I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was three years old. I remember it vividly. My Aunt Char sat with me in my room and I went down and told my mom that Jesus was in my heart and asked if He was in hers. And then, at fifteen, I gave my heart to Jesus. I decided that I would live my life for Him - to the best of my ability. Now, with that said, I have messed up. I have taken detours and tried to slam the door on God so many times in the last 12 years but He always was there. As Christians, we are not perfect and that's why we need God. We strive to be like God in our thoughts and actions, but we fall short - constantly, and need his forgiveness and mercy consistently.
I am now a wife and a mother to 3 almost 4 children. I have never considered myself to be political or a fanatic. I love my husband, my children and I love my Lord - all of which seems pretty normal to me. Yet recently, it seems that everything in which I stand for is coming under attack from being a stay at home mom to believing that marriage is between a man and a woman, from believing that abortion is wrong and equates to murder to the fact that our founders created this nation on the principle that God was in everything INCLUDING government and government was in as little as possible - especially in matters that pertained to God. I feel I have been normal for too long now - I feel it is time for my voice to be heard.
About ten years ago I heard a story about a pilot who was flying a plane about the distance from Seattle to Spokane. They encountered some horrible turbulence and instructed the crew to take their seats and stop all service of drinks and food. Over the loud speaker he announced, "Due to turbulence and shortness of time, we cannot provide service as usual." I feel that we, more than any recent time in history, are on the same metaphorical plane ride.
I went to church yesterday where the pastor preached about the "real Jesus." He preached on how Jesus is Christ AND Lord. Jesus isn't just the Jesus who let the little children come to him, but He is also the Lord who will be our judge on Judgment day. He said you can't have all Christ and no Lord - that's not an option. You can't have all Lord and no Christ - that's not an option. You either take the whole thing or you don't have the real thing. And that leads me to my point of this rant...
If we call ourselves "Christians" then that means we should as well consider ourselves as "Christ followers" since that is the meaning of Christian. Every choice we make should come from the inner core of who we are as Christ followers. Our choices in how we handle our relationships to the choices we make politically. Our choices in how we raise our children to our choices in when we use our voice to make a difference.
I don't understand how one can call themselves a Christian and then vote completely out of their pocket book. What about the principles in which we claim to live by? For change? Let me address change. Our country changed dramatically when prayer was taken out of schools because only 3 percent of the voting population voted to remove it and 97 percent of the voting population was silent. Let's look at the last 50 plus years of change. How's that working for you? Change is not always a good thing. Sometimes, change can be horribly crippling. I just don't know how well we will fare as "Christians" when we vote for "change" that is outspokenly opposed to who God is and what God stands for.
I am not a domestic terrorist threat because I believe that abortion has meant the mass murder of millions and millions of innocent lives. I am not a security threat because I go to a peaceful demonstration to say that I don't think Government should be this completely out of control. I am not a hate monger because I believe that the institution of marriage is something sacred between a man and a woman. And I am not closed minded because I don't believe or stand for everything and anything that is immoral and against Who and what I believe in. I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus my Christ AND Lord.
Please consider this - Jesus died for us so that we might live. Jesus was tortured because He loved us. Jesus took the ultimate stand and did not cower so that we could be forgiven of our horrible and quite frankly offensive sins. And yet, so often, we as Christians can't even muster up the courage to say, "No, I don't think its right..." Remember who created you. Remember in whom you have grace. Remember who will give you real change, and change you can ACTUALLY believe in. Don't stand idly by while everything as Christ followers we should believe in is undermined and threatened.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Letter to non-pregnant people - (from BabyCenter.com)
Dear Non-Pregnant Person, I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass (including, “Did you plan this?”)
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.
4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance, and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking Nomeals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less. I hope this helps- it sure makes us feel better.
Signed, All Pregnant Women
1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass (including, “Did you plan this?”)
2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".
3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. The same goes for the name of the baby.
4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance, and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!".
6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.
7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
8) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking Nomeals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
9) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less. I hope this helps- it sure makes us feel better.
Signed, All Pregnant Women
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