Our Girls' Club

The Gospel, grace, faith, holiness, righteousness, purity and love

2012-01-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

The GOSPEL has been reduced to a message merely about forgiveness while the idea of regeneration and transformation seems almost totally forgotten. GRACE has become simply a gigantic hug from God and is no longer the muscle of God brought to earth to aid the weakness of men and to give them strength. FAITH has morphed into this bizarre idea of "honest doubt" and has lost its essence of rock-solid unwavering confidence in the ability of God to perform that which He promises. HOLINESS has transformed into moralistic tyranny for the soul and something to be avoided at all costs. RIGHTEOUSNESS has been redefined to mean an unreachable standard of perfection. PURITY has become nothing more than a legalistic attempt to stay away from things and thoughts that God knows we won't be able to abstain from anyway. LOVE has become unconditional acceptance and tolerance of sin. ~Eric Ludy from the BRAVEHEARTED GOSPEL

Mr. ROBERTSON McQuilkin Teaches Mr. Pat ROBERTSON

2011-09-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.joniandfriends.org/help-and-resources/other-resources/promise-kept-story-roberston-muriel-mcquilkin/

How interesting that exemplary Mr. McQuilkin's first name is the same as Mr. Pat's last name - ROBERTSON! This is definitely a God connection, and Mr. Pat NEEDS to view ROBERTSON's video on servanthood, genuine Christ-centered love and marital commitment! I sent Muriel's and Robertson's love story to Pat Robertson of the famed Christian 700 Club in Virginia Beach, VA.

This is in response to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsaqfP87Z58

Roe v Wade is terrorism too!!!

2011-09-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago on September 11, 2001 we saw two horrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We know almost 3,000 human persons were killed on that one day. I have mourned and prayed along with most of the world over this tragic loss of human life.

I have also listened to and read statements by world leaders, religious leaders, celebrities, and organizations about how precious human life is. I have listened as they called our nation to prayer and talked about God blessing our nation. I have even seen groups like Planned Parenthood and N.O.W. talk about the tragic loss of human life.

I have watched as true American heroes were honored for their bravery, and rightfully so.

With all due respect and sympathy for those who were killed on 09/11/2001—a day that is being remembered everywhere—I say that we are missing the bigger picture.

I call to your attention to another “day of infamy” we all should mourn, 01-22-73. This is the day that personhood was stripped away from the most helpless and the youngest American people, preborn children. More than 53,000,000 Americans have been the victims of cruel disregard for human life because of a decision made that day.

I do not understand how organizations like Planned Parenthood can talk about this tragic loss of human life and at the same time destroy children every day.

I do not understand how Congress can come together in one day and pass legislation that will allow us to put an end to one form of terrorism, and yet ignore the plight of so many helpless children. I do not understand how our Government talks blocking the funding of terrorist organizations yet they fight to keep funding for Planned Parenthood. Hundreds of entertainers pooled their talents to raise money for the victims and their families of those killed on 09-11-01, but those same “artists” have helped raise money to promote the deaths sanctioned on 01-22-73.

I, too, have the utmost respect for the firefighters and policemen and EMTs who risked their lives and worked so hard to save others’ lives; I would call them true American heroes. It is great that our government has called them heroes and is honoring them. But at the same time, the government persecutes other men and women who have given most of their lives to defending human life. Joseph Scheidler is one of my greatest heroes; he is an unsung hero who has given decades of his life to fight for the lives of precious little babies. He is being sued and called a “racketeer” for his selfless, heroic work on behalf of the babies. And there is “Doc,” a very elderly man who sat outside an abortion mill in Portland, Oregon, for hours, nearly every day, witnessing to the truth and offering help to young women until the day he died. Why are these true American heroes not being honored for their work?

I am in no way trying to minimize what happened on 09-11-01, but I do want to bring the attention of the world to what is still happening as a result of the events of 01-22-73. Our generation has lost over one-third of its brothers and sisters, and we cannot let this go unrecognized by so many Americans any longer. The world has had a wake-up call and has felt the impact of the loss of thousands of lives. The world needs to see the devastation that has been wrought on a generation that has lost millions.

President Bush acted in an honorable way in his commitment to ending terrorism. He has stepped up to the plate and has united this country behind him. I only pray that our current President would also take a stand against other acts of terrorism being carried out every day in this country, a terrorism that continues to claim thousands of precious human lives daily. I pray that Congress would vote unanimously to empower the President to put a stop to this terrorism.

As I mourn with our nation on the tenth anniversary of 09-11-01, I also mourn over our nation’s callous attitude toward the fateful decisions made on 01-22-73. I cry over the fact that the events of 09-11-01 inspire thousands to fill Yankee Stadium for a prayer service, yet, when we ask people to pray for those who will be lost to abortion, only a handful show up. I am angered by organizations that can call life “precious” one day, and the next, fight for the right to kill babies. I weep for those who shed tears and raised money for one group of people who are suffering but empty their wallets to help destroy another group of people.

I know that what I have written here may anger or upset some people, but I hope and pray that it will anger you too that babies are being murdered, and that our country does not shed tears for them. As for myself and all of us here at Stand True, Priests for Life and the Gospel of Life family, we will shed tears for all human persons who are killed, born and preborn alike. The 19 terrorists who crashed their planes into those buildings stripped away the personhood of thousands. The abortion industry has stripped away the personhood of millions. Our job is to restore personhood to every single human being no matter how small.

LifeNews.com Note: Bryan Kemper is the president of Stand True Ministries, a pro-life group that reaches out to youth and young adults. He is the author of a new book, Social Justice Begins In The Womb and Director of Youth Outreach for Priests for Life.

THE VOICE by Donald Miller, Lauren Winner, Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet and Chris Seay

2011-09-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am exceedingly disturbed over THE VOICE. Why exactly, I ask you, do we NEED a completely new Bible translation for today? “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!” ~Hebrews 13:8. What about that simple declaration is so difficult for you emergent village people to decipher? He NEVER changes! It is not He who needs to mold to people. He WILL NOT transform Himself to fit the narcissistic, unholy requirements of the heretical postmodern church. Get with the program. It’s people who need to mold to His holy example! Does this ring a bell? “Be ye holy as He is holy.” Oh, silly me, I forgot, THE VOICE has no doubt altered that precept found in 1 Peter 1:15 of God’s Holy Word. The worst part of your pathetic attempt to rearrange THE WORD OF GOD, and “improve upon it”, is that you are leading others to hell, along with yourselves! Does the adage “Misery loves company” fit with your diabolical scheme from the pit of hell? Woe to you! Let me guess, Bart Ehrman and Rob Bell were participants in this “new and improved” translation. Am I correct?

NO DISCIPLINE - NO DISCIPLE

2011-08-26T17:32:00.001-07:00

http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/changepoint/16877-no-discipline-no-disciple

Seven Hundred Clergy Can Be Wrong

2011-08-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Seven Hundred Clergy Can Be Wrong

Reproductive Racism

2011-07-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNDg&feature=BFa&list=PL762F6E8E53FEEABE&index=1

THE GOOD SAMARITAN DOG

2011-07-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

One of the most shocking reports I ever read appeared in the Indian Express several years ago. On the front page was a photo of a little boy, half naked, lying on the sidewalk of a busy street. Next to the boy was a dog. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a female dog, and the little boy was actually sucking her milk. The caption read, "This Dog Is His Mother." The three-column article went on to describe the heartbreaking agony that homeless children face as they try to survive on their own. ~an excerpt from NO LONGER A SLUMDOG by K. P. Yohannan

How much we can learn from dogs! That dear dog was the Good Samaritan to that precious little boy, made in God's image! So many humans heartlessly passed the dear little boy without a care, while the dog lovingly mothered him!

THE HOOK OCTOBER 2005 FANTASY WOMEN SOW DISCORD

2011-07-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

Works of art to be ogled at, women are not. Made of flesh and blood, they have feelings, aspirations, and dreams. Our society evaluates the sexual attractiveness of women by creating uncommon, unearthly standards of beauty, causing many to consider they are inferior. We all suffer when women are dishonored by allowing themselves to become immodest slabs of meat on display for all to enjoy. Wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, and daughters are wounded when significant males in their lives view nude bodies of indiscriminate women. Males become mesmerized with the so-called ideal specimens, who do not nag or have any expectations of them, who appear to stare longingly back and desire them from screens or glossy, airbrushed pages. Creating fantasy worlds for men, these models cause divisions between men and the women who truly care for them. And folks wonder from whence comes disrespect for, neglect of, and violence directed at women?

The centerfold layout of your issue mimicking the dishonorable, heartless, selfish publication Playboy, was despicable. Glorifying public nudity and bringing the knowledge of such careless behavior to the attention of local residents is irresponsible and inconsiderate.
Miss October is not representing exemplary conduct, and to suggest that Charlottesville and the University of Virginia should be proud of such corrupting behavior is narrow-minded.
How we spend our time shapes who we are, and how we build the persons we are is cause for social concern. At all times we must ask ourselves whether what we are doing is loving or wise. Are we putting the needs and feelings of others above our own, or is the pursuit of our own pleasure the measure of our lives?

CRYING by Chuck Colson

2011-07-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/17411

A Sociopath Walks Free

2011-07-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, a diabolical sociopath walks free? How can this be? If she had aborted Caylee, she would be free. Now, after killing her own flesh and blood at age two, Casey Anthony is free! Any rational person would see there is no difference in killing an unborn baby or a two year old. Then there's Peter Singer of Princeton declaring nobody is a person until age two. So, apparently now all murder is legal in the sunshine state, not just abortion, but lying is still illegal. What a disadvantage to the prosecution to have a jury not educated in the fine art of psychopathy. Had they been well versed in it, they NEVER would have allowed such an evil woman to be set free back into society. As all the experts on psychopathy teach, we all need to educate ourselves on psychopaths, sociopaths, character-disordered, antisocials - whatever ya wanna call them or not call them, for many are afraid of labels. How dangerous, irresponsible and idiotic that is! Among us in quantity, their number is growing at an alarming rate due to our narcissistic culture, looking out for numero uno. So many are praising our judicial system. I laugh in the face of that foolishness.

satan is as busy a worldly prince as is William!

THE LINDY BAIN LOOP IN CROZET, VIRGINIA

2011-06-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

New cross country trail honors WAHS coach

Credit: Submitted photo

Western Albemarle High School cross-county team members and others gather near the sign for the school's new course in Old Trail Village. The course, which was unveiled on Sunday and is open to the public, is dedicated to the WAHS boys cross-country coach, Lindy Bain (third from left).

By TASHA KATES
Published: June 05, 2011

» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Lindy Bain didn’t see his name right away after the wrapping was pulled from the sign for the new Western Albemarle High School cross country course in Old Trail Village.

As the audience of more than 70 people began to clap, the boys cross country coach looked up a few more inches. The new 3.1-mile course, which is open to the public, was dedicated on Sunday as the Lindy Bain Loop.

Kim Connolly, president of the Friends of Western Albemarle Cross Country, said the people who donated money for the new cross country course kept suggesting a name for it.

“They said, ‘you have to name it for Coach Bain,’” Connolly told the crowd.

Present and past colleagues and students said Bain deserved to be honored for the work he has done with students over the years. Bain, who is in his 24th year of coaching at Western Albemarle, said after the reveal that he had no idea that the Old Trail Course would be dedicated to him.

“It’s probably a good thing they didn’t tell me or I would have tried to talk them out of it,” Bain said, laughing.

The course will give Western Albemarle cross country athletes a place to practice and hold meets.

Gaylon Beights, Old Trail’s developer, joked that part of the reason he agreed to have the course in Old Trailis to prevent the students from running in the road.

Student-athletes said the trail at the high school is a bit treacherous. Calvin Wheat, who ran with the team for four years before graduating on Friday, said the newer trail appears to be less steep.

“Our times might be better,” Wheat said.

Katie Farina, a junior and a girls cross country team member, said she is hoping that the new course will allow the team to host an invitational at home next school year.

William Tillery, a 1982 Western Albemarle graduate and a former assistant track coach, said the addition of the course will be a benefit for the students, the residents of Old Trail Village and the greater community.

Tillery said Bain has been his mentor for 11 years.

“The opportunity to work under him is something I will never forget,” Tillery said.

The antichrists Among Us

2011-06-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

Our hostile age charges the Gospel with falsehood, oppression, limiting moral freedom, meddling where it doesn’t belong, and much, much more. In reality, it is our secular age that is the wellspring of lies, which oppresses our generation with half-truths and outright lies, which destroys morality in the name of license, and which, through its meddlesome government and schools, demands to control and rule in every area of life. It is not we who are guilty of screwing up the world, but all who are the enemies of Christ. ~T. M. Moore

As Chuck Swindoll speaks of American cults in his excellent book Improving Your Serve, consider the pyramid to narcissism:

Mine

Myself

"You deserve a break today." "Have it your way." "Do yourself a favor." "You owe it to yourself." "If it feels good, do it." "Look out for numero uno." “You only go around once, so you have to grab for all the gusto you can! Why settle for less?”

