I feel like I have been punched in the gut. Yesterday things were flying high and everything was going to be just fine. Today, things are still going to be just fine, but the evil one is crawling all over me trying to smother me. Do you ever feel like that? Like you are wrestling and you're just trying to stay inside the circle, but your opponent is overpowering you and you are about to lose?
Money. Isn't it the root of all evil? That idol is something that I struggle with. Wants and desires. It would be so great to get a __________ with this and that. Wow, wouldn't it be cool to have __________, then everything would be great! I would love to have _____________, it would make my life so much easier. Check out this _____________, if I had a ____________, then I could do __________. Fill in the blanks with anything you want. Everything fits into someones category.
I am an Alderman in our little town, which is basically a council person. We open all our town meetings with a prayer for God to come work through us to do what is best for our town. I think that is awesome. Right now, I am also on the "committee" for our neighborhood group who is working on a gas lease with a local company. We are dealing with HUGE amounts of potential money for close to 400 acres worth of land. I think that myself and one other person are the only Christians on this team. Not once did either of us offer to pray prior to beginning our meetings. God was totally left out of these decisions. Why? I thought about praying more than once. Maybe God even placed it on my heart more than once to say something. Would the other have declined? Probably not, so why didn't I do it. Greed. My eyes were dollar signs and all I could see what the potential for a lot of freaking money. James and I talked about all the good things we would do with it, but I never brought it to God. I knew that once we got that money, everything would be just fine. Now, don't worry, we didn't spend it. We knew there was a possibility that it wouldn't come, but I was sure that that it would.
So, I say all this to say, with the economic downfall, it is pretty much a certainty that the gas company will pull out of their negotiations. That monetary windfall, gone. Is it possible, that due to the fact that we were greedy and left Him out, we are reaping what we sowed? Yes. Is it possible that maybe this would have happened anyway? Yes.
I laid awake last night allowing Satan to take over my thoughts. Tell me how disappointed that God was in me for not standing up when I should have. God was probably disappointed, I am sure, but would He chastise me over it? I don't think so. Maybe this is an "Idol" check for me. I let money get the best of me and I need to remind myself to let God get the best of me and bless me from His side of the green pasture. Whether it be money or not. We are blessed to have EVERYTHING we could possibly need. If we don't get the big green, then so be it. We still have enough and that is fine with me. I am blessed beyond measure.
God, thank you for reminding me of that. Money will not define who I am or what I have. You, alone, will provide for us in ways that we can't even imagine, when we keep our eyes set on you. Thank you Lord, for being the everlasting provider.
Until we read again...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Interesting email on Obama
For those of you who know me, I am a pretty far right conservative. I can't understand, when I read what Obama is all about, how any Christian would be willing to sacrifice what God's values for the values of Obama? They aren't even close to lining up.
Here is an email I had forwarded to me that is biblically based and states where I stand pretty clearly. I checked out snopes and it is undecided yet who actually wrote it, but the words are very well written and I think should be read by everyone, Obama fan or not. After you read it, if you question the details, take the time to google them and see for yourself if the stated facts are true.
Be blessed, Until we read again...
(Sarah Palin for President 2012!) :-) wt
The following statements are from an email that I received and copied to my post.
Why I (A Black Man) Can't Vote For Obama
Huntley Brown - is a fabulous concert pianist, man of God and is a black man.
Why I Can't Vote For Obama
By Huntley Brown
Dear Friends,
A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama. I sent out an
email with a few points. With the election just around the corner Idecided
to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of
this before but it's worth repeating..
First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support.
Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments, but I need to explain
why I will not be voting for him.
Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness.
I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christfollower)
means He leads, I follow. I can't dictate the terms. He does because He is the leader.
I can't vote black because I am black, I have to vote Christian because
that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should any one from
the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I
won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew
Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets
abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research,
human cloning, to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.
We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the
color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don'tknow
Obama, so all I can go off is his voting record.
His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the
US Senate in 2007.
NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007(01/31/2008)
To beat Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes
some doing.
Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen
to America if he had four years to work with. There is a reason planned
parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual
community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro,
Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal
judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the
infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban
of same-sex marriage.
There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion.
There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito.
These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial
birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.
Lets take a look at the practice he wanted to continue.
The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedure
A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg withforceps.
(Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body,except for thehead.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are
then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted.
The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The deadbaby
is then removed.
God help him.
There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.
Think about this: you can't give a kid an aspirin without parental
notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental
notification. This is insane.
There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.
Obama tells us he has good judgment, but he sat under Jeremiah Wright's
teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?
Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple
is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 'Go and make
disciples of all nations.' This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to
think like you, walk like you, talk like you believe what you believe,etc.
The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?
Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets
that said they have a:
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills
available to the White Community .
5. Pledge to allocate regularly, a portion of personal resources for
strengthening and supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the
White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.
Would you support a President who went to a church like that?
Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets ofObama's
former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he
would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton
would have been marching outside.
This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20
years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be
about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the
whole world.
A church can't have a value system based on race. The church's value
system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if
it's a white church or a black church, it's still wrong. Anyone from
either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.
Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian
James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of
Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is
not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not
for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him."
Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?
So what does all this mean for the nation?
In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead
a nation it meant one thing - judgment.
Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.
First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly
and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Then God says 1 Samuel 1:18 "When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the
king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 But
the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king
over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a
king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' 21When
Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
22 The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'"
Here is what we know for sure.
God is not schizophrenic.
He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain.
As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so
obviously many people are not hearing from God. Maybe I am the one not
hearing, but I know God does not change, and Obama
contradicts many things I read in scripture, so I doubt it.
For all my friends who are voting for Obama, can you really look God in the
face and say, "Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though
I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion.
He might have to nominate three or four supreme court justices, and I am
sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are
against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights,
even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the
other way because of the economy."?
I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally, I
have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's
value system has to be placed on the nation,
1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation?
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?
Blessings,
Huntley Brown
Here is an email I had forwarded to me that is biblically based and states where I stand pretty clearly. I checked out snopes and it is undecided yet who actually wrote it, but the words are very well written and I think should be read by everyone, Obama fan or not. After you read it, if you question the details, take the time to google them and see for yourself if the stated facts are true.
Be blessed, Until we read again...
(Sarah Palin for President 2012!) :-) wt
The following statements are from an email that I received and copied to my post.
Why I (A Black Man) Can't Vote For Obama
Huntley Brown - is a fabulous concert pianist, man of God and is a black man.
Why I Can't Vote For Obama
By Huntley Brown
Dear Friends,
A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama. I sent out an
email with a few points. With the election just around the corner Idecided
to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of
this before but it's worth repeating..
First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support.
Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments, but I need to explain
why I will not be voting for him.
Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness.
I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christfollower)
means He leads, I follow. I can't dictate the terms. He does because He is the leader.
I can't vote black because I am black, I have to vote Christian because
that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should any one from
the other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I
won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew
Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets
abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research,
human cloning, to name a few, wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.
We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, don't judge someone by the
color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don'tknow
Obama, so all I can go off is his voting record.
His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the
US Senate in 2007.
NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama: Most Liberal Senator in 2007(01/31/2008)
To beat Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton as the most liberal senator, takes
some doing.
Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen
to America if he had four years to work with. There is a reason planned
parenthood gives him a 100% rating. There is a reason the homosexual
community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro,
Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal
judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the
infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted No on the constitutional ban
of same-sex marriage.
There is a reason he voted No on banning partial birth abortion.
There is a reason he voted No on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito.
These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial
birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.
Lets take a look at the practice he wanted to continue.
The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedure
A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg withforceps.
(Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body,except for thehead.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are
then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted.
The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The deadbaby
is then removed.
God help him.
There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.
Think about this: you can't give a kid an aspirin without parental
notification but that same kid can have an abortion without parental
notification. This is insane.
There is a reason he went to Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years.
Obama tells us he has good judgment, but he sat under Jeremiah Wright's
teaching for 20 years. Now he is condemning Wright's sermons. I wonder why now?
Obama said Jeremiah Wright led him to the Lord and discipled him. A disciple
is one in training. Jesus told us in Matthew 28:19 - 20 'Go and make
disciples of all nations.' This means reproduce yourself. Teach people to
think like you, walk like you, talk like you believe what you believe,etc.
The question I have is what did Jeremiah Wright teach him?
Would you support a White President who went to a church which has tenets
that said they have a:
1. Commitment to the White Community
2. Commitment to the White Family
3. Adherence to the White Work Ethic
4. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills
available to the White Community .
5. Pledge to allocate regularly, a portion of personal resources for
strengthening and supporting White Institutions
6. Pledge allegiance to all White leadership who espouse and embrace the
White Value System
7. Personal commitment to embracement of the White Value System.
Would you support a President who went to a church like that?
Just change the word from white to black and you have the tenets ofObama's
former church. If President Bush was a member of a church like this, he
would be called a racist. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton
would have been marching outside.
This kind of church is a racist church. Obama did not wake up after 20
years and just discovered he went to a racist church. The church can't be
about race. Jesus did not come for any particular race. He came for the
whole world.
A church can't have a value system based on race. The church's value
system has to be based on biblical mandate. It does not matter if
it's a white church or a black church, it's still wrong. Anyone from
either race that attends a church like this would never get my vote.
Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is a disciple of liberal theologian
James Cone, author of the 1970 book A Black Theology of
Liberation. Cone once wrote: "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is
not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not
for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him."
Cone is the man Obama's mentor looks up to. Does Obama believe this?
So what does all this mean for the nation?
In the past when the Lord brought someone with the beliefs of Obama to lead
a nation it meant one thing - judgment.
