Standing up for your beliefs is part of your faith~

Do you feel strongly about something? Anything? Are you willing to stand up for your beliefs in a way that others can visibly see? I am and I'll tell you why. I believe in traditional marriage between one man and one woman, just like the Bible says. Genesis 2:24 says " That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." I guess I didn't realize how strongly I felt about that verse until it's existence was questioned in a very public way.

A few weeks ago, Dan Cathy, the CEO of the popular fast food chicken restaurant, Chick-Fill-A, made a honest statement on a Christian radio station, stating his beliefs about traditional marriage being between a man and a woman, the way it is ordained in the Bible (Genesis 2:24). Chick-Fill-A is a Christian company, which is actually closed on Sunday's against the advice of everyone in the industry. Truett Cathy, the founder of the restaurant chain, made that decision years ago when he opened his very first restaurant. They would be closed on Sunday to honor God and the Sabbath Day, even in the malls across the country. Not a popular decision, but I admire Mr. Cathy for standing up for his beliefs.

Dan Cathy, Truett's son, made his comment on the Christian radio show that he believed we are inviting God's wrath on our country if we say we know better than He what the idea of marriage should be. Then he said that he prayed for God's mercy on this generation and their arrogant attitude towards their Creator.

                                 This was a picture that was being shared on Facebook 
                                        for those in support of traditional marriage                                                                                  

Frankly, I couldn't agree with Mr. Cathy more. I am amazed that we are still holding together as a nation the way we have turned on back on God Almighty in the last 20-30 years; really in just one generation. I've heard many people question whether God may have allowed the attacks on 911 as a wake up call for our nation to turn from our sinfulness and turn back to Him. I've often wondered the same thing. Maybe the Lord is trying to get our attention. I've seen him do that in my life and in the life of friends and family members, why not as a nation?

Really, could we blame Him? We have turned our backs on our Creator in many ways; running Him out of our homes, our schools, the courts, and many public gathering across the country. God has been left behind.

Here is a link to the interview Dan Cathy gave, which in my opinion is totally innocent. He uttered no words of hate of any kind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIOOZBhH du4

This simple and non-controversial interview set off a firestorm across the country. The Jim Henson Company (aka "the muppets") pulled their contract with Chick-Fill-A for their kids meals saying they wanted nothing to do with them because they were discriminating against gay marriage. I didn't hear any mention of that in the interview, did you? The mayors of Boston and Chicago said they didn't want their franchise in their cities. What??Just because the man said he supported traditional marriage? Dan Cathy said nothing about gay marriage. He didn't utter one word of hate out of his mouth, yet the people on the left side of the issue jumped on him, BIG TIME.

                 One of the signs posted on Facebook in support of Dan Cathy and his statement.

I agree with Dan Cathy and I also pray humbly for God's mercy upon this generation and the next. I pray we will turn back to God and not away from Him.

On August 1, former Presidential Candidate and governor Mike Huckabee organized a Support Chick-Fill-A day across the country. He petitioned people through Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets to come out and support Dan Cathy and his first amendment rights by showing up at Chick-Fill-A on August 1 and purchasing something.

The response across the country was unbelievable. Over 1 million people came out in droves across the country, from near and far to say, we support you Dan Cathy and we agree with your right to say anything you want. Your right to free speech is what this country is all about. Here are some of the pics from the eventful day:

The message was loud and clear from the conservative right. We are tired of being pushed around and told what we can and cannot say and do. We believe in traditional marriage too and we support Dan Cathy's 1st amendment rights to free speech.

My husband and I went to our local Chick Fill A for breakfast before the crowds came and I'm really glad we did. We got right in and had the place to ourselves. From news reports around the country, it seems that many people stood in line or in their cars for hours on end to make a statement. There was no violence, just many, many Christians standing together in support of their strong beliefs. Yeah us, it's about time we stood in agreement behind a Godly man.

                        Here's a picture of Steve and I with our friends Kent and Stephanie Dash
                            and their sweet doggie in training King Arthur (Artie) at Chick-Fill-A
                 Steve and I have been happily married for 34 1/2 years and we're sticking with it!

