What STINKS?

 I have a hard time keeping my house clean. It isn't that I don't try, but my house, as long as there are kids, cats, and projects, will never be spotless.Sometimes I leave the house, and then come back, and when I walk through the door, there will be a strong, really bad odor, like something is rotten.

Why didn't I smell it before? And where is it coming from? I'll spray room freshener to try to help, and it might a little, but I still have to find the stench. I will start a search that doesn't stop until I find the stinky culprit. It is often a bag of potatoes that has turned bad, or garbage that didn't get taken out when I asked somebody to do it, or the garbage disposal needing a little attention. Once it was Andy's coat. He had gone fishing, and stuck a bag of raw shrimp in his coat pocket and forgotten about it....and set it next to the heater where it remained for a couple of days. THAT WAS DISGUSTING.

Sometimes our life, or for those of us involved with a church, will go through this, too. Something becomes rotten, and we don't realize it at first, because we are around it so much that we just get used to it. Maybe it is an attitude, a way of doing things, a relationship, or a situation that needs to be addressed, but nothing is addressed or dealt with. Sometimes it is something that we used a lot or found useful or beneficial in some way, but didn't to take care of it, so it began to stink. Sometimes it requires stepping back or removing ourselves from the situation in order to realize something stinks.

Just recognizing that something has gone bad, does not fix it. We could end up spending years knowing something stinks but we don't know what exactly it is. If you don't figure out what is rotten, where it is, and remove it or clean it up, guess what? The smell ain't gonna get any better! It is going to spread, and continue rotting.

We might try to cover it up for a while, and it may fool some people, but the stink is still there. It will get to a point where we think we are fooling others with our sweet smelling sprays and candles, but we are only fooling ourselves. The foulness is still there. We have to seek it out. Identify it. Remove it or clean it up. This might mean removing a habit from your life, something that has become an idol or obsession, a relationship, or like in a church, a way of thinking, a common attitude or viewpoint, or a person causing harm in the position in which they have been placed.

Sometimes  we are so used to the stink that we don't realize it is there and it requires somebody else telling us about it. This requires being open to accountability to someone else. We all need this, because none of us are perfect and we have our blind spots. We need someone to come alongside us and show us what we have missed, that really needs our attention, and others need that from us.

Looking for stink isn't something that we have to deal with just once in our lives. It must be a regular habit. Things get overlooked or neglected and will become a problem. We have to be aware of what can possibly turn bad and deal with it as soon as we recognize it. Or better yet, deal with it before it goes bad.

So I ask, what stinks in your life? And what are you going to do about it? "Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind." Psalm 26:2 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

The Lord Told Me...

Jeremiah 23:25-40

 Be careful what you say is what the Lord says. God takes His Word very seriously, and so should we. We can cause major damage to a person's life if we declare a message from the Lord when it is really just us, whether the message we proclaim is good or bad. Use wisdom and really know the voice of the Lord before speaking in His name.
 25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the LORD. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
 30 “Therefore,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The LORD declares.’ 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the LORD. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the LORD.

 33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the oracle[d] of the LORD?’ say to them, ‘What oracle?[e] I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD,’ I will punish that man and his household. 35 This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘the oracle of the LORD’ again, because every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the LORD’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD,’ this is what the LORD says: You used the words, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers. 40 I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

Desiring Supernatural Power from God

Word of warning to Christians:
You should not covet the ability to perform signs and wonders. Instead, you should live in obedience to God, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all, and reaching out a hand to help those in need. Those lusting over miraculous power and abilities are no better than Simon the sorcerer, who sought to purchase the power that Peter had through God. Do not get caught up in coveting powers that are God's alone to decide who uses and who does not.

"But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." (Acts 8:9-24).

