Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I am a firm believer in the Declaration of Independence, and the words our forefathers put down for us as a nation to live by.  I am also a firm believer in the Bible and the words our Lord put down for us as Christians to live by.  Today, these two great works conflict. 

The Declaration states; 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.

The Right to the Pursuit of Happiness means man’s right to live for himself, to choose what constitutes his own private, personal, individual happiness and to work for its achievement, so long as he respects the same right in others. It means that Man cannot be forced to devote his life to the happiness of another man nor of any number of other men. It means that the collective cannot decide what is to be the purpose of a man’s existence nor prescribe his choice of happiness.

“Textbook of Americanism,” The Ayn Rand Column

By the words of our Declaration of Independence, gay and lesbian men and women should be allowed to wed whomever makes them happy. 

My parents raised us to know no person or group of people are any better than another.  We are all God's children and we are all equal.  I know both gay and lesbian individuals and would NEVER think they are less of a person than I.  That kind of thinking is just plain crazy! The Bible is very clear on the whole 'love one another' thing. 

Here is where the conflict comes in for me.

The Bible (to me) is also very clear on the point of homosexuality.  The Bible is NOT in favor of it at all. 

Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

There are several such scriptures through the Bible.  Can you see where my mind is on overload?  I love our great nation and the  principles it was founded on.  I also love the Bible and try to live my life by its teachings.   Unfortunately, this is not a topic that is easily discussed.  Most people are strongly on one side or the other, leaving those of us teetering in the middle, well...teetering. 

I strongly believe every individual is created equal, and should be treated as so.  I also strongly believe homosexuality is wrong...yet I accept everyone into my life, regardless of their sexual preference.  Clear as mud?? 

I'm thinking this is a subject that may never be fully worked out in my mind. 

 

 

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The Big Ten ~5 & 6~

Welcome to week three of a short series on The Ten Commandments. Last week we discussed not taking the Lord's name is vain and remembering the Sabbath. This week we will continue on with numbers five and six.

#5 Honor your father and your mother
In the 23rd chapter of Proverbs, it says to listen to your father because without him, you would not exist. When your mother is old, show her your appreciation. It also says to let your father and mother be proud of you; give your mother that happiness.

Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord".

As a mom, I would love to quote every kids obey your parents scripture in the Bible. But, since I'm a cool mom, I won't do that to you. There is one scripture though that's pretty important. The one about treating others the way you want to be treated. This also applies to your folks.

When I was growing up, I was blessed with good parents. They were strict, and believe me, during my teenage years we fought like cats and dogs, but I knew they would always be there for me. Even now, I don't think I could make myself be disrespectful to them. Partially because that is how I was raised, and partially because I don't doubt to this day if I sassed them, I would get backhanded (my mom had a wicked backhand when I was a kid...back when parents were still able to backhand their own kids).

I grew up in a little town of 1000 people, I still live here, and it's where I raised my boys. I didn't grow up in an abusive or alcoholic home. I didn't grow up in a one parent home, or have divorced parents who constantly showed disrespect to each other in front of me. I can't begin to understand how growing up that way is. But I do know God tells us to honor our parents. It's not a suggestion from Him.

I want to share a little story with you. A Sunday School teacher was teaching her class about the Ten Commandments. After talking to them about honoring their mother and father, she asked if there was a Commandment teaching us how to treat our brothers and sisters. Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill". [giggle] This brings us to our 6th Commandment:

#6 Do Not Kill
God gave us life and we should treat our lives, and the lives of others, with care and respect.

What about killing other than life, what about killing a person on the inside? When we cut someone down, or keep nagging at them or showing disrespect, we're slowly killing that persons self esteem. No matter what a person lets be seen on the outside, we all know someones words can cut like a knife on the inside. We never know what is going on inside another person and one unkind word from you might be all it takes to push them over the edge.

Gossip falls under this Commandment.

The Big Ten

I will be doing a Wednesday series on The Ten Commandments, or as I like to call them, The Big Ten. I hope you enjoy.

When I was growing up, my folks had tons of rules, and most of them didn't make sense to me.

"Stop and look both ways before crossing the road."
My friends were on the other side having run..like I had time to stop and look BOTH ways. Besides, we live in Podunk, it's not like a lot of cars are on our street.

"Eat everything on your plate."
Even the the carrots? Are you serious??

"Make your bed."
I'm just going to mess it up again.

"Clean your room, don't smoke, be home by curfew..."

At the time, I didn't see a need for their rules other then they were a pain in my rear. Now that I'm older, I see they were there to keep me safe, healthy and learning to be responsible.

Just about anywhere we go in life, there's gonna be rules: home, work, school, even in play. Anyone play basketball? You have rules. Same with soccer, baseball, NASCAR and even Go Fish. I take care of children and we're pretty big into Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. Even my little 3 and 4 year olds understand there are rules.

