Month: July 2015

Today I was driving home after meeting my daughter for lunch. I have been watching my grandson for a couple weeks while she gets her training. JJ and I were talking about rain and mud puddles. This is how our conversation went.

Me: Hey JJ? What do think about rain? It is fun getting wet in the rain!
JJ: Getting wet isn’t fun, I hate rain and I don’t want to get drenched!
Me: Why is that?
JJ: (with cracked voice and nearing tears) I hate getting drenched because I’m not equipped for rain. It’s not fun getting wet. My mom and dad don’t like getting wet. My parents don’t let me get dirty, I’m not going to do that. I HAVE NO MUD GEAR!!! DON’T YOU LISTEN?
Me: What do you mean, you’re not equipped? You don’t need anything to get wet. You just stand out in the rain.
JJ: ( In full blown tears) I can’t get wet because I don’t have rain boots and I don’t have an umbrella. I can’t get my cloths wet, so I hate rain.
Me: JJ! You do know that you can have fun walking in the rain and playing in mud puddles? Rain isn’t going to hurt you, it is fun to play in the rain. Most kids loves the rain, even your cousins love it.
JJ: Well! That is stupid, don’t they know that it is dangerous and they can get hurt in the rain. ( sobbing uncontrollable by now) I have never played in the rain or mud. Unless I can be equipped for rain and mud puddles, I can die or get killed.
Me:(Kind of chucking and trying to compose my wording since he is way upset right now) JJ? I played in mudd puddles and the rain. If I didn’t have my IV stuff, I would still stand in the rain. It is a lot of fun to play in the rain and puddles.
JJ: (tears flowing still and voice is raised) Why do you want to kill me? Rain will kill me if I don’t have rain boots and an unbrella. You don’t love me do you?
Me: JJ, you do know that Ashton, Jace and Tyson love playing in the rain also.
JJ: Well, they want to die and they will die without an umbrella. I need mus material for mud puddles, you don’t understand what I am saying. “YOU WANT ME TO DIE GG? WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE? ”
Me: (thinking it is time to change the subject) Are you excited about Vacation Bible School?
JJ: Yes I am, but I won’t play in the rain or mud puddles.
Me: ( Thinking to myself) OK! I will make a deal, I won’t make you play in the rain or get your cloths wet since it will kill you since you have no umbrella or rain boots,lol.

As I parked the car in the driveway, I knew we needed to change the subject since he was crying hysterically over rain and mud puddles, lol. I felt bad for him that he has never played in a mud puddle. If I knew he wouldn’t go ballistic on me, I would get in a mud fight with him, lol. Sometimes you just have to be a kid and have fun. I told him that it is OK to have fun. His final word on this subject was, “fine, you want me dead, I see how you are GG”.

I told him that I would play in the mud with him. He thought I lost my mind since I have no gear aka umbrella and rain boots, lol. I think he needs to learn to have fun so I will take it upon myself to go mudding with him. He may never talk to me again, but I bet deep down, he will have a blast if he allows himself to have fun. I will be sure to warn my daughter that he is going to be coming home muddy. I will also have to make sure to cover my IV lines so they don’t get wet or muddy.

To say that I am just disappointed in this whole Iranian deal is an understatement. The first email I opened up was on how a deal is on the table and how Pastor Saeed and three other imprisoned Christians were taken off the table. This is the email I received in my email. We have more idiots running this country than I can even begin to count.

Sandie,

American Pastor Saeed has been abandoned.

The Obama Administration just reached a nuclear deal with Iran, leaving Pastor Saeed and three other American hostages behind.

President Obama broke a promise to Pastor Saeed’s family.

He promised to make Pastor Saeed’s release a “top priority.” Instead, this U.S. citizen is left to suffer beatings, torment, and excruciating pain in one of the world’s worst prisons because he is a Christian.

The Administration has committed diplomatic malpractice. It’s unconscionable.

But the fight isn’t over. The deal isn’t final. Congress has a voice.

We’re aggressively working in the House and Senate, demanding Congress reject the deal.

Pastor Saeed desperately needs your voice more now than ever. Time is of the essence. His freedom is at stake.

Do not be silent as Pastor Saeed suffers. Be heard now.

I don’t like getting into politics and I refuse to get into arguments or heated debates over it. But what is bothering me is that Pastor Saeed is an American citizen that has been in prison for over 3 yrs now because he is a believer in Christ. If he denounces God, then he will be released.

