Nothing bad to say

I still do not know who I will vote for in this coming election. I still think when I am at the voting booth with my daughter (I usually take her with me) I will pray and make my decision then. I have family and friends who all have given me their opinion and I truly believe all of them have made valid arguments for their choice for president. One thing I have done less of though is worry. As Christians, anxiety is a sin. Jesus advises us not to be anxious (Matthew 6:25-34). We must remember that this is not our home (Hebrews 13:14) and we look forward to the day God returns (2 Peter 3:12-13). 

When all my favorite primary candidates lost, I really felt like all hope was gone. That hope dwindled more as we were left with Donald Trump as the Republican candidate. And it practically died when I saw how many Christians defended Mr. Trump's way of living. I may pull the lever for Mr. Trump come November 8th, but something I will never do is minimize what an awful human being he is. But this post really isn't about the election, it is more about a snippet I heard on the radio about a news show called "Morning Joe". I first want to admit that I honestly almost live in a cave when it comes to "normal TV". We have Netflix, Amazon and DVD's. That's about it when it comes to TV. The "news" I get usually comes from a podcast, the radio or a youtube channel. If I want local news I get that from the ladies who sit in my church pew or the police scanner. Don't get me wrong, I have tried fox news, msnbc, and other places, but the agendas they push are so blatant sometimes that I can't help but wonder how "fair and balanced" they really are. And occasionally I really think they believe I do not have a brain of my own and could never rationally come to my own conclusion, so they must insert their opinions because I could not possibly have any of my own. But back to worrying. I refuse to worry about this election. I am anti-worry. Because when I worry, even slightly, I have diminished the colossal, absolute and total power that God has over His creation. I trust Him, and I lie that I trust Him when I worry. The kingdom of God is eternal (Matt. 16:18, Heb. 1:8). His church will prevail (Matt. 16:18). And God is just, compassionate, long-suffering, loving, good, all-knowing, all-powerful, almighty, etc (the whole Bible)! So my dear brothers and sisters, let us rest in those promises, do what the Holy Spirit has prompt you to do regarding your vote, and continue with your active faith of loving God and loving others. Let Him deal with the consequences. (Please don't get me wrong when I say I am anti-worry. I am not advocating fatalism or unproductive passivity)

Being a conservative who leans libertarian, I recognize that I have my own set of biases and stereo-types. I believe that Christians tend to lean to the right of center and I am surprisingly almost always shocked when I meet a Christian democrat. I know! I know! I know there are Christian democrats who truly love the Lord, but I am always slightly shocked by it okay! I'm trying to be honest here! Saying this, I also have my biases on msnbc and shows like Morning Joe where I know they are left leaning. But, I want to give credit where credit is due. On yesterday's "Morning Joe", Mika Brzezinski said some things that were very noble of her. So I looked her up some more and, needless to say, she and I have almost nothing in common when it comes to our views on politics and government, but what she said yesterday regarding Hillary Clinton's latest FBI investigation and Mika's own media peers was vitalizing. I have provided the video below so  you can see it for yourself.

Wasn't that just awesome of her and Joe to say that? I know some Christian Trump supporters who aren't as honest as they were just there! She admitted to her own hypocrisy. Something very difficult to see in ourselves. Something Christians on "my side" refuse to see in themselves. 

I believe that all of us have been made in the image of God. That we are more precious than the plants or the animals. That we are even more special than the angels because nothing else carries with them the image of God. Nothing. During presidential election years, we tend to forget that sometimes. We fail to see the personhood of an individual because we do not agree with their politics, their religion, or their ideas. Their humanity is stripped away because of their voting tendencies or frankly because of the sin in their life. Just because someone acts out in their flesh, doesn't make them any less an image bearer. And just because someone doesn't agree with me, doesn't make them any less a human created by God. I must remember this when someone comes along with an idea that I believe to be wrong even if they are wrong because God says they're wrong. There is a way to converse with people and if the conversation leads to nothing, we are still called to love and serve each other, in humility, not thinking anyone is better than the other (Phil. 2:3). Even if we have the truth, there is a way to speak the truth. Obviously, we cannot make everyone happy. Obviously some people will become upset. Obviously, some people will hate us, but let them have to try really hard to do so. 

I leave you with this verse found in Titus 2:7-8:
In everything, show yourself to be an example by doing good works. In your teaching show integrity, dignity, and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed to have nothing bad to say about us.

Reading Hosea

Hosea 1-4

I am in Hosea now and I waited a couple of days before I delved into it because the story of Hosea and God telling him to take up a whore for his bride really just weighs me. Needless to say, I really didn't want to read this book again.

And honestly, the relationship of Hosea and Gomer really is the relationship I know I have had with God. I know I have been unfaithful, when He has been faithful. I know that I have found comfort in other things, when I should have found comfort in Him. I know I have found pleasure in sin, and have looked at His Word with disdain in my haughtiness. And what makes it so much more horrible is that it wasn't that long ago that I felt this way. Maybe this is why I don't want to read Hosea, because it is the story of me. And while I want to look down on Gomer and self-righteously scold her for her wantonness, I can't because I still haven't removed the log in my eye. And when I do remove my log, I don't even have the strength to look down on her, because it's like looking in a mirror.

I am so prone to wander. I am so prone to being entertained. When my mind is free to think, usually it is never of the things of God that it goes to. I can't pray more that 5 minutes without thinking about what else I have to do. I can't read Scripture for long periods of time because I think I am wasting time. BUT!!! I can binge on Netflix for 6 hours (sadly, I am not exaggerating!!) and the thought of wasting time never crosses my mind. Well it may, usually afterwards, but not enough to get me off the couch!

And I know the truth! And I know that I have been rescued from the fires of Hell! And I know that Jesus sought me and bought me! And I know that His law is precious! And I know that His Word is refreshing! And I know that the most joyous of times I have experienced in my whole life have been when I am worshiping Him in prayer, song or in His Word! And I know the changes He has made in me for the better! And I know the power in His Name! And so much more! 

So call me Gomer, for I am so much like her! And it drives me insane to think that I seek others instead of my God! But I do! Wretched woman that I am! So, I can't and I hope I never get over the love God has for me! How? Lord, how can you be so compassionate!? Hypocritically, I would have left Gomer! And frankly chapter 3 of Hosea implies that she really didn't even want to be with Hosea. After he had just bought her FROM THE MARKET because no one else would have her! The nerve! But that's me!

I am grateful for His mercy and His compassion towards me. And I am grateful that He is eternally forgiving, and that He teaches me so much by revealing His character in how He deals with this little monster that I am. To Him be all the glory. 

Some Benefits of Prayer

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.

When I sing this particular verse of this hymn, I can't help but close my eyes and bow my head in shame because it is true. So easily do I just wander away from Him. And I don't think I do it on purpose. It is more like a boat that isn't anchored that just floats away and just heads in all kinds of directions. Never on purpose, but always surrendering to its circumstance. Thankfully, whether I feel lost or floating about in my spiritual life, the truth is that He is the One who has me anchored to Himself and I am assured that He will never let me go. (John 10:29)

One way that I feel anchored again (remembering that regardless of my feelings, my salvation doesn't ebb away) is through prayer. And I know that sounds so "cliche" and so easy of a fix, but truly there is nothing (outside of Scripture) that hones in my heart to match His as prayer can do.

Prayer sifts out my sin.
When life gets busy, sin can easily hide. When life gets idle, sin comes out to play. Regardless if I am confessing a besetting sin or if the Holy Spirit is revealing one to me, prayer allows me to be more aware of the sin that grieves God and brings me to the cross gladdening my heart for He is always faithful to forgive. (James 5:16)

Prayer brings me to the throne
When I think that I am approaching the King of kings in prayer and I am not going to die I am left speechless. There are no words to describe that a Gentile woman can enter the Holy of Holies and worship. (Heb. 4:16) Prayer allows me to worship Him privately.

