Political Wisdom for All Parties

Don't pervert justice.
Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great.
Judge on the basis of what is right.
~ Leviticus 19:15

More than an abortion issue

Listen to this video with the thought of all issues these potential presidents will be facing.

"If they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." Barack Obama

Do you view having a baby as punishment? Ok, maybe sometimes it feels that way but praise God he has conceived this crazy idea of giving life so that every person can participate in His Divine Nature.

Now, let's consider say... a death of someone you love by a teenage drunk driver. The kid was just a teenager. He made a mistake. Let's not punish him for his mistake, let's just bury your loved one and act like it never happened. Oh, yes, he was underage but he was a teenage, it was a mistake. He didn't mean to get drunk. He knew it might be risky driving after being at that party. But he had to get home, he loved his parents.

Ok, foreign policy... the terrorist just have different beliefs than us. It's not their fault they were raised to believe killing thousands of people is what Allah wanted them to do.

Economy... the no money down loan was too good to pass up. The couple was trusting the loan company who said they could afford it. It's not the couple's fault. It's the loan company. The couple just made the mistake of not being realistic about what could happen when the rate went up. We can't hold them accountable. Can't blame the loan company either they were just trying to help the folks who couldn't afford to buy a house. Let's just bail everyone out with the funds of those who were wise enough to stay out of those types of transactions.

Education... so, they made the mistake of goofing off during school. Let's not punish them by withholding a high school degree.

You fill in the scenario for the issues important to you.

What character traits do you want leading our country?

I believe John McCain has the experience to get things done and the heart to seek the good for all people. He has chosen a running mate who agrees with his views and has the courage to push him in the right direction when his life in politics pushes him away from his views of doing what is right for all people.

Getting Political - Go Sarah!

I am not promoting Sarah Palin because she is a woman. I'm promoting Sarah Palin because I believe she is a leader who can take this country in the direction it needs to go.



Visit www.teamsarah.org. View the videos regarding who she is. Watch some truths that have come out because of "Joe the Plumber".

Also watch Janine Turner interview on Fox.

Brenda Salter McNeil

Powerful message by a dynamic woman.

By Him and For Him

       Rejoice.
Rejoice not so much in victories as in the fact that I am leading.
       Praise Me.
Not so much for My blessings as for My love that prompts them.
       Serve Me with gladness,
not for the ultimate nor present reward,
       but for the thrill of knowing that we labor together;
that I stand beside you in every enterprise, however trivial.

~ Frances J. Roberts Come Away My Beloved

This is where I’m trying to get to. In this thought is the "everything" that God asks of me. In this thought is the “nothing” that God requires of me for the thrill of participating with him.

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. 2 Peter 1:3 (The Message)

Financial Crisis?

Today's post is inspired by Julia Pickerill's blog, Adventures of the Pickerill Family.

Take a quick visit to this site http://www.globalrichlist.com/ plug in your income. If you're retired or unemployed, plug in what you are living on right now. Then ask yourself how bad off are you really.

You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both. ~ Matthew 6:24 (MSG)

The Master Plan of Evangelism

"Evangelism is not an optional accessory to our life. It is the heartbeat of all that we are called to be and do. ...With this purpose clearly in focus, everything which is done and said has glorious fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose...." ~ Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism

The Master Plan of Evangelism has been an interesting book. At first, I was skeptical because the author seems to say "Jesus came only to show his disciples how to evangelize. That's all there is to it and there is no other way of seeing it." I don't generally continue reading books written in that tone. However, the book was a class assignment. So I read on.

It took five chapters before I began to let down my guard and see that Coleman has some good points. Although I'm not convinced that his perspective of this being the only intention of Jesus, the concepts for growing others through mentoring relationships are appropriate whether you are training someone for ministry, marketplace, or your favorite hobby.

The difference is summed up in the above quote. For the Christ follower, passing along our experience is not an option.

The class facilitator offered this encouragement, we don't have to know a lot, we need only pass on what we do know. That knowledge comes from spending time in the presence of God. Passing it on happens by intentionally being involved in the life of the one(s) being "trained."

I would recommend this book for a leader who struggles with the important task of preparing someone to step into her role. Also for the Christ follower who needs guidance in the command of Christ to "go and make disciples." You can skip the three pages of "Words of Commendation", the "Forward," "Introduction," and "Preface." They seem to be a bit boastful which didn't help my skepticism.

