Thinking of others on Thanksgiving!

"If you think about it, the human race is pretty self-absobred. What I mean is, as a human, I am flawed in that it is difficult for me to consider others before myself. It feels like I have to fight against this force, this current within me that, more often than not, wants to avoid serious issues and please myself, buy things for myself, feed myself, entertain myself and all of that. All  I'm saying is that  if we, as a species, could fix our self- absorption, we could end a lot of pain in the world." - Donald Miller - Blue Like Jazz

I think about my own self - absorption all the time.  I am coming to a point in my life where  my wants don't really matter.  I still fight the selfish ways of life everyday, but it seems like it just doesn't matter anymore.  I have had a good life and now I want others to have what I have been given.

I thought about thanksgiving tomorrow and how many will not have what we will have in front of us. A large feast!  Many will be living their normal life tomorrow, a life with nothing to cherish.  They made it another day.  Another day of begging, another day of not feeling like they matter to society, another day with nobody caring or giving them the time of day.  I'm sure a lot of homeless people in New York City have been kicked out of their normal spots because of the parade tomorrow.  It's amazing how we live in a country that says all men are created equal, yet we are all  unequal in somebody else's sight.  Our government will send millions of dollars across seas to help other countries and their poverty stricken people.  But our countries poverty level continues to increase by the day.

We are a self- absorbed society.  Considering ourselves before others, our desires first, then whatever is leftover we give to others.  Jesus walked among the worst people of society,  and others will condemn us if we are seen with a bad person. Same way with Jesus in his day, the people he hung out with raised the eyebrows of the church leaders in his day.  They scolded him for being where he was, and we do the same thing today. 

What would happen if we took a bunch of homeless people into our house for an amazing feast on thanksgiving.  The neighbors would be talking, not all but a few would be.  They would be judging us for some reason. Would you care? Probably not, you did it for unselfish reasons.  Our hearts our amazingly hardened in this world, mostly because that is what Satan does to us.  He puts judgement into our hearts and places also self- absorption in there.  We really aren't bad people we are kept by Satan from being who we really should be.  He keeps us from being complete in Christ.  If Satan didn't scheme us all the time could you imagine what we could do in the name of Christ.  Exactly what Donald Miller said in the last sentence of his quote. We could end a lot of pain in the world.  I remind myself everyday to have the compassion and eyes of Christ.  I fail at this all the time, but I strive to see others as Christ saw them.  Not a problem or an embarrassment to society, but an important part in life.  Look and see tomorrow what you see with the eyes of Christ. You'll be amazed when you put yourself behind you and others in front of you. Happy Thanksgiving

Who is Right When It Comes To Gay Rights Or Anything Else?

Today there was a video posted on Facebook about a kid who won't say the pledge of allegiance in school until our country gives gays and lesbians equal rights.  So I offended some people with my comment about the video.  I said, "when did gays become a race.  No equal rights!"

 I offended a friend of mine whom I didn't know was gay.  So I have spent my Friday night defending God and His holy word. I referred to the scripture in Romans 1:26-28 and then got bashed for using the Bible as a weapon and then was told by the person that is a Christian that the Bible was a book of errors written by men and their own historical point of views. Another person commented and said I was a disgrace to all men. 

Here is my stance!  There is no victory in a country that has gone away from God and his Holy word, a country that is relying on its own beliefs and then say they believe in God. You can't serve two masters. If you are Muslim, atheists or whatever believe in what you believe that's your choice.  Respect my beliefs also.  I don't push them on you and don't push yours on me.  If you have a question and need some help then I will gladly share my beliefs in my God.  Nobody will ever win in this world, when it comes to all people accepting one true belief. Only through Christ is there complete victory!

Nobody knows what will happen in the end.  That's why I live by faith and know and hope it all is true.  That is what faith is.  Everybody has a faith in something, if not you are just a walking zomby.  I don't judge what people decide in their lives.  Chrisitians hope that we can turn others away from their sin and make them a child of Jesus.  Yet, many Christians have used bigotry and hatred toward others and have condemned Gays for what they believe.  I don't I just want them to realize what they are doing to their souls by being gay.  We as Christians should not be hateful but loving.  I do apologize to the gay community for the hatred used by many of the right wing.  That's is not who I am and I will never use my Christianity for bashing.  The scripture I used is what I believe, yet my sin is just as disgraceful.also.  To God a sin is a sin.  He does not show favortism, but love. 