Prayer reminds me that I have love to give
When I read my prayer list and pray for those on it, I am reminded of people who are hurting, lonely, lost or feeling loss. It triggers me to make a phone call, bake some cookies, write a letter, type out a text, send a facebook message, or make a house visit. Prayer beckons me to be His hands, feet, shoulders, arms and voice.

Prayer softens my heart
Some people are hard to love and some people are even harder. When I honestly pray for those that hurt me or those that hurt the people I love, God does something amazing. He softens my heart towards them and they begin to have less control over me and my feelings. And in the rare occasions when I have trouble "forgiving", God always reminds me of the dastardly things He has forgiven me for already. :)

Prayer is therapeutic
My overbearing mother, my passive father, my annoyance with my ex-husband, the attitudes of my children, my lack of wanting intimacy, my self-esteem, that thing I do that I don't want to mention here and so, so much more; I have brought to God. And He truly has helped me figure so much out. It is through prayer that we are given wisdom. (James 1:5) So many times I have come to God bawling my eyes out, completely overtaken by despair, and patiently He has brought to mind Scripture that overtakes my moments of sorrow or pain. I have also come to him lost, in a rage, scared for my life, indecisive, numb, depressed, raw and feeling so many other things. I have also been given the peace that transcends understanding, and it was always after time spent with Him in prayer. (Phil. 4:7) Who better to tell me about myself and how to handle a certain situation than the One who created me and was with me throughout my entire life? (Jer. 33:3)

I want to encourage you to take time to pray. If you are not sure how to, Jesus Himself teaches us how to pray in Matthew 6:5-15. Also we can read Jesus' prayer before he was captured in John 17. And what is so amazing about this prayer is that in it you can read where Jesus is praying for you!!!!! (see verses 20-21 of that same chapter), and He is still praying for you! The Son of God prays for you! So let us imitate Him and pray.


 . . . . For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ~ Romans 8: 26-27

Into The Arms of Molech

Bible Reading: I Kings 11:1-8



There is so much here that just shocks me. And just as quickly as the shock sets in, the Spirit convicts me, that I too am a Solomon. 

Chapter 11 starts with: "King Solomon loved many foreign women". In order to set alliances and also just because he could - Solomon married women that were not Hebrew. One of these foreign women is said to be the daughter of the Pharaoh. (I Kings 3:1). He built her a beautiful palace. There were 700 of these "alliance wives" and 300 concubines. And these women led him astray in his faith. Later Solomon goes on to warn against these kinds of women in Proverbs 5-7.

As Solomon grows old he ends up worshiping Ashtoreth (goddess of the Sidonites), Chemosh (god of the Moabites) and Molech (god of the Ammonites). He then actually builds two places to worship these gods and he joins his wives in worshiping these detestable gods. The place where he builds these places of worship was on a hill east of Jerusalem which is actually the Mount of Olives (the place where Jesus later wept for Jerusalem and gave His sermon on the mount). Even though Solomon did these horrible things, God still appeared to him twice so that he would turn away from these gods, but the Bible tells us that he turned away from following the God of Israel (I Kings 11:9). God then tears the Kingdom of Israel from Solomon and divides it into two kingdoms.

Reading I Kings 1-10 consecutively we see the glory of Solomon's reign.   In these chapters we see how he became king, how God blessed him, how he brought the people together, how he luxuriously spends to make an astonishing temple to worship God. We see Solomon's wisdom and judging techniques. We hear of his beauty and his love for justice. We see kings and queens from distant lands pay him homage for his wisdom and splendid kingdom. He just overflows with excess, riches and elegance. I can envision a shining city where nothing is made of silver because it has no worth because there is just so much gold (I Kings 10:21). But God is not flattered by the pomp. He reminds Solomon to obey His commands and warns that if he doesn't He will leave the Temple and tear his kingdom apart.  In chapter 9, Solomon finishes the Temple, but by chapter 11 he is building temples for the gods Chemosh and Molech. These gods are called detestable/hated (11:7) and required human sacrifice as a form of worship. Molech specifically required child sacrifice through burning them (what was called "passing them through the fire") in order to bring prosperity and success. Molech was molded to have extending arms where a fire could be lit underneath and a child could be placed within his arms. We see Manasseh King of Judah use this type of worship in 2 Chronicles 33:2-6. How horrific to have a Temple where God has decided to live and then down the road we hear the screams of humans and even children as they are sacrificed to abhorrent gods and then to find among the worshipers Solomon, God's chosen king. The son of the man after God's heart. Among this beautiful city made of gold is the excrement of man-made worship. I can't help but wonder if Solomon, fearing losing his success and prosperity, placed one of his little ones in the burning arms of Molech.

Our God is longsuffering and patient. (Psalm 86:5,  2 Peter 3:9, Joel 2:13, Isaiah 30:18) and gave Solomon time to return to Him, but Solomon had made his decision. Despite all God had given Solomon (and by all, I mean ALL!), Solomon betrays God for the arms of women who would eventually lead him astray to the arms of a burning god. He became lost in the glitter of the world that surrounded him. The blessings bestowed on him eventually cursed him. The riches given to him made him a poor and miserable man. Even the knowledge and wisdom God entrusted him with brought about him misery and emptiness. Just read Ecclesiastes.

In the end, God is not mocked and the fools are us if we seek to do things our way. We have a tendency to wander from God and His holy ways, and most of the time He is gracious to lead us back with tenderness. But there is a thin line that once it is crossed, God says enough and the buck stops with Him. Solomon worshiped the way the world in his day worshiped. Are we also tempted to do the same? Do the lights, speakers, smoke, and full out rock band tempt us to say "if we had a worship service like that, we would feel the Holy Spirit every Sunday, more people would come to church, people wouldn't be so bored" etc etc? Is there anything inherently wrong with these things, no. But if you need those things in order to "feel" like you worshiped God, we must examine ourselves again.(I John)

 The kingdom of God is a mustard seed (Mark 4) or leavening (Matthew 13) meaning it is small and in time it does something great. But not great in our fickle eyes, but greatness only God could invent. Solomon had a thousand women to bring him pleasure, wealth and power beyond measure, unprecedented wisdom and knowledge and the admiration of the known world, but it all crumbled under God because he worshiped other gods. And before he knew it, that road lead him to a place where he allowed the slow and painful death of children and maybe even participated in it.

I don't believe that the moment Solomon finished building the Temple of God that he turned around and said "I think we will worship Molech now." I do believe though, that there were some red flags that he chose to ignore and although it may have bothered him at first, he eventually stopped seeing them. Besetting sins don't ever start off shocking us into humility and repentance. I know my ugly sins didn't look so ugly at first. But our God is merciful to forgive us and sent His Son to bring us into communion with Him.

Let us not be tempted to worship like the world. Let us not become lost in the glitter of things that will not bring true happiness. Let us only look to the God who saves us from ourselves and allows us to truly rest in His arm.

I am Gomer

Something for Valentine's Day:

The story of Gomer and Hosea always impacts me because it is the story of all of us. All of us are Gomer, the unfaithful. God made Hosea marry and love an unfaithful and wanton woman as a symbol to show His faithfulness to His people regardless of their sin.

Below is the promise that God made to His people after they were unfaithful to Him. After she (Israel) left Him for other "lovers", after she prostituted herself, after she was used and abused, after they tried to sell her and no one wanted her. IN THAT CONDITION, after the Lord allows her to wallow in her sins, He says this to her:

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

“And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband’, and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will betroth you to me for ever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
“And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel, and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People,‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

We are Gomer, we are the unfaithful, but the Lord still loves those that are His. On this Valentines Day, if you are His, know that He loves you even if you are not loveable. Know that He is faithful, even if you are not. It is not about you, but about Him and His glory.