Here is a link for Pastor Saeed’s release information on Facebook. Pastor Saeed’t wife made this statement on the page.

Dear friends,

Many of you have asked if Saeed was part of the nuclear deal that was reached with Iran a few hours ago. I am sorry to say that Saeed was NOT part of the deal and that State Department has NOT provided any assurance of Saeed’s release.

The Lord has been preparing me for this. Our hope is in the Lord. We had all prayed that God would deliver Saeed and that He would get all of the Glory and this is exactly what is happening.

I’m going to end this post with just a couple links, Sign the petition to bring Saeed Home… Watch the video about Pastor Saeed and share it with as many as you can. I am only one person among thousands that are praying for him. If our country isn’t going to do more, I know that God can make all things possible.

I have to say I am getting more than a little ticked off over things going on in the world. One of those things among many is the little cake bakery that was shut down because they refused to back a cake. Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery in Oregon was fined 135.000 because of emotional damages for refusing to make a blasted wedding cake. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. Well, OK, not the most ridiculous, but pretty close.

After GoFundMe removed disallowed them to raise funds since it is considered as a hate crime (give me a break) , evangelist Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse stepped in to provide a platform to raise funds for the married couple, through the organization’s donation page designated for persecuted Christians in the U.S. Check out their Facebook page.

Another online campaign in support of the Kleins was set up on ContinueToGive.com, which is a “faith based online tithing and giving platform founded on biblical principles” devoted to helping churches, missionaries, nonprofits, individuals and adopting parents. They have met their goal there, but they will need a whole lot more.

As Oregon’s Commission of Bureau of Labor and Industries was told that the couple has been notified that they must pay by next Monday or risk having a government lien placed on their home.

Then, on July 7th, the authorities slapped them with a fine and a cease and desist order. Not only do they have to pay the $130,000 penalty they have also banned them from speaking publicly about their refusal to participate in or bake wedding cakes for same-sex nuptial. Dangit, I have no problem voicing my opinion on this, and I am ticked. I loved what one news website heading said, “Gay Activists Used “Mafia Tactics”. Which I can see why they would since it was like they sent out the lynch mob over a wedding cake.

The owners of the bakery said that they refuse to comply and as far as their constitutional freedoms have been violated by the state, they would speak out. Good for them!!! This has gone on way to long and things are getting worse all over the world. The United States is going to hell in a hand-basket.

I hear all the time that none of the changes in legal marriage or other personal choices will be forced upon anyone. I say that is nonsense. Every-time I turn on my TV, computer, Facebook, radio and whatever else, someone is pushing their agenda on others. Respecting others is one thing, but forcing them to agree and be a part of something is a whole other ball of wax.

It isn’t just the Kliens in Oregon that have fallen victim, this happened in Lakewood, Colorado. I will list a couple other bakeries who are being forced to closed because they didn’t make a stupid cake. Actually in my opinion, this is all stupid. I would think that if someone wants a cake, there are others that can do it. I know this sounds bad, but if someone came up to me and asked me to make a penis cake, and I said no, they would think I was being discriminating against all makes that have a penis. My gosh!!!

A little cake shop by the name of Masterpeice Cakeshop closed down instead of being forced to make a cake that was against their faith and morals. Jack Phillips, which is a devout Christian is retaliating by refusing to make wedding cakes altogether.

Randy and Trish McGath – the owners of “111 Cakery” in Indianapolis are Christian owners of a bakery in Indiana have had to close up shop after respectfully declining to bake a cake for a man’s same-sex commitment ceremony because of their religious beliefs, even though they expressed that they would be happy to serve him in any other way

Randy McGath made it very clear that the first priority of his bakery was to be a beacon of light to the community and embrace customers with Christ’s love, while not compromising his own and his wife’s sincerely held Christian beliefs. There is no hate in their hearts, they always make sure to show the love of Christ. When they decided to finally close after a year of fighting the system, they left by sharing this message with everyone. “We want to thank everyone for your patronage, support and friendship. It has been a true pleasure to serve you. Eph. 2:8.”