On Homosexual (NOT gay which means lively and vivacious) Unions

2011-06-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

"This is NOT about denying rights. It is about upholding a truth about the human condition. Marriage is NOT simply a mechanism for delivering benefits: It is the union of a man and a woman in a loving, permanent, life-giving union to procreate children. Please DON'T vote to change that. If you do, you are claiming the power to change what is not into what is, simply because you say so. This is false, it is wrong, and it defies logic and common sense." ~Archbishop Timothy Dolan

Is Scotty McCreery an Idol, a Hero or Merely a Boy?

2011-06-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

With all the hoopla swirling around Scotty McCreery since he won American Idol last week, it's given me pause to reflect on the significance of earning such a title in our corrupt culture. Given the nature of the production and his age, is seventeen year old Scotty truly a model of excellence? For his age, he appears to be a thoughtful boy, and those who know him attest to the uprightness of his character. His mom chaperons and guides him wherever he goes. She is older, but is she wiser as she has led her impressionable young son into participating in such worldliness? What has Scotty done that has presto-chango turned him into an instant hero? Has he selflessly saved lives? Has he sacrificially laid down his life for another? What heroic act has he performed? Has he displayed distinguished courage? Can we admire him for his brave deeds and noble qualities? Realistically, how noble can one be at age seventeen? Has he earned the title of Prince? Have years of experience of walking with Jesus made him a mentor, a sage or a counselor? He certainly has attained fame, recognition, fortune, and popularity. It's evident that he is regarded with blind admiration, adoration and devotion, but does that make him someone exemplary, or is he a mere image of something visible but lacking in substance? Is he a figment of our imagination - a fantasy of what we want him to be?

I concur that he has moxie as a singer, but he has simply cultivated a God-given gift. Without that, he would never have made it onto the stage of American Idol. Can we admire him for something with which God has blessed him? At opportune moments, Scotty does appear to give God the glory for His success, but is this genuine, and how can a seventeen year old understand all that entails? How can we tell at his young age? The statistics prove that most freshman in college, who purported to be Jesus' disciples while still in high school, fall away from their Lord, Master, and Saviour into lives of narcissism. Is Scotty simply parroting his parents' faith as they've guided and instructed him to do? Will the faith he proclaims to have in Jesus remain as the trials, persecutions, sufferings and pain of this life inevitably come? How will he react to shattered dreams? Will he allow Jesus to refine him into deeper purity and holiness or will he fall away from his first love? Jesus' own words in Matthew 7:14 are quite sobering, " But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Will Scotty be included among the few to find eternal life? That remains to be seen, does it not? He's still only a boy. Scotty will require much guidance from those older and wiser in their walks with the Lord. Many prayers will need to be prayed on his behalf. Many hours must be spent by Scotty in Bible reading and study. Even then, there is no guarantee that Scotty will "endure to the end" as Jesus says in Matthew 24:13 must occur, for one to acquire eternal life.

As Timothy 4:12 declares, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." I pray this verse exemplifies Scotty's young life. If it does, and his heart is right before God as he matures, maybe one day Scotty will be a hero and a mentor to his children and grandchildren, as well as to others. That is yet to be determined.

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol

2011-05-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Should we truly be proud that Scotty McCreery participated in such a raunchy show? And, a hero, really? What has Scotty done that is heroic? The Bible says we are either friends with Jesus or with the world. We can't have it both ways. American Idol is so far from family viewing! Our addiction to entertainment has neutered our minds and trivialized our hearts. Beyonce, J Lo and Gaga (she is NOT a lady) all dress, move and sing like they're prostitutes. Stephen Tyler is a womanizer. Of course, it's what our sex-crazed culture wants, but Christians have no business indulging in such sleaze, do they? Sadly, I was duped into viewing a couple episodes due to all the hoopla over Scotty, since he's from where I live, but I VOW TO NEVER WATCH IT AGAIN! JESUS IS NOT PLEASED WITH AMERICAN IDOL! Will fame and fortune change Scotty like it changes most who attain it? Consider the example of Jordan Sparks! Observe how Carrie Underwood sings Jesus Take the Wheel, but also the filth she sang on American Idol. This does not compute. Consider how the fathers of these women feel about their little girls exposing all for the world to view! Do we want our husbands, sons and fathers viewing the flesh that God created to be sacred? God calls His people to live set-apart from the world, not to partake of its sinful pleasures. Talk is cheap, and many who proclaim Jesus as Lord do not mean it, and many who do mean it initially, fall away when yielding to the temptations of this fallen, corrupt world. :( We're not supposed to live as much like the world as possible while hoping to still slide into heaven one day. We're called to be as much like our Master, Saviour and Lord as possible! We're called to seek His will, not our own as we surrender all to Him! We must engage our brains to think for ourselves, taking every thought captive to Christ while doing so!

Osama Now in Heaven: "LOVE WINS"

2011-05-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pks7DZxBRq0&feature=youtu.be

Lord, You're Holy by James

2011-05-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

Chorus:
Lord you’re holy, Lord you’re holy and we lift you up and magnify your name (twice)

Verse 1:
I look around and I see, all the works your hands have made, the awesomeness of you, and how your love will never fade, mere words cannot express what I feel inside, I can’t describe your glory divine, but as a token of my love, this is what I’ll do, I lift my hands and cry, Lord

Chorus:
Lord you’re holy, Lord you’re holy and we lift you up and magnify your name (twice)

Verse 2:
There’s not enough words that I can say, to tell you how much, I appreciate, all the wonderful things, you’ve given me, your love and kindness, your tender mercies,

Choir: It’s my desire, to praise you
Lead: I want to praise you Lord
Choir: And to tell you how much, I love you

Lead: Cause you’re worthy of all, all the glory

Choir: You’re worthy of all, the praise

Lead:
And you’re worthy of all the praise, I don’t know why you would love me, why you would show me, so much mercy, why you would suffer, and die for me, way back, way back, on Calvary, but I

Choir: But I, I thank you
Lead: I thank you, somebody help me thank him
Choir: I thank you
Lead: Jesus, I thank you Lord
Choir: I thank you
Lead: My heart cries thank you, and I give you all…. the praise……

Choir & Lead:
Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty, Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense, Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything (Repeat x’s) (S-A-T)

Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy is your name
Sopranos: Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous

Altos: Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty

Tenors: Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense

All: Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything

Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy is your name…………………………

Choir:
Wonderful, Glorious, Holy and Righteous, Victorious, Conqueror, Triumphant and Mighty, Healer, Deliver, Shield and Defense, Strong Tower and My Best Friend, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Soon Coming King, Alpha, Omega, Lord of Everything
Holy, Holy, Holy is your name…………………………

Choir: Holy
Lead: My God is Holy
Choir: Holy
Lead: The Angels cry Holy
Choir: Holy is your name………………………………………...Holy
Lead: My heart cries Holy
Choir: Holy
Lead: So Holy, Holy, Holy is your name……………………….
Choir: Holy is your name……………………………………………………

DOING THE RIGHT THING

2011-05-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.doingtherightthing.com/

Prince William and His Bride Katherine

2011-05-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

So many are wondering whether or not Prince William and his lovely bride will stay married. Comments have been made such as, "Royal wedding, check, but will the marriage itself be royal?" I've heard myriad critical comments concerning their big day on April 29, but my take on their union is a bit different.

What a supreme blessing it was that upwards of one third of the planet's population viewed Catherine's four minute walk down the red-carpeted aisle in fabled Westminster Abbey. We beheld marriage the way God created it to be between one man and one woman. They gave a black eye to the homosexual community - take that Elton John. The Scriptures that were read, the glorious music played in accompaniment to the lyrics sung by both sweet and powerful voices, the vows exchanged, the prayers offered up, along with God's magnificent Maple trees adding their natural beauty, all lifted Jesus up before the audience of the world. William's and Catherine's love for each other was evident to all, and as long as they keep Jesus at the centre of their royal marriage, their bond will remain unbroken.

Eric Ludy's Tribute to David Wilkerson, Author of The Cross and the Switchblade

2011-05-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

http://ellerslie.com/Wilkerson_Tribute_-_Ludy_Radio_Commentary.html

LOBOTOMIZING GOD by Bob Burney

2011-04-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Bob Burney's critique on Rob Bell's book LOVE WINS is excellent! Please read!

http://townhall.com/columnists/bobburney/2011/04/12/lobotomizing_god

April Fools Day

2011-04-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

For babies, today is April Drools Day. For those who like bling, it's April Jewels Day. For those in authority, it's April Rules Day. For groovy dudes, it's April Cools Day. For CPOs and swimmers, it's April Pools Day.

Let's Be in the Business of Saving Lives Rather Than Slaughtering Them

2011-03-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/03/30/family-planning-funds-should-go-to-anti-malaria-efforts/

A MUST Read On How the Game of Basketball Began

2011-03-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/BreakPoint--Evangelism-on-the-Hardwood-03-29-2011.html?soid=1103374268266&aid=K8UjFLyB5iI

Is Rob Bell correct in teaching that Love Wins?

2011-03-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/03/14/rob-bell-love-wins-review/

Suffering helps young people stand firm in their Christian faith

2011-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Young adulthood has become the religious pit of the life course for most Americans. Children are more likely to end up committed to Jesus as young-adult believers if their parents integrate Christian faith into daily family life. Adolescents who are made fun of by peers for their Christianity are more likely to end up as serious believers as young adults. Family, friends, sex, education, and various types of suffering play significant roles in how successful the next generation of young people will be in avoiding the lukewarm path being trod by many of today’s emerging adults.

HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY LILY KATHERINE

2011-03-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

BETRAYED WITH A KISS by Eric Ludy

2011-03-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.ellerslie.com/Eric_Ludy_Sermons/Entries/2011/3/6_Betrayed_With_a_Kiss.html

Voices of Moderation | moderation, reagan, message - Thomas Sowell - Freedom Politics

2011-03-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Voices of Moderation | moderation, reagan, message - Thomas Sowell - Freedom Politics

GOODBYE LILY KATHERINE by Ginny Bain Allen

2011-02-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

GOODBYE LILY KATHERINE

In my daughter's womb

Grew her gift from above.

We readied a room

For her wee one to love.

On our merry way rejoicing

To a glorious celebration.

Expecting our flower’s arriving

Jesus' tears hid the sun.

God had bid her go

Before we said, "Hello."

Goodbye budding life.

Goodbye shattered dreams.

Goodbye precious babe lying still in our arms.

Goodbye sweet nursing and soft cries.

Goodbye to rocking and lullabies.

Goodbye wonder and curiosity.

Goodbye to kissing who you would be.

Goodbye to hearing "Dukes" and "ma-ma" too.

Goodbye to discovering wonderful you.

Goodbye snuggling you to our hearts.

Goodbye tore our lives apart.

Goodbye to our pure Lily Katherine.

Goodbye ‘til we meet you in heaven.

You're Okay Just The Way You Are ... Or Are You?

2011-02-07T14:20:00.001-08:00

http://www.pluggedin.com/upfront/2011/youreokjustthewayyouare.aspx

THE FEAR OF GOD

2011-02-03T06:45:00.001-08:00

http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/viewpoint/16224-hating-sin

Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOUaszMGvQ&feature=player_embedded

For Emily, Concerning My Forgiveness of My Daughter

2011-01-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

How ultimately sad and perplexing it is for a young woman the same age as my daughter to be so cynical and confused over the sad truth about abortion, as well as the necessity for and exceeding blessing of forgiveness. Emily, of course every abortion ends a precious life, created in the image of God. Where did you ever get the notion that I consider the abortion that ended my grandchild's life as insignificant, not murderous and not sinful??? The killing of my own grandchild was excruciatingly painful for me, for it was a personal experience I will NEVER forget. At the same time, how could you expect me to not forgive my own flesh and blood for the heinous act she committed against God??? But by the grace of God, there go I! We are all commanded to forgive others, lest we will be in danger of losing the forgiveness of God. At the same time I am devastated over the loss of my grandchild, a person I was robbed of knowing in this life, I will always love my daughter, come what may!!! Would you prefer I had kicked her to the curb, when she most needed my love and nurturing? She repented, returned home to Jesus and to me as the prodigal, leaving behind the darkness and bondage of sin that held her blind and deceived. As Jesus did, I welcomed her home with open arms and a heart filled with gratefulness to God. Our story shines with the glory of God's redemption and healing in the midst of deep pain and overwhelming sadness. Sadly, you cannot, yet, understand the difference between loving the sinner while abhorring the sin.

"Jesus came to lay down His life so that the very ones who killed Him, who represented all of us, could be forgiven because of the price that He paid in the hell of a world that does not recognize His voice." ~Ravi Zacharias

Abby Johnson's UNPLANNED

2011-01-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah!!! Another of Planned Barrenhood's finest, their superstar Abby Johnson, has come over to the "dark" side and joined pro-lifers!!! Her much-acclaimed book UNPLANNED is hot off the presses today and has already reached number 11 at Amazon this morning!!! Please purchase a copy to help put UNPLANNED at number one on all Best Seller lists!!!

