Reading Rev. David Jeremiah's 2008, Best-Selling, Prophecy Book

I'm reading Dr. David Jeremiah's 2008 book on Biblical prophecy, What in the World is Going ON? --one thing it tells is how the inscription on the eastern top of the Washington Monument is "Laus Deo" --Praise be to God. I knew about that, but there is a display that allows the public to see a replica of this inscription --which the Nat'l. Park Service has recently turned toward the wall --saying that they did so to "correct a mistake."

We are fools to be revisionist historians, hiding and stripping this nation of evidence of its religious heritage --considering that from the beginning of America's founding --from Columbus's comments in his journal that he thought he was opening the world to the Gospel of salvation in Christ with his explorations, God's hand is evidenced through the faith of the founders. Yes, I know all the evil that attended our history in America --and the hypocrisy of various of them --but it wasn't just the European and western Christians who sinned in every generation since creation's fall.

American Protestant Christianity has still been the world's greatest force for good with their Biblical knowledge and application --even some hellfire and brimstone preaching converted some pretty tough old sinners into decent citizens --and the USA has been the most blessed of nations for our global generosity, Christian missions, and beacon of freedom --all influenced by people who had a biblical sense of right and wrong, and the value of every individual --and the values of both justice and mercy.

We are rightly measured and judged by our Savior Jesus Christ --and corrected in our sins. But it is never a sin to correct to say "Laus Deo." "Praise be to God!" Not even as a nation.

Or to say, as did the Jewish man Irving Berlin, "God, Bless America!" It is a prayer --and every president utters it in his speeches.

Atheists, relax. You get to disbelieve all you wish! But don't help to remake us in Europe's image--secularistic, humanistic, socialistic, childless, gay, weak in family life --and ultimately overrun with a Muslim majority and their ideas of law and freedom.




"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BLOG FAMILY, ET AL!

Christ is Born! The Annointed One of the Creator has been sent --and has descended to be born of a Virgin Jewish girl --and because of His atonement on the cross --and His resurrection--and His power in miracles and raising the dead --and because His father loves us all enough to give us a chance at immortality AND power over sin and death --we all have the hope of resurrection to eternal life --instead of the hopelessness of mortality and the sorrow of death. We all know that we can live to please God instead of ourselves (which will be pleasure to ourselves as well) and find victory over temptations through repentance for sin --

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

A Merry Christmas indeed!!!

Peace on earth --good will to men-- from our heavenly Father.








"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Blade Writer Thinks Gay Issue is Minor for Lutheran Church

A Letter to the Blade:

In regard to the dispute at St. Paul’s Church over gay clergy: Though he had many major theological differences with the medieval church, Luther did not withdraw from it, but was forced out by the hierarchy.

It therefore seems strange that a Lutheran congregation would divorce itself from its parent body over one rather minor social issue.

Fred Shuman

Whitehouse

Fred and his wife both taught my children at AW Schools. Fred is a retired minister in the Evangelical Lutheran church--same as St. Paul's Lutheran in Maumee which recently voted to secede from the parent denomination.

Fred should remember that Luther was kicked out of the Catholic Church after disagreeing with it on a list of 99 issues. So what would happen if the St. Paul's congregation would refuse to receive a gay minister or perform gay marriages? The split is inevitable. And the issue is BIBLICAL, not socially minor. It is the church divider of our day.

Luther hoped to reform Catholicism instead of being excommunicated. St. Paul's Church probably knows that their denomination has been left-leaning on theological and social issues for decades. Better to secede than put up with their unbiblical stand on marriage --no small social issue.

Any church that wants to be truly Biblical cannot condone gay marriage or ordination for practicing homosexuals --same as for unrepentant, sexually active adulterers, rapists, pedophiles, incestors, fornicators, porn users.

The Bible blesses one proper arrangement for sexual intimacy--marriage between a man and wife --and warns against the rest as sins.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

An Invitation to

Christmas ~
From Our Home to Yours!

A musical program ~
Compiled by Stephanie Rohrs Hulbert


December 18 & 20, 7:00 pm


At the Holland Free Methodist Church
6605 Angola Road ~Holland, Ohio



Sharing Traditions ~ Gretchen Bersinger, Gail Warton, Sue Conklin,
Diane Bethel, Jean Knapp, Inga Wood, Pastor Keith & Rachel Simpson

Cantata Choir, Jr. Church Singers, Andrew Winckles,
The Perez Family, the Youth Dancers, Courtney & Andrea, the Junior
Church Choir, The Rohrs Family, Bob Sutton,
Children’s Nativity, Costumes by Conklin
and Cookies by the Church Ladies ~ Nursery Provided

Share this invitation to our 35th annual
not-to-be missed holiday Christmas Praise Concert.