I don’t get why it is OK to shut down small businesses for the most off the wall reasons. America was founded and we have rights. I guess freedom of speech and religion has been kicked to the curb. I’m not blaming one political party or another. It is people who voted for them and people have to approve the bills. When God and morals are taken out of the equation, we have just what is going on in America. I’m not even specifically talking about same-sex marriage. I am talking about the right to refuse service to someone when it is against our morals and our faith. I have a feeling I would be one of those bakers who had to shut down their business if it went against my faith in Christ. NO WAY would I do something that was against my beliefs.

Like I said earlier, I can guarantee you that if someone came into my business and wanted a penis cake, I would decline. I would hope that someone I know would bail me out for refusal of making the cake lol. But,  I would send them to a bakery that would have no issues with that. I would never consider making a cake that has anything to do with the KKK, since that is a horrible hate group. What if someone from one of those groups got their feelings hurt and they wanted to sue me for not making a blasted cake for them. People would come unglued if I would have made a cake for them and how horrible it would be. You might even see my face on Nancy Grace because I was so despicable for making a cake for a group of people the world seen as hateful, which of course I would never do since I think the KKK, ISIS are demons of Satans.  Shoot, I get offended all the time. Maybe I should have a running list and hire and attorney just because they made me feel bad. But in the name of not wanting to offend anyone, the government says you have to. What a joke! But it is the right of the owners of the business to say yes they will make it or no they won’t make it. They should be able to decide what they will and won’t make. It is their business.

If people get offended by my thoughts, I just want to say, that I am OK with it. My judge and jury is God, nobody else.

Today my daughter Rebechia, her children, JJ and myself went on a spur of the moment thing today. We rarely get to spend time together and I loved just hanging out.

We decided to go to Zions National Park. I have never had a trip there like today though. Zions is about 40 miles for me. I get a free pass since I’m on disability. For those who have a disability, you can get free passes to all National Parks. It look about 45 minutes to get there, which isn’t bad at all.

Once I showed the workers my ID and my parks pass, we proceeded into the park. We parked and our journey has begun.

As we were getting onto the shuttle so we can look around Zions. It was an interesting day to say the least and very long. We left my house around noon. We didn’t get home till around 8pm. Normally it takes a very short time, but not this time. Since it was raining down really hard and waterfalls was going on. Click here for a video of the downpour we got caught in. I figured it was a good idea to drive the scenic route since you can’t actually drive your car into the park. Off we went to the what I thought was a short distance to Interstate 15.

I was wrong. We left the park at around 4:30. On our way home and after many Photo OP’s and endless roads, we finally pulled over at a place called White Mountain Post off SR-9 & US-89 Mount Carmel Junction, Utah If you didn’t know there was a town called Orderville also there is. I have never been to this area, it was very pretty. We pulled off here so we can find out how to get back home. It only took me a couple hours or more to get home on this route and it never did hit Interstate 15. I guess I’m not good at directions lol.

I should say that right before we got to the trading post, we noticed there were buffalo’s all over the place. I never knew there were buffalo in Utah, I guess I was wrong again. They did give us the directions that we had to follow to get back home. The shortest way would have been to go back through Zions National Park, but we chose not to since there was 2 mud slides and it would have been a pain in the butt. My daughter went to ask for the directions since I can’t get my port wet. But she found out we were really lost. It took us an additional 2 hours which meant about 120 miles. Leave it up to me to get lost, lol.

The last time I got this lost was when I went to Phoenix to visit friends and family and somehow ended up in Flagstaff. We could have gone to the Grand Canyon since it was an hour away though, lol Not sure how I did that one either. We ended up way out of the way. Even though we got lost, we had a great time as mother in daughter. It was also awesome hanging out with all the grand-kids. They loved the time away from home. My grandson JJ gets bored easily, so I decided this would be a good time to get him out of the house.

One of the most inspirational parts of this unplanned road trip was as we were getting out of Hildale, Ut there was this huge wall of sunshine that was beaming down from Heaven. I have never seen so much sunshine that had beams that had to have been a mile wide. I immediately thought about how awesome it would be that once we reached the sunlight that Christ would be there as we drive through it. It was a pretty surreal moment. I had to pull off to the side of the road to take a picture.

Then, just as we are seeing it in our site and the song “When I Wake Up in the Land of Glory” by Big Daddy Weave came on the CD player. It was one of those moments when you know that even if you may be physically lost, God is always there and He sends beams of sunshine from Heaven. It’s hard to describe that moment. Even JJ was saying that they are from Jesus and that Jesus is coming soon. WOW!!! Is the best way to describe that moment.