Blessings, Hugs and Happy New Year to all!

2011-01-03T08:45:00.001-08:00

Blessings, Hugs and Happy New Year to all!

With the recent news report that monkeys have morals, supposedly further “evidence” that humans have evolved from them and that there is now conclusively no need for God, I write out of the awesome fear I have of my Almighty Creator, the holy fear He commands us all to have. As the Bible declares, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. ~Psalm 111:10 I reiterate what I said last year, what a person believes about God is basic to everything else. Like the slogan touted on buses around our nation's capital during the 2009 Christmas season, it's impossible to "just be good for goodness sake." Only with Jesus living in us can anyone be good, for He is the only one infallible - the only one good. The Lord said in Genesis 8:21, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood." Those in the postmodern church, whose leader is Brian McLaren, assert that a new kind of Christianity is needed. Really? Why? What was so wrong with my grandparents’ church? Attempting to portray half a Saviour, bringing only His love to the lost, hurting world, without at the same time illuminating His love with His truth, is the scheme afoot in the postmodern church. Do you believe the Word of God or not?

There are three absolute truths you absolutely need to believe if you're going to be a Biblical, Body of Christ, Christian:

1. The Bible, in its entirety, is the true and inspired Word of God.

2. God exists and is exactly as the Bible describes Him to be.

3. Jesus is THE only way for us to get to be with His Father in heaven.

The Old Testament is specific in its predictions of Jesus. It contains 332 specific predictions about the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Messiah - all made hundreds of years before His birth. In 1958, a scientist name Peter Stoner looked at the probability that just 8 of the 332 predictions of the Messiah could've been coincidentally or accidentally fulfilled in one man, much less a man who actually proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah. He looked at the probability of each of the eight individually, and then added up the probabilities for all eight. His mathematical conclusion, verified by the American Scientific Affiliation, was that the chance of all eight being accidentally fulfilled in one man was 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Not much chance of it being coincidental, huh? Even the lotto gives you better odds than that! Take 100,000,000,000,000,000 silver dollars and lay them out across the state of Texas. They would cover the entire land surface of the Lone Star State two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars - paint it red - and toss it into the stack. Mix it up really well. Finally, blindfold someone and tell her she can walk across the state as far as she wants, but then she's got to bend down and pick up just one silver dollar. And it has to be the red one on the first try. That's how likely it is that eight messianic prophecies could've been randomly fulfilled in anyone, much less the one who claimed He really was the Messiah. Multiply this out to 332 Old Testament predictions that were precisely fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and what do you have? You have proof of the divinity of Old Testament prophecy. The Bible is the divine and true Word of God. What it says is true. How can I say that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to God? Because the Bible says so. If you're going to make it out there as a Christian in this culture, you're going to have to believe with all your heart that the Bible is true. Everything hinges upon it.

If every other way that people use to try to get to God is wrong, then what is the most loving and kind thing to do for them? Is it to just let them go on living in ignorance and misery, even though you know they're wrong and you have the truth that would rescue them? No, that is NOT love. It's actually an act of love for a Christian to stand up and say, "You know what? What you're doing and what you believe is wrong.” Yes, it's narrow, and yes, it's intolerant, but it’s also the most loving thing you can do for them, and it’s what God requires of His disciples. Herein lies the crux of the problem with the postmodern church, what they have dubbed the "Big Tent" - we cannot simply embrace all religions as if they are equal. THEY ARE NOT! All paths do NOT lead to heaven! There is one narrow way, folks, and we are told by Jesus, "few there be that find it." How sobering! The heresy the postmodern church teaches sends people to hell! That is NOT love! That is NOT the Good News of Jesus Christ! Here is what exemplary Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one who plotted to assassinate Hitler, said to such heresy, "The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty ... before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God ... The church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned." Jesus is the only way because he is the only medicine that can cure the spiritual disease that is killing us...sin (John 8:24).

God is love as the Bible declares, but He is also holy. His holiness is the side many don’t like. He is the divine Judge. He points at sin and calls it evil. And at the end of time, He will finally shut the door, and no one else will be allowed to enter the kingdom. Those who rejected His holiness in life will not have their rebellion winked at and brushed aside. They will go into hell for eternity. You can't understand God without seeing both these attributes - love and holiness - constantly working together. It was holiness that expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, but love that even in that moment promised a redeemer (Genesis 3:15). It was holiness that caused God to turn away from His own Son while Jesus hung on the cross bearing the sins of the world; but it was love that had sent Him there, love that held Him there, and love that raised Him from the grave.

Many, such as Senator Ted Kennedy and Jim Wallis of Sojourners, live by what they've dubbed a social gospel. Incomprehensibly, they even go so far so to attribute it to Matthew 25 from God's Holy Word. Many believe if they simply: give the hungry, food; give the thirsty, drink; invite the stranger in; give clothes to the naked; look after the sick; and visit those in prison, they are good and will receive eternal life due to their own good deeds and innate goodness. The Bible clearly refutes this position. Jesus in John 15 teaches, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." That is precisely what most of Matthew 6 is about. Jesus was contrasting the religious exhibitionism of the Pharisees with the authentic faith he had described in the Beatitudes. Faith has its primary impact on the heart of the believer. The Pharisees' religion, by contrast, was mainly "to be seen" by others. It is the very same contrast the apostle Paul often highlighted between authentic faith and a religion of mere works. Because Pharisee-style religion is motivated mainly by a craving for the praise of men, it is inherently self-aggrandizing, making it the very antithesis of authentic charity. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Of course, someone can perform good deeds without giving their heart, will and soul to Jesus and His authority. Since God creates everyone in His image, there is beauty in one and all, whether they have accepted Jesus into their hearts and souls as Lord, Master and Saviour, or not. Each of us is gifted by Him uniquely to display His characteristics in each one's distinct way. However, the good deeds that are done without acknowledging Him and giving Him all the glory, will be worthless in God's sight. "We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone. That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace. Yet if we have truly understood and believed the gospel, it will change what we do and how we live. Unlike cheap grace, which means going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn't really matter much how you live, anyone who truly understands how God's costly grace comes to us will have a changed life. Costly grace changes you from the inside out. Actions must follow what one believes, else one cannot claim to believe it." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer When we live for Jesus, out of our faith in Him, we will do good works in His name. Faith without works is dead. But works without faith in the One who calls us to Him is for naught. It will be burned up. If we bring material bread to the hungry without, at the same time, bringing them the Bread of Life, it is not significant to God. We must first give thanks and praise to the Maker of the bread, our Bread of Life. We must bear witness to the fact that He is the giver of all gifts, including bread, and that without Him, there would be nothing to give the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. Only because of Him do we even have life. Only because of Him do we have the hands, the feet, the mouth, the heart, the knowledge, and the compassion to reach out with eternal purpose to touch the life of another, to make a difference for good in this life, as well as a lasting difference in the next. It all boils down to abiding in Him. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~Galatians 5:1 We are free in Christ to do that which is right, to surrender all to Him, His will, His way. We are not free to go back into bondage in Egypt, back into living for our own sinful will and way. We are not free to take license in the freedom of Christ to live however we selfishly want to.

The postmodern church is more interested in group hugs, warm fuzzies, providing a shoulder to cry on when folks get "real" with each other, telling folks they're fine the way they are instead of preaching the truth, instead of showing lost, hurting people that Jesus can bring them victory in their pain, as well as save them from their sinful selves! As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." Words like diversity, pluralism and tolerance have anesthetized us to the reality of good and evil. We’re called to love all men in the name of Jesus, not ignore their debauchery in the name of diversity. Sin is a big deal to God. So much so that He allowed Jesus to die on a cruel Roman cross to rescue us from its grip. Tolerance is the cultivation of an attitude of indifference to things we see happening around us. In the name of peace, we tolerate evil. In the name of tolerance, we accept sin and call it free enterprise or freedom of sexual persuasion. We dare not stand up for what we believe for fear of being labeled intolerant, hateful homophobes. The humanitarian sentiment of the postmodern church makes them give that which is holy to the scornful and unbelieving. As exemplary Bonhoeffer said, "Costly grace is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Grace simply means discipleship."

The Catholic Church I grew up in in Charlottesville, VA, held an honest-to-goodness tent revival meeting this August. Lives were changed and rearranged for Jesus Christ as folks from many denominations and differing worldviews gathered together to praise, worship and listen to the Gospel preached in its entirety. They were not there for a riveting performance, or to be told they are fine the way they are. They already knew they were living in rebellion towards God, seeking their own way. In Matthew 9:11-13, Jesus' disciples were asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He didn't tell the tax collectors and sinners that they were fine the way they were. He didn't join them in their sin in an attempt to relate. He wasn't down with how they were living. He boldly declared that they needed His healing and His salvation. Does that sound like a meek and mild Saviour? Yes, He’s loving, gentle and forgiving, but He’s also a warrior who has zero tolerance for sin! The people in attendance at The Church of the Incarnation, for the tent revival, were there to hear the Truth proclaimed!

People calling themselves "Christians" have done terrible things. But so have people who thought they were reasonable and logical, such as humanists and atheists. Some would argue that the Christians doing terrible things did them in the name of God. Obviously, they weren't really Christians, for their comportment clearly did not verify Christ's message. Selfishness grows from the anarchy seed, the seed of the evil one. satan lashes out on the earth like a madman, setting tribes against each other in Africa. satan devastates many lives through starvation, alcoholism, substance abuse, pornography and children sold as sex slaves. satan is at work in economic chaos around the world, and the corporate-driven greed of American executives. satan is at work in the holocaust of violent, non-loving, disrespecting aborting of babies in the U.S. of A., the narcissism, materialism and elitism in

America

, and the self-absorption we wallow in when we do not ensure our next generation is brought up in a culture with edifying, wholesome values. satan was behind the psychopathic deeds of Hitler, Stalin, Chairman Mao and Che. After knowing the history of humankind, how could anyone ever choose to place so much faith in humans instead of in God???

We seem to forget - perhaps more truthfully, we refuse to remember - that we are the ones who betrayed God, not vice versa. We are the ones who listened to the lies of the evil one in the Garden; we chose to mistrust the heart of God. Why, oh why do we have difficulty believing in the God who created the entire universe? Why do we have trouble believing in the One who sent His only Son to save us from ourselves? In the same way God delivered the Israelites from

Egypt

, so He has delivered us from eternal death to eternal life through His beloved Son. He's delivered us from bondage to sin, bondage to narcissism, into fullness of life lived with and for Him. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. We experience suffering and temptation because mankind chose to follow satan. God is reaching out to rescue us. He made nature to sing His praises, to declare His glory and to love Him. He made humans with the ability to choose. He could have ordered our obedience; instead He calls for our hearts.

I Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches us "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." As is proclaimed in I John 4:8 "God is love," and until we surrender all authority over our lives to Him, we cannot truly love, and we cannot be truly good. The old hymns and Scripture songs are fraught with powerful meaning. Singing them instills peace, joy, comfort, strength and hope, as well as ensuring God's Holy Word will root deeply in one's heart. My grandparents were blessed to hear fire and brimstone preaching, the truth of Jesus proclaimed. They had the fear of God, unlike those in the postmodern church of today - the church that is supposedly so enlightened....so hip. JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER. All we need do is get back to His way, authentic Christianity, the Gospel of the Good News! I pray your family will focus on the One who came to save us from ourselves, the One who made it possible for us to spend eternity in heaven with His Father, the One whose love for us, His arms opened wide, would have held Him on the cross. True love will be against the world for the world, because true love knows what the world needs most.

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me!!! ~Downhere

A Letter of Concern from Reverend Joseph Martino

2010-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

My dear friend in Christ,

     I write to you today with great pastoral concern for the young people in Catholic education, and on behalf of my friends at The Cardinal Newman Society.

     Did you know that nearly 1-in-8 Catholics will leave the Faith while attending a Catholic college?

     On many of our Catholic campuses, there is a crisis thatimperils the souls of tens of thousands of the Church's sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews.

     This Advent season, I am asking you to join The Cardinal Newman Society, which has tirelessly worked to end this crisis for more than 17 years.

     Today's Gospel reads: "If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray?...  [I]t is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

     My friend, Scripture here reminds us of why we must be vigilant in protecting the faith of every son and daughter.

     We also must fight for a return to the flock of those colleges that are, perhaps unwittingly, teaching false theology and condoning promiscuous student life.

     This is the work of The Cardinal Newman Society.

     And it is why I hope that you will join me in supporting their work during this Advent season.

     Because while 1-in-8 Catholic students at Catholic colleges abandon the Faith, we have disturbing clues as to why it happens.  A recent Cardinal Newman Society survey found that:

27% of students at Catholic colleges view pornography.
59% say their friends regularly use drugs.
Nearly 1-in-5 know a student who had or paid for an abortion.
61% disagree with the Church's infallible teaching on the male priesthood.
60% think that abortion should be legal (and even 50% of those who attend Mass weekly!).
60% think that premarital sex with someone you care about is not a sin.
78% disagree that using a condom is a serious sin.
58% support "gay marriage".

