Killing Babies

"Abortion and racism are both symptoms of a fundamental human error. The error is thinking that when someone stands in the way of our wants, we can justify getting that person out of our lives. Abortion and racism stem from the same poisonous root, selfishness."

~Alveda King~

 

Why would ANY woman carry a baby for 9 months and THEN decide she doesn't want it so she'll "abort" it??????  At this point, abortion is a purely selfish decision.  I can’t imagine any reason for killing a baby that’s less than a minute from being born other than the mother doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life wondering about the baby she gave up for adoption or, worse yet, having that baby show up 20 years later and “ruin” the perfect life she’s created for herself.  Maybe she can use such a late term abortion to garner sympathy and pity for herself by telling everyone her baby was stillborn.

I just can’t wrap my head around the concept.  In my most humble opinion, women who do this have mental issues.  I make no apologies if that statement is offensive.  Murder in any form is offensive to me but most especially if it’s an innocent life that has been taken.

What if, when that baby reaches the “terrible twos”, the mother decides she can’t take it anymore and decides to have her toddler euthanized?  Far-fetched, you say?  Why?  Isn’t it the same principle?  The child is a problem for the mother so get rid of the problem.  Don’t let someone else have that child because the mother’s life might be upset many years down the road.

I could write about this until my fingers fall off but I won’t.  Human life is precious and the most valuable thing we have right after our Lord’s love.  No human – even a mother – has the right to distinguish that life.  I recently read somewhere that “the only reason abortion is legal is because babies can’t vote”.  I don’t remember who the author of that quote was but it made a lot of sense to me.  At some point, society is going to have to step up and take responsibility for the mess this world is in.

One final thought:  Woe be unto the person who takes an innocent life when that person has to stand before our Saviour.  I would NOT want to be in his or her shoes.

 

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.  Exodus 21:22-25

Ah! The Simple Things!

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive."

~Eleonora Duse~

How many people do you know who get upset when they don’t have (or get) the “big” things in life?  How many wish for more money, a bigger house, a better car, exotic vacations or more?  Have you noticed that even if those people get those things, they’re still not happy?

So, what’s the deal?  Don’t those things make a perfect and satisfying life?  How can you be unhappy with the ability to have and do anything you want?   Frankly, if you’re not happy without those things, you’re probably not going to be happy with them either.

I haven’t checked the world stats but more Americans than ever before are taking antidepressants.   By no stretch of the imagination am I an historian or a statistician but it seems to me that people were a lot happier when times were simpler.

Have you ever watched a baby at Christmas?  They are more excited by the wrappings and bows than by what’s inside the boxes.  Their little faces light up when someone plays peek-a-boo with them.  They are happy yet they have no concept of “things”.  They don’t care if they have the most expensive car seat, the fanciest toys or even designer clothes.  I think we could learn a lot from babies and toddlers.

When is the last time you looked up at the sky and thought “what a beautiful blue sky”?  What about a sunset or sunrise?  Do you take notice of the beautiful fall colors?  Have you ever been in a bad mood and had someone say something nice to you?  That usually brings a smile to my face.  I don’t know about you but I can’t be in a bad mood if I’m smiling.

One of my most favorite tangible things in the entire world is a rose.  Not only is it beautiful but the scent is wonderful.  I’m happy when I get roses as a bouquet whether it be one dozen or one hundred dozen but there’s just something so special about a single rose.

That bigger, better, more expensive car and house, those designer clothes and that enormous bank account is much like that dozen roses.  They’re so very nice to have and certainly will bring a smile to your face but they alone are not going to keep that smile for long nor will they produce happiness.

If you can’t find appreciation for the little things then you won’t find appreciation for the “big” things in the long run.  You’ll enjoy them at first then after awhile they won’t matter at all.  You’ll start searching for something bigger or better that you’re sure will make you happy – and they will for a very short time.

A hug from a child, a compliment from a stranger, a beautiful sunset or a walk with someone you love – these are the greatest treasures in the world.  If you can find yourself appreciating them, then you’re on the way to being happy.