Also ~ Candlelight Christmas Eve Service ~ 6 pm

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Hey, Matt? Do you really think nativity scenes are idolatrous??

You never know what you'll see at Mudrake's. (Well, actually, it is pretty predictable!) But my Christian brother Matt suggested in a comment over there --maybe with tongue in cheek --maybe not--that nativity scenes were idolatrous.

If he really thinks that, I hope he also doesn't take any photographs as they might qualify as graven images of things on the earth.

Granted, some Catholic laity around the world seem to relate to the statuary of Catholic churches as pagans do to idols --praying to them. Missing the point that God is Spirit --and He is everywhere --and we do not reach Him or praise Him through a statue. But I believe Catholic doctrine denies deifying and worshiping Mary. Maryology is a medieval development --and some say it improved the lot of women and mothers. Some say it is an adaptation of the Mother Earth/Mother/Goddess pagan worship. Whatever, Mary is a special lady who found favor with God --and did all that God asked of her.

I think the creche scenes such as we enact in our church Christmas programs are, like the Christmas carols, re-telling the "greatest story ever told." Drama was one way the medieval church told Bible stories before people had access to the Bibles --"morality plays," they called them. Re-enactments of this timeless, true tale help to make the story come alive again and again --

The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy --
Immanuel, God with Us --
He shall save His people from their sins!
Glory to the new born king!
Joy to the world --the Lord has Come!

and finally

He rules the world --with Truth and Grace!

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Friday a Full Moon at the Blade Letters Forum???

A lady from Archbold, Sarah Maxwell, a Democrat, complained in a Blade letter printed yesterday, that GOP Rep. Bob Latta was making a "slur" against the Democrats when he referred to "democrat party." She insists the word can only be a noun and never an adjective --and thus should be "democratic party."

But then, what of the Republicans? Should they be the Republicanic Party? Isn't the word used as both an adjective and a noun? Why shouldn't Democrat be used the same way???

In fact, the dictionary does refer to democrat as a noun and republican as both noun and adjective. Yet, the dictionary had an example using democrat as an adjective in the name of a wagon --a "democrat wagon." So the word was a modifier/adjective for wagon in that case.

I think it's the height of silliness to think that everybody knows that the Party is the Democratic Party and not the Democrat Party --considering that the GOP is the Republican Party, filled with Republicans. While Ms. Maxwell seems to have slight dictionary support for insisting that democrat is only a noun, I think she's really paranoid for her party to think Latta intends a slur when he refers to the "democrat party."

Now, my husband's Uncle George is another story! He referred to the Damocrats!

Then, silly letter no. 2: a fat person of 400 pounds declared his self-loathing and said we over-weight Americans should --in effect, "carry our own weight," and pay for our condition --that we all lack self-control (duh!) and should pay extra for ourselves. Well, I guess we DO pay extra for the food! And so far, my med chart and expense doesn't look like those of smokers --who start having CAD (coronary artery disease) in their 40's. While the gentleman, Jason Craig, made valid observations about obesity, I can't help but wonder WHY??? Does he really want us to pay more for health insurance or be taxed for our weight? Is he nuts? considering his own condition??? Would he think we should be denied health care unless we could pay more for it than most others?

Finally, Rebecca Swinney somehow knows exactly how much is owed the city in traffic fines for getting caught on camera running red lights at intersections -but she has apparently never figured out why the city isn't collecting. Fine enforcement is lax because of the much publicized concern that the cameras cause more accidents than they prevent --as people jerk to a stop when the light changes --causing rear-end collisions. WHO LIKES THOSE CAMERAS? Almost nobody but Ms. Swinney, apparently.

And finally, Bruce Whalen, native American, is offended that the IRS is treating people of native American heritage JUST THE SAME AS THEY TREAT ALL THE OTHER AMERICANS! When are the natives going to forgive the past and realize they are no more entitled to the continent by accident of birth than the rest of us who were born here? And we ALL resent the IRS! You can see what hanging on to the grudges of ancestors will do for a nation--just look all over the middle east. Americans should ALL let bygones be bygones and protect this almost "shining city on a hill," this place where the beacons of liberty and opportunity still shine for native Americans and immigrants alike --who are willing to forgive and forget and move forward.