     If we cannot do better than that at a Catholic college, what will happen to our culture?

     This is a terrible crisis and we all need to do our part.  The future of the Church and our nation is at risk, as are the souls of our young Catholic men and women.

     I am so very thankful that The Cardinal Newman Society remains steadfast in its commitment to our Faith.

     I support their mission to prod wayward Catholic colleges to embrace the richness that is genuine Catholic education.  It is a cause that is near to the hearts of Pope Benedict and his venerable predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

     Please stand with them in this important fight.  I know from experience how difficult it can be to stand alone, crying in the wilderness for fidelity.

     I have had a close relationship with The Cardinal Newman Society and am grateful that they are on the job:

alerting the faithful to scandal on Catholic campuses,
working with college leaders to improve policies and programs,
helping Catholic families in their search for good colleges,
promoting Eucharistic Adoration on campuses,
helping colleges defend their religious liberty from secularism,
and much more!

     They seek to renew Catholic colleges campus by campus, until the graduates of these colleges are strong in their faith and lead the New Evangelization.

     Already The Cardinal Newman Society works with a small but exciting group of faithful Catholic colleges, that embrace their Catholic identity and each year turn out a small army of well educated and faithful students prepared to evangelize the world.

     We all need to do our part to renew our Catholic colleges -- and they are truly "ours," since they rightly belong to the universal Church.

     One way you can help is to encourage your family and friends to send their children to the strong, faithful Catholic colleges recommended in the Society's Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College (which is in print and on the Internet).

     Another way is to become a member of The Cardinal Newman Society, standing in solidarity with our Holy Father and Catholic families across the nation for authentic Catholic higher education.

     My friend, please also remember to pray that we may continue to fight the good fight... and only with God before us!

     May God bless you this Advent -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Sincerely yours in the Risen Christ,

+ Joseph Martino

Comparing Two Recent Inaugural Parades

2010-11-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Matt Lauer's interview with President Bush was quite revealing as the segment with the video from Bush's inaugural parade rolled. George and his lovely wife had to sit behind thick bullet-proof glass as they traveled the route down Pennsylvania Avenue due to the hateful, venom-spewing progressives lining the streets. Swat teams were there in full force holding them back, fencing them off, using bodily force to keep them in check. Nasty signs were in abundance, spitting skills were practiced and hateful words screamed at our President and Laura, preventing them from exiting the safety of their limousine. Compare that to the leisurely way Barack and Michele were allowed to stroll peacefully down Pennsylvania Avenue, interfacing with their adoring public, during Obama's inaugural parade on another chilly day in January. I ask you. Who are the hate-mongers, the radical trouble-makers, the intolerant, the name-callers??? Who are the respectful, peaceful, dignified ones??? With which group do you want to be aligned???

Nihilism, Not Bullying is Reason Homosexuals Commit Suicide

2010-10-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

The sad homosexuals who choose to kill themselves do so due to nihilism, NOT BULLYING! Get real folks! Stop trying to pass the buck to those who have absolutely NOTHING to do with the problem!

DO THE RIGHT THING by Chuck Colson et al

2010-10-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r07Jdnddiyo&feature=player_embedded

My Essay Read at Lily Katherine's Memorial Service, March 26, 2010

2010-09-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Jesus called a little child and had her stand among them. And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18:2-4

Red is the rose by yonder garden grows and fair is the lily of the valley. My flower, my first little girl, has birthed her flower, her first little girl. Like when Jesus was a young boy and Mary could make all things right when he experienced a hurt, I could do the same for Hannah Rose, when she was a little girl, like the day I saved her life, while she choked on a bite of hot dog. However, when Jesus was on his way to the cross, his mother was helpless to heal His situation, just as I am now. As Anselm of Canterbury said, “For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this I believe - that unless I believe I shall not understand.” The silence in our home is as deafening as it was at Lily’s birth. We find great comfort in knowing that as her rosebud lips first parted to speak, it was to praise her Jesus! God obviously ordained the selection of her special name, for when Hannah Rose named her Lily Katherine, she wasn’t aware that Katherine, as well as Lily, also means purity. From the start, HR knew that Lily was special to God, and would be a pure set-apart girl for Him! The inspiration for Lily came from Song of Solomon 2:2 Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. God is good for He has separated Lily unto Himself where the pain, sin, temptations, and suffering of this fallen world can never touch her. She will never taste the saltiness of tears. She will never have to battle the world, the flesh and the devil. She will never have the opportunity to reject Jesus. Hannah Rose’s Lily will remain forever pure! We take exceeding comfort in that! Opening her sparkling, blue eyes for the first time, she beheld her Saviour as He cradled her in His loving arms. This nine month journey has been precious. First of all, and most importantly, Lily saved her mother from her rebellious, back- slidden condition, leading her back to Jesus. HR’s sacrificial love for her Lily brought my prodigal daughter back home to her family. God knew she would need our support, love and strength as she endured a difficult pregnancy and the ultimate loss of her little flower.

For the girls’ club to lose its newest member is a hard pill to swallow, especially as the earth is bursting forth with new life resurrecting with the beauty and promise of spring. We three immensely enjoyed the time God gave us with Lily: relishing deep, lively discussions and Bible study on living holy lives, forgiveness, repentance, God’s abundant love and His truth, card making, shopping, planning, fulfilling Hannah Rose’s (HR would always say it was Lily’s) food cravings, feathering our nest, making ready her nursery, going to the 4-D Imaging Center where we found out conclusively that she was a girl, enjoying ourselves with good friends at the cozy tea party baby shower in our home on February 13, appointments with Dr. March (how appropriate is his name?), ultrasounds to view our little love and watch her heart beat, traveling, weekly LifeCare classes and the wonderful support and friendships afforded us there, going on a tour of the Rex birthing center, spending all day at the Kids’ Exchange where we bought a matching stroller and swing for only $40., watching numerous birthing programs, as well as many hearty laughs at funny theoretical scenarios we‘re famous for. All of these activities were engaged in with exceeding delight. During her first ultrasound, we quickly became aware that Lily was a spunky girl, as she showed off her many flips. During each ultrasound, she would look directly at us so we could see her pretty, delicate facial features. Some of Lily’s favorite foods were strawberries on cereal, hash browns, Chick-fil-A, and pizza. Her homecoming outfit was the first purchase we made, even before it had been determined conclusively that she was indeed a girl. However, we just knew in our hearts that she was. That very special outfit is the one she’ll be buried in. It’s pink, bearing roses on the dress and hat in honor of her mother. Her brown shoes were a symbol of the possibility and potential her life promised. From the midst of our dashed hopes and dreams arose God’s higher plan. While shopping, Hannah Rose always knew where she could find me - in the baby clothes section of any store. Lily experienced many fun trips with us. Her twin uncles even moved home from VA to NC so they could be with their first little niece as she grew. She traveled to Thousand Islands in July when she was just a wee one. As she grew, she had fun with her adoring uncles, Adam and Joseph, at the Panthers/Eagles game in Charlotte on September 13, and in October, she was with the girls’ club when Grace took us for a brief respite to Topsail Island. She spent a week at Massanutten where her mother has enjoyed fun family vacations since she was a baby, and attended the annual banquet for the Pregnancy Centers of Central Virginia. She too was rejuvenated as we spent a restorative week at our retreat haven, with our devoted little charges, Luke and Lili, on Apple Green Lane in November. She tried to be born in Philly when we were there at Christmas time for the Eagles/Broncos game. Along with the rest of us, she had fun visiting historic points of interest, gawking at skyscrapers, traversing cobblestone streets, discovering quaint coffee shops and indulging in authentic Philly cheese steak subs. In January, she was with us as we marched in the annual Raleigh Walk for Life. She enjoyed listening to Copeland, HR’s favorite band, at their farewell tour in Chapel Hill early in March. All the music Lily heard helped her prepare the myriad dance moves she spent nine months perfecting for the viewing pleasure of her Master as she dances on streets of gold before Him. Of course, we looked forward to her first Easter, pushing her in her stroller on numerous walks, having her sleep in her comfy Moses basket next to her Dukes as she toiled in her garden, taking her to Emerald Isle for her mommy’s twenty-first birthday, her first Christmas, her first birthday, rocking her as we sang lullabies, hearing her say, “ma ma,“ and laugh for the first time, feeling her soft, chubby arms hugging me in return, even changing her dirty diapers. Our arms are empty but our hearts are full of precious memories we will hold forever dear!

On our merry way rejoicing to the Rex Birthing Center early Tuesday morning, we could never in our wildest dreams have imagined that shortly after arriving there, we would become aware that our precious little lamb had died several days before. Astute Emmaline pointed out to us while Hannah Rose was in labor that it was 3-16. Elaborating further as I appeared puzzled, she said, “John 3:16.” How special! That was my dear dad’s favorite Bible verse. It’s engraved on his grave marker and she will be laid to rest by him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. It’s been encouraging and motivating to read all the chapter 3, verse 16 Scriptures in the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Both HR and I shared the thought that the sky was gloomy because Jesus was weeping along with us. As the sun slipped behind the clouds, God’s Son brought the peace that passes all understanding, Jesus’ healing balm. After she realized Lily was dead, during her long labor, Hannah Rose’s sparkling blue eyes appeared to see heaven, her spirit was supernaturally sweet and she displayed such strength. She truly gave Jesus all authority, and He was glorified through the entire experience. At the same time we said, “hello” to our new joy, we were also required to say, “goodbye.“ Being afforded the blessing of spending time holding and rocking her was healing. In the true, inspirational book The Hiding Place, Betsy tenBoom tells her sister Corrie and the other women in the concentration camp with them that no matter how deep the pit, God is deeper still. The joy Lily brought will always be with us, even during this most difficult part of our journey, because happiness depends on happenings, while joy depends on Jesus! A tiny heart beating steadily for nine months has found its home in Him! I want to encourage each of you to heed what we‘re commanded in Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Realize too that the heart cannot exalt in what the mind rejects.

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Teach me Lord - teach me Lord to wait. ~Isaiah 40:31

As we have the need for everyone to mourn Lily’s untimely death with us, we also want you to join us in celebrating her lovely life with us! We lift our eyes to the Maker of the mountains we can’t climb!

The "Big Tent" Hipster church versus the Authentic Church, The Body of Christ

2010-09-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

I ask you what is wrong with singing the old hymns? What was so problematic with my grandparents' church? A new kind of Christianity is needed? Really?

The postmodern church speaks of the religious left, the postmodern church, and the religious right, the Body of Christ. To me, it's akin to the Reich church, definitely unChristian, under Hitler's evil reign compared to the Confessing Church, the Body of Christ, led by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The postmodern church is more interested in group hugs, warm fuzzies, providing a shoulder to cry on when folks get "real" with each other, telling folks they're fine the way they are instead of preaching the truth, instead of showing lost, hurting people that Jesus can bring them victory in their pain, as well as save them from their sinful selves! As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Those who try to use grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves. Isn't it a blasphemous encouragement to sin boldy and rely on grace? Is there a more diabolical abuse of grace than to sin and rely on the grace which God has given? Is this not the sin against the Holy Ghost?" Words like diversity, pluralism and tolerance have anesthetized us to the reality of good and evil. We’re called to love all men in the name of Jesus, not ignore their debauchery in the name of diversity. Sin is a big deal to God. So much so that He allowed Jesus to die on a cruel Roman cross to rescue us from its grip. Glossing over evil - whether our own behaviour or something the entertainment media has produced - is to say in essence, “What you did is really of little value to me, God. My view of sin is different from yours, and frankly I’m not that disturbed by it." Tolerance is the cultivation of an attitude of indifference to things we see happening around us. It is a numbing of one’s conscience, a dumbing down of one‘s convictions. It is political, religious and cultural correctness. It is being afraid to step on toes. It is not wanting to make waves. It is keeping one’s head in the sand like an ostrich. In the name of peace, we tolerate evil. In the name of tolerance, we accept sin and call it free enterprise or freedom of sexual persuasion. We dare not stand up for what we believe for fear of being labeled intolerant. The postmodern church, whose father is Brian McLaren, has acquired the policy of making grace available to all at too low a cost. Their humanitarian sentiment makes them give that which is holy to the scornful and unbelieving. The call to follow Jesus in the narrow way is rarely heard. What has happened to the warnings of Martin Luther's against preaching the gospel in such a manner as to make men rest secure in their ungodly living? That seduces folks to living on the mediocre level of the world. Deceived and weakened, men feel strong having possession of this cheap grace -whereas they have in fact lost the power to live the life of discipleship and obedience. “Tolerance” and “love” are two very different things. Tolerance sees your sin and embraces it. Grace sees your sin and hands you over to Christ's healing embrace. As exemplary Bonhoeffer said, "Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Grace simply means discipleship."

