“The National Debt Road Trip”

Not to become a “one note Johnny” with blogs on politics, big spending, and national healthcare all in one week, but I came across this today and it is excellent. I’m planning a break from all this depressing news and working on a blog on nutrition and possibly homeschooling for the coming week, but for now, view this video and stay informed.

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“After a Government Health Care Takeover”

This video has been placed on You Tube by the Family Research Council. . .it’s a picture of life (yours and mine) if President Obama has his way with government-run health care.

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100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins, Illustrations by Tim O’Connor

 

As a Christian parent, I think that one of the most important things that we can do for our children is to instill in them a love for the Lord and His Word.  100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs is an excellent resource for parents and children for just that purpose. 

Stephen Elkins has created a collection of short and succinct Bible stories while also giving a good representation of many of the most important biblical truths, complete with just enough details for your young child.  Each story concludes with a valuable application.  Tim O’Connor’s illustrations are adorable and the songs (sung by children) that accompany each story are catchy tunes that stay in your head and can be remembered for years to come, teaching biblical truths in memorable ways.  My 4-year old son was singing along by the 5th track!

Although this book is not meant to be a stand-alone Bible for your child, it is a wonderful introduction to God’s Word and can be used as a springboard for deeper discussion and further reading from the Bible, as each page contains the reference from which the story was taken.  This book is geared towards children 4-8 years old, although, I believe it can be used for children as young as 2, and I highly recommend it.

You can check out the details of this book and order it at Thomas Nelson Publishers, where I am a Book Review Blogger - http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Healthcare Reform: “The Devil is in the Details”

Tonight President Obama will appeal to (beg, plead, scare) the public in order to convince us (manipulate, instill fear, make empty promises) to quickly get on board with his healthcare reform (read government-run Universal Healthcare).  As we speak it is being debated in congress.

This morning on the Fox News Channel, Jon Scott used a common expression after guests expressed concern that a 1,000+ page bill has not been read by the very people that are being asked to vote on it–”the devil is in the details”–shouldn’t we know what we are voting on before our great country is changed forever and our children and grandchildren are bridled with trillions of dollars of debt?

“Causes for hesitation include, among other issues, the massive price tag, the number of people covered, the elimination of insurance options, the fear of long lines and inability to access physicians, the increase in taxes to pay for it and concern that the 1,000-page bill is not being vetted enough as it is moves quickly through Congress.  The Congressional Budget Office upset Democratic supporters of the plan by last week projecting that the House legislation will cost $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years, depending on the plan adopted. The price tag sent shock waves through Washington and beyond”  (source).

This morning, I received this email from the Family Research Council, a very trusted source and opinion, as they are on the front lines fighting for our families and our faith.  President, Tony Perkins, had this to say about Obama’s rush to reform, and I quote:

“Four national polls (USAToday/Gallup, ABC News/Washington Post, CBS News and Quinnipiac University) are now showing that at least half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of health care reform. This diagnosis is striking: Although the President is appearing virtually everywhere trying to make the case for his more than $1 trillion proposal for the government to take over the American health care system, support for his plan is sinking.

Why? Because the more our friends and neighbors learn about the content and implications of what Mr. Obama is proposing, the more concerned they become. The Obama plan would erode and deplete employer-based health insurance–and instead of replacing it with personal responsibility, it would compel tens of millions of people to become dependent on Uncle Sam for their medical needs.

It would suffocate everyone from small business owners to upper-income taxpayers with incalculable new taxes. And it would mandate taxpayer funded abortion, abortifacient drugs and limit end-of-life care. From the inevitability of rationed care to diminishing human dignity, the President’s plan amounts to a prescription for a health care disaster.

The people are catching on, and they’re rightfully dismayed. There’s a difference between public opinion, as reflected in the ups and downs of various surveys, and public judgment, as reflected in the data from multiple polls about a serious issue. When it comes to health care, that judgment is in — and it’s a big thumbs-down for government-run health care.

The Heritage Foundation says this:

“Like the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill,[1] the House bill would create a new public plan to compete with private health insurance in a national health insurance exchange; impose mandates on individuals and businesses to buy health insurance coverage or be subject to tax penalties; and allow the federal government to control, standardize, and regulate health insurance, defining what is and is not “acceptable coverage” for American citizens. . .Under the House bill, Congress would not forge a federal-state partnership; rather, it would enact federal domination of the states. It would also undermine, not advance, state innovation in the provision of new health insurance options” (source).

My hope and prayer is that everyone, regardless of political party or persuasion, will inform themselves about exactly what President Obama and Congress might do to our country.  This is not the time to idly stand by and allow apathy and indifference consume our hearts and minds.  This is also not the time to be sucked in by the flowery language of the President that has so mezmerized the nation.  Read the details of what is being proposed.  You may just find a devil in there.

Here are some more resources. . .stay informed. . .and vote in our poll below.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124776550788052671.html#mod=WSJ_topics_obama?mod=rss_topics_obama

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2547-Watchdog-Politics-Examiner~y2009m7d21-World-reknown-medical-clinic-thumbs-down-Obamacare

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/22/doctors-wage-war-obamas-health-care-overhaul/

http://www.thefoxnation.com/media/2009/07/22/newt-gingrich-obamas-health-care-bill

Death Too Soon

I remember about a year ago hearing quite a bit about a man named Randy Pausch after he appeared on Oprah.  He was dying of pancreatic cancer and delivered his “Last Lecture” on her show.  I remember being moved to tears as I watched him say goodbye to his children, his wife, and leave them with the most important life lessons that he had learned over his 40-something years.