I want a Hallmark Card for that!!

The Rise of Mommy Porn

Few passages in the Bible are as graphic and sexually explicit as Ezekiel chapter 23. This chapter is full of the details of the depravity of two women - sisters, which represent the nations of Samaria and Jerusalem. I want to comment on this chapter because there is much we can learn from it given the current female movement of "mommy porn".

Chapter 23 of Ezekiel is an allegory of two sisters named Ohola and Oholibah. I found it very interesting that the names of these women derive from the word "tent" or "my tent" and it insinuates a place of worship. Both these women prostitute themselves and revel in their lust. They are used, abused, and defiled and they seem callous to what these men do to them. Ohola is spoken of first. Her children are taken from her, she is then shamed and then killed with a sword. Seeing how her sister is shamed and murdered, you would figure that Oholibah would learn, but on the contrary, she follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes even more depraved than her sister and took her degeneracy even further. Through the middle of the chapter God speaks to her and tells her what the consequences are because of her lewdness. Her children are impacted, her body is impacted, her mind is impacted, and ultimately her relationship with God is impacted. This is a chapter full of disgust, sadness, sorrow and death.


I want to focus on Oholibah now and what happens to her. I want to talk about what she does and how she ends up because I believe this allegory of this idolatrous nation, can help us understand what sexual immorality can lead to.

The story of Oholibah begins in verse 11. She sees her sister murdered and doesn't learn from Ohola's experience. She sees her children taken from Ohola. She sees the men strip her naked and then sees them run her through with a sword. As women, we have also seen it. We have seen the woman who is abused and returns to her abuser. The woman who committed adultery and shattered her family. The woman pursuing love in all the wrong places while neglecting her children. The woman addicted to sex and one-night stands, longing for a true relationship. We have seen it, but what do we do with what we see? Oholibah doesn't learn and maybe even thinks that what happened to her sister, won't happen to her. The problem is that she ends up fornicating with the same men that killed her sister! But look at verses 14 through 16. She sees men portrayed on a wall and lusts after them. Women, she is looking at pornography! She sees that they are handsome and virile and she craves them, she wants them, she yearns for them. Ladies! What are our eyes looking at? With books out like "50 Shades of Grey" and movies like "Magic Mike", the story of Oholibah rings clear. God abhors ANYTHING that causes us to lust, because what is lust but another form of idolatry. So Oholibah sees her pornography and lusts after these men. She goes after them and they in turn release their lusts on her. At first, she seems disgusted in herself. That is what one usually feels at the beginning of any sexual sin. At first it makes us feel dirty, but practice makes perfect and sooner than later, the conviction of the Holy Spirit is gone. Oholibah continues with her mess. She forgets that what she does impacts her children. She even gives up her children to false idols. Her entitlement is more important to her. She feels she deserves to feel free and liberated and it costs her her children. Then after all her fornicating, after all her sin, after she does all her filth, she goes to church - or in this case synagogue. She goes to worship God and doesn't find Him. She turns to booze and soon becomes depressed. What she thought was her liberation, ended up being her enslavement. The Lord let her destroy herself. He gave her what she wanted and released her to her sin. What is so sad about Oholibah is that she was His. She belonged to our Lord and acted like an unwanted orphan.  She is ruined and becomes desolate. She ends up being murdered also. Ladies, this is serious. What we allow ourselves to let in, impacts us.

I know many might think what harm can a movie or a book make. I have heard plenty of times that Satan's greatest weapon is to tell people he isn't real or that sin is no big deal. This is precisely what Satan wants you to think, after all a fictional book is no big deal because it's not real. Well, pornography isn’t real, but it affects our marriages. TV drama is not real, but affects our youth. Violent video games are not real, but it affects our children. Magazine pictures are not real, but they affect our self-esteem.The list goes on and on. What we view, what we see, what we read affects our heart and mind. Jesus mentions it several times when He speaks on the inner self. If you hate in your heart, it is murder. If you lust in your heart, it is adultery. If anything replaces your love for Him, it is idolatry.  If you want something that is not yours, it is coveting. What goes on in our heart and mind is excruciatingly important. So much so that it nailed Jesus to the cross.

Ladies, anyone who reads or views this kind of mess unrepentantly and calls herself a Christian is just like Oholibah. She is prostituting her mind and heart. Remember Oholibah means "my tent". What is our body and mind? It is a dwelling place of the most High.  I Corinthians 6:19 says that we are not our own and our body is His temple. 

"50 Shades of Grey" is a depraved romance novel that uses pain and torture as a means for arousal. Is this the equality that women have fought for? To be used and abused for the arousal of a man? Is this supposed to be romantic? Is this how Jesus loved His bride? Just because a woman wrote this book does not mean it is okay to read. And just like Oholibah, this filth impacts your mind, your children and above all your relationship with God.

Ezekiel 23 ends with this warning: "So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord. ”

Let us learn from Oholibah and not imitate her and remember that her despair spiraled out of control when she saw the images on the wall; when she had feasted her eyes on those lewd things. Let us make a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1) and think of pure things (Philippians 4:8). The risks and the consequences are not worth it. 

5 Signs You Are a Mature Christian

I received this list from episode 822 on wretchedradio.com. All other commentary is mine. Hope this helps your walk in your faith!

1. A mature believer has an appetite for meat.
The mature Christian has stopped drinking milk as a source of nourishment. (Hebrews 5:13). He is never comfortable in his/her faith and always desires to grow more spiritually even if it is slowly. (2 Peter 3:18) The mature Christians enjoys dissecting a verse word by word and loves to hear and read the Word. The meat-eating Christian no longer harbors jealousy, quarrels or finds his identity in anything of this world, but he/she has put those things away and has an identity that is found in Christ (I Corinthians 3:2-3; Galatians 2:20) A mature Christian knows how to defend his faith not just by the way he/she lives, but because he/she has studied God's Word profoundly (2 Timothy 2:15) He also knows to rely on the Holy Spirit when preaching, interpreting and/or teaching. (I Corinthians 2:13)




2. It is seldom that a mature believer feels offended.

Mature Christians aren't easily offended. If you call them a sinner, they know it and would probably say "and some." When someone sins against a mature Christian, that Christian's first instinct is to figure out how they can respond to the person that is offensive in a way to communicate Jesus' love for them. Paul tells us that there is no more condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) and a mature Christian understands that, and doesn't worry about what man does to him or says about him. (Hebrews 13:6; Psalm 118:6; Luke 12:5) This Christian turns to prayer when they are emotionally or verbally hurt by another, not  resorting to the same behavior as the offender. (Psalm 109:4)  And most importantly a mature Christian understands that offenses can be used for the glory of God to expose their own weaknesses providing the Christian a way to rest in God's power (2 Corinthians 12:9) and turn something man used for evil and use it for good (Genesis 50:20)

3. A mature Christian has a conscience informed by scripture, not opinions.
The mature Christian bases his opinions and advice on scripture. He exhorts in love (I Thessalonians 5:11) and in order (I Corinthians 14:40), not ruled by his bias, feelings or emotions. When he/she needs to make a decision, they turn first to prayer or scripture. Decision-making prayer is usually lead to scripture by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). This is why the mature Christian understands the importance of Scripture memorization. (2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:11)

4. A mature Christian is humbly surprised when God uses him/her in ministry. 
A mature Christian understands that nothing they do or say is of themselves.(Jeremiah 9:23) They are honestly surprised if anything turns out right in their ministry. They know that they are faulty and sinful and dispensable and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit everything they would do, would be a "hot mess" (Isaiah 64:6). They draw their strength not from will power but from God who is their strength. (Isaiah 41:30) A mature Christian doesn't solely depend on odds, statistics, trends or numbers; but trusts that God will use even a broken man/woman for His glory. (Psalm 20:7) And the mature Christian understands that God loves using the underdog, the weak, the lowly, and the foolish things of this world in original and unique ways.( I Corinthians 1:27) (See also the life of Moses, Jesus, Gideon, Jacob, Hagar, children, the tiny mustard seed, the Samaritan woman, the leper, the tax-collector, fishermen, and the list goes on and on and praise the Lord it includes sinners like us!)