Whooeeee! Kooky letter day at the Blade!

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

CLINTON-GORE EMBARRASSING MOMENT

Thanks again to Mike Johnson's wonderful article in the ADF magazine, Truth and Triumph

At the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast, Mother Teresa told a gathering of D.C. power-brokers:

“Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love one another but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.”

Those words brought hundreds to their feet, but not President Bill Clinton – or Mrs. Clinton, or Vice President and Mrs. Al Gore. Seats planted, faces set like stone, that quartet gazed, dazed, on the wizened old face of wisdom … and sat powerless, for a moment, in the face of the truth.

Scenes like that are why ACLU attorneys balk and rage at the prospect of public prayer. The truth is not always something most of us – including the ACLU crowd – are fond of hearing.

For the truth is, people have a right to speak, publicly, not only their vulgarities, but their beliefs. People have a right to distribute, publicly, not only atheist journals and non-religious books – but Bibles and gospel tracts, too. A community has a right to publicly celebrate its heritage – even when that history is Christian.

I thought I had heard that a similar event took place at a Catholic Youth Conference in Colo. when Gores and Clintons remained seated, embarrassed looking, when both the Pope and Mother Theresa made pro-life statements and the crowd wildly cheered. I know similar embarrassments occur when democrat politicians attend Catholic funerals where priests make pro-life statements.

This is truly an example of speaking truth to power, as ADF points out. May we never stop doing it! May we always keep our FREEDOMS to do it!!! and not go to jail or die for our convictions in the USA --as is happening elsewhere.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

MY CHOICE FOR QUOTE OF THE YEAR-- ON ACLU: MIKE JOHNSON, ADF

Alliance Defense Fund's Senior Legal Counsel, Mike Johnson wrote:

There’s an incredible double-standard at play with the ACLU and its allies, who’ve always been more worried about praying children than preying pornographers; more concerned about committed Christians than committed terrorists. Their record and their relentless agenda defy logic and betray the best of our traditions. They are a threat because they are so subversive.

He goes on to say:

In recent years, the Leftists have made it their goal to eliminate prayer at public gatherings, concentrating much of their legal intimidation on hometown governments, hoping to bully them into surrendering a practice that dates back to our Founding Fathers. (The Alliance Defense Fund is meeting – and defeating – the secularists on each of these battlefields, by God’s grace.)

Yet, somehow – for all the ACLU’s aggressive legal efforts to eliminate invocations at city council meetings and graduation exercises and public events throughout the nation – prayer persists. People just keep talking to God. And some of them insist on doing it right out loud.

Leftists are especially fond of that old Quaker quote about “speaking truth to power.” It makes them feel brave – the idea of standing up to a gracious, polite society, calling for the abolition of the essential tenets of Western civilization – with no one to back them up but an omnipresent mass media, a posse of increasingly activist judges, and the glittery Hollywood Thought Police.

The irony, though, is that public prayer is the ultimate way of speaking truth to power.

Read his whole article HERE.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

MICHAEL MEDVED ON THE LEFT VS. PUBLIC ED.

See this article HERE.

Medved has pointed out the upside down perspective in left-wing propaganda regarding First Amendment concerns today:

Part of the debate here is, which side is the aggressor? To understand what the other side is up to, it is important to recognize that THEY [emphases added by The Barb Wire] believe that WE are the aggressors, and that somehow we are trying to alter this wonderful, consitutional, God-free and religion-free paradise by introducing the serpent of religious messages into public education.

They don't realize that there is nothing that even the most conservative religious believers want for our public schoools or for the public square generally that would not have been normal in Eisenhower's America. Nobody wants to establish an official religion or impose faith on anybody. Unless you believe that we lived under a theocracy under FDR or Eisenhower, these charges about the theocratic leanings of religious believers are clearly bogus and deeply misleading. Truth & Triumph, Vol II, Issue 4, p. 14.

WHO IS RADICAL, ANYWAY???

Michael's view is similar to my observation that the Christians have not been the radical change-agents here, as the Left would have us believe. E.G., the LEFT implies the traditional definition of marriage, the practice of public prayers by public agencies, the posting of The Ten Commandments, the free expression of religion in courts, congress, and schools, are all NEW and a NEW THREAT to American freedom --and yes, unconstitutional.