I’m not a big fan of guns. I don’t even allow them in my house because of how I was raised and the violence I witnessed when I was little. We will never have one in my home. There has been more than a few times when guns were aimed at one of us kids. This is just one of many reasons I left home when I was 14.

Lately, I have been thinking on all of the incidents that has been going on in the world and it breaks my heart to hear that it is becoming almost a daily event. So my thinking is that even though I don’t like guns, is there a place for them in church? There will be all kinds of answers and viewpoints on this one I’m sure.

What would you do if an armed gunman broke into your church and starting attacking your friends with weapons in the middle of a worship service? My church isn’t anything like the Wild West, even though we have some members that would be OK with that, lol. My city is relatively safe compared to areas like Chicago and Los Angeles. Just because it is safe, that doesn’t mean we are immune from bad things happening to us.

As a Christian I know that God will be there to protect me and all the others in church. As we have seen in the news, man is the one killing, not the guns. He has given us the tools and ability to protect ourselves . God allows us to protect our families and those who need protecting.In the Bible there is no specific scripture when it comes to arming ourselves, unless we are putting on the armor of God. Which by the way is the best armor we can possibly have. The Bible does point out that there has been many mentions about the use of weapons during wars and battles (Genesis 4:1-26).

There are mentions in the Bible where weapons were used for protection against robbers and thieves. I can’t find a place where carrying a weapon is condemned.

In Luke 22:35-38 is says, “And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two more swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

My own personal feelings about guns are just that, they are personal. There is nothing wrong with Christians or anyone else using guns. I do think that we all have a right to protect ourselves and those we love. It’s a shame we live in a society that is fast to use guns as a way of killing others. As long as they are trained in how to use them, I see nothing wrong with them having them. Guns are not the problem, people are. From the time man was created, people have been killing other people, with and without weapons.

The Constitution gives people the right to have a firearm. There are times I have gone into a church or public place and I get a very uneasy feeling when it comes to behaviors and such. The church in Charleston, S.C. had this young man sit with them during a Bible Study. I am feeling more and more that if someone has a concealed weapon permit and choose to bring it with them, they have the right to protect their church family and anyone else from disaster. Before I would have said there is no way I would attend a church where members were armed. When I think of church I think about love, peace and happiness as I worship Jesus Christ.

If someone came into my church with a gun or other weapon intending on killing those who are there to worship, I would hope there would be someone there that could protect those who can’t protect themselves. By the time the police arrived to save the day, lives would have been lost. Within minutes all lives would be lost. As citizens, we need to protect those we love and be willing to die for them if need be. Some churches believe that if church members bring guns to church, we would do more harm than good. I don’t agree with that. I think that if members have a concealed weapons permit and have been properly trained, they should be allowed. I’m not talking about carrying pistols around like in the old west days. I don’t think if someone is carrying a concealed weapon that everyone needs to know that because of the potential panic that would ensue.

I want to close this post by sharing one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 3:8

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

So, if its a time for everything is it also a time for Christians and churches to protect themselves and others?

I have one of those minds that is curious about everything. Every day I learn something new. Sometimes that is a good or it can be bad. Lately I have been thinking on the second coming of Jesus Christ. I am impatiently waiting for His return. Our world and our government are greedy and corrupt. This isn’t anything new, but it is becoming much more apparent given we are living in a world that learns things the instant they happen.

The main thing I have been thinking on is how fast things are changing. I can’t remember the exact verse in the Bible where it says that things will be speeding up during the end times. I notice these things because of the speed of change. My pastor brought up something last week in his sermon. He was saying that just three years ago around 30 percent of Americans were against same sex marriage. In just three years, it is now legal in all states and over 60% are in agreement when it comes to the matter. As a Christian, I realize that no matter what the law says, God is always going to be the victor in the end.

Lately I have been pondering the Anti-Christ and false prophets. There has been a slew of people who claim they know who the anti-Christ is going to be. Now, I have no predictions, but I have noticed the many false prophets lately. I whole heartedly believe that there will be and are many false prophets that will deceive the world. We see it everyday in the news and social networks.