5. A tendency to give credit for spiritual growth to God, not people. 
This sign goes along with the previous sign.

You get it. You understand that you are holier now than you were a year ago not because of anything you did, but because of God working in you. You are less sinful, less agitated and more holy not because of some medicine your taking or some twelve step program, but because God is working in you.(I Thessalonians 4:1-12) And you understand that you are a work in progress. (Philippians 1:6) This makes you love the Gospel even more, because while you are still a sinner, Jesus still chose to die for you! (Romans 5:8) And because you understand the incredible show of love of God through Jesus' death on the cross, you never get tired of hearing the Gospel. (John 3:16) The mature Christian knows that without God in his/her life, they would be unrecognizable. (Romans 12:2, Galatians 2:20)


Blessings,


Anna

Why Beauty? - (Warning: This passage talks a little about sex)

 There are many animals that don't experience color the way we do. A dog, for example, really cannot enjoy the myriad of colors that a beautiful sunset boasts. Other animals don't experience taste the way we do. A pig, for example, could care less if it eats rotten potatoes or filet Mignon. It is not designed to enjoy the subtle tastes and intricate concoctions of fine elegant meals.  Even a female chimpanzee or a gorilla which is supposedly higher on the "evolutionary ladder" cannot partake in the glorious feelings of being in love and enjoying the ecstasy of sex with a partner (husband) that loves you back. The female animal, in general and unfortunately, doesn't get to enjoy sex like us human girls can.

What then is the purpose of beauty? Why can we see color the way we do? It doesn't help us survive, on the contrary because God designed our eye to view such small details (beauty), we are at a disadvantage compared to our invertebrate friends. For more information on the design of the human eye, click here. Why taste delicious food, if it can cause us to be picky eaters, thus reducing our chances for survival? Why take our time to enjoy a crispy and fresh salad if that too, reduces our chances for survival (someone might come and eat it before us)? What is the purpose in enjoying sex for the female? It doesn't help us conceive? Creativity, the imagination, the female orgasm, art, music, poetry, culinary arts, etc. are all unnecessary things for survival.

God placed in us these capabilities and experiences so He could reveal Himself to us. He didn't just sprinkle beauty here and there. He slathered it everywhere! It is everywhere if you truly desire to see it. His fingerprint and design is in the smallest of single cell organisms to the largest galaxies that hover around ours. He hides the beautiful things in plain sight, hoping we discover them. Take saltwater fish. Some of the most beautiful colors known to man are found on saltwater fish, but it wasn't until recently that man has basked in their glorious colors. These fish had been there for thousands of years, waiting to be discovered. God hid that beauty, because beauty discovered is beauty that is enjoyed the most. Just as we relish in our children discovering things on their own, so does our Father when His children discover His creation.

I cut these flowers from one of my beds in front of my house. They smell just lovely! I have brought them inside my home and now my house smells of these lilies and I am just marinating in their scent! I enjoyed the detail and the fine workmanship of my King. These lilies are not a product of rocks that evolved, they are the product of a Creator that specializes in detail and order and precision. He spoke these lilies into existence, but more precious than that, He touched and molded me into mine. He has counted every single hair on my head (Matthew 10:30) and knit me together in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:13). I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 134:14) by a Being that stretches out the skies (Job 26:7).

Although our world in not perfect (due to the fall of man). We can still get a glimpse of the character of our Creator. He is One to be feared and respected (Luke 12:5) and One that I can't help to see everywhere.

 

I Praise You!

Obama killed Osama?

Osama Bin Laden is dead! When I first saw the headline, my first reaction was that it was some kind of joke. Then I started thinking it was a publicity stunt to boost the President Obama's popularity. Then it sunk in - he IS dead. After such a long time, they have found and killed the man who took credit for killing over 3000 Americans on U.S. soil. My initial reaction after it "sunk in" was one of contentment and that there would finally be some sort of closure to so many. Although the fight against terrorism and the rise of hatred towards the U.S. will always exist and continue, I felt proud that our military and our intelligence succeeded in finding and killing this very evil and twisted man. But as a Christian I checked myself to make sure that my joy for this man's death wasn't causing me to sin in a subtle way. (We all know that Satan is a subtle worker. He usually never introduces sin to us by blaring a sound horn while holding a bright sign showing us the sin). He manipulates our sensitivities and our pain and biases and adds fuel to small and apparently innocent thoughts.  So, I thought for a moment if my joy for the death of this man was in-tune with the Holy Spirit. Unless, Bin Laden repented and believed and trusted in Jesus before he died, (which I don't think he did), this man will be judged and sent to Hell. I find it hard to believe that Jesus will be greeting Osama in Heaven and saying "Well done! My good and faithful servant" and THAT, as a Christian, breaks my heart. To my surprise, I did not want this man to go to Hell. Could you imgine if somehow or another, Osama repented and started spreading the gospel?! What a testimony! What a Pauline testimony!! The former persecutor of Christians (that is why he hates America so much, regardless of what others say) is now sharing his faith in Christ! Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Even though this man "deserves" hell, LIKE YOU AND ME, I don't think truly in my heart, I want anyone to go there.

Please do not get me wrong. We are inhabitants of this world and soon-to-be inhabitants of the next world. The best thing for this world was for this man to have been shot and killed, and maybe even interrogated before hand. There are rules in this world that must be followed to keep us safe. There is nothing wrong with wanting security for our families and ourselves as long as we understand that we truly aren't secure without Jesus. Persecuted Christians seek shelter and protection for their families, but never at the cost of denying their Jesus. And that is how we must view the death of this man. That he broke the rules and humanitarian laws of this world in the name of his false god allah and paid the price for his terrorist and brutal behavior. Jesus said in Matthew 25:52  that those who live/use a sword, will die by a sword. Jesus wasn't stating a spiritual law, but a law of this world. Osama lived for violence and terror and in the end he died violently and most likely in terror.  Galatians 6:7-8 says - Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Osama reaped what he sowed, just as we reap what we sow. If  the U.S. wouldn't have gotten him, someone else would have. This man had sowing violence and terror packed down to an art.

Osama lived by the rules of his evil heart and paid for it violently with his life. As a Christian, my heart hurts that another has gone to Hell. As an American, I am glad the man is gone and no longer able to concoct plans to destroy Christians and Americans. 

As an American Christian, I must always weigh my thoughts and feelings, because my allegiance is firstly to the Kingdom of Heaven and my beloved King Jesus. Then and only then, does the United States of America come into my devotion. Because, if push came to shove and the U.S. outlawed worshiping Jesus, I would instantly become a criminal. If the U.S. started banning my right to religious freedom, "pledging allegiance" to such a horrid country would not come out of my lips. It is great and wonderful that we live in a nation that hasn't oppressed its citizens from worshiping Jesus, YET!

I will always be proud of being an American, as long America continues with the Christian values it was founded on. And I will fervently fight to keep it a nation UNDER God.

