Landmark Ruling

I can see the headlines when election time rolls around.  Conservatives against the rights of women.  Hobby Lobby wins battle against paying for contraceptives.

REWIND..... Hobby Lobby did not oppose 16 of the 20 contraceptives the government was requiring them to offer its employees.  Hobby Lobby was opposed to paying for 4 of the contraceptives "...that may have the effect of preventing an already fertilized egg from developing..."   NOTE: already fertilized..... 

Hobby Lobby's owners are Christians.  They don't just preach it, they live it.  They aren't open on Sundays - a huge profit loss.  They generously support Christian ministries.  They believe in life after conception. 

This landmark ruling is, finally, one that is long overdue.  While religious tolerance is something that Americans preach, rarely is the Christian faith valued by non-believers. 

So everyone, the next time there is an election and you hear the rumblings of those who think the rights of women have diminished because of conservatives, remind those people of this, the rights of women are intact and will remain intact.  And now, the rights of Christians have finally scored a long overdue point.

Over the past couple of weeks children have been gathering up their Easter baskets eagerly racing eachother to hunt the biggest, most colorful plastic eggs they can find which are hiding in lawns and grassy fields.

The coveted plastic eggs come in a rainbow of colors filled with the sweet taste of jelly beans, miniature chocoloate eggs, marshmallow peeps and more.  On Easter, many children will wake up to a basket filled with chocolate bunnies, small toys and more jelly beans.  Spring has begun.

Most childrenn have no idea why Christians celebrate Easter.  They just know they get candy and other goodies.

But why do Christians celebrate Easter?  I celebrate the risen life of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Let your kids have fun this Easter, but remember to tell them why we celebrate.  Who we celebrate.  Because it is through His mercy that we new life.


1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

What Did Jesus Look Like?

Have you ever wondered what Jesus looked like when he walked on this earth? 
Photos of a handsome young man often hang on walls depicting the way the people invision Jesus in their minds.  But what did Jesus really look like? 

Some experts claim that Jesus was not a good looking man at all.  In fact, some claim he was just plain unattractive.  He was obviously poor growing up.   As a carpenter we know that on the outside he was not dressed in expensive clothing so he certainly didn't "cover" his appearance with riches.

When pondering the what does Jesus look like question, I came to the conclusion that if Jesus wasn't some handsome hunk that all the women drooled over, his story is all the more amazing!  Why?

Let me put it this way.  We adore outward beauty.  We trip over ourselves following people like Brad and Angelina or JLo.  Yet just how many people do we dribble over that aren't beautiful on the outside? 

Let's face it, if we didn't care how others look all the plastic surgeons and airbrushing artists in Hollywood would be out of business.  Right?  (And let's not forgot those Hollywood diets.)

Jesus drew huge crowds of people who followed him everywhere, he was loved for HIM not what he looked like.  Jesus has changed and continues to change the lives of everyone on earth who will listen and follow him.

I don't know what Jesus looked like (nor do I care).  If I had a picture of Jesus - exactly the way he was - I'd be blessed to hang it on my wall.   I believe with all my heart that Jesus was, and is, the most beautiful person who ever walked the face of this earth and I will follow him to the ends of it.

Psalm 95:6

When I was a little girl I loved going to church.  I was part of group of kids who would gather together singing God’s praises before heading off to Sunday School class.  After Sunday School I would head for the sanctuary to sit with all the grownups.  There I’d sit, the studios child, listening and trying to understand everything that the preacher said.  While I can’t remember any of the adult sermons, I do however,  remember getting up in front of the congregation, trying to fight the urge to fidget or stammer, so that I could recite Bible verses that I had put to memory.  I also remember singing in front of the congregation, though not by myself, but in a group. 

 

But the most profound thing that I remember is that we, the entire congregation, got down on our knees and bowed our heads in solemn prayer.  What I didn’t fully understand then, but understand now is that we were not just bowing our heads in prayer, but that we were humbling ourselves before our Lord and Savior. 

