Must Links

I have more links that are musts. I am almost jumping up and down with excitement after following many links that have led me to other links, etc. etc. So many folks are posting good stuff. Go to Cathy's to get a few of them. I am refreshed and renewed in Christ today! Heaven is my home! I love my country, but my primary citizenship is in heaven! Nothing NOTHING can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. No government here on earth can take away what Christ is to me. Yes, the days ahead may be difficult; they already have been. Surely we knew we were living in trying times, anyway. God is drawing us closer to Himself--I just know He is. Praise Him!

My daughter Neesie has linked to a beautiful post written by a young black woman. Please follow that link and look into Jasmine's heart and be blessed if you would.

Also, one of the links from Cathy had a link to another post, written by a man named Randy Alcorn, which is a must read. Please take the time--it will be well spent.

America Has Chosen a President

Well, it's all over, and yes, America has chosen a President. All day I've been thinking about how to close out this series and all day I've been praying for the Lord to make my heart be what He wants it to be at this time. I want to respond to this enormous event in a righteous way that's pleasing to my Lord. It's been hard and I've been floundering since nine o'clock last night. Then, in God's providence, I was led to an article written today by a man who I'm not too familiar with, but as I read it, I knew it was what I needed. I knew Mr. Mohler's response is the response that God wants from me. By the time I finished reading it to my husband, I broke down in tears, because God had answered my prayers. (Guess you've noticed that crying comes easily for me these days.) I would ask that you read it, too. Maybe God will lead you to the same place:

The Albert Mohler Program

I'm officially closing out the election series, but I think that perhaps I'll keep "The American Dream" as a label that I'll post under from time to time, bringing thoughts and links and other things that seem appropriate, as my dream for this country has not died by any means. Hope yours hasn't either. After all, we have a God to turn to who can do anything.

Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. Jeremiah 32:17.

Casting My Vote

As I said the other day, I'm glad this will soon be behind us and we can move on. I have never in my life seen a more emotional election. We all know it's a historic one, but never before has there been so much emotion. This has not only been a historic and emotional day for me, but one of prayer. I don't know when I've felt the need more. I went to the polls where the entire room was filled with excited and exhuberant Obama supporters, rejoicing already in their victory. For some reason, I understood their feelings, their sense of history being made. I can't blame them for that.

Then I stepped into the booth and cast my vote for McCain/Palin with tears in my eyes. I don't know why the tears came. Maybe because I felt I was voting on the losing side? Or were they more tears of thankfulness to be able to do this simple act of faith, that I was voting for a cause which I thought was right, just as all those others were? Mine was just different. What will God do with that one little vote of mine? One thing He will do is give me a clear conscience and a determination to be a better Christian in the days ahead. Will the days ahead be more difficult for Christians in America? Only time will tell. Maybe we have had it too easy. Maybe that's why we've become so lax about our faith. Maybe hard times would be good for us. But I have satisfaction in knowing I have cast a vote for the life of the unborn, for family values, parental rights, a free enterprise system, national security, and a bit more I hold dear.

God makes the final call. He alone is the sovereign one who rules over all. If He has decided that He wants my candidate to win, then no one can stand in his way. But if He has determined that His will is different than mine, I will have a President whom I didn't want, but who will be President of this great country and therefore will have my support as far as I can give it, and he'll certainly have my prayers. And I promise to not trash him and bash him for his failures as so many have done his predecessor. I 'll give those failures over to God too.

On both sides, I've read and heard and seen a lot of mean and nasty things directed at the other side. This country needs some serious healing. I hope we can all work on that. And let's all remember something important: there is only one true Messiah. His Name is Jesus. If anyone can change this country and this world, He alone can. Let's worship Him only. And get busy serving Him in whatever lies ahead.

My Endorsement

Well, soon it will be all over. Soon we will know for sure. I'm glad. I have to say I'm tired of it all. This has been really something; I've never seen anything like it. Well, we all know God is in control and no one can be President or king or anything else without His allowing it to be. But I did just read an interesting post at a blog today. And what it was saying is that even though God is in control, we, the people, do make the choice. And the fact is that God will give our country exactly what we choose or should I say, exactly what we want. And that's whether it's a good choice or a bad one. So, we the people of the United States of America are going to make one of the most important decisions in our country's history. And God is going to give us the President we ask for. Remember Israel? They wanted a king so they could be like all the other nations around them, and God gave them the king they wanted. Read all about it in I Samuel 8.

Choices can be difficult to make. I knew I needed to make one and frankly, this summer I wasn't sure what I was going to do about this election. I sincerely considered a third party candidate. But I have made a decision early this fall and I'm comfortable with it now. At first I wasn't going to come right out with an endorsement of a particular candidate. Like my endorsement means anything, right? :-) But it means something for me. It's something I'll need to live with all my life. And like any decision we make, we could be wrong. We're fallible creatures for sure. But I've decided to support my candidate for the sake of conscience and what for me is the most intelligent decision I can make. I hope I'm not thinking selfishly, but as a citizen and for the whole, rather than just myself and family. Others are seeking to do the same, I know, and some are making a different decision. We can't all be right. Some body's wrong on one side. Or maybe all sides are wrong. But one thing is for sure, all sides aren't right. (I think Abe Lincoln said something like that once.)