Appetites

In a place like our country, indulgences are a dime a dozen. So many things replace what is truly important so often that we become complacent or callused to the idea of having a problem with an addiction. I know that I feel I'm okay as long as I am not addicted to alcohol or drugs. I "pat myself on the back" congratulating my job well done, because I am not one of "those" people with true problems with addictions. But there are many types of addictions, just as there are people. In the book Feeding Your Appetites, Stephen Arterburn describes 8 basic God-given appetites that we can easily turn into slave masters (addictions).

Here are the 8:
1. Appetite for food
2. Appetite for sex
3. Appetite for authority and power
4. Appetite for pleasure
5. Appetite for work
6. Appetite for companionship
7. Appetite for fellowship with God
8. Appetite for gained wisdom

Mr. Arterburn gives a list of questions to ask yourself to evaluate yourself. Keep in mind that God DESIGNED us with these appetites and none of them are wrong if done in a healthy manner. These appetites were God-given and if balanced can lead to a very fulfilling and healthy life, but if they are unbalanced or out of God's plan, they can lead to a destructive lifestyle and end up hurting the ones we love and ourselves. Here are the questions to evaluate yourself:
1. What do you naturally have a strong appetite for?
2. How are you feeding that appetite?
3. Is what you are choosing satisfying and healthy for you? If not, what are you using to satisfy  yourself?
4. Follow your choices down the road they are leading you on. How far will you go down that other road to satisfy that appetite?

If this self-evaluation leads you to realize that your appetites are not being satisfied in healthy ways and are in fact controlling you, these next questions are for you:

1. Are you ready to give up your unhealthy appetites?
2. Are you willing to learn to fill your healthy appetites as God intended them to be filled?

The hardest part is admitting to oneself that there is a problem.  My problem is and continues to be food. I use food to comfort myself. I eat when I am bored, when I am hurt, when I am stressed and just because it's there. I love cooking and trying new cuisines, so it makes it very difficult to not eat my "creations". But I was looking at it all wrong. I shouldn't suppress my appetite for food, I should control it WITH the help of God. A strong will can only get you so far.

The book is a great help and I will be posting other parts of it to help in diverting our attention from our wants to our needs. If you took the self evaluating test and discovered that you have a uncontrolled appetite, I really recommend this book!

I have also included a free website that helps with food, pornography, gambling, alcohol, drugs and sex addictions. Here is the link.

The Apostle Paul: So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

                                                                                                                          ~ 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Precious to God

Those precious to God become important to Satan. ~ Denver Moore in "Same Kind of Different as Me"

I found this quote in a book about a homeless man and an art dealer meeting and becoming more than just friends, they become family. Denver's words, full of wisdom, give a dire warning to any that chooses to truly follow Jesus. For those that become popular with Him, also become popular to Satan and his legions . This may makes us second guess our loyalty. But at Matthew 10:38 states: Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. What true and strong words spoken by our Savior. He wants all of us and in return He gives us all of Him. We can only offer our measly and broken selves, but He offers a perfect and supreme Being. We offer a feeble sacrifice, He offers a perfect and holy sacrifice. 

In Ephesians 6:10-17 it says: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Paul provides us a list of the armor God gives us, but as a soldier must keep his gear clean and ready, so must we. Evil will come to us as Christians, sometimes disguised in beauty or in light, and we must be ready.

How to be ready:
1. Belt of Truth - Stop lying to yourself. Of course you shouldn't lie to others, but lying to ourselves is more subtle and acting subtly is the Devil's favorite war approach. What does that mean? What sin is recurring in your life? Face it and deal with it. Whether it be lust, pornography, gluttony, pride, greed, cussing, anger, addiction to anything; give it to God. These sins weaken you and in those weaknesses, Satan attacks most ferociously. What takes up most of your time? If it is TV, facebook, the internet, work, cleaning then get your priorities straightened out.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness - Righteousness has everything to do with external behavior and the condition of your heart. It has to do with actions and the heart of your actions. How do you behave around Christians and non-Christians? Are you compassionate? What kind of language do you use? What kind of movies do you see? What kind of thoughts stir in your mind? All these are questions to ask yourself to find out your righteousness. In James 5:16b it says: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. And Proverbs 15:29 it says: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. The breastplate covers all the vital organs, and prayer cannot cover you if you are not being heard.

3. Feet fitted with the peace of the Gospel - If your feet are shaky, you cannot stand. If there is no peace in your feet, you will fall. Worry and fear can gnaw at your spiritual feet and make you less sturdy. They will make you hesitate when it is time to act. The most important thing for a foot soldier was to keep his feet dry and healthy, because if he "lost" his feet, he lost his mobility and ultimately his effectiveness. Stand firm on God's peace and be ready. In Philippians 4:7 it says: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4.  Shield of Faith - When the arrows of attack come, it is your faith that protects you. When the troubles and tribulations come, it is your faith that keeps the enemy from hurting you. Your shield must be big and sturdy and lack any holes or tears. If there are holes or tears, rest assured that is where Satan will attack. What helps tremendously is to remember what God already has done for you. Remember what God did for you in times past. Remember the miracles that have been worked in your life already and know that He will not abandon you now. Write down verses and have them ready that have given you strength. If He got you out of the mire before, He will do so again.

5. Helmet of Salvation - Doubting your salvation and your worthiness is a tactic Satan uses to keep you sedentary. If you doubt your salvation you will not fight any fight. If you doubt your worthiness, you have already lost so why even continue to do His work? If you don't know you're saved, ask Jesus to enter your life and believe in Him. Believe that He loves you and ask for forgiveness of your sins. If you have to do that everyday, do it! Jesus died on the cross for you and took your place on the cross, that instead of God seeing a sinner, He sees a ready saint! Quit doubting your salvation and do something for Him. No one is an atheist in the foxhole!

6. Sword of the Spirit - This is our weapon. Everything else that is given to us is primarily used as a source of protection, but the sword is an offensive weapon. Memorize scripture when combating against sin or spiritual afflictions. Know that there is no other truth except God's word. Many have tried to prove that it is false, but all have fallen short. Lean on its wisdom, on its power and on its light. Read your Bible everyday, it doesn't matter what, just read it!

Those who are precious to Him, are important to Satan. Don't go against Satan without being prepared.

The British nation, no. The Chinese nation, no. The Imagination yes!

I can remember clearly in the original movie Miracle on 34th Street when Santa, played by actor Edmund Gwenn, told little Susan "You've heard of the British nation, and the Chinese nation, but have you heard of the Imagination?". What a beautiful movie! Santa then lead little Susan into a whole imagination escapade of dreams, thoughts and using something we as adults forget we can also use. Like in the Polar Express, we cannot hear the bell ring anymore. There have been countless of movies depicting the loss of the imagination, the loss of innocence, and the dwindling of child-like confidence, humility and faith. But what does this mean to the Christian? In the book of Matthew (19:14), Jesus takes special account of the children that seem to be disturbing everyone else. He tells the disciples to let them come to Him and adds that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these or to those that are like children. In the same gospel (18:3-4), Jesus says that no one can enter Heaven unless he or she becomes like a child. Although Paul later talks about not thinking like a child and putting away childish things (I Corinthians 13:11), I believe Jesus is on a different playing field than Paul is in. I believe Paul is talking more about maturing mentally and maybe even allowing our attitude to mature when it comes to rules and restrictions, while Jesus speaks of children and for us to be like them spiritually and in faith. Jesus means we should have faith and awestruck love towards our Father, as a healthy child loves a loving earthly father. I know that many of us did not have that love shown to us by our fathers and that a picture of a loving Father is difficult to draw up in our minds and spirits. One thing all children do have though is an imagination. The imagination is something every child innately carries whether they are abused or loved. We would quickly play pretend with anything in sight. Whether we played with sticks and dirt or with Barbies and GI Joes, our imagination brought to us a world limited only by our minds. Our natural curiosity brought forth adventures on the moon, or in a wolf packed wilderness, or in the wild west. We fought trolls, bears, Ken's new girlfriend and even faced our own fears. Most of the time we were victorious and most of the time, bath time or sleep time came too soon. Like a ravenous thief, sleep became our enemy. Now it seems that sleep is more of my best friend! Unfortunately, sooner or later we utilized our imagination less and less. We may use it to plan an event or to decorate a room, but it isn't that release that it used to be or that bringer of joy. Like Walt Disney quotes "why do we have to grow up?".

