Wednesday, December 23, 2015

traditions 2

a christmas tradition i started this year with the little boys.
we used to do this with the kids when they were younger.
candy houses.
i felt that they were too young for real candy houses, so i baked really large gingerbread flat houses.
then i set up the dining room for the parents to help their littles decorate the houses with lots and lots of candy.
it went awesome.  everyone loved it and they want to do it again!


i kept it simple with canned frosting , m & m's nonpariels, gumdrops, necco wafers, mike and ikes, smarties, twizzlers, kisses, and starlights.  each boy also got a candy santa.
joe wanted to eat his santa, but i don't think he did.
ethan took his work seriously.
such a fun family project!

julie is expecting so she got to complete one for baby sophia!
this bubby was really happy that they all enjoyed it!  i look forward to doing it year after year!

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

new traditions

since i didn't spend thanksgiving with any of my grandsons, i decided to begin a new tradition.  something we could do every year on the sunday after thanksgiving.

we decorated a wildlife tree.
since they are all really small and seriously messy, i premade all of the decorations this year.  as they get older we will transition to them helping me make them.

this is what i made


orange slices with pipe cleaner hangers
half oranges with the insides scooped out and filled with birdseed and pipe cleaners for handles
peanuts in the shell and fresh cranberries strung on thread and then tied in a loop

pine cones with peanut butter spread on them and then rolled in bird seed, again, pipe cleaners twisted onto the end to hang it with


all of the boys (and the grownups) loved decorating the tree which is located at the edge of the lawn.


bubby and grampa with our boys

**this morning when i woke up  i looked out and saw several different kinds of birds flying about the tree, landing and pecking at the seed. 










Wednesday, November 25, 2015

traditions and change

holidays

we had our traditions  

when we were raising our family

sometimes we would be with extended family.  

sometimes it would be just us.  

then we moved to a place where we didn't have anyone but us. 

but we still celebrated holidays together. 

there were five, then four, then three.  now two.

and we are more flexible.  it's not that we don't have traditions, we just know that things change.

and we would rather create our own new traditions than take the leftovers of the day.

this time of life when you have to share your family with others,

 you never get used to it. 


happy thanksgiving!









  


Sunday, November 22, 2015

how feminism destroyed America

The United States of America

it truly had the potential to be the greatest nation on earth.

under God.

indivisible.

but then something happened.  history repeated itself as it has from the very beginning.

in the beginning, God gave us a perfect paradise to live in with Him.
but He gave us a line that we were not to cross.  we were warned.

don't. eat. the. apple.
you will surely die.

the woman was deceived.  she disobeyed.  the man did not lead.  he went along.
eden was no longer possible.  our relationship with our God was changed.

fast forward to america.  struggling nation.  God fearing, God loving, the majority identifying
as christians--followers of Christ.

then we do it again.
the woman is deceived all over again.  she believes the lie that she can do whatever she pleases in this life...........

even kill her own offspring.

and the man doesn't lead.  doesn't protect.  he goes along.  encourages.
why not?  sex with no strings attached!!!!  woohoo!

this way of life
this fornicating and killing.
it leads people further and further away from their God.

to this time.
now.
when the majority of americans still identify as christians---but they do not follow Christ.

God will not be mocked.
because of our collective evil ways He will not protect us. we will be exiled from His goodness in this world.  we will be taken captive.

all because the woman believed the lie.

here lies the United States of America:  killed by feminism

what is the truth?

men and women are equal in God's eyes.  but the world's eyes are different
the world's eyes are full of lust and lies.

women are now used and abused more than ever before in history, and they are deceived.  they don't even realize this freedom they have is the real bondage.

they have believed the lie that motherhood, home keeping, and marriage are just meant to enslave them.
women are left unprotected because they have stepped out from under the God designed model of accountability and protection.
they give it all away so they can be "equal"

they kill their offspring and think they have gotten away with murder.
but they haven't.  they will suffer in anguish forever.

and because of the horrific practice of abortion; state sanctioned murder of our most innocent and vulnerable citizens, we have all stepped out from under the protection of our God.

their silent screams are heard

their mothers killed them.  their father's did not save them.

and their lives did matter.

more than all others.

Monday, November 16, 2015

terror

God's promises
they are hidden in plain view
no matter how the nations rage
and the world descends into turmoil

God. has. this.

my reading this morning
matthew 21:33-46
parable of the evil farmers

it spoke to me
in this time of trying to make sense
of terror attacks

it told me that we should never back down in proclaiming

that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone.

of our nation, of our church, of our lives.

it promises me that all who "stumble" on this cornerstone WILL BE brought to ruin.


i can say what i believe no other way.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God and the Kingdom of God belongs only to those who trust in Jesus.