Enough of all that. Obviously, I changed my mind and have decided to announce, at the eleventh hour, which candidate I support. I just wanted to make it known that I am endorsing John McCain for President. Not much of a surprise you're thinking. Not necessarily. It took me a bit of a time to get to this. Like I said, I thought about a third party candidate for a while. But then, in the long run, I felt it was best and more sensible not to do that.

So, my rationale for my endorsement of the Senator from Arizona:

1. I trust him. I think he has proven himself. (Now I did not say he's not made any mistakes!) Also, on this point, I can say I've come to like the man. I didn't at first. Another thing I like is that he's old. Don't laugh--I always like to have older people in important jobs. Always did, even when I was young. Old folks often have a lot of wisdom packed up in that brain of theirs. And those jokes and insinuations about his age which I've heard and read bounce right off me.

2. He's a Republican. Now it doesn't sound too smart to say that, but let me explain: I really believe it would be best if we didn't have very liberal Democrats in both the Congress and the White House. The D's and R's tend to balance each other out, which really is much better for all, in my opinion.

3. He seems to be pretty solid on the moral issues. He has stated clearly that he's pro-life and believes life begins at conception and he doesn't seem to be shaky on his view of traditional marriage. He also is a proponent of parental rights in education. These issues are big for me because I believe the next President will be making some pretty important judicial appointments. This could make a big difference regarding which way our country goes in these respects.

4. Even though, in my opinion, he didn't get some of his points across too eloquently in the debates, I believe he has a good handle on foreign policy. I agree with him on winning the war. I'm very hesitant to let anyone else try to handle that touchy situation.

5. I DEFINITELY am with him on the economy. We have a huge mess on our hands, which I believe to be the fault of both parties, the Congress, the administration, and the corporate world, but that's another story. Whoever becomes President is going to inherit this mess and I feel much safer if the next administration adopts policies as outlined by Mr. McCain. I wanted to talk quite a bit about how I feel about these things, but time won't allow. Let's just say that I am a capitalist and prefer limited government. I would like to see private organizations and individuals, and especially churches, do more for the needy among us, as I am quite fearful about too much big government in our lives. In many countries that has led to tyranny. I also believe McCain's plan of lessening the tax burdens on the larger corporations will in the long run filter down to the main street people by way of jobs and lower prices. I have this sense about him that he's not all gloom and doom about the state of things, but really does believe in the resiliency and capabilities of our people. I tend to agree. I'm kind of dumb about the economy, but that's the way I see it after the whole tax thing was explained by various people with good financial minds.

6. I am thankful that he has a conservative and bright running mate. Now I need to admit: This was a tough one for me. I have been back and forth about how I feel about a woman President if it should happen. (I'm being honest!) I just haven't been totally sure what I think of it and at first didn't even know if it was biblical. I've settled that part of it and have come to be more comfortable with her. For some reason, I've not been worried about the whole experience part of it. From what I've seen of Gov. Palin, she could do it. And I have to say, I think she'd do it well. It's kind of funny. I know he's older, but sometimes folks talk as if McCain's going to drop dead a day after taking office. I think if he were to get into office, the Lord would allow him a year or two of life. Hey, maybe even four years! How ever long he lasted, let me tell you, Sarah would be ready if he didn't make it. Even with my slight hesitation about her gender, I still prefer her over the other VP candidate. So in that sense I'm counting her as a plus on his side.

So there you have it. I know. It seems my preferred candidate is considered to be not likely to make it. But I'll not let the polls or all the yard signs of his opponent all around me stop me from going out and voting on Tuesday. And any one of you who reads and hears it's a lost cause better not let ANYTHING you hear or read stop you from casting your vote! You NEVER know.

But whomever the choice of the people turns out to be, we will have what we've asked for. And we'll pray for him and for our country, yes? And we'll remember that after all is said and done, it's still Jesus who is our Leader and Guide through this dark and often troublesome world.

All the way my Savior leads me; what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

~Fanny J. Crosby

"True Religion"

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

Meet the Kovacs family. Now, folks, let me tell you: People like them are the ones who inspire me. Actually, this post is an addendum to my last post (before the Phillies one) and I'm applying it to the whole subject of abortion. Actually, I was going to incorporate this in Tuesday's post but kept writing and writing, so I decided to make this separate. At any rate, this family is a prime example of how we can make a positive impact while abortion by choice is still the law of the land. I know from experience that there are many organizations out there who are trying to counsel women away from the decision to "get rid of" their babies in the womb, and lead them towards the courageous decision to carry the baby and place him/her for adoption. These organizations are working with them and helping them in more practical ways than you can imagine. I know, because our family was once a part of one of these organizations. I'll give a few links at the end and would encourage you to pray about the possibility of you and your family and/or church being positively involved in this national fight for the right to life.

So, the Kovacs are one of the families at the receiving end of this great work. I read their story in this month's World Magazine, which tells the story of them as a newly married couple developing a strong passion for adopting. Actually, the story is about organizations which help churches that want to establish adoption funds so they, in turn, can help families like this one. I cannot tell you how strongly I feel about this, friends. Most evangelicals are appalled at the fact that our country has fallen into the "legal" position which it has regarding the choice of the mother over the life of the unborn. But are we doing more than complain? Sure, we can vote with the hope that down the road something will change, but in the meantime, what can we do? Well, this idea of establishing adoption funds in our churches is a wonderful answer to the question, and then, pray that the Lord will raise up more couples like Jason and Shawnda above. Look at that family, will you? Now don't tell me that God is not pleased!