I do not believe in equal rights for gays though, because it is against what God stated in his holy word.  But, if you believe the Bible is not the inspired word of God then you might believe differently.  I have seen hatred on both sides of this agenda.  

I will not go in the direction though to say anything blaspheming against the word of God.  I believe God is right, and loving and nothing can separate us from Him. 

The Pattern Of God's Creation. Be leaders of His Way.

To me there is no reason to believe there is no creator.  There are too many amazing things in this world to not believe.  Creation mezmorizes me,  there are to many signs here that seems complicated to just blow it off as a bang theory.  I saw two things lastnight at work that really caught my attention.  As I was moving a box in the aisle I saw a little beetle.  I watched it scamper to a safe hiding place.  It was funny to watch it move.  I looked at its design,  it looked like it could barely make it to its hiding place from me.  But it did, slowly.  I really wondered what its purpose in the circle of life was.  It didn't seem to me it was an important role to me, but that little bug serves some type of purpose.  As do all animals, for some odd reason God made that beetle for a reason to uphold our pattern in life.

About an hour later I looked up to see and hear a flock of Canadien geese fly above me.  In their normal V shaped pattern.  The flock had a leader guiding the pack some where.  But they had a purpose and a mission that God was leading them too.  About ten minutes later another flock were flying in the same direction.  It amazes me to see some thing like that have a natural instinct to know where they are headed.  A Godly instinct.
Many in this world want a belief in something. They just feel if there was a God in this world, they feel he would not allow bad things to happen. Not true!  Things will happen both good and bad.  Jesus told his disciples that they will face great trials and tribulations in life.  They will be hated because they bore his name.  They did face many horrible things in life.  They weren't wealthy with money, they were beaten and imprisoned for what they preached.  They faced death all day long. 

Many feel they can't believe in something that is unseen, or have faith in a being that never talks or gives them any reason to believe. So they turn to other religions or possessions that give them a temporary hiding place.  We as Christians should tell them of our sufferings in this life.  We should tell them of how we are protected from death in the next world.  We are considered to be slaughtered every day.  Yet, we have a hope in Jesus everyday we live. 

If you feel someone is headed in the wrong direction, don't press them with a bunch of scriptures, but first let them see your life and how you believe and how you don't let things get you down in this life.  Be an example with doing great things for them, then they will know who you belong to.  Show them the compassion that only Christ could show, be an example of him and then they will want to be like you.  Living peacefully in a risen and loving Savior.  We have all turned many unbelievers away by shoving our judgemental views down their throat.  We condemn them to Hell for what they do.  Yet, we deserve the same punishment.  Be loving and not condemning.  Christ was not a person who judged a person, he gave them what they asked for and then told them to go and sin no more.  We are all odd balls in this world.  Baptized or not we are all the same, we just have different stories and situations that have taken us in different directions.  The geese would not know where they were going if they didn't have a leader to take them to their intended direction.  Same with us who are in Christ, we are to be leaders of the flock and give direction to those that are lost.  Be leaders in Christ with love , and not be a bunch of judgemental rats.  Understand others stories and tell them about how we have been in the pits of life and how Christ brought us out and saved from this world.

Please Pray, Thanks

If you wouldn't mind. Would you please pray for my oldest child, Brayden.  He is having some issues possibly with passing a kidney stone. We're not sure really waht it is yet, but the doctor said it's possible.   Earlier in the year he had these same issues and they seemed to go away for about 4 months but now it is happening again.  Thank you and God Bless!

And God Said "No!"

I asked God to take away my pride, and God said, "No".


He said it was not for Him to take away, but for me to give up.



I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, "No".

He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.



I asked God to grand me patience, and God said, "No".

He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation, it isn't granted, it's earned.



I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, "No".

He said He gives blessings, happiness is up to me.



I asked God to spare me pain, and God said, "No".

He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me."



I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said, "No".

He said I must grow on my own, but he would prune me to make me fruitful.



I asked God if He loved me, and God said, "Yes".

He gave me His only Son who died for me, and I will be in Heaven someday because I believe.



I asked God to help me love others, as much as He loves me.

And God said, "Ah, finally, you have the idea"- Author unknown