Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I Timothy 4:7


I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

God's Knot

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should seek Him first to find her."


   Marriage is a divine institution with a purpose.. What God has brought together, let no man destroy. It is mutual love, respect, and devotion between two people. As Christians, we are meant to be attracted to one another and one of the most amazing attainments in our journey is find another christian soul that we can completely bestow ourselves to and raise a family. I was asked recently to lay out my three most important goals as a christian. I answered:


 1. Love as many people as I can, as much as I can and try to put them before myself. I want to be able to love as Jesus loved.
2. I want to help anyone who is less fortunate than me, or anyone who may just need my help. I want to live a life in service of others, not myself.
3. Raise a christian family.


   Anyone who knows me well, knows that I want children more than anything, however, I was told by a doctor that it will be difficult for me to have my own children. I was absolutely devastated when this news was broken to me. I prayed persistently and finally made an agreement with God. I prayed that if He gave me my own children, I would do everything in my power to show them His love, power, and compassion. I would make sure that I lived in such a way that I could raise my kids to know Him. I will also make sure that when I'm ready to "tie the knot" that the man I choose will be just as determined to establish a christian home.
   All of this initiated my thoughts on what a christian wife's responsibilities should be.
God explains His relationship to us is through the metaphor of marriage and so we are, spiritually speaking, God's wives. It is therefore important for us to know what a husband should expect of a wife as well as what a wife should expect of a husband. This knowledge will not only improve our relationship with the Lord but it will clarify what is expected of us in our own marriages. Sometimes I'm afraid that in the name of equality, we have blurred the lines and removed the wonderful distinction between man and woman. We have offered substitutes for the family. After the fall of Adam and Eve, God gave Eve a new role; she was told that her desire shall be for her husband and that her husband would rule over her. I had, at one point in my life, considered not getting married. What would I do then? Must women marry in order to have direction?
   I believe that a man should be the head of his household; a provider and protector. Likewise, I believe a wife should be the care giver both to children and caring for the home. I think both man and woman can also learn from one another as far as spirituality. I also believe both should submit to the other's loving relationship and should work together to maintain the family.
With the fall and its curse came the distortion of woman's proper submissiveness and man's proper authority. As a result, women have a sinful inclination to usurp man's authority, and men have a sinful inclination put women under his feet. This was not part of God's original design for man and woman. So where is the balance? Does a man's authority end in the household, or simply with religion? How much should a wife submit to her husband?

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Life or Death .. Our Choice ?



How Do We As Christians Approach Abortion?
The Bible never specifically addresses the issue of abortion. However, Jeremiah 1:5 implies that God knows us before He forms us in the womb. The foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1 also implies this point. Psalm 139:13-16 speaks of God’s active role in our creation and formation in the womb. Consequently, does Exodus 21 accurately prescribe the same penalty for someone who causes the death of a baby in the womb as for someone who commits murder? For the Christian, is abortion a matter of a woman’s right to choose, or is it a matter of the life or death of a human being made in God’s image.
The first argument that always arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about cases of rape and/or incest?” As horrible as it would be to become pregnant as a result of rape and/or incest, is the murder of a baby the answer? Two wrongs do not make a right. The child who is a result of rape/incest could be given in adoption to a loving family unable to have children on their own, or the child could be raised by its mother. Again, the baby is completely innocent; should it be punished for the evil acts of its father?
The second argument that usually arises against the Christian stance on abortion is “What about when the life of the mother is at risk?” Honestly, this is the most difficult question to answer on the issue of abortion. First, let’s remember that this situation is the reason behind less than one-tenth of one percent of the abortions done in the world today. Second, let’s remember that our God is a God of miracles. He can preserve the life of a mother and a child despite all the medical odds being against it, but the best option in this situation is to pray for wisdom. (I'm really open to feedback on this point.)
Over 95 percent of the abortions performed today involve women who simply do not want to have a baby. Less than 5 percent of abortions are for the reasons of rape, incest, or the mother's health at risk. I believe the life of a human being in the womb is worth every effort to allow the child to be born.
I don’t want this article to insult or offend; I guess I am simply stating my opinion and my interpretation of the bible on this matter and asking for feedback.  I also do not intend to proof text. This is a subject I have formed a very bias opinion about. I know that angels or prophets no longer foretell the births of man, but does that give us as humans the right to decide who lives and dies? When does a fetus become a baby, or a human? When is a baby considered a soul, and when is it just a fetus? I understand that there are extenuating circumstances, and I cannot not properly argue them because I have fortunately never been placed in those situations, but what if Mary had decided she was “not ready” to be a mother and had aborted our savior?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Psalm 40:2

"He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, he set my feet upon a rock and made my steps secure."
Psalm 40:2

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sinful Tendencies



A personality is an organized pattern of behavioral characteristics and it is the total physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual. These characteristics influence peoples’ cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. It is these characteristics that define us as people, but how do they define us as Christians?
God placed within each of us different personality traits and gifts. To some, he gave the ability to speak and teach, but to some, he gave the gift of writing or singing. Most people believe that God blessed everyone with at least one spiritual gift that we could use to glorify him.
         So my question is, if God places spiritual gifts within us, does he also place sinful tendencies? As far as personality, some people are passive and some are aggressive. Some people are intellectual and some are engineered for sports. Likewise, some people are born with certain traits that are reared toward anger or alcoholism. I am, unfortunately, one of those people who is quick to anger, which causes me to sin (especially if I’m watching sports).  Alcoholism has been proven to be genetic, which can cause an individual to stumble simply because of genetic make up.
What is my point in all of this? I am simply implying that God places within us sinful tendencies like anger and lust, however, it is our choice whether or not to act on these impulses. I have a short temper, but if I strive to stay calm in certain situations, then I can control my anger.
         We must overcome obstacles every single day, and luckily there are people who are willing to help others. I watch the show Intervention, and every time I do I think to myself:
“Wow, those people are sick and need help.” They chose to act on their sinful tendencies and are leading lives that they need help out of. We as christians are obligated to do just that.
I have just one last question. Why is it that we as Christians are so willing to help the alcoholic, the prostitute, and the drug addict, but we look down so shamefully on Homosexuals? They might live a sinful lifestyle, but so do gamblers. If someone is gay, and they are born with this sinful tendency, why don’t we try to help them overcome their struggle? I can’t even control a small anger problem to prove to my God that I can conquer the trials placed before me; imagine if I could conquer homosexuality; think how strong of a Christian I would be.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Prayer

Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.


Prayer is not a task, it is a gift. If we had the opportunity to communicate one-on-one with a celebrity, we would tackle the chance with upmost enthusiasm.. Why can’t we be like that for our God? Why do we avoid prayer, or speed through it like an annoying trip to Wal-Mart; only snatching up the essentials while trying not to waste too much time. Pray without ceasing, and pray about everything, because with God, there are no secrets. He knows our hearts.
The devil does not parade about broadcasting himself to make it easy for us to avoid him. His most powerful tool is our inability to recognize our own carelessness. Satan simply presents us with time wasting obstacles. The busier we are, the more we tend to push God aside. Many of us associate prayer with stillness and quiet reflection in a place removed from the distraction and noise of everyday life. However, as long as we pray earnestly, God hears us, no matter what time of day or where we are.
He wants us to talk to him, and that is why he gave us the ability to pray. He gave us the ability to pray for supplication, adoration, praise, encouragement, contribution, or, if you are like me, you pray for anything and everything. I can specifically remember driving down the road the other day, and I spotted a gorgeous arrangement of wild roses on the median, and I thanked God for those roses.
So we should take prayer off our To Do list, and put it on our Want To Do list. We should look forward to our talks with God. We should actually pray for those people that we promise we will pray for, and then forget about later. Prayer doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be honest. God blessed us with open communication. He even threw in free nights and weekends.  ;)


Ahavah Rabbah – with great love..

Friday, October 29, 2010


It is better to inspire than to argue.. 

One Day At A Time

God grant me an open mind and willing heart..


God grant me the
Serenity to accept things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can, and the
Wisdom to know the difference
Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all that I have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of my past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for me and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when I feel it is hopeless

Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it; 
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life 
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.

Keeping Quiet

  We all have questions. Everyone has questions, however, not everyone always searches for answers. It was not until my freshman year of high school that I learned the consequences of asking questions. For years I sat back quietly, as did everyone else I knew and allowed information to be shoveled into my brain. Information, not knowledge. As I was sitting in my ninth grade trigonometry class, I began to feel frustrated. For some unknown reason, I could not help but feel that my teacher was, in some way, degrading me. Up until this point, all I had ever done in math class was memorize. I memorized formula after formula, equation after equation. I knew all the correct steps to solve a math problem and which formula to use, but I was not completely clear on why I was supposed to use these specific formulas. So, either out of spite or sheer boredom, I raised my hand. I was called on. I asked one question. Why do we have to use this formula and why do I have to go about this way or that to solve this problem and why do we have to only answer this part of this problem.
  My teacher did not answer right away. She simply stared at the board as if awaiting for its reply. Then she turned around and said in the most matter-of-fact sort of way, "That's just the way it is."
Wow. I was shocked at the blandness of this answer, and I was, of course, dissatisfied. I then began to think of my christianity.  I had always gone to church because I raised that way (even though I can distinctly remember a period in my life that my dad had to drag me by my hair). I had believed the stories I was told, and obeyed the rules and guidelines that had been set before me. I believed all these things because that was what I had been told and that's "just the way it is."
  As I got older, I became more and more discontented with just accepting what was told to me. I wanted to know more in depth explanations for why I had to abide by so many rules. I dove head first into this challenge during my senior year of high school and I took a "go big or go home" approach to the whole thing. I have since discovered a vast abundance of questions, answers, more questions, and disturbances that I never knew existed. I had a few conversations with very few people about some of the questions I had cooked up and ascertained that asking too many questions was not always a good thing. So I made myself a promise. A promise to continue on my journey through my faith and study all I can and ask as many questions as I can for as long as my God will allow. However, I will do so quietly, so as not to disturb the balance that a few bigoted and self righteous people maintain. They sprinkle this world and hide behind what others have placed into their minds claiming it as their own opinion.. after all, "that's just the way it is."