There were some who were outraged by the outpouring of support for one man and his simple statement, but for me, it was a matter of principals. I believe that God ordained marriage between one man and one woman and that is it. I wanted to support Dan Cathy's right to make that statement in our free country without being threatened by people on the other side of the issue to pull their business.

Some said that us supporters of Cathy hate gay people. Not true, especially not for me. I have many gay friends. Do I believe they should have the right to get married? No, because I believe that "marriage" is something ordained by God and that is sacred between and man and a woman. I feel very strongly about this. If gay people want to live together that is their business, not mine, but when they want me to support their right to marry, I have to stand up for what I believe in.

When our President, Barack Obama, came out and said that as the leader of our country he endorsed gay marriage, I was appalled. I have disagreed with the President on many things, but generally, have believed that he was a man of high moral standards. Not anymore. I believe his statement in support of gay marriage was purely for political reasons and to try and solidify the gay vote in November. I pray that it backfires on him because I feel so strongly that he is going against the Word of God and we are indeed inviting God's wrath on our country.

This country was founded on Christian principles. John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence said this: "Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. ... Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us." 

Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the U.S. was bolder in his statements about the Almighty:

 "God who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event." 

I pray that the people in this country will wake up before it's too late. The conservative right was awake and made a positive statement on August 1. That statement was loud a clear FOR the Word of God. The election is only 85 days from now. When you go to the polls in a few months in November, I pray that you will have the courage to vote the Word of God. Not a particular candidate that you like because of what he says he will do for you, but for the ticket that stands most closely in alignment with the Bible before it's too late for any of us. 

My verse for today is above in red.

My prayer today:

Lord God Almighty:

Please forgive us for our sins. Forgive us for turning our backs on You and Your Word. I pray for each person reading this, Lord. I pray that they will have the courage to step out and vote the Word of God above anything else in November. I pray for our nation Lord, I pray for our people. Bring us back to you Lord. You are calling, help us to answer.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

For such a time as this.....

I was just listening to one of my favorite Wayne Watson song's "For such a Time as This."

 

It made me think about the losses in our world this year and my own life these past 6 months and the fact that we are all only here for a very specific time in space in this universe. In the last 6 months, I lost both my Mom and my Dad, and it's really made me think about the limited amount of time that any of us has. What we do with that time is totally up to us. So, I ask you---What are you doing with your time on earth? Have you found your real purpose??

We are all only here for such a very brief period, some shorter than others. Finding your true purpose can be hard and for some people, it's a never ending and non-achievable task. We're born,we live our lives, most of us have our children and then we die. That is the usual course that the majority of society takes. Traditionally, having your children as your legacy or the work we do while we're here are how people remember us. Don't get me wrong. Having a legacy with your children is a wonderful thing. but is that all there is? Some people focus their lives on their work, spending endless hours working to build a company or name brand, but to what end? Is that what life is all about? There's gotta be more, right?

Some folks spend their entire lives searching for their purpose in life. They search high and low looking for their inner peace trying to figure out what they are doing here in the first place. They're always chasing it, always looking, always searching, but it seems to elude them. 

                                Just like this hourglass, we all have a certain amount on time on earth~


What is life and why are we here anyway? That is life's big question after all, isn't it? Why are we here? Unfortunately, I think many will search and never find the answer to that question because they are looking in all the wrong places. There has to be a reason we were put on this earth to live out our days, but where do you find the answer to that elusive question? 

                                           Our Family is a wonderful legacy, but is that all there is?
                                                            Our son Eric's wedding 9/24/11


You can find that answer in the Word of God. Matthew 7:7-9 says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." If you want to find the answers to your questions about life, seek that One that Created it in the first place! 


I believe we were created for His pleasure. I believe that our purpose is to serve the Lord with all our heart and soul while we reside on this earth. I believe that our purpose is to spread the love of God to everyone we meet. To me, it's that simple. We were made by Him, for Him. All the rest just fades away. Our job is to walk obediently in His truth and love,and show others the way. God made this earth and everything in it. Psalm 24:1 tells us "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it." Once you accept that simple truth you are on your way! It all belongs to Him and we are just here the specific amount of time that He desires. Your time is limited, so better make the most of it.

