Close to my heart

It has been a while since my last post, too long, in fact. I have had much going on in my life, and politically, I have been trying to catch my breath with what's been going on.

I will not use this post to rant, or to disagree with any new policies or decisions. I think my past blogs will attest to my feelings regarding them.

Instead, I will take the time to reflect on Easter, and commercialism aside, the real meaning of it.

Yes, I like to dress my three adorable daughters in "easter dresses". As a child, I was always excited about a new dress for Easter Sunday. And yes, again, I do fill my children's Easter baskets. Instead of bunnies, though, I buy them chocolate crosses. I feel a little silly doing it, but I feel like I am insulting my conscience otherwise. I know, I know. It's just chocolate. I'm a little neurotic sometimes (no snickering, please. I know it's more than a little).

But Easter is not about pink bunnies, cute chickies, and chocolate.

It's about a murder. And it's about a victory. THE victory, actually.

Whether you believe Jesus was just a man or not, his unjust torture and subsequent murder on an implement of cruelty is not disputable. It's a historical fact.

Christ came to this earth to bring a message of peace and hope. All you have to do is look around, and see the sadness, the stomach-turning cruelty in this world, to see that we need something, Someone. And that Someone overcame death so that we would not have to be afraid of it.

The Gospel message is one of hope, love and most importantly, reconciliation. I believe that man is inherently evil, and left to our devices, would continue to be. There is nothing redeemable about humankind outside of Christ.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying there are no good people on this earth. What I am saying is, outside of Christ and His morality, there would be no good. Even if you deny Christ and His principles, the very fact that I can be prosecuted for murdering you, stealing your money, or even just beating you, is because of Christ. Any morality on this earth can be traced back to Biblical teachings. Don't look to the Romans, they tortured and killed on a regular basis. The Greeks? Nope, not there either. They believed it was okay for grown men to have young boys as their homosexual lovers.

We could go on and on. Before Jesus came on the scene, women were a commodity to be owned and abused. Feminism would have us believe that Christianity enslaves women. Jesus said in Him "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) That doesn't sound like discrimination to me. Women were revered, free to choose, and given responsibilities.

All of this came about because a little baby, FULLY GOD, and FULLY HUMAN, came to die for you and me.

Why did He have to die? Because of our sin, we are separated from God. Christ's death makes it possible for me to be reconciled to God.

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11

See also I Corinthians 15:3-8

And His death was not the only part of it. He rose again, three days later. He was alive. He conquered death.

Because of my relationship with Christ, I have hope in this life. I know that I don't have to be a slave to my sins and sinful desires.

Thank you, Jesus.

Whiplash

Well, it's been a little while since my last entry, and I have a lot on my mind. I want to be coherent, but it may not happen. So buckle your reading seatbelt, it may be a bumpy ride.

Not a day goes by that I don't check the news. I am looking, half hopeful, half fearful, for what shenanigans our government is up to now. It seems like they are trying to change everything that I am familiar with. Now, I am not always mature, but I try to be. For instance, I am mature enough to recognize that some things upset me because they are morally reprehensible. But other things upset me because I fear change, and how that change will affect me and my family.

On the other hand, I am not mature enough to not have an occasional rant, reserved only for my loving husband.

I have made it a point to never bash or disrespect our president. I am charged to respect my leaders. I believe that the Bible is true. I believe it applies to me. And I believe that it is from God. I also believe God when He says that He places men (or women) in power over me. Good or evil. That's God's plan and prerogative. He is, after all, God. He doesn't have to explain Himself or give me a reason. Because I believe all this, then I have no other choice to obey. The Bible does say that to obey is better than sacrifice. Emphasis on the obedience part. SO, that means I must respect my leaders, BUT, I can respectfully disagree. Have you ever heard the saying "agree to disagree"? Sometimes there is not other outcome but to agree with one another that you will disagree.

But what does that mean for you and me and our country? What does that mean for your civic responsibility?

Well, let me explain it this way. Should we just stand by while we watch someone marching towards a cliff, with people marching behind, with a big band, and banners? I mean, if they have a band and banners, they must know what they are doing, right?

It's like that with citizens sometimes. We believe, naively, that the government has only our best interest in mind, and they know what they are doing. They MUST know what they are doing, how else would they have gotten to where they are, right?