Attempting to portray half a Saviour, bringing only His love to the lost world, without at the same time illuminating His love with His truth, is the scheme afoot in the postmodern church! Of course, half a Saviour is no Saviour at all. Half the Gospel is no Gospel. It's playing cafeteria Christianity, picking and choosing what parts of the Bible to believe and what parts to discard, like President Thomas Jefferson did. That is NOT Christianity! Liberal Christian is an oxymoron. There can be no such person!

Speaking of tent revivals, the Catholic church I grew up in in Charlottesville, VA, held an honest-to-goodness tent revival meeting this August. Lives were changed and rearranged for Jesus Christ as folks from many denominations and differing worldviews gathered together to praise, worship and listen to the Gospel preached in its entirety. They were not there for a riveting performance, or to be told they are fine the way they are. They already knew they were NOT fine the way they are. That's why they were there! They already knew they were living in rebellion towards God, seeking their own way. In Matthew 9:11-13, Jesus' disciples were asked, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." In essence, Jesus was saying that everybody is living in sin if they have not surrendered all to Him, and everyone is in need of His healing and His salvation if they want to have eternal life. He didn't tell the tax collectors and sinners that they were fine the way they were. He didn't join them in their sin in an attempt to relate. He wasn't down with how they were living. He boldly declared that they needed His healing and His salvation! The people in attendance at The Church of the Incarnation, for the tent revival, were there to hear the Truth proclaimed! Herein lies the crux of the problem with the postmodern church, what they have dubbed the "Big Tent" - we cannot simply embrace all religions as if they are equal. THEY ARE NOT! All paths do NOT lead to heaven! There is one narrow way, folks, and we are told by Jesus, "few there be that find it." How sobering! The heresy the postmodern church teaches sends people to hell! That is NOT love! That is NOT the Good News of Jesus Christ! Here is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said to such heresy, "The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty ... before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God ... The church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone. That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace. Yet if we have truly understood and believed the gospel, it will change what we do and how we live. Unlike cheap grace, which means going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn't really matter much how you live, anyone who truly understands how God's costly grace comes to us will have a changed life. Costly grace changes you from the inside out. Actions must follow what one believes, else one cannot claim to believe it." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Unlike the unbridled, unholy freedom Donald Miller preaches, the social gospel they proclaim, the worldly preaching focused on sex and pleasure from pulpits such as Rob Bell's, Jim Wallis', Brian McLaren's, the party atmosphere, and the empty 7/11 songs sung in the postmodern church, how about instead offering a courageous man, (like Dietrich Bonhoeffer) who actually knows and craves the wisdom and knowledge in God's Word, to bring the eloquent message of the Truth of the Good News, in all it's grandeur, power and majesty, to the toiling masses? "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~Galatians 5:1 We are free in Christ to do that which is right, to surrender all to Him, His will, His way. We are not free to go back into bondage in Egypt, back into living for our own sinful will and way. We are not free to take license in the freedom of Christ to live however we selfishly want to.

The old hymns and Scripture songs are fraught with powerful meaning. Singing them instills peace, joy, comfort, strength and hope, as well as ensuring God's Holy Word will root deeply in one's heart. My grandparents were blessed to hear fire and brimstone preaching, the truth of Jesus proclaimed. They had the fear of God, unlike those in the postmodern church of today - the church that is supposedly so enlightened....so hip.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER. All we need do is get back to His way, authentic Christianity, the Gospel of the Good News!

The most amazing story about God's sovereignty and the power of His Word

2010-09-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

During Ravi Zacharias' ministry in Vietnam in 1971, one of his interpreters who traveled with him was Hien Pham, an energetic, devoted young Christian who had worked very closely as a translator with the American military forces, purely as a civilian, with no official or military responsibilities. He just knew English so well that he was able to be of immense help to them in their linguistic struggles. By virtue of that same strength he also worked with the missionaries. Ravi and Hien traveled the length of the country and became very close friends before Ravi bade Hien good-bye when he left Vietnam to return home. They were both very young, and neither of them knew if their paths would cross again. Within four years Vietnam fell, and Hien's fate was unknown.

Seventeen years later, in 1988, Ravi received a surprise telephone call that began with, "Brother Ravi?" Immediately Ravi recognized Hien's voice. Ravi asked Hien how he had managed to get out of Vietnam and come to the United States. Ravi was not prepared for the story he was about to hear.

Shortly after Vietnam fell to the communists, Hien was arrested. Accused of aiding and abetting the Americans he was in and out of prison for several years. During one long jail term, the sole purpose of his jailers was to indoctrinate him against the West - and especially against democratic ideals and the Christian faith. He was cut off from reading anything in English and restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese. This daily overdose of the writings of Marx and Engels began to take its toll on him. One of the books he was given to read pictured the communist man as a bird in the ironclad cage of capitalism, throwing itself against the bars of "capitalist oppression" and bloodying itself in the process. Yet still it continued to struggle in its quest for freedom.

Hien began to buckle under the onslaught. Maybe, he thought, I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist. Maybe my whole life has been governed by lies. Maybe the West has deceived me. The more he thought, the more he moved toward a decision. Finally, he made up his mind. He determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or ever think of his Christian faith again.

The next morning, he was assigned to clean the latrines of the prison. It was the most dreaded chore, shunned by everyone, and so with much distress he began the awful task. As he cleaned out a tin can filled to overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what he thought was English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly washed it off and slipped it into his hip pocket, planning to read it at night. Not having seen anything in English for such a long time, he anxiously waited for a free moment. Under his mosquito net that night after his roommates had fallen asleep, he pulled out a small flashlight and shining it on the damp piece of paper he read at the top corner, "Romans, Chapter 8." Literally trembling with shock, he began to read:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose....What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? . . . Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hien wept. He knew his Bible, and he had not seen one for so long. Not only that, he knew there was not a more relevant passage of conviction and strength for one on the verge of surrendering to the threat of evil. He cried out to God, asking for forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day in years that he had determined not to pray. Evidently the Lord had other plans.

The next day, Hien asked the camp commander if he could clean the latrine again. He continued with this chore on a regular basis, because he had discovered that some official in the camp was using a Bible as toilet paper. Each day Hien picked up a portion of Scripture, cleaned it off, and added it to his nightly devotional reading. In this way he retrieved a significant portion of the Bible.

The day came when, through an equally providential set of circumstances, Hien was released. He promptly began to make plans to escape from the country. After several unsuccessful attempts he began again to build a boat in secret. About fifty-three other people planned to escape with him, and Hien was taking the lead. All was going according to plan until a short while before the date of their departure when four Vietcong knocked on Hien's door. When he opened it, they accosted him and said they had heard he was trying to escape. "Is it true?" they demanded. Hien immediately denied it and went on to distract them with some concocted story to explain his activities. Apparently convinced, they reluctantly left.

Hien was relieved but very disappointed with himself. "Here I go again, Lord, trying to manipulate my own destiny, too unteachable in my spirit to really believe that You can lead me past any obstacle." He made a promise to God, fervently hoping that the Lord would not take him up on it. He prayed that if the Vietcong were to come back again, he would tell them the truth. Resting in the comfort of that impossibility, he was thoroughly shaken when only a few hours before they were to set sail the four men stood at his door once more. "We have our sources, and we know you are trying to escape. Is it true?" Hien resignedly gave his answer, "Yes, I am, with fifty-three others. Are you going to imprison me again?" There was a pronounced pause. And then they leaned forward and whispered, "No. We want to escape with you?"

In an utterly incredible escape plan, all fifty-eight of them found themselves on the high seas, suddenly engulfed by a violent storm. Hien fell with his face in his hands, crying out to God, "Did you bring us here to die?"

As he concluded his story, he said, "Brother Ravi, if it were not for the sailing ability of those four Vietcong, we would not have made it." They arrived safely in Thailand, and years later Hien arrived on American soil where today he is a businessman - forever grateful for America and praying that she would open her heart as a nation to Christ.

Lily Katherine

2010-09-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

A year ago today I was informed of the precious life of my granddarling, Lily Katherine, who was born still on March 16, at 40 weeks, 7 lbs. 9 oz., 21 inches long, the picture of robust health and completed development. What a year this has been for us all. God works all things together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purposes! Lily, you will be very much missed until we meet again in glory, darling! Thank you for opening blind eyes to the majesty of Almighty God, as well as to the value, dignity and respect He attributes to each and every life He has created. Your life, albeit brief, helped restore relationships with Jesus and with others.

CHILD LOANED by Edgar Guest - one of my favorite poets

2010-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

"I'll lend you for a little time
A child of Mine," He said.
"For you to love the while she lives,
And mourn for when she's dead.
It may be six or seven years
Or twenty-two or three,
But will you, till I call her back
Take care of her for Me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you,
And should her stay be brief,
You'll have her lovely memories
As solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay,
since all from Earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over
In My search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes,
I have selected you;
Now will you give her all your love,
Nor think the labour vain,
Nor hate Me when I come to call
and take her back again?
I fancied that I heard them say,
"Dear Lord, Thy will be done,
For all the joy Thy child shall bring,
For the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter her with tenderness,
We'll love her while we may,
And for the happiness we've known,
Forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for her
Much sooner then we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.

Bringing Up Girls in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord

2010-09-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Following is the sweetest letter at the back of Dr. James Dobson's (Godson :) ) most recent, wisdom-packed book entitled Bringing Up Girls:

Dear Dr. Dobson,

Today is the sixth anniversary of the day my precious little girl, Delaney, went home to live with Almighty God. As my family and I remember with tears, smiles and confident thoughts of seeing her again one day, I can't help but think of you as you are writing Bringing Up Girls.

Although we had only sixteen short months with her, Delaney is a special gift. As the father of one boy already at that time (now two), I can tell you that she was a completely different being. From the time my boys were old enough to reach out and hug me, I always got the sense that they were practicing their headlocks, which they now use on me every chance they get. To receive a hug from Delaney, however, was an altogether different experience. She never tired of melting into my arms and burying her tiny face deep into my neck. She was pure love. She was my "Sweet Delaney Pie."

When sharing our story with others, especially parents, I am always careful to convey the most important perspective that God has blessed us (yes, blessed us) with through our tragic loss. I always say to them, "I can live my life here on earth without my precious Delaney, but I cannot possibly conceive of spending eternity without any one of my children." God has made the significance of this perspective so very clear to my wife, Becky, and me, and we are eternally (literally) grateful. I wish this truth could become as clear to every parent without having to go through such a tragic experience as ours.

Even through all we've learned, we are still not perfect parents, but we don't have to be perfect in order to pass along God's eternal perspective. Our sons speak often and with confidence of "our sister, Delaney, who lives in heaven." They also smile as they talk about what they will do together when they finally get to see her. The faith of children is so pure. I love that.

I don't know what Delaney will look like when I see her again. Will she still be a little girl, or will she have grown to be a beautiful woman? No matter. We will embrace, and I will weep flowing tears of joy for a long, long time. I will weep because the pain of her death will be gone forever. What will be left will be the only thing that matters: we will share eternity together.

May God bless you, Dr. Dobson, as you write this book, that your readers will take seriously the responsibility of raising, protecting and loving these special gifts - these tender, loving, precious little girls God has entrusted them with.

Your brother in Christ,

Mark

I implore you to please pick up a copy of Bringing Up Girls, as well as his excellent book entitled Bringing Up Boys!

Feminists Unnatural Stance with Islam's View of Women

2010-08-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

How, oh how can the feminists at Bitch Magazine think that it's a good thing for a mosque to be erected at Ground Zero???

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-anti-muslim-a-holes http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=1222190

Really? I mean, really? Feminists can truly concur with how females are viewed and treated according to the so-called religion of Islam? They think it's OK for men to have four wives at the same time, as well as for a man to be allowed, by the Quran, to beat a disobedient wife?? Do feminists get warm fuzzies over the ahadiths that proclaim that most women will go to hell, while most men will go to heaven? (Realistically, what woman would get all excited about being in paradise surroundered by beautiful virgins?) Do feminists truly believe it's okay, according to the Quran, for a man to lie to his wife in order to please her? As a person who believes in radical womanhood, living set-apart for Jesus Christ, I find this exceedingly disturbing, for feminists obviously do NOT engage their brains to think for themselves.

http://action.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147497818

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/06/pat-condell-on-ground-zero-mosque-is-it-possible-to-be-astonished-but-not-surprised.html

What do you think?

Misanthrope Emily's Convoluted Thinking (aka killerquill)

2010-08-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Emily, http://killerquill.blogspot.com/2010/07/conversations-with-psychotic-and.html, made the sweeping declaration that when one sets no boundaries in one's choice of reading materials, basically being free to read any garbage that our corrupt world churns out, that prevents one from becoming a misanthrope. Following are her comments to me from our debate on her aunt's ( my friend's) facebook page, as well as from her charming posting on her lady-like blog entitled Conversations with the Psychotic and Intellectually Barren:

We have so-called "depressing" literature on required reading lists because, in a sense, it is soft preparation for the types of situations and people that young adults might encounter in the real world. Literature is not indoctrination. In fact, it is the one thing that prevents narrow-mindedness and indoctrination. Reading (especially reading a wide array of viewpoints) is at its very essence the antidote to ignorance, bitterness, and misanthropy.

