Have you heard about the letter that Focus on the Family's Action Committee released? It is a HYPOTHETICAL look back at four years of an Obama presidency. It discusses legislation that could potentially be passed based on Obama's current voting records.
I read it and it is scary.
Many people are calling it outrageous and are criticizing Focus on the Family for using scare tactics.
I would really like to know what you think. Are we so desensitized to absolute truth that we criticize an honest assessment of what our future could look like? Or have we gone too far in our criticism and abandoned moral decency? Is it scare tactics or is it a fair projection? Are we as Christians to boldly venture this far out into the political arena, or are we to quietly watch and pray for our leadership?
As of this morning, there is a Facebook group 5500 strong and counting (after only being in existence for three days) of bipartisan Christians against the Focus letter.
I have many thoughts, but am anxious to hear yours. Read it and let us know what you think. (Couldn't figure out the link- just copy and paste the url) http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf
L
Showing posts with label Deep Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deep Thoughts. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Babylon on NBC
It am not so surprised, but frustrated by watching PrimeTime television tonight...my daughters and I LOVE watching The Biggest Loser! I mean we really love it! And tonight we had to contend with "...open up a can of Whoop A**", "Beat the Crap out of them", "I'm real pi**ed off" and "Hard as Hell"...and these were the words they didn't bleep out! Both my girls reacted to these with the appropriate "Whooo, mom, did you hear what they said?!?" But then I was SO shocked by what one of the trainers said to one of the contestents. Evidently, one of the contestent's parents got divorced and she was really upset talking about it. Well the 'pep talk' from the trainer went like this...(and I quote b/c I do have the TiVo)... "So, your mom and your dad are together, she falls out of love, she leaves him for another man...Your mom did the best thing she ever could have done getting out of that marriage. You know why? She wasn't happy...If she wasn't in love, then she wasn't in love...For once in her life, she put herself first. Have you ever done that?...It could be the greatest gift she'll ever give you. The truth of the matter is that you need to take care of you." So then I just had to pause it...and explain...we don't believe that...that's what the world tells us ~ we should be first, we deserve to be happy - no matter who it hurts...I asked them what God's Word says...so we really talked about it...how we are set apart, marked by Christ to be different! It's amazing to think that God has chosen us and expects us to be in this world, at this time, in these circumstances, and be obedient to His Word...How awesome is that, and how hard.
Can anybody say "Daniel".
"J"
Can anybody say "Daniel".
"J"
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Happy Back-To-School
Today was a bittersweet day for many Moms in my little corner of the world. Today was a day for rejoicing mixed with sorrow. Tears mixed with sighs of relief. The first day of school was today, and with it came a variety of mixed emotions.
We have had a great summer. My family has gone to the beach several times, the pool a LOT of times, and simply spent good, quality time together. Well, except for the day I told S that I was going to smash the DVD player in the car with a baseball bat if she asked me if we could watch a movie in the car one more time. That probably wasn't the best example of quality time, but we'll just forgive and forget. (By the way, she responded, "Dat makes me SO MAD when you say dat Mommy!"At least the girl is in touch with her inner emotions)
So today as I sent my oldest to 3rd grade and my middle daughter to Kindergarten, I was happy for them, but sad for me. I am going to miss the flexibility of summer schedules, not having set bedtimes and homework deadlines, and being able to stay in pajamas as long as we want to. And I have to admit that the thought of S and I having an entire month alone with no sisters to play with and no preschool scares me A LOT.
But as I was thinking about all of this today, I ran into a Mom who reminisced with me about her youngest child's first day of school. She remembers vividly calling a friend when he got on the bus and saying cheerfully, "Do you know what today is??? The FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" She was so excited to have everybody in school she didn't know what to do. And then she looked at me and said, "Seems like just yesterday." Then she asked me, "Do you know what today is? Today is his last day at home. He leaves for college tomorrow." As we wiped our tears we were reminded how swiftly time passes and how precious each day is.
So happy-back-to school for all you readers out there. It's a wonderful time to reflect on the new beginnings we have each day with our sweet Savior. Take time to reflect on memories made, and ones yet to come.
And for all you Moms w/preschoolers still at home just counting the minutes until Labor Day because PRESCHOOL STARTS THE NEXT DAY, hang in there and know that I feel your pain. I especially felt it when S took the new shampoo bottle and "washed" her hair with it in the den this afternoon. But just remember that all too soon, we'll have clean houses, new-looking furniture, peace and quiet.....and we'll be looking back on these school days and wishing we had just a few more.
L
We have had a great summer. My family has gone to the beach several times, the pool a LOT of times, and simply spent good, quality time together. Well, except for the day I told S that I was going to smash the DVD player in the car with a baseball bat if she asked me if we could watch a movie in the car one more time. That probably wasn't the best example of quality time, but we'll just forgive and forget. (By the way, she responded, "Dat makes me SO MAD when you say dat Mommy!"At least the girl is in touch with her inner emotions)
So today as I sent my oldest to 3rd grade and my middle daughter to Kindergarten, I was happy for them, but sad for me. I am going to miss the flexibility of summer schedules, not having set bedtimes and homework deadlines, and being able to stay in pajamas as long as we want to. And I have to admit that the thought of S and I having an entire month alone with no sisters to play with and no preschool scares me A LOT.
But as I was thinking about all of this today, I ran into a Mom who reminisced with me about her youngest child's first day of school. She remembers vividly calling a friend when he got on the bus and saying cheerfully, "Do you know what today is??? The FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" She was so excited to have everybody in school she didn't know what to do. And then she looked at me and said, "Seems like just yesterday." Then she asked me, "Do you know what today is? Today is his last day at home. He leaves for college tomorrow." As we wiped our tears we were reminded how swiftly time passes and how precious each day is.
So happy-back-to school for all you readers out there. It's a wonderful time to reflect on the new beginnings we have each day with our sweet Savior. Take time to reflect on memories made, and ones yet to come.
And for all you Moms w/preschoolers still at home just counting the minutes until Labor Day because PRESCHOOL STARTS THE NEXT DAY, hang in there and know that I feel your pain. I especially felt it when S took the new shampoo bottle and "washed" her hair with it in the den this afternoon. But just remember that all too soon, we'll have clean houses, new-looking furniture, peace and quiet.....and we'll be looking back on these school days and wishing we had just a few more.
L
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Life Lessons
So I've been thinking a lot lately about commitment. It's a word that we toss around a lot and we think we understand. After all, we're supposedly "committed" to lots of things- our marriages, our churches, our jobs, our kids are "committed" to a number of activities, etc.
I've been thinking about commitment because my oldest daughter P has expressed great interest in joining a swim team. When she first learned to swim she looked like Phoebe on "Friends" in that episode where she is jogging through Central Park and Rachel is embarrassed to run with her. You know the one where she is flapping her arms and waving wildly. Thank goodness she has come a long way since then and has been told swimming would be something she could be successful in! So we, being the dutiful parents that we are, began to check it out.
In reading the "commitment" to swim on a team you see sentences like this:
Only for the most dedicated swimmers.
A commitment to the sport is mandatory.
Practice is 6 – 9 times per week with additional dryland work.
If attendance becomes irregular, the swimmer will be moved down a group.
MEET PARTICIPATION IS MANDATORY.
Yikes! I have visions of our lives being consumed by driving back and forth to the pool, eating dinner in drive-throughs every night and being a slave to the calendar instead of having leisurely summers of little or no plans. So we have decided to wait on the swimming.
That is not to say we won't decide to pursue it another time, or another similar activity with one of our kids at some point. Because I really do get the equation: Dedication + Commitment= Success. It really does. The more you practice, the better you get. And I am in a profession that demands commitment so I really do get it.
But here's what I've been thinking.
What if we began to see that Dedication + Commitment= Success is really true in ALL areas of our lives. And what if we began to see that the success the world offers is SHORT-LIVED in comparison to eternity? And what if we took that same equation and applied it to our spiritual disciplines? What if our rules for the Christian life were written out for us like the swim team rules? What if they said this:
Only for the most dedicated followers of Jesus.
A commitment to studying scripture is mandatory.
Read the Bible 6 – 9 times per week with additional work any chance you get.
If church attendance becomes irregular, the Christian will be disconnected.
MEETING TOGETHER AS A BODY OF BELIEVERS IS MANDATORY.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad that the Christian life is not a legalistic list of do's and dont's. But my point is this: If we took our spiritual lives as seriously as we take other wordly things that will not last, then we would have success that DOES last! Our rewards (success) would be the affirmation of our Creator when He looks at us and says "Well done, good and faithful servant." We would have the joy that comes from abiding in Him and a knowledge of His word that is applicable in every situation in our lives.
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" -Phillipians 3:14
Success in this life does require commitment. But so does the gift of eternal life. It requires a full-out life-changing Jesus-following commitment.
So as I contemplate how I want to spend my time, I'm gonna go w/the long-term. To me that's a prize that's really worth it.
L
I've been thinking about commitment because my oldest daughter P has expressed great interest in joining a swim team. When she first learned to swim she looked like Phoebe on "Friends" in that episode where she is jogging through Central Park and Rachel is embarrassed to run with her. You know the one where she is flapping her arms and waving wildly. Thank goodness she has come a long way since then and has been told swimming would be something she could be successful in! So we, being the dutiful parents that we are, began to check it out.
In reading the "commitment" to swim on a team you see sentences like this:
Only for the most dedicated swimmers.
A commitment to the sport is mandatory.
Practice is 6 – 9 times per week with additional dryland work.
If attendance becomes irregular, the swimmer will be moved down a group.
MEET PARTICIPATION IS MANDATORY.
Yikes! I have visions of our lives being consumed by driving back and forth to the pool, eating dinner in drive-throughs every night and being a slave to the calendar instead of having leisurely summers of little or no plans. So we have decided to wait on the swimming.
That is not to say we won't decide to pursue it another time, or another similar activity with one of our kids at some point. Because I really do get the equation: Dedication + Commitment= Success. It really does. The more you practice, the better you get. And I am in a profession that demands commitment so I really do get it.
But here's what I've been thinking.
What if we began to see that Dedication + Commitment= Success is really true in ALL areas of our lives. And what if we began to see that the success the world offers is SHORT-LIVED in comparison to eternity? And what if we took that same equation and applied it to our spiritual disciplines? What if our rules for the Christian life were written out for us like the swim team rules? What if they said this:
Only for the most dedicated followers of Jesus.
A commitment to studying scripture is mandatory.
Read the Bible 6 – 9 times per week with additional work any chance you get.
If church attendance becomes irregular, the Christian will be disconnected.
MEETING TOGETHER AS A BODY OF BELIEVERS IS MANDATORY.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad that the Christian life is not a legalistic list of do's and dont's. But my point is this: If we took our spiritual lives as seriously as we take other wordly things that will not last, then we would have success that DOES last! Our rewards (success) would be the affirmation of our Creator when He looks at us and says "Well done, good and faithful servant." We would have the joy that comes from abiding in Him and a knowledge of His word that is applicable in every situation in our lives.
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" -Phillipians 3:14
Success in this life does require commitment. But so does the gift of eternal life. It requires a full-out life-changing Jesus-following commitment.
So as I contemplate how I want to spend my time, I'm gonna go w/the long-term. To me that's a prize that's really worth it.
L
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