Wrong. They are our leaders. But we are the ones that made them leaders. I don't mean we take God out of the equation. I mean we voted (or didn't) for them. If we don't like what they're selling, we vote them out. Now, you may feel like your one little vote won't count for much, after all we have that genius idea of an electoral college (I won't start on this one, we'll save that for another day), so one vote can't make a difference. Well, you may or may not be right. But your voice, inspiring other voices, your feet, walking a tour of your neighborhood to talk with your neighbors, your money, supporting local men and women who have their heads on right and are running for office, now THAT'S where you can make a difference.

So I guess my points are:

1) Know your issues!

-there is a lot going on, but don't spread yourself thin. Get behind what you are really passionate about. Educate yourself, and don't be a jerk about it when someone disagrees with you.

2) Know your candidates and politicians.

-educate yourself on what they stand for, what they have voted for, and last but not least... CONTACT THEM! Email them, call them, write them, set up a meeting! They are listening, and we are being heard! See above point again for pointers on how to be most effective.

3) This one is really a no-brainer. PRAY!!!!!! God hears the prayers of a righteous people.

Things that make you go "hmmmm..."

Every morning after I wake up, the first thing I reach for (besides my Burt's Bees) is my Mac, Dharma. (Yes, I named it. I also have a gps named Lilleth, and an ipod named fire leopard, but I digress...)

I check my email, respond to any that need responding, then check facebook. Then I go to parentalrights.org to see if there are any more co-sponsors for the amendment. THEN, I visit foxnews.com and see what has been going on politically.

I realized the other day that this habit needs to change a little bit. I have become entirely too dependent on my computer and it's ability to give me my information "fix". Being away in Yellowstone last week with no wi-fi, though painful, was actually quite nice. Until I realized I could still check facebook on my phone with pockets of cell reception...

But I have this driving compulsion these days to know what's going on.

This is such a departure from who I used to be. I used to be the kind of person that asked my husband to forbid me from watching the news because it was too upsetting. As I stated in my first post, I lived happily in la-la land, pretending that there were only bad people on the other side of the world, not in my backyard.

I learned though, that action is empowering. Instead of wringing my hands in despair, I write and call my senators, and the president on occasion. Though I hold more hope that the chances of the senators getting the message are far better.

I also blog, which is therapeutic.

And then, there's facebook....

To say that we are a match made in heaven is an exaggeration. I have to monitor how much time I "spend" (insert "waste") on it. But I discovered that I have a voice where I didn't before. I take that very seriously. I scour the internet for sources that are reliable when I have a point to make. And I try not to use blogs, because that's just someone else's ranting, and I am trying not to rant in my own.

Every once in a while, I lose a friend. Who knows why? I wish there was an option where they said why there were "cyber-breaking" up with you. But there isn't, and I am left to wonder and worry that someone doesn't like me anymore. Which, if you know me at all, I can't handle it when I think someone doesn't like me.

I know that I offend sometimes, and that is never my intention. But I cannot be silent. I have too much on my heart and too much in my head for that. And I am compelled to speak, because, quite frankly, I think God wants me to. Not to be misunderstood, I am not on some "mission" (don't you love how "" happy I am??) from God to right every wrong. Simply, I feel that when we know something is wrong and that others are perpetuating it, it is our responsibility to speak out against it. I don't expect I will change the world. Alone.

But I know that at the end of the day, I don't regret my silence. Anymore.

So when you read something that gives you cause for pause, and you don't like it, SHARE IT!! Do something about it!!! But for heaven's sake, don't keep silent!

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

- Edmund Burke

Blacklisting, here we come!

Back in the 40's and 50's( http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/blist2.htm ), a paranoia spread throughout the country, centralizing and culminating in Hollywood.  Movies have been made about it, and it has become a thing of the past that almost seems too horrible to be true.  In our government's frenzy to weed out dissidents such as socialists, communist, and Nazis, honest and innocent people were forever ruined, and their careers did not recover.  

Of course, it's easy to think that would never happen again here.  We don't give into fear-mongering, and we are a tolerance-driven society.  Anyone of any background, creed, color, religion, political belief, etc., is welcome here.  We are encouraged to not step on anyone's toes, and we must not make someone feel bad for their life choices. 

But alas, we are finding that that is a double standard.  We are to be tolerant, but we are not being tolerated.  We are being labeled ourselves.  We are now the "dissidents", the "subversives", and the ones to be feared.  Blacklisting is not here yet, but it's pre-cursors are.  Once again, our constitutional rights are being ignored and abused.  

On April 15th, Tax Day, there were peaceful gatherings across the country to protest the misuse of our tax dollars, and to ask for accountability in our government.  

Those attendees, and many more people across the nation who are standing up for what is morally right, are being labeled as "extremists" and "possibly terrorists".  That means me.  I supported the Tax Day tea parties, and I also am pro-life and pro-family.  According to the Homeland Security website http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000009871.cfm , that's what we are.