                                                                 Pick up your Bible and Read - 
                                                       It has all the answers you are searching for~~


We all have spiritual gifts that the Lord gives us such as musical and artistic gifts, organizational and business sense, teaching, evangelism, the gift of being a servant and helping others, like being a doctor or a nurse, athletic gifts and a thousands different other ones. We all have certain talents that have been graciously bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father. Once you identify what your spiritual gift is, the best way to serve the Lord and spread His love is to use your spiritual gift doing just that. Take your passion for life and use it to further the Kingdom of God. That is the only thing that will bring you true happiness and peace.

So, I ask you again? What will you be remembered for? What will your impact be on the world or on the lives of others around you? Every single person has to start somewhere. As the generations pass from one to the other, and the older generation fades away, we find, we are all the ones left standing and carrying the ball, as they say. You can spend your life searching for your dream or purpose, or you can come home to the One who will fill that hole in your heart and help you find your place in this world.

I find that it's so true that the older you get, the more clearly you see things, and the more everything comes into focus. At least that has been the truth for me. The older I get, the more I realize that my purpose all along as been to serve the Lord without any doubt or shamefulness. In the early days of my life I ran from it, because I was too busy just having fun and doing things my way. I tried to go around it, but the Lord had His Hand on me and kept pulling me back. 


As my life has moved on, I'm beginning to realize that my true purpose is going to be about Him, not me. That's what I'm here for. I'm here to spread the Good News about Jesus and His love. It's clear as a bell to me now. It took me a while to realize it and accept it, but I now know what my purpose is and I have tremendous peace because of it.

          I love to post pictures like this on Facebook for the world to see!

                             
These days I spend much of my time spreading the love of God through the internet and Facebook specifically. Writing this blog, posting encouraging words, phrases and pictures to online friends and family I've met. It's amazing how much people are truly hurting. They are just looking for someone to reach out to them. The internet is a wonderful way to reach people who are shut ins and cannot even get out of their own home. You can touch their soul with a soft word, it is really amazing. I truly feel so blessed to be able to do that and to have the time to do that. I know that is a real blessing from the Lord and I take it as a real responsibility to help others learn about the Lord, and it is one that I don't take lightly.

Even though I've been living with MS for over 20 years now and have been out on disability for over 12 years, I count myself blessed beyond words. That might sound strange to some people, but even though I've been living with a chronic disease that has progressed over the years and debilitated me in many ways, I am still able to use my mind, and I plan on doing that as long as I have breath in me.

                                                 Me, Mom and Dad in summer 2009. I miss them so~


I sure do wish my Mom and Dad were here so I could sit down and talk to them about God and His faithfulness. I wish I had one more time to tell Pop how thankful I am that he taught me about Jesus and brought His love into my life. My Dad is the one that instilled my strong faith in God at an early age and my Mom reinforced it. They watched me blossom over the years, stretching my wings and relying more on the Lord than I ever thought possible. Especially when I got sick and they thought I had brain cancer. If I hadn't known the Lord during that time, I don't think I would have made it through. Jesus and His strength and love are what gave me the courage to face those terrifying days.

So, thanks Mom and Dad, I think I'm finally starting to get it. I've found my true purpose in life. I've finally figured it out. I realize that the Lord put me here for such a time as this and I will do His will until I draw my last breath.

My verses for today are above in red.

My prayer for today:

Dear Heavenly Father:

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness. Thank you that you give us the time and space to figure it all out while waiting patiently in the wings. Thank you for my Godly parents, who taught me about you at an early age. Help me Lord to continue to do Your work and help others to learn about you for my time on this earth.


In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen

When "life" lets you down, Jesus lifts you up!

When life and the people in your life let you down, Jesus lifts you up! Do you believe that is true? I do, with everything in me.

Events in your life and the people in your life will eventually disappoint you and probably more than once--there's just no avoiding it. We live in a fallen world. This world is being controlled by the evil one until Jesus returns. John 15:9 says "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." The Bible makes Satan's dominance of Earth very clear from these and other passages. Satan is the Prince of this World.-- make no mistake about it. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to be on the alert: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Ephesians 6:10-17 is one of the most famous Bible phrases of all time, about putting on the Armor of God to shield yourself from the dark forces in this world.