 God's power cannot be purchased or taught to conjure up. Beware those who teach or train how to achieve possession of God's power to perform signs and wonders. It is a first step to witchcraft (witchcraft essentially is trying to control something that you do not have the power or authority to control). It is up to God alone to decide who will have the power to perform miracles. God decides who will receive which spiritual gifts. We can't manipulate God into giving us a particular gift.  No book purchased, seminar attended, or church service will teach you how to achieve the power of God. Do not be deceived. God will not give miraculous powers to those who are not living in obedience and are not ready to forsake all to follow him. He will not bestow power upon those who desire to use it for their own personal desires. God's powers are not used to bring glory or fame to ourselves. God's power is only used to glorify HIM and bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
Do you want to perform signs and wonders? Why? What purpose do you want to achieve? And what price are you willing to pay? Those who do work in the true power of God and with miracles know that they will pay the price with their life. They will be forsaken by family, ridiculed, beat up to the point of death or maiming, imprisoned, and killed. Are you ready for that? Are you really? Following God in this radical way is not easy. Make sure you are ready  because he won't give this gifting to those who are not willing to follow him not only to death, but to forsaking life as we know it. If you are not ready for this, don't expect miracles to follow you.
Mat 16:4b (NIV) "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign." People don't preach this scripture too often....because Christians are always looking for miraculous signs. I tell you these signs are not for strengthening a believer's faith...Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We are to live by faith, not relying on miracles but living in obedience to God whether or not we see anything exciting. The signs are for those who do not believe, because they are not living in faith. They are to show the world "God is here. God loves you!"
If you desire to manifest miraculous power, you need to check your heart and your priorities. It has become more important to you than obedience to God. Align yourself with God's will. Humble yourself, and get right with God. Don't worry or obsess about obtaining power. If you are truly living for Christ and putting Him before your own agenda, then if you are ever in a situation where miraculous power is needed, GOD will decide when and where it will be used, and it will bring HIM glory, not money, fame, and popularity to you.

The Mark of a True, Maturing Christian

One of the marks of a Christian is the desire to help others. Because Christ has changed the believer's heart, given him a new nature, and resides in him by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, that believer longs to see Christ and His character put on display through himself, craves to see hurting people helped, and yearns to see broken people transformed into whole, healed, children of God. The Christian's supreme need is to see Christ glorified.

With Christ being the spiritual life source of a Christian, the fruit produced by a Christian should be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

How do you react to someone in need? Do you yearn to help, or do you look the other way? Do you assume that the one in need is a user looking for a handout, selfish, a whiner or having a pity party, or do you look for an opportunity to show the compassion of Christ? Does Christ work through you, or do you get in His way? How you react will show you what's inside of you.

The Stormtrooper Dream

 I dreamed I was standing across the street from Kicks on Main St. looking up at the second level. There were a bunch of Imperial Storm Troopers with laser guns in their hands. Then a bunch of storm troopers lined up in front of the store.A crowd watched them, and we weren't sure if it was a joke, of if their guns were real. They pointed at the crowd as if going to fire on them. It was intense for a moment. Should we run? Some 80's rock started playing and they took their lasers and played air guitar on them like they were in a rock band.

Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Satan

Satan and his minions are not all-powerful, all-knowing, or all-present. Only God has these qualities. However, Satan does seek to counterfeit these qualities to deceive us into thinking he is like God.
Is it possible for Satan know what is in your mind? Can he read your thoughts? Are thoughts spiritual communication? When you pray, aren't you thinking thoughts to God? If so, and Satan is a spiritual being, can he hear or recognize that spiritual communication? Can Satan plant thoughts in your mind, or does he guide you to think certain thoughts? 
 God created angels with high intelligence. Satan is an angel, albeit a fallen one. Angels are so intelligent, that frankly humanity's greatest genius appears mentally retarded next to them. Satan hates that his authority and position as worshiper have been lost to a bunch of retarded beings. 
If Satan was originally given dominion over the earth, then he does know the intricacies of keeping it "in tune" so to speak. He knows not only spiritual and musical matters but also physical. He is very observant.He doesn't need to peer into your mind to know what you are actually thinking. He has studied human nature since Adam was first created. That's a long time to study human nature. If a hot looking woman walks by, he can tell if your temperature or pulse rise. If you lie, he sees your eyes dilate. He can listen to the subtleties in your voice. He notices how you react to things. Gathering all this information, he can deduce what makes you tick, and what your weak spots are. If man can study this in a small lifetime and use this information, think about one who has studied it over millennia, how well he has mastered it.
Guard yourself. Guard your thoughts, actions and your words. 
If Satan is so intelligent, then why did he revolt against God in the first place? For some reason he really thought he could pull off  overthrowing God. I don't know why he would think that and convince a third of the angels as well, but the fact remains that he really thought he could do it. He gave himself over to a reprobate mind, wilfully believing a lie. His pride in himself made him think he was bigger and better than he was. Did his pride and reprobate mind make him less intelligent? No. But it did blind him to certain things. That blindness in him also in some ways serves to protect us. Or maybe God just shields some things from his knowledge to protect us, such as, Satan pushes and he just keeps pushing and he takes it too far, so far that we decide after a while, that we are not going to put up with him any longer, so we go to God and fight back. If Satan wasn't blind, he would know to back off for a while and not push us into the protection of God. 
Knowing this about him, I would warn you not to make "warfare trash talk" about him. It does nothing but bring you down below the level that God wants us to operate at. It shows that we are relying on something in ourselves to show him up. God doesn't want any trash talk. He wants us to understand that any power to overcome Satan does not come from anything we do ourselves. It doesn't come from our intellect, or our mega spirituality. It doesn't come from following any formulas or rituals. It only comes from being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, meaning, we must accept Jesus as our savior for that protection. We do not have power over Satan. Only God does. Living in obedience to God, knowing the truth in his Word, and trusting him for everything, is what we need to do to protect ourselves against Satan.

Just pretty fairies?

There is a lot of artwork by current-day artists, with the subject of fairies. I noticed this a while back as I was looking through some artwork that a teenage girl that I know, had printed off the internet. This girl was really into fairies, and I noticed that in every single piece of work---we are talking dozens of pictures---there was a crescent moon---either in the background or as a piece of jewelry or other accessory.It made me think that this cannot be coincidence. All these different fairy artists are including a crescent moon---why? 

I asked a friend who had been involved in Wicca, and this is what she knew:
Fairies (faeries) are magical beings that are part of Celtic folklore. They are pieces of the goddess' spirit (pagan counterfeit of the Holy Spirit). Christians have a cross as a spiritual symbol; the crescent moon is the pagans' symbol. It is a symbol of the maiden part of the goddess (the goddess being three parts: Maiden, Mother and Crone, another counterfeit). The crescent moon points to the right as the maiden; the full moon is the mother, and the crescent pointing left is the crone. 

Fairies were part of mother nature and took part in bringing about the seasons, and in paganism they are the counterfeit for angels. 

Very interesting, don't you think? We should be aware of this as we look at pictures of fairies. The fairies may seem innocent and beautiful, but as an artist myself, I know that nothing is unintentional in the composition of a piece of art. The moon wasn't put into each fairy composition just because it looked good. The artist has done their research into the origin of the Faerie, and they know what they are doing. That the artist is involved in paganism is a strong possibility.
 Oh, be careful little eyes what you see... 

Giving and Receiving

Acts 20:35 is the verse that most people have heard at some point in their lives. It states that it is more blessed to give than to receive. It is very true.
So many people, though, don't know how to give properly, nor do they know how to receive. Let me just say this: Give cheerfully, and receive gracefully.

My husband received a gift this Christmas, and it made him want to cry for all the wrong reasons. A family member of his threw a gift card into his lap and made the remark, "There. I'm finally done with that!" Like it was physically painful to give my husband even a kind sentiment, let alone a physical gift. He was hurt and offended, and was tempted to throw it back and tell this person where to put his gift, there was that much rotten attitude in the giving.

If you are not going to give in love, DON'T GIVE.

If you give something with an attitude or rudeness, you aren't blessing anyone, but giving a curse. Keep your attitude to yourself until you can freely give up that rottenness to God.

Some people can't receive, either. I drew a portrait for someone as a surprise Christmas present a few years ago. I did this to honor them. A family member of theirs hated it. They stewed over it for a year, then blew up, stating I did it to disrespect them. I made them ugly on purpose and tried to insult them by forcing them to display it in their house. The more I tried to explain that I did not intend to disrepect them, the uglier they got. I did my best on that portrait. I asked the family for help in finding some good pictures to use as resource material, and they refused to help me. So I found some pictures that were posted online of them and made a nice portrait. The likeness was accurate. They didn't like the accuracy of it, felt it should have been touched up, take extra weight and wrinkles off to make them virtually unrecognizable, definitely not accurate. It would have been a poor likeness, a very poor portrait if I had done that.

If you hate a gift, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Be polite, and you can dispose of the gift later. If you hate a gift, say,"Thank you! I appreciate your kindness in thinking of me." Don't destroy the gift-giver. Don't try to imply an ulterior motive on the giver. Just receive GRACEFULLY. All you do otherwise is show what an ugly, ungrateful person you are. People will not want to give you gifts if you behave that way, nor will they want to be around someone with that ugliness bubbling under the surface.

Some people just like to give. It's in their hearts to give. It's sad when others, caught up in their selfishness, greed, pride, or mistrust, can't understand that.

As much as it hurts people, think about how it hurts God. God is generous. He has so much to give us, but we refuse to receive it, because it isn't the gift that we think He should be giving us. WE want to control what He gives us, instead of just opening up and receiving it. We limit God by our inability to receive. How dare HE give us that when WE wanted something else?! It also shows we don't trust God to give us good things. Matthew 7:11 states, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Not trusting God to give us what is best for us means that we know better than God. If we know better than God, doesn't that mean that we are above God? Isn't that what Satan thought about himself? Wow. That's painful. Is it true in your life? What don't you trust God with in your life?

The same can be said about giving to God. All we have is His, entrusted into our care. So how do we have the right to withhold from God, when He says to give Him something? I am not talking placing a check in the offering plate, although it could apply to that; I am talking about when God shows you someone in need, someone to bless, with a kind word, an act of service, a meal, or whatever--- and we say no, we are too busy. No we are too strapped financially and have to take care of our own needs first. No, I don't like that guy. Or how about when God asks us to give HIM something? An addiction, a relationship, or how about our worship? We don't trust that God has our best interests at heart. He wants us to trust Him, and give freely and joyfully. Giving with a grudge isn't really giving. 2 Corinthians 9:7 states, "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."

We also have to remember, that whatever we have ultimately belongs to God; if we refuse to give Him what is rightfully His, he can take it from us without our consent. Do you really want to have something ripped from your hands due to disobedience, or wouldn't it be better to give it to God freely so he can take it and bless it, change it, or transform it into something better?

Cheerful givers are some of the happiest, healthiest people in the world. They do it not for what they might get in return, but just for the joy of blessing someone. Graceful receivers are that way, too. They are grateful for what has been given, but more than that, it is the act of giving itself that blesses. It truly is the thought that counts. Giving blesses both parties involved, and receiving gracefully allows the receiver to bless the giver in return. Stingy hearts will never understand this as they cannot see past themselves. I pity them, really. All we can do is set an example for them and pray that one day they can learn how to let go of themselves and be a blessing. They, like the givers, will learn that what goes around comes around. You sow what you reap. Sow blessing, receive blessing. Sow selfishness, reap cursing.

Unbalanced

Two scenarios:

#1

Harold: Oh, Myrtle. I love you so much. I will follow you to the ends of the earth. I just love to be in your presence.

Myrtle: I love you, too. I am so happy that you love me so much. Harold, would you do something for me?

Harold: I would do anything for you, Myrtle. You are so amazing, so wonderful, I am not worthy of your love. I love the way you feel, the way you sound, the way you make me feel. All I am is yours!

Myrtle: I'm so glad you feel that way. Harold, I just heard from a friend that is hurt. She needs to be picked up and taken to the hospital. We both need to stay with her for a while and just make sure that she is not left alone. I'll be right with you, but I need you to get ready and drive us there now.