• Matthew 24:9-11- Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

It also left many afraid to hear the Word of God from those who are truly sent to share it. We are told that there will be a great falling away when it comes to those who profess to be Christian. There will be many who will claim to be preaching the truth, but they have become blinded to the truth. Jesus teaches is that there will be many churches that will fall away from the truth. These things are happening on a global scale.

• II Timothy 3:1-5,7 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Christians are under attack throughout the world. I am grateful that I live in America where I can choose to worship God in the way that I have chosen. Americans are facing persecution by means of hatred, discrimination and are being condemned for speaking out when it isn’t the most popular thing to do. I see this all over Facebook. Recently there has been a family in the news that is Christian. They refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. They were sued and have lost their business. It boggles my mind to think that people don’t have a right to stick to their beliefs. Now they business is now more and they are in a huge amount of debt.  They have to pay the couple $135.000 in damages and needs help in paying this.  I would take the same stand they did. If I felt that it was against what I believe and against my morals, I wouldn’t do it. They would have to lock me away and then I would pray there would be people standing beside me.

It is like a spiritual warfare when it comes to those who believe fully what the Bible says, those are don’t believe and those who are interpreting things for themselves. if you speak up for what you believe, you are criticized and belittled. Now, in my way of thinking, I am OK with that. I don’t worry about others getting upset that I share my faith in God. If they have a problem, then maybe they need to figure out why they are upset. I am bothered by how those who profess to be Christian is fast at justifying going against what the Bible says because they don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.I’m not talking specifically about the same sex marriage ruling, I am talking in general.

• Matthew 24:8-9 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of my name.”

The one that I am seeing more so is about how Christians and churches are becoming more ecumenical by being all inclusive. Churches and Christians are giving into the pressures that the government is imposing on them. Pastors are becoming tolerant and are compromising God’s Holy Word by saying only what makes those who go to church happy. They are picking and choosing what they want to preach on and doesn’t want to hurt peoples feelings. I have zero respect for pastors, Elders, church leaders and fellow Christians that are willing to sell their souls and those who attend their churches.

There seems to be a whole lot of sitting on the fences when it comes to churches, pastors and Christians. They have one foot in the world and the other one with God. You can’t have it both ways. You are either going to believe in the whole Bible, or not all all. You can’t have it both ways. Fence sitting is not allowed. Too many times, they are afraid to make a commitment. Society and the world wants us to be accepting of all all things. Jesus wants us to understand something. If you are not with him completely, then you are against him. When it comes to Jesus, there is no sitting on the fence.There is no place in the kingdom of Heaven for fence sitters. In all situations you need to make up your mind one way or another.

• I Timothy 4:1-3 “But the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. By means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”

On closing, I would like to say that when God was taken out of our schools and world we can expect destruction, violence and immorality. Each night the news is being reported. When I watch the news, it is basically all about murder, violence, theft, greed, immorality, rape, and more. We are a nation and world that is becoming desensitized, which scares me. There is a mentality that basically says, “if it doesn’t affect me, then why should I care?” I am bothered immensely by this. We are becoming a Godless nation. There is hope though and that hope is in Jesus Christ. We need to be spreading the good news that God will deliver those who have remained faithful in these very Last Days.

Jesus also said in Matthew 12:30 that , “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” If you are not with the Lord you are against him. There is no middle road. There is no way to have a bet both ways. A decision must be made either way and if the choice is not for the Lord, it is against him.

My prayer for all people is that you believe in the Lord with all your heart and mind. I pray also that you are willing to let Jesus open the door and give you insight. Open your heart and mind to receive Jesus Christ and His Word. If you need someone to pray with you, please leave a comment and we will be happy to pray with you.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and my mind has been thinking a great deal on this since so much is going on in our country.

What does it mean when we celebrate the 4th of July? Many people have the feeling that it is a great day to have picnics, watch fireworks and spend time with family. Celebrations can be seen throughout the United States as Independence day is ushered in.

The observance of the 4th of July gets me a bit upset though. Not because we are celebrating our independence, but because I feel the meaning is lost now days. When I think about what the 4th of July means to me, I think about the lives that were lost so I can have the freedoms I enjoy. Recently there has been many issues in the news that makes me really consider my freedom to choose and also how freedoms of choice are being taken away.

The United States has more freedoms than any other country. Our freedoms include freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly. For me the most important of all freedoms is in the freedom to believe in Christ. Not all countries have this freedom and everyday Christians are being persecuted. It is going on even in our own country. I have chosen to remember the freedom that Christ gave us.