Read 1 Samuel 8 when Israel asked for a king.
First God says in 1 Samuel 1:9 "Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly
and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do."
Then God says 1 Samuel 1:18 "When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the
king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 But
the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king
over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a
king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' 21When
Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
22 The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'"
Here is what we know for sure.
God is not schizophrenic.
He would not tell one person to vote for Obama and one to vote for McCain.
As the scripture says, a city divided against itself cannot stand, so
obviously many people are not hearing from God. Maybe I am the one not
hearing, but I know God does not change, and Obama
contradicts many things I read in scripture, so I doubt it.
For all my friends who are voting for Obama, can you really look God in the
face and say, "Father based on your word, I am voting for Obama even though
I know he will continue the genocidal practice of partial birth abortion.
He might have to nominate three or four supreme court justices, and I am
sure he will be nominating liberal judges who will be making laws that are
against you. I also know he will continue to push for homosexual rights,
even though you destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for this. I know I can look the
other way because of the economy."?
I could not see Jesus agreeing with many of Obama's positions. Finally, I
have two questions for all my liberal friends. Since we know someone's
value system has to be placed on the nation,
1. Whose value system should be placed on the nation?
2. Who should determine that this is the right value system for the nation?
Blessings,
Huntley Brown
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me!
Ok, so most of you know about my running and getting into shape for the body abusing Mud Run, (which is on November 8th by the way.) Well, my goal right now has been to run 3 miles. At the beginning of September, when Jessi started school, I picked up where I left off at the end of May. I could run 1 mile straight, then run/walk the other 2 miles. As of last week, I am up to 2 miles running then walking the last one mile. Yeah! I thought that I might be able to run 2.5 miles yesterday, but I was sadly disappointed, sort of.
I started my run like I normally do, getting my breathing in rhythm with my feet hitting the ground. When I hit one mile, (13 minutes) I was starting to feel not so good, I started thinking that maybe I wasn't going to make it today, my chest started to burn while I was breathing, my legs were not so good and my head started spinning. When I hit a mile and a quarter, I knew I wasn't going to make 2.5 miles and decided that I had to make at least 2 miles, since that is what I did last week. I started nearing the 1.5 miles and realized that I didn't know if I could even make that. Something wasn't right, but I didn't want to give up and disappoint myself or anyone else...(not that anyone else even cared except maybe James.) As I crossed the 1.5 mark, still running, I couldn't stop. I wanted to, but I couldn't. All of a sudden, I started to cry. I wanted to stop so bad, but I couldn't. I knew I was going to have to find a way to get to 2 miles. Then it hit me. I couldn't stop because I didn't want to let God down. I shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, just Him. So, with tears streaming down my face, I ran on. I pictured the Holy of Holies standing at the 2 mile marker waving His arms at me, "C'mon Wendy, you can do it! I know you can!". I chanted in my head, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Over and over in my head and you know what? I ran that last half mile and I finished that mile in 12 minutes! I had tears coming down my face from whatever was happening in my body and I finished it.
I hope that my story inspires you to keep going even when it hurts and you don't don't think you can. That is when God steps in and provides His strength to pull you through to the finish line. You won't need any other cheerleaders, but one.
ps- I will try to do better at updating my blog...I didn't realize so many folks like to read what I have to say! :-)
Until we read again!
I started my run like I normally do, getting my breathing in rhythm with my feet hitting the ground. When I hit one mile, (13 minutes) I was starting to feel not so good, I started thinking that maybe I wasn't going to make it today, my chest started to burn while I was breathing, my legs were not so good and my head started spinning. When I hit a mile and a quarter, I knew I wasn't going to make 2.5 miles and decided that I had to make at least 2 miles, since that is what I did last week. I started nearing the 1.5 miles and realized that I didn't know if I could even make that. Something wasn't right, but I didn't want to give up and disappoint myself or anyone else...(not that anyone else even cared except maybe James.) As I crossed the 1.5 mark, still running, I couldn't stop. I wanted to, but I couldn't. All of a sudden, I started to cry. I wanted to stop so bad, but I couldn't. I knew I was going to have to find a way to get to 2 miles. Then it hit me. I couldn't stop because I didn't want to let God down. I shouldn't care what anyone else thinks, just Him. So, with tears streaming down my face, I ran on. I pictured the Holy of Holies standing at the 2 mile marker waving His arms at me, "C'mon Wendy, you can do it! I know you can!". I chanted in my head, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Over and over in my head and you know what? I ran that last half mile and I finished that mile in 12 minutes! I had tears coming down my face from whatever was happening in my body and I finished it.
I hope that my story inspires you to keep going even when it hurts and you don't don't think you can. That is when God steps in and provides His strength to pull you through to the finish line. You won't need any other cheerleaders, but one.
ps- I will try to do better at updating my blog...I didn't realize so many folks like to read what I have to say! :-)
Until we read again!
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