I read a blog today that gave me some new information on Mitt Romney. Apparently, he's been quoted in the news as saying that he will not pursue anti-abortion legislation. Let me repeat that, He will not pursue ANY ANTI-ABORTION LEGISLATION.
I know a lot of people who are basing their vote solely on the abortion issue. (Just to be clear, I have no problem with that and if I thought Romney could/would actually do something, I'd probably vote for him.) When your candidate comes out and says something like that, what now are you basing your vote on?? He said he's not going to do anything about it; he's not even pretending. Politicians lie all the time; he didn't have to say that. He said it BEFORE being elected; that man does NOT care about the abortion issue. He will not pursue it.
I've heard so much talk about praying for revival and for the healing of our land and for people to turn to God. And then the same people talk about how awful things are going to get and how if we don't do more that Christians are going to be persecuted and killed and churches will be outlawed. Has it not occurred to anyone that the second is the answer from God to the first??
Churches blossom under persecution; the Church grows and is strengthened! The fakers and pew-warmers flee and the Church erupts in new life! Why? Because suddenly we MUST lean on Him for everything! The crutch of the government is taken away; the idols of comfort and financial security are stripped from us. In that instance, we have to look to God for our peace, for our security, for our comfort, for our joy. Suddenly, prayer doesn't have to be preached on because everyone is constantly praying. Suddenly, things like pants on women are not important - but staying faithful and being bold witnesses are. Suddenly, the peripheral things again find their proper place and we have to keep our eyes on Jesus.
For so long we've been looking at our country and asking God to renew it; doesn't anyone think that maybe that's EXACTLY what He's doing? Our churches are in sorry shape. And we know this! And we pray that God would give us revival. Maybe He's doing just that. Maybe He's answering all our prayers. Have you thought about that? Maybe God is giving us what we asked for through OBAMA?
No political maneuvering, no human figure is going to save our country; it doesn't have that power. Only GOD has the power to save or destroy a nation. And what does God use to turn a nation around? He uses His Word, spread through His people. We pray that God will turn our nation toward Him. Well, guess what. We might have to pay physically for that to happen. We might need to lose friends and family to jail and execution. I may need to die for that revival; harder still, I may have to watch my husband die for that revival.
In the face of that, do we still trust that God is doing what is best for us? Or is our faith so weak that the thought of physically paying a price for the privilege of being God's child too frightening for us? Where is the attitude of Peter and the other disciples who REJOICED that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name? Where is that? 'Cause it seems to be strangely lacking in every conversation about how bad our nation is going to get and how difficult things are going to be for Christians before too long.
We pray for God to heal our land; are we then going to be upset because He might not do it the way we want? Are we going to prescribe the ways that He is "allowed" to turn our nation? Are we going to say, "We only want Your face to shine upon us in THIS way?" The pride is so rampant. Do we think we know better than God?
In conclusion, I'm not saying don't vote for Romney; I'm just saying if your only reason is abortion, he's not going to do anything for it anyway. That might be worth re-evaluating. But more importantly, don't think that the persecution that may or may not be coming is so dead-set a bad thing. God only does what is good for us. If it comes, it's GOOD! God has not given us the spirit of FEAR, but of POWER, and of love, and of a sound mind. We have no need to be anxious. We do our best; we follow God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind; and God takes care of everything else. And if that means Obama for another four years, if that means the imploding of the U.S., then THAT is GOOD.
We are the CHILDREN of the ALMIGHTY. We are the beloved of the Creator! Don't we trust His love?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Teleportation
So I've been mulling over an idea. Not for very long, but I think it has a lot of potential. The world should stop spending money on developing weapons, on war, and on everything space-related for a while. Instead, we take all that money and use it to make personal teleportation devices.
Or! Even something like a Star Trek Transporter. You give the guy running a location, they send you there! Voila! Yes, the airline and automobile companies would hate it. But hey, do we really LIKE those companies? Sure, they serve a purpose, but I wouldn't be sad to see them get replaced. Especially by a teleportation device.
We could have huge devices that transport lots of people and little ones for personal use. They could replace things like the subway and bus routes with previously programmed locations. Imagine all the time saved, the lack of traffic and air pollution, the elimination of needing so much parking space. Instead of a parking garage, you could have a teleportation garage - this floor has transporters that take you to such-and-such region.
Yes, we would also need to have some kind of shield to keep things out - can't have people apparating into the middle of Congress or something.First, let's get the teleporter worked out though.
But seriously. It's an awesome idea, right? There would be people, of course, who would refuse to use them. The rest of us though? I could go to Michigan for an afternoon for a baby shower with my friends and family and be back home in CaliLand that evening to make dinner for my Sweetie! You could take music lessons from someone halfway around the world.
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Well, I have my piano lesson in Moscow at eleven, and then I'm meeting some friends for lunch at the Eiffel Tower."
Need to evacuate a town due to flooding or a tornado? No problem! And no worries about people getting stuck on the way out if it's a huge city.
Like I said, I think it has potential.
Or! Even something like a Star Trek Transporter. You give the guy running a location, they send you there! Voila! Yes, the airline and automobile companies would hate it. But hey, do we really LIKE those companies? Sure, they serve a purpose, but I wouldn't be sad to see them get replaced. Especially by a teleportation device.
We could have huge devices that transport lots of people and little ones for personal use. They could replace things like the subway and bus routes with previously programmed locations. Imagine all the time saved, the lack of traffic and air pollution, the elimination of needing so much parking space. Instead of a parking garage, you could have a teleportation garage - this floor has transporters that take you to such-and-such region.
Yes, we would also need to have some kind of shield to keep things out - can't have people apparating into the middle of Congress or something.First, let's get the teleporter worked out though.
But seriously. It's an awesome idea, right? There would be people, of course, who would refuse to use them. The rest of us though? I could go to Michigan for an afternoon for a baby shower with my friends and family and be back home in CaliLand that evening to make dinner for my Sweetie! You could take music lessons from someone halfway around the world.
"What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Well, I have my piano lesson in Moscow at eleven, and then I'm meeting some friends for lunch at the Eiffel Tower."
Need to evacuate a town due to flooding or a tornado? No problem! And no worries about people getting stuck on the way out if it's a huge city.
Like I said, I think it has potential.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Faith
Faith is just believing what God says He will do.
Faith is NOT believing that God will give me what I want. God did not promise me stuff. God did not tell me He would give me everything I want. In fact, by virtue of the fact that I am sinful and have a deceitful, desperately wicked heart, it stands to reason that God has promised to WITHHOLD things that I want. Because what I want sometimes is not good for me, and God always gives His children what is best.
Faith is not believing that life will be easy, that things will go smoothly, that God will come to the rescue in the nick of time. Faith is looking at the worst thing you can possibly imagine coming straight toward you with you being able to see not the slightest chance of God changing things and saying, "Nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt." Faith is surrendering the idea that I know better.
I went to the Dr.'s office last Friday. They wanted to do a test for Strep B; I was freaking out about it for over a week because I like my privacy. I like it lots. I feel violated and dirty when people invade my privacy like that. It doesn't matter if they have the best motives in the world (which, by the way, keeping my little girl safe is a pretty amazing motivation for something). It doesn't matter why; it doesn't matter who. It makes my whole mental/emotional being recoil in an intense feeling of revulsion - stronger than anything I have ever felt.
But I went into that office and I sat down and I disrobed my lower half and I waited for it. The day before I spent the afternoon and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed that God would save me from it. And I always knew that He was able. I didn't have any idea one way or the other if He would; all I knew at the end of all that praying was that He didn't want me to worry about it anymore. He gave me peace. That is not to say that He gave me a promise that there wouldn't be a storm tomorrow; but that day, He gave me peace. So I did my best not to think about it and not to worry, and He helped me.
I went into the Dr.'s office and God saved me from that horrible experience. God did not have to save me. But He did. The next day, I drove Zack's car to church for the first time. I was very scared, very tense and very afraid. And I prayed the whole way that God would save me. And He did, even though I still had to drive the car.
One, He protected me from completely; He took me right out of that situation. The other, He brought me through safely to the other side. Both times He saved me.
I don't know what's going to happen with our apartment. I don't know where we're going to live or how we're going to afford it; I really think in a year, I may be sitting in the same place as I am now writing again. That is not a lack of faith. Faith doesn't predict what God is going to do, unless God has already SAID it. God never told me we would have a different place next year, that we wouldn't be losing money every month, that we would ever NOT be very poor. He never promised that we would get ahead.
What God told me is that all things work together for my good. What God told me is that He is perfect. What God told me is that He loves me more than I can ever fathom. What God told me is that He is worth far more than everything. And I believe that.
If I am here next year, it is not because God failed me or because I did not have enough faith. It's because it was best and because He is good. And as much as I want to move and have wanted to move for about a year now - if this is best, I want it more than I want to move. I don't know what's coming; only God knows. Only God knows if we would be able to afford a different place in six months. Only God knows if Zack is going to have a job. Only God knows if there are going to be complications with the birth that lead to stacking Dr.'s bills that would make us long to be back here. Only God knows.
If we are here, I believe - without any doubt though I do not understand and may never see a reason this side of Heaven - I believe completely that it is best and God is good.
Faith is NOT believing that God will give me what I want. God did not promise me stuff. God did not tell me He would give me everything I want. In fact, by virtue of the fact that I am sinful and have a deceitful, desperately wicked heart, it stands to reason that God has promised to WITHHOLD things that I want. Because what I want sometimes is not good for me, and God always gives His children what is best.
Faith is not believing that life will be easy, that things will go smoothly, that God will come to the rescue in the nick of time. Faith is looking at the worst thing you can possibly imagine coming straight toward you with you being able to see not the slightest chance of God changing things and saying, "Nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt." Faith is surrendering the idea that I know better.
I went to the Dr.'s office last Friday. They wanted to do a test for Strep B; I was freaking out about it for over a week because I like my privacy. I like it lots. I feel violated and dirty when people invade my privacy like that. It doesn't matter if they have the best motives in the world (which, by the way, keeping my little girl safe is a pretty amazing motivation for something). It doesn't matter why; it doesn't matter who. It makes my whole mental/emotional being recoil in an intense feeling of revulsion - stronger than anything I have ever felt.
But I went into that office and I sat down and I disrobed my lower half and I waited for it. The day before I spent the afternoon and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed that God would save me from it. And I always knew that He was able. I didn't have any idea one way or the other if He would; all I knew at the end of all that praying was that He didn't want me to worry about it anymore. He gave me peace. That is not to say that He gave me a promise that there wouldn't be a storm tomorrow; but that day, He gave me peace. So I did my best not to think about it and not to worry, and He helped me.
I went into the Dr.'s office and God saved me from that horrible experience. God did not have to save me. But He did. The next day, I drove Zack's car to church for the first time. I was very scared, very tense and very afraid. And I prayed the whole way that God would save me. And He did, even though I still had to drive the car.
One, He protected me from completely; He took me right out of that situation. The other, He brought me through safely to the other side. Both times He saved me.
I don't know what's going to happen with our apartment. I don't know where we're going to live or how we're going to afford it; I really think in a year, I may be sitting in the same place as I am now writing again. That is not a lack of faith. Faith doesn't predict what God is going to do, unless God has already SAID it. God never told me we would have a different place next year, that we wouldn't be losing money every month, that we would ever NOT be very poor. He never promised that we would get ahead.
What God told me is that all things work together for my good. What God told me is that He is perfect. What God told me is that He loves me more than I can ever fathom. What God told me is that He is worth far more than everything. And I believe that.
If I am here next year, it is not because God failed me or because I did not have enough faith. It's because it was best and because He is good. And as much as I want to move and have wanted to move for about a year now - if this is best, I want it more than I want to move. I don't know what's coming; only God knows. Only God knows if we would be able to afford a different place in six months. Only God knows if Zack is going to have a job. Only God knows if there are going to be complications with the birth that lead to stacking Dr.'s bills that would make us long to be back here. Only God knows.
If we are here, I believe - without any doubt though I do not understand and may never see a reason this side of Heaven - I believe completely that it is best and God is good.
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