Monday, November 2, 2015

lets ramble on......

i really want to blog more.  its not that i don't have anything to say.  i have lots to say.  some of it a lot of people don't want to hear.

i'm a square peg that doesn't even try to fit into a round hole.  screw it.

get it?

my mind works in mysterious ways.......

i can't think of anything i've been thinking about blogging about.  i need one of those little mini voice recorders so i can talk to myself.  i think of topics and usually its when i'm not near a pen paper.  i've got notes in my phone.  but my phone is way over.....

there.

so i'm just going to ramble for today.

i'm going to tell you a little about my hopes and dreams for this day (since its just 8:19 am)

i woke up at 5:30 this morning.  the time change has me off a bit.  i want to go with it.  i accomplish so much more when i get up really early.  i've been a lazy butt in the mornings lately.   it's jeff's fault.

did my bible study.  i'm in matthew 20: 1-16.  it's not about senority or time invested:  it's about God's grace.  that's it.  He is the boss and He can do whatever He wants, who are we to question God?

went on facebook for a bit....tried not to tick anyone off.  that is hard for me.  bite your tongue, karen.

cleaned up bubby's hideout.  thats what i'm calling my craft room now.  i'm a messy doer.  eventually you can't think amongst the mess, so you have to just DO IT!!!

i discovered that i could plug my kindle into the little tiny speakers the kids left behind when they all abandoned me (got married and moved out).  now i can listen to my music on pandora a lot louder down there in bubbys hideout.

i've had my second cup of coffee and breakfast.  for anyone that is interested breakfast was two whole grain toast with cottage cheese and homemade cranberry preserves.  yum!

now.....onto plans for the whole big rest of the day.
clean and straighten
pray
walk
pray
at least one hour of outdoor cleanup (garage, compost, or garden)
pray
at least two hours of wood cutting and brush piling
pray
crafting!
pray
grocery list
pray
no cooking (leftovers for dinner) yes!!!!!!!!!!!!
working on november activities for ethan.
pray

i'm going to remember this:  in all things i do i will try to glorify God.  in my thoughts, actions, deeds, words...everything i do.
i will fail.....God knows this.  And He loves me.  and He helps me.  And He won't let me just be.  He won't let me continue to fail.  He will help me over and over and over again.  Because He is just that awesome of a Father.

so..........

i will try to think of some really interesting topics because i seriously would like to blog more often.
thanks for listening to me ramble.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

no exceptions

all of the hoopla surrounding abortion is about the selling of the baby parts and pieces.

i know it is a foot in the door for the pro-life movement because now the attention is really on this horror that seems to have become our national past time.  well, second national past time with sex obviously being the first.  the third probably has something to do with sports.

but i digress......

whether the murdered babies are being sold, donated, buried or burned really makes no difference in light of the fact that THEY ARE BEING KILLED----THEIR BEATING HEARTS ARE BEING FORCEFULLY STOPPED!!!

let the lawyers wrangle and argue over the "legalities"  i don't care about what the government or suzy q on the street corner thinks.  wrong is wrong is wrong.

and abortion is WRONG.

i am pro-life in all instances concerning abortion.  concerning the taking of innocent life.

NO EXCEPTIONS

in the case of rape or incest, which by the way it amuses me the way its always mentioned separately,  pretty much incest is rape. anyway.....healing will never take place by committing murder.  the baby that is sometimes produced in such cases DID NOTHING WRONG and does not deserve to die.

i've heard talk of late term abortion (shudder) being okay in instances of the life of the mother being at stake.  we are talking about very rare cases indeed, maybe toxemia being one of the most common. i had toxemia.  DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!!!!  that is a bogus arguement.  DELIVER THE FREAKING BABY!!  LET IT HAVE A CHANCE AT LIFE.

the truth here is that it is really just about getting rid of the inconvenience of a baby.  a life.

another popular arguement is to abort, ahem! MURDER your child in the case of deformity or possible intellectual and physical disabilities.  this is always promoted as being in the best interest of the child.  really?  kill me now.  i have no potential.  i'm not perfect like my mother.

i know that there are many christians who say they are pro-life but condone murdering innocent babies in these cases i've mentioned.