It’s okay to have dreams and desires but when you place too much value on those things and desires, then you won’t be satisfied with what you have. True happiness comes from being satisfied with what you have and appreciating that you have so much more than so many others.  It’s true – one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21

Would Jesus Build a Wall?

Men of sense often learn from their enemies. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls and ships of war.

~Aristophanes~

I’ve been hearing all kinds of arguments for and against a wall on our Southern border lately.  My inclination is to agree that a wall needs to be built but part of me wonders if that’s the right Christian attitude.

God has certainly told us to love others as we love ourselves.  He has told us to help those who need help even to the point of giving up to everything to help them.  We know that God will provide for us and take care of our needs if we just and obey Him.  So, does building a wall go against His will?

The truth is, I don’t have a definitive answer to that question.  I don’t think anyone really does.  Some are of the thinking “what would Jesus do?” and answer with "He wouldn't build a wall".  I understand that trying to live that credo is a way of trying to live as Christ-like a life as we are humanly able.  Frankly, I don’t know what Jesus would do.  None of us really know that in every instance.  He has information we don’t.  He knows our hearts and our motives - far better than we know ourselves.

The Bible is full of references to God having walls built

1.     For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. 2 Chronicles 14:7

2.    Then I said to them, "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach."  Nehemiah 2:17

3.    "Now behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its princes, to its priests and to the people of the land.  Jeremiah 1:18

4.    "I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

And let us not forget how Revelation describes Heaven:  It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb  Revelation 21:12-19

Now this seems to suggest that building a wall is almost Biblical, doesn’t it?  I did a little (admittedly very little) research looking for anything in the Bible that suggested building walls is wrong or a sin but didn’t find anything.  However; I did look at references to immigration and immigrants. Here are a few of the verses I found:

1.     "Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”  Deuteromy 27:19

2.    “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt."  Exodus 23:9

3.    Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.  Hebrews 13:2

4.    “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.”  Leviticus 23:22

So, we can surmise that 1) it’s not a sin to build a wall and 2) we are supposed to treat foreigners with respect and love.  But there’s one more thing that I need to consider for me to be comfortable that supporting a wall is not anti-Christian.

It’s not just poor families looking for a better life who are sneaking across our border.  Our Southern border is the way in for people from the middle East, Central America, Turkey, and Asian countries to name a few.  It’s not just that these people are from other countries and seeking a better way of life, it’s that some of people who are sneaking into our country aren't interested in bettering their lives.

There have been many documented instances where an illegal alien (I refuse to call them "undocumented") committed serious crimes and did harm to our citizens - even to the point of death.

I don’t know anyone who believes there should be no immigration at all.  Most of us are average people who just want a safe country in which to live and raise our families.  No one I know is against helping the refugees, the poor, the infirmed.  We just want to make sure we’re protected so we can be around to offer a safe haven for those who might need it.  Immigration REFORM should be the focus of our representatives in Washington.  We need to streamline the process so it doesn’t take years from initial request to actual entry.  And once the immigrants ARE here, we need a better process that leads to citizenship so those people can become productive American Citizens.

So, after all of that, I’m comfortable in agreeing that we need to build the wall.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.  Psalm 33:12

Let Go and Let God

"When you let go, something magical happens.  You give God room to work"

~Mandy Hale~

Whenever I have problems in my life, I do my best to “give it to God”.  The problem is that, while I really do give the problem to Him, I just can’t seem to let it go completely.  I tend to keep my hands on it as if letting go would make me less somehow.  When I saw the above quote, it was like one of those “AHA” moments that you hear about all the time: I’M IN GOD’S WAY!  Instead of giving my problems to God, it’s more like I’m “sharing” them with Him as if they were milk and cookies.

I don’t think it’s that I don’t trust God to handle it without my help; rather I think I just don’t want to give up control.  Now THAT is an epiphany I should have had years ago!

I never thought I was a control freak, but maybe I am sometimes.  Now and then I do find myself muttering under my breath “if you want something done right, do it yourself”.  Understand, please, that it’s not a conscious thought when attempting to “let go and let God” – as if I could do anything better than God can do it - but certainly it is during those times when dealing with other mere mortals.  The problem with that line of thinking is that it assumes I’m the only one who knows how to do it right or can do it right.  How egotistical is that!

So now that I’ve had this epiphany, I need to learn how to let go.  I’m flying blind here so I could use some prayers.   The only thing I can think to do is to try to remind myself when I’m attempting to “fix” something on my own or in my own way that I’ve given this to God and I need to stop and get out of His way.  I also need to remind myself that God works according to His time table – not mine.  Patience is most certainly NOT a virtue I possess.  Maybe I just don’t like to be left out of the loop.  I guess that’s as good a reason as any for hanging on to something I say I’ve let go.

You know, with all the wonderfulness that will be Heaven, I think my second favorite part will be in not having to worry or wonder about God’s plan or waiting on His time table.  My favorite part?  Well, that’s meeting my Lord and Savior of course!

Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

Happy New Year!

“You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

~Unknown~

The above quote has been attributed to many people including CS Lewis, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain.  Whoever said it was clever indeed.  It’s really such a simple statement but it contains so much commonsense that it makes one go "Well DUH!" and slap themselves on the forehead with the palm of their hand.

It's also a very good introduction to my first blog in quite some time.  Things are going to be a little different from here on out because I'm a little different.  My faith in God is going to play a bigger role from now on because it plays a bigger role in my life.  If you’re not a person of faith, it’s okay.  Read anyway.  You may learn something or maybe you might teach me something.  I’m ok with that.

So begins a brand new day in a brand new month in a brand new year. - even more important, in our lives.  We wake up each morning with two choices.  We can either groan and take the attitude of “another miserable day” or we can be grateful for another opportunity to make a difference.  I have learned that welcoming a new day as a second (or third or fourth or 100^th) chance has made a difference in my quality of life.  I’m almost never in a bad mood, don’t feel depressed, rarely have a headache unless I’m coming down with something and I’m not as sensitive about things as I once was.

Our God is the God of second chances.  We will never reach a place in our lives where God won’t give us another chance to begin fresh.  He walks with us every moment of every day and waits patiently for us to reach out to him for help.

Have you ever watched someone walking with their shoulders slumped, head leaning forward and face looking down at the street?  Can’t you almost see the dark cloud of doom that surely must be hanging over their head?  How can anyone feel good with a posture like that?  It literally visualizes the feeling of having the weight of the world on your shoulders.  I mean, really, can’t you actually SEE the weights pressing down on his or her shoulders?

I challenge you – stand up right now.  Hunch down, bring your shoulders down and stare down at the floor.  How does it feel?  Do you feel powerful or weak?  Do you feel as if you can accomplish anything?  Smile.  It feels kind of weird – even a bit fake, doesn’t it?

Ok, now, straighten your back.  Hold your head up and pull your shoulders back.  Do you feel the difference?  Doesn’t that feel better?  Isn’t it like your mood improved almost instantly?  Now, smile.  It doesn’t feel weird or fake this time, does it?

I didn’t mean for this to turn into a lesson on how to get out of a funk but if it helps someone, then that’s cool.  I’ll leave it there just in case.  None of us are so strong that we can’t use a little help sometimes.  And none of us are so weak that we can’t regain our strength.

Anyway, my point is that we all have the capacity to be happy and to have a positive outlook on life even when things don’t seem to be going our way.  Just like what you’re going to wear today or eat for dinner tonight, your mood and outlook on life is a choice that you make every day.

As you begin each new day, think about what you’re feeling.  Are you feeling down and gloomy?  Do you feel the effort just isn’t worth the outcome?  Do you feel a sense of dread?  Are things going to happen today that have the potential to ruin the best of moods?  Probably.  Is there anything you can do about those things?  Probably not.

So where does that leave you?  It leaves you with a choice to make.  Are you going to let the weight of all that negativity bear down on your shoulders so that you crouch like an old man or woman who now stands half the height they once were?  It’s exhausting carrying that load!  So put it down already!

Stand tall with a straight back, squared shoulders and head held high.  Look at the world around you and be glad.  You just made a better choice.  Keep up the good work!