The Sky is blue, the grass is green and rules exist. It's just a part of life.

What I'm going to tell you about The Big Ten isn't exactly word for word what the bible says. I'm going to tell it a little more simple, but hopefully it will be easier to remember.

The Big Ten

1. There is one God
2. No false idols
3. Watch your words
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor your mom and dad
6. Don't kill
7. Don't commit adultery
8. Don't steal
9. Don't talk about others
10. Don't get the 'gimmies'

Next Wednesday I will start discussing these more in depth with you. I hope you are able to stop by and join me on this journey.

Good Friday

It's Maundy Thursday!

Today is Maundy Thursday. I am looking forward to going to church this evening and taking part in Communion. It's a sacrament I always enjoy, but Maundy Thursday and Easter Communion seem to hold a special place in my heart. Here is the link to my Maundy Thursday post from last year.

Beginning of Holy Week

Today, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, a most important time for Christians.

This week, I will be linking back to my Holy Week posts from last year. If you were a reader last year, it's always good to have a reminder. If you are a newer reader, I hope you will enjoy.

Palm Sunday

A long, cool drink

Jesus cried out, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'"
John 7:37-38

Each year the local FFA grows plants and flowers to be sold in the spring. I look forward to the plant sale as soon as it starts getting a bit warmer out. Each year I go way over-board, coming home with my trunk stuffed full of my purchases. Before long, planters are placed around the patio and yard filled with their beautiful flowers. I take the time to water and care for them daily. It brings me joy to simply walk around the yard and look.

Then I get distracted.

Before long, my beautiful flowers are dry and droopy. I run for the hose to provide them with a much needed long drink, hoping they will be able to revive.

We need the water of God's Word as much as my flowers need the water of my hose. When I get distracted by life and neglect my time in prayer and with my Bible, I get dry and droopy. The great thing is, by believing in Christ, I can tap into an endless supply of life giving water. When I stay in the Word, I feel stronger, able to survive the day.

My question to you: Have you turned to Christ lately for a cool drink of the water of life?

Do you Ash Wednesday?

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Today, Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent.


For many Christians, now is the time of fasting and repentance. The time to let go of bad actions and concentrate on becoming better. The time to 'give up' something that is difficult to go without (think chocolate, coffee, internet...). During times of cravings of the given up something, remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. In comparison to that, [insert your given up something] doesn't seem like such a difficult thing to go without for 40 days (plus Sundays).

Lent is also a great opportunity to spend more time in God's Word. Spend time in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...first four books of the New Testament) and learn how Jesus lived His life. How did he deal with conflict, with demands on his time, with haters? Is it possible to learn to live a better life by reading about His? I do believe so.

You don't need to be affiliated with a church/denomination to practice Lent. It's a personal journey.

Fat Tuesday: how will you observe the day?

Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is being celebrated around the world today as Lent draws near. This holiday, however, has two very different observances leading up to Ash Wednesday. While many enjoy Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, as a time of indulgence and possible gluttony, others spend the day in prayer, preparing their hearts and minds for the upcoming period of Lent. But where did this holiday get its start, and why are there such different means of observing the day?

Mardi Gras marks the period of time between Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus as God's son, and Ash Wednesday. Many use the final three days as a time of pure indulgence and celebration before Lent. Celebrations throughout the world include parades, sporting competitions and dancing. One of the most well-known parades, at least in the United States, takes place in New Orleans.

According to the American Catholic website, "Mardi Gras, literally 'Fat Tuesday,' has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the 'last hurrah' before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday."

Some, however, take a more solemn approach to Tuesday and spend the day in prayer. Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which means, "to confess." People in primarily English-speaking countries often pray and confess their sins as a way to prepare for Lent.

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Tuesday, as they are made of simple ingredients most already have in their homes. In fact, pancakes have become so popular for the day that there are pancake races held in Buckinghamshire. Kansas and Buckinghamshire have held International Pancake Day races as part of a tradition dating back to 1950.

Tomorrow's observance of Ash Wednesday will lead Christians and believers into the period of Lent, which is a time of fasting and giving up as a reminder of the time Christ spent in the desert. But the question remains: How will you observe today? Will you spend it celebrating and indulging? Will you spend the day in prayer and confession? Or will you work to combine the two?

[copied from World]

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Dear Jesus!
Happy Birthday to you!

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What season is this?

"Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la"

Turn on the TV and there are Christmas movies and commercials all over the place.

Drive around town and houses are all decorated up with lights and such.

Children are having Christmas parities at school.

Santa Clause has been making appearances at Malls and stores.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all into Santa and decorations and watching the grandkids open their gifts on Christmas morning. I only wish there was a little less emphasis on Santa and the commercialization and a little more on it being Jesus' birthday. More on the season of Advent leading up to Christmas morning.