YOU ARE WRONG.  and God is watching.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

step one

step one


these are the 20 week ultrasound pictures of my five precious grandsons
i've always kept them on the table next to my bed.
i've moved them to a shelf in the livingroom where i will see them all day long.
and where everyone who comes into my home will see them.  
i've printed out and framed this prayer


this is step one.

watching a video of a pastor preaching about abortion
he said these undercover videos of planned parenthood employees talking about selling dead baby parts  ......had undone him..........
i'm undone too.  saying i'm prolife is no longer enough. just wearing a tee shirt with a logo is not enough.  i have never done enough.  i have never prayed enough.  i have never spoken out enough.
55 million dead babies since roe v wade.  not to mention the one who died before.
if thats not bad enough.....if killing your child is not bad enough.....dealing in dead baby parts....
i'm rambling
my thoughts are all over the place, but my focus right now is going to be on prayers.
God is showing me that i can't be silent.  i know that. i've been silent too long.  
55 million.  just think about that............
some of those 55 million are family members.  and i was silent.   
i don't yet know what i'm going to do.  
people have been praying, protesting, loving
and yet 55 million dead  and no remorse.


*disclaimer for anyone who is wondering:  i have never had an abortion and when i say family i am referring to my extended family, not my children.



Sunday, August 2, 2015

stop the slaughter

i know someone who had a late term abortion.

i don't blame her.  i blame those who suggested it and insisted on it being the only option.
i blame it on those who are part of the generation of liberation and ignorance.

i'm grateful for the fact that i was conceived and born before Roe v Wade.
otherwise i'm pretty sure there would be a significant chance that i would not be here to write this.

this is sad.

there is mercy and forgiveness for those who repent of their actions.
but there is no mercy or forgiveness for those who continue with the lies and deception of what is really going on here.
to take pride in the taking of an innocent life is the ultimate in depravity.
it's not "tissue"
its a human being with a beating heart.

i have been guilty of turning my head and looking the other way.
saying that i am pro-life is just lip service.
they are just words.
what do i do to show it?
i've never been tested by this.
life is wonderful in my little bubble world.

i can't save the world.
but can i save just one baby?
can i be more than just about words?

i know that the number one thing i am called to do is to pray.
nothing is more important than calling on God and seeking His will and His wisdom.

this is a good beginning.
a starting point.

there are other ideas and/or habits i've been kicking around.
i'll share them here when i get some solid plan.

all i know right now is that i was angry.
then i was sad.
and now i'm angry, sad, and determined.

i'm embarrassed to say that it took news of an abortion mill selling baby parts to wake me up.
but i'm awake now and i'm promising not to sleep again.

Monday, July 20, 2015

ignorant bliss

i'm a thinker.  i think too much.
things have to make sense to me.
i try to think about things until i can figure out how they make sense.....in some way....in any way....
sometimes it's such a stretch.
to try to figure out how someone else could possible even think that something makes sense.

are you still following me?

all of this thinking is getting to be too much for my brain.
the world has truly gone mad.....or has it?
.....maybe i'm the one who has gone mad?  some days.....
it feels that way.

at this point in time i feel overwhelmed by the world.
the entire freaking world that sits right there.....at the end of my driveway.
sometimes i feel like i want to just stockpile food and quit my job, cancel the tv and internet and just...........live in ignorant bliss for a while.
i really, really, really could do this!!!

but!  is that being realistic?  no....probably not.
could i just pick one or two of those things off of that list and do those???

the fact of the matter is this:  would burying my head in the sand save just ONE baby from being violently ripped from its mothers womb?  would it convince just ONE person to seek Jesus and not be a slave to sin?  would it do anyone any good?  including myself?

there are too many voices out there leading people astray.  there are too many Christians out there who are silent on the topics of sin and repentance.  they want to just say "my job is to love and God's job is to judge"................
......................really?
do we really want to just love people all the way to HELL???????

no one wants to offend.  no one wants to "judge"  no one wants to be that lone voice.
but i do.  i don't know why, but i do.

you see, there are these boys.  and i hate the world they must grow up in.  this world is dangerous, deceitful, and sinful.  the weight of feeling responsible for passing on God's word, teaching them to have a biblical worldview, and showing them how to live a godly life, well, it weighs heavy on me.
extremely heavy.  it seems to be so daunting of a task. my heart aches to think of any of them being led astray because we dropped the ball.  because we didn't want to offend.  because we didn't want to be different.

 because we wanted an easier life lived in ignorant bliss.........................

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

meltdown

yesterday i guess i had what is commonly referred to as a "meltdown"

ever since the supreme court decision to legalize same sex marriage was delivered to a divided american public, i have read opinion upon opinion on the subject.

i am more than firm on my position that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman,  ordained by God at creation.  i'm not going to go into detail about how the opposite sexes naturally compliment each other or how i believe that the relationship in marriage is supposed to reflect the relationship that Christ has with His church.  

suffice it to say that i will not ever be swayed from biblical truth.

at this moment my issue is with christians. i almost want to put "sarcastic quotes" (thanks matt walsh) around the word christians.  hmmmmm......wondering.......

anyway......

so much of what i'm hearing from my christian brothers and sisters is nothing more than watered-down theology.  it's like the majority of christians  tune into joel osteen every week to hear a "feel good" gospel message, if they even seek a message at all.

so........i melted.....i went outside.....i fell to my knees.......and i sobbed.  i sobbed because my heart is broken for the deceived.

and then i did what i do when my head is overloaded and jeff is not home for me to unload it on.

i wrote in a notebook.  the following is what i wrote.  except i wrote it in a HUGE, CRAZY, OUT OF CONTROL thought explosion sort of way.

watered down theology.  forgiveness without repentance???
do i even need a savior anymore?  if we don't mention sin how do we mention savior?  what is he saving us from?

God is love--love wins. can we love without bringing sexual deviance into it?  can i even say that????

are we accessories to sin when we don't talk about it anymore?

repent!  turn from your sins!  go and sin no more!!
our example in john the baptist preparing the way for our savior, and then Jesus himself telling sinners to sin no more.  to take up their cross and follow Him.  do we even know what that means???
are we no longer supposed to tell people this?  christians shouldn't talk about sin??? or use the word repent?????
we can't tell the world why we are upset?  why our hearts are broken for them?  we are just supposed to celebrate their sin with them?

i know our struggle isn't against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.  am i even allowed to say that??? am i allowed to say that people are allowing evil to creep into their hearts and minds??????

everyone!!!  stand up and admit our sins!!! we are all sinners, we all need a savior!!!  be real, let us dig deep and examine our hearts, let us fall on our faces before God and repent.  will the world still think it doesn't need this???

do we just love people and let God do the rest?  really?  do we???  what does this love look like?  because i'm struggling with that right now.  the reason i struggle with that is because when i love someone it involves being truthful and not quietly sitting by while sin invades their lives.  in that same respect i rely on those that love me to do the same for me.

it is quite frightening that so many christians will turn a blind eye to sin as if the God we love and worship is not righteous, holy, just and merciful.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

questions and prayers

i keep a notebook.  jeff would laugh at that statement because i have many, many notebooks and i'm always writing stuff down.

anyway....

i keep a notebook of prayers.  i write out my prayers at times.  it helps me to focus.  i have a hard time staying focused.

i wanted to share what i wrote in the last few days.  it is private, but needs to be public.  needs to be shared.

6/27/15
Father God,
my heart is grieving.  You led this country for so long.  at one time nearly everyone acknowledged that fact.  now.....this is what we have.  i am sad, but hopeful.  because i know whose hands i am held in.  i know who i belong to.  and it's not the gods of this world.  help me, Lord, to speak the truth.  to love.  to be a light in the world and not celebrate the dark.  thank you Lord.

6/28/15
Father,
i'm upset this morning.  it would be so easy to just disregard You and Your words and follow the rest of the world; be a part of the big party.  but what would i gain?  nothing.

following You Lord brings me peace and joy unspeakable.  it is a difficult road at times, filled with boulders and pitfalls. there are times that the world can make me feel wrong and defeated, and even other christians can make me feel wrong and defeated.

these are the words they banter around
"do not judge"  "do not be a stumbling block"  " just love"  "love your neighbor"

what do these things mean?

can i judge what is sin based on what i know is truth from scripture?
is my silence a stumbling block when i don't tell others the gospel message of sin-repentance-and forgiveness?
or is it a stumbling block when i do tell them?

love your neighbor.  love others.  love God.

i love You Lord with all of my heart, all of my soul, and all of my mind.
i see You God as a most loving parent.  You give me good things.  You teach me and mold me through your words and your Holy Spirit living inside me.  You remind me of my sins and my need to repent and be forgiven.  each day, each minute, i am reminded that i live to glorify You alone.

so if i am to reflect Your love, Lord to others, to the world, how does that look?
shouldn't it look the same as i described above?

the world and a big part of my christian brothers and sisters are promoting a love that i have not seen in scripture.  they are promoting a love that has no strings attached.  a love that doesn't lead anyone to the pathway of eternal life.

are we just supposed to tell the world that Your love is for everyone and Your grace is for us all and then leave it at that?  these are absolutely true statements, but is that where i'm supposed to stop?

am i not supposed to mention that the world needs a savior?  am i not supposed to tell them why we need a savior?  am i not supposed to mention  sin because that would be judging?  what constitutes sin?  do you decide or do we decide.  or do we let our earthly rulers decide it for us?

Lord, help me be strong enough and loving enough to speak the truth that the world needs to hear.
Heavenly Father please help me to not give my neighbors a false sense of eternal security.  help me to be able to disagree with others worldviews and not be angry.  help me to always remember that we are all made in Your image.  help me to remember that your adversary, satan, roams this earth seeking to destroy.  and it starts the moment we are conceived.  help me to lead my family alongside my husband to protect them and to humbly teach them Your ways only and to always lead them in the truth.
amen.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

the secret to a happy marriage is.....

THERE IS NO SECRET!!!

nothing at all can change the fact that growing a marriage and family is the hardest thing you will do for your entire life.

a long and happy marriage requires the husband and the wife to be selfless.  it's not a trait that everyone comes into marriage possessing.  sometimes it has to be learned.  sometimes it takes quite a while to get there.  that is why you should never give up.

you must wake up each day willing to go the extra mile or extra thousand miles for your spouse.  you must be willing to put their needs before your own.  it is dying to self fifty x fifty times a day in order to correct your course.  have i always known this?  have i always done this?  no.  but i am taking one day at a time.  we are taking one day at a time.  determined to get it right!

it is a shame that so many marriages fail because the people involved are only thinking of themselves, what they need, what they want. they don't want to invest the time it takes to see the results of living in a selfless way.

the benefits enjoyed are directly equal to the effort employed.

we are all inherently self-centered, selfish, and sinful.  it is a daily discipline to learn to be the opposite.

this is why God created marriage:  for mutual support,companionship, love, procreation, and revealing himself and His goodness.  the family, as God created it to be; father, mother, children, is a perfect picture of Gods love and care and provision for us.

as in everything else, God desires and deserves to be a part of our marriages.  He is the glue that holds it all together, just as He is the one that holds the planets spinning in space.  He is our creator and our sustainer in all things.

when we are happy, we praise Him!
when we are sad, we praise Him!
when it all seems to be falling apart, He will help you put it back together.

a good marriage is a good witness for Christ and His kingdom.
a marriage with God truly at the center cannot fail.

today is our 32nd wedding anniversary.  we have had our share of discontent, but we have also had more than an  abundance of happy!  because we built our life together on the solid rock--nothing could destroy it.

God owns this marriage.  what the world considers disposable we know to be eternal.
this marriage is refining us, teaching us, molding us into what God created us to be.
with each passing year it brings us closer to Him.

Friday, June 12, 2015

the soundtrack of our lives

i remember the first time i went to a baptist church.  the year was 1981 and the preacher was droning on about the evils of rock and roll music.  now, i was more of a "pop" music kind of girl, but i guess it's all the same.  i remember thinking to myself and then spouting off to jeff "this guy is judging my music and he is just old and out of touch!"

fast forward to approximately 1993.  up until this point secular music was the soundtrack of our life, in addition to disney songs and kids bible songs.  at this point my kids were 10, 7, and 5 and they are just beginning to sing along with the music.  hmmmmm........

a few more years pass and we start homeschooling.  i am being convicted left and right about things in my life and how i am raising my family.

.....and i notice that the kids are more and more being influenced by what their peers are listening to.
.....and a light bulb goes off in my head!

words are powerful.

sing them over and over again to a catchy beat and tell me they have no impact on your life.

by 1996 its christian contemporary music all the way at our house.  the new soundtrack to our days consisted of dc talk, audio adrenaline, and 4him just to name a few.

when the kids grew much older i could no longer "control" everything they did.  i know they joined their disillusioned peers and listened to some stuff that neither i nor their God would approve of.  at the same time i also backslid into listening to more and more "classic rock"

but i have been convicted again in regards to music.  probably because of all of these impressionable little boy faces that look up to us for guidance.  i will listen and even sing along to secular music only if i think it is something that God would smile upon.  sorry lady gaga music, you are in the trash can where you belong.  the words of the world have no place in my mind or on my lips.  it is a constant, daily struggle to try to keep my mind and heart pure.

i am so thankful for KLove radio and i proudly support it.  christian contemporary praise and worship music is a blessing in my life.  what joy to sing praises to my God!  what comfort to sing of His hope! and what lessons to take in as you sing these songs.

Monday, June 1, 2015

empty nest vs full life

there are moments when i really feel..... or realize....... or deeply think about the fact that my kids are grown and moved out and have their own homes and families.

it is a weird feeling.  i've got to say that it will probably take me decades to shake this feeling.  maybe i never will?

i miss having them here under the same roof and i miss all of the things we used to do together.

........and then again,

i like this quiet time.

i can do what I want!

but the reality is that i do all the same things.  it's just much more quiet.

i think about them all of the time.  when i wake up, when i go to bed, all throughout the day.  i pray for them.  for their days, for their marriages, for their parenting, for their health and for their safety.

i think that a mother can't help it.

yeah.....it's an odd feeling this empty nest brings.

but it's not truly empty.  not all of the time.

it is fuller.  sometimes to overflowing.

and then quiet again.

someday maybe i will get used to the rhythm of this season.

and in the meantime i will enjoy it.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

i was born that way?

i was born with a desire for carbs.  i love bread!!!!  i have struggled with this and its resulting effect on my figure for my whole life.  if i wasn't born that way, then being exposed to overeating of bread or other carbs  in my formative years contributed to my sinful desires for bread/carbs in my life.

i have a problem.  too much carbs in my life is not healthy for me.  it's just not good for me.  it is an unhealthy lifestyle.  some people might even say its a sin because sometimes i eat too much bread even though i know its wrong.  it very well may be.

now.....should all of the skinny, non-carb addicted people in the world despise me as a person and punish me by throwing rocks at me?  should they "create" laws specifically designed to punish me for this?

the answer is no.

and.....

should i force them to accept my carb addiction as an acceptable way of life?  teach the little kiddos that eating too many carbs is okay and normal?  should i make it illegal for anyone to speak out against the practice of over indulging in carbs?  should i humiliate them into silence about the dangers of a carb-filled lifestyle?

also the answer is no.

i need help!!  be my friend.  love me as you should love your neighbor.  and pray for me to overcome my carb loving lifestyle.  i know that with willpower and focusing on the way that God would want me to live my life to honor him that i would be humble and work toward being selfless in every area of my life.

including my attraction to bread..

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

it's not about LOVE

they like to call it a "love" issue.

if you are against people loving one another, then you are a hater.

heck, even Jesus preached a message of  "love one another".

so christians, how can you believe that it is wrong to "love one another" ?

well.....we can believe that it is wrong, in regards to homosexuality, because it's not about love.

..................it's about sex.

it's about what scripture says is normal, natural, God designed

as opposed to what man says is normal or man designed.

(now don't make me quote scripture here.  we all know it's there)

it's about what scripture tells us is wrong, ungodly, detestable.

(yup....it's in there)

no one in scripture ever came right out and asked Jesus about sexual relations between the same sex because they already knew the answer.  duh. (sodom and gomorrah were real to them)

so, if today, in 2015, Jesus came back and we could ask Him to elaborate His thoughts on this topic, He would give us His answer, probably in a parable which would refer us back to the scriptures.
(again, we all know which ones, don't make me quote.....but  i will if asked to nicely)

He would tell us to "love one another" and not to judge or condemn anyone, while at the same time He would tell us to avoid sin and the appearance of sin.  and.........................

..........................homosexuality is a sin.

yup...................lumped in there with lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, murder, drunkenness, and other sexual sins.  sin comes in many forms and lust for the same sex is one of them.

and..................

then there is the woman at the well.  the adulterer.  a sin.  Jesus told her that He did not condemn her.  He was paying the penalty for her sins because He loved her.

and.........................

then He told her to "GO AND SIN NO MORE."

you see, it's not a LOVE issue.  it's a self control issue.  sex was designed by God as a means to create a family and bond it together.

our sinful natures have made it into everything and anything anyone wants it to  be.

do I judge the homosexual?  in the biblical sense?  do I condemn them?  in other words.....

am I deciding their fate for all eternity?   no, i'm not.

God is the judge and all will be judged and either condemned or redeemed based on their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

can I be saved through Jesus from eternal punishment and still sin?  yes, i can.

therefore.................a homosexual can be saved, however, they will have to falsely interpret or totally disregard scripture if they want to continue being unrepentant of that sin.  this will lead to them suffering in body and spirit and also potentially causing others (christians)  to stumble in their walk.

if they remain unrepentant and militant, and prideful regarding their sin, then their salvation must be questioned and their theology considered false.

these are the most dangerous people because they can lead others astray in the name of Christ.

so...............................

should we as Christians LOVE all people?  yes.

should we follow them blindly and quietly down a path of destruction?  no.


Thursday, March 26, 2015

screen obsession

disclaimer:  i have wanted to live a tv free life for at least the last 20 years.  i'll probably never get my wish, but i can dream......................

this post is about that & the way the world is now a days with all this "connectiveness"


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

detached.........but connected.

facebook, twitter, instagram

likes, comments, followers, friends?

television, netflix, cable, 24 hour news, talking heads

watching people do stuff and go places instead of doing or going

watching fiction, fantasy, recreations, crime dramas.......aliens, bigfoots, monsters........

ignoring your kids, families, friends, strangers, obligations

to stare at a screen.....

        a black box on the wall

                                  table

                                         in your hand

                                                     on your lap

no conversations

just the tapped out words on a screen

                             or

     the endless blabbing on

mute the life in the box, but don't turn it off

screen relationships are easier.  you can walk away when you tire of it.  don't have to invest too much of yourself.

to know more about what's going on in the world

                  than you do about the people right in front of you

to seemingly care more about what a stranger on a screen has to say than what the person

right there with you has to say.


it's a shame........................

tune out.......................turn off...............................LOOK UP!!!!!!

set a timer

have a life

i'm really hoping that there is no television in Heaven.

i fantasize daily about bashing the television to bits with a baseball bat....................................




Sunday, March 15, 2015

our grandsons

we've got five of them!






 joe, (center) he's the oldest at 3 1/2.  brown hair with a double cowlick and brown eyes. he smiles with his eyes and crinkles up his nose and little mouth.  when he's really excited about something he will hop from foot to foot and clasp his hands.  he does that a little less as he gets older.  he absolutely loves to cuddle up and be read to or to watch "tunes" (cartoons).  he remembers everything you tell him.  he gets jokes and sarcasm already.  he seems to be growing like a weed--tall and thin.

ethan(right end), he comes second at 2 1/2.  he is our little towheaded whirlwind!  he is learning and testing his limits daily.  he is fearless and wild while at the same time he is sweet and kind.  he does have a devious & raspy laugh! and he loves to get a rise out of someone!  cars of all kinds are his favorite toy.  we love to see his smiling face in the window when we come down the driveway!

luke (green stripe shirt) is third at about 17 months.  he is our little tough guy.  he doesn't take anything from anyone.  he holds his own with the big boys.  and how to describe his smile? he always seems like he is up to something!  he is also the snuggliest and huggiest of all the boys--he hugs you tight and hangs on!

charlie (left end) is fourth and he is 14 months old.  he is very serious and contemplative.  he is content to do his own thing and he is very guarded of his personal space.  he is slow to warm up to you but when he does you are his friend!  when we come to visit he runs up to me and puts up his arms to be picked up and it makes me just melt!

calvin (dark blue shirt) is fifth in line and he is 13 months old.  he is the only one that is not quite walking yet.  when this boy smiles--watch out!  he smiles with his whole face and his laughter is contagious.  he is also quiet and cautious, but when he finally starts to walk we will probably see that change.

these boys are what make life wonderful and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.




Tuesday, February 10, 2015

get out your bible and check up on that

it is a difficult thing when you have to make the decision to walk away from your family.  it is not something anyone does lightly.  in my case it was years in the coming.  one baby step at a time until one day i realized that i didn't want to keep rebuilding the bridges between our lives.

i my case it comes down to this:

i am a bible believing christian
i refuse to bow to the gods of this world
i refuse to think, act, or believe as they do

therefore:

i am wrong
i am the hypocrite
i am the "bad" one



i understand where they are coming from.

i really do.

i have compassion on them for their brokenness

i really do.

we all suffer brokenness at times, but the way to healing is not by demeaning others. it is by seeking the healing that Jesus offers.

to my family, and to the world in general

MY LIFE JUDGES THEM

i don't have to say a word. but the way i have lived and continue to live my life causes them to feel judged.
i'm a hater because i refuse to think , believe, or act as they do.
in their eyes i am not allowed to have the beliefs and convictions that i have.

then......

they throw the Bible at me.........satan's most favorite form of deceit!