 Satan is real and he is the father of lies!

                                                            
" Finally,be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand, Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

                                        Shield yourself from Satan and his lies with the Armor of God!


So, what does that mean to you and me? If you are a Christian, Satan is not your Lord, however he is still out there and you have to guard your mind and heart against him and his evil ways.You need to put on the Armor of God to shield yourself from the evil one. Not always easy because he is right there all the time. He just loves to trip up believers and pull them away from their love of the Lord. He is the father of lies and he can be very crafty and talk you in to believing that your actions are of God, when they are NOT! 


If you don't know the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, it means you are especially vulnerable to Satan's trickery and lies. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says of unbelievers: "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." If you don't want to be blinded by Satan and his lies, surrender your life to Jesus, NOW.


If you're having a down time, like we all do and I did last week, don't turn to the world or it's evil ways to relieve your stress because it really won't help you. Drowning yourself in drugs and alcohol, or doing something silly like cheating on your spouse to hurt them because they've hurt you, or going on a big shopping spree that you can' t afford, or maybe having a pig out of ice cream or other things that you think will alleviate your pain, or lashing out at the person who hurt you in anger: none of these things are not going to do the trick to stop your real pain.


All of these are just quick fixes to make you feel better, and then what will you do? And the damage that you can do to yourself or the people you love can be hard to repair. You are still left with the same old problem staring you right in the face after your initial "quick fix."


Jesus is the ONLY answer to any of your problems. Jesus and His forgiving love are the only ways to fix anything that is broken in your life.  Jesus is truly that only One that can ever "lift you up!" Can't you see it? Can't you see that His love and His mercy and grace, which He so easily gives to those who repent and turn from the sin, are the only things that can save any situation you might find yourself in? He is there and He is ready to save you from your sin and the circumstances you are in!

                                            Jesus is already there                      

              and aware of what you are going thru~~

When things seem impossible to you, that is when God steps in and says "WAIT!" Matthew 29:26 says " Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Everything is possible with the one who holds the Universe in His hands.That little problem that is consuming your every thought is already thought of and settled in the Lord's mind.

Our job is to trust and obey. Every hurt, every disappointment He knows about and He can help you through it with His love and forgiveness. But, you have to be willing to put it in His hands and "lay it down at the foot of the Cross" knowing that He is in control of your life. That's often the hard part, because it's not easy for us to forgive people we believe did us wrong. But that is an absolute necessity if you want Jesus to lift you up! 

Matthew 18:21-22 reminds us how God wants us to forgive: "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Last week, someone "wronged me", by insinuating that I was a hypocrite. I was insulted and discouraged to say the least. I wrote a big long blog about how I had been wronged. As I've had time to think about it this week, I realize through prayer and the counsel of friends that I need to forgive that person. I realize that just because someone else thinks I may not be acting like a woman of God, doesn't mean a thing. I am strong in my love of the Lord, and I know that and so does Jesus, my Savior. Then this morning my devotional was about serving the Lord, and how our service should be about glorifying God and not about us. "Well put" I thought, forget about me and keep serving the Lord and that is exactly what I plan on doing, regardless of what one person or 100 people say about me. I felt like the Lord was talking right to me. My life and my service are about Jesus, not me! I am praying for the person that hurt me and will continue to do so.


I know I am spreading Jesus' love through my writing and glorifying God and that is all that should matter to me and I realize now that is all that does matter to me. Thanks for the wake up call from the Lord and from my friends. One last thought and one last verse from Matthew 5:11 about persecution for Jesus's sake: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Enough said. I will carry on in His Name until I draw my last breath.


My verses for today are above in red.


My prayer for today:


Dear Heavenly Father:


Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth this week Lord. I know that you suffered ridicule and persecution during your brief time on this earth. Help me to withstand the insults for your Names sake. Help me to always Glorify your Name in everything I do, everyday. This blog and my life are about you Jesus, not about me and I thank you that you are in me through your Holy Spirit and in my life everyday.


In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen and Amen