I do my churches power-points and I have been toying around with what types of pictures and such I should include in the power-points. While I think it is important to show our support for our country, during worship services we should be worshiping Christ. With all the world events going on around us, I think we need to focus more on Christ instead of all the political correctness since many things in the world are far from what God wants us to be doing. I am proud to be an American and I am eternally grateful for those who have fought for our freedoms. But, and I know I will have opposition on this thought, should be intertwine the two into one.

As a Christian, my first loyalty is to the Kingdom of God. I wonder if we are getting further away from God when we devote so much of our time to the things of this world. Slowly we are becoming a nation of accepting anything in the name of unity instead of setting ourselves apart. Don’t get me wrong, I love America and I do celebrate Independence Day, but should we be putting so much emphasis on these celebrations at church. I guess with everything going on in the world, I find myself getting distracted and the lines are blurred more than ever.

John 18:36- Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.“ I guess I have been thinking about this a lot lately since the changes in the law, murders in the churches, flag burnings, abortions and such.

As I was looking up what others believe about the 4th of July, I came across a page that had speeches that were said by various presidents. I would like to share just a couple of them with you all.

• President Andrew Jackson: “I nightly offer up my prayers to the throne of grace for the health and safety of you all, and that we ought all to rely with confidence on the promise of our dear Redeemer, and give Him our hearts. This is all He requires and all that we can do, and if we sincerely do this, we are sure of salvation through His atonement.”
• President Abraham Lincoln: “The ways of God are mysterious and profound beyond all comprehension. ‘Who by searching can find Him out?’ God only knows the issue of this business. He has destroyed nations from the map of history for their sins. Nevertheless, my hopes prevail generally above my fears for our Republic. The times are dark, the spirits of ruin are abroad in all their power, and the mercy of God alone can save us.”
• President George Washington wrote a prayer addressed to “O most glorious God, in Jesus Christ” and ended it with this: “Let me live according to those holy rules which thou hast this day prescribed in Thy Holy Word. Direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Bless O Lord all the people of this land.”

I would like to thank all of those who fought for our freedoms. Blood has been shed so we can all have the freedoms we have. I choose not to take my freedom for granted. The freedoms I enjoy have come at the highest cost ever. I pray that I live my life in a way that glorifies Christ. My prayer is that I am able to focus more on Christ than on world conditions. Our nation is getting further and further away from God. I have no problem with being patriotic, but again, I wonder if we are focusing too much on patriotism instead of God.

I don’t know what my pastors feelings are on this subject, but I do wonder in general what pastors feel personally about celebration of patriotic holidays in church. I didn’t really think much on it till this last week. There are many views on this subject. Some believe it is idolatry or think it is just plain wrong to show grand displays of patriotism during church services since we are there to worship God not country. What are your thoughts? Should Sunday Worship services be used for the sole purpose of worshiping God or is it OK to celebration national holidays/celebrations?

In closing, I have just this one last thought… Are we considered One Nation Under God anymore? I’m not sure if that is true anymore since God is being taken out of everything and booted to the curb.

This past week has literally made me sick to my stomach when it comes to watching what is going on in the world. It doesn’t matter what I watch on TV, Facebook or Yahoo, it is rampant. My guess is that if you haven’t heard about all the things going on, then you must not have television, the internet or newspapers.If you don’t agree, they block or unfriend a person. It is the “my way or the highway” mentality. If someone doesn’t see how horrible things are right now, then they must live on an island with no other people there. I’m going to break a few things going on in the world that is extremely upsetting to me.

Romans 12:2- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will

A friend of mine has a blog and he made this comment and he is correct and I can’t agree more. Jim Black stated in his blog called Jim’s Personal Opinion that he suspect much of our fall from grace is because we do not teach historical fact in our schools any longer. We are too focused on teaching Current Social Skills and Political Correctness. We are too afraid to “offend” others with truth. He also said and said what I feel in my heart as well. Jim said, I worry that the Master will come and we will be found wanting. I anxiously await his coming. I hope it is soon.

Carmen’s Music Video – We Need God in America Again

Here are some of the things that are eating at me lately.