Since Emily has engaged in reading that is so varied and open-minded, my question for her is, why then, is she a self-proclaimed misanthrope? Why hasn't her avid reading proven itself to be her fail-safe method protecting her from harboring bitterness? She has me scratching my head in confusion. Following is her last sentence in our battle of words:

Sigh. And people WONDER why I'm such a misanthrope.

According to her, taking license to fill one's mind with unbridled stuff and nonsense is supposedly the antidote to disliking and distrusting people. What a contradiction she presents between what she professes and what she actually lives! Emily, I do WONDER why you are such a misanthrope? Obviously, her empty, meaningless reading has not worked it's intended magic.

Wisdom from Ravi Zacharias' book * DELIVER US FROM EVIL

2010-08-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

I've typed these wise excerpts from Ravi for two in particular, Emily and Cara.

They need to learn to differentiate between opinion and conviction. An opinion is merely a preference in a continuum of options. A conviction is rooted in the conscience and cannot be changed without changing that which essentially defines the person. In a pluralistic culture, an opinion should not be given the same passion as the weight of a conviction.

Secularists do not take into account that on their own terms no position needs to be defended if a commitment to it is sufficient reason in itself. If it is believed that all moralizing is purely one's private view then ought not that view itself be kept private? The secularist never answers how he or she determines whether anything is wrong with anything except by sheer choice. Secular belief grants itself privileges that it does not equally distribute.

In a purely naturalistic universe there is nothing to transcend matter - there is no soul or spirit because that would imply the supernatural. This dehumanizing "net worth" is all that secularism has left when life is seen through the eyes of the Spirit of the Age. Brain power is not sufficient to explain what the mind and the heart instinctively understand. If humanity is nothing more than its lowest common denominator, the very philosophy espoused by a valueless creature is valueless. The ideas we pursue can be classified in terms of worth only if human beings have an essential glory. Secularism strips humanity of decency because it strips it of common sense first by denuding the mind.

The pathetic, psychological, voiceless posture where shame is excised from our cultural intercourse, leaves behind a hell of possibilities and swings wide the door to evil in any and every form. All attitudes and all behaviour find avenues of unbridled expression, and no one reserves the right to say, "It is not enough to say you're sorry - you ought to feel sorry and ashamed of what you have done." Ah! But this is too much to ask of the postmodern mind where self-congratulation is the mood engendered by irreligious social policies. It is our philosophical commitment that ends up legitimizing shamelessness that puts an individual on the road to incorrigibility. For any corrective in behaviour of for punitive measure to be effective there must be some point of hurt or undesired feeling within the one who has done wrong. Shame or remorse or society's disapproval is powerless today to induce a desire to change, because the ideas that shape our culture make shame a hangover of an antiquated religious world-view. How then is it possible to reconcile law with liberty when both the sense of right and the sensation of wrong have been eradicated? Shame is to the moral health of a society what pain is to the body. The loss of shame in a society is ultimately an attack upon all of civilization. Loss of shame is an attack upon all of humanity, because shame was given to us as a guardian, not only of ourselves, but of our fellow human being. The loss of belief in the supernatural, which secularism implies, has led to an eradication of the sense of shame, which secularism cannot deal with. The soil of shamelessness gives root to evil in its most violent forms. With the name of God now unhallowed and His kingdom not welcome does it make any sense to cry, "Deliver us from evil"?

*Deliver Us From Evil by Ravi Zacharias, 1997, Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson

Emily's Poison Pen Blogspot

2010-08-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

I should also mention that Ginny DOES keep a blog. Enjoy the pure, undiluted 100% crazy!

Oh, and her adult daughter has an entire blog dedicated to a stillborn baby. Okay, before you unleash the tide of "you heartless bastard!" -- just hear me out: please don't get me wrong, giving birth to a stillborn baby is extremely heart-wrenching and devastating. That woman has every right to grieve. But there is something EXTREMELY disturbing about setting up a PUBLIC blogshrine to a dead baby, replete with photographs of the deceased. I mean, for fuck's sake, the poor thing in the photograph is so far gone that it's already showing livor mortis. And to think that everyone went around posing for photos and mourning over this stillborn for... how long, Hours? Where is the respect and dignity for the dead? Since when did heartfelt grief for a lost child become an extremely public affair with photo albums and countdown clocks ("it's been 4 months since we said goodbye")?

I've noticed that there is a strong trend among religious right fanatics to set up blogshrines to their stillborn babies or anencephalic, dying babies. I'm not kidding. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm guessing it's a combination of: "pro-life" (anti-choice) fervor, the belief that a woman's duty is to be an incubator, religious delusion (and thus an incapability of coming to terms with natural death/dying), poor emotional coping skills, and the chance to become a "martyr mom" among fundies. I think that is why these women SNAP when they realize their pregnancy is not viable and they decide to carry to term any way to show off their martyrdom. And there is mental illness involved. I'm not the sanest person in the bunch, but I feel sorry for Ginny and her daughter, as there is obviously a lot of psychological instability between them. But what can you do?

Sigh. And people WONDER why I'm such a misanthrope.

http://killerquill.blogspot.com/2010/07/conversations-with-psychotic-and.html?showComment=1280782231539_AIe9_BFDI20sUGV7rXBjJ65KIMOHlqWlKrTd0zJypctHuxU-J-orlLQiAQ5zIAcf8PXzQqZtDaN3EZEQUHkrhWjQ2P1bRHGxAsra0aABePxVVgeevS-UaISw9jNxii3NsETykuc3ur5yARS2921lAmLDU0q2_hY3n4ZoFzL9wdStDb8EqDr5P7kJWiwdBLWR-9KkRfMfu_pquZf_9w96rFNk6lWdZdKd4XiLrvjj-qjgMdgn9EnflmDlYPcRRkarm2kd4NqEc2auSv6IHeQ1YwZDK-jPIuiOof5T9WpUBAuF_TghUe1NuVgXUa9GDMz9mHZjZB5rbSw51THgJ9CK7BVySSxJ1SXRHOF-W5bkvs_F0uqLm0xDvmQ6Hk-Yi96gJ3JJX2U-KRNi-swIT4DHipy128sKcLAV0DkQZeMFLgxLUp0g3ZsMP8KOr5gfkMiyTY3n9xI9fwHzbL2DbHigVErQA-Xdbq0pvvDNZdFl0RdoBJINARK1Cs7F0w1iH14Dvfex6Y34TlReJ3vFHiphMtFi6lwLrZ8JU55c6hZ_LoIUn9ch-mHFXQQHOUM0uLx10jdLT4l5E9wYtd--BBwDrycSKzHM50aD5uaf9qVsY_lmrzThVjAFARK1dkEU3xTM6Dp_JuXNbBYWzDFHl-0PgV22WUvuRTx-_fVaV7wAoazLXiroSi8y0QU#c171550418610441405

Blood Money narrated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's niece

2010-07-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.bloodmoneyfilm.com/trailer.php

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LUCRATIVE, DIABOLICAL ABORTION INDUSTRY. AFTER ALL, ABORTION IS THE MERCILESS, VIOLENT SLAUGHTER OF PRECIOUS, DEFENSELESS, VULNERABLE BABIES! Buy it today!

PEACE

2010-07-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

A so-called "friend" on facebook posted a message about the wonderful speech President Carter delivered at James Madison University back in the fall. He gave her reason to announce, "Peace IS possible!" Since she claims to be a follower of Jesus, I couldn't believe her comment, and proceeded to leave her a message concerning her posting. I told her that peace is not possible in this world, according to Jesus. His own words proclaim in Matthew 10:34-36, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'" I John 5:20 declares, "the whole world is under the control of the evil one." Either this person does not read her Bible, or she is one of those who delves into cafeteria Christianity, picking and choosing the verses that give her warm fuzzies, while discarding those she finds unsavory.

Thomas Becket delivered T. S. Eliot's Christmas sermon in the play Murder in the Cathedral:

But think for a while on the meaning of this word "peace." Does it seem strange to you that the angels should have announced Peace, when ceaselessly the world has been stricken with War and the fear of War? Does it seem to you that the angelic voices were mistaken, and that the promise was a disappointment and a cheat?

Reflect now, how our Lord Himself spoke of Peace. He said to His disciples "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Did He mean peace as we think of it: the kingdom of England at peace with its neighbours, the barons at peace with the King, the householder counting over his peaceful gains, the swept hearth, his best wine for a friend at the table, his wife singing to the children? Those men, His disciples, knew no such things: they went forth to journey afar, to suffer by land and sea, to know torture, imprisonment, disappointment, to suffer death by martyrdom. What then did He mean? If you ask that, remember then that He said also, "Not as the world gives, give I unto you." So then, He gave to His disciples peace, but not peace as the world gives. *

“Realize that the aim of the Prince of Peace is not peace with unbelief and disobedience. Those are the enemies that must be destroyed, lest they destroy. When the amnesty of Jesus is despised, division is inevitable. What we meet in the biting language of Christ is a form of love that corresponds with the real world of corruption, the dullness of our hearts and the magnitude of what is at stake in our choices. If there were no great evils, no deaf hearts and no eternal consequences, perhaps the only fitting forms of love would be a... soft touch and tender words. But such a world does not kill the Son of God and hate his disciples.” ~John Piper

As stated in Colossians 3:15, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace." Within the body of Christ, peace is possible, of course, if we are willing to surrender all authority to Jesus. Face facts folks, that's a big "if." By the way, the person on facebook, who sings in her church choir, claiming to be my friend, deleted my comment on peace. How ironic that immediately after professing how peace is possible, as one key is pressed, she demonstrates how unlikely that possibility is with one swift stroke of her hand.

*The Complete Poems and Plays, 1909-1950, New York: Harcourt Brace, 1952, pp. 198-99.

BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

2010-07-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

The other day, my twenty-five year old twin sons and I engaged in a stimulating conversation centered around God's mercy, fairness and judgment of those who have not heard the good news of Jesus, from those who have surrendered their all to Him. Adam spoke of how blessed we are to have been born in the U.S. of A. Of course, we had no control over where and when we were born, for that was all in God's plan. Romans 1 instructs us that "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 10:17-18 tells us, "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. But I ask, Did they not hear? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.'" Psalm 19:1 declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Titus 2:11-14, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." As we progressed deeper into our discussion, I suggested that perhaps we are not truly the blessed ones. Yes, we are surrounded by abundant material blessings, safety and health. However, the fear of God has been cast away in our rotting culture. Around the globe, there are people who fear God and are eager to learn of and serve Him with their whole hearts. Many of them live in squalor, poverty and disease. Who are the truly blessed? Those who were born into wealthy countries where they have no need for and no desire for God? Or those who were born into poor, undeveloped countries where they yearn to give their all to Him? The Bible clearly teaches in Luke 6:20 that the poor will inherit the Kingdom of God, while it's hard for the rich to enter heaven. In Acts 9:36 and Galatians 2:10, His Word teaches us to treat the poor with high regard.

My entire life I've known of Christian churches equipping Americans to go and be missionaries on foreign soil. My thinking is that is a wasteful use of money, time and energy lavished upon sending those who do not know the language or culture, when, instead, it makes much more sense to equip indigenous missionaries to spread the Gospel of Jesus to their own people. I believe we were born for such a time as this to make a difference for our King of kings and Lord of lords here in our native country. In recent years, missionaries from other countries have been coming here in an attempt to dispel the darkness spread by satan in the U.S. of A. Jesus' light, love, salt and truth are desperately needed here, and we must heed the call. Millions of Muslims around the world are professing Jesus is Lord. Folks are dreaming dreams and seeing visions in countries where the strongholds of materialism, intellectualism, narcissism, pride, humanism, feminism and the total disregard for the value and dignity of each human life are not getting in the way of their hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ. They have the ears to hear and the hearts to understand. God is moving mightily among the poor, forgotten and downtrodden of the world.

Thanks to Jesus Walking in My Life

2010-07-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Presence of mind for problem solving and quick wit,
Such fine abilities are among Emmaline's gifts.
Jesus walking.

Displaying insight far beyond her brief years,
To our Lord, Hannah Rose both listens and hears.
Jesus walking.

Finding humor in every situation,
Quite a talent Adam has for inspiring fun.
Jesus walking.

Hanging out with his sisters and mother,
Joseph watches the back of his brother.
Jesus walking.

Teaching with wisdom that is very sage,
Counseling from Chuck can help any age.
Jesus walking.

Lavishing immense care on both young and old,
Under Ellie's watchfulness, lives she helps mold.
Jesus walking.

Her gentle, sweet spirit is such a rare find,
All know dear Sarah to be one of a kind.
Jesus walking.

On His strength she relies for her talent to cope,
Living for Jesus has given Helen her Hope.
Jesus walking.

Countless young lives inspired by his mentoring skills,
The right path, purpose, assurance Lindy instills.
Jesus walking.