In fact, it is RADICAL to deny Americans the traditional right to pray and express faith most anywhere and most any time they wish (granted, there are places and times when free expression might be inappropriate or impolite and we won't all agree about that.) It is radical to make Americans afraid for their religious expression and belief --and radical to scare everybody with threat of lawsuits for religious free expression --and radical to redefine marriage and family to mean any creatures sharing a bed and a house.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Eastern Michigan U Denies Degree for Values Viewpoint

Julea Ward is a very together and very attractive, accomplished A student (African-American, incidentally) with two master's degrees, a teacher who decided she'd like to be a school counselor. The problem? She was assigned in her practicum to counsel a gay student wanting counsel re: a gay relationship --and she does not believe in such relationships because of her Christian beliefs. Though she had a 3.91 GPA there, her professors stated they would weed from the program students who would not embrace the school position of affirming clients in homosexual relationships.

She asked her advisor if she should disclose her Christian faith on the "informed consent" paper given to the potential clients for counseling during the practicum. The advisor said not. But she explained her beliefs --and knew them to be a "values-based conflict," with gay clients. Such conflicts are allowed as a reason for assigning a client to a different counselor. She wasn't refusing to counsel homosexuals; but she knew she was not to establish rapport with a client with whom she was going to have a values clash, but instead, refer them to someone else.

But Julea's advisor said she would undergo an "informal review" for her refusal to approve homosexuality. Her professors concluded that Julea was "in violation of EMU's code of ethics." She was to either 1. change her belief system through a remediation program --or 2. withdraw voluntarily from the program --or 3. request a formal review hearing. In option 3, which she chose, in which she was allowed no outsiders or legal representation, the panel decided to dismiss her from the program.

THIS MONTH, The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) will defend Julea who has sued the school for reinstatement in the program. Read about her case HERE.

Obviously, EMU has a problem with religion-based values and the definition of marriage. As do most of our state universities. We shall see more and more that Bible-believing college and grad students are discriminated against for not affirming homosexual acts and relationships, unless we help our ADF and ACLJ attorneys do this very important work of defending students like Julea.

We recall a similar case of an African-American woman administrator in human resources at U.T. Does anyone recall her name or how her case resolved??

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

READ NEWSWEEK, Dec. 7, 2009, RE: OBAMA, ABORTION, ENTITLEMENTS, ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OF USA

Newsweek,12/7/2009, titled HOW GREAT POWERS FALL announces on the cover: Steep debt, slow growth, and high spending kill empires--and America could be next --by Niall Ferguson.

This issue also has a pro-choice writer telling that Democrats are mad at Obama for not insisting that gov't fund abortions. But, in fact, his Blue Dog democrats dare NOT vote for gov't-funded abortions; the abortion liberals do not have a majority in the nation's polls or in the Senate. They managed to put gov't-funding of abortion in the House version of the health reform bill--but it ain't gonna happen in the Senate! Hurrah for common sense and decency! and LIFE!

Reality of opposition has come to this president --as it did to Bush. You cannot get the majority to go your way--and still get re-elected --on some of these hard core controversies.

Here's another Newsweek tidbit: THE WAR ON TERROR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR FINANCIAL MESS --AMOUNTING TO 1.8 PERCENT OF GDP. THE DEFICIT IN 2009 IS ABOUT 11.2 PERCENT OF GDP ACCORDING TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE --GREATER THAN ANY IN THE PAST 60 YEARS. And the war is only a fraction of it. It is nowhere near the cost of a world war, according to Laurence A. Tischy, prof of history at Harvard and the author of The Ascent of Money.

Prof Tischy says, in effect, "It's the Entitlements, Stupid!"

Consider that 40 per cent of adult Americans do not pay any taxes (tv source --don't recall who) --and many of these get the earned income tax credit --a gift from the gov't for working, so that working will be more profitable to them than sitting on the public dole. So only 60 percent are paying INTO the gov't, and the rest are all taking FROM. The 40% of non-contributors grows because we aren't making babies!! and we are aging!

And the Dumb Donkey Democrats want to add national healthcare to this scenario and tax higher the job generators making 250,000 and above. Nevermind that there aren't enough people in this income bracket to pay for all those entitlements to people who are not paying much, if anything, into the system. Nevermind that high taxes on the "haves" eliminates jobs and hurts small businesses especially --who provide most of the jobs (with the exception of Gov't bureaucracy --whose only money comes from the tax-payers because gov't MAKES nothing.)