Same Sex Marriage- I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to this blog post, there is just so much. This last week same sex marriage was approved for all states. It is as if at that moment, there was an immediate divide among people. I posted a status on Facebook that said basically that I believe that marriage is between a man and a women and I believe in how God defined marriage. At the same time, I also feel that we are pointing out that those who are homosexual are the worst kind of sinners ever to grace this world. When in reality, there are a whole lot of sins and we all sin.

One particular commentator went on to say that basically Christians are worse than ISIS, Russia and the KKK. He went on to condemn anyone that didn’t agree with his views as the worst person ever. I have known this kid since he was in high school and I tried to reason with him that I wasn’t judging him, I was stating that I believe in what the Bible says and what God says. If he wants people to respect him, then he also needs to understand that not all people are like the Westboro Baptist Church. There are Christians and non Christians who are hateful, but not all are. I personally feel that each person has a right to be happy and deserves to live their life as they choose. God has given people “free will” and nobody can make someone believe what they aren’t ready to believe.

I think I am getting tired of the term “love the sinner, hate the sin.” The reason why I am getting tired of this is that it is being used for everything. It is becoming a generic term in a sense. I don’t think there are many that hate the sin since there are so many sinning. I’m pretty sure they are pretty happy as they are doing whatever they are doing. When I drive, I am usually breaking the law since I have a lead foot. I know that I am breaking the law, but I love the control of going as fast as I can. I think it is the same with sin. Some sins are funner than other, but still against God’s law. There is all types of sinning and people have a way of singling out those sins that they don’t do.

As a Christian I believe that by hating sin we are aware of what it is and that we refuse to be a part of whatever sin is going on. When we love the sinners we should be showing them respect, pray for them and sharing the gospel of Christ with them. When we truly love a person we should be showing love and kindness to them even if we don’t agree with his or her sin no matter what it may be. We hate the sin by refusing to ignore or excuse whatever it is. It isn’t as if we are going to stand up and applaud a murderer or other sinful choices in life.

Ephesians 4:15-  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Racism is alive also. I am sick to my stomach over how the KKK and white supremacists are burning churches. I don’t get why people think one race is any better than another. God created all people. I think people are going to be shocked when they stand before God and they figure out that they were wrong. If you are atheist, I would guess it doesn’t matter since they don’t feel they are accountable to God. That is a whole other topic. I don’t get it, I never will get it when it comes to hatred.

I have nephews, nieces and friends of all races. When I read comments by those who are obviously racists, I get upset. I take it personally when people say what they say. They don’t see the hatred in their own hearts and minds. History is repeating itself every day. There are those who say we need to make sure to remember what happened to the Jews under the rule of Hitler. While Hitler isn’t here, the mentality is still alive and well in America.

Today while I was watching CNN, they were covering the church burnings that are going on at predominately black churches. There has been at-least six churches that has been burnt down over the past week. Then the gunman who kills 9 people during a Bible study in South Carolina just gets me going all over again. I have one person that is on my Facebook that I will be unfriending here in a few that thinks that blacks are the worst people ever. I have known him for a long time and I have never seen this type of hatred and racism in him. .He will be blocked fully from my page though. His mindset is rampant in America and I don’t even have a word that is strong enough for how I feel on this subject.

Racism is just happening in the South, it is happening all over the world. God is the only one who can make a difference. When I see what is going on in the world, I can’t help but yearn for the return of Christ. We are told in the Bible that at the end of days that things will speed up, I think we are seeing that happening before our eyes. On CNN, they made a comment on their page that said, “Pointing fingers at the South isn’t necessarily the best way to do this, as it turns the problem into an easy divide between “us” and “them.” It’s a problem of “we.”

Lastly, the other thing that has been in the news is Donald Trump. I use to watch his show, now I can’t stomach even hearing his name or his voice. He is a vile person and I am shocked that people would even remotely consider voting for him. I see more and more messages where people are saying that he is right. I am disgusted by him and his views. Only in America can someone justify his behavior. They complained when Clinton was president because he had an affair with Monica Lewinsky and yet they can back Trump. He has had affairs, filed bankruptcy and he is a racist individual.

In closing, I have a feeling I am going to be taking many off of my friends list on my Facebook page. The reason I say that is that I will not be a part of hateful and racists people. With all the quote unquote white people are the best and pushing of agenda’s, I won’t tolerate it and I don’t want to fill my heart with such nonsense.