About those organizations, here are a few of them:

The Abba Fund: This is the organization that World's article was about. A lot of money is needed to cover the costs of an adoption. The Abba Fund helps with that by helping churches. My personal opinion is that churches, not government, should be doing more to deal with many of the economic woes we're experiencing. This organization is just one example of something that can be done.

Lifesong for Orphans: This is another organization that provides adoption grants and loans and also works with churches that have adoption funds.

Family Legacies: The mission statement of this group is "The mission of Family Legacies is to provide interest free loans to couples who practice the Christian faith and are called by God to expand their families through adoption, who might otherwise not be able to adopt. "

Bethany Christian Services: This is the organization our family was once a part of. We were interim care foster parents, taking care of newborns while their moms were making the difficult decision as to whether to place them for adoption or raise them themselves. Bethany works with crisis pregnancy centers all over the country. They can help those who want to adopt to find help with funding and logistics. Our youngest child was adopted through them and I can attest to the fact that they work with you if you sincerely want to adopt. They'll help you find a way to do it, even if your resources are low, and of course, for most people, they are.

There are more, but in the interest of time and space I'll leave it at that. I want this post to be an encouragement for anyone stopping by who may have been thinking about how they can have more impact regarding our nation's abortion crisis. You might think about adoption as something you might do, but if not, perhaps you can give to one of these organizations, or even start something in your own church. Maybe your church just needs someone to get things going. Maybe that's you.

Also, if by chance anyone should stop by here who's pregnant and it's a crisis situation, I implore you, call Bethany. I can tell you without a doubt that they'll pray for you and that they'll help you. If any person has any questions about Bethany that you think I could help with, please feel free to email me. You can do that from my profile.

A Plea to Christians

Most of you know how strongly I feel about the abortion issue. You know that I believe it is one of the most crucial issues in this election. It is not by far the only issue, and as I vote, I am taking many other important matters into consideration, but I will say this: I will NEVER vote for a candidate that is pro-choice. That is, unless someone pulls a fast one on me. I think that abortion is one of the worst travesties to ever hit this nation. I believe the blood of the countless babies who have been murdered is something that God will not allow to go unrequited. And at the risk of sounding like an alarmist, I have to say that judgment is in order, unless He extends His mercy. Moral issues such as abortion, gay marriage, sex education to young children, etc. MUST be at the top of our list when we make ANY decision in our life as Christians. They MUST be. If they're not, we have to answer to God. HE will be there in that voting booth when no one else will see what we do. HE is the one who will hold us accountable for our actions. "What about the economy," you say? "I have to look out for the well being of my children," you add. In another post I want to talk about that a bit. But for now, YOU have a responsibility to make a choice based on righteousness, not practicalities. Let me repeat, you have a sober responsibility as a Christian to do what you KNOW is right in the eyes of God. I am not saying you should vote for any particular candidate when I say that. If you cannot in good conscience vote for anyone from the two leading political parties, then find someone else to vote for. But vote, dear Christian friend, and vote with the knowledge that God is watching you.

This has been weighing on my heart, dear ones, because I have been grieved to hear so many who name the Name of Christ say they are voting for a candidate that they know in their heart is clearly not even coming close to adhering to biblical principles. I have to say with all love in my heart that God is not pleased, and He is not mocked.

Perhaps you don't hold the same views that I do about these moral issues. Then these words are not for you and you needn't respond to them. But if you say you love Jesus, I am imploring you to not throw mud in His face when you vote next Tuesday. Not when He's done what He has for you. Not with all that He's suffered for His own. Not with the blood that came pouring out at Calvary for poor helpless sinners. Please, at least do that much for Him: make whatever tiny effort you can to stop the shedding of the blood of innocent, helpless babies and to steer this country back in the direction of our Lord.

And one other thing. I cannot tell you how disturbing it is for me to think of the droves of blacks, my people, who are going out to vote for a pro-choice candidate, as they did the last election. And many of these dear ones, who are folks I love, profess to be Christians. It just boggles my mind. And it was just this year that I learned of the statistics and some background facts regarding this, which only adds to the horror of the whole thing as far as I'm concerned. I've seen the statistics and facts many places and they are documented. Thus, please allow me to add this video which recently has come to my attention:

Note: See the first post in this series for the ground rules on comments.

Calling Prayer Warriers

Please read this post at Susan, Penless Writer, which is an important letter to voting Christians.

Please let this letter speak to your heart about this election!

Quotes From the Past

Sorry to have been MIA. Last week was, well let's not talk about last week.

Thought I'd give you a few quotes from a few people who contributed much to making America not a perfect nation, but surely a great one. What they said years ago counts for a lot with me, what about you? Maybe their words need to be carefully considered between now and election day. Do you want our country to maintain the spirit found in the hearts of these men? Let's pray that it will.

Note: It's especially important that we think about some of these in light of recent developments in the news.

Abraham Lincoln
"Property is the fruit of labor...property is desirable...is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise. Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another; but let him labor diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built."


Booker T. Washington
"Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work."


George Washington
"Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. "


Benjamin Franklin
"The longer I live the more convinced I become that God governs in the affairs of men. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance. "


Thomas Jefferson
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

"Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are then most thriving when left most free to individual enterprise."


Martin Luther King, Jr.
"All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

"If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."

James Madison
"The personal right to acquire property, which is a natural right, gives to property, when acquired, a right to protection, as a social right. "

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."

And finally,

Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.

John Quincy Adams
1767-1848, Sixth President of the USA

Prayer Power

I was very happy to find out that there is a group of people in America who have organized a concentrated prayer effort to pray for our country at this critical time. Go to this blog for details. (Also see image on sidebar for link.)

This is a portion of the post:

"If you would like to participate: each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, 8:00 PM Central , 7:00 PM Mountain, 6:00 PM Pacific, stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, for peace in the world, for wisdom and courage for our leaders, the up-coming election, and that the Bible will remain the basis for the laws governing our land and that Christianity will grow in the U.S. "

President Bush

For me, one of the most poignant moments of last night's debate came when Senator McCain said "Mr. Obama, I am not George Bush. . ." To speak honestly, it made me a little sad. You see, somewhere beneath the rubble of all the campaign rhetoric lies our current President. He often emerges when the opposing party wants to make a point on how bad things are for our country and he never is able to show his face in support of his party's candidate. Because of his unpopularity, his own party understandably seldom mentions him as they push to maintain the White House. However, the left brings him up at every possible opportunity, almost as a beacon of national disgrace.

I'm sorry for this. Actually, it grieves me. You see, I believe that like all of humanity, he has made his share of mistakes. I think he fumbled the ball on the fifty yard line with the Iraqi war and admittedly erred in some other areas of his ministry, but sadly, I don't think he'll be given the credit for all he has done for this nation until far down the pages of history. (I won't even get into the fact that he's taken the brunt of the blame for the financial disaster, when, of course, there are many others who are equally, if not more, at fault, including the Democratic Congress.) And sadly again, I think he's hated the most and viciously attacked the most by some of the people he's helped the most. A blog post I recently read has a list of 35 accomplishments of this man who has led this country, in safety at home and abroad, for almost eight years now. After reading it, you'll see that it's one of those unfortunate realities of life that those who may have benefited most from your efforts often are those who most maliciously oppose you:

"We Don't Want Four More Years of the Same."

You know, life is often like this. The truth does not always seem to prevail. But God will prevail in His time. I have a portion of a poem for you. For some reason, some of the words in it have been ringing in my ears throughout these days of searching for truth. May I say that we all should be searching for truth. James Russell Lowell was the author of this poem; many of you may know about it already. This brave man was an abolitionist who lived from 1819-1891. These words are from The Present Crisis, one of his writings against slavery. It's the portion Neesie had to learn in her ninth grade English last year, another reason I appreciate ABeka Video School. It is my contention that these words would also apply to the current crisis that is raging in the United States:

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of Truth with Falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God’s new Messiah, offering each the bloom or blight,
Parts the goats upon the left hand, and the sheep upon the right,
And the choice goes by forever ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Hast thou chosen, O my people, on whose party thou shalt stand,
Ere the Doom from its worn sandals shakes the dust against our land?
Though the cause of Evil prosper, yet ’tis Truth alone is strong,
And, albeit she wander outcast now, I see around her throng
Troops of beautiful, tall angels, to enshield her from all wrong.

Careless seems the great Avenger; history’s pages but record
One death-grapple in the darkness ’twixt old systems and the Word;
Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,—
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.

I hope this post isn't offensive to anyone. It shouldn't be. I felt constrained, literally, to speak on behalf of this public servant to whom I owe a great deal. And needless to say, I won't accept any comments that seek to malign him in a contemptible way. Finally, this is a call to all who want to do what is right, to pray for him during these difficult, and probably quite painful, days.

Good Links

You know that one of my main purposes in all this is to get us all to think. But, you know, as time passes on and there are but three more weeks to this election, I am hoping more than anything that as we think about all the issues, work our way through all the claims and accusations, and go beyond the mainstream media to dig for facts (I hope that's what you're doing), that we're seeing the dire need for prayer. Try to be knowledgeable about all that's happening in our country, and then seek the face of the Lord.

Well, I have a few links which I hope you guys will please check out. They all should have an impact in one way or another with helping to spur us on to thought and prayer.

1. I was very excited to have discovered Freedom's Journal Magazine, an online publication inspired by the first African American owned and operated newspaper in the United States, which was founded in 1827. Finding this website was exciting for me because it is not just a black publication, but primarily a Christian one. Please, I ask you, listen to this video by Freedom's Journal Magazine wherein several individuals respond to some important questions for Black Christians (This contains snippets from a longer video posted on the FJM website.):

A Matter of Faith (Preview)

2. I don't know how far this is going to go, but what happens next month may have an impact. Where the candidates stand on the education issue has come up several times in the campaigns. I want a good, solid education for our children as much as the next person, but I'm more concerned about where is our country headed with with this type of issue (As for me, this happening is yet another plug for homeschooling where folks can't afford private school):

First graders go to a wedding

3. My blogger friend Diana sent me a link to a website that she recently visited. A two part series which was broadcast regarding faith in our political system has helped her a lot, and she wanted me to pass it on to my readers. Because of my busyness and all, with grandchildren and the like (ahem!), I haven't gotten to listen yet, but trust it will be helpful to some:

Speaking of Faith

Note: See the first post in this series for the ground rules on comments.

Gen. Washington's Prayer

You've probably noticed that I haven't been getting into the events of the day, which at this time would be analyzing last night's debate (one of those "eyes of the beholder" deals); the latest polls (depends on who and how); who said what (every single word under scrutiny!); and who didn't say this or that (good grief!), etc. etc. etc. I'm not saying I won't ever get into the current election happenings in the next 27 days, but I think we're all hearing enough of these things. Don't get me wrong. I understand why much of it is necessary, but I just don't have the stomach for talking about it right now. What a divided state our country is in! May the Lord help us.

One of the things I wanted to do here for this series was to include a few quotes from some of the people who were instrumental in the building of this nation in the first place. George Washington is an appropriate person to begin with, wouldn't you say? I found this little prayer in a gospel tract containing the prayers of some U.S. presidents who have led America in praying for peace and protection throughout history. According to this tract, "From our earliest days as a nation, a legacy of blessing has been poured on America through the prayers of her presidents." Would that their prayers would follow us today!

This was Mr. Washington's prayer, written on June 14, 1783 to all the governors of the newly freed states, and urging them to join him in praying for their new nation:

"Almighty God, We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection: that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large.

"And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen."

We need a blessing! We need those quality of charities outlined here in the second paragraph! Can we hope to be a happy nation again?! Grant it Lord, please! Oh that the prayer of President Washington would be a charge down through the corridors of time to help us today!

Note: See the first post in this series for the ground rules on comments.

Another Messenger

I just wanted to take a quick moment to give you the link to a post made by the seventeen year old son of a blogger friend of mine. He had to do a school assignment about the American Dream and has posted it on his blog. I am encouraged! I love it when I find more young people who are going forth as the messengers I spoke about a few posts back! Please read this--I think you'll like Jared's rendition of the dream! It makes me just a tad bit less worried about the future.

This is the link: http://www.restingcontent.blogspot.com/

Give Me Jesus

Well, what a precious Lord's Day we had yesterday. We had a guest speaker , a young man who comes to minister the Word to us from time to time. He's not a minister, but a school teacher who has been gifted by the Lord to preach. So, he spent the day with us and we were blessed as usual. This is going to be an American Dream post, but you may find it to be a rather unusual one.

I really wanted to post about this today, because of what was said in both of those sermons. He mentioned the election and the condition of our country several times. The things he said really hit home with me. You see, I think I told you before that I tend to get a bit fretful about these things. That's why I'm so glad Mr. X. reminded us of something that's at the core of our existence as Christians: We must not depend on any man or any political party to rescue this troubled world. This country, this world, needs Jesus. I was thinking as I was sitting there that yes, I'll go vote for someone next month, but I won't be looking to that person to save our country. We must never forget that no matter who it is, it will be a sinner and we're going to be disappointed in one way or another before we know it, even if it's the one we vote for. No, I'll be looking to Jesus to help me in this sad state of affairs. Now, we'll do our best to get in someone who has some semblance of integrity and character and right views on the issues, but he 'll never measure up altogether. So, I'll keep looking past that person to Jesus.

In the evening message Mr. X. said that we don't need Dr. Phil, or Oprah, or Obama, or McCain. We need Jesus. In the days ahead, I'm pretty sure I'll remember his words and it will settle me. And as he said that, this song started echoing in my mind. I went to YouTube to find a video of it (there are many) and this one grabbed me. At first I thought it didn't fit, but for some reason I have the sense that the Lord would have me post it. Maybe the reason is that we need to look at the faces here and that may help us put this threat of the loss of our economic god in right perspective.








"You can have all this world, but give me Jesus."

Who Made You?

I found this picture of Selena in my picture folder on the laptop and wondered why I've never used it, because I like it a lot. At least I don't remember using it. It was taken almost exactly one year ago, which means she was just over a year old. Now she's just over two. In case you don't know, Selena is our first grandchild, and the only way you wouldn't know that is if you've never been to this blog before. She's star of the show here, you know. Soon, by God's mercies, she is going to have to share that status. Tomorrow, our daughter Bev will be thirty-seven weeks pregnant, which most of you know means she will be considered full term and should be delivering at any time. The child she is carrying is a girl, as far as modern technology is correct, and Edie and Bev have named her Shana Elizabeth. (Shana: SHAY-nuh)

In the summer of 2006, when I first began blogging, I wrote a post about Selena before she was born. If you don't mind, I'd like to repeat that post here now, making changes to dedicate it to Shana. I'm including it in this series about the election because I think this topic is one of the most crucial as to where we stand morally as a nation. In fact, I have heard many ads by one of the candidates concerning this very issue; it's that important. Yes, indeed, the one who resides in the womb is THAT important. And it will affect my vote -- and that of many others.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:13-16

What an amazement—that child in the womb. The people in the medical field and the ones who write the books call this little one a fetus. From a scientific point of view, I would admit the term is correct. But I prefer to use the term "baby." No matter what stage it is in from its inception, as far as I’m concerned, it's a child, a little baby, with a beating heart from almost the beginning and adding organs and bones and muscles at breakneck speed. He or she puts on quite a show for all who are privileged to open the curtains from time to time by means of one of technology’s most popular wonders—the sonogram. No matter whether what is seen is a he or a she or maybe sometimes even more in number than had been expected, each and every one who is in that initial stage of life there, sheltered, protected and growing, is a child.

That is where my second grandchild is now, and she's not a fetus, she's a child. And her name is Shana. Before she officially makes her entrance, I would like to ask her this one simple first catechism question that her PopPop and I taught her mommy more than twenty-five years ago. It is one of the most crucial issues she will need to come to grips with in all of her life which is now just beginning: Who made you, Shana? That's the question I’m addressing today, and the catechism answer is just one simple word: God. That is all the answer that it provides, and do you know what? That's really all the answer that is needed.

I would like to tell her that it has to be God who made her. There is no one else who could have written such a master plan as this one, where two itsy bitsy cells, one from her daddy and one from her mommy, could join up to create that microscopic creature she once was and called, of all things, a zygote. What other mathematician could have computed the cell division that would then take place, eventually graduating her to the status of the much more sophisticated title of embryo? And then the development process already mentioned which would bring her to the current position of so-called fetus? Who else could have innovated such a provision for her as that wonderment called the placenta? Who else could have contrived the intricate manner in which food and oxygen get transported from her mommy to her by means of such fantastic inventions that we know by strange names such as villi and umbilical? Who else could have made the transportation arrangements which bring her into a waiting world riding in a vehicle called travail? But after arriving amidst breaking waters and sweat and all kinds of tears, she will not be left to fend for herself. For who else would have thought of a way to still provide sustenance, manufactured in a factory of which He Himself was architect? Who else could have done all this and done it so magnificently?

Yes, there is just one answer to this catechism question. It is the only possible response that there could be. Shana can’t tell yet, but I hope someday she will know the answer to the question. But not only that. I hope someday she will know the One who is the answer. So I’ll repeat, once more, that first catechism question that I would pose to my second grandchild: Who made you? And I will repeat the answer with all of the exuberance I can muster from within me: GOD!!!

Note: See the first post in this series for the ground rules on comments.

Dream On

Folks, this is embarrassing. Let me explain myself, here. Whenever I want to pick a person for something in Sunday school, I always tell the children "now, we're going to let God decide, because nothing happens by chance," so we always put every one's name in a bag or something and let some unrelated person pick one of them, and there's never any argument. Many of you do the same thing. So a little bit ago I put in the names of all of you dear ones who left comments telling about your dream for America. Remember, I promised that if picked, your dream would be posted and you would get a Cinnabon gift card. Well, I had my husband draw a name and guess whose it was? It was my daughter Bev! I tell you truthfully, friends--this was not rigged!!! In fact, Neesie is a bit sour about it because she wanted her name picked so badly.

So for His own reasons, the Lord wanted Bev to have the Cinnabon certificate (she LOVES these buns dearly, so much so that she often asks for them instead of a cake on her birthday). She was VERY happy when I called to tell her, and said "Yes!!! Thanks, Dad!"Maybe He (God) just wanted her to have this special treat during this last stage of her pregnancy. It also means that hers is the American dream that is to be posted for all to read.

Thanks, everybody who shared their dreams! You know what I noticed? Each person said something about God and/or Christianity or the Bible in explaining the hope they have for this country. I think we all share the same dream to see our freedoms protected so that our children can enjoy them and, most of all, to see America return to God and the principles on which this nation was founded. May it be so, for the sake of our posterity.

Bev's dream:

"My American Dream is that we would live in a country that recognizes God as our Father, that we would TRULY be a nation "under God." I wish my kids to grow up in an environment that doesn't hate and spurn the things that are true, right, noble, just and of good report. I would like to live in a nation that is less politically correct and more spiritually aware."

We're with ya, Bev.

The Media

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8

Neesie has to do current events for her history class, and I hadn't noticed this before, but the following words were in the teacher's manual under the current events' description:

". . . You will greatly influence the opinions your students form. Some of your responsibilities in this area will be guiding your students thinking, helping them to review the news in the light of the Word of God, and pointing out to them that what they read in newspapers or hear on newscasts is not necessarily the pure, unbiased truth. Newspapers adopt editorial viewpoints and slant their interpretation of current happenings to reflect editors' opinions. . . ."

My goodness! The copyright date on this manual is 1998--ten years ago. See how mildly and sweetly put it is? I wonder what the people who wrote this are saying now? I wanted to say quite a few things about the media, folks, but I don't think I can get the words down properly, I am so disgusted and frustrated with what I have been seeing happening during this presidential campaign. With but a few exceptions, I have been offended, repulsed, annoyed, and a few other verbs which you might think of, including nauseated. It's almost reached the point where I am having difficulty turning the radio or TV on or reading what the Associated Press and all those other guys are feeding the public. It's as if all sense of fairness and truthfulness in reporting has died. So the American public is suffering. Many are being fed a steady diet of slop and swallowing it, wherein those seeking the bare facts are struggling across a desert, simply wanting to find just a sip of truth. We have to look here and go there, trying to get at the root (the truth) of what's being reported.

Where does this leave us? How do we fight so gigantic a foe as the media, and the world of entertainment? Prayer. Pray to our God, friends. If you'd like to see integrity return, ask Him to help us and direct us. Maybe He'll show us what we can do. Pray that He will defeat whoever the enemies may be of truth, especially where it affects the future of our country. Pray that all reporting that is founded on lies, bias, and partiality will be turned back upon the heads of the ones who are responsible. God is able to do this.

Yesterday our pastor mentioned in prayer that we must not fret and worry over this election. We must remember Who is in charge of all things. I need to be reminded of this over and over again.

Here is a site where I have found reports which don't seem to be quite as slanted. If I run into any others, I'll let you know. If you know of any, please let the rest of us know. The site is Politico. com.

Update: Even though I have found some pretty balanced news reports on Politico, something came up today that caused me to suspect that they too need to be carefully monitored for fairness. I don't want to lead anyone astray!

Note: See the first post in this series for the ground rules on comments.

I think I should mention here that while I want to stay away from accusations against others in comments, I feel that since this is my blog and series, my making this accusation of unfairness by the media is legitimate and it definitely impacts this election. But feel free to respectfully disagree with me if you think my contention is unfounded. Basically, this post is one of many calls to prayer which you will see in this series. Thanks for understanding!

Our Messengers

As Jacob said when he was reconciled to Esau: "[These are] the children which God hath graciously given thy servant." (Gen. 33:5). Yes, friends, these are the two children whom God saw fit to bless my husband and me with. And He chose to bless us with these two girls by the wonderful avenue of adoption. One was born in 1980 and the other was born in 1992, both after the landmark decision of Roe vs. Wade, which brought about the legalization of abortion in our country. There were two people who could have taken that "legal" route, but chose to give these two girls life. I don't need to tell you how thankful we are for those two women and the decision they made. We have been blessed with two grandchildren, as well. One is delighting our lives and growing as kids do; you've seen her picture many times on this blog. The other is still in the womb. I will talk about them soon, Lord willing. Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe I'll take this picture into the voting booth along with a copy of my prayer from yesterday. I'm not kidding.

I view these two girls as our "messengers." There was a quote I read once, and haven't been able to locate again, but it said something like this:

"Children are messengers we send to an age we will not see."

I don't know the origin of it and would appreciate it if anyone else does, that they'd let me know, but these words are deep, friends. Think about what this person was saying. Do you view your children this way? Are you preparing and sending them forward with your dream for this country and for life itself? What an awesome responsibility we have! While we're thinking about the nation we'd like to see for them, maybe they can make a difference!

Now that my older, Bev, can vote, my prayer is that her choices will be a reflection of the message we hope to send to the future. Then, I hope she places the baton into her children's hands to pass on. I hope this is true not just for this election, but in everything life brings. And now we're priming Neesie to go forward.

My goodness, that quote grabbed me when I first heard it! Think about it--does it grab you, too? Even if you have children who are grown, it's not too late to influence them to make good and righteous decisions for the future, especially the future of America.

Adios, until Monday or so, when I have a few things I want to say about the media.

See the original post of this series for the rules on comments.

My Dream

Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name. Jeremiah 32:17-18.

Well, I do thank all those who have responded so far. I have LOVED reading your dreams. They're all great ones! Keep them coming, folks, between now and next Tuesday when we see which one gets posted, but then even after that it will still be fine to send them in. Thanks for all the sweet words of encouragement and anticipation I've received by email and comments. I must admit, it makes me even more nervous about this. But I will press on, with the help of the Lord. I believe and sense that we're treading these waters together. Dream on, my dear friends. Don't let go of the hope that our country can be what what we want it to be. Do whatever you can, legally and morally, to bring it about. If we guide our children with our dreams in mind, isn't that a big step?

I thought it's time to tell you my dream. After all, since I'm the one who started this thing, shouldn't others know what I'm hoping for?

On Saturday I posted a hymn called "God of our Fathers," which you might want to read if you haven't already. It's a wonderful hymn which was written at the time our nation was turning one hundred years old. One of the reasons I posted this particular one is that the lyrics are a prayer and they closely align with my American dream. You see, I think all of our dreams could be expressed as prayers, and that's how I want to express mine, guided by the words written by Mr. Roberts. If we look at it that way and ask "are these high hopes for our country attainable?" then I say yes, because with God all things are possible.

I've decided that I'm going to print out this prayer, my dream, and pray it every day between now and November 4th. Maybe you'll want to do the same. This may sound silly, but it wouldn't be out of character for me to take it into the voting booth with me.

"Dear Lord, the God whose mighty hand created and controls this magnificent universe, we gratefully lift our hearts to you in praise. By your lovingkindness you have led this nation in times past, so that we have enjoyed freedom like no other country on earth. We need you, Lord. We have no other to whom we can look who can safely rule over us, guard us from our enemies, guide us in right ways, and keep us during our difficult days. Our Father in heaven, we pray that the leaders you appoint over us would make your Word their law once again, and make decisions which are righteous in your sight.

"Lord, if we turn from you, we have no one to defend us from our enemies. There may be those who will rise against us, and there may be calamities all around us, but if you are with us, we will prevail. But only if you are with us, Father. Even so, we pray for peace, but more than that, we pray that we will once again see true religion flourish in the hearts of the people of America. We have sinned in many areas and need forgiveness. We pray that you will bring revival to this land, bringing the refreshing waters of salvation to many, especially those in high positions. It is then that you will lead us out of the darkness of sin which has been spreading from shore to shore. Fill us, Lord, the citizens of these United States, with your love and grace, that we may love one another and that we may give glory, praise, and honor to your great Name forever. Amen."