The Good News of Jesus Christ

It’s heartbreaking that the Good News of Jesus Christ is so often reduced to answering a question about where we’d go if we died today. Our Lord was resurrected from the dead! He is about life, not death.

~ Colin J. Tuggle Living in His Grip

The above quote is taken from an article posted under Empowered Life Testimonies at the Vineyard Church of Columbus website . I encourage you to read it. If you don't have time for all of it, skim the entire article paying closer attention to page 5 "A Community Experience" and page 10 "Living in the Present Reality of God’s Kingdom."

If the links above don't work, copy and paste this URL into your browers address bar:
http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/resources/sermons/Living_in_His_Grip_the_Healing_of_Lisa_Tuggle.pdf

Prayer Request?

request |riˈkwest|(noun) an act of asking politely or formally for something

When you ask a friend for something, do you get upset or offended if they say “no”? My kids have heard me say many times, if you aren’t willing to accept a “no”, then you aren’t really asking, you’re demanding and that is disrespectful.

Maybe you are the type who has a hard time saying “no”. If so, you most likely have a hard time understanding why anyone else would say “no” to your request... including God.

Evelyn Christenson in What Happens When Women Pray offers this advice to those putting together prayer requests for a group, “When they ask you to pray that such and such will happen, tell them kindly, ‘We do not pray answers, we pray requests.’”

Somehow are western Christian culture has made prayer something like a government social services office. We think we have to fill out all the right forms for what we want then we just wait to see if it gets approved. If it doesn’t then we blame the system.

Our God is a caring Father. There are no forms, no please take a number, no red tape. Prayer is simply a conversation with a loving daddy who always wants what is absolutely best for us. And, contrary to the way some pray, he is able and willing to do far more than we can even ask or imagine because his ways are higher than our ways. He sees more than we see. He knows more than we know.

When my kids ask something of me, I want to give them what’s best for them. Sometimes I have a different perspective and can meet their needs and even their seemingly selfish desires in ways that they would never have thought of. This is much easier to do when they come to me with the desire of their heart and then allow me to share my heart for them regarding that desire. If they come to me demanding their request be met only as they see it, they are very likely to be disappointed.

Our requests to God offer the same opportunity. When you are making a request of God, remember that he sees the bigger picture. The boss that irritates you, the financial situation you are in, the illness you’ve struggled with for years, God is fully aware of all of it and he truly cares. He wants to share his heart on the subject.

Instead of offering God the solution to your problems, seek his heart. I guarantee you will find a peace that is beyond explanation when your prayers are focused more on his heart’s desire than yours.

Suffering with Christ

The values of the Prayer of Suffering are legion. To begin with, it saves us from a superficial triumphalism. Perhaps you have had the experience of hearing someone talk about faith and confidence and victory. In one sense all the words are right, and the stories certainly sound good, but somehow something does not ring quite true. The problem is that you are listening to someone who is living on the fluff side of faith, someone who has not been baptized into the sacrament of suffering. (Richard Foster, Prayer - Finding the Heart's True Home)

In his article, Rummaging for God (America, May 14, 1994) Dennis Hamm proposes a way of practicing St. Ignatius' Examen of Conscience which puts emphasis on feelings rather than our actions. This perspective leads the way to the Prayer of Suffering.

Hamm suggests that we pay attention to feelings that surface as we review the day in the Examen of Conscience. Then pray from one of those feelings - positive or negative. When we pray from our feelings, we will begin to better understand the suffering of Christ. 

Consider Christ's plea in the Garden the night before his crucifixion. As we look at the joy of God's provision we can begin to understand Christ's plea in the Garden to let the cup pass. Was that "cup" physical suffering or was it being separated from the presence of God? Either way, Jesus knew the pleasantness of the Father's love and he desired to obey regardless of the suffering for the glory of the Father.

In joy filled times or in the painful times, Jesus knew that the Father's plan was not just for him. Jesus knew that the Creator was in full control of his creation and therefore could be trusted with every detail. Faith? Confidence? Victory? Absolutely, but Jesus also knew that victory comes after a battle.

Our battles are not just about us and certainly not about us being comfortable. That would be as sensible as my kids getting hurt in the midst of fighting over a comfortable chair. The victory in our suffering is far greater than personal comfort.

Cry out to God from your feelings and you will discover an intimacy with God that will take you beyond the fluff of Christianity our western culture has so mistakenly presented to the world.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings. Philippians 3:10