“This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

Psalm 118:24

Broken Promises and Disappointment

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
~Martin Luther King, Jr~

We all have people in our lives who we can depend on to keep promises. We all also have those in our lives for whom we know a promise has no more substance than a passing breeze.


Growing up, I learned quickly that "I promise" really meant "no".  I vividly recall the first time I became aware that a promise was really a no.  I had asked my stepfather either FOR something or to DO something - honestly, I don't remember what the "promise" was about.  Whatever it was clearly isn't important now but he said yes.  I asked him "Do you promise?" and of course he said "Yes, I promise."  I remember that my shoulders dropped with a deep sigh and my head turned downward as I replied weakly "Ok".  I walked away knowing that whatever it was that I wanted I wasn't going to get.  In my opinion, a broken promise is tantamount to being lied to and no one likes that.
 


For me, a promise is about trust.  It's about keeping your word.  It's about making an effort to do something for someone else.  If you don't plan to keep a promise don't make it.  It's just that simple.  I understand that things happen that are out of our control and sometimes it's not possible to keep a particular promise.  When that happens, own it.  Explain the situation, apologize and offer to make every effort to correct the situation.


This memory came to the surface recently when someone made a promise to me and then didn't keep it.  It was something important to me and the breaking of the promise was quite disappointing and disillusioning.  It boggles my mind how a person can spend years overcoming the insecurities they learned during childhood only to have it all come flooding back in just one moment.


The saddest part for me is that the act of breaking a promise devalues the person who made the promise.  It's like having someone fall from a pedestal.  I know, I shouldn't put people on a pedestal but I do.


After my realization about my stepdad's promises, I had some trust issues.  But God is good and He put someone in my life who would teach me that what I had learned as a child was not how things were supposed to be.  This person took a broken little girl, married her and then taught her to trust.  My husband doesn't break promises.  If he doesn't think he can keep a promise, he doesn't make it.  Rather, he promises to do his best and leave it at that.


So, that's my vent.  Supposedly, letting it out will make you feel better.  We shall see.  For now, I've dropped back a few steps and have to get it gear and get myself back to where I was.  And I will.  To anyone who reads this, I would say please be careful with your promises.  You never know how breaking them might affect someone.

How Bad Can It Get?

No matter how bad you think you have it, there is always - ALWAYS - someone who has it way, way worse.

~Vince Flynn~

It seems to me that there are more people than ever who are having hard times in one way or another.  The majority of the time, I'm sure they've heard that someone always has it worse.  My question is "when is it the worst?".  Surely there must be a point where there is no worse - right?


I suppose that "worse" could be a state of mind.  What might be the worse for one person may not be for another.  For example, one might think the worst is being homeless and living on the street.  Is it?  What if they're basically healthy but just can't support themselves?  Worse could be a homeless person who is chronically sick or might even have a terminal disease.  Could it get worse than that?


What if the wealthiest person in the world has no friends or family?  Money can give them all of the necessities and creature comforts known to man.  But it can't buy real friends or love.  A life without friends or love MUST be the worse - right?


So, does "worse" mean that's the way it is for the rest of your life?  Winston Churchill said "when you're going through Hell, keep going".  That makes me think that worse is not permanent.  Certainly, if you're going through bad times but there's an end to it - even if you can't see it at the time - is that the worst?  Could the worst be spending the rest of your life experiencing the worst?  Is there something even worse than that?


I believe there IS a point when it can get no worse and it's the same point for all of us.  None of us have gone (or will go) through the absolute worse in our lifetimes but many are going through it and many more will.  How is that possible? you ask.  Well, in my opinion, the worst happens after we die.  I believe it's not possible to experience anything worse than spending an eternity of agony, torture and hopelessness that comes from having died and been condemned to Hell.


Now, I'm not going to preach.  We all have our own beliefs concerning what happens to us after we die.  I'm not going to tell you that my belief is the only right one or even that it's the MOST right one.  But I AM going to ask you to search your heart and listen carefully to what it tells you.  If you are atheist and don't believe in Heaven and Hell, I especially beseech you to consider that you might be wrong.  If you're not, what have you lost?


God loves you all and I'm really trying.