Hmmm....does that sound right to you?  Does that get your motor runnin', even just a little bit?  I don't know about you, but I don't like being called a terrorist, or an extremist, just because I exercise my constitutional right to freedom of speech, and the last time I checked, opinion was allowed, too.  

Think we would never return to those black days in history where people were blacklisted for as little as attending a humanitarian meeting in college?  Think again, my friend.  It could happen to you....

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

- Edmund Burke

Less than 24 hours for us to let Obama know we want our health care professionals protected!

Please visit www.adoctorsrights.com, and let the president know we want people who work in the health care industry to not have to choose between their morals and their job!  This issue has been open to public input, and unknown to me, there is a website where you can voice your support of them being protected by law.  

This hits close to home because my father is an anesthetist, and his job could entail giving anesthesia for an abortion.  

We must keep fighting for what is right!  I know we all feel like the little dutch boy with his finger in the dam, but if we all stand together, we can hold the dam together!

The dismal tide...

A few weeks ago, my husband cunningly suckered me into watching a movie that I had passed on for a year. One of his favorites, that proves how vastly far apart and never to meet, are our movie tastes.
I love old movies. I love musicals. I love romantic comedies. And lastly, and weirdly enough since I abhor sports, movies about baseball.
On occasion, he will beg to the point of me giving in, to watch one of "his" movies. Saving Private Ryan, Mystic River (ugh!), and most recently, the sucker punch of all sucker punches: No Country for Old Men (double, triple and quadruple UGH!)
A movie set in the early 80's in West Texas, about as dismal a setting as you can find, and about a maniacal and conscience-deprived killer. He kills without much thought and most times devoid of purpose, and with not a second thought to what he did.
Yeah. My kind of movie, honey!
Now, based on my movie tastes, you may be asking how he so cunningly got me to watch this movie! Well, he is doing a project for his doctoral studies. It is centered on culture and views in movies. We have talked about nihilism, naturalism, relativism, and alot of other 'isms. It has proven to be an excellent springboard for discussing our culture and our relevance. I myself have learned alot. Way to go, honey! Good call on this one!
But wait, what movie did he pick first?!?!?!? None other than No Country for Old Men! It was so hard for me to watch that movie and not complain. But I did it. Begrudgingly. And I did not enjoy it. It left me feeling pretty morose for about a week. I lay awake that night and couldn't get the senseless killings out of my head.
But then, something interesting happened. I began to really listen to my husband quoting the movie. And the quotes actually made sense. And were very, very relevant to the way I feel about our country and the way things are going right now.
As I sit here, I am coming off the heels of reading about the 4th state to legalize gay marriage. And my heart takes a dive. Then God's sovereignty, the string to my crazy, wind-driven kite, reminds me that He is in control. And our world has been heading this way since...well, since the Fall. These are not new things. They are just new to me. And they are a reminder that I am not of this world. I am to be salt, which flavors, but also can hurt the tongue. And light, which brings hope, but can also hurt the eyes that are not used to it.
So, to quote the movie "...it is not the one thing, (gay marriage, abortion, insert disturbing event here,...) it is the dismal tide."
Basically, we can't get so wrapped up in every thing individually and worry about it. It is part of something that God has known would happen, and is allowing to happen. And our job in this world as part of the Kingdom, as sons and daughters of the King, has not changed. And it will not change. We are still to bring salt and light, now matter how hard it may get.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

Are you kidding me?!?!?!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090327/sc_livescience/boilingmadcrabsfeelpain

In a day and age when animals are given more sympathy from the pro-"choice" movement than our children are, comes a study so absurd in comparison to the plight of unborn BABY HUMANS, that I want to scream until arrested!

After studying the affects of electrical shocks on crabs, the researchers would like to move for different ways of killing crabs. Hmmm....killing babies IN THE WOMB: a choice. Killing crabs for eating: inhumane. Who are the people missing this obvious disparity, and what can we do to change this?!?!?!
First, and most importantly, PRAY!
Second, point this absurdity out to your local reps and senators when asking them to please support pro-life legislation.
Third, don't let the anger this causes you to not motivate you towards action! Without people getting hopping mad over insanity like this, and then DOING something about it, it will continue!
Fourth, stay informed. We must be responsible about what is going in our world, or we can't affect change.

In a world where tiny babies are not safe, we need to be their voice! The voice of reason, morality and conscience!
Please, let this sad contrast spur you to action!

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke