A few weeks ago some of you may have seen this attention-grabbing headline on the MSN homepage: The Bible Supports Gay Marriage. When I saw the title I was afraid to read on, but had to. Since then I have read on msn that there was a backlash and that the source who originally printed the article (Newsweek) received a fair amount of mail and criticism for printing such a thing. Here's the link to the article, if you haven't already seen it:
Our Mutual Joy - Cover Story: Gay Marriage
Oh there's a lot to say after reading something like that. But I am going to leave the arguements to the experts - there are many people out there much smarter and well-versed in Scripture than I am to be defending our Bible and the sanctity of marriage as the Bible would actually define it.
However, I will say this: This article did stir up a few emotions in me. First, I am angry. This is my Bible, and people are twisting and manipulating it in stark contrast to what Scripture actually indicates. This is an attack on my God and my Bible and I don't like it. My children will have to grow up in a world where this nonsense is taking over, and people are twisting the Bible to say what they want it to say so they can do what they want to do and have a "clear" conscience. And there are "Christians" out there who are going to jump on the bandwagon in the name of tolerance or ease and buy into this. They will read the article (or a million others out there just like it) and think "Yeah, ok. That makes sense. And it's certainly popular. I guess I can see it. I'll go with it." And that same Christian who thinks this will allow these negligent thought processes influence their political stance, their interpretation of the Bible in other realms, and even what is to be tolerated in the churches they attend. We are becoming lazy and complacent in our Christian standards and every time we do it becomes easier to do what feels ok rather than what Christ would desire.
I am also sad. It breaks my heart to see people turning their backs on God in this way. The person who wrote this article knows a fair amount about what is actually written in the Bible. Yet somehow she is seriously missing the point. And she's not alone. And, as I mentioned above, there are many people who call themselves Christians who go along with this twisted thought process and then somehow try to justify it with the Bible. Ouch. It makes me very sad to see how far our society has fallen, and I can't believe how fast it happens. And I am also sad for the many who blindly receive poor counsel, and buy into it, and make grave and sometimes fatal (literal and figurative) mistakes with their lives based on misinformation.
The God I know from reading the pages of the Bible does not like this. He will not approve or bless our society for embracing blasphemy to His name such as is written in the words of this article. Christian, my plea to you is this: Stand up for what you believe. And figure out what you believe from reading God's Word, not Newsweek. And be ready for a fight, because in this day and age, if you do those two things, you will be standing in the company of very few.
Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Current Events. Show all posts
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Well, Now What?
America has spoken, and we have elected a new President. Am I worried? When I rely on my human understanding of the situation, and what this could mean for our country's policies and rules on a moral level, the answer is definitely yes. Especially when you consider that he has so much support from congress - I think there is a historic number of liberals in Washington, starting in January. Yikes! But, God says that He knows what is going on. Isaiah 55:8-9 says "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." He has a plan, and trust me, I really don't see how He's going to pull this one off, but it's ok. I don't need to. He doesn't need my help. I did what I needed to do yesterday at the polls, and He knows my heart. For reasons only God probably understands at this time we as Christians don't seem to have much leverage in government these days (Democrats probably think they understand, but I find it very unlikely that they know God's reason for their having taken overwhelming control in Washington).
So, what now? That is definitely the question of the hour. I have a few points, but I certainly don't have all the answers:
1. Pray. America has never needed it more. Pray that our leaders' attention stays on things temporal and doesn't drift into the moral. Let them spend all our money if that's what they have to do (it hurts to say that). I am praying that their left-wing moral issues and agenda don't infiltrate our nation and take over. Abortion as a means of birth control, redefining marriage, you get the idea.
2. Get ready. We are in the end times. We all know it. The prophesies have been fulfilled. Jesus is coming back someday - and I am not kidding when I say that after last night, it looks like sooner rather than later.
3. Respect your President. Didn't vote for him/don't like him? Doesn't matter. He's your leader, whether you like it or not. And God demands that you give your respect to him. What does this mean when you disagree with what he's doing as leader? You may operate your voice in government as much as you are legally allowed, when done in respect. Call your representative. Write letters. Support good causes. You may not: talk bad or disrespectfully about President Obama. Attack him, or his family, on a personal level. The lines are blurry here. When necessary: attack the policies, not the people. Just remember: America voted, but ultimately God placed this man in the position of authority in our country. You have an amazing opportunity to be a witness to those around you when you deal God's way with (good, bad, other) authority in your life.
2 Timothy 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
There is a lot more here than meets the eye if you are reading the passage for the first time, but no matter what you can get the general idea that God demands respect from us for our earthly leaders.
4. Respect God more. We are to respect our human authority, but always over that is our respect for God. If our government tells us to do (or allows us to do) something that is in contrast to the Word of God, we are to obey God. There are more ways that this could be manifested than any of us can ever imagine. Be ready to take action. And know God's Word well enough that you have discernment when the time comes.
5. Be thankful. This is monumental in America's history. I personally am thrilled that he got elected for one reason: he's black. Let me explain. I didn't vote for him, and I would never let someone's skin color influence my vote. But, now that he's in office (or will be in a few months), I am thankful that America has risen above its racist roots. Even in southern states, which is a little more surprising based on history, Obama got a decent share of the vote. That is big news, and it is important. I believe God is color-blind (remember the song "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight?") and we are sending a powerful message to the rest of the world, and to those who are still racist in our own country, that we have moved past that. We are better than that. I am thankful. There is much, MUCH more to be thankful for than just the issue of race. When I try, I can think of lots of things. That's just the only one I'm going to talk about here.
What do you think? Have anything to add? This certainly isn't exhaustive, but it's a start. I value your opinion.
So, what now? That is definitely the question of the hour. I have a few points, but I certainly don't have all the answers:
1. Pray. America has never needed it more. Pray that our leaders' attention stays on things temporal and doesn't drift into the moral. Let them spend all our money if that's what they have to do (it hurts to say that). I am praying that their left-wing moral issues and agenda don't infiltrate our nation and take over. Abortion as a means of birth control, redefining marriage, you get the idea.
2. Get ready. We are in the end times. We all know it. The prophesies have been fulfilled. Jesus is coming back someday - and I am not kidding when I say that after last night, it looks like sooner rather than later.
3. Respect your President. Didn't vote for him/don't like him? Doesn't matter. He's your leader, whether you like it or not. And God demands that you give your respect to him. What does this mean when you disagree with what he's doing as leader? You may operate your voice in government as much as you are legally allowed, when done in respect. Call your representative. Write letters. Support good causes. You may not: talk bad or disrespectfully about President Obama. Attack him, or his family, on a personal level. The lines are blurry here. When necessary: attack the policies, not the people. Just remember: America voted, but ultimately God placed this man in the position of authority in our country. You have an amazing opportunity to be a witness to those around you when you deal God's way with (good, bad, other) authority in your life.
2 Timothy 2:13-17 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
There is a lot more here than meets the eye if you are reading the passage for the first time, but no matter what you can get the general idea that God demands respect from us for our earthly leaders.
4. Respect God more. We are to respect our human authority, but always over that is our respect for God. If our government tells us to do (or allows us to do) something that is in contrast to the Word of God, we are to obey God. There are more ways that this could be manifested than any of us can ever imagine. Be ready to take action. And know God's Word well enough that you have discernment when the time comes.
5. Be thankful. This is monumental in America's history. I personally am thrilled that he got elected for one reason: he's black. Let me explain. I didn't vote for him, and I would never let someone's skin color influence my vote. But, now that he's in office (or will be in a few months), I am thankful that America has risen above its racist roots. Even in southern states, which is a little more surprising based on history, Obama got a decent share of the vote. That is big news, and it is important. I believe God is color-blind (remember the song "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight?") and we are sending a powerful message to the rest of the world, and to those who are still racist in our own country, that we have moved past that. We are better than that. I am thankful. There is much, MUCH more to be thankful for than just the issue of race. When I try, I can think of lots of things. That's just the only one I'm going to talk about here.
What do you think? Have anything to add? This certainly isn't exhaustive, but it's a start. I value your opinion.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Vote!
Tomorrow is election day - if you don't know that then you've been living under a rock for a while now. And, you've heard people telling you to take advantage of your voice in this country. Here it comes from me:
Many, MANY people have sacrificed and given of their time, energy, talents and even lives that we all might live in a country that is free, and where we the people get to elect those who govern us. You owe it to all of them to use this gift they fought so hard for.
It is your responsibility - this is your country. Don't like the way it's going? I certainly don't. If you don't vote, you have no right to offer your opinion about this country's direction, ideals, etc.
We all know we should vote, but how do we choose who to vote for? I will not tell you who to vote for, but can I please ask, especially if you call yourself a Christian, to vote according to your faith, and not the reasons society and the news media would give you to try to scare you with. Yes, our economy is tanking. Yes, our country is in a mess. Yes, we're all falling on bad times. (An issue for another day, and one I probably won't ever cover here, is whether the news media is hyping all of that up for their own political agenda...).
Life in America has probably seen better days. I whole-heartedly believe, however, that the reason for that is that we as a country are turning our backs on God. We have kicked God out of nearly every aspect of our country - we are all (and by all, I certainly don't mean those of us who are fighting and praying against it, but rather, just the general trend of our country) doing all we can to make sure God is out of our country and our lives. We forget that the very premise and ideals this country was born on were those of Christian heritage and values. Our country was thriving and successful for many years - we're all still reaping the benefits of the success of our ancestors. But has God had enough of being kicked to the curb and forgotten? I should think so. He's not allowed in our schools, our government, and if some would have their way, he'd be off our money and out of our Pledge of Allegiance. Some would probably like Him to be kicked out of our churches. Welcome to China everyone.
So when you vote, consider this: How do you stand on abortion? What do you want to see happen with this country's definition of one man, one woman marriage? How would it make you feel to see illegal immigrants granted amnesty, or, how do you feel about children of illegals getting automatic citizenship just for being born here? How do you like the idea of paying more taxes so more people can sit at home on their hineys while you pay for their dinner (rent, gas, clothing, medical expenses, .....)? These are all, some much more important and grave than others, but they are all issues of how one values and respects human life. And they are all fundamentally Christian issues.
May I encourage you as a Christian: please vote your values this election. Our economy is bad, but that's just money. There are lives and families on the line here. And also, pray that this country might return to its Christian foundation and ideals. I know that one of the candidates catch phrases is "Change" - and I'm sure that's hardly the change he has in mind for our country. But I maintain that turning our country back into a Christian nation is the only change that's even worth fighting for and talking about.
And no matter what happens at the polls tomorrow, get ready to get on your knees and pray. No matter the political outcome, our country and our people need prayer more today than ever before. Pray for our Commander-in-Chief, no matter who he is or if you voted for him or not. Pray for our congress. Pray for those who write our laws. Pray for our local government. Pray for Bible-believing Christians representing us in our government. Pray for our Christian leaders. Pray for God's sovereign hand in the inner workings of every aspect of our government. We may not feel we have much of a voice in our country these days, but praise God, words directed toward Him are never wasted.
Many, MANY people have sacrificed and given of their time, energy, talents and even lives that we all might live in a country that is free, and where we the people get to elect those who govern us. You owe it to all of them to use this gift they fought so hard for.
It is your responsibility - this is your country. Don't like the way it's going? I certainly don't. If you don't vote, you have no right to offer your opinion about this country's direction, ideals, etc.
We all know we should vote, but how do we choose who to vote for? I will not tell you who to vote for, but can I please ask, especially if you call yourself a Christian, to vote according to your faith, and not the reasons society and the news media would give you to try to scare you with. Yes, our economy is tanking. Yes, our country is in a mess. Yes, we're all falling on bad times. (An issue for another day, and one I probably won't ever cover here, is whether the news media is hyping all of that up for their own political agenda...).
Life in America has probably seen better days. I whole-heartedly believe, however, that the reason for that is that we as a country are turning our backs on God. We have kicked God out of nearly every aspect of our country - we are all (and by all, I certainly don't mean those of us who are fighting and praying against it, but rather, just the general trend of our country) doing all we can to make sure God is out of our country and our lives. We forget that the very premise and ideals this country was born on were those of Christian heritage and values. Our country was thriving and successful for many years - we're all still reaping the benefits of the success of our ancestors. But has God had enough of being kicked to the curb and forgotten? I should think so. He's not allowed in our schools, our government, and if some would have their way, he'd be off our money and out of our Pledge of Allegiance. Some would probably like Him to be kicked out of our churches. Welcome to China everyone.
So when you vote, consider this: How do you stand on abortion? What do you want to see happen with this country's definition of one man, one woman marriage? How would it make you feel to see illegal immigrants granted amnesty, or, how do you feel about children of illegals getting automatic citizenship just for being born here? How do you like the idea of paying more taxes so more people can sit at home on their hineys while you pay for their dinner (rent, gas, clothing, medical expenses, .....)? These are all, some much more important and grave than others, but they are all issues of how one values and respects human life. And they are all fundamentally Christian issues.
May I encourage you as a Christian: please vote your values this election. Our economy is bad, but that's just money. There are lives and families on the line here. And also, pray that this country might return to its Christian foundation and ideals. I know that one of the candidates catch phrases is "Change" - and I'm sure that's hardly the change he has in mind for our country. But I maintain that turning our country back into a Christian nation is the only change that's even worth fighting for and talking about.
And no matter what happens at the polls tomorrow, get ready to get on your knees and pray. No matter the political outcome, our country and our people need prayer more today than ever before. Pray for our Commander-in-Chief, no matter who he is or if you voted for him or not. Pray for our congress. Pray for those who write our laws. Pray for our local government. Pray for Bible-believing Christians representing us in our government. Pray for our Christian leaders. Pray for God's sovereign hand in the inner workings of every aspect of our government. We may not feel we have much of a voice in our country these days, but praise God, words directed toward Him are never wasted.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The End of the Flood (for us)
Well, Narasimha did end up staying at work on Friday night. He worked for a few hours on Saturday morning, and by the time he was done, the road was open. He got home right as I was leaving for the baby shower. We made it to our wedding that night.
The water around here has been receding ever since, and moving on downstream, where I hear in southern Iowa they are now getting the brunt of our water.
I don't think anyone in our town sustained massive damage - lots of wet basements but no large-scale destruction. If you have seen the news at all, it is pretty devastating to look at pics from parts of Des Moines, lots of Cedar Rapids, and a good chunk of Iowa City. Not to mention many many other small towns that didn't make the news with the spotlight hanging on those bigger cities, some of which are completely under water.
I am so sorry for those who lost "all" in the flood. My stupid leaky basement doesn't even come close. Yes, it has been annoying, but not life-altering, and I still have a place to sleep, all my personal belongings intact, water to drink, etc. There are many in Iowa (and surrounding states too) who won't be able to say that for a while.
The water around here has been receding ever since, and moving on downstream, where I hear in southern Iowa they are now getting the brunt of our water.
I don't think anyone in our town sustained massive damage - lots of wet basements but no large-scale destruction. If you have seen the news at all, it is pretty devastating to look at pics from parts of Des Moines, lots of Cedar Rapids, and a good chunk of Iowa City. Not to mention many many other small towns that didn't make the news with the spotlight hanging on those bigger cities, some of which are completely under water.
I am so sorry for those who lost "all" in the flood. My stupid leaky basement doesn't even come close. Yes, it has been annoying, but not life-altering, and I still have a place to sleep, all my personal belongings intact, water to drink, etc. There are many in Iowa (and surrounding states too) who won't be able to say that for a while.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Flood - Update
As I was writing my last post on Wed. evening, the rain was starting. It must have rained most of the night because on Thursday morning when we got up our basement was seriously soggy. It'll probably take us a week to get it all dry - I think this is the wettest we've had it. We use towels, our steam vacuum, a dehumidifier, fans, and lots and lots of time and effort. I will be jumping for joy when Lowe's calls to tell us that these window wells are in.
Thursday morning Narasimha didn't go into work because he thought the road might close. By noon it still hadn't, so he went for Thursday afternoon. All afternoon we were hearing that our road might close, and the water kept creeping up. He finally did make it home ok yesterday evening but he said the water was partially covering the road and people were just driving through it.
This morning he found out right before he left for work that the road was closed. He had to take an alternate route. Luckily a road that wasn't open on Monday night when he had to take that huge detour now is, so it took him less than an hour to get there (he was late). The bummer is that he is actually On Call this weekend, and has to be able to get to the hospital within about 20 mins of getting called, so unless that road opens up today he will have to sleep at the hospital tonight :(. I tried to go into town so I could have lunch with him, and the road was still closed, and actually more flooded than it was on Monday evening.
If you're following the news at all, they are saying that many big rivers in Iowa are at or above record flood levels, and have still not crested. They are also predicting more rain over the weekend I think. Many of Iowa's bigger cities are under water or close to it.
I have a baby shower and a wedding tomorrow - we'll see if I can make it.
Thursday morning Narasimha didn't go into work because he thought the road might close. By noon it still hadn't, so he went for Thursday afternoon. All afternoon we were hearing that our road might close, and the water kept creeping up. He finally did make it home ok yesterday evening but he said the water was partially covering the road and people were just driving through it.
This morning he found out right before he left for work that the road was closed. He had to take an alternate route. Luckily a road that wasn't open on Monday night when he had to take that huge detour now is, so it took him less than an hour to get there (he was late). The bummer is that he is actually On Call this weekend, and has to be able to get to the hospital within about 20 mins of getting called, so unless that road opens up today he will have to sleep at the hospital tonight :(. I tried to go into town so I could have lunch with him, and the road was still closed, and actually more flooded than it was on Monday evening.
If you're following the news at all, they are saying that many big rivers in Iowa are at or above record flood levels, and have still not crested. They are also predicting more rain over the weekend I think. Many of Iowa's bigger cities are under water or close to it.
I have a baby shower and a wedding tomorrow - we'll see if I can make it.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Flood!!!
We live in Iowa, and as you may have read or heard in the news lately, just about the whole state, and much of the Midwest, is dealing with a little (or a lot of) extra water right now.
Our basement has been flooding, but actually not as a result of all this recent flooding that has been going on. We found out that it always has, and that the guy who sold us the house basically lied and said that he fixed the problem, when really he didn't. He did do some work on the house to take care of the problem which he told us about during the sale, but we now know that he didn't find out what the actual problem was before he "fixed" it, so of course it didn't work. And, our neighbor across the street told us that he did know that it wasn't in fact taken care of, because he had problems with it even after the "fix." Basically, when the house was built, the builder didn't attach the basement windows correctly to the house, and seal them, so if water gets to that seam of foundation and window, it just comes right in. Add to that the fact that the window wells were also not made in a water-tight fashion, and basically any time it rains enough to saturate the ground around the window wells, we get water into the house around the windows, down behind the finished walls, and finally soaking up through the carpet/sheetrock. So we have been having water since about the thaw in March on and off, although obviously with all this rain it has been a lot worse lately. We have ordered new window wells, and when installed correctly with the seams filled in, we hope that the problem will be taken care of. We currently have a very classy-looking (kidding of course) tarp tent over the window that leaks the worst, which has actually helped a lot, while we wait for our ordered items.
But, back to the flooding. During the last week our area has had a LOT of rain. Several inches, sometimes in a few hours. Day after day after day it seems like. So on Sunday we were at church, and a guy there said that during the flood of '93 one road managed to always stay open, even in the worst of it, and that road happens to be the road we take into town when we go. Then it rained a lot on Sunday and again on Monday. We live about 5 miles/8 minutes from Narasimha's office. He tried to come home after work on Monday, and our "sure thing" route was flooded over. Yikes. So basically, he had to go way over west and up north and around, and 80 miles and over 2 hours on mostly soggy gravel roads later, he was finally home. We live just a few miles north of M-town, and between our house and town is a river, and a lot of low-lying ground. And, only a few roads that go into town. So we got blocked off. Our road was still closed Tuesday morning, so he didn't even try to go into work. He didn't think he'd be able to go today, but they opened the road right before 8:00 AM, so he headed in. It rained a fair amount today around here, but the road managed to stay clear. Now we are projected to get more rain tonight and tomorrow so he has said he won't go in tomorrow morning, and we'll see where we are by tomorrow afternoon. The problem isn't always just getting in - you have to have some way to get back home too.
So, that's our flood experience so far. We wouldn't have water in the basement if things had been done correctly, so hopefully in a few weeks when our special-order window wells come in we can put this problem behind us once and for all. People have asked if we have a sump pump - we do and it works just fine - it's below our bedroom and I have been hearing it go off regularly. The water doesn't even get close to the top of the pit.
Thanks for those who have asked how we're holding up in our saturated corner. We're still here and still afloat and probably at this point doing better than many who have more water in their basements than we do :) And, Narasimha can't complain - he's gotten a little extra time off work ;)
Our basement has been flooding, but actually not as a result of all this recent flooding that has been going on. We found out that it always has, and that the guy who sold us the house basically lied and said that he fixed the problem, when really he didn't. He did do some work on the house to take care of the problem which he told us about during the sale, but we now know that he didn't find out what the actual problem was before he "fixed" it, so of course it didn't work. And, our neighbor across the street told us that he did know that it wasn't in fact taken care of, because he had problems with it even after the "fix." Basically, when the house was built, the builder didn't attach the basement windows correctly to the house, and seal them, so if water gets to that seam of foundation and window, it just comes right in. Add to that the fact that the window wells were also not made in a water-tight fashion, and basically any time it rains enough to saturate the ground around the window wells, we get water into the house around the windows, down behind the finished walls, and finally soaking up through the carpet/sheetrock. So we have been having water since about the thaw in March on and off, although obviously with all this rain it has been a lot worse lately. We have ordered new window wells, and when installed correctly with the seams filled in, we hope that the problem will be taken care of. We currently have a very classy-looking (kidding of course) tarp tent over the window that leaks the worst, which has actually helped a lot, while we wait for our ordered items.
But, back to the flooding. During the last week our area has had a LOT of rain. Several inches, sometimes in a few hours. Day after day after day it seems like. So on Sunday we were at church, and a guy there said that during the flood of '93 one road managed to always stay open, even in the worst of it, and that road happens to be the road we take into town when we go. Then it rained a lot on Sunday and again on Monday. We live about 5 miles/8 minutes from Narasimha's office. He tried to come home after work on Monday, and our "sure thing" route was flooded over. Yikes. So basically, he had to go way over west and up north and around, and 80 miles and over 2 hours on mostly soggy gravel roads later, he was finally home. We live just a few miles north of M-town, and between our house and town is a river, and a lot of low-lying ground. And, only a few roads that go into town. So we got blocked off. Our road was still closed Tuesday morning, so he didn't even try to go into work. He didn't think he'd be able to go today, but they opened the road right before 8:00 AM, so he headed in. It rained a fair amount today around here, but the road managed to stay clear. Now we are projected to get more rain tonight and tomorrow so he has said he won't go in tomorrow morning, and we'll see where we are by tomorrow afternoon. The problem isn't always just getting in - you have to have some way to get back home too.
So, that's our flood experience so far. We wouldn't have water in the basement if things had been done correctly, so hopefully in a few weeks when our special-order window wells come in we can put this problem behind us once and for all. People have asked if we have a sump pump - we do and it works just fine - it's below our bedroom and I have been hearing it go off regularly. The water doesn't even get close to the top of the pit.
Thanks for those who have asked how we're holding up in our saturated corner. We're still here and still afloat and probably at this point doing better than many who have more water in their basements than we do :) And, Narasimha can't complain - he's gotten a little extra time off work ;)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
It's Over (FINALLY)!
I just read that Obama finally received the Democratic nomination. I actually don't care who won, and I have nothing at all to do with the Democratic Party (or Republican Party for that matter - I'm "Independent"), but I am getting tired of hearing Obama and Clinton "sling mud" at each other all the time.
I think Obama is a pretty decent guy (not politically, I don't know what I think about that yet - just personally), and actually I much prefer him to the Clinton family drama. Now I will have to do my research by November.
Now I just hope that the race between McCain and Obama is clean - I think everyone gets tired of all the adds, etc. But it seems a lot easier to take when they just talk about their own positive attributes instead of relentlessly bashing the other guy all the time. Keep it clean people, keep it clean.
I think Obama is a pretty decent guy (not politically, I don't know what I think about that yet - just personally), and actually I much prefer him to the Clinton family drama. Now I will have to do my research by November.
Now I just hope that the race between McCain and Obama is clean - I think everyone gets tired of all the adds, etc. But it seems a lot easier to take when they just talk about their own positive attributes instead of relentlessly bashing the other guy all the time. Keep it clean people, keep it clean.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
It Can't Get Any Worse But It Does
I recently happened upon an article on CNN.com about the sexual abuse of children by aide workers in other countries. I am saddened and even sickened to read of these atrocities.
I wish I could say "I can't believe this is happening to these children who have already suffered so much" but the truth is, I can believe it. People, even those in positions of authority and/or assistance (or maybe more so in these positions), are sinful and prideful and wicked to the core. I am too, but with the help of Jesus Christ working in my life every day I strive to be different - be better.
Read this article if you think you can stomach it without your heart breaking (of course, maybe that's what we need to stand up against such things - knowledge and heartache and anger). And, say a prayer today for these hurting little people who seem to be taking attacks from every front - even the "safe" ones.
I wish I could say "I can't believe this is happening to these children who have already suffered so much" but the truth is, I can believe it. People, even those in positions of authority and/or assistance (or maybe more so in these positions), are sinful and prideful and wicked to the core. I am too, but with the help of Jesus Christ working in my life every day I strive to be different - be better.
Read this article if you think you can stomach it without your heart breaking (of course, maybe that's what we need to stand up against such things - knowledge and heartache and anger). And, say a prayer today for these hurting little people who seem to be taking attacks from every front - even the "safe" ones.
Friday, May 23, 2008
In Memory of Maria Sue Chapman
As you may have heard in the news, Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman's youngest daughter, 5-year-old Maria Sue (who was adopted from China) has been killed in an accident in the family's driveway near Nashville, TN. I can't imagine the pain the family must be feeling.
The Chapmans have established (before this tragedy occurred) an organization called Shaohannah's Hope which helps families fund adoptions, among other things. They are vocal advocates of adoption, and have adopted 3 girls from China (Maria and 2 older sisters), and before adopting they had 3 biological children.
They would like gifts in memory of Maria Sue to be directed to this charity (and can be in her name) to help other families around the country bring children into their homes who would otherwise grow up in orphanages.
If you are looking for a cause to support, certainly check out Shaohannah's Hope today.
The Chapmans have established (before this tragedy occurred) an organization called Shaohannah's Hope which helps families fund adoptions, among other things. They are vocal advocates of adoption, and have adopted 3 girls from China (Maria and 2 older sisters), and before adopting they had 3 biological children.
They would like gifts in memory of Maria Sue to be directed to this charity (and can be in her name) to help other families around the country bring children into their homes who would otherwise grow up in orphanages.
If you are looking for a cause to support, certainly check out Shaohannah's Hope today.
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