HIGHEST STUPIDITY! DEMS WANT GOV'T TO PAY FOR ABORTIONS AND REQUIRE ALL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WITH GOV'T-SUBSIDIZED PATIENTS TO PARTICIPATE. Besides being morally indefensible, WE NEED CHILDREN!!!! We need good parents, also, to raise responsible, educated, moral, working citizens. Otherwise, the kids we do make end up on the dole and there is no income to tax for the entitlement programs.

Everybody will have to tighten their belts --including the seniors --of which I am technically one, though not yet gov't-dependent --in order to get us out of this mess.

And we are at the state where NOBODY VOTES LESS FREEBIES AND LESS MONEY FOR THEMSELVES. EVERYBODY WANTS TO KEEP ALL THEIR SO-CALLED ENTITLEMENTS --AND OBAMA AND THE DEMS ANNUALLY PROMISE THEM MORE!!! THEY GET ELECTED ON WHAT THEY CANNOT DELIVER! BECAUSE THE GOV'T MONEY COMES FROM THE WORKERS AND JOB GENERATORS --WHICH WE ARE MAKING FEWER OF.

You can't get blood from a turnip --which the nation has become!

What a mess!!!

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

CHRISTIANS AND CULTURE WARRIORS SHOULD SUPPORT DISNEY'S "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

Disney's A Christmas Carol is a delightful remake of the classic tale. Christians should support such efforts by secular film makers. What I liked: the use of Christmas carols throughout and one juxtaposed with a cross on a steeple ( I think it was on a steeple) --there were several in the graveyard scene, of course.

You see many holiday movies that use the melodies and occasional phrases from Christmas carols --but this Christmas Carol has LOTS of carols about Christ, the newborn KING.

I might like some of the other versions better--Scrooge, the Albert Finney musical, Kelsey Grammer's Hallmark version and of course, the George C. Scott film.

But seeing the story in 3 D is fun for all, great "special effects," and some wonderful scenes of Old England and many dizzying 3D flights over the countryside and cities in the bleak midwinter. Snowfall in 3D is lovely. This one may be the most fun for kids --who know the story and are old enough not to be frightened by the ghostly aspects and death theme. We took our grandsons, 9 and 8, who seemed to like it --at one point saying, "awesome!"

I think it was the Jim Carrey Scrooge whom I would have liked better had he seemed more like Jim Carrey! This Scrooge is a bit over- charicatured -- the characters are not as "real" --but close. Is that necessary in order to have 3 D, I wondered? This Scrooge's nose and chin nearly meet --even in his supposedly attractive YOUTH! It's hard to see the beautiful sweetheart's attraction to him!

Once again, Scrooge's joy at finding himself alive on Christmas morning, is a true "born again" experience! Having been convinced of the reality of Christmas future --if he does not change --Scrooge is transformed and as giddy as a school girl in spring on Christmas Day. He has a NEW nature! and ever after, "he keeps Christmas well!"

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

TODAY IS ADVENT SUNDAY! The fulfillment of hope was prophesied and the angel named Him!

THE MOST JOYOUS SEASON OF THE YEAR BEGINS TODAY! One might say Easter is most joyous, but it has its Good Friday sorrow. CHRISTMAS, on the other hand, is all joy--a super celebration of Christ's ADVENT --which we began celebrating today in church with beautiful music and the lighting of the advent candle.

Even the holiday decorations, the alleged "spirit of Christmas," the holly, the ivy, the candles, lights and candy canes, the red and the green, the gifts AND Santa and Christmas movies --all part of a glorious celebration that GOD HAS VISITED THE PLANET --AND CAME AS A BABY BOY! AND SO WE LIVE FOREVER! And the world rejoices --it PARTIES! It feels altruistic/generous--and the secularist doesn't even understand why it's so thoroughly enjoyable! even though he may feel it, too!

Or is it so enjoyable for everyone? Are there many for whom Christmas is a disappointment because of fractured families, alienated children and parents? domestic violence, drunkenness and poverty? Do some stand on the outside looking in wistfully, because the joy doesn't quite reach them? Or because they stopped believing?