With this, I want to bring up something different regarding the imagination. We can easily forget that the imagination is given to us by God. God intentionally gave us the capacity to use our minds to pretend and make things up. Unlike animals, we are created creative beings. Jesus tells us to be like children and one thing a child encompasses is the imagination. Incorporating the imagination while we pray or meditate can sound child like and frankly it is. When we pray for a sick loved one, next time try imagining them lying on their bed and then Jesus coming over and placing His hand on their head praying for him/her. When you pray invite Jesus to sit next to you and imagine Him doing so and praying with you. There is nothing wrong with this because you are utilizing something God gave you in the first place to worship and commune with Him.

As I have been practicing meditation this month I have learned to clear my mind of all my troubles and imagine something that reminds me of Jesus. With the problems in my life, the cross has been the image I have my mind paint. I pray and focus on Jesus suffering for me and showing me how much He loves me. I see his battered body and his silent tears. I see him crucified and from the cross He whispers how much He loves me and He comforts me from there. I then see the cross empty and blood soaked. I look at that empty cross and know that I have a Savior that not only died for me, but who also vanquished any darkness that has enveloped me. And that no matter what I am going through, my God is in control and loves me. All my troubles seem to melt away when I can see Jesus in my mind's eye go through the motions of the crucifixion. I will be alright. The empty cross I imagine is a beacon that comforts me through my turmoil. So many times I have imagined taking my problems off my back and giving them to Jesus. When I pray, I imagine Jesus helping take my "baggage" from me and then having Him deal with it. The weightlessness afterward is almost always tangible. I feel lighter and more free.

I am learning to use my imagination. It is a learning process. Sometimes people or certain scenes come to mind while I pray. Those people that come to my mind I immediately say a prayer for them and then let them know that I am praying for them. Nine times out ten, they needed the prayer and are grateful. Before we were given the go-ahead to leave to Kentucky, I remember meditating and a beautiful picture entered my mind. Before I knew it, I was swinging on the front porch swing at our Kentucky home feeling the warmth of the sun. Where had that image come from? I believe my Lord places that beautiful scene in my mind and that I would have missed it, had I not learned to sit still and use my imagination. It was at that moment that I new God would answer our prayers and we would leave for Kentucky. God utilized my imagination to speak and comfort me.

When I use my imagination in my spiritual life I feel closer to my Savior. I see Him smile at me and I experience resting my head on His chest. I don't just feel Him there, I SEE Him there in my mind. My relationship has grown deeper just because He isn't just some being out there that just spins the world in motion and could care less for us lesser beings. He's real. He's there. He's mine.

Using the word "imagination" might bring a levity that you may not want in a solemn and serious prayer life. But what is in our mind is something that man can never attain or take away. Like when the priest in The Count Of Monte Cristo offered Edmond knowledge in return for his help. Edmond naively says that the Priest offers freedom, but the Priest responds: "Freedom can be taken away. What I offer, cannot be taken away." In the United States we have seen slowly how our rights can be taken away. Our right to pray in school, to say "Merry Christmas", to life. All these rights and much more can be taken away. What better time to utilize what man cannot remove. Our right to know, our right to think, our right to imagine. Even if they say that in school I cannot "pray", they cannot enter my mind. I can pray continuously all day long and they wouldn't know! I can bring Jesus with me in my mind and they wouldn't know. They don't have to know. All that matters to Him is that I know. 

I love living in the American nation. I love the United States and what it truly stands for, but in the Imagination is where I see my Savior.

At the Cross

This is a drawing my son made when he was about 6 years old. I just can't get over the feeling behind his drawing. It is just a perfect presentation of Jesus crucified. He has placed lightning bolts around the top of Jesus and using his own spelling words writes  "forgive them father" although being only 6 he does misspell some words.

He used colored pencils to make this drawing and he tells me that is what he most remembered from a cartoon on Jesus that we bought him. He remembered that Jesus forgave those that nailed Him to the cross.

This is a close up of his drawing. I just love the representation. You can visibly see the crown of thorns on Jesus' head and the blood on his arms, body, head and feet. The lightning added a whole different perspective. The picture feels more powerful with the lightning surrounding the cross. It feels like it is more towards the end and Jesus is triumphant because He has overcome the pain of thecross.

I am very proud of the young artist my son is turning out to be. And his drawing  has really pulled at my heart strings. As Protestant Christians I think we try really hard not to portray Jesus' death on the cross symbolically. The crosses we wear around our necks usually contain an empty cross. That is all well because the resurrection is the highlight of Christianity. But we must remember that the resurrection is just as important as the crucifixion. I honestly wish we would remember the crucifixion more. Because it is at the cross that we identify more with Jesus as we go through our sufferings. It is at the cross that we see our value and the cost for our salvation. It is at the cross where love is expressed completely. Because it is at the cross that He laid down His life for those He loved.

Half-Hearted Prayer

Yesterday my prayer felt like a vapor. In reality, I didn't even think anyone was listening. In a blank and bland voice, my prayer felt tired and forced. I prayed for hope and things, and petitioned knowing it was all in vain. "Is He even up there?" I thought. I had no feeling, no desire, and I frankly didn't care if He heard because deep down inside, I new He wasn't even listening. I felt so numb and wasted. I just felt cheated somehow. I didn't even finish what I was praying about. I sighed not knowing what to do next. I looked up at the ceiling and wondered if He even cared about me. If He even truly loved me. I thought of Jesus and the cross and questioned if He wasn't just like so many others that had the same execution. I felt ashamed thinking that. I felt worse that I did before I had started to pray, but the prayer slowly faded away into the air. The prayer was filtered, sifted and finally pulverized. It had no substance or expectation. It had no potential or feeling. It felt like cold ash, useless and exhumed from the fire that used to be there. I felt like a stranger talking to a stranger. Praying to someone I didn't know and someone who didn't know me. Does He even want to know me?

The next day my prayer was answered. He had heard my prayer, He had heard my miserable petition. My prayer didn't need to feel powerful, because the power doesn't come from me, but from His Spirit. My prayer didn't need substance and feeling, because He is God no matter how I feel. He is all powerful no matter how weak I am. He has all potential even when I don't. He continues to care even when I don't care about Him or even myself.  Even when I doubt Him, He doesn't doubt me. He believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself. The fact that I may doubt His existence doesn't change the fact that He does exist.

How feeble I am! I question the Creator of the Universe and He decides not to strike me down. I would have given up on me a long time ago, but He never will give up on me.  His desire is to continue to work in me until I am a better person (Phil. 1:6). Which won't happen any time soon. Praise God, I still need Him.

Starved - Short Story

Day 1 - My master has locked me up again. It is dark where I am. He has stripped me from all my clothes and leaves me with nothing to cover my shame. I do not know how long I will be here. I have become an inconvenience to him. I get in the way of things he wants to get done. I am so alone.

Day 3 - I can hear his voice and I want to tell him I am hungry, but I keep silent. He has forgotten about me. Why can't he remember me. There were days when I brought him happiness, even joy. Why can't he remember those days?

Day 8 - I feel I am dying. I only get fed scraps that he throws at me just to shut me up. I scream and cry for him to feed me, to let me go. I find I am getting used to the darkness now but the cold still bites at me. I can't stop crying. I am so hungry and the loneliness overwhelms me.