The American Dream

It's that time again. Cool breezes refreshing us. Football season. And ah yes, another election. And this time it's a biggy. Actually, I would say this is the most significant one yet. There's so much at stake, so much emotion. I've never cared for politics, finding them uninteresting and distasteful. But this year, as each one of you knows, we've been bombarded with the presidential campaigns. I have never in my days seen an election year with more controversial issues and drama. If all of this were in a movie script, we would probably say it is too fantastic and overdone. Well, I have to make a confession: I've gotten pretty captivated by the whole thing. During the past couple of weeks I've been to many news sites, many blogs, and bookmarked many candidates' sites. I've learned much, and quite a bit of what I've learned hasn't been pleasant, I must say. Having the busy life that I do, it's been necessary for me to "steal" moments to do this, taking some time between various activities of homeschooling and homemaking, after the evening family devotions, or during lunch break. I've listened to news broadcasts and talk radio while tackling some needed fall cleaning projects.

As time has gone on with this, I've gone to bed quite a few times feeling unsettled and disturbed. There have been some inward stirrings that are really difficult to explain. Somewhere in the midst of all this, after prayer about it, I've decided to start my own series related to this election. Treading into this territory with a little fear , I have to say that I'm trying hard to stay away from the usual bitterness and hard feelings that so often come with political issues. It's a sure way to lose friends, you know. But I have these strong urgings in my own heart and conscience to have at least a little input, but hopefully in a positive way. So this series, which I'm calling "The American Dream," will be posts containing reflections, links, articles, quotes, news clips, whatever seems appropriate to me to accomplish what I'm attempting to do. You'll better understand this as it goes along.

Let me say at the outset that I'm not impartial. I'm not in the center. I'm not moderate. I'm conservative. This is something I'm neither embarrassed nor proud about. It's a statement about who I am in my views and political beliefs. I see most issues from that perspective. It has always had bearing on what I post and say here and this series is no exception. But what impacts my life and this blog the most is that I am a Christian. Sorrowfully, people have different meanings when they say they're Christians. My meaning (which I wholly believe is biblical) is that I'm a blood-bought child of God, through Jesus my Savior. I believe that the Bible is clear that there is no other Savior. The Scriptures are my rule for life--the whole Bible. I may not understand it all perfectly, but I try as best I can to follow its teachings. This is all said to let you know where I stand and what guides me in whatever I do in life, including this blog.

That being said, please bear in mind that this series is not being written to endorse any particular party or candidate(s). You'll probably be able to figure out where I stand on this, but that's not the point. Who cares what I think about any candidate? I really want this to be a series that makes all of us think--about the ideology behind what we do and about our country. I hope we'll all think not about what's "in this for me," but what's in this for America as a whole. You see, I have two children and two grandchildren, one who's still in the womb. What is the America that I want to see for them? You probably have children/grandchildren or maybe someday will have them. What is the America that you want for them?

It's hard to sort through it all, isn't it? You go to MoveOn. org and they're making their charges in one direction and then you go to Rush Limbaugh.com and they have a set of charges going back the other way. That's why we have to dig deep and check out everything, as best we can, as to how each side - all the sides - measure up in leading us to the nation we hope to have for our posterity. The stakes are as high as they've ever been, folks. BUT, more than anything, we need to dig deep in our own hearts and determine, as I heard someone say on the radio, just what are the fundamental building blocks in our lives--is it our faith or something else? These impact the choices we make.

So here's how I want to get this series going. Let's start out by thinking about "The American Dream." You've heard of it, I'm sure. So as not to take up too much space here (this post is already long), I'm linking to the Wikipedia article on it. We all know this term has evolved to encompass various meanings, somewhat different than the original one. But this is what I'm asking you to do--I'm asking you to answer this question: What is the "American Dream" that you have for yourself and your children? What is it that you want to see for our country? Actually, I'm not asking you to define what the original term means, but that you redefine it so that it is an expression of your hope and desire for America. It can be in just a few words or a paragraph. Years ago, Dr. King voiced his dream for this nation and it wasn't all about financial prosperity. It was about something intangible. So, what's your dream? Would you help me out in starting this series by writing a comment which conveys your hope and desire to the rest of us? And may I ask that you not mention a party or candidate in this particular comment? I definitely believe that if you do think seriously about this and commit your dream to prayer, it will help you in making your choice for the next President of this country that we all love.

Note: As I begin this series, I think there should be some ground rules about comments. I'm going to have to insist that all thoughts expressed maintain the spirit of courtesy and respect that has always been my desire for this blog. I cannot and will not allow any comments that violate this requirement. The following are examples of the types of comments that will be deleted:

• Any containing profanity.


• Sarcasm and distasteful jokes or unkind remarks about a person or group. (Of course, we all may have concerns about the practices of those with opposing views. We can express those views without being belligerent or disrespectful.)


• Unsubsantiated accusations. Actually, this isn't the place to make any accusations, even if you think your claims are substantiated.

Would you join in with this little series of blog posts by this insignificant housewife, who has limited knowledge of the subject, but a love for her country and God? Please do! Please start by telling us all your American dream!

[Btw, do you like Cinnabon? I have a ten dollar Cinnabon gift card which I've been waiting for the opportunity to give it to someone. This seems like a good time. A week from today, we'll draw a name from the people who comment (so you don't want to put "Anonymous", which won't count) and announce the winning comment and what was said. Then the winner can email me so they can claim their prize and we can hook up with the address, etc.etc. Needless to say, in this case each person will only be making one comment--one "dream."]