Christmas for me was always magical --and we were not at all wealthy when I was a child. But I didn't know it. We had enough to eat, clothes enough, kept warm, and there would be at least 2 wonderful toys for each of us under the tree --and a sock full of little things: always a bottle of coke, an orange and/or apple, a Hershey bar, toothpaste, toothbrush, a pack of gum, and other little things. So it wasn't about wealth and materialism --it was about happiness--family happiness --doting Daddy, responsible Mom. Visiting Grandparents and other family members. Daddy and I would lie on the floor, with our heads under the REAL tree with its evergreen fragrance; we'd look at the lights and our faces reflected in the ornaments while the radio played Christmas music. And sing the carols.

There was always music! When my father's family gathered, Mom or I played the piano, Dad and/or I on trumpet, Mom and Uncle Bob on violins, Ron and cousin Jean singing or with Kazoo/instruments, or wax paper covered combs --(sing through them and it makes an instrumental sound with a buzz! ) and we had jingle bells and other relatives singing.

Christmas meant feasting on turkey and mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with pecans and marshmallows --and Mom's good pies. And always the lime sherbet punch (no better Christmas punch than lime sherbet with 7 up. We actually used Ginger ale, but it's not as pretty to look at with the green sherbet. With ginger ale, I call it "river bottom punch." )

One tradition we had on my father's side of the family, which my family has continued, was to sit in a circle, pass out all the gifts, and then go around the circle, taking turns opening the gifts one by one. Each person was "on stage, in the limelight" for a short time with his gift. Gifts of limburger cheese and exotic canned delicacies of dubious nature were occasions of much clowning around --these usually came from Uncle Bob (who had his PhD and supervised PhD candidates in history and philos. of ed. for secular uni's. ) This way of doing the gifts took HOURS and extended the holiday fun for all it was worth!

Later on, family caroling to anyone who would listen became a beloved activity especially for me. Fortunately, I married a man who loved to sing and could sing --with the voice of an angel! Oddly, I don't think my children love to sing just for the fun of singing --as my parents' and I did. It was entertainment for us on car rides, especially. But they are the really good singers. I hope to get them on my website one of these days!

Happy Advent Season to all of you and yours! The Holland Free Methodist Church on Angola Road in Holland, Ohio, is making beautiful music. Our cantata is Dec. 18 and 20, 7 pm and our Christmas Eve Service is 6 pm.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

HOME ALONE --ON THANKSGIVING

Trick title. No, I wasn't home alone, but our big feast is tomorrow as the inlaws of our two married children did their gatherings today, so we had a nice ham dinner with 2 grandmas and Rob--5 of us. John and Charlotte came in tonight to stay all night so she can go shopping on this side of town tomorrow morning. (It's a shame, to me, that Southwyck Mall has been razed --flat to the ground. That area is so blighted and it used to be such a bustling beautiful place to shop! Fallen Timbers, the new mall, is out in the boondocks! in the middle of cornfields! And may it stay that way! Why does the city have to keep shifting outward!)

BACK to the topic. HOME ALONE, THE MOVIE!!

I LOVE THIS MOVIE! Except for some bad language out of the mouths of one or 2 of the kids near the beginning, this is a really good holiday film. I laugh and laugh uproariously everytime good triumphs over evil in this film where the kid gets the best of the very funny crooks. Granted, what that child does to them would not be funny in real life --but the crooks did get their just desserts! Every prank is hilarious --for comedy. And I don't think the crooks cuss either! as one would surely be tempted to do, given what happens to them!

I love that the boy hides in the manger scene at the church---and meets the lonely grandfather in the church who says church is a good place to be when you feel bad about yourself. I love that the little boy encourages the older neighbor of his to make up with his son. I love the Christmas music of the church children's choir. I love the little boy's competency --and his resolve when he announces, words to this effect: "This is my house and I'm going to defend it!"

And we laugh really hard at the polka band with John Candy telling what bad parents the other guys are --compared to the mom they are taking home from her Paris vacation --on which she forgot her child --and left him home alone --accidently, of course.

So many American values herein. Is there anyone who has not seen it?

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Christianity Imposes More Misery than Immorality??? than any other group?? Really???

More thoughts on Gianni's claim that Christians impose the most danger and misery in the world:

From the CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/us.htm

"In 2007, the largest estimated proportion of HIV/AIDS diagnoses among adults and adolescents were men who have sex with men (MSM). This category accounted for 53% of the overall diagnoses and 71% among men diagnoses."