Day 9 - He brought a small blanket today, maybe he will remember me soon.

Day 13 - I heard his voice again and screamed for food. For him to feed me! He beat me and took away my blanket. I should have stayed silent, but I am so hungry.

Day 20- I want to die, but I do not have anything to kill myself with. The pests don't even bother me anymore. I just let them climb on me. I can hear the noises they make. I can feel their small feet scratch at my skin. My master has forgotten me.

Day 21 - I get a visitor and I plead with him to feed me. He says he is only there to comfort me. He heard my tears, He gives me a blanket and some clean water. I drink shamelessly. He watches me for a while and it sounds like he has started to cry. Do something! Talk to my master! He says he will.

Day 22 - The visitor says that my master won't listen to him. He tells me that my master doesn't want me anymore and is waiting for me to die. The visitor leaves.

Day 26 - I know I am dying. Soon I will die. I don't even feel the hunger anymore. He doesn't even give me water anymore. I wait for death.

Day 27 - I stop breathing. He forgot me.

Question: Have you forgotten to feed your spirit. Every day our spirits die of malnutrition and neglect. There is a pandemic of spiritual anorexia and abuse. What kind of master are you?

Directions: Feed your spirit with God's Word. If it is a baby spirit start with comforting verses and verses of promise and warmth. Then once your spirit has matured begin feeding more solids i.e. verses that challenge you to do things for others. Then go to complete solids i.e. verses that move you to give food to others and that help other masters to feed their own spirits. Don't forget to laugh, to sing and to pray. All these things provide comfort for you spirit.

For further directions please call: 1-800-JESUS. He gave you your spirit and can tell you more about it.

Sweet Jesus!

On K-Love they were asking a pretty interesting question. On the air they asked the listeners what food did they turn to when they needed comfort. So many people called in and there were many answers. Most of the answers though was some kind of sweet food. There were some that said other things, like hamburgers or french fries, but the majority of them specified some kind of pastry, chocolate or sweet desserts. I thought that was kinda interesting because I have had to learn to comfort myself without the aid of sugar. (I am not sure how many of you know, but I am abstaining from anything sweet until I am together again with Nathan). So I thought a little about the answers people gave and I thought about the Supreme Comforter. He is always there to provide comfort to our weary souls and there ready to listen to a broken heart, but as I thought of this I realized that HOW Jesus tastes to us matters a lot. Jesus cannot comfort us if He has a sour taste. Jesus cannot comfort us if He is bitter tasting. A lot of time we confuse our horrible religious or church experiences and marry them with Jesus. When the church has left a bitter taste in our mouths we think that Jesus tastes the same, therefore asking Him to comfort us when we think He's bitter is something we ask in vain. The same thing happens with our lives. If life has thrown us too many curve balls and we in turn have become bitter against life, we tend to think of Jesus as the same. We think of Him as this big ogre up there ready to stomp out any happiness. And then we wonder why Jesus isn't comforting us in our time of need. It is the taste we think He has. He must be sweet in order for Him to comfort us. He must be delicious in order for us to want more of Him. King David said this of Him: "Taste and see that the Lord is good" and "How sweet are your words to my taste. They are sweeter than honey!" Yuuuuuummy!  How we view Jesus impedes or allows us to receive His comfort. When we pray and ask for His comfort we must remember that he IS sweet to the taste and satisfies our needs and cravings. Even when life is cruel, He is tender no matter what we feel. If the church has caused you pain remember that humans will always fail us, but Jesus never will. He is good to us. When the sky is falling and this world has lost its appeal, remember that He won't falter and will always be there - even to ends of the earth. When we feel that no one cares, He even know the hairs on your head - that's how intereseted He is in you. Do not let other people, cultures, or life situations taint the taste of Jesus. He is not them and He is not you, so don't mesh them together. There is no other way to receive His comfort unless Jesus tastes sweet.

Child of Who

I love reading books about midieval and renaissance times specifically in England and Spain.(YES I'M A NERD!)   I just finished reading a book called the White Queen by Philippa Gregory.

Warning  History Nerd Alert!

 Anyway, the book is about the House of York winning the throne from the House of Lancaster. This struggle went on for about 100 years and is better known as the War of the Roses. The House of York's  is the white rose and (you guessed it) the House of Lancaster is the red rose hence the name "war of the roses". Well these two houses were cousins. In England all royalty was related one way or another. They continually fought for the throne and killed each other for it. Brother betraying brother, cousin betraying cousin, and the women in the background scheming their way to the throne with their male heirs. It was brutal and unbelievable the things these people did for the throne. Several times the white queen (Elizabeth Woodville consort to Edward IV) would tell herself how her son was a "Son of York" through and through. Why? Because the boy was always ready for battle, was ambitious, was full of life and knew that the end always justified the means.

YAY! YOU MADE IT!

Many of us do the same things with our own children or with people in our family. When a boy is good in a certain sport we say, "he's a Jones (or whatever your last name is) through and through". When a child loves the family recipe for pumpkin pie, we say "it's in her blood". When certain traits are noticed that our children do, we say its because he's a part of the family. Even my Rami who is not biologically Nathan's shows Tobey traits. We even do it with people from different states. Take a Northerner and a Southerner. If someones is loud and tells you what's on his mind we say "oh its because he's from New York". Or if someone likes tea with their sugar we say "oh its because they're from Georgia". We can tell is someone is from Lousiana just by how they talk. We call people Yankees, Hillbillies, Rednecks, Mexicans, Raza, Ghetto, Texans, Cowboys, Country, Jocks, Nerds and so on because of what they DO or SAY.

So why the heck do we think that being called a CHRISTIAN implicates that we can DO nothing and SAY anything!? 

Being called a Christian means you have to behave a certain way and talk a certain way. He's good at quoting scripture when I need it! - Oh its because he's a Christian. He is always fasting and in prayer - Oh it's because he is a Christian. He is always talking about Jesus - Oh its because he's a Christian, it's in his blood! Being called a Christian means we behave a certain way. Those that second guess their salvation only second guess it because they are not acting like Christians. Am I saved? Well what have you done lately? Well, nothing? Well maybe we need to get on our knees and ask Jesus in. Jesus is like a semi-truck. When he hits you, YOU CAN TELL! Over 80 percent of our nation is Christian and YOU CAN'T TELL!

Have you heard Packer fans say, " I bleed green and  yellow"? What about Christians, do you bleed "Jesus". Do you bleed Jesus because He is so much a part of you that he comes out through you? That He seeps out of you?

There is a book title that I read that really strung a note to me. The title was Christian Atheists. What a powerful title! Is that what we have become? That if you would follow an atheist and a Christian, that their lives would mirror each other.

Who do I mirror? I hope people immdiately think Anna - the Christian or the Jesus Freak or the Christ Follower. Not Anna - the nice lady or the funny gal.

Am I a Daughter of Jesus through and through? The only way to tell is by what I do.

Parshah- Judah and Tamar

Last night I read my son the story of Judah and Tamar. We are a little behind in our reading and I thought I would skip this one due to its "graphic" content. I decided not to because Judah and specifically Tamar are mentioned in the New Testament and are Jesus' ancestors. Again there is more sex and death and my son by now is immune. (I survived explaining Hagar, and all of Jacob's 4 wives and children, I can handle Tamar). I obviously skipped some very graphic parts and mentioned Onan's mishaps as just "he didn't obey God". But the wonderful part of last nights parshah was that my son couldn't believe that Judah and Tamar were Jesus' ancestors. He couldn't believe that another sneaky person was related to Jesus. It's been a blessing reading to him these other stories that are not so popular. But this again points out that we can have some really messed up relatives, but still have a chance to not be such screwups.