Devotion to family, community, job,
Nana's witness that she is by no means a slob.
Jesus walking.

God Is In Control

2010-06-17T10:14:00.001-07:00

God could have shown us how great He is. He could have displayed how powerful and above us He is. Instead, He became as small as we are. What did Jesus know that enabled Him to do what He did? Here's part of the answer. He knew the value of people (His sheeple). He knew that each human being is a treasure. And because He did, people were not a source of stress, but a source of joy. Jesus knows how you feel. You are precious to Him. So precious that He became like you, so that you would come to Him. It is outrageous for the Christ whose rightful place is at the right hand of His Father to step out of timelessness into our world to live as one of us. For people with bodies, important things like love have to be embodied, or else people with bodies would never in a trillion years understand about love. It was not necessary to nail Him to His cross. His unfailing love, arms opened wide for us, would have held Him there. That I should such a life destroy yet live by Him I killed! He lived for us, then He died for us, and then He rose for us. His death atoned for our sins, and His resurrection opens the door to everlasting life. How much easier it would have been for Him to not give us a choice. But to remove the choice would be to remove the love. The one who chose to love created one who could love in return… Now …. it's our choice. Jesus is fishing for us, not to kill us but to give us life. God woos us with kindness. He changes our character with the passion of His love.

God is looking down on this earth, half angry because His beloved mankind has cheated on Him, has committed adultery, and yet He is hopelessly in love with her. God's goodness is spurred by His nature, not by our worthiness. We are wanted by God, pursued by God. He is wanting to preserve us, to guide us through the darkness of the shadow of death up into eternal life in His presence. We are temporarily in these shells on this earth. Paul had no questions. That is how he could be beaten one day, imprisoned the next, and released only to be beaten again and never ask God why. He understood the earth is fallen. He understood the rules of Rome could not save mankind, that mankind could not save itself; rather it must be rescued. He knew he was not in the promised land, but still in the desert. We seem to forget - perhaps more truthfully, we refuse to remember - that we are the ones who betrayed Him, not vice versa. We are the ones who listened to the lies of the evil one in the Garden; we chose to mistrust the heart of God. Why, oh why do we have difficulty believing in the God who created the entire universe? Why do we have trouble believing in the One who sent His only Son to save us from ourselves? In the same way God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, so he has delivered us from eternal death to eternal life through His beloved son. He's delivered us from bondage to sin, bondage to narcissism, into fullness of life lived with and for Him.

True, God is in control of the universe. True, He can prevent suffering whenever He sees fit. However, that doesn't mean that everything that happens is His doing. Wherever free will exists, by the very nature of things, consequences of choice must exist. These consequences will be either good or bad, depending on the decisions that are made. We are all being tempted by satan. Pain, suffering and death are the result of man's abuse of free will. God does not prevent man's disobedience, even though He knows the consequences will be devastating. He allows a man to reap what he sows. Selfishness grows from the anarchy seed, the seed of the evil one. satan lashes out on the earth like a madman, setting tribes against each other in Rwanda. satan devastates many lives through starvation, alcoholism, substance abuse and pornography. satan is at work in economic chaos around the world, and the corporate-driven greed of American executives. satan is at work in the holocaust of violent, non-loving, disrespecting aborting of babies in the U.S. of A., the narcissism, materialism and intellectualism in America, social class snobbery, and the self-absorption we wallow in when we do not ensure our next generation is brought up in a culture with enriching, wholesome values. What a great responsibility it is to be human. We are human because God made us. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. We experience suffering and temptation because mankind chose to follow satan. God is reaching out to rescue us … God made nature to sing His praises, to declare His glory and to love Him. He made humans with the ability to choose. He could have ordered our obedience; instead He calls for our heart.

Hannah Rose's Name and Quilt

2010-06-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Praying like Hannah did in I Samuel 1:11, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant‘s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,” I also asked God to bless me with children, believing as Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a gift from the Lord.” Experiencing infertility as a young married woman, I believed He would bless me with such treasures, as told to Hannah in I Samuel 1: 17 “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” Song of Solomon 2:1, “I am a rose of Sharon,” was the other verse fraught with meaning for me when naming my much prayed for daughter, the rose of Sharon symbolizing fertility. Believing one day I would birth a daughter, I chose her lovely name and stitched, for her in faith, a handmade quilt seven years before her birth. Gracing her hand wrought work of love are Hannah Rose’s name, the scripture verses from I Samuel and Song of Solomon and the year I created it.

God Is In Control

2010-06-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Right to Prayer

2010-06-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

Andy Rooney says:

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book,Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.

When in Rome .....

But....what about the atheists, is another argument.

What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our
rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"

God bless us one and all...Especially those who denounce Him. God bless America and Canada, despite all our faults We are still the greatest nations of all. God bless our servicemen who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2010 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces come home from all the wars.

Keep looking up.

Killing Life and Liveliness

2010-06-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

Why are more and more people being diagnosed with mental illness? Why are there more and more psychopaths? Could it possibly be due to the stench in our society? Is it just so much harder to cope while living surrounded by so much filth? Consider the mobility of our society and the fewer meaningful connections we are making with each other? Could there be any correlation between mental illness, psychopathy and tossing God out of the public square? Can it have to do at all with how the cultural and intellectual elite want the common folk to be managed, kept quiet, under wraps, controlled and manipulated so we will not display passion about Jesus or about the corruption permeating our culture? I believe they want us drugged into submission, complacency, mediocrity and tolerance so their evil fog of progressivism can freely infiltrate this land and its people. They want us drugged so we won't display all of the emotions with which God created us, so we won't engage our brains to think for ourselves. They want us drugged so we will remain silently tucked away in our homes, not caring about the ever deepening pit of evil into which our country is wallowing. They want us to believe all is well. They want us to mind our own business, and to swallow the lie that the choices other people make for themselves won't affect us. As Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1963, "Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly ... I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be." Progressives will stop at nothing to acquire and maintain their covert agenda. Like Lazarus in John 12:10-11, "So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him." they want to kill me too. There are ways to kill life and liveliness without committing murder, and with their control, they want to destroy my liveliness. We may "break" a horse or even a child without harming a hair on it's head. Erich Fromm was acutely sensitive to this fact when he broadened the definition of necrophilia to include the desire of certain people to control others - to make them controllable, to foster their dependency, to discourage their capacity to think for themselves, to diminish their unpredictability and originality, to keep them in line. Distinguishing it from a "biophilic" person, one who appreciates and fosters the variety of life forms and the uniqueness of the individual, he demonstrated a "necrophilia character type," whose aim it is to avoid the inconvenience of life by transforming others into obedient automatons, robbing them of their humanity. Evil, then, is that force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness.

Children need to be taught that laziness and narcissism are at the very root of all human evil, and why this is so. They must learn that each individual is of sacred importance. They must learn that personal purification is required not only for the salvation of their individual souls but also for the salvation of their world.

Talk About Layin' Down Your Life for a Friend!

2010-06-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is a true story, folks. An eight year old boy had a younger sister who was dying of leukemia, and he was told that without a blood transfusion she would die. His parents explained to him that his blood was probably compatible with hers, and if so, he could be the blood donor. They asked him if they could test his blood. He said sure. So they did and it was a good match. Then they asked if he would give his sister a pint of blood, that it could be her only chance of living. He said he would have to think about it overnight.

The next day he went to his parents and said he was willing to donate the blood. So they took him to the hospital where he was put on a gurney beside his six year old sister. Both of them were hooked up to IVs. A nurse withdrew a pint of blood from the boy, which was then put in his sister's IV. The boy lay on his gurney in silence while the blood dripped into his sister, until the doctor came over to see how he was doing. Then the boy opened his eyes and asked, "How soon until I start to die?"

The Fruits of My Dad's Godly Life

2010-05-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Living a life of charity,

My dear dad’s legacy to me.

Such joy radiated from his being,

Benefiting from such joy was freeing.

His peaceful worldview on life,

Helped us live without much strife.

A kind and patient man was he,

Walking with Jesus for all to see.

Goodness marked most every act.

Choosing love, he spoke with tact.

Faithful to God through all his years,

True to God’s Word, not giv’n to fears.

Indwelling his gentle and quiet spirit,

God’s Holy Spirit in Dad was a fine fit.

Using self-control to live, not his will,

Choosing to live his life led by God’s will.

Ginny Kirk Bain Allen (Kirk was my Dad's name)

HANDS

2010-05-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

His hands, my hands, our hands reaching out in love,

Obeying all instruction from our Father God above.

From Jesus’ holy hands pierced to set us free,

Not needing nails to hold him there, just His love for me.

To the hands of flesh I offer Him out of humility.

His hands, my hands, our hands displaying servanthood,

Not choosing evil with our will, but only used for good.

With pure hearts and clean hands we serve our Lord and brothers,

Giving allegiance first to our Lord and after Him all the others.

His hands, my hands, our hands healing hearts and lives,

Not insisting on my way but allowing His will to rule our lives.

Teaching us in His Word if we seek to be holy as He is holy,

Not one can snatch us from His hand, if we, for Him, live solely.

His hands, my hands, our hands cherishing the poor,

Pure religion is to devote ourselves to them forevermore.

Made by God to carry one another’s burdens, we are,

Nurturing and affirming hands help carry one another far.

His hands, my hands, our hands accepting all the same,

Not respecting any above the rest, in precious Jesus’ name.

Living sacrificially, impressing on our children His commands,

Daily living by them, tying them as symbols on our hands.

His hands, my hands, our hands reaching out in love,

Fitting well together just like a hand in glove.

Ginny Bain Allen

CHILD OF MINE

2010-05-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

God’s thoughts are so far above our own.

His ways much higher and are not known.

Uniquely her own are my child’s thoughts, ideas, plans and dreams.

Rejoice do I, as she is fearfully made in God’s grand scheme.

This treasure sent to me from heaven up above.

Entrusted with her care - for a while mine to love.

The decisions she makes for herself are not up to me.

Called to train and instruct her am I, but then to set free.

Growing together as we will to travel His narrow way.

Because of her, more like Jesus I’ll be with each passing day.

Ginny Bain Allen

My 2009 Christmas Gift

2010-05-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

What a person believes about God is basic to everything else. Do you believe the Word of God or not? “God chooses not milksops destitute of backbone, to wear his glory upon their faces. We have plenty of men made of sugar, nowadays, that melt into the stream of popular opinion; but these shall never ascend into the hill of the Lord, nor stand in his holy place, nor wear the tokens of his glory.” ~Charles H. Spurgeon

We all give our allegiance to some master. Who is it you serve? Yourself? satan? Are you ruled by your flesh? Do you worship at the altar of material possessions, alcohol, power, prestige, money, popularity, fun, hobbies, leisure time, physical appearance, fountain of youth, Hollywood, the music industry, pornography, narcissism? Are you constantly distracted by other things so you won't have time to examine yourself, and be still before God? Are you constantly chasing after your next pleasurable dopamine fix to fill the God-shaped hole in your heart? Are you always attempting to ease the suffering in your heart, that living in this impersonal world brings, with shopping, cigarettes, booze, food, sex, entertainment? Do you protect your eye-gates and ear-gates from impurity? Is your time lavished selfishly on yourself or do you use it to serve the Lover of your soul? Do you worship at the feet of The One who bled and died for your sins? Who is on the throne in your life? Are you willing to be poured out like oil on the altar for Him – thy will to break, His will to take?

Chuck Colson's Manhattan Declaration is perhaps the most significant document in recent years. It draws a line in the sand on the three paramount issues of our time: the sanctity of human life, the sanctity of marriage as the holy and conjugal union of husband and wife, and the rights of religious liberty and conscience. As my mentor, Dr. James Dobson, stated on his radio program recently, if our values are "not preserved at this moment of destiny, this nation and most others in the Western world will fold, and freedom itself will go down with it." Will you stand with others who claim Christ as Lord, and who long to better our country, or will you stand with those who oppose us? I implore you to do the right thing, and sign the Manhattan Declaration!

“No lips ever spoke with such thundering indignation against sin as the lips of the Messiah. While in tenderness he prays for His tempted disciple, that his faith may not fail, yet with awful sternness he winnows the heap, and drives away the chaff into unquenchable fire. His meekness was balanced by His courage, and by the boldness with which he denounced hypocrisy. 'Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; ye fools and blind, ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?' These are not the words of the milksop some authors represent Christ to have been. He is a man – a thorough man throughout – a God-like man – gentle as a woman, but yet stern as a warrior in the midst of the day of battle. The character is balanced; as much of one virtue as of another.” ~Charles H. Spurgeon Too often folks these days attempt to bring only half of Jesus to the world, but you can't bring His love, without at the same time illuminating His love with His truth! We don't have a Saviour without both His love and His truth!

