If Courage Could Be Mine

If Courage Could Be Mine

I asked you one day Father
If courage could be mine
You told me to be patient
All Virtues come with time.

I looked for her in trials
I looked for her in pain
For it was hard to see her
When comfort came again.

Never did I notice
Until the years went by
That courage had been watching
When tears did cloud my eyes.

She came upon a whisper
And held my hand in hers
Slowly she did lift me
To take away my fears.

She woke my heart up slowly
Or I would turn away
Too frightened by the picture
Of the love God gave away.

I felt my spirit growing
No fear or shadows fell
Courage was beneath me
My faith the deepest well.

I asked you one day Father
If courage could be mine
You said that it was with me
And had been for all time.
author Anne Peters.

She's An Adult In Her Eyes....

My kids go to a Christian school - my oldest is in the 8th grade and she is learning about Evolution and Creation.... She is also in a Sunday night study learning apologetics - this is a great tool for kids to understand their faith and to defend their faith. I love seeing my kid on fire - to know God better and to love Him more....

Well - one thing that is hard to explain to a thirteen year old is that many adults will not take her seriously - not because she doesn't know what she is talking about but because she is thirteen.. She's a kid in an adult's eye - and in her own eye she's an adult....

A couple of weeks ago she came home from tennis really frustrated... I could see the tears brimming in her eyes.... You see, her tennis coach is an atheist - he believes in Evolution - not creation.. He overheard her talking about a paper she was writing for her Bible class about Evolution not making sense.... He quickly made a comment, "Why can't you believe in both?" Well my daughter thought what a great question and proceeded to tell him why.... From what the other kids in class told me - she was amazing... she had a great case.... Of course you can see where this is going..... the coach wouldn't entertain her opinion... (this was after class - not during) Not because she did not make sense but because she is young..

I have talked to this coach in the past and he had told me he has never gone to church - he has never read the Bible - he has never participated in any class for or against evolution - it was just what he believed and there you go...... At that time - I did not have the words - so I did not say anything... but I did find a great article that I felt was very convincing and gave it to him... Well, obviously - he either did not read it - or it did not convince him....

I have to say - that I am proud of my girl.... Her passion humbles me.... Her love for Jesus makes me proud... Her wanting to share the good news with her coach gives me hope... Now if I can get her to be nice to her little sister all will be right in my world... at least for today...

The Burning Bush

Last weekend I was at my church's women retreat..... It started off good - well, sort of... not really..... I was sick... boy was I sick.. I tried to talk myself out of being sick but things just kind of got worse.... I ended up going home the last night and missing out on the following morning's activities.. Sunday morning... Sunday afternoon.... and Sunday night - My back was glued to the bed and couch.... I'm still not doing great..... I have a bugger of a cold....

You know when you are not feeling well and you find it difficult to concentrate on things? That is how it was for me most of my weekend.... I enjoyed the women I was with... A great bunch of girls that I am glad to know..... There were a couple of wonderful testimonies..... But the video segments about killed me... or put me to sleep... Until.. I heard the term burning bush... The author of the book Organic God, Margaret Feinburg was talking about when Moses went up the mountain and saw the Burning Bush of God... What would have happened if he just walked by and did not pay attention... If he refused to acknowledge that Burning Bush.... if he refused to acknowledge God...?

Ms. Feinburg took the "Burning Bush" analogy one step further.... How many times in our lives have we had the opportunity to glorify God (burning bush) and not do it? How many times have we spoken with someone who was reaching for help and not acknowledge it? How many times have we been too busy in our own lives to do God's work? How many times have we walked by a burning bush?

I loved that analogy - I found it eye opening..... and very thought provoking.... I know I have been guilty of walking by a few burning bushes because I did not have the time..... What if God did not have the time for me???

We as Christians have to see those burning bushes.... We need to glorify God in any way we can.... We need to make the time...... We need to acknowledge that burning bush....

God's Love Does Not Mean Acceptance

One of the things I hear often is people trying to define God into their terms... Trying to fit God into their understanding so that all is okay... because God is Love... Most of the people that say these things are not into the Word... They may have glossed over the Book... they may have been to a Bible study or two... They may even go to church on a regular basis.... But the fact remains - God is God under His terms....

God does love us - every single one of us... God has compassion for us - every single one of us.... God forgives us - but not every single one of us.. What I mean by that is - you MUST ask God for forgiveness and you MUST accept His Son as your Savior... There is NO other way - this is what I believe.... This is what the Bible teaches....

In the Bible there are Rules - I'm sure you all have read the 10 commandments.. But there are other things that God expects of us... We are to 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.

Loving your neighbor as yourself does not mean that you are to accept their sin as your own.. It does not mean that by loving someone that you turn a blind eye to their lives.... It means to love the person... but you can and should Hate the sin....

In California, the Harvey Milk Bill has been signed by our Terminator Governor - Arnold Schwarzenegger. What the bill will do is designate a day in May for the public schools from kindergarten to senior years to learn about Harvey Milk and the gay life style... Click Here to learn about Harvey Milk. I am not against this because the guy was gay.. I am against this because there are so many other good things that can be brought into the schools.. My biggest question is this: Why is it okay to have a Harvey Milk Day - (glorifying the gay life style and giving hope to the gay, lesbian, and transgender. That is the purpose of this day according to the Bill..) and not have a Christian Day?

It's NOT okay to bring Jesus into the schools.. It's NOT okay to bring God into the schools.... It's NOT okay to sit in a circle during lunch break hold hands and pray... It's NOT okay to do a book report on a Christian book without an atheist teacher mocking the student.. It's NOT okay to talk about, read about, and pray about a God that represents love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, right and wrongs, telling the truth, and all that is good.... Why is that? But it's okay to celebrate a man who had multiple sex partners... It's okay to celebrate a man that tried to legalize marijuana... Come on..... There are so many other previous California residences that qualify far better than Mr. Milk. How about Ronald Reagan?

The Newport Beach/Costa Mesa school district voted unanimously against this bill and I am pretty sure that most school districts will... Why wasn't this Bill brought to the voters? Probably because the government knew it would be voted down in a landslide....

Many of my liberal friends have said that they are happy that the governor has signed this bill.... And my liberal friends respect the fact that I am foaming at the mouth..... and that's okay - in our friendships - we have our differences and each of us brings something new into each others worlds and thinking... but - I do have to say this....

In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 it talks about the sins that identify a person if they continue to do them.... Homosexuality is often singled out to be the "bad" one. And that is wrong - All sin is bad.. All of it - not just some of it... what about the other sins... fornication (pre-martial sex), idolatry, adultery, stealing, coveting, alcoholism, lying, and gossip.... Basically we are ALL guilty of one or more of these... but it's the ones who ask for forgiveness and try to sin no more are the ones who are forgiven....

God's Love does not mean acceptance and no matter how a person or persons want to twist it around... Going against God's rules and letting the sin define you is not going to be accepted by God.. Much of society has accepted it... but they are not God....