God's Calculator

I was listening to a pastor yesterday and a phrase he used made my little mind whirl. He said, ". . .  and using God's calculator . . .". I don't remember what context he was using it in, but I do remember it grasping my attention. I thought long and hard and realized that according to our standards, God's calculator doesn't add up. Math is logic. 2 + 2 will always equal 4. No matter what mood I am in, the answer stays the same. Even if all the two's in the worlds are racist, misogynistic, bigots! 2 + 2 = 4. Even if I don't like the answer. You get the point.Although there are definitely absolutes in the Bible, there are also many "formulas" that don't add up. Here are some that I noted and had fun researching:

1 > 99
Matthew 18:12-14
Here Jesus uses normal life to describe how God is willing to sacrifice security for his sheep to rescue a pesky one. He leaves a whole herd of 99 sheep to look for a sheep that may already be dead. It doesn't make sense to endanger so many for the cost of one. But He does and it makes perfect sense to Him. Not Logical

$10.00/day is equal to $10.00/hour
Matthew 20:1-16 
Here  all workers get paid the same regardless of how much time they worked. Sounds communist to me! This goes against all that is AMERICAN! Is what I want to shout when I read this parable. That's not fair. I would be so angry if I was one of the ones hired in the morning. But the owner says, it's his money, he could do what he wants with it. True, but it's still unfair. No industry would survive if it paid out like that to workers that worked 1/8th of the allotted time and where paid 100% of an 8 hour day.No logic

First is Last and the Last is First
Matthew 19:30 
THe attractive ones, the ones always on top, the ones with all the money, the ones we want to be our friends. Those are the Last. The poor, the ugly, the humble, the starved, the ones that can't get it together. Those will be First. I want to be first in Heaven, but I dont want people not to like me. I heck as don't want to be last in Heaven, but I want to be loved by all.

A Stuttering Man Communicates God's Laws
Exodus 4
Out of all the men that God could have chosen to communicate to Pharaoh, to communicate his Law to a people, to communicate His order, He picks Moses, a man with a speech impairment. A man who KNOWS he has a speech problem. (Some people like to hear themselves speak and don't realize how annoying they are). Doesn't Make Sense, I would have chosen someone like, "Hmmm whose a good orator and full of hot air, maybe Barack Obama! ha ha ha JUUUUSSST KIDDDING! BUt Moses wouldn't have been my first choice.

In so many instances God/Jesus uses the lowliest, the ugliest, the smallest to make His point. It doesn't matter where you came from, it doesnt matter what you've done or continue to do, it doesnt matter if you're one of the pesky ones that endangers the rest. God is willing to do the illogical to show just  how much he cares for you. God's calculator doesn't add up, and thank God for us that it doesn't. Because sin + unrepentance = HELL!!!! And I fit in the first part of the formula, but not the second. Here's another formula God uses:
sin(to the nth degree) + forgiveness = REDEMPTION. It doesn't matter how big my sin is, it doesn't matter if I have hated Him all my life. If I ask for forgiveness and mean it, I am redeemed. Whether anyone else likes it or not. Whether someone screams: THAT'S NOT FAIR!
Grace doesnt make sense, that's the beauty of it. Sometimes God doesnt either, that's the beauty of Him. Like John the Baptist screamed: He can turn any of these stone to Abraham's children!But He wont because He'd rather go through the grime of sin, be nailed to a cross and enter the darkness of our heats and minds than give up on us. He is also willing to use the one who are thought useless and showing His power through them. How many broken bodies and broken hearts has our Lord used to bring healing. How much hope has our Lord brought by using those who were hopeless. How much love has our Lord brough by using those who were hated. If your life is unorganized, if it's out of control, if you can't continue another day, PRAISE ALMIGHTY JESUS - YOU are what God is looking for. In weakness on He finds Strength. In Darkness, He finds LIght. In Despair, He finds Hope. In Lost, He finds YOU.

I am thankful His calculator is "faulty". I would be in Hell and you probably would be too if it "worked".

Today's Children Devotional: Circumsicion, Homosexuality, Beatings and Polygamy

I found some interesting stuff on the Jewish Calendar. I remember receiving a post from Desirae saying taht she had spent the night outside in honor of Sukkot. Well I looked that up and felt like I should have done that with my family and really regretted not doing the same. (THanks Desirae for opening a new world to me yet again!) So I found there what is called a PARSHAH which basically is a section of scripture that is read a loud or with the family. So I decided to do that with Rami. We light a candle every night to remember that God provided a light for the Israelites at night during the wilderness, and we have added onto that remembering taht WE are to be a LIGHT to this dark world.

So last week was the week we read the Cheved which included the story of Sarai beating Hagar, Abram taking a second wife Hagar and the explanation of circumcision. Yeah Rami was wide-eyes the whole time and winced when I described what circumsicion was. He felt violated because HE was circumcized as a baby and was a bit upset with me that I had done taht to him. He also couldn't believe Abram could marry someone else AT THE SAME time as being already married. And how could SARAI beat up HAGAR when it was Sarai's idea in the first place. He also was astonished that God's people had SLAVES. HOW COULD THEY! HOW MEAN! So here I was reading the Bible. ANd Rami is just jaw-dropped. We then read about ABRAM hacking 3 animals in half as an offering to God and just killing the doves. Rami couldn't believe that people could be so cruel to animals. He's like "Its not even food for them, they just kill it.". I explained that killing an animal and spilling it's blood was necessary to cover for the sins.  I gave him an example. I said, "Well sweetie, if you lied you would have to go buy a dove and take it to the pastor(priest I know, but i tried to keep it simple for him) The pastor would then slit its throat and spill its blood on an altar. The dove had to die because of your sins." Rami was shocked. He said "Well I would sin less if that had to be done!" I couldn't help but laugh. But I then explained to him that we don't have to do that anymore. That JEsus sacrificed himself to pay for our sins once and for all. "So Jesus saved a bunch of animals also besides us then, right mom?" Rami then said. It was pretty awesome teaching him that. I also tried explaining the circumsicion of the heart, but he said it hurt to much and he didn't want to hear anymore. HE had had enought blood, guts, beatings and foreskin for a day! But Rami got it, he saw Abram in his mind, sacrificing an animal to cover his sin, and the next picture was JEsus sacrificing himself for our sins. Jesus is all over the Old Testament!

In our culture we tend to stay away from these stories in the Bible. We want to "beautify" God's word and tell of only the pretty stories. BUt there is a lot of other stuff in there that might paint a clearer picture to our children and what Jesus did for them. The BIble isn't pretty and neither is Christianity. We want to keep our children innocent. That they are too young to hear about slaves being beat and a man taking two wives. But at the same time, our society is beating stuff into them.

This week is Vayeira week. It covers the 3 visitors, Sodom and Gomorrah and Lots daughters. AHHHH. I didn't want to do this one. Because of all the homosexuality in it. Rami "knows" a couple of teens that are "gay". So in my mind I know he is going to ask about them and their sin. The whole world is telling Rami that being GAY IS OKAY! And here I am afraid of reading him a story about just how much God hates homosexuality as a sin.So much that he destroyed two cities because of it. I am afraid he might see a gay person and say "HEY! GOD says you're not supposed to be gay. Haven't you heard of Sodom and Gomorrah!!!" But God bless him if he does. I am so afraid he might offend someone or stand up in school and say ITS WRONG!" To HELL with my fear! Homosexuality is WRONG, but I wont tell anyone who is gay that because I might hurt their feelings! When did I become such a wimp? I am going to read this story to my son, because if I dont feed him God's truth, someone else will feed him the truth of this world.

I will keep you posted on how it goes!

For more info on these awesome practices go to chabad.org