.) in your area, or try www.naturopathic.org and click on “Find a Doctor.”  He or she will probably do a hair analysis test to check for toxicity and then offer advice for an age-appropriate cleanse.  This can make a world of difference in eliminating vaccine chemicals and additives from your child’s system. 

For more resources:

http://www.whale.to/vaccines.html (This site includes M.D. after M.D. coming out and admitting the dangers of vaccines.)

http://www.thinktwice.com/

http://www.nvic.org/

http://www.generationrescue.org/ (Jenny McCarthy’s website–she is a strong advocate for using an alternative vaccine schedule, at the least)

http://www.informedchoice.info/ 

Vaccinations:  A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide by Aviva Jill Romm

 

Evidence of Harm:  Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic:  A Medical Controversy by David Kirby

 

 

Sleight of Hand

“Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods; a system of society or group living in which there is no private property; a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.”

– Socialism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

“The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism.  But under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”

– Normal Thomas, six-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America

“Share the wealth”

“We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people.”

Upper-class Americans should consider paying higher taxes “patriotic”.

Bailouts on top of bailouts

Stimulus packages that includes millions for honeybee labs, mosquito trapping research, pig manure management, Utah crickets, and shrimp

$7.7 Billion of YOUR money for 8,500 earmarks

Universal Healthcare

– President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the Democrat-led Congress

Is it that obvious?

“Worth Savin Me?”

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

How many times have we heard that verse before in our lifetime?  Have we heard it so often that we’ve become numb to its meaning?  If we have already been redeemed by Christ for our sins and know that we have eternal life, then this verse brings comfort to us.  But is that all this verse says?  We live in a world where it is not politically correct, or tolerant, to acknowledge the other portion of this verse.  The part about perishing.

There is a world that is perishing; a world that is dying in their sins today, tomorrow, and a month from now.  These same people are the ones with whom you work , share a bus or a subway, have lunch, or attend children’s birthday parties.  And we have been given a command — to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

I viewed a music video (below) by the group Nickelback that absolutely changed me.  The song is called “Savin Me” and if you view it in terms of our unavoidable physical death and the spiritual depravity that this world faces without Jesus, I know you will never be the same again.  (A quick note about the video: those are numbers above everyone’s heads — the number of seconds left in their life.)  Jesus came to save every single person, but how many of them do not know it, and may perish?  How many of them ask daily, to anyone who will listen, if “it’s worth savin me?”

Which side of this verse (John 3:16) are you on?  If you do not have eternal life as the Bible promises to those who accept Christ, please visit the link below to find out how you can.  And if you have that life, do you have a prompting to care for those still on the perishing side?

http://heargoodnews.com/gospel/doyouknow.html

The Truth About the Obama-Limbaugh Controversy

This week, a man that people either love or hate, Rush Limbaugh, has been the talk of all talk radio.  Limbaugh made a comment about President Obama and his presidency that has earned him criticism from liberals while garnering support and a chorus of “Amens” from conservatives.

“I want him to fail.  If his agenda is a far-left collectivism — some people say socialism — as a conservative heartfelt, deeply, why would I want socialism to succeed?”

For those of us who love America and who truly and firmly believe that America’s greatness is in her traditional roots and small government, we are increasingly fearful of President Obama’s massive and frivolous spending and socialistic agenda.  Apparently, a promise to limit earmarks changed to allowing just a mere 9,000.  So I echo the thoughts of many conservatives right now when I ask, “Why is it not ok for Rush Limbaugh to hope that the President’s agenda fails?”  Quite a few voiced their hopes that President Bush would fail at passing his agenda, and they used much more inflammatory (and defamatory) language than Rush is using here.

He is not saying that he wants America to fail.  Hoping that the President fails in reconstructing our country to his socialist vision is not hoping America fails.  Rush knows, as well as many of us know, that Obama’s current policies could bankrupt America, financially and morally, and that if his policies were to fail, America might then have a better chance of survival. 

He knows that if Obama succeeds in removing the Conscience Clause, which currently protects those in the health care industry from having to provide abortions or other medical services which they are opposed to for reasons of conscience, then we will have trampled on and violated the values that individuals hold dear, and allowed their jobs to be in jeopardy because of those values. 

He knows that if Obama succeeds in passing the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), then any restrictions on abortions, including parental notification for minors, will be eradicated and the 36 year-old lie that it’s morally ok to abort babies will continue to deceive women all over the country.

He knows that Obama blocking the Born Alive Infant Protection Act , which would provide medical treatment for babies born alive after an attempted abortion, is inhumane at best and that letting them die on a cold table somewhere, is immoral and irresponsible.

By the way, does this really qualify as a commitment to reduce the number of abortions in this country, as Obama promised during his campaign for the presidency?  Again, his position must have changed.

Rush also knows that the Fairness Doctrine will shut down free speech for conservative voices, which represent millions of Americans, and thereby create a very slippery slope for all kinds of future censorship.

He knows that if Senator Barbara Boxer has her way and Obama ratifies the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, that the family will be ripped apart and all parent-child relationships will be in jeopardy.

Rush Limbaugh knows that President Obama’s policies are bad for America.  We can certainly look and pray for areas of agreement with Obama, and when we find it, wholeheartedly support him, but for those who see how his agenda spells doom and disaster, to be expected to hope it succeeds is ridiculous.  It’s because we want America to succeed first and foremost that we hope Obama’s big government intervention fails.

Marriage: What We See

My sister and I are undertaking a huge painting project.  We are painting-by-numbers a 10×7 foot jungle mural on my son’s bedroom wall.  I have considerably less experience with this kind of tedious craft work than she does. . .and it shows.  My shaky hand is falling outside the lines more times than I can count.  What I am counting on is that no one will examine the job that I’ve done up close.  From a foot or two away, this is shaping up to be quite a professional looking mural.  I could have a lot of people fooled.  But if you were to step up to the wall and study the fine details, you might see all of my flaws.  They are there either way, but if were looking for them, they might be all that you would see, and then you’d miss the big picture.

It was then that I realized that this is what we do in marriage far too many times. . .what I do in my marriage.

We are in close proximity to another human being when we are married.  We are with them day in and day out.  And we have an important choice to make.  Are we going to look for the flaws?  Because, if so, we will certainly see them.  Or are we going to step back just enough to see what a beautiful masterpiece our mate can be as God, the Artist, works through them.

Ouch, I hate the conviction I’m feeling.

A Prayer for My Son on His Birthday

What a beautiful adventure we are on together, my precious son.  My wholehearted prayer for you is that you will be “rooted and established in love” (Ephesians 3:17) — my deep and unconditional love for you and your heavenly Father’s inexhaustible love for you – and surrounded by loving family and friends who encourage and support you.  I pray that you dream big and become all that God has created your little heart to desire.

I pray that you stay close by God’s side even when it is the road less traveled, and that you live with conviction and stand for truth at every opportunity.  I pray that you are healthy and safe and that you feel God’s protective arms around you when you go into the world.  I pray that you never doubt your Mommy and Daddy’s deep desire to be the very best parents for you, and even during those moments when we fail, may you trust God to fill in those gaps with His unfailing love.

May your life be built on the wisdom of God and a discerning heart.  May God “fill you with the knowledge of His will  through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9), and may “the eyes of your heart be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, and the riches of His glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18).

Above all, may our daily prayers for you, because of God’s mighty power, help to clearly light your path and lead you to become an instrument of His grace, righteousness and love.

Happy Birthday, Baby!