For many people, by the time Christmas finally gets here, they are so ready for it to be over. I guess that is what happens when Christmas starts being forced on us in October!

If more attention was paid to Advent and Jesus, I don't think this would happen. The weeks of Advent are as follows:

Hope
Love
Joy
Peace

Hope for good things to come
Love for what we have
Joy at good things delivered
Peace in our hearts

How is it possible to ever get tired of this? By celebrating Advent, and not just Santa, we are filling our minds, and hearts, and lives with the goodness of Jesus...and that is way better than movies, and decorations, and presents any day!

Faith like Job

I was thinking today about Job's wife and her reaction as Job went through his own personal hell.

Job was a wealthy man with several children. His love for the Lord was great. That old stinker satan told God he could break Job. God had lots of faith in Job and let that old stinker try. Job lost his children, his servants and his livestock. He had boils festering all over his body. Life in general was not a bed of roses for Job at this point.

Job still loved God.

Enter Job's wife. She did not have the same faith as her husband. She said to him, "Why don't you just curse God and die?"

Job still loved God.

How many times have we gone through rough stuff and wonder why God is letting this happen? Did you ever think maybe God is letting that old stinker satan try his best because God has so much faith in you?

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Definate God Moment

Have you ever experianced a moment you just know is from God? I had one of those last night and was it ever awesome! I was driving out of town, in a hurry of course, and was stuck behind a pickup going below the speed limit. As I put my hand on the turn signal, I had a vision of running into a deer...I took my hand off the turn signal and right then a deer ran out in front of the pickup!

Boy, did I ever let out a big "Thank you" to God. I then had to call my friend Alicia and tell her about my God Moment 'cause it was way too awesome to keep to myself!

All Saints Day

Church yesterday morning was a very moving service. All Saints Day always is. The names of loved ones who have passed in the last year are read one at a time while someone comes forward and lights a pillar candle for them. Yesterday morning, 17 names were read. After this, the entire congregation is invited forward to light a tea light in memory of any loved one who has passed. Watching this service is moving enough, but to actually take part in it, well, let's just say I don't think there were any dry eyes in the whole place.

If you are ever able to witness this service, I urge you to do so.

Psalms 25:15-18

"I look to the Lord for help at all times, and He rescues me from danger. Turn to me, Lord, and be merciful to me, because I am lonely and weak. Relieve me of my worries and save me from all my troubles. Consider my distress and suffering and forgive all my sins."

Forgiveness

I don't want to forgive them! They hurt me, took something of mine, talked about me, snubbed me...I don't want to forgive!!!

Ever feel like this? Like you have been wronged? Ever want to burn a hole in someones forehead with your laser-beam eye? Yeah, I think we've all been there. It's normal to feel anger when we have been hurt. Guess what, we're supposed to let it go! Are you believing this?? Someone hurts us and we're supposed to let it go!! Who came up with that rule? {pause for reflection} Oh yeah, the Bible says it. That Bible sure can make life difficult sometimes.

Forgiveness is an area I've been in struggle with lately. I try to practise it. I think I do ok with it...then something happens that brings the bad feelings back to the surface and it seems all the forgiveness I thought I did is gone. *sigh*

All I can do is pray for the Lord to help heal my hurt heart and feelings. Only He can do it. Trying to do it on my own isn't working. One of my favorite scriptures is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Why then do I feel the need to try and do things on my own?

I need to remember also that if I want the Lord to forgive MY wrongs, then I need to forgive those who have wronged me. Besides...unforgiveness and bitterness causes wrinkles!

Wednesday's Word

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15: 33

Wednesday's Word

I've been spending some time in Psalms this week. I look back over the years and wonder why I've waited so long to have an interest in this book of the Bible.

Those who know you, Lord, will trust you; you do not abandon anyone who comes to you. God remembers those who suffer; he does not forget their cry, and he punishes those who wrong them.
Psalms 9:10,12

I would also like to ask for prayer for a classmate of mine who was in a car accident this morning. Her name is Sherri.

Done for another year

Well my friends, VBS is over for another year. It exhausts me, yet brings me such joy at the same time. We had our program in church this morning and the children all did such a wonderful job...and they got me in trouble too!

I always do something silly if the children bring friends and reach a certain attendance number. This year I told them I would hula-hoop. My mom and I had a thing going all week with the kids that she was going to get mad at me if I hula'd in church...so of course when I was done this morning she came down the aisle and used my FULL name!! (You all know you are in real trouble when the full name gets used). She then scolded me and took me out of the sanctuary saying I had to go sit in the naughty chair...all this to the delight of the children! THEN the kids went and tattled on me when I got out of the chair! LOL Oh, it was such a great time!

We ended the week this evening with a pot-luck down at the park followed by ice cream sundaes. I know I've said it many times before, but you just can't beat small town living!