 

It kind of amazes me that the world will bow its heads for royalty, but not for God.  Since when is any man more deserving of our humility than our Heavenly Father?  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t show respect to others, what I’m saying is that we should all bow our heads in prayer to God.  He is our maker.  He is our Lord.  He is our Savior.

 

Psalm 95:6 – Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Just a Child

Traffic jams, long lines, credit card bills, no extra time. Warm cookies infiltrating cold arctic air, joyful singing, children laughing.  Teary eyes, cement filled hearts, weary parents, unhappy hearts.  Scotch tape zipping, paper crunching, squeals of excitement.  Happy and joyful, sad and sorrowful.  Laughing children filled with wonder.  Stressed adults.
 

No matter how you feel this Christmas, happy and joyful or sad and weary, know this…
 

Christmas is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  It is about a beautiful birth in the lowliest of places.  At a time when Mary surely felt teary with a heavy heart, she gave birth to God’s Son who brought with him sacrifice and everlasting love.  No lines, no bills, no cookies or paper, just a child who brought with him everything you will ever need.

What Would You Have.....

Someone asked me this question:  What would people have if they only had what they thanked God for every day?  Hmmm....that's a big question to ponder. 

Each and every day, I thank God for my family, my home, my job, my pets, my friends, the deer that eat the fruit from my trees - sometimes I think God must be tired of listening as I go on and on.

There are days when I go home exhausted from work and tell myself I really need a vacation.  But I am always thankful that I have a job that helps to pay the bills and that I have friendships with the people I see everyday at work. 

There are days when I wake up in the morning and look outside to see lousy weather, but I still remember to thank God that he sends us rain for the plants to grow, for the water to flow into my well, and down stream for the animals to drink. 

Recently, early in the morning before the sun came up, I was in a small accident where an animal ran out in front of my car, doing a lot of damage to my car.  My heart broke when the animal died.  The car needed a lot of repair - it was an inconvenience, but God left me unharmed, and I had another means of transportation while my car was being fixed.  So I thank God for the positive even though my heart is still broken over the loss of an animal. 

Twenty-five years ago my house was built.  If I could go back in time I would change a lot of things in my house.  But then there are days when I look at my house and all the memories of raising three children come flooding back and I am reminded that I don't live in a house, I live in a home.  A home that was built with love and filled with love.  Suddenly the closet sizes don't matter anymore. And I  thank God for those cherished memories and my "perfect" home.

So often I ffound myself asking God to give me strength to accomplish certain goals until one day I realized that I was wrong.  I didn't need strength - God had already given me strength.  I just needed to learn how to use it.  So now I thank God for the strength that he has given me.  It is my responsibility to use the strength he has given me in the way that He intends.

If God only gave you the things that you thank Him for everyday, what would you have? 

I have everything that I need and I thank God everyday for my everything. 

Awareness

Do you know that there are over 117 different colored Awareness Ribbons?  Some of these ribbons represent more than one cause or disease.  Common ribbons include pink for breast cancer, yellow for American troops, red for heart disease and so forth.   I’m sure that each and every one of us has either been directly or indirectly affected by one of the many causes or diseases represented by one of these ribbons.  Since some colors of the ribbons have more than one meaning, they are often personalized (printed) so that the casual observer knows what the ribbon represents.  But no matter the color, each ribbon represents someone who is either ill or has made some form of sacrifice for others.  They are a call for unity - to battle together - for the health and welfare of others.

 

While the ribbon is recognized for its many different meanings, there is one symbol that is known around the world that is not in the form of a ribbon.  Yet its meaning is powerful.   No matter the color or the material from which it is made, it has only one meaning.  Words are unnecessary.   This symbol represents the ultimate sacrifice.  The sacrifice that Christ made for you and for me.  The Cross.

No special color,
no special material,
no words,
just a Cross,
let the Cross be the symbol you humbly display