Jay Sekulow at The American Center for Law and Justice is unceasingly working to defend our freedom and our children's and grandchildren's future, which are dangerously on the line. From Capitol Hill to the Supreme Court of the United States, from the United Nations to the International Criminal Court, God has uniquely positioned him to be a strong voice for liberty. (Liberty is the freedom to do that which is right.) He needs our financial support to continue to fulfill that calling. Here are just a few reasons to fund The ACLJ: In Gonzalez v. Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, they're holding Planned Barrenhood accountable to a multi-million-dollar taxpayer scam; in ACLU v. DeWeese, the ACLJ is squaring off against the ACLU in their ongoing crusade to eliminate any hint or reference to religion; the ACLJ has joined pro-life House Democrats and Republicans to intensify the fight against the massive government-run health care plan that makes abortion a “health benefit”. When did it become a legal “health benefit” to violently murder a precious, vulnerable, defenseless child??? Tyrants know that marriage and family are the basic core of society and the basic foundation of government, and if people are going to control others, they see marriage and family as their number-one threat. So tyrants always want to weaken the family, and that's what this government-run health care bill is designed to do. And it's designed to do it very effectively in myriad ways. The ACLJ is also at work with Representative Walter Jones to protect the constitutional rights of military chaplains to pray according to their faith. Internationally, the ACLJ is pushing to defeat an illegal act in violation of international law, the Defamation of Religions Resolution, advanced by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which would make proclamation of the Gospel illegal worldwide. Jay is fighting aggressively against the power of the ICC to keep radical Islamists from taking control of the lives of Israeli soldiers … threatening the very sovereignty of Israel and the United States. This is simply a smattering of the evil in our fallen world that we MUST fight against. We cannot remain silent, especially for the younger generations!

As Dorothy Sayers said, “I believe it to be a grave mistake to present Christianity as something charming and popular with no offense in it. Seeing that Christ went about the world giving the most violent offense to all kinds of people, it would seem absurd to expect that the doctrine of his person can be so presented as to offend nobody. We cannot blink at the fact that gentle Jesus, meek and mild, was so stiff in His opinions and so inflammatory in His language that He was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public danger. Whatever His peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference.” Jesus said He came not to bring peace, but division. “Realize that the aim of the Prince of Peace is not peace with unbelief and disobedience. Those are the enemies that must be destroyed, lest they destroy. When the amnesty of Jesus is despised, division is inevitable. What we meet in the biting language of Christ is a form of love that corresponds with the real world of corruption, the dullness of our hearts and the magnitude of what is at stake in our choices. If there were no great evils, no deaf hearts and no eternal consequences, perhaps the only fitting forms of love would be a... soft touch and tender words. But such a world does not kill the Son of God and hate his disciples.” ~John Piper

There's been a powerful marketing blitz since 1988 to sell “gay rights” to America. Another agenda underway has been that of establishing and propagating the myth of church-state separation. How about the scheme afoot to sell sex and rebellion to our children? There is a fierce campaign to destroy marriage. Fraudulent science has unleashed a catastrophic “Revolution” whose aim is to cause us all to be obsessed with sex. Radicals have hijacked America's education system by sabotaging our schools. The press creates a world of illusion we think is real. Lying marketers have sold America on unrestricted abortion. Consider the multicultural madness that has turned our western culture upside down in one generation. Before his Inauguration, Obama said, “We are just five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.” That's what his administration is attempting to do, folks. Do you think our country needs to be fundamentally transformed??? If so, why? I implore you to learn the truth about those with whom he has surrounded himself. I don't spend copious amounts of time with dangerous radicals, Communists, Socialists, Marxists, Fascists, underground weathermen, unrepentant felons, liars, thieves, abortionists, pornographers, charlatans, etc. Our President does! Such unsavory characters have his ear on a regular basis! That should give us all pause. “Show me your friends, and I'll show you your future!” We all need to realize the truth of Jesus, for He is our best hope!

Ginny Bain Allen

What Marriage Is

2010-05-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

A crucial query begging answer is not what marriage is.

How can we presume to vote on a precept that is His?

Not matters what we think or say,

We are called to just obey.

There is a term I find perplexing, what does "gay" Christian mean?

An oxymoron is what I call it, why to some is this unseen?

Meaning lively and vivacious, "gay" was once a lovely word.

Why a church for homosexuals, does that not sound absurd?

A congregation set apart to justify themselves, are there those for other sins?

Loving groups and counseling help us, we all need God-in-skin.

Christ's disciples love all sinners, but hate the sins that they commit.

Against the only One infallible, all sin and from Him do split.

Our gracious, heavenly Father extends compassion and mercy.

Accepting us where we are, expecting change through His liberty.

Blessings

2010-05-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

The awe inspired as I marvel at the bounty of my imaginative Creator's goodness.

The assurance guaranteed that I will live forever with Him.

The strength gained while worshiping in the midst of Christ's believers.

The faith applied when two or more of us pray together in His name.

The hope renewed when in His authoritative Word I stay.

The serenity expressed, on the face of a wee child, that I yearn to claim for myself.

The unconditional love afforded me by a kindred spirit who believes in and trusts me, come what may.

The security achieved as my industrious earthly father and husband supply my every need.

The peace enjoyed while living in a cozy home with my nurturing, servant mother.

The compassion modeled in the words and actions of a gentle brother.

The joy shared while engaging in heart-to-heart chats with my children.

The opportunity given me to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

The obligation required of me to help others in His name.

The freedom discovered as I surrender my all to the One who breathed into me His gift of life.

My Gardening Bug

2010-05-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Enthusiastically catching the enchanting gardening bug as a girl, laboring alongside Dad, my ardor blossomed through the decades. Devouring myriad reading materials regarding my passion, indulging in classes, acquiring usage of efficient tools, perusing public and private gardens alike, coupled with dreaming, designing, digging, amending, planting, mulching, watering, weeding, pruning, and manicuring my own "yardens" have fueled my immense love, while expanding my knowledge. Pure ecstasy is plunging my fervent hands into the warming earth each spring as the fresh green emergence of sleeping plants resurrect. Healing for me, gardening allows all woes - Adam and Joseph who? (my twin teenage sons) - to slip away as I toil peacefully, in my secure refuge, with my omnipotent Creator. Differentiating garden rooms, placing comfy perches for viewing the beguiling results of my efforts, portraying intrigue as vanishing paths meander to hidden destinations, layering plants with varying aromatic scents, textures, colors, and heights in my curvaceous beds, affording a sense of wonder for my children, arranging rocks I glean from friends and family, adding objets d'art and hardscapes as focal points of attention, while providing nutrition, water, and safe havens for God's creatures are essential ingredients in my romantically distinctive, rejuvenating gardens.

Hannah Rose, My Lovely One

2010-05-21T14:35:00.001-07:00

Grace and mercy is what thy lovely name means,

Before you were born, you were much in my dreams.

To me, in His plan, thy life God foretold,

He created your form in thy unique mold.

Expectantly awaiting your birth that year,

How we rejoiced when you were finally here.

Our miraculous gift from heaven above,

Placed in our family to treasure and love.

Entrusting you, darling, in my arms to hold,

An example thou art to both young and old.

In living for God, you have nothing to fear,

Thy faith in Him makes you believe He is near.

Your loving spirit is a beacon for Him

Keep nurturing so it will never grow dim.

God wills you to work beside Him and be bold,

You run for the prize that is made of pure gold.

Thou art such a joy to spend time with and rear,

My Hannah Rose I will forever hold dear.

by Your Mother Dear

(Ginny Bain Allen)

No Sense In Pretense

2010-05-20T19:41:00.001-07:00

My character is known by whom I praise.
My character is known through all my ways.

My character is known by the words I speak,
My character is known by the friends I seek.

My character is known by my heroes and mentors.
My character is known through what I stand for.

My character is known by what I believe.
My character is known by the counsel I receive.

My character is known by the books I read.
My character is known through establishments I frequent.

My character is known by the music I play.
My character is known by how I spend every day.

My character is known by the images I view.
My character is known through my attitude.

My character is known by how I'm attired.
My character is known by how I respond in trials.

My character is known by my service to others.
My character is known through my love for my brothers.

My character is known by my willingness to forgive.
My character is known by how I live.

Ginny Bain Allen

The Benefits of Solitude

2010-05-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Periodically being afforded the luxury of days to journey into peaceful solitude is utter bliss. Relaxing before a blazing fire as I meditate upon God's edifying Holy Word, or read fine Christian literature that makes my spirit soar, or peruse pages of cozily appointed homes, or plan my newest garden area are all reinvigorating ways for me to spend delightful hours, tucked away in solitude. What a treat it is to while away virgin hours devoid of anyone else's agenda that would distract, interrupt or make demands. Akin to an unwrapped gift awaiting discovery, is it to be totally absorbed in whatever task is at hand, all encompassed by delicious solitude. Therapeutic replenishment for my thirsty soul is being fully engaged in such passions, after which I am recharged and ready yet again to be fully available for the ones I love, as well as prepared to tackle the daily routines. My needy tank, having once again been filled with the sustenance, fortitude, joy, truth and beauty necessary to keep-on-keeping-on, I forge ahead with renewed vision and hope.

ONLY GOD IS GOOD

2010-04-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Like the slogan touted on buses around our nation's capital during the Christmas season, it's impossible to "just be good for goodness sake." Only with Jesus living in us can anyone be good, for He is the only one infallible - the only one good. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all as filthy rags compared to Him. The Lord said in Genesis 8:21, "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood."

Many, such as Ted Kennedy, live by what they've dubbed a social gospel. Incomprehensibly, they even go so far so to attribute it to Matthew 25 from God's Holy Word. Picking and choosing what you like and do not like from the Bible is cafeteria Christianity, which, of course, in reality, is not Christianity at all. In all truth, there is no other gospel. There is only the good news of Jesus, which encompasses the Bible in its entirety! However, many believe if they simply: give the hungry, food; give the thirsty, drink; invite the stranger in; give clothes to the naked; look after the sick; and visit those in prison, they are good and will receive eternal life due to their own good deeds and innate goodness. The Bible clearly refutes this position. Jesus in John 15 teaches, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said, "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." The Pharisees made their religiosity as ostentatious as possible. They were almost constitutionally incapable of doing any act of charity or piety without making a tawdry public display out of it in the process. That is precisely what most of Matthew 6 is about. Jesus was contrasting the religious exhibitionism of the Pharisees with the authentic faith he had described in the Beatitudes. Faith has its primary impact on the heart of the believer. The Pharisees' religion, by contrast, was mainly for show "to be seen" by others. It is the very same contrast the apostle Paul often highlighted between authentic faith and a religion of mere works. True saving faith inevitably produces good works, because it expresses itself in love; but the superficial displays of "charity" in works-religion are not even truly charitable. Because Pharisee-style religion is motivated mainly by a craving for the praise of men, it is inherently self-aggrandizing, making it the very antithesis of authentic charity. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock...But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."

So, you see, yes, of course, someone can do good deeds without giving their heart, will and soul to Jesus and His authority. Since God creates everyone in His image, there is beauty in one and all, whether they have accepted Jesus into their hearts and souls as Lord, Master and Saviour, or not. Each of us is gifted by Him uniquely to display His characteristics in each one's distinct way. However, the good deeds we do on our own, without acknowledging Him and giving Him all the glory, will be worthless in God's sight. When we live for Jesus, out of our faith in Him, we will do good works in His name. Faith without works is dead. But works without faith in the One who calls us to Him is for naught. It will be burned up. If we bring material bread to the hungry without, at the same time, bringing them the Bread of Life, it is not significant to God. We must first give thanks and praise to the Maker of the bread, our Bread of Life. We must bear witness to the fact that He is the giver of all gifts, including bread, and that without Him, there would be nothing to give the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. Only because of Him do we even have life. Only because of Him do we have the hands, the feet, the mouth, the heart, the knowledge, and the compassion to reach out with eternal purpose to touch the life of another, to make a difference for good in this life, as well as a lasting difference in the next. It all boils down to abiding in Him. My will to break - my Lord's will to take!

I Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches us "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." As is proclaimed in I John 4:8 "God is love," until we surrender all authority over our lives to Him, we cannot truly love, and we cannot be truly good.

Three Generations

2010-01-09T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the life adventure of three generations...Ginny (Dukes), HR, Bub, & Lily. This blog was made to keep track of our own memories, as well as share them with you! For everything girly, frilly, pretty, bohemian, fun, silly, or Lily, this is the place to be. We'll be sharing our everyday adventures, from teaparties with tea to teaparties with Glenn Beck. We'll share our fun times, as well as our passion to live for and honor Jesus in all we say, think, or do and to serve and love each other. We'll share how that passion and faith spills out into our lives, whether we are going out for an afternoon on the town, or standing up for the unborn in a march for life! Expect lots of pictures! Maybe we'll share some craft ideas and tips, from scrapbooking to cardmaking, or whatever other project we're on! There will definitely be pictures of these projects, such as our ever-changing, cozy cottage and country garden. Oh, and we have a new edition to our 'club' coming soon...Lily Katherine is due to arrive on March 14th (National Potato Chip Day!) Dukes has already so lovingly coined her with the nickname, Spud. :) Yep, it's gonna be exciting...