This past week, I opened an email from my husband.  He had found a moving story of a 37-year old woman who was also in the stages of dying from an agressive cancer (initially breast cancer).  I began watching her “last lecture,” if you will, and again, I was moved.  But Rachel Barkey’s wisdom for the world included one element that Randy Pausch’s did not. . .Jesus. 

At the time, I prayed fervently that Mr. Pausch knew Jesus personally during his illness and at his death.  I cannot imagine facing a disease that ravages your body and mind and threatens to end your life without also knowing that “this too shall pass” and what awaits is far more extraordinary than anything anyone could imagine on earth.  That is why this video from Rachel Barkey is so touching and so important to pass on to family and friends.  It is a short 55-minute video and if you do not have time to watch it, even in segments, there is a written transcript available as well (be sure to print off both Part One and Part Two).  A short time after this video was recorded, Rachel went home to be with the Lord.  I would encourage you to watch her video and hear her words with your heart.  Your life may be changed as a result.

Rachel’s website, entitled “Death is Not Dying,” where you can learn more about her and her family, as well as watch the video:

http://deathisnotdying.com/fullvideo/

If you would prefer to read the transcript:

 http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid=10243

If you are a book lover, check out Rachel’s book list–excellent books by phenomenal authors:

http://deathisnotdying.com/booklist/

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?’”

The Disease of Self

There is a disease running rampant in our culture today, affecting marriages and families, inflicting pain and destruction.  It is the disease of self.  Self-centeredness.  Self-seeking.  Self-serving.  Self-esteem.

“I have to be ________ (comfortable, happy, fulfilled).”

“I need to find myself.”

“I owe it to myself.”

“It’s all about self-esteem.”

Consumerism–we are getting very comfortable giving ourselves everything materially that we want or feel would satisfy us.  Relationally–many marriages are crumbling not because of abuse or rampant infidelity (although there are certainly those as well), but because one spouse doesn’t make the other spouse happy enough, and isn’t it all about OUR happiness?  The “Oprah-ized” nation–we follow Oprah’s every suggestion when she has show after show about how to find your true self,  how to live your best life, and “know yourself,” without any mention of the one true God or Jesus Christ.  Billboards, television, and print media appeals to our love of self. . .sending messages about how you deserve the flashy car, the bigger house, even the mistress or the alcoholic beverage.  The psychology-driven culture has taught us that at the core of everyone is a basically good person that has been influenced by the bad world, the bad parents, the bad events in life, and that we need to throw all of that off of us in order to really find ourselves and be happy.

It’s all about us.

Or is it?

I was reading Hard to Believe by John MacArthur last night and came across this quote:  “The true gospel is a call to self-denial.  It is not a call to self-fulfillment.”  That is not what is preached in our society today.  And sadly, it is not what is preached on enough lips of professing Christians either.

As Christians, we know (intellectually) the truth of Luke 9:23-26, which says, “Then he (Jesus) said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.’”  But do we know it in our hearts and minds–the same hearts and minds that drive us to act in much the same way as the world (who doesn’t know this truth) acts?  This Scripture is very contrary to the world’s beliefs, but that doesn’t surprise me.  In the end times, there is going to be an even greater distinction between the things of God and the things of the world, and the “road that leads to life” will appear so very narrow to us who are entrenched in the world.  How many will miss the road altogether?

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:12-14).

Motherhood V: The Faith of a Child

A few weeks ago, my son went to the dentist for the first time.  He was quite scared.  (How do kids know to be nervous about certain people or events if they’ve never experienced them before?)  My husband and I tried to assuage his fear by talking to him about what to expect and assuring him that it would be quick and easy (or, piece of cake, as we like to say).  We read a kid’s character book to him about some bears that went to the dentist and loved it.  A couple of his friends, who loved their first visit so much that they want to be dentists when they grow up, encouraged him and told him how cool this experience would be.

He was still scared.  He wasn’t throwing a tantrum or anything, but his face showed his fear.

Then we brought in the big guns.  God.

I brought his devotional in the car with us and, in the parking lot before we went in to the dentist’s office, we read Bible verses and thoughts about fear and God’s protection and provision.  He and I prayed together.  And from that moment on, he was a different boy.  He confidently walked in to the office and with very little hesitation, allowed the hygienist and dentist to clean and check all of his teeth.  As we were leaving, he said, “I want to come back and do this again tomorrow.”

When I asked him how he got through what he thought would be a scary situation, he said, “I just talked to God. . .in my head.”

The power of prayer as demonstrated through the faith of a child.

A couple of weeks later, he was overwhelmed at the number of new faces all around him at Vacation Bible School, and he was reticent to go into his classroom.  After 20 minutes of resisting and crying the day before, I decided to try something different this second day.  I took him back out into the hallway and we found a relatively quiet area to talk.  I told him that God was with him, and I reminded him about how brave God made him when he went to the dentist.  We again prayed together.  I walked him into his classroom, stayed about 5 minutes with him as he grew in confidence by the minute, and as I left, I was amazed at the transformation in my child. . .and the difference in him was God.

We know that our job as parents is to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), but how often are we aware of how much they can teach us?  I learned a very important lesson from my son on those two days.  I felt the power of the Holy Spirit move as we prayed, and this child, that was teaching me one of the greatest lessons of life, moved ahead in faith.  I was humbled with gratitude for how God spoke to my child, and I am reminded that God loves to see us have the faith of a child, trusting Him as our Father and being transformed by His love. 

I pray that I am continually aware of the lessons that God wants to teach me through my son, and that I will have ears to hear and eyes to see.   ”Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).