CatHouse Chat

Independence Day!

--- I posted this last year from the year before, and it was well received. And so I post it again in hope that it lifts up someone's spirit and reminds them of the foundation of this great country on its birthday. Here is the wonderful mix that Alton, made for me two years ago. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way!

04 July, 2008 - I've made some minor edits, so the audio version won't match exactly with this written version. Have a blessed and safe celebration of our Independence!

Two hundred thirty two years ago, a group of men - men of influence, wisdom, and courage - gathered together to sign a Document and birth a Nation:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

And so began the war for our Independence, a war where we threw off the stifling apron-strings of our Mother, Britain, and began our journey of discovery. The War was long, and fraught with set-backs, disasters, tremendous hardship, and discouragement. But through it all, one man held true to the ideal and fought with dogged determination to keep his army and his new country from giving in.

General George Washington. He was not necessarily a brilliant man, but he was honorable and resolute. He had been given the duty of defeating the British and winning the War, and he pursued his orders with unflinching persistence.

And in October of 1781, the British General, Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, VA.

The United States of America was free.

But freedom doesn't come easily. The States had adopted the Articles of Confederation in early 1781. The Articles gave the States many sovereign powers, and any changes to the Articles had to be approved by nine of the thirteen States. Federal power was practically non-existent: it couldn't raise taxes, it couldn't regulate trade, it couldn't stop States from printing their own money.

With authority to act scattered throughout the States, and an anemic central government, America threatened to dissolve into a group of bickering little provinces. The States had their own armies, their own international ambassadors, they argued over interstate trade, the justice system left quite a bit to be desired. In other words, it was a bit of a mess!

In 1786, after much unrest and disputes among the States, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton petitioned that the Constitutional Convention convene to write a new Constitution which would strengthen and unify our young Nation. The man the Convention elected to preside over this process was none other than George Washington, the man all Americans look on as our First Father. General Washington was reluctant - he had recently lost his brother, and he preferred to remain at Mount Vernon, managing his lands. Finally, however, he accepted the duty, and made his way to Pennsylvania.

Under his calm influence, eventually each of the States made compromises and came to agreements, negotiated the power of the Federal Government and State Governments, outlined the authorities of the branches of the Federal Government, and placed the ultimate power of Government firmly in the hands of the People. The first draft was accepted in August of 1787 after months of wrangling and debating. Five weeks later, on September 17th, the convention dismissed, and the Constitution went to the States for ratification. It wasn't until July of 1788 that the Convention received word that the ninth State, South Carolina had ratified the Constitution.

Finally, enough States had accepted the Constitution to begin to implement its laws. Of course, there was further debate about the Bill of Rights, which were passed by a total of three quarters of the States by late 1791, but now America had her "supreme Law of the Land," which began:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Thus we began to work out this fine balance between the Power and Authority of the People, and that of the Government. Men and women have stepped up to serve our country in war and in peace throughout our 230-year history. Elected officials, military, police, firemen, medical personnel, charity organizations, human rights groups, and so many more have furthered the cause of Freedom and Liberty in our country.

But for me, no group deserves our honor and our respect more than the men and women who serve her in our Armed Forces. Each man and woman who enters the military takes this oath:

...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...

Our men and women do not swear to a particular leader. They are not members of a cult of personality. They swear to uphold the Law, and the Supreme Law of the United States of America is the Constitution. At this time, they are engaged in combat against an enemy that hates everything America stands for, and unfortunately, some of those enemies are here at home. As civilian citizens, we owe it to them to honor their service and to protect the freedom, independence and dedication to duty which our Founders bequeathed to us.

Freedom isn't free, and the Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Fourth of July means to me. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," "We the People," and "I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same." I would hope that each citizen of this beloved country would rededicate themselves to the principles of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution and work together to keep America strong and just.

Happy 232nd birthday, America! I love you dearly, and pray that God will continue to bless and guide you. I pray that you will always be that "shining city on the hill," a light and example to the rest of the world of Freedom and Liberty.

Happy birthday!

UPDATE: Here are some other extremely worthy posts to read -

• Cassandra explains why she *IS* patriotic
• LC Crunchie, at the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, talks about the sacrifices the Signers made
• Bob Krumm reports on the 1,215 soldiers who re-enlisted today, the largest re-enlistment ceremony in history
• Jammie Wearing Fool posts Red Skelton's magnificent recitation of the Pledge... MUST WATCH!!!
• Make sure you check out the Open Post at Stop the ACLU for others' contributions!

--- I posted this last year from the year before, and it was well received. And so I post it again in hope that it lifts up someone's spirit and reminds them of the foundation of this great country on its birthday. Here is the wonderful mix that Alton, made for me two years ago. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way!

04 July, 2008 - I've made some minor edits, so the audio version won't match exactly with this written version. Have a blessed and safe celebration of our Independence!

Two hundred thirty two years ago, a group of men - men of influence, wisdom, and courage - gathered together to sign a Document and birth a Nation:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

And so began the war for our Independence, a war where we threw off the stifling apron-strings of our Mother, Britain, and began our journey of discovery. The War was long, and fraught with set-backs, disasters, tremendous hardship, and discouragement. But through it all, one man held true to the ideal and fought with dogged determination to keep his army and his new country from giving in.

General George Washington. He was not necessarily a brilliant man, but he was honorable and resolute. He had been given the duty of defeating the British and winning the War, and he pursued his orders with unflinching persistence.

And in October of 1781, the British General, Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, VA.

The United States of America was free.

But freedom doesn't come easily. The States had adopted the Articles of Confederation in early 1781. The Articles gave the States many sovereign powers, and any changes to the Articles had to be approved by nine of the thirteen States. Federal power was practically non-existent: it couldn't raise taxes, it couldn't regulate trade, it couldn't stop States from printing their own money.

With authority to act scattered throughout the States, and an anemic central government, America threatened to dissolve into a group of bickering little provinces. The States had their own armies, their own international ambassadors, they argued over interstate trade, the justice system left quite a bit to be desired. In other words, it was a bit of a mess!

In 1786, after much unrest and disputes among the States, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton petitioned that the Constitutional Convention convene to write a new Constitution which would strengthen and unify our young Nation. The man the Convention elected to preside over this process was none other than George Washington, the man all Americans look on as our First Father. General Washington was reluctant - he had recently lost his brother, and he preferred to remain at Mount Vernon, managing his lands. Finally, however, he accepted the duty, and made his way to Pennsylvania.

Under his calm influence, eventually each of the States made compromises and came to agreements, negotiated the power of the Federal Government and State Governments, outlined the authorities of the branches of the Federal Government, and placed the ultimate power of Government firmly in the hands of the People. The first draft was accepted in August of 1787 after months of wrangling and debating. Five weeks later, on September 17th, the convention dismissed, and the Constitution went to the States for ratification. It wasn't until July of 1788 that the Convention received word that the ninth State, South Carolina had ratified the Constitution.

Finally, enough States had accepted the Constitution to begin to implement its laws. Of course, there was further debate about the Bill of Rights, which were passed by a total of three quarters of the States by late 1791, but now America had her "supreme Law of the Land," which began:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Thus we began to work out this fine balance between the Power and Authority of the People, and that of the Government. Men and women have stepped up to serve our country in war and in peace throughout our 230-year history. Elected officials, military, police, firemen, medical personnel, charity organizations, human rights groups, and so many more have furthered the cause of Freedom and Liberty in our country.

But for me, no group deserves our honor and our respect more than the men and women who serve her in our Armed Forces. Each man and woman who enters the military takes this oath:

...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...

Our men and women do not swear to a particular leader. They are not members of a cult of personality. They swear to uphold the Law, and the Supreme Law of the United States of America is the Constitution. At this time, they are engaged in combat against an enemy that hates everything America stands for, and unfortunately, some of those enemies are here at home. As civilian citizens, we owe it to them to honor their service and to protect the freedom, independence and dedication to duty which our Founders bequeathed to us.

Freedom isn't free, and the Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Fourth of July means to me. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," "We the People," and "I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same." I would hope that each citizen of this beloved country would rededicate themselves to the principles of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution and work together to keep America strong and just.

Happy 232nd birthday, America! I love you dearly, and pray that God will continue to bless and guide you. I pray that you will always be that "shining city on the hill," a light and example to the rest of the world of Freedom and Liberty.

Happy birthday!

UPDATE: Here are some other extremely worthy posts to read -

• Cassandra explains why she *IS* patriotic
• LC Crunchie, at the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, talks about the sacrifices the Signers made
• Bob Krumm reports on the 1,215 soldiers who re-enlisted today, the largest re-enlistment ceremony in history
• Jammie Wearing Fool posts Red Skelton's magnificent recitation of the Pledge... MUST WATCH!!!
• Make sure you check out the Open Post at Stop the ACLU for others' contributions!

Intermittent comment moderation now in effect

Unfortunately, I've had another troll return to CHC, and I don't feel like allowing its comments to pile up and make a stink. It has been using many IP addy's, and I can't ban it that way, so I have to resort to moderating comments. This has been a problem throughout the whole blogosphere, and I am tired of deleting or unpublishing moronic comments from the occasional idiot (yeah, hoobie and meatbrain come to mind - although meaty has been banned for quite a while).

To my regular readers, I apologize. However, I will get your comments up and published as soon as I can after you submit them.

For those of you who might be tempted to scream "CENSORSHIP!!!!" I will remind you that this blog is MY PROPERTY, not yours. My house, my rules: I do not permit guests who spit on my beliefs and who leave piles of dung on the carpet in my real home - why should I suffer them here?

Courteous, thoughtful and respectful comments, whether they agree with me or not, will always be published. But if you have nothing to say and say it rudely, then you have no forum here.

Don't forget, my comment policy is right here, and is quite clear as to what I expect from my guests. Those rules are non-negotiable.

Bye, hoobie!

That we may understand the glory and riches of Christ

Last week I posted about the first three paragraphs in Ephesians 1, and discussed them somewhat. Today, I'd like to take a look at verses 15 through 21, and see what God has to say to us in them. 

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;

God wants us to have understanding and knowledge of Him - He wants us to know Him. The more we read and study the Bible, the more we get closer to understanding just who He is, and the wonderful purity of His character. He is completely holy, without fault or blemish, and He calls us to this holy standard.

Now certainly, this side of glory we are still influenced by our sinful natures and fall far short of His standard. Don't forget, that is why Christ came to live and die for us: we couldn't do it, so He did it for us. And even in eternity there will always be more and more to know about God, for He is infinite, as we are not.

But God does not want us to be ignorant and blind in our faith. He has given so much evidence in the world - in science, in nature, in human nature, in beauty, etc. - of who He is and that He is, but we often ignore or dismiss it. One thing He has been doing for me this past year is teaching me to have an "attitude of gratitude." I find that I am looking for things for which to return thanks, and I think this is helping me to see His hand in every possible aspect of my life.

Nevertheless, without true knowledge of Him, any effort we make in an attempt to please Him will go astray. Thus, it is critical that all Christians be diligent in prayerful study of His Word, expecting to learn more about how our Savior wants us to live, and coming to a deeper understanding of His wonderful love and the riches of His grace.

that you may know what is the hope of His calling,

God wants us to know the incredible hope found in His sovereign call. In my earlier post, I referred to God choosing us from before the foundations of the earth, and the guarantee of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the heart of every Christian. Put together with this phrase from Ephesians, it reminded me of another wonderful verse, this time from Colossians:

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Inside each Christian is the Holy Spirit, sealing us for the Day when we meet the Lord. He is the guarantee, the down-payment, from God that His calling will be effectual and will usher us in to glory. And in that Day, all our sins and all our imperfections will finally be completely removed from us. Although Christians have been saved from the power and the penalty (eternal penalty, that is - not the earthly consequences) of sin, we have yet to be saved from the very presence of sin.

On that Day, when we finally see Him face to face, this glorious hope of eternity with Him and salvation from even the very presence of sin will be realized. And how wonderful that will be! How often I have wished, with many Christians before me, that there was a magical button: "Press here for instant sanctification!" On that Day, I will finally - FINALLY - be able to get it right, 100% of the time with a proper attitude and with an undivided heart!

So, God wants us to know not only the hope of God's calling, but also

what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,

As Christians, we have an inheritance in God's kingdom.

Now, consider that, for a moment. This kingdom is owned and ruled by God Most High, the Creator of all the Universe. The Bible says that

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

God owns EVERYTHING! And part of what he owns, part of His inheritance, is His saints - each member of the true Church, the Bride of Christ. Do you begin to understand what that means? God, who owns everything, has called us the "glory of His inheritance." And if that isn't enough for you, He adds that word, "riches."

When God calls us into His family, when He removes us from the kingdom of darkness and sin and places us into His Kingdom, He goes all the way. We are fully adopted and counted as evidence of His glory! Do you see the phrase "exceeding greatness of His power"? God is omnipotent. There is nothing He cannot accomplish according to His will... And He focuses that power towards US! All of that incredible power is working in us to make us like His Son, so that we shine with His glory and grace. The more we step away from our selfish and sinful nature and obey His will in our lives, the more we work with Him, the more we succeed in revealing the very glory of God here on earth.

The marvelous thing is that He has chosen to use these vessels of clay and mud to be His earthly temples, to dwell in as He once dwelt in Solomon's Temple. He has chosen to use us to be lights in the darkness, to be that lighthouse which shows ships tossed by the raging sea where there is danger and where there is safe harbor. We are called to reflect His glory, to let it shine through our lives, so His holiness and purity and love are evident to the world.

according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Not only does God work in us with exceeding greatness of power, but He also works in us according to the MIGHTY power which was used to raise Christ from the dead. Now, again, consider that. When something - or someone - is dead... they're dead. The only way life can come again is for the shell to be returned to the soil and reprocessed to provide nourishment for the next cycle. But Jesus didn't "reincarnate" like that - His actual, physical body was resurrected. Not "resuscitated" - for there was no more decay, aging or death in His new body. But it was His body; it wasn't "recycled."

What kind of power must be required for that? Death hasn't been transformed, defeated, or avoided - it has been transcended. This sort of power is... incredible! To make the power of death so inconsequential that it cannot even touch the resurrected body take POWER, and a power of the kind we just cannot begin to grasp, because it is so gigantic.

God used His power not only to raise Christ from the dead, but this same power has also placed Christ at God's right hand, "far ABOVE all principality and power and might and dominion." If you really think about this, though, it's really not so surprising. Jesus is the Christ - God-the-Son - and therefore has all of the attributes of God and all His power. Yet this level of power is pictured as being supreme, superior to anything which might even think of usurping it.

This is the power which is working in the children of God: the infinite power which sustains the universe! And because we are in Christ, because we are covered by His blood, because we have been placed in Him - we are partakers of that infinite, sovereign, unstoppable Power.

Christian (and I speak to myself, before I address you), why haven't you submitted yourself to this? Why haven't you abandoned yourself to the God who created you, who loves you, and will work His holy will in your life?! Look at the incredible future which is waiting for you? This gracious blessing, this indescribably awesome outcome is yours - why worry about the temporary slings and arrows of the world?

All I can do is remind you of the last verses of one of the most inspiring passages of the Bible:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Praise be to the God and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Praise to Him who has lifted us out of the miry pit, and set us upon the firm foundation of his love and grace. Praise the Name above all names, and - O Lord God! - come soon!

Maranatha!

Technorati Tags: Bible study, biblical teaching, doctrine, Jesus, salvation, Gods power, grace, blessing

****BRAVO!!!****

Alton alerted me to this video featured over on Breitbart.tv -

Mexican flags
Uploaded by dollarsandsense123

Make sure you go on over and digg it - and read those comments! My favorite is by stealthboy:

What's it going to take to get Americans angry enough to realize we are being invaded? I'm sick of seeing Spanish in all the stores I go to now. I'm sick of all the liberals playing the race card whenever anyone tries to discuss illegal immigration (Note: Illegal, not legal). This crap has to stop, and I'm glad this guy took a stand. He's a true hero in my book.

No joke! We are being invaded, and our government - at the local, state, AND federal levels - has betrayed the trust we placed in it to KEEP OUR BORDERS SECURE.

I have nothing against people who want to come to this country - I welcome them! - but if they refuse to do it legally, then *I* don't want them here. We have enough trouble with crime among our proper citizens - I don't want proven lawbreakers here, too.

Joe Stanley "I did it 'cause you deserve it."

Sir, you are no gentleman. You need to really sit down and think about readjusting your moral compass before your own actions bring you to complete ruin.

Riley over at Virginia Virtucon posts Joe-the-Jerk's pseudo defense. Note this paragraph:

If you will recall, I told you then that you should make note of the date and time you said that to me. I am more than prepared for any fight the ODBA wants to have. Fortunately, our conversation turned a corner and before our call ended, I had redirected the domain to google.com.

Interesting. Riley's post about the call was dated the 21st of August. So, if you fixed the redirect "before [your] call ended," why was the redirect there for pretty much all of yesterday, hmmm?

Liar. And not just a liar, but a stupid liar.

Ward has a list of your political clients - do any of them really want to associate themselves with a proven liar, a lowlife, and a petulant little prick like you (sorry, Mom)?

You idiot, you don't even have enough character in your corpulent sack of skin to even give a proper admission of guilt! Yeah, yeah, you've got profound ideological and procedural disagreements with some members of the ODBA. But, instead of targeting them in an open and honorable fight, matching policies and candidates against each other, you decide to smear all of us without regard.

I'm a proud wife and mother. I am a Christian. I, personally, have done my best to post as honestly as I know how, and refrain as much as I can from personal attacks. I have been a voice of quiet and moderation in the background many of the political tussles in which the ODBA has been involved.

And YOU...! You associated MY NAME with the smut and cesspool that is that abominable group, simply because you had nothing to bring to the table by way of intelligent ideas and honorable candidates.

Well, you wankering little whoreson ... (UPDATE - it has been brought to my attention that Joey's Mom is dead and certainly does not deserve this slur on her character, and therefore I retract and apologize for this insult) ... Joey you jerk-off little jackass (and now we return to our former rant) my vocabulary has pretty much reached its limit for what I'm willing to post here. But don't you ever bloody well show your scabrous face in my presence you little maggot, because I will take great delight in spitting in your lying eyes.

As Riley says:

Not good enough, Joe. Your “specific reasons” for forwarding the ODBA domain name to NAMBLA don’t matter. It was done with malice. You and Ben Tribbett obviously thought this was funny in some sort of juvenile way. Child sex abuse is NEVER funny.  Neither is defamation.

"Not good enough." Indeed, it isn't.

Rot in Hell, you cretin.

Technorati Tags: Joe Stanley, Yellow Dog, Roscoe Reynolds, liar, Yellow Dog Strategy

The consequences of going wild...

Raven, my beloved and valiant blog-sister, has an excellent post up about the "Girls gone wild" phenomenon that everyone ought to read:

Is it pressure? Or free choice? I have three daughters of the age where it’s popular to do these things and they tell me of the pressure to “act out” (as they call it) and perform (again, their term) and do these things. When girls don’t become involved with this stuff, they are often ostracized and avoided. The party girls are popular, not the level headed, street smart girls who have some self respect. I think it is pressure that leads girls to make these poor choices.

And Raven has been-there, done-that; she knows whereof she speaks.

Moms and Dads, please give your daughters - and sons! - the firm foundation of love and discipline so that they will have the strength to refuse evil and choose the good. Train them up to treat themselves with respect and dignity, and to do the same to others. Each of us is created in the very image of God Himself, and for any of us to wallow and delight in such debauchery and hedonism is unspeakably disgusting. It cheapens and demeans us, and makes us no better than animals.

We are better than that.

Or, we should be.

Technorati Tags: girls gone wild, promiscuity, sex, sexualization

Yeah, but it's still a FISH, isn't it?

So four million years of "evolution" didn't give it time to develop into a salamander.

The discovery of the new fossil means scientists can no longer make inferences about the evolution of limbs based on living coelacanths and lungfishes.

"To understand the developmental evolution of the limbs of tetrapods, we shouldn't be looking at the fins of our nearest living fish relatives — lungfishes and coelacanths — because they're far too specialized," said co-author Michael Coates, a University of Chicago biologist. [link]

Specialization - loss of information, not a GAIN.

A fish is a fish is a fish, folks. And a fish will never never never, not in a billion years, turn into a  salamander or a bird or a dog or a human.

Micro-evolution: changes within species - proven.

Macro-evolution: one species (or type) of animal changing into another - nope.

The Fourth of July (2007 Edition)

--- I posted this last year, and it was well received. And so I post it again in hope that it lifts up someone's spirit and reminds them of the foundation of this great country on its birthday. Here is the wonderful mix that my blog brother, Alton, made for me. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way!

I would also encourage you to go over to Rick Moan's site, where he is "liveblogging" the events which happened July 2, July 3, and July 4 of 1776. He is an excellent and imaginative writer, and you won't be disappointed.---

Two hundred thirty years ago, a group of men - men of influence, wisdom, and courage - gathered together to sign a Document and birth a Nation:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

And so began the war for our Independence, a war where we threw off the stifling apron-strings of our Mother, Britain, and began our journey of discovery. The War was long, and fraught with set-backs, disasters, tremendous hardship, and discouragement. But through it all, one man held true to the ideal and fought with dogged determination to keep his army and his new country from giving in.

General George Washington. He was not necessarily a brilliant man, but he was honorable and resolute. He had been given the duty of defeating the British and winning the War, and he pursued his orders with unflinching persistence.

And in October of 1781, the British General, Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, VA.

The United States of America was free.

But freedom doesn't come easily. The States had adopted the Articles of Confederation in early 1781. The Articles gave the States many sovereign powers, and any changes to the Articles had to be approved by nine of the thirteen States. Federal power was practically non-existent: it couldn't raise taxes, it couldn't regulate trade, it couldn't stop States from printing their own money.

With authority to act scattered throughout the States, and an anemic central government, America threatened to dissolve into a group of bickering little provinces. The States had their own armies, their own international ambassadors, they argued over interstate trade, the justice system left quite a bit to be desired. In other words, it was a bit of a mess!

In 1786, after much unrest and disputes among the States, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton petitioned that the Constitutional Convention convene to write a new Constitution which would strengthen and unify our young Nation. The man the Convention elected to preside over this process was none other than George Washington, the man all Americans look on as our First Father. General Washington was reluctant - he had recently lost his brother, and he preferred to remain at Mount Vernon, managing his lands. Finally, however, he accepted the duty, and made his way to Pennsylvania.

Under his calm influence, eventually each of the States made compromises and came to agreements, negotiated the power of the Federal Government and State Governments, outlined the authorities of the branches of the Federal Government, and placed the ultimate power of Government firmly in the hands of the People. The first draft was accepted in August of 1787 after months of wrangling and debating. Five weeks later, on September 17th, the convention dismissed, and the Constitution went to the States for ratification. It wasn't until July of 1788 that the Convention received word that the ninth State, South Carolina had ratified the Constitution.

Finally, enough States had accepted the Constitution to begin to implement its laws. Of course, there was further debate about the Bill of Rights, which were passed by a total of three quarters of the States by late 1791, but now America had her "supreme Law of the Land," which began:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Thus we began to work out this fine balance between the Power and Authority of the People, and that of the Government. Men and women have stepped up to serve our country in war and in peace throughout our 230-year history. Elected officials, military, police, firemen, medical personnel, charity organizations, human rights groups, and so many more have furthered the cause of Freedom and Liberty in our country.

But for me, no group deserves our honor and our respect more than the men and women who serve her in our Armed Forces. Each man and woman who enters the military takes this oath:

...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...

Our men and women do not swear to a particular leader. They are not members of a cult of personality. They swear to uphold the Law, and the Supreme Law of the United States of America is the Constitution.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Fourth of July means to me. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," "We the People," and "I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

Happy 231st birthday, America! I love you dearly, and pray that God will continue to bless and guide you. I pray that you will always be that "shining city on the hill," a light and example to the rest of the world of Freedom and Liberty.

Happy birthday!

All I ever seem to chase is me...

Ah, Lord God, my Father and Lover of my soul...

I can't chase You as You desire - so, please chase ME!

Andrew Peterson The Chasing Song Lyrics

Now and then these feet just take to wandering
Now and then I prop them up at home
Sometimes I think about the consequences
Sometimes I don't

Well, I realize that falling down ain't graceful
But I thank the Lord that falling's full of grace
Sometimes I take my eyes off Jesus
And you know that's all it takes

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving

'Cause Job, he chased and answer
The wise men chased the Child
Jacob chased her 14 years and he
Captured Rachel's smile
Moses chased the Promised Land
Joseph chased a dream
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

Well, they say a race can only have one winner
And you know you've got to pull out front to win

God knows the only time I'm winning
Is when I'm chasing Him

Well I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving

'Cause Samson chased a woman
and he chased the Philistines
I'm not quite sure what Jonah chased
But I know he caught the sea
Cain, he chased the harvest
While Abel chased the beasts
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me
And Jesus chased the money men
And he chased his Father's will
He chased my sin to Calvary
And he caught it on that hill
Saul, he chased the Christians
Till his blindness made him see
David, he chased God's own heart
All I ever seem to chase is me

But the Hound of Heaven pursues me with His love, even though I flee down all the corridors of my corral...

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat - and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet -
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

The grace of God is beyond understanding, and a wonder to behold. The magnitude of His love towards me is something I can only worship, because it surpasses all explanation and comprehension.

Thank You, Father... I can only live a life of praise to You through eternity - and even that could never begin to repay my debt to You!

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Suck it up, honey..

This is why we train the Darling Munchkin: "You can choose your actions, but you can't choose the consequences."

So Paris Hilton is apparently heading back to jail.

Parents, we can ALL spare our children this sort of infantile heartbreak by bringing them up with loving and realistic discipline. Paris is an adult, but she's got no concept of necessary consequences.

I feel a bit sorry for her... But not much, because she's been acting like a spoiled and whiney brat.

I hope and pray that this will be the turning point for good in her life...

Technorati Tags: Paris Hilton, consequences, jail