**love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. deut. 6:5

EVERYTHING in my life flows out of this portion of scripture.

i try not to take it personally when i am attacked for who i am.
and who i am is

A CHILD OF GOD!

it is difficult to blame broken people who desperately try to affirm themselves when no one else will.

it is difficult to even defend yourself against those who try to use the Bible as a means to attack rather than a means to convict.

i feel it is God's will for my life to cut the ties.  however, i feel it is also God's desire that i continue to pray for their salvation.  Jesus came to pay the penalty for the sins of us ALL.  but it is up to us to accept the fact that we are sinners in need of a savior.

the bottom line is this:

i love God more than anything or anyone in this world.  and i could write volumes on how this can and does impact our lives and relationships.

so......

do i need to get out my Bible and check up on that?

the answer is YES!!

and i do so daily.




Friday, February 6, 2015

my thoughts on being a "cult leader"

i am a bible believing christian.
my parent(s) and siblings(except for one) and their families are unsaved, worldly people.

they refer to me as the "cult leader" because i raised my family different than they did theirs.

to my unsaved family members, our christian beliefs and worldview bothers them.  they have to defend their choices by trying to tear mine apart.

and they have plenty of company on that wide road that leads to destruction.

while i, on the other hand, have tried to lead my family to the narrow path that leads to life.
and here we will stay.  set apart.  living daily to try to please our Lord and Savior.

our goal in life is not to look like the rest of the world and to please them.  sorry.

i wasn't sure how i felt about the title "cult leader", so i looked up the definition of
cult:  devoted attachment to a person, principle.

hmmmm.  yeah, it fits.  i have a devoted attachment to Jesus Christ and the word of God.

i have fully accepted the responsibility given to me by God to teach and lead my children.
and now my work isn't done.  there is another generation that needs me to help lead them.
this is my work until God leads me home.

i am proud of my family.  i give God all of the praise and glory for every blessing we enjoy and for every lesson we have learned, and continue to learn.

i know what parenting without God's guidance looks like and feels like because that is how I grew up.
no child should ever have to navigate the perils of growing up on their own.
children are not an inconvenience of life that need to be managed.  they are gifts from God and should be loved and led back to Him.

"cult leader"
yup
i'm proud of that title
it tells me that my family does not look like all of the rest
and for that i am thankful

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

legacy and hope for the future

my father died on january 1st

this is the speech i gave at the prayer service

*I'm not grieving for the loss of my father.
I'm not sad that he is gone.
My father was a stranger to me.
And I was a stranger to him.
I decided early on to follow a different path.
I guess you could say that I longed for something I didn't have.
I took it all in and purposed to not make the mistakes with my precious family that my father had made with his.

I chose the narrow path that leads to life.
I decided to follow Jesus.
I gave Him my life, my  marriage, and my family.
It hasn't always been an easy road and I've made my share of mistakes along the way.
But I never lost my purpose and my focus.
What it has been is a road of peace and love and forgiveness, if not in my extended family, then for sure in my immediate family.
I have learned so much in this life, but it is a journey and I am not finished learning yet.

I don't want to speak negative words today.
The past is gone.
We have this moment.  Right now.
To make a decision that will not only transform your life, but the lives of those around you.
I've prayed for the salvation of my extended family members for so long. And I will never stop praying and hoping.

I've watched a brother die and not have an assurance that he heard our death bed pleas for him to give his heart to Jesus.

I've watched another brother come to accept the truth after a lifetime of searching for what was missing.  And I've also watched him not fully embrace all that is offered or required of him, until now.

I've watched other siblings struggle through life without direction.  Trying to fill the emptiness with everything else the world has to offer.  Just trying to find the validation of their worth, even if it meant demeaning anothers worth.

And now I watch the next generation go through the same struggles.
It makes me sad to think of their pain, but I know that Jesus is right here.
Waiting patiently for them.
My prayer and hope for all of my family is for them to realize that this is about eternity.
This is about forever.
Our time here is so short.
What a blessing it is when God allows you to get a taste of the peace and joy He has in store for us all.
It is possible.  It is our choice.
We can choose to acknowledge our need of a father.  A father who won't ever fail us.  A father who loves us unconditionally,  walks beside us each and every day of our lives, and has prepared a place for us, with Him, forever.

Just take His hand and let Him lead you.

As for my father, I may have had a sign.
A glimmer of hope in his forever story.
A week before he died I received a text  and this is what it said:
priest came in yesterday and dad had confession and communion.  He talked to the priest for a long time.  He has seemed more at peace since the visit.
As I read this text to Jeff, a music box sitting up on the shelf began to play.  The song was Oh Holy Night
Long lay the world, in sin and error, pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

I have a hope that Jesus appeared to my father and that he ran into His arms