Harold: But being here with you is so wonderful. I don't want to go out or go away from this feeling, right here, right now! Oh how I love you and love the way it feels to love you.

Myrtle: I know. You already said that. But I need you to go do this now. She is waiting and time is of the essence. She needs help NOW.

Harold: Oh, Myrtle. The sound of your voice is like music to my soul. You are so beautiful! Just let me bask in your presence.

Myrtle: Harold, do you love me?

Harold: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

Myrtle: Then GO! My friend is in danger!

Harold: I think my place is here, with you. I never want to leave your side.

Myrtle: I told you I will be right with you. We need to go before it is too late!

Harold: Oh, the sweet smell of your skin. It thrills me to be so near to you.

Myrtle: Harold, I am starting to feel like you really don't love me after all. If you love me, you would do what I have asked of you. Someone I care about is in danger and all you can think about is how you feel right now. If you love me, go save my friend.

#2

Myrtle: Harold, I love you.

Harold: I know you do sweetie. I love you, too.

Myrtle: Harold, can you some spend some time with me?

Harold: I will after a bit. I have some errands to run.

---Harold returns from his errands---

Myrtle: Harold, could you spend some time with me now? I miss you.

Harold: I know, I'm just a little busy right now. I have to clean out the rain gutters and fix the car. Then maybe I'll have some time.

---Harold finishes his jobs---

Myrtle: Harold, now will you spend time with me? I really need to spend time with you. It's been months since we had any time together.

Harold: Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm reading the newspaper? Nag, nag, nag! Why can't you give me a moment of peace and quiet?

Myrtle: Harold, please! Don't you care about me anymore?My heart breaks because you don't seem to love me anymore. You are so busy with anything and everything else that you have forgotten about me. Please, just come spend an hour with me. Let's talk, just be with each other, no distractions. Please? Just once? Set aside some time for me?

Harold: I don't have time for your whining right now. I'm too busy. The guys and I already planned to go out tonight. They're waiting for me right now.

Do either of these sound familiar? Both are out of balance. The Lord wants us to make time to build a relationship with him, to worship him, to get to know him, but he also wants us to not just hear the beautiful sound of His voice, but to obey it, to act, and to go reach out to others instead of make our time of worship a feel-good grave of self-indulgence in the name of God. We can get stuck in what feels good to the point that we never want to leave it to go reach out to the lost. When we do that, we become no good to anybody else and become useless to God. We need to realize that he follows us wherever he sends us. He will still be there as we are obeying his voice. When he says to go, he is going with us. We can worship and live a life of true worship and show him how much we really love him by obeying him, not just giving him lip service.

We can also become so busy doing, doing, doing, that we neglect our relationship with him, putting him aside, taking for granted that he will always be right there, and in so doing, our relationship grows cold, hurting him, hurting ourselves, and making our busy lives meaningless.

The key is to find balance between the extremes. Know God personally. Spend time with him constantly. Know his voice, and obey. The Bible says to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. It also tells of Mary and Martha. Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his teaching, while Martha kept herself busy serving. Mary made the wiser choice. We need to know when to do, and when to be. Don't get stuck in one or the other, but balance them out evenly. They are both vital to a healthy relationship with God.

Forgive

I have noticed an interesting thing happens while I vacuum the floor at the church. Something often comes into my mind, usually from in the past--a hurt, an offense, or some painful memory, and I end up thinking on it as I clean. Now there are two ways to think about these memories, and I guess you could say that while I vacuum a battle between good and evil goes on. Do I dwell on these offenses and let the root of bitterness deepen, or do I examine the situation, realize how it has negatively or positively it has affected my life, and give it over to God? I have both won and lost in these battles. Some wounds run deeper, and if I have held onto them, then they are going to be brought up again for me to face until I make the right decision to let them go.

Today in church, a scripture passage was used: John 20:21-23 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

This really caught my interest. Jesus had been betrayed by one of his buddies, denied by another , killed on the cross, and raised from the dead. He met up with the disciples, and one of the very first things He tells them to do is FORGIVE.

In the wisdom of the world, Jesus had every right to not forgive those who killed him. He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Himself free, yet He chose to forgive his persecutors. He also asked God to forgive them, for they knew not what they did. He refused to let unforgiveness take hold and destroy Him.

Jesus knew what emotions the disciples were going through. Their rabbi, their Lord, and best friend, was brutally killed---because of their friend and fellow disciple Judas, the Romans, and even the Jews themselves. Peter also had part of this because he denied Christ three times instead of serving as a witness to his innocence. They were all dealing with anguish, mourning, despair, sadness, bitterness, and unforgiveness toward others and themselves. Jesus knew that if this unforgiveness was not dealt with immediately, that it would grow into a root of bitterness from which they would never recover. This bitterness could eventually destroy them, and possibly destroy the future church before it had even become anything.

This really hit home with me today. Years ago, I witnessed a terrible thing that has forever affected me. Memory of this act has brought me pain for years. Something cruel and unnecessary happened that hurt a lot of young girls, and I witnessed it, powerless to change what happened. I guess I never forgave the person who did this, because this is what was brought to my attention as I was vacuuming the church yesterday. Forgiving doesn't make all the hurt go away, or lessen the act that was committed. But healing cannot happen until the wound has been cleansed and the root of bitterness removed. So today I forgive. I cannot control what happened, and I cannot change it, nor could I have made any difference when it happened. I cannot control what this person does or what they are like. It is not up to me to change anyone else, it is up to me to forgive and not let this act cause any more damage to my life. I will forgive every time this memory resurfaces, every time that the enemy tries to bring it up and cause bitterness to grow in me again. I will pray that somehow, the lives that were damaged years ago in this incident will not be forgotten by God, that the seeds that were planted years ago will sprout in them, that He will bring them into a relationship with Him, that their wounds will be cleansed and healed.

If Jesus can forgive, I can, too. And it is nice to know that there is no limit to His forgiveness. He has to forgive me over and over, too--I sin. I hurt Him terribly. I go to Him, ask Him to forgive me, and He never withholds it. He never remembers it against me. He knows that the best thing to do is forgive immediately. So today I choose to forgive, no matter what. I forgive. Let the restoration begin.

A real man

This is a photo of me with my Daddy---a "real man".

What is a real man? Some would argue that going through puberty makes one a real man. So perhaps the question should be, what makes one an honorable man? Here are a few ideas:

Support your family with an honest job---even if it is minimum wage, at least it is an income. It makes more than sitting at home playing video games or drinking in the bar all day.

Put aside your selfish desires to care for others in your family. Put yourself and your wants AFTER those you should be responsible for.

When someone else is sick or in pain in your family, don't try to get everyone's attention by feeling sorry for yourself. THINK about the OTHER PERSON and what they are going through, and try to minister to THEIR needs.

Actively participate in the lives of your spouse and children. Don't ignore the kids until they are old enough to be your drinking or hunting buddies (by the time they are that age, if you haven't involved yourselves in their lives, they are not going to want to have anything to do with you), but take time to enjoy them NOW while you have the chance. Don't let them fall by the wayside and harbor resentment because Dad was never there for them. Also if you don't involve yourself with your wife except for making sure that she takes care of your own needs, your wife will learn to take care of everything herself. She will build up emotional walls, because deep down she needs her husband but knows he won't be there for her. She will one day realize that she doesn't need you and even if she never verbalizes it, she will realize you are just dead weight, and she would be better off without you.

Don't be lazy at home. What wife wants to be the mother, father, breadwinner, maid, cook, gardener, mechanic, maintenance person, and executive decision maker? It's too much for one person to carry their whole lives. Step up and take responsibility.

Don't squander all the money drinking, gambling, eating out, or whatever else you really like to do. Make sure that your family comes first. Pay your bills, buy groceries, fill your vehicles with gas, set some aside for other needs and emergencies, before blowing any money. A little blow money is good, but take care of your family FIRST.

Be the spiritual leader in your home. Lead your family and set a good example for them. If you lead them honorably, they will follow your example.

My father is a shining example of an honorable man. My husband also does his best to follow in honorable footsteps. With the examples he has had, I believe my son will grow up to be an honorable man. I have known many men who were honorable, but I also know some who are a disgrace to their families and it breaks my heart to see the wives and children grow up with a man who chooses to be inactive in their lives, even if he is living right there with them. I am so thankful for the honorable men in my life.

Made in China

Much of what we buy and consume here in the United States is made in China. China makes a LOT of money off of US consumers. Pick up almost any object and a large percent of the time it will say "MADE IN CHINA" somewhere on it. US companies outsourcing to other countries saves and makes a lot of money, because other countries do not pay wages and benefits that an American company pays.

This is very unfortunate for the people of the United States. The businesses themselves make a ton of money, but it puts Americans out of jobs, and makes it very difficult for the average joe to find a job that will support his family.

It is also hurtful to the people of China. You might ask how? It gives them paid jobs, and our money is going to China. Someone is getting rich off of us, aren't they?

Somebody is making money off of us, but it is not the Chinese laborers. I am not going to say that everything made in China falls in this category that I am about to describe, but a lot of it does apply. The Chinese laborers do not receive pay for manufacturing the items that are sold to the USA. Their work does not support their families in any way. They are working for free. The money that we pay for the things that are made in China goes to the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has a dirty little "secret" called Laogai--forced labor operations. Political and religious dissidents are arrested (anybody who speaks up in disagreement with communism, and anybody who is involved in religion that is not registered with the government), some go to trial, and some do not. The government figures that they should not have to pay to feed and house prisoners, but should use them productively.Make them pay their own way. Sounds good, doesn't it? Doesn't the US make their prisoners work? Yes, but I believe they have a choice, and they do receive wages, though smaller than what a non-prisoner would make.

Laogai production serves as a "means for reforming prisoners and bears the political obligation of punishing and reforming prisoners. It serves as an economic unit producing goods for society..." It is estimated that there are tens of thousands if not millions of prisoners in the Laogai system. About 1/3 of China's tea is produced in Laogai camps. 60% of China's rubber vulcanizing chemicals are produced in a single camp in Shenyang. One of the largest steel pipe works is a Laogai camp. And on and on it could go.

The Laogai system isn't just a prison system. It is a source of free labor. Slave labor. It is a double incentive to imprison people. First, it nullifies resistance to the communist party, and second, it puts them to work for the communist party, the same government that put them away. There is a Chinese law that allows them to be sentenced for three years without a proper hearing. They can be wrongfully sentenced, imprisoned and forced to work for free. They get no pay, no retirement pension, no benefits whatsoever for their family. They are treated like slaves, abused and neglected.

Laogai facilities operate under multiple enterprise names to interact in the commercial arena to avoid detection by international observers.

So to put it in a nutshell, a Chinese person can be accused and sentenced for any crime, real or imagined, without a hearing, and work in the labor camps for three years before having a hearing. If wrongfully sentenced, it does not matter, because nobody questions the communist government and survives to tell about it, and it makes the Chinese government lots of money. The laborer works long hours every day, receives no pay (it all goes to the government) and leaves his family without an income. And the US buys these products because they are at an unbeatable price---better than what we can do if made in our own country.

It's just something to think about the next time you shop for anything. Turn it upside down, check the tag, and find out where it is made. Can one person make a difference by boycotting things made in China? I don't know about that. But, by purchasing these things, does that not make us just as guilty as the Chinese government?

Maybe it is time to think about not necessarily getting the best-priced item, but to support the companies who manufacture their products in the US. It keeps us in our jobs, and keeps us from adding to the burden of those Chinese labor-slaves.

Sources: Randy Alcorn; http://laogai.org/

Total randomness

Welcome to Blah Blah Blog, my blog of total randomness. There is no common theme to this blog. It is a place for me to comment on whatever is in my head and doesn't fit in my other blogs. Some will be serious, some will not. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee or cocoa, and enjoy my random musings.