Obviously, The misery and danger imposed by Christianity would seem to be much smaller than the danger and misery brought into the USA by MSM --and all the results of immorality in general.

Think of the fatherless children and women in poverty --and broken hearts from immorality in general. I take a little girl and boy to CLC whose pregnant white mother was just abandoned by the black father of her 3rd baby to come soon --there is NO money resource for them --other than her Uncle Sam. Yes, the law is supposed to make men pay, but it's very difficult when men don't make much money themselves to support their 2nd rent and their other children by the other women they parented kids with.

Think of those who have become ill or died from HIV who were wives and infants and transfusion receivers via men who have sex with men or prostitutes or just other infected people. MSM is used instead of "homosexual males" because there are men who have sex with men who don't call themselves homosexual.

3 out of 4 HIV/AIDS cases were male in the U.S. in 2006. 42,655 new cases in 2007.

That's a lot of unnecessary, avoidable, preventable misery. And it's not the Christians' fault.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

For Gianni Again --with Love

There is a discussion at www.chuckoconnor.blogspot.com/ where I usually get deleted for so-called "homophobic bigotry" --so I am responding to Gianni's comment here--Chuck is an agnostic married to a Christian dancer in Chicago --and Gianni is an atheist or agnostic from Michigan --also in the arts community. Like Mudrake, I believe Gianni is from Catholic school background.

Gianni wrote:

I could go on and on but I am far too angry to continue. Barb, small minded, bigoted people like you are dangerous and you and your ilk are responsible for far more hatred and misery on this planet than all the atheists and homosexuals in history combined.

I'm not angry nor hating you. But you are angry and hating people who believe the Bible about homosexuality springing from believing lies instead of truth --leading to illicit lusts --just like pedophilia, adultery, rape,incest, and porn --all are addictive and sinful and those involved feel that they cannot help themselves.

But many HAVE converted to Christ and found power to be set free from sexual addictions --including many homosexuals.

The path to happiness is not any sexual indulgence outside of a marital, straight commitment. It's to know God and know where we are going in Eternity because of His provision of Christ on the Cross.

God has purpose for your life and your body, your assignment as a male or female. We have free will and choices.

You and the biologists and psychologists have no evidence --only theories-- of congenital (from birth/inborn/genetic) cause for homosexuality--but in the background of every homosexual person you can see a lot of indicators that predict and contribute to gender identity confusion, abnormal orientation and unhealthy, illicit sex addictions.

Kids need help to be normal these days in our confusing and sinful culture. They need the guidance of the Bible and the Gospel of Christ --and parents who "get it" about how to help their kids be "normal" --in the good sense of the word.

It's ridiculous to blame Christianity for the misery in the world. The Christians are the happy people --with hope --and comfort in their sorrows. And the most deaths were caused by other ideologies and people living by no ideology except selfishness. Christianity was a big factor in those BEST qualities of America that make others want to live here --including our prosperity and freedom of religion, freedom in general.

The wars of modern times have been about power/competing for resources/greed/selfish interests and self-defense and defeating evil-doers like Hitler and other tyrants. Liberating the oppressed is a worthy goal for warriors --but killing people for religion and religious differences is not honorable. NOr is this wave of atheistic intolerance for people who think homosexuality is a sin like any other sexual sin --of which we have all been guilty to some degree or an other. As Jesus said, ALL have sinned --and all men have lusted and thus commited adultery in their hearts.

"There is none righteous, no not one," "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Grace is His undeserved favor. It is free. We don't have to deserve it --but we do need to repent- as Christ said in His first public preaching.
It's our pride --and maybe our lifestyles?-- that keep us from repentance.

______________________________

All of these agnostic/atheists feel strongly that the Christian God is mostly condemning and that they were made to feel mostly the judgment and guilt, resulting in self-loathing. But the Gospel really IS GOOD NEWS for all us guilty sinners.



"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Rick Warren's Thoughts on Gratitude and Purpose

An email from my Zoroastrian pen pal, a lawyer in India:

Dearest All, Regardless of how religious you are, this is very true.

This is a great interview with Rick Warren. He wrote The Purpose Driven Life, A book I recommend for all to read.

[I, Barb, loved this book, too, more when I taught it than when I first read it. A close reading as though to relay the concepts to others shows the depth, brilliance and organization of Warren's teaching mind. He makes Christian, purpose-driven living seem within our grasp --which it is.]
_______________________________________________
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?

