Who is Your President?

I very rarely write political-type posts, but I just really have to get this off of my chest.

I keep hearing people say "Trump is not MY president."  What does that even mean? 

Are you an American?  Then Trump is YOUR president.

If you are an American citizen, you agree to abide by the constitution of the United States.  Part of that includes how a president is elected.  It also includes the duties of the president, along with those of the rest of the government.  If you abide by the constitution, and the President was elected and is acting according to the rules written there, whoever is elected becomes YOUR president.

I did not vote for Trump.  However, he is now my president.  I didn't vote for Obama, either, or Clinton, or either of the Bushes.  But all of them were my president.  I actually cannot think of any president that I voted for, right back to elementary school when I chose Ford over Carter in our little class election.  But they have all been my president.

I haven't agreed with all of them.  I have been known to call my congressman when I didn't agree with a bill that was being considered, and to show up at the state capitol to speak to representatives there.  But unless I wish to renounce my citizenship to the United States and move to some other country, I have to acknowledge that the government here is MY government, and the president is MY president, and my job as an American is to use the proper methods to make my wishes known.  It is also my job to deal with whatever the majority decides.

This is a democracy.  I keep thinking about what Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address. 

 "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

This country seems to be pulling apart almost as badly as it did before the Civil War.  Although now instead of along state lines, it is being shredded in so many directions that it is almost impossible to see what it began as.  But the threads are still there.  And they can be sewed together again.

Please, join me in working toward unity instead of division, and in praying for our leaders as we are instructed by God, rather than tearing them apart with our own hands.

On Immigration...

Do you recognize this poem?  A portion of it is printed on the base of the Statue of Liberty.  The statue was given to the United States of America in 1886 as a gift of friendship from the people of France.  

The New Colossus

BY EMMA LAZARUS

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

How have we gone from this ideal to the suspicious, unwelcoming country we have become?  How can we, a country of immigrants, the great melting pot, refuse to let the "tired, poor, huddled masses, the homeless, tempest-tost" try to make a life for themselves in "our" America?  

I am a third-generation American.  My great-grandparents came from Poland in the early 1900s.  I never met my great-grandfather, because he died before I was born.  But I remember my great-grandmother.  As far as we can tell, she came here around 1908, and she died in 1982.  Do you know that she never really learned to speak English?  My grandfather, the oldest son, was born here, but didn't learn English until he went to school.  

I really don't know why my ancestors chose to come here.  I do know that at that time Poland was not its own nation, but was split up between Prussia (Germany), Russia, and Austria.  My great-grandfather came on a boat from Russia, so I assume that he, at least, lived in that part of Poland.  It seems that he came directly after the Revolution of 1905, so that could have had something to do with his decision.  

What I do know is that the Polish Americans of that day were similar to the Hispanic Americans now.  They tended to live in communities, and to have their own churches and schools whenever possible, where Polish was spoken.  They were also looked down upon, thought to be less intelligent than other people, and were paid less for the same factory jobs.  

I was talking to a couple of friends the other day, one of whom is on vacation in France.  It was mentioned that the shopkeepers in France don't like to deal with you if you don't speak French.  Is that any different from here?  How many times have I heard people say that if you live in America, you should speak English?  As I said before, my great-grandmother never learned to speak English, though she lived here for over  70 years.  (We got along well, because we both knew the word "cookie!")  She was a housewife, and lived in a community with other Polish people, so she got along without.  It would have been hard for her to find time to take care of the farm and her children and take English lessons on the side!

I live in a town which has a pretty large Hispanic population, many of them immigrants.  There are also quite a few Chinese people.  While the children learn English in school, similar to my grandfather, and the men learn English at work, similar to my great-grandfather, it must be hard for the women to learn.  I see mothers with small children walking down the street.  I'm a mother with small children, and I have very little time to do anything outside the home without them.  Of course there are ESL (English as a Second Language) classes available for free, but how difficult must it be for these women to find the time to go!  

We need to think about this immigration deal.  Of course we don't want to invite terrorists and drug dealers into our land, but seriously, how many of the people trying to come from Mexico and Central America are really in this category?  Most of them are trying to make a better life for themselves, just like my great-grandparents did.

It is hard to spot Polish Americans at this point, unless they've retained a name with a "ski" on the end.  Some of those undesirables may be your next door neighbor, your kids' school teacher, your doctor or your lawyer.  We have become a part of the melting pot.  Let's think about what our immigration policies will look like to the America that is coming in the next few generations.  

America has always been the "Mother of Exiles."  Where is her "World-wide welcome?"

Who Stole the United States?

I'm not sure where this came from - a friend (okay, my Mom) posted the video to my facebook wall. I like it.  This band seems to really mean what they are singing about.

Post by Willis McCoy.

I know there are other people out there who are wondering who stole our country, and where have they taken it?  The United States of America that I grew up pledging allegiance to has morphed into something else, it seems.

I am not sure what to do about it, though I have a few ideas.  And I don't know what else to say, so I'm going to copy here the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.  This is the document that was sent to England, all those many years ago, by a group of people who wanted to live in a free country.  They wanted the freedom to make their own laws and to live in the way they chose.

The Declaration of Independence

July 4, 1776

...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...

I wonder if we are not in the same position these brave men were in? But instead of leaving a country, we need to take one back.

Years later (four score and seven, actually), the country was embroiled in a war against itself.  People on both sides of the argument fought for the country they wanted.  And a great president stood on the sight of a bloody battle to dedicate it.  And in the Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln hearkened back to those men who made America what it was, encouraging the people that the United States would always be the free land it was meant to be.

The Gettysburg Address

November 19, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure...

...we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Can we still say this?  Are we really a government of the people, by the people, and for the people?  And are we a nation under God?  I wonder.  How far have we gone from the high ideals of this nation's beginning?  And how are we to get back?

Educating our Children: My Thoughts on School, Homeschool, and the Common Core

Before I get into this, I want to make something clear.  I am not an expert on the Common Core, I am not an expert on homeschooling, and I am not an expert on public school.  I am a parent who is concerned about my children getting the education that is right for them.  And I am an American concerned about the future of all of the children in our country.

There has been a lot of buzz about the implementation of the Common Core standards in New York State.  There are a lot of people who are unhappy with it.  There is a lot of propaganda out there on both sides of the issue, and it is very hard to sort it all out without specific information.

Here is my take:

I believe that parents are ultimately responsible for their own children's education.  

We began homeschooling because our son was having a very difficult time in kindergarten.  It was not the work that was difficult - he was actually a little bored, because most of it had already been covered in his preschool.  His difficulty was in concentrating within a group of 20-something other five-year-olds.  He was constantly in trouble for being too "bouncy and noisy," and had begun to believe that "There is only one good boy in my class, and only one bad girl."  This was not the way any of us had pictured his first year of "real" school to be.  We found out that kindergarten was not actually required in our state, so we pulled him out of school for the rest of that year.  He did so much better at home, that we have continued homeschooling.  He is now in 5th grade, and our daughter is home learning kindergarten material at her own pace. 

I have many friends whose children are in the public schools.  I do not believe that every child should be homeschooled.  All parents have to make decisions about what is right for their own children.  For some, this is homeschool.  For others, it is public school or private school or another kind of education.  For some, the right thing changes from year to year or from child to child.  But the ultimate responsibility for making sure their children are learning falls on the parents.  And for parents to carry out this responsibility, they have to be informed about what their children are learning.  This is easy in homeschooling - we pick out the materials to use, and spend time with our kids helping them to use them.  This becomes more difficult when the child is in school most of the day, but it still needs to be done.  The children bring home homework, and the parents need to be able to support them in finishing it.  The parents need to know if there is something being taught which is different from their own beliefs, so that they can help their children to understand the different points of view.  It is sad when professional people are unable to help their fourth graders with math simply because they learned a different way of coming to the same answer, but that perfectly valid way is not acceptable for the new "standards."

The Common Core takes power away from the parents by keeping them uninformed about what their children are learning.  They are unable to help their children with their homework, because there is no explanation of how things need to be done.  This undermines respect, as children can determine that their parents are not "as smart as a 5th grader."

I believe that teachers want children to learn, and have the training and the creativity necessary to make that happen.  

One of my many "lives" has included being a classroom teacher.  I am also the daughter of a public school math teacher and the sister of a college professor.  Children do not all learn the same way.  That makes teaching large classes in school difficult, because you have to constantly evaluate the group and try to meet each of the kids where they are.  This means that some kids need more help, and some kids need more challenge.  

I am a part-time substitute in my local school district, and have been required to teach lessons from the common core-aligned math curriculum to several different elementary grades.  The system is scripted, which means the teacher's manual tells you exactly what to say and how to teach.  There is a large amount of written work each day, some of which requires writing skills rather than math skills.  I have taught in the regular classrooms and the special education classrooms, and they are all required to use the same format.  This means that the child in the kindergarten special ed class who cannot yet count is responsible for the same material as the child in another kindergarten class who is already capable of first grade work.  They are using the same books, in the same manner.  It is very difficult for the teacher of either classroom to give extra help to the child who needs it, or challenge the child who craves it.  

When I was in middle school, many many years ago, I had my mother for my math teacher.  She taught a unique math class.  Her class included, any given period, an eclectic group of students made up of 5th through 8th graders who were either above or below the general level for their grade.  She used the very basic Spectrum math books for all, giving each student a book based on his current level.  She then worked with each of us individually to help us learn at our own pace, explaining things as necessary.  We also did extra projects, like finding the volume of different containers by pouring water into them, creating geometric designs, and experimenting with a very rudimentary computer - we were actually connecting wires to see what would happen...who knew I would be typing on one today so that people around could read my words the minute they are published?  

When I was in 8th grade, the school district discontinued the program, and my mother was transferred to the high school to teach.  She has since retired, but continues to help students (including her math-phobic grandson) to learn in their own way.  She still has former students thanking her for explaining things so that they could understand, as she was still able to help them individually while teaching large classes algebra and geometry.

The common core takes power away from the teachers by making it impossible for them to have a personal impact on their students.  They are unable to meet their students' needs, because they have to spend all their time making sure the students can pass the tests instead of making sure they understand the material.  This undermines respect, especially because students now have the ability to get teachers fired simply by not doing well.

I believe that children are individuals, and have individual educational needs.

I had a conversation with my stepmother yesterday.  We are both having trouble with our computers, and need to get new ones.  We were discussing the merits of laptops, desktops, and all-in-one's for the different things we use computers for these days.  We also had a brief discussion about the telephone party lines we had grown up with.  Talk about change!   She had been on a line with six houses, but when I was young our line only had two.  Now, many families have a different phone number for each family member!  My generation has had to teach ourselves to use computers, VCR's, DVD's, video cameras, MP3 players, microwave ovens, and programmable coffee pots.  There are countless job opportunities that didn't exist when we were in school.  There was no way for our teachers to teach us everything we would need to know for the world we live in now.  We had to know how to learn things on our own.

What will our children need to know by the time they are adults?  We don't know.  Teachers don't know.  And politicians don't know.  There is all this talk about "skill sets."  Supposedly every child needs the same one.  Do they really?  Do a chemist, a rock star, and a cashier need the same skill set?  What about a nurse, a computer programmer and an archaeologist?  I'm thinking probably not. What they all need is the ability to learn how to do their job.  That learning will look different for each of them.  The common core prides itself on getting children "college and career-ready."  How can you do that if there is so much emphasis on everyone knowing the same thing?  Colleges and careers require countless variations of skills.  What happens when there is so much time spent on testing a narrow set of skills, from the time spent teaching what will be on the test, to practicing taking the test, to actually taking the test?  There is little time left for anything else.  When can a musician practice, or a scientist experiment, or a carpenter build?  Children need to have time to try all of these things, so that they can make choices for their own futures.

The common core takes power away from children, by fitting them all into a common mold.  They are unable to develop their own interests.  The bright ones are pushed down, and the struggling ones are pushed off.  This undermines self-respect, because they are all expected to be good at the same things, and have no way to let their true abilities shine.

In temporary conclusion...

As I said, I am not an expert.  I believe my experience has given me a little insight, but I am sure I do not know the impact the Common Core will have on this generation of students or those who will come after them.  I think it will weaken our country, in the long run.  I don't really have a problem with a standardized list of things that should be taught to children in our country.  There are things everyone should know, such as history so that we don't repeat it, and respect for others.  I do have a problem with people who are not educators themselves dictating how things need to be taught.  I have a problem with holding teachers responsible for the test results without consideration of the real needs of the children.  I have a problem with children being so stressed out from testing that they hate school, and learn that learning new things is painful.  I have a problem with families having their personal lives monitored in the name of education.  And I have a problem with a government that thinks throwing more money at a problem is the only way to fix things.

I realize that I have only mined the surface of what is happening in our schools, and that there is more that can be said on every side.  I also realize that I am speaking from small amounts of information and large amounts of emotion, here.  But hey, it's my blog so I can say what I like, right?  I would love more conversation about this topic, but please be respectful of everyone!  What do you see, from wherever you are?

The Election Post

So, the Presidential election is over.  And I am relieved.  Not because of who won, but because it is OVER!!

Does it seem to anyone else that every four years our country collectively loses its mind?  People who usually get along get into disagreements, either face to face, by e-mail, or on some sort of social media.  Others lurk around clandestinely, guarding their words lest anyone realize they are not voting for the person they "should."  The landscape begins to look like a huge can of alphabet soup exploded onto a ream of paper and then got caught in a purposeful tornado.  At least I get more than just bills in my mailbox, though.

But it's finally over.  The news people can only milk it for a little while longer, trying to figure out what happened and why.  The political parties can spend a little more time rejoicing over their intelligence or lamenting over the terrible hand they've been dealt, and then they will fade back into their caves to start hatching their next diabolical plan for the "most important election in history" (to take place in four more years, of course).

Now, the country can get back to trying to make a go of it.  To cleaning up the mess that is the latest natural disaster, to figuring out how to buy the things they want with the money they can get, to disagreeing over normal things like whose morals are wrong and why, and to worrying about how to get everyone to agree with their own way of thinking, or at least to act like they do.

In the end, it's not up to us, anyway.  Believe it or not, the world does not revolve around the United States, or its president.  As I write this, there are supposedly 7,050,810,911 people in the world, 314,727,929 of which are in the United States.  This, according to my trusty calculator, comes to 4.5 percent of the world population.  Four and one half percent!  That's it!  And can we really believe that God is more concerned about us than the other 95.5%?  Can we be so arrogant to believe that we are special, just because we live in the United States?  I don't believe it.

I believe that God loves all of his people, no matter where they live.  He is called our "Father in Heaven."  As a mother, I don't love one of my children more than the other, just because their room is on the other end of the house.  It matters not that one is taller, or younger, or blonder, or bolder, or a different gender.  They are my children, and I love one just as much as the other.  They don't have the exact same things.  One probably has more toys than the other (especially if you count Lego's individually).  They are five years apart in age, so they don't even have all the same rules and responsibilities.  But I love them the same.

I am afraid that here in the United States we spend a lot of time quibbling about unimportant things.  We all feel that we are entitled to have what we want.  We forget about the six billion, seven hundred thirty-six million, eighty-two thousand, nine hundred eighty-two other people in the world, most of whom live with a fraction of the possessions and advantages that we already own.  No, I am not a socialist, because I don't believe that it is the government's job to remedy this situation.  However, I am a Christian, and as such I do believe that it's MY job.  Now, before you start pointing fingers, I will be the first to admit that I am failing at my job, and deserve to be fired.  This is something that gives me pain.  But I can't believe that electing the right president or making the right laws is somehow going to fix this.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  John 14:6.  All of the social programs, all of the morally right laws, all of the prohibitions in the world will not save a single person.  It won't save them from poverty, and it won't save them from Hell.  Only Jesus Christ can do that.  It's not a moral issue.

I have Strong's Concise Concordance, and tried to look up "moral."  It's not in there.  Nor is it in Vine's Concise Dictionary of the Bible.  Do you know what is in there?  The word "Pharisee."  Do you know what Jesus said to them?  "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men...Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  Let them alone:  they be blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."  Matthew 15:7-9,12-14

Why are we Christians spending so much of our time, money, and energy trying to make non-Christians behave the way we want them to?  Paul said "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  Romans 3:20.  We cannot make this a "Godly nation", which "God will bless", by law.  "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."  Romans 3:28.  Should we not instead be spending our resources, our time, our energy, our money, on bringing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Not condemning, or judging.  That is not our job, but God's.  And if people have faith in Jesus, didn't he promise to send a counselor, the Holy Spirit, who would teach them?  So aren't we doing things a bit backwards?

I've gone through some things in life.  I've done things I should be condemned for.  And I have to tell you that I have not changed because of the law.  I did things despite the law, and against the law.  The rules did not stop me.  Rules don't stop anyone.  I wouldn't do those same things now, legal or not.  Why?  Because I was changed into a new person.  Because I heard the gospel, and believed it.  Because I've come to realize my sin, and asked for forgiveness.  So now, I am under the influence of my Lord Jesus Christ, not under the law.  I want to please my Savior.

The only way to make this nation a Christian one is to fill it with Christians, not with a bunch of people who are forced to look or act like Christians, but have no knowledge of Christ!  Jesus told his followers to "make disciples," not to "make rules."  If only we could be about our Father's business, and not our own!

A Happy Heart

That was the title of the Sunday School lesson I taught today.  I have been using a series of lessons from Danielle's Place which teach "God Made Me."  We've been covering a different body part each week, from eyes to ears, to mouth, feet, and hands.  Well, today was the heart.  One of the challenging activities was for the kids to find something to be happy about in some sad situations.  For the kids, these were things like "you lost your favorite toy" or "your friend was mean to you."  Each of the kids had a different scenario, and they were supposed to tell a way they could be happy.  It was wonderful to see the way they helped each other to think through these problems, and find ways to deal with them.

I wonder how easy this is for adults.

We live in the Northeastern part of the United States, not far from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  The storm, while not hitting us directly, caused quite a bit of damage in our area, and there are still quite a few places without electricity.  We are also dealing with a gas shortage in our area, a result of people travelling hundreds of miles to get gas, along with people needing to fuel electric generators.

Add to this the "most important election in history," which has the potential to divide friends, churches, and families, and there seems to be quite a bit to worry about, and very little happiness.

The verse for our lesson was Psalm 144:15b - "Happy is that people, whose God is the LORD."  

Can that be it?  Can that make all the difference?  Can happiness be beyond circumstance, beyond the trials of this life, beyond the politics of the day?  Can happiness co-exist with devastation, hardship, shortage, fear, and division?

Can we take a lesson from children, who can find happiness in difficulties?

I hope we can.

I am happy that we were only without electricity for two days, but my heart aches for those who are still without, or worse, are without homes at all, or even worse, have lost loved ones.

I am happy that we had enough gas to get to church today, so that I could teach this lesson, but my heart breaks for my friends and family who don't know Jesus.

I am happy that we live in a democratic republic, where we are able to vote for our leaders, but my heart bleeds for those who live in war-torn, devastated countries which are led by force and fear.

The truth is that no matter how devastating a storm or important an election, these circumstances are only temporary.  This world, this time, is not all.  There is another world, and another time, and it is open to all who will believe in Jesus Christ.  And not just believe he existed, but to believe that he came to set you free, that he came to save you from your sins, that he came to show you the way to the Father.  To believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty God.

To follow him, is to be able to rise above the difficulties that we face every day, and to do what needs to be done, and at the same time to be happy.  To have joy.  To be content.  To be at peace.  To be unafraid.

No one knows when the next big storm will hit.  No one knows who the next president will be, and what he will do when he's elected.  No one knows what will happen to the economy.  But we can know that our future is in God's hands.  "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39.  And that's all that really matters.

The Law of the Land

I'm reading a book - "Revolution in World Missions" by K. P. Yohannan, the founder of the organization Gospel for Asia.  It's changing my understanding of what I am supposed to be doing, as a follower of Christ.

So last night, I was reading this book, which is the story of how Mr. Yohannan started this organization to help Asian missionaries reach people for Christ in their own countries.  The part I was reading talked about the social gospel, and how ineffective it has been to actually reach people for Christ.  In case you're wondering, the social gospel is the idea that physical needs need to be taken care of before the spiritual needs can be met.

Mr. Yohannan related that in Asia, it has led to countless hospitals, schools, and rest homes, but very few conversions.  He makes the point that it is not easier for someone to come to Christ if he is rich than if he is poor, and if he is fed, than if he is hungry.

I began to think about the political situation here in the United States.  Christians are spending money and time trying to change the laws.  To make the laws of our country conform to God's laws.  Outlaw abortion.  Outlaw same-sex marriage.  Censor porn.  And vote for those politicians who say they will make these laws.

What are we doing?  Has following the law - even "The Law" - ever earned someone eternal life?  How is having the right laws going to make this a more Christian nation?  We are acting like the scribes and pharisees in Jesus' day.  We are trying to get people to follow our laws, but not leading them to the fulfillment of the law - Jesus Christ.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."  Matthew 23:15.  

Jesus didn't mince words.  All of the laws and the rules and the rituals were useless then, and they are just as useless, now.  

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:  for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."  Galatians 2:16.  

We are saved by grace, not by works.  

January 6, 1919, the 18th amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified.  It prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors in the united states - otherwise known as the prohibition of alcohol.  It was repealed December 5, 1933 by the 21st amendment.  From what I remember from history class, outlawing alcohol mostly turned citizens into lawbreakers.  It didn't stop anyone from drinking alcohol.

Honestly, being under the drinking age in college didn't stop me from drinking alcohol, either.  However, now that I am old enough to drink, I don't.  Do you know why?  Because I was saved by grace.  I no longer belong to that life.  I am a new creation in Christ Jesus.  I'm not saying that having a drink is wrong, but for me, it was part of a lifestyle that I no longer live.  The law didn't change my life.  Jesus did.

I started crying last night, because I saw in my mind a city full of people.  And I knew that they were all lost.  And I knew then that prohibiting same-sex marriage won't save homosexuals, and prohibiting abortions won't save unwed mothers, and censoring pornography won't save anyone from an eternity in Hell.  Only the saving grace of Jesus can do any of that.

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?  and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent?...So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Romans 10:13-15,17.

All of our self-righteousness and our striving to get people to bend to our rules are futile.  More than futile:  FATAL!  While we spend our time, money, and energy trying to "take back America," millions are dying without God.  We can't save our country.  Only God can do that.  Do you think he's going to do it because we're being good Pharisees and following the law?  I don't.  I think he's watching us walk around in our insulated bubbles, trying to show everyone how to live the "right way," and he's crying.

Because for each of our perfect little families, there are a multitude that haven't been saved because they haven't called on the name of the Lord.

And they haven't called on him because they haven't believed.

And they haven't believed in him because they haven't heard.

And they haven't heard, because they don't have a preacher.

And they haven't preached, because they haven't been sent.

And they haven't been sent because we are too busy trying to fix people's earthly lives for them, all the while ignoring their eternal souls.

We are in danger of losing our rights in this country.  The rights of free speech and of freedom of religion, to name two.  If you want to change this country, work to keep those rights, and then USE THEM!  Jesus gave us a mandate.  To go and to preach.  Not to judge.  Not to make people behave.  To pray, not to prod.  Definitely not to try to make this world, or this country, more comfortable for us.

"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."  Mark 8:34-38

If you are reading this and you have never heard about Jesus Christ, or if you believe in him but figure that you are beyond help, please believe me. - God loves you.  No matter what.  

There is nothing you have done, or could ever do, that he won't forgive you for.  He wants you to live with him forever.  But you have to make that choice.  You don't have to fix yourself before he will accept you.  You just have to accept him, and he will work in your life to make you into the person he created you to be in the first place.  

You don't have to have fancy words, or be in a church.  Just pray.  Tell God that you are sorry for all of the bad things you've done.  And face it, we've all done bad things.  But you don't have to keep doing them.  Ask God to clean all that junk away.  He promises to throw it so far that he won't even see it again!  Now, tell him that you want to be with him forever, and that you want his son, Jesus, to be in charge of your life.  Believe me, he does a better job of it - I've tried it both ways, and I always mess it up, but God's way is perfect.  Now, step out into your new life, and be ready to tell someone else about it!  Because once you've given up that old, sinful self, and seen what the peace of God really feels like, you're going to want everyone else to have it, too!

Now, your new life may not be easier.  In fact, it may be harder.  But it will definitely be better.

Am I American or Christian?

Does it seem hard to be both?

I think it is.

As an American, I am ruled by the United States Government, in addition to my state, county, and town governments.  All of these governments have rules that I, as a resident and citizen, must follow.

As a Christian, I am ruled by Almighty God.  He also has rules that I, as a citizen of His Kingdom, must follow.

Sometimes the rules overlap.

Sometimes not so much.

Then, there's that sticky wicket of whether or not to be involved in politics, and if so, how much?

As a citizen of the United States, it is my constitutional right to vote.  As a woman, I know that wasn't always the case.  I am privileged to live in this time, where my vote matters.  But what if the candidates I have to choose from are all advocating things that I don't agree with?

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, it is my right to live according to God's laws, to worship Him in every area of my life.   But what if the laws of my country limit my ability to do this?

The Bible clearly states that we are to be subject to our government (1 Peter 2:13-17).  It doesn't recommend that we get involved in it.  But I don't know of anywhere it says that we can't be involved.

I read a post by Anne Elliott recently called "Building My Father's Kingdom."  I recommend that you read the whole thing, but I wanted to talk about part of it.  She brought out the passage in Jeremiah 29, starting in verse 4:

"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take he wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.  And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it:  for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace."  Jeremiah 29: 4-7.

So what does it mean, to seek the peace of the city?

Even if we consider ourselves to be God's subjects first, this passage seems to say that we also have a responsibility to the earthly place we call home.  Israel was even instructed to help the city of Babylon, where they were taken as captives!  Why?  Because if the city was at peace, the Israelites who lived in the city would share in that peace.

Israel was taken to Babylon because God ordained it.

I live in the United States because I was born here.  Basically, God placed me here, in this country, at this time.  So maybe he had a reason for that.

Maybe I am supposed to be a citizen of this country for a reason.

And maybe it is my duty as an American, and as a Christian, to do whatever I can to seek the peace of this city.

And maybe that includes politics.

For God and Country?

I've been enjoying a Ladies' Bible Study at my church for the past few months.  The main study has been on prayer, but we sometimes end up with side conversations that are just as involved as the lesson.  A while ago, the question was brought up whether God deals with countries as a whole, depending on their collective actions. The consensus at the time was that we really didn't know.  I know that different people have suggested that the woes of the United States are a result of God's judgement, from the attack on the World Trade Center to the various natural disasters that have taken place inside out borders.  But is this true?

A search into the Bible reveals that God did indeed judge nations in the past.  If you remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the only people who escaped total destruction were Lot and his two virgin daughters, you could believe that the cities were judged as a whole.  However, it is clear from the conversation Abraham had with the LORD in Genesis 18 that those cities were totally corrupt.  Abraham had bargained the LORD down to saving the cities if there were only ten souls who were righteous, and apparently that was not the case.  Both cities were burned.

It is generally thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their perversions, but Ezekiel 16 actually reveals a deeper problem.  Verses 49 and 50 read:  "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me;  therefore I took them away as I saw good."   Notice that the main complaints seem to be pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness.  In the NASB version, this reads "arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy."  The abominations seem to be a result of these, rather than the cause.

I think I've found a pretty good passage to answer my question.  It is from Ezekiel 14:12-23.  It's rather long, so I'll paraphrase:  God is telling Ezekiel that He is going to send four judgments upon Jerusalem:  the sword, the famine, the wild beast and the pestilence.  These are a result of their collective sin.  He says several times that though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, they would only be able to save themselves with their own righteousness, not even saving their son or daughter.

So, here is my tentative answer to this question, though I don't pretend to know if specific troubles are from God or not.  I believe that He does deal with countries as a whole.  However, He also deals with individuals.  If you are in a country that is committing sins against God, especially those decreed by the government, you may expect to have trouble as a whole.  However, if you are not following the corrupt laws of the government, and are instead following God's laws, you can be saved yourself.

In the Old Testament, everything was dealt with on a very physical level.  Death meant bodily death.  In the New Testament, though, I believe this changed.  Jesus changed the rules with His own death.  Physical, bodily death is no longer the punishment it used to be.  Jesus said in Luke 18:29-30 "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."  And of course, there is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  


This life we are promised is beyond the grave life.  Not just full life now, but perfect life forever.  Our human minds can't even comprehend that much time.  But we can have a glimpse of that kind of life.  I know I try very hard not to lose anything.  I am afraid that if I lose it, I won't get it back. But Jesus asks us to lose our very selves.  Matthew 16:24-26 reads:  "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"   


This is the deliverance we are promised.  Not deliverance from difficulties in this life, or even from physical death, but deliverance from eternal punishment.  And we are not saved because of our connection to our country, or our family, or even our church.  We are saved because of our connection to Jesus Christ.  He is our King, and our government is the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is where our allegiance must lie.  Not to any of the fallen governments of this world.

This is an election year in the United States, meaning that the country will be voting on a new president and congress this November.  It is very easy to get caught up in the frenzy of trying to pick the best men and women to lead us.  Christians have differing opinions about our duty to vote, and our involvement in politics.  Some feel that we have to try to make a difference, and bring our country back to God through our votes and our activism.  If God does in fact judge countries, I can see this point. However, the stakes are even higher than that.  God judges each of us.  No matter what our country chooses to do, we have to answer for our own actions, and our own hearts.  We cannot follow laws that are against our Kingdom.  We cannot follow leaders who are leading us to destruction.  We cannot compromise by picking the best person for the country.  We cannot vote based on the economy or health care or political party.  And we cannot continue to have "arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but... not help the poor and needy."  Our activism has to be to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus.

The Price of Independence

I can do it...myself!

This Monday the United States of America will celebrate Independence Day.  It commemorates the day that we declared independence from England, back in 1776.  I'm planning to teach Rory about American history through the Revolutionary War for school this year, so I've been reading up a bit.  It is amazing how much the colonists gave up to be independent.  They gave up the security of having the British armed forces behind them when they had trouble with the Native Americans.  They gave up all sorts of luxuries, like tea and paper, because they didn't want to pay the taxes to England.  Many gave up their lives, fighting with inferior weaponry, supplies, and even clothes.  Then, each state had to give up its own independence to be part of the new United States.

Americans are still fighting.  It seems that once we started, we were never able to stop.  Only now, we are fighting against our government, each other, and God.  The old "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" mentality doesn't go away easily, it seems.  Everyone wants their own way.  And we think our government should give it to us.  Of course, they should also take care of anyone who can't take care of themselves, because we just don't have time to worry about them, and those who need care want to do it without help.  We're independent.  We all want laws which protect our freedoms.  Freedom of speech, and freedom from being spoken against.  Freedom of life, and freedom of choice.  Freedom of religion, and freedom to make laws according to our own religious views.  Because, of course, we're independent.  We're free.

And we're still giving it up.  We're giving up the freedom that comes from being dependent on our creator.  We're giving up freedom from worry.  Freedom from sin.  Freedom from death.  Our quest to be independent has made us dependent on the one who doesn't care about us at all.  We've fallen into that same old trap from the Garden of Eden.  You can be like God, he says.  You can be independent.  But it's a lie.  No one is independent.  We can only choose where we place our allegiance.  I am a United States citizen, but my allegiance is to God.  God bless America.   

Marriage

Today is my husband's and my wedding anniversary.  Ironically, it is falling the day after New York State passed the same-sex marriage bill.  Marriage vows usually have a phrase something like "What God has joined together, let no man break asunder."  This is a comforting thought in a Christian marriage.  We have been married 17 years today, and have had our share of ups and downs.  Some of the trials we have been through should have destroyed our marriage.  I don't believe we would have survived if God had not joined us together and then held us together almost against our own wills.  But, because He was in it from the beginning, we have weathered the storms, and have prevailed against everything that life has thrown at us.  We are much closer, now, than we were on our wedding day.

I do not believe that God will be involved in the same-sex marriages that will be soon taking place in this state.  I am afraid that when the storms of life come to those couples, they will not have God holding them together.  He ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman, not two men or two women.  I hope, for the sake of those couples, that New York State is prepared to keep playing god, and will hold them together when the going gets tough.  Otherwise, this broken state is going to become more broken and fractured, as the courts have to deal with same-sex divorces.  God help us all.

Remember...

It's Memorial Day weekend.  Tomorrow is the day put aside in the United States of America to remember those who died for our country.  It is also a time to remember those who are still fighting. 

It is easy, with all of the freedom we have, to criticize the government and the military.  We forget that freedom was bought for us by the blood of a million service men and women over the last two centuries.  It is easy to forget that we are Americans because of the vision and sacrifice of those who came to this country three and four centuries ago. 

My husband has traced the genealogies of our family back to those who immigrated from other lands.  Some came here before the Revolutionary War, when America was still a British colony.  Some came as recently as three generations ago - my great grandparents.  Some of your families may have come more recently.  Some of you may be immigrants yourself. 

America is not perfect.  Americans are not perfect.  We are all trying to get through the day.  However, we must remember why we are Americans.  It doesn't matter how we got here.  We now enjoy freedoms that our ancestors only dreamed of.  We enjoy freedoms that many other countries do not have, even today.  So, while you're enjoying your barbecue or camping trip this weekend, take time to remember those who gave it all so that we could have "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

From the Schoolhouse

Schoolhouse by morsephoto, photobucket

I'm in a homeschool kind of mood, today, so I figured I would share some of the posts from Schoolhouse at Glen Hill.  This is a blog I started recently which only focuses on homeschooling.

One of the first posts was School at Our House.  I decided to post a bunch of pictures depicting our better times at homeschooling.  It's funny, as I look back at it, because most of the pictures aren't about doing worksheets or listening to the teacher (me) talk.  These are things most of us associate with school, but when I think back on the last couple years, these are not the things that leap out to me as being important.


Probably in the back of my mind, I was thinking of this when I wrote Next Year's Curriculum.  I am trying to save money, and didn't want to purchase a lot of materials for next year, so I started scrounging around the house to see what I could find.  I've enjoyed this year's curriculum, but I am ready for a change.  It has been a little stressful for me to have to fit in certain activities on certain days.  As a result, I'm going back to designing my own, like I did for first grade.  Incidentally, I am working on developing the first grade curriculum on New York State into an elementary/middle-school aged curriculum to sell.  I'll keep you posted!


The last post I'd like to share was something that helps to explain why we have continued homeschooling.  When we started, it was more of a reaction to the difficulty my son was having at school, but as I've become more aware of the public schools' agendas, I am beginning to have different reasons.  What's Happening in Our Schools? includes a link to an article about occult influence in the schools today.  It's kind of frightening to think that our kids are taught that everything is okay, except Christianity.  "Things that make you go -HMM!"


Well, there you have it.  I hope you enjoy the posts!  

Bush and the Marine Corps Band

I just realized that I had saved this a few weeks ago, intending to post it.  Well, better late than never!  Enjoy!

This was sent to me as an e-mail (thanks Mom!)  The e-mail suggested that I send it to 20 people, but I decided to post it here.  Please read, and if you agree with it, ACT ON IT!  The only way we can be a government of the people, by the people, is if the people get involved.


Contact you representative here, and your senator here.


The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified!  Why?  Simple!  The people demanded it.  That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.
Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.


Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. Term Limits.
12 years only, one of the possible options below..
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
  B. Six Two-year House terms
  C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms
2.  No Tenure / No Pension. 
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.  
3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.  All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.  
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.  Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
 Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. 

Abandoned to the State

Check out this case in Massachusetts -Abandoned to the State - It is amazing to me how little say parents have in the public school system.  Coming from the other side, as a child of a school teacher, and with a degree in education, I have seen how teachers are losing authority in the schools.  So my question is, who is in charge, here?  It doesn't seem to be anyone who actually knows and cares for the students, (i.e. parents or teachers).  So, please click on the link.  It is the story of a father who was actually jailed for asking to have his kindergartener exempted from sexual information in school.  Add this to reasons I homeschool!

Please Listen - Parental Rights Amendment