CatHouse Chat

(Repost) The Fourth of July (2007 2009 edition)

--- I posted this three years ago, 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. He'd asked me to record this post, and then he added music. Listen or read - but enjoy either way! .---

Two hundred thirty three 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 233rd 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!

I don't believe you.

Nope. Now that your candidate has won, now that eight years of slander, histrionics, DRAHma, baseless attacks, deranged libel and temper tantrums by liberal nutcases like you are almost over, NOW you want to make up and play nice?

[Mom, don't look]

UPDATE 2.0 - Out of deference to my mom and her friends, I've put the rest of this post below the fold.  Mom, I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK!

Secondly, I want to clarify something: I have some friends who are Democrats, who are good people, sensible, and who can carry on a discussion without either of us wanting to harm the other. I am obviously NOT talking about them. [/update]

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!

Technorati Tags: God, gratitude, praise, hymns

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

What Laura said...!

Yeah, Bush - after all the work and support your base gave you, after all the times we've stood up for you, and after all the times we've gone to bat for you... You screw us.

Honey, I've got a husband, and he's the only person I care to allow into my bed in any way, shape or form.

No, Bush, I'm not "fearful," I'm not being "unkind" or "uncharitable" when I am 100% against rewarding illegal immigrants for their lawless behavior.

You. Are. WRONG.

Go listen to what Laura Ingrahm has to say. She's right.

It makes me wish Bush were up for re-election, just so I could now give him the finger, just like he's given it to us.

*sigh* No matter what party is in power, people -

BEND OVER, HERE IT COMES AGAIN.

I can’t believe I missed this!

Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis, was on Fox&Friends recently and speaking about the new Creation Museum which is opening on 28 May. I've known about Answers in Genesis for years, and they have been a great encouragement to my faith. It was a huge eye-opener to me when I saw evidence that proved I could trust the Bible from the very first verse. Ken Ham was instrumental in this, and I have supported that ministry for a long time. I am so pleased that this museum - 100% privately funded, as Mr. Ham points out - is finally ready to open!

Mr. Ham presented himself well, which didn't surprise me. I've only ever listened to him before (he has a very good sense of humor!), and to see him was a treat. Of course, the Australian accent helps capture my attention, LOL. I must also add my appreciation for the Fox&Friends crew, who were interested and respectful, and allowed Mr. Ham to have his say.

Yes, I'll probably get flack for letting y'all know that I'm a creationist, and that's OK. Not my problem: it's God you want to argue with (Warning: arguing with God is a losing proposition!)

Anyway, here's the video (you will have to click on the link at Fox), and here's a list of some verrrrrry interesting books:

• Strobel, Lee, The Case for a Creator
• Ward, Peter and Donald Brownlee, Rare Earth
• Dembski, William, The Design Revolution
• Gonzalez, Guillermo and Jay Wesley Richards, The Privileged Planet
• Behe, Michael, Darwin's Black Box
• --, Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe
• Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
• Wilson, John, Uncommon Dissent
• Johnson, Philip, Darwin on Trial

If you're absolutely opposed to a Creator, I'm certainly not going to convince you. I can't change your mind, and that's all right: it's not my job to do so. But I do request that you don't go slinging mud on what *I* believe, because I have looked over quite a bit of evidence and quite a few of the arguments on both sides. I have been convinced that the whole universe is a special creation, crafted with intelligence and care, and that the Creator has revealed Himself through the Bible.

So, you're not going to change my mind, either.

Therefore, if we get into a discussion in the comments, let's agree to disagree with civility and grace, because I will delete any snide and derogatory remarks from either side.

All right, can we get over this idiocy NOW?!

I am so tired of people thinking that Christians have to be "nice." Folks, Christ didn't die to make me "nice," He died to save me from my sins. He died to ransom me out from under the wrath of God. He died to give me life, and to give it to me abundantly. He died to make me HOLY, separated unto Himself.

He didn't die to make me "nice."

Let's take a little look at being holy, for instance. The one truly holy being in all the Universe is God Himself - and God isn't "nice." He is good, He is loving, He is perfect... But He isn't "nice."

God is the Judge of all the Earth, and He will do what is right - including punishing the unrepentant wicked. He will also punish the unrepentant "good." He has clearly stated that all of our so-called "good" works are like filthy rags (the original means used menstrual pads, guys), and that without faith, it is impossible to please Him. He demands that we worship Him; that we have no other gods before Him; that we not blaspheme His name; and that we love Him with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. He has offered a way - His way - to make us perfect and holy in His sight, but if we don't do it His way, we have no other hope of heaven. If we don't do it His way, we go to hell.

Not very "nice."

Let's take a look at how God make that bridge between our sinfulness and His holiness: Christ dying on the Cross. In spite of the fact that He had no obligation to save us from our just punishment, in spite of the fact that He was completely without sin or fault, and in spite of the fact that we refuse to give Him our praise and gratitude for all He has done on our behalf, Christ willingly came down to earth. He put aside His glory and descended to live among us, wretched and filthy sinners that we are, and then die for a bunch of rebellious, stubborn, and arrogant people.

He was beaten bloody, He was scorned and mocked, He was humiliated, and finally hung on a cross to die in excruciating (ever wonder where we got that word?) pain and agony.

All this to take on our punishment, to die as our substitute, and to reveal and satisfy God's deep and abiding hatred of sin.

No, not very "nice."

How about the heroes of the faith? Noah, who was faithful enough to endure 120 years of derision while he built the ark, but was weak enough to get shamefully drunk after the flood. Abraham, who was faithful enough to trust that God would raise Isaac from the dead, and yet didn't trust Him to fulfill the promise of Isaac's birth. Moses, who was one of God's greatest spokesmen, but who was a murderer. Samson, who slew the enemies of God in enormous numbers, yet was brought down by his sensuality. David, the man after God's own heart, who was an adulterer and a murderer. Peter, an apostle who walked and lived with Jesus Himself for three years, and yet denied Him and also had to be rebuked for hypocracy. Paul, the greatest evangelist and theologian of all, whose temper and brash, uncompromising writing still makes him a target for scorn today.

Not very "nice" at all.

Forgive me when I get extremely irritated and impatient with people who seem to assume that Christians have to go around with their hands folded in prayer and take everything the heathen care to sling at them lying down. The Bible commands for us to earnestly contend for the faith, to always have a reason for the hope which is within us. The Bible condemns us if we call evil, good, and good, evil. God commands us to hate sin and to stand in the truth.

God calls us to be conformed to the image of His Son - who excoriated the scribes and pharisees for their hypocracy and pride, whipped the money changers out of the Temple in righteous anger, and roundly scolded His disciples for their lack of faith and understanding.

So don't expect me to be "nice." I can be kind and gracious, I'm hospitable and caring... But I will not indulge fools, and I will not tolerate what God calls evil.

By God's grace, I am not "nice," but I am His - and I will follow where He leads and trust Him to take care of the fallout.

(Linked at Cao's Blog - Sunday Open Trackbacks)

This could be my guy

Now, I admit "build the wall - all 800+ miles of it - in six months" seems a bit like a cock-eyed optimist... but oh, LORD, do I need a candidate who is enthusiastic!

Kilo is very excited about this guy, and I admit that the more I hear about him the more I like. If he is nominated and elected and he holds to his promises, he could be **MY** Ronald Reagan (who I loved, but really, I didn't know a whole lot about politics when I voted for him in his second election).

Duncan Hunter for President

Yeah. I like that idea!

Go check him out and see what you can do to help get a real conservative into the White House!

Technorati Tags: Duncan Hunter, election 2008, president

Simmering on the back burner...

I've been thinking about this for a while - not terribly long, perhaps a few weeks - and this post from my blog-brother Rick Moran appears to be what I needed to get off my rear end and actually write. Actually, although Rick's post is the spark, there are a few other topics I wanted to write about, so I'm probably going to start with what he has to say, and then wander off into my own territory... So... read on if you dare!

An unpleasant duty

As moderator of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance group on Yahoo, it is my duty to post an account of this recent sordid affair concerning "Alex Davis"/"John Maxfield"/"General Grievous' Dog" (or at least one of his incarnations).

It came to our attention about two days ago, December 28th, that one of the ODBA's newest members, currently under a firestorm of criticism from both ("all"?) sides, was not as he had represented himself to be.

I e-mailed Alex on Thursday off-list and requested that he give me and/or the list some sort of accounting for his reasoning for this deception, and got a flip reply. A similar request, posted on the list, was treated in a like manner. Yesterday morning, at about 8:30, I sent another private request and simultaneously posted it to the list. I gave him until noon to present some sort of defense for this subterfuge, and received no reply until about 11:20am.

At that time, Alex e-mailed me a contact to call, and added no commentary of his own. I did a basic check of this person's credentials to satisfy myself, and then called to see if we could settle the matter.

I did NOT get a defense of Alex. Alex got called a "pawn."

I DID get a discussion about the "strategy" behind much of the brouhaha, much of which *I* thought was spurious and not pertinent to the topic of Alex's guile.

Nevertheless, I posted an update to the list, asking again for any input in Alex's favor. I got none.

The ODBA has been embarrassed by this blogger's falsehoods and misrepresentation of himself. We have egg on our faces by pointing out hypocracy in others, when it was in our own ranks.

And therefore, lacking any offered defense or rationale for this deception, Alex, who was admitted to the ODBA as "John Maxfield" and blogs at "Journal of the Common Man," and at "General Grievous' Dog," has been banned from the group and taken off the blogroll.

Lest any should crow that this validates Waldo's reasoning behind taking General Grievous' Dog off his aggregator - I beg to differ. In this instance they are two completely different issues, and Waldo is well aware that I, for one, still disagree with him in his logic.

I am sorry this happened, and offer my personal apologies to the members of the ODBA who had to witness and participate - however peripherally - in this uproar.

The subject - like the comments - is now closed.

Scrappleface hits it out of the park!

In a rare - but welcome! - instance of seriousness, Scott Ott, editor of the satire site, Scrappleface, responds to an e-mail:

The victims of Katrina are not really the victims of Katrina herself. The tragedy began long before the hurricane hit.

Natural disasters have always happened and always will. While,
mercifully, they don’t occur every day in every place, they are common
enough that we ought to have an expectation that bad things can and
will happen. We need to cultivate the inner resources in ourselves, our
children and our neighborhoods to cope with the inevitable. When we
cede that power and responsibility to the federal government, we
surrender a part of what makes us human and leave ourselves more
vulnerable to the tempest.

[...]

Our state-run schools and spoon-fed media have conditioned us to
look to government. They’ve also trained us to take offense at any
expression of love that doesn’t result in government intervention and
redistribution of taxpayer dollars. ‘Compassion’ has been redefined as
‘entitlement’ and thus stripped of its power and utility.

The devastating impact of this mindset is the apparent withering of
the individual spirit and of community cooperation which have been the
hallmarks of this great nation.

But all is not yet lost, and perhaps not so much is lost as we have been led to believe.

These are just two little excerpts, and yet the whole piece sings of the beauty and durability and perseverance of the human spirit.

Please go read the whole thing!

(HT to my beloved blog-brother, Kender)

No choice? I don't think so...

I posted "Islam's not for me!" yesterday, and today a friend of mine stopped by and asked if I really thought that I was free enough to have a choice. Here is what I replied:   

"Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world."   

I belong to the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, who will one day cast this satanic "god" into the eternal pit of fire - and he won't need to exert the least amount of effort to do so.   

My Lord and Savior is the Creator of all, the Lord God Almighty, the Lord my Provider, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.   

Allah? ***pfft!*** A little Johnny-Come-Lately upstart with delusions of grandeur.

To follow up on that still more, here's a quote from Isaiah that tells it like it is:   

Have you not known?
      Have you not heard?
      Has it not been told you from the beginning?
      Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
      And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
      Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
      And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
He brings the princes to nothing;
      He makes the judges of the earth useless.
Scarcely shall they be planted,
      Scarcely shall they be sown,
      Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
      When He will also blow on them,
      And they will wither,
      And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.   

“ To whom then will you liken Me,
       Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
  Lift up your eyes on high,
       And see who has created these things,
      Who brings out their host by number;
       He calls them all by name,
       By the greatness of His might
       And the strength of His power;
       Not one is missing.

And here's another relevant passage, from the book of Revelation:   

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Or to put it another way:   

The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

So gird up your loins, take strength from your Lord and Savior, and sing with the Psalmist:   

Whenever I am afraid,
         I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
         In God I have put my trust;
         I will not fear.
         What can flesh do to me?
         
All day they twist my words;
         All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They gather together,
         They hide, they mark my steps,
         When they lie in wait for my life.
Shall they escape by iniquity?
         In anger cast down the peoples, O God!      

   

You number my wanderings;
         Put my tears into Your bottle;
         Are they not in Your book?
When I cry out to You,
         Then my enemies will turn back;
         This I know, because God is for me.
In God (I will praise His word),
         In the LORD (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
         I will not be afraid.
          What can man do to me?

Tags: faith, Christianity, fear, courage, Islam, allah

The Love of God

The Westboro Baptist "Church" is an heretical organization, so wrapped up in their pride and judgement that they cannot - or refuse to - see their sin. They selectively quote Scripture which appears to support their view, and ignore the full counsel of God. Their arrogance and callousness reminds me of the Pharasees of old, about whom Jesus proclaimed:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence." (Matthew 23:23-25, NKJV)

Actually, read all of Matthew 23 for what Jesus thinks of callous hypocrites of this sort. Kit, over at Euphoric Reality, beautifully fisks a little e-mail exchange she had with one of the cultists, but I suppose I need to step in it, too, and add my $0.02...

How 'bout you?

Where do you stand? Who are you?

For me, Eric Chruch's song off of his Sinners Like Me album (which will be realesed on 18July) says it very, very well:

I know where I come from:
How 'bout you?
I don't need baggy clothes,
Or rings in my nose to be cool.
The scars on my knuckles,
Match these scuffs on these cowboy boots.
An' there's a whole lot more like me:
How 'bout you?

I punch the clock tryin' to make it to the top:
How 'bout you?
I ain't got no blue-blood trust fund,
I can dip in to.
Yeah, I wish Uncle Sam would give a damn,
About the man who's collar's blue.
But if he don't, hell, I'll make it on my own:
How 'bout you?

An' how 'bout you?
Do you feel the way I do?
To tell the truth,
I think we're the chosen few.
But that's just me:
How 'bout you?

I still say: "Yes, Ma'am" to my Momma:
How 'bout you?
If I shake your hand, look you in the eye,
You can bet your ass, it'll be the truth.
I cover my heart with my hat,
When they fly that Red, White and Blue,
Just like my Daddy taught me:
How 'bout you?

An' how 'bout you?
Do you feel the way I do?
To tell the truth,
I think we're the chosen few.
But that's just me:
Well, how 'bout you?

I like my country rockin':
How 'bout you?
Just put me on a stage, man,
Turn it up an' I'll turn it loose.
Yeah, give me a crowd that's redneck an' loud,
We'll raise the roof.
Yeah, I might just stay all night long.

How 'bout you?
Do you feel the way I do?
To tell the truth,
I think we're the chosen few.
An' how 'bout you?
Do you feel the way I do?
'Cause, man, I know where I come from:
How 'bout you?

Good Friday

Remember - His love for you is so vast, so deep, and so strong, that He did this for you... And He didn't have to - He wanted to.

Oh the wonders of the love of God in Christ Jesus! He came to live for us, to grant us His perfect life. He came to die for us, to erase the burdens of our sin.

Hallelujah to the Perfect Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. To Him be all power, all glory, all honor and praise! Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forevermore, the King upon the Throne, our blessed Redeemer, Savior... and Friend!

John 19:17-42 (NKJV)

And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"

Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

"They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots."

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Were you there?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

When I Survey the Wonderous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o'er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Linked at Third World County, TMH Bacon Bits, Stop the ACLU, Publius Rendezvous, Rhymes With Right

Return trackbacks (thanks so much for the support!) to Big Dog's Weblog, Gribbit Online

Technorati Tags: Easter, Resurrection, Good Friday, Jesus Christ, Cross, Scripture, crucifixion

Immediate action alert!

Go flag this website now!

This sick, twisted, and HIGHLY ILLEGAL "blog" (hosted by Blogspot, gee, why am I surprised?) is in support of "boy-love."

Can we put these obscene, lewd, and abusive creeps out of business? Lord, I hope so!

Sick, sick, sick. Has anyone contacted the legal authorities?

If these were MY kids...

... I'd give them a serious whipping when they got home! No, I don't mean that in an abusive way, but in the sense of an outraged parent and citizen forcefully applying some dedicated discipline to the backside of an ungreatful, malicious, and terminally stupid child.

What am I blathering about? Take a look at what the Redheaded Infidel found:

Just some students having fun, right? Nope - take a closer look at the upper left hand corner.

Still can't see it? Well, the next picture is a close up...

Yes, that is OUR flag, UPSIDE DOWN, flying UNDERNEATH the Mexican flag!

Shame on these kids! Shame on their parents, shame on their schools, and shame on their willful ignorance!These morons are supporting lawbreakers. They are aligning themselves with the destruction of their future, and they are encouraging the eventual downfall of their own country.

If I were in charge of these *gag* future voters *gag* they'd be studying the laws which have been broken, they'd be required to memorize proper flag etiquette, they'd be visiting VA hospitals to meet the veterans they've just sh*t on, they'd be interviewing naturalized citizens who came here legally, and then they'd be writing a thirty page essay about the blessings and privileges of American Citizenship which I would require them to end with a sincere apology for their ignorance and stupidity.

Oh, and car? Telephone? Computer? Heck, stepping out of the house on a weekend? Surely you must be joking! As a matter of fact, I daresay that - if I were the parents of these slugs - military boarding schools and reform schools would see a tremendous upsurge in enrollment.

Yeah, yeah, "free speech" and all that. Uh-huh. Nevertheless, they'll get firsthand knowledge of the consequences of free speech, won't they?

Technorati tags: immigration, free speech, student protests, morons

Oh, yes!

The Delftsman posted this last week, and I just saw it today - perfect, perfect!!!

Please also swing by his blog to wish him well: he's in the hospital with some serious issues, and he needs prayer, too!

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

When you read this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world. Pass this request to all who might pray. Do not let it stop with you, please - of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best!!!

Thank you.

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence" (2 Samuel 22: 2, 3, NKJV)

"Amen," indeed! Pass it on!

Central America needs to take a dose of reality

Diplomats from Mexico and Central America on Monday demanded guest worker programs and the legalization of undocumented migrants in the United States, while criticizing a U.S. proposal for tougher border enforcement.

Meeting in Mexico's capital, the regional officials pledged to do more to fight migrant trafficking, but indirectly condemned a U.S. bill that would make illegal entry a felony and extend border walls.

Oh, sure. Right. They're demanding that the United States give up its sovereign right to protect her borders.

I. Don't. Think. So.

Especially since there are groups like Ms-13 may be targeting our border patrol agents:

A memo from the US Department of Homeland Security is warning that an international street gang is targeting border patrol agents for assassination as retaliation for tighter border security.

The gang is Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, and is said to have 30,000 members in 33 US states and throughout Mexico and Central America. It operates smuggling drugs, weapons and illegal immigrants across the US border.

The homeland security memo says that MS-13 is upset that increased border security aimed at stopping terrorists and illegal immigrants is hurting that gang's smuggling business.

Awwww. Too bad. You know what? I have a response to those MS-13 criminals: why don't we just let the border patrol shoot first and ask questions later?

And, yes, all illegal aliens are criminals, no matter what Central American diplomats may say

"Migrants, regardless of their migratory status, should not be treated like criminals," they said.

... Part of the definition of being illegal, wouldn't you say? So, why shouldn't we treat them like criminals?

I'm happy to welcome immigrants to this country; I have no bias against them... so long as they come in legally. I want good, solid, law-abiding people to come here, because they will help build and strengthen our country. I also rather like a guest-worker program, but anyone who has come here illegally ought to be barred from it for, oh, at least 20 years.

America is happy to welcome immigrants with open arms, but America is a country under the rule of law (at least, that's the ideal). If you break the law, you pay the consequences. Period.

An interesting question...

The Red Stater and Shaun Kenney both point out this post over at Virginia Centrist, which asks

But this still begs the question: Why are Virginia's conservative bloggers more socially libertarian than the rest of the state? I'm not trying to claim that they support gay marriage or abortion rights. I'm just saying that for most VA Conservative bloggers, social issues are not at the forefront of their focus. They usually say "live and let die."

CR UVA (Red Stater) offers this in VC's comments

I have found that socially conservative people generally vary widely in how they work. I am sure you are aware that I am a social conservative, as well as an economic conservative and a strong supporter of our military. A number of other social conservatives are as well, but many that I know can be a bit more liberal in their economic views, as well as more pacifistic and more concerned with the environment. Yet, many of those social conservatives stay out of politics, feeling either that it is too divisive or it does not include them (I have told them many times that I do not feel that a third party can be successful, at least not in this decade). For that matter, many of those social conservatives spend most of their time in the leadership of religious groups. This is just speculation, but perhaps this may be common among many other social conservatives.

And Shaun lists the three hot points of pro-life issues, gay marriage, and prayer in school (excellent commentary, BTW, you ought to read it) and then says this

So why haven't we been addressing them? I think it's a question of first things. Note that not a single one of the solutions I have proffered involves the interference of big government. In fact, they subsist in the de-evolution of functions traditionally held by society and confiscated by socialist-minded government-cures-all types.

VC posed a very good question, and certainly received excellent responses.

As for me, well, I suppose my reasoning is pretty self-serving, I'm ashamed to say. Most of the people I associate with on-line tend to focus on politics and current affairs with only the occasional dip into these issues, and I usually follow along. It's what we discuss, rant about, and rally around - and there is certainly no shortage of topics and headlines!

Secondly, I confess to a sort of cowardice: pro-life issues in particular are very near and dear to my heart, and it is sometimes hard to post on the subject and have some serious leftist nutcase come on over and spew all over my comment section. I've been blogging for over a year, now, and I'm far better than I was about stuff like this, but I admit to still having a fairly thin skin on some issues. Not exactly a great public image to have, I agree, but - hey, it's an honest assessment. Maybe 2006 will be the year I work on that.

Finally, there are some issues - like gay marriage, for instance - with which I profoundly disagree, and which I'll campaign against. But in the end, if it is properly voted on by the people (e.g. not forced upon the citizens by an activist court) and passed, well, fair's fair. I don't have much problem with people doing whatever in private, so long as it doesn't reach out and disrupt the whole community and harm my family. Keep it off the streets, and out of my eyesight (and no, I'm not planning on peeking in your windows), and I'm pretty laid back about a whole host of issues.

Is that somewhat contradictory? Yeahsureyoubetcha! Welcome to my life. And, I suppose that it makes me some odd, esoteric mix of an evangelical social libertarian conservative Republican, but - trust me - it doesn't even come close to a split personality.

Except when it does.

The Risen Lord and King

All this past month I've been posting about the Child born in a manger two thousand years ago. However, we should not forget that that Child grew up and did wonderous miracles - and then willingly went to the Cross and died to pay for our sins.

Normally, the story would end there, a tragic tale of the death of a hero. Everybody would mourn, and then after wiping their tears away, everybody would then get on with their lives. But, of course, that is not the end of the story!

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'" And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. (Luke 24:1-12, NKJV)

Jesus arose from the dead! By His own power, as the Lord of Life, and to show that He had indeed conquered the grave on our behalf. Do not ever forget that this Child, Whose birth we celebrated yesterday, is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe - and He is also our Redeemer and Friend. He who once was born, executed and buried, has risen again, and He is at the right hand of His Father in Heaven.

He will also return:

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16, NKJV)

On that Day, all the earth will know Him for Who He is:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)

Do you know Him? Have you accepted His sacrifice and humbled yourself under His almighty hand? Now is the time, for you could die in the next breath, and then it would be too late. He waits patiently, and His arms are open and longing for lost sinners to accept His gift - but He will not wait forever.

First post ... previous post

Related post: Welcome, Lord Jesus!

New addition to the Blogroll!

Oh, yeah!

Found these guys from a link a commenter posted over at Ace of Spades, and, if they continue to write like this, I really hope they do well in the Weblog Awards! Good luck, guys, and keep up the good work.

An announcement...

This is officially an OSM, Open Source Media, Pajamas Media - whatever the hell they call themselves today - free zone.

I honestly don't care, and I think it's all fairly irrelevant - even though I admit that the gossip can be pretty juicy.

I just don't care.

Thatisall.

If this doesn't move you, then you need a heart and soul transplant.

[This is David, again, crossposting from third world county. R'Cat has the collection of these Flash presentations linked in her upper right-hand corner, but I felt they needed another plug to keep them up front—especially now.]

Just CLICK HERE or on the pic below. Honor, Sacrifice, Duty.

If viewing th video doesn't move you, I really don't want to know you. (R'Cat may be more generous, but she's not me, 'K? :-)

Trackback linked at: MacStansbury, TMH's Bacon Bits, Right Wing Nation and Soldiers' Angel

I'm STILL not sorry!

Nope. Still not sorry.

I don't always agree with President Bush, but I am so thankful that HE is the President instead of that flip-flopping surrender-monkey traitor, Senator Jean Fraud sKerry.

For all you liberal nutcases - particularly those idiots who trolled my original post a year ago (*sneer* Liberal Avenger *sneer* for one):

Neener, neener, nyah-nyah-nyah! We won, you lost, and oh, boo-hoo-hoo for your poor little wussy okoles (that's Hawaiian for "posterior").

God bless out troops, God bless our President, and God bless the United States of America! Woo-hoo!

Sunday Thoughts

Lots of things have been going on in my life this week, not the least of which is the sale of our old house falling through. It was for the best, but of course I'm anxious and a bit frustrated about the whole situation.

Nevertheless, I take great comfort in these words from the Lord Most High:

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Prayer for those in the path of Rita

Misha, the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, has reminded me of my duty to pray in the face of this storm. There are so many people in its path who I know (a bit) from their blogs, and so many more who are leaving their homes. Those homes and those cities may now be there to come back to.

And so, I would ask you all to join in prayer - or a moment of silence - for those in harm's way, as well as continue your diligent prayer for those already affected by Katrina.

Father in Heaven, You are all powerful, all Your ways are good and holy, and You are Sovereign over all the Universe. We know that many of these tragedies are happening because we live in a sin-cursed world, yet we would implore You to show forth Your great mercy. We humbly ask that You lift Your hand and protect our brothers and sisters in the path of the storm, we ask - if it is Your will - that You display Your power and disberse this monster storm.

We praise you, Lord, for You are holy, holy, holy. You are the Lord of Hosts, the Lord God Almighty, and Your Name is worthy above all names. All good things come from Your hand.

We ask for Your guidance, Your strength, Your steadfastness, and Your love and compassion as we cope with this trial You have chosen to permit. Help us, Lord, we pray, to be faithful to You, and to reveal Your power in a nation so richly blessed by You.

In the Name of Your beloved Son, let it be so!

Psalm 46

As some of my regular readers (all three of them) may know, Mom goes in for knee-replacement surgery on Monday. She's 82, and she's a bit worried about the anesthesia and all the therapy afterwards. She and Daddy will have some live-in help, but it's still pretty major surgery.

This morning, I was talking to her about Luray Caverns and the cavern organ there - remember? It played "A Mighty Fortress," and was beautiful and ethereal.

Well, this hymn by Martin Luther is based on Psalm 46, and so I thought I would post it as a reminder to us that God is bigger than all our problems ever could be, and that He stands ready to be our fortress and our foundation, if we will only turn to Him in faith and humility.

  ¹ God is our refuge and strength,
         A very present help in trouble.
    ² Therefore we will not fear,
         Even though the earth be removed,
         And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
    ³ Though its waters roar and be troubled,
         Though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah 
         
    ⁴ There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
         The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
    ⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
         God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
    ⁶ The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
         He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
         
    ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah 
         
    ⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD,
         Who has made desolations in the earth.
    ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
         He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
         He burns the chariot in the fire.
         
    ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
         I will be exalted among the nations,
         I will be exalted in the earth!
         
    ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah 

Thank You, Lord, for being my refuge and strength.  Please help me trust You and Your plans, and help me to follow faithfully where You lead me.

Independance Day, 2005

This year, again, finds America at war during the Fourth of July.  Our brave men and women are serving across the sea to preserve and protect the Constitution and America's security.

Their job is hard: months away from family and friends, a hostile and unscupulous enemy, an unfamiliar culture, and incessent media and political disapproval.

And yet, they continue to do their duty with courage, honor, and committment.

How can we repay the riches given to our country by these people?

Well, one way would be to fight for our Constitution. Many judges disregard what the law of the land actually is, and instead make decisions on what they think it ought to mean. We should stand up for those men and women on the bench who dedicate themselves to the letter of the law.

Another way to honor the service of our Armed Forces would be to keep ourselves informed on the issues of the day, and to take action on those issues as our understanding of the law and our consciences dictate. America is our country: we own the government, it is supposed to do what we tell it to do. The military fights for our right to continue to live as a free and responsible society.

Yet a third way would be to actually claim responsibility for our lives. We ought to follow the example of our servicemen and step up to do our duty without whining or complaint. Each one of us who "passes the buck" does a terrible disservice to the cause of human dignity and freedom. We should be a society which encourages and admires people who display self-control, self-reliance, and a distaste for blaming others.

One of the best ways to honor our servicemen would be - saying "Thank you!" Take time to greet a veteran and tell them how much you appreciate their service. Pick up the tab for a military family eating at a restaurant. Write a letter to or post a thankful comment on the blog of a servicemember in Afghanistan, or Iraq, or anywhere. Let them know that you do care, that they do matter, and that you cheriish their sacrifices and respect their service.

Finally, never forget the lives given to preserve our freedom.  Never. Honor their sacrifice, and give due deference and respect to the families who have given up their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.

May God continue to bless the United States of America, and graciously grant to us patriots like the men and women who have served and are serving in the Armed Forces.

(flag image graciously free to all from PlaidNET, and Arlington's photo at the official website here)

Ooops, I meant to put this link for America Supports you up above. My bad. Please make sure you visit this site and give your support for the troops!

The Bible - the Perfect Word

Recently on a Wide Awakes post, Dean (blueworm of TodaysDemocracy.com) talked about the Christian Bible. His post inspired quite a bit of discussion which, generally, remained civil and on-topic. I would like to respond to his post, using some of the comments I made as a starting point. However, I want to be very clear on my worldview, and my position on others’ points of view.

I am an evangelical Christian. I believe that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, perfect in the original manuscripts. I believe that God has preserved His Word so that, in most of the translations we have today, His Word is preserved in its original meaning and context, and is the ultimate guide for belief and action for every person on earth.

I do not believe that people who disagree are automatically non-conservative, un-American, non-persons deserving of condemnation, ridicule and scorn. (That was a warning to any trolls who might happen to pass by.) As a Christian, it is my biblical belief that every person is created in the image of God, and is deserving of respect and courtesy, even if, biblically speaking, I consider them wrong. Keep that in mind.

All right, then. Onward:

Where I stand: Choose LIFE!

{Welcome to readers of this week's Christian Carnival, hosted at Another Think. Please feel free to make yourself comfortable, and thanks for taking the time to stop by!}

How is it that in America today, we are having arguments - battles, even - about “right to die” and “right to life” issues? Why do cases like Terri Shiavo make national news and create storms of controversy? Why do cases like Mae Magouirk attract blogswarms, even when the initial information comes from a source with an admitted agenda? Why do people passionately defend or attack positions on abortion, partial birth abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and so on?

I believe in Creation

Thanks to Leaning Right, I now know about Joseph Farah over at WorldNet Daily.   He has two articles in particular, I believe in Creation and Why I believe in Creation, which bring up some interesting points.

Leaning Right has commentary here and here on this subject, and brings up another valid point about the ACLU (referring to another article from Mr. Farah) really promoting its own "religion."

As Mr. Farah states in "I believe in Creation,"

Last month, the ACLU helped several disgruntled parents in suburban Atlanta sue their school district over a simple label on its science textbooks that states: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully and critically considered."

The suit claims the school board is "doing more than accommodating religion. They are promoting religious dogma to all students."

Let me contradict that statement. When people accept the theory of evolution as an article of faith and teach it as a matter of fact and permit no dissent whatsoever from their doctrine, they are the ones who are promoting religious dogma to all students.

So, as one of my favorite ministries, Answers in Genesis, says, "Destroy the foundations, and eventually the rest of the building will fall." [paraphrased] Creation is an important foundation to our society, and evolutionary theory and its supporters have done a "good" job destroying it. It's time to force the evolutionists to admit the many failings of their theory and make them confront other theories honestly.

UPDATE: It occurs to to me that I may not have been clear in my last paragraph.

Yes, I will be frank: I would LOVE it if Creationism were taught in schools. I believe that it has many valid responses to evolutionary theory, and that it is far closer to the truth. However, I realize that this is probably not very realistic.

In any case, I am not advocating that evolution is removed from the classroom. The theory has its strong points in explaining micro-evolution. My real wish is that it is taught honestly, with all its problems and difficulties, and not as "absolute fact." There are other well supported theories out there which need to be acknowledged and taught, such as Intelligent Design.

And, no, ID does not require teaching "religion."

I guess I'm just tired of being treated like an idiot when I say I don't believe in evolution, and try to point out its problems and the biases of its proponents.

In the Name of God, amen:

The people who walked in darkness
       Have seen a great light;
       Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
       Upon them a light has shined

[...]

For unto us a Child is born,
       Unto us a Son is given;
       And the government will be upon His shoulder.
       And His name will be called
       Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
       Of the increase of His government and peace
       There will be no end,
       Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
       To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
       From that time forward, even forever.
       The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

[...]

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       "Glory to God in the highest,
       And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

[...]

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

[...]

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

[...]

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Chatting in the CatHouse

By commenting on this blog, you are agreeing to abide by these public rules of conduct for CatHouse Chat. If you break these rules, you are subject to a) editing, b) ridicule, and/or c) banning, according to my mood at the time.

My main inspiration for these rules is a very wise lady, La Shawn Barber, so if you see anything particularly well worded and brilliant, it's hers.

Rule the First: I own this blog. It is mine, not yours. Therefore, I rule here with an iron fist. If you wish to comment, you will follow the rules. As La Shawn says, "this is my weblog and I pay for the hosting. The First Amendment protects my right to speak on this site, not yours. The amendment prohibits government from infringing on my right of free expression. On this blog, your expression is a privilege. On your own blog, your expression is a right. Learn the distinction."

Rule the Second: There will be no swearing, invective (look it up), or ad hominem attacks of a juvenile nature (see below for what I mean by "juvenile nature") in the comments here, either directed at me or at another commenter. Any links included in your comments that break this rule (e.g. www. "f*thesouth" dot com) will be removed or edited. Of course, racist, sexist (of any sexual persuasion), or hateful comments are included in Rule Two.

If you break this rule, you will be banned, and your comment will be revised or deleted. If you want to be removed from my ban list, you may e-mail me a personal and sincere apology. I will post it publicly (probably in the original comment thread) and remove your ban.

Rule the Third: All opposing opinions are welcome, as long as they are in conformity to Rules One and Two. If you really want to try to persuade me to your point of view, use well-reasoned arguments supported by documentation from places other than the Democratic Underground and other places infested by Barking Moonbats on Speed^tm. Please remember that I am like most people: coaxing me works far better than beating me over the head.

Rule the Fourth: Here's where I demonstrate that I can be a benevolent despot. If I break Rule Two, above, and someone politely reminds me of it, I will post an apology. I will not make excuses, or try to avoid the fact that I was wrong. This rule applies only to the comments, and not to posts. My posts are effectively my journal, and I may rant and rave a bit in them. If there is a glaring violation of Rule Two in my posts, I will consider revising and apologizing, if given a rational reason to do so.

Now, "ad hominem of a juvenile nature:" I define this behavior as attacks on the level of using words like (and here I will break Rule Two) "bitch, cunt, bastard, asshole, nigger, spic, wop, kike, homo", and slurs of this genre. This is not, of course, an exhaustive list. These types of attacks are subject to immediate banning. I do not tolerate this type of thing AT ALL.

However, if the ad hominem is particularly inventive and "clean," and/or makes me laugh, I will probably allow it to stand. I will also, since I use similar terms ("Barking Moonbats" comes to mind...), allow things like "Repug" and so on, as they are in fairly common circulation and are relatively amusing.

Finally, I reserve the right to intrepret any of these rules to mean whatever I choose, and may at any point revise, retract, or remove them at my whim.

That is all. On to the fray.....

Where I stand: "Jesusland" Christians

I have been reading, off and on, a blog called Rightwingsparkle. I've found a lot of interesting things that really catch my interest, so I enjoy reading her blog.

Today, however, she posts something that is just sublime! I have so often noted the attitudes she cites, but could never put my thoughts into words in a compelling way.

Ladies and gentlemen, kind readers, may I present to you her incredible post?

Where I Stand: Creation vs. Evolution

It is very irritating to me to see so many knee-jerk responses to teaching Intelligent Design in schools along with Evolution. Many people who strike me as sensible and fair-minded assume that the purpose is to advance Biblical Creationism and *gasp* religion!

I have recently come across two blogs, MuD & PHuD and A Physicist's Perspective who are debating the issue. From what I have read so far, Perspective is the commentary which most closely represents what I believe. MuD & PHuD has many good points, but I still find the reasoning dissatisfactory.

For more reading, Perspective has posts here, here, and here (in reverse order), and MuD & PHuD has a handy round-up of links on the right margin of their blog.

To return to the initial paragraph of my post, although I would love to have Biblical Creationism taught in schools, I see no practical way of doing so without causing the next world war. Also, although I am Christian, it does seem to me that it would be shoving my religion down someone's throat, and that is not the way Christ calls us to represent Him. Frankly, I am blessed with the ability to avoid the public school system when choosing where my child goes to school.

If evolution were taught fully, with the problems and difficulties of the theory taught openly, I would not be as concerned with this issue. However, schoolchildren are not taught the deficiencies of evolution. They are often given faulty, disproven, or discredited examples and sources as proof of the theory. From what I have read, Intelligent Design gives excellent challenges to evolution, and often has persuasive alternative explanations.

I feel that it would be more productive to teach children how to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of differing theories and decide on the evidence which theory fits reality better. Evolution-as-fact has been spoon fed like pablum to children since I was in school, and it is past time to allow more debate on the issue.

This I pledge:

I pledge to raise my child to show respect for veterans, policemen, firefighters, teachers - all the people who sacrifice so much to keep this country free.

I pledge to pass on the story of our great country, and the courageous men and women who died to keep us free. I will tell her of the heroes of today who continue to raise the torch of liberty for the world to see.

I pledge to teach her the meaning of America: that we believe that people have the right to make their own decisions without a gun to their head, or the threat of torture. She will know that our country has a call to represent the highest and best virtues of freedom.

I pledge to train her to carry on our heritage of liberty, respect, pride, and service to country. I pledge to train her in citizenship so that she will become a strong, independent, and law-abiding citizen who will in turn pass on these values to her children.

I pledge that I will raise her in the fear of the Lord, so that she may stand before all people in confidence and strength.

This I promise to honor my Savior, my family, and my country, and I ask God's grace and strength to follow through.

Amen.

Where I stand

In all the rhetoric of the post-election, I see so many people on the left accusing Bush's America of ignorance, bigotry, religious fanaticism, exploitation, and on and on..... So, I thought I'd post on who I am, and what I believe, as a Conservative Republican (as I understand myself).