And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is "my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do,
II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

In happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

A Hymn of Thanksgiving: For the Beauty of the Earth

THANK YOU, LORD!

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight;
For the mystic harmony,
Linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the martyrs' crown of light,
For Thy prophets' eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors' might,
For the lips of infancy.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy Virgin's robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thyself, best Gift Divine,
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

Amen.

author: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835–1917

Not much is known about Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, the author of this hymn. He was born in the town of Bath, England. The inspiration for this hymn text is said to have come to the young author as he was strolling about his native town one day in the late spring, entranced by the beautiful countryside with the winding Avon River in the distance.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Letter to Sherrod Brown on Health Care, ETC.

I wrote this today:

Senator Sherrod Brown
713 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Brown:

It is more difficult to get ahold of your office through phones than others, so we are writing. And we shall probably point out this fact in the Blade, if we can get published on the topic. Even at the top of your home page, it doesn’t say, “Contact us.” Address and phones are at the bottom. But we didn’t see an email address to make you easily accessible. We also had to get through a “gov. page” first even though we typed in Brown. We get the distinct impression that you do not want to hear from your constituents. On more than one occasion we have tried all your phones and got the same run-around. I suspect it is because you are really at odds with most of your constituents who know what’s going on and would phone.

We do not want to pay for abortions. If the Senate healthcare bill passes with abortion provisions, expect a turn-over in the senate. Surely Ohio will not re-elect you if you make people violate their consciences and provide for abortions. After all, women have choice before they get into bed. It’s one thing to allow abortion in case of rape, incest, life threat to mother, and we should push the debate there. Those of you who want to see women have abortions for any reasons can establish your own abortion “charities.” Don’t make us pay for it. James Dobson says he and his wife will go to jail or lose money before they will pay taxes for abortion. I hope many of us will have the courageous resolve to join him. But who should lose their retirement for following their consciences? We should not. What is America coming to, anyway?!! When people figure out that they will also erode their pensions with high taxes with Democrats, that should cause a sea change in the next election.

Be sure and read the Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org. There was a short time when the Christians thought they should ignore politics, since they are subjects in a different kingdom, but that day is over. We are also called to be salt and light in our nation.

If you really want to reduce the cost of healthcare, have tort reform. Look for the medicare fraud and weed it out. Also, improve the economy first without saddling us with more spending programs. National defense and the military are the constitutional commitments of federal gov’t. Healthcare is something to gain through a good economy, our jobs and the insurance companies. Yes, pressure the prosperous companies to take care of people –but don’t’ kill the economy with your present agenda.

Before Rome fell, that great power was awash in idolatry, infanticide and homosexuality. We think our economic crisis is a harbinger of disaster to follow if we don’t recognize that there are higher laws than man’s and heed those laws regarding sexual mores, marriage, and respect for life. The path we are on is disastrous.

Sincerely,


Cc: Senator Voinovich; The Toledo Blade; Rev. Keith Simpson; www.thebarbwire.blogspot.com; President Obama; Marcy Kaptur

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

FROM MY EMAIL BAG --SIGN THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION

PianoPrincess sent this:

I just heard an awesome Focus on the Family radio broadcast encouraging Christians to stand for life, marriage, and freedom by signing The Manhattan Declaration.

This declaration was written by Chuck Colson (Prison Fellowship Ministries) [and former presidential advisor for Nixon who went to prison for his involvement --a wonderful Christian since --author of Born Again --about when he came to faith as an adult.]

The other authors are Robert George (Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton) and Timothy George, Professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford 
University.

It is an amazingly well-written statement defending the sanctity of life, the dignity of marriage, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

This is more than another petition or "add your name at the bottom" mass email. It is a call to Christians to stand for truth on these matters which are dear to God's heart, and which are vital to our country's well-being. It is time for Christians to wake up before the freedoms we hold dear are compromised, or lost altogether.

The web site is www.manhattandeclaration.org.

Notice the signers include liberal Christians like Ron Sider and conservative ones like Jim Dobson --and a wide array of other Christian leaders, including Catholics, Calvinists, Weslyans, etc.

Also, if you want to hear the Focus radio broadcast (very challenging and culturally relevant), you can go to www.focusonthefamily.com and follow the links to broadcasts and podcasts. The title of the broadcast was "A Manifesto for Righteousness," airing on Monday, November 23.

Blessings to you all!

Piano Princess

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible