Unused, Unoccupied and Unexplainable

     The U.S. government debt is closing in on $17 Trillion!  Nearly one-third of Americans are on food stamps, while only 47 percent of all adults in the United States have a full-time job.  Our financial house is a wreck and threatens to be demolished by a tsunami of poor government policies, regulations and programs.  Here's one that should make your blood boil.
     According to a report in the Washington Post, the State Department thought it would be a good idea to spend $34 million of the taxpayer's money building a 64,000 square foot complex of offices and operations center that compose the U.S. Military’s headquarters in Afghanistan.  In addition, a building to repair the military’s vehicles and other equipment cost $45 million. And the State Department spent $80 million and signed a 10-year lease on a site for a consulate.  Well, "This is war", you might say.  "And it costs money to run a war; and the Military's top brass need proper access and materiel at the front."
     But here's a little known fact .... These sites are expected to see little or no use.  Why?  They have either been deemed in a dangerous location, or relatively useless, as the U.S. military moves forward with its plan to pull out combat troops by 2014.  Quoting the article :  But some senior officers see the giant headquarters as the whitest elephant in a war littered with wasteful, dysfunctional and unnecessary projects funded by American taxpayers. A hulking presence at the center of Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, it has become the butt of jokes among Marines stationed there and an object lesson for senior officers in Kabul and Washington.

     
     The top Marine commander in Helmand sent a memo to the U.S. headquarters in Kabul three years ago stating that the new structure was unnecessary. But his assessment was ignored or disregarded by officers issuing contracts for construction projects, according to senior military officials familiar with the issue.
     The building’s amenities also have prompted alarm among senior officers. A two-star Marine general who has toured the facility called it “better appointed than any Marine headquarters anywhere in the world.” A two-star Army general said the operations center is as large as those at the U.S. Central Command or the supreme allied headquarters in Europe.
     “What the hell were they thinking?” the Army general said. “There was never any justification to build something this fancy.”
     Even more upsetting is the letter sent to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, John Sopko.  In his very candid letter, Mr. Sopko stated, in part, that "One senior U.S. military official told me that this facility was designed for a military division that was never deployed and, subsequently, a decision was made not to construct the facility, but inexplicably the building construction started and is now complete. Military officials explained this is an example of what is wrong with military construction in general— once a project is started, it is very difficult to stop."  He furthermore stated that, "According to a senior U.S. military official, as the footprint of Camp Leatherneck decreases, the building could be outside the security perimeter, thereby making it unsafe for the U.S. military to occupy it. This leaves the military with two primary options—demolish the building or give it to the Afghan government."
     How did this gross mismanagement come to pass?  Apparently, it all started in 2009, when the President  decided to surge more troops to southern Afghanistan to beat back Taliban insurgents. Army planners in South Carolina and at the Pentagon determined that Camp Leatherneck, which had been selected as the headquarters for Marine forces in the south, required a sophisticated command-and-control facility.  If they had listened to the officers in the field, we taxpayers might have been spared more debt laid on our backs.  In fact, when Marine officers in Helmand heard of the plans, they objected. The commander at the time, then-Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills, believed his plywood-walled headquarters was sufficient and made that clear to his superiors in Kabul.
     But mysteriously, and inexplicably, as the troop presence decreased, the building progress went full-steam ahead.  And even after our administration decided to remove an additional 34,000 troops this year, the project continued apace. Cubicles filled the floor. Theater seats arrived. The contractor made modifications to address problems with emergency exits.  And now we have a multi-million dollar boondoggle sitting unused and unoccupied .... which will most likely be demolished.
     A two-star Army general at the Pentagon calls it "terribly embarrassing."  I call it careless, shameful and unethical.  Those are the nicest words I could come up with.  This is just another example of the slide toward degeneracy that is becoming America's hallmark.  Unfortunately, we seem to be mirroring the decline of the once great Roman Empire, in which their military institutions degenerated in much the same manner as their political and social institutions.  The corruption of these segments, combined with increased taxation and an escalating cost of operating the State, resulted in a stagnant economy and the eventual destabilization of the Empire.  Sound familiar?  Just think how that money could have been used to relieve the tax burden of every American, or at least been applied to a program that benefitted our citizens.  We cut Meals on Wheels for this?

Proverbs 13:16        "In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly."

Product Recommendation: Sauce Master Food Strainer

     As my garden production comes to an end, I wanted to share a piece of equipment that has made my life much easier.  First of all, I must admit that I can understand why our grandmothers embraced the advent of canned goods in the grocery store.  Having spent the last few summers canning the fruits of my labors out of my garden, I will tell you that it is exhausting work.  It begins with picking the produce; washing and cleaning it; oftentimes boiling, blanching and peeling it; cutting, chopping or slicing; washing the jars and rings; filling them with the fresh food; and tending the pressure canner for sometimes an hour and a half ..... you had better dedicate an entire day to the canning process.
     No wonder our grandmothers were willing to trade some healthy aspects of the food they served their families for a little convenience and extra time!  There is a price to pay for such healthy goodness, and it involves tired feet and an aching back.  But all my grumbling aside, I still enjoy the finished product and take great pride in my efforts.  That being said, I'm not above finding a tool or implement that will shave off time and make the experience even more enjoyable.  That's where the NorPro Sauce Master comes in.
     My yield of tomatoes this season was plentiful, and I couldn't wait to can a supply of spaghetti sauce and salsa.  But the step of blanching and peeling the tomatoes was my least favorite part of the process. The Sauce Master helped eliminate the drudgery of that chore.  It automatically separates juice and pulp from seeds and skin, with an easy continuous operation, which makes it ideal for home canning, freezing, and dehydrating.  You can use it for the production of tomato juice, fruit butters, fruit leather, applesauce, baby food, pumpkin pie filling, jams and jellies.  The best part is that there is no pre-cooking needed for soft textured fruits like tomatoes.  The Sauce Master includes a plunger, spout, standard spiral and stainless steel screen, recipes and instructions.... all you need to speed up your canning process.
     The following pictures will show you how easy it is to prepare your tomatoes and get either more pulp or simply sauce, depending on what you are trying to achieve.  The difference is in the use of the different screens ... a finer one will result in more of the tomato being discarded, while the Salsa screen allows you to retain more meat of the tomato and acquire a "chunky" consistency.

Tomatoes are put into the hopper.  With the Salsa screen,
skin is discarded into the pan on the left, while the meat
of the tomato is poured into the pan on the right.

Tomatoes are cooked with green peppers, jalapeños,
onions, garlic and cilantro.

Pints of Salsa after coming out of the Boiling Water Canner.

The Standard screen discards skin and seeds into bowl on
the left, and pulverizes tomato into pure sauce.

After adding appropriate spices, onion and garlic, I cook the
Spaghetti sauce until it boils for 20 minutes, pour it into
quart jars with a tablespoon of lemon juice and can it in
a boiling water bath.  It's beautiful!

          I have read some of the reviews on this product on Amazon, and I can honestly say I disagree with all of them.  I have found the parts easy to clean, the handle easy to turn, and the resulting tomato product had the consistency I was looking for.  It greatly improved my canning experience and made the whole process much easier and faster.  I am anxious to try and make applesauce and jams and jellies.  As far as I'm concerned, anything that encourages me to keep canning is worth any little imperfections.  And the more spaghetti sauce I have in my pantry, the happier I am!

Genesis 1:12   "The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." 

Where Have Our Heroes Gone?

     I ran across a fascinating article on World Net Daily, asking the rhetorical question, "Do We Really Need that 'David and Goliath" Stuff?"  It was the musings of some psychoanalytical sociologist who questioned the need for society to revere superheroes; some malarkey about it engendering divisiveness and violence.  
     She seemed to think it wrong to elevate the heroic exploits of David's defeat of Goliath, or Joan of Arc leading the French army in victory over England; that it "divides life into a black and white picture of good and evil, and in doing so, it justifies violence."  And that, my friends, is at the heart of what is wrong with today's culture!
     Pointy-headed elites such as this want to paint our world in shades of gray, where everything is relative, on the same plane, and where no one stands out above others.   In other words, we are all the same and no one aspires to greatness.  But does that really mean that there will be no disagreements, alienation, or hostilities?  The reality of this world is that it IS black and white; good and evil; light and dark.  And that is why we need heroes!  
     It used to be that heroes possessed certain character traits that made this world a better place.  Some of these were:  courage in the face of personal perils; the ability to care about others; determination and endurance to overcome obstacles; cleverness and inventiveness; a confident belief in oneself, and a positive outlook on circumstances.   But our culture has nearly demonized individuality and changed the image of what a hero is.

     A study at Santa Clara University revealed that a couple years ago the administrators of the Barron Prize for Young Heroes polled American teenagers and found only half could name a personal hero. Superman and Spiderman were named twice as often as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Lincoln.  The study made it clear that our media make it all too easy for us to confuse celebrity with excellence; of the students who gave an answer, more than half named an athlete, a movie star, or a musician. One in ten named winners on American Idol as heroes.  How sad is that?  Which caused me to question how we could have let this happen.
     I know that I had my childhood heroes.  And I found them through the books I read and the stories I was told by my elders.  I sat at the knees of my parents and aunts and uncles, and I heard the stories of my  ancestors and the hardships they had overcome in their lives.  I was painted mind pictures of long sea voyages across the Atlantic and lonely arrivals on Ellis Island.  I was told stories of burying the family silver, along with other treasured possessions, in the yard as my great-grandmother fled before the advancing Yankee army.  I was told how my grandmother suffered through a debilitating childhood disease, the death of her young husband, and poverty in the Great Depression to become a symbol of courage, dedication and persistence to an entire town on the plains of eastern Colorado.
     And I gobbled up the legends of early American heroes and heroines through countless pages of books that fueled my hunger for tales of daring and fearlessness.  Were some of those stories embellished?  Probably.  Nevertheless, they made me want to aspire to the noble characteristics of these normal human beings who found it within themselves to become more than average .... and for all the right reasons.  They embodied moral courage and a daring boldness that I wanted to emulate.
     But I fear that our youth today have become both cynical and deceived.  In my day, we applauded the bravery of astronauts who flew to the moon, and recognized the courage it took for Martin Luther King to stand up for his civil rights.  And we honored the memories of those heroes who contributed their lives to the ongoing freedom of our nation.  But today, our kids see the steroid scandals in Major League Baseball, the shocking series of lies and misconduct from within our government at the highest levels, and the glee and triumph with which our media seek to tarnish anyone who reaches for a higher rung.  So who are they left with for heroes?  Movie stars, musicians and reality show celebrities.  And none of that contributes to an effective role model for a successful ... let alone heroic life.
      And that's where I think we've failed.  We should be encouraging them to become heroes; not just another ribbon-receiver with everyone else on the team.  We need to feed their imaginations with the stories of their ancestors and this nation's pioneers, groundbreakers, and trailblazers.  They need to know that it is OK to be more than average; to want to excel; and to dare to be a David or a Joan of Arc.  We need to expand their ideas and sense of possibility and encourage them to be leaders and to reach for the stars!

1 Corinthians 16:13     Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.  

   

Are You Ready For This?

     I sometimes feel as though I am beating a drum that no one hears; that if my fellow Christian Americans can avoid the headlines, then they can convince themselves that there's nothing to worry about.  Well, I'm going to bang the drum louder.  And it doesn't really matter if you count yourself a Believer or not, but you should take a good hard look at the headlines below.  They all appeared in a single day on the website, Worthy.com.  As human beings, how can we continue to ignore these threats?

•  Morsi Muslims "Rage" Against Copts - In the days leading up to the successful anti-Morsi petition by the Egyptian people, Morsi's supporters began threatening Christians via Muslim Brotherhood-run mass media outlets. When Morsi was finally forced from office, Islamist broadcasts blamed both Egypt's military and its Christians, whose blood they vowed to spill in revenge for the former's coup.  Dozens of churches have been vandalized and destroyed, along with the personal homes and businesses of Coptic Christians.  The latest headlines are predicting a bloodbath, and the death toll is now over 50, and rising.

•  Pakistan Militants Threaten To Kill Christian Lawyer - The chief lawyer defending Christian women who were reportedly sexually abused by activists of Pakistan's ruling party said that Muslim militants have threatened to kill him if he and his legal team continue with these cases, along with those that include attacks on a Christian neighborhood and rape.

•  Free Syrian Army Massacres Christian Village - Around 350 armed militants forcefully entered the homes of Christian families who were all rounded-up in the main square of the village and then summarily executed.  Syrian army sources said they only reached the village after the massacre, resulting in clashes with militants who included both Turkish and Chechen jihadis.  The situation for Syria's religious minorities have become increasingly worse as Free Syrian Army affiliated Islamist organizations are free to engage in ethnic cleansing operations in a country where kidnappings, executions and assassinations have become all too commonplace.

• Christians Slain By Islamists in Nigeria - In the last six months, more than 100 Christian farmers have been killed or injured and almost 100 churches destroyed in attacks by armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen.  The Reverend Johnson Kikem had this to say, "It's because we have refused to bow to the god of Islam, and so the plan is to forcefully Islamize us.  It is part of the Islamic agenda to impose sharia on Christians in the northern part of Nigeria."  Kikem said Islamic extremists are believed to be arming Muslims and encouraging them to attack Christians.

•  Iraq Christians Fear More Violence After Church Attacks, Killings - We in the U.S. are under the false assumption that the war has ended in Iraq and everyone is peacefully co-existing.  Not so!  Just consider these facts that have recently been reported:  1)  Assyrians, one of the main Christian groups in Iraq, are once again the target of violence as part of a wider anti-Christian campaign by Islamic militants that began in 2004 when the first church was bombed  2)  Since 2004 at least 15 church leaders were kidnapped, including seven priests and three deacons who were murdered, while five priests were released after ransom was paid.  3)  Additionally, 73 churches were attacked or bombed since June, 2004.  4)  Women have been especially targeted, with at least 13 young Christian women being abducted and raped, causing some of them to commit suicide.  Militants were reportedly also demanding that Christian women be sent to the mosque to be married off to Muslims.  5)  The terror group Al-Qaeda has also moved into an Assyrian neighborhood to collect jizya, a special tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens.  Approximately 500 Assyrian shops in a market were burned in one night.  6)  Anti-Christian forces were also seen blockading Assyrian villages, while Christian children were kidnapped and forcibly transferred to Kurdish families.

•  Syria Militants Behead Catholic Priest, Two Others - The graphic killing was posted online as an alleged warning to others who would be so bold as to practice their faith.  The Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Syria states that this tragedy underscores "The whole story of Christians in the Middle East" that "is marked and made fruitful by the blood of the martyrs of many persecutions."

     Need I go on?  Because believe me, I could.  These are not isolated nor random headlines.  They are becoming increasingly commonplace and are graphic indications of the threat that Christianity is under throughout the world.  I say The World, because I do not think America will escape our share of persecution.  Indeed, if you are truly paying attention, then you have already seen the early suggestions of coming violence.  And in case you think that these evil forces can determine whether you worship Jesus Christ or not, you better think twice.  Because whether we, as a nation, officially recognize it or not, they view America as a Christian nation.  Kind of ironic, huh?
     Here are just a couple of examples of what our future could look like .... Back in February of 2013, Yusuf Ibrahim, a muslim in New Jersey, shot two Christians in the chest at close range,  beheaded them, and buried their bodies, heads and hands in separate graves.
     This is not a new phenomena, either.  In June of 2010 David Wood, with other Christian Evangelists of Acts 17 Apologetics, were arrested by the city police near the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, and charged with “breach of the peace”.  When arrested, the Evangelists were peacefully speaking with passers-by and distributing the gospel of John.

    And are you familiar with the story of Arab author Alaa Alsaegh, who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in August, 2011?  He was attacked by Muslims on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri. They stabbed him and carved a Star of David into the flesh of his back.  Why?  Because he  had published an Arabic language poem titled “Tears at the Heart of the Holocaust” on the website ArabsForIsrael.com.  The poem expressed his love for the Jewish people and his sorrow over their fate in the Holocaust.
     There are countless other examples of individuals who find themselves under undue scrutiny for simply stating their Christian beliefs on social media.  They are threatened with loss of jobs, "investigation", or other forms of persecution.  True, we, here in America, have not yet seen the extent of violence being perpetrated against Christians in the Middle East.  But when we turn a blind eye to foreign influences within our government and culture, and turn the other cheek when our faith is forcibly removed from the town square ( or a pitcher's mound in Busch Stadium, for pete's sake!), then we shouldn't be surprised when the cancer that is spreading across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe manifests itself right here in our homeland.
     So don't be surprised when it shows up in a neighborhood near you.  Satan and his evil minions are becoming emboldened by the fervor of anti-Christian sentiment across the globe.  We must prepare ourselves spiritually and physically for what Jesus told us would be our fate if we followed Him.  So please pray for our fellow Christians around the world, and for their protection, as well as ours.  We will endure for our Lord and we will not be defeated!

1 Peter 4:12      "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you."

Our Youth and Their Loss of Faith

     Researchers from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga recently conducted a study in which they examined the characteristics of atheists and agnostics.  Among their findings was the interesting fact that many of the faithless find some sort of benefit from participating in the "rituals" of church attendance.
     According to the report on this study at ChristianPost.com, those who fall into this category, are nonbelievers who may have a philosophical appreciation for certain religious teachings, who like being part of a community, who want to stay in touch with their ethnic identity or who simply find beauty in certain religious traditions, symbols or rituals.  In fact, one participant in the study participates in church services and sings in the church choir, but doesn't believe in God.
     Another interesting finding from the study was that college was often a turning point in the lives of those who would become nonbelievers.  "We heard time and time again that, for many of the folks who identified themselves as nonbelievers, college seemed to be a milestone in their life's story. College seemed to be a transition point."

    Now, what Christian parent hasn't worried about this exact scenario?  You send your children off to college to get a higher education, only to find out that they've lost their faith along the way.  Bestselling author Eric Metaxas tackled this dilemma in a recent article, also for ChristianPost.com.  He writes that, apparently, there exists such an organization as Secular Students Association on college campuses across the country.  And it is into this vacuum that Fixed Point Foundation steps in to question students on the changes to their faith.  (Fixed Point Foundation sponsors highly publicized events at universities, schools, and churches around the world. Fixed Point is an expression of the Church speaking into the culture, challenging the unbelief of skeptics and restoring the Christian’s confidence that the Bible is precisely what it claims to be—True.)
     At similar events across the country, the Fixed Point Foundation asked members of the Secular Students Association to tell them about their "journey to unbelief."  What they found was surprising.  They expected to hear from activist atheists, and instead the typical respondent was like Phil, who had grown up in church; he had even been the president of his youth group. What drove Phil away wasn't the lure of secular materialism or even the restrictions placed on him by Christian moral teaching.  It seems that his turning point came when his church changed youth pastors.
     Phil's loss of faith coincided with his church's attempt to ingratiate itself to him instead of challenging him.  It seems that the church traded a youth pastor who "knew the Bible" for one that pandered to the culture; who taught less of the Bible while showing how "cool" he could be.
      Phil was like many of his contemporaries who professed to have lost their faith; they were kids who had attended church but "the mission and message of their churches was vague," and manifested itself in offering "superficial answers to life's difficult questions." The ministers they respected were those "who took the Bible seriously," not those who sought to entertain them or be their "buddy."
     And that, I'm afraid, is the rabbit hole that the modern Church is in danger of leading all Believers down --- not just the college-aged. The competition to fill seats has fed into a morbid fear that church attendees might become bored; hence, the need to entertain them and astound them with the latest technological wizardry, or at least a hip coffee bar.  The rest of the time is spent worrying about if the "Christian message" will turn the kids/adults off.   What they don't realize is that if a Believer is truly seeking the truth, and he receives "Christian lite", then his disappointment turns to disrespect and he begins shutting down to the message altogether.  Playing down the truth of the Christian faith results in apathy, which makes it easier to abandon the faith in the face of a diluted and less convicting teaching.
     As one of the students remarked, ""Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven't seen too much of that."  So if they aren't seeing it in their home churches, what makes us think that they will see it on a college campus?  If we cannot equip our children with an unshakeable faith and commitment to their Lord by the time they leave home for the hallowed halls of intellectual elitism that serve as our institutions of higher learning, then what chance do they have of standing against the spiritual darkness that pervades such academic systems?  Listen to Phil again .... he did not want vague and superficial sermons; he wanted serious Bible study from leaders who "knew" the lessons to be learned.  Bottom line?  He wanted to know the truth about God; not some "feel good" line. Isn't it time we turned back to the basics, teach the truth of the Word, and live out our belief?  We can't afford to see another generation abandon their faith.

Luke 8:13    "And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away."







   

John 16:13

Because I am a Christian, I choose to dedicate my Sunday posts to the worship of my God.  I love to explore the Bible and listen to what God is trying to tell me about how to live this earthly life.  I hope you can glean some Truth from my words and apply it to your own life.  Blessings!

However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, 

He will guide you into all truth;

 for He will not speak on His own authority,

 but whatever He hears He will speak; 

and He will tell you things to come.

     This Scripture has great personal meaning to me in this season of my life.  I will be honest in telling you that I have become disillusioned with the Modern Church.  Throughout the last few years, my husband and I have sought a church that would tell us the Truth .... that would actually teach from God's Holy Word and guide us to a greater understanding of Jesus and the Father.  We wanted more than the "feel good" messages of God's love and grace.  We wanted to understand more of the roots of our faith and what, specifically, Jesus wants to tell us for this time and place in history.  

     Unfortunately, we found that the churches we were attending were actually leading us away from our spiritual roots and either into a new belief system that discarded the ancient truths, or into a form of ritual and mechanical worship in which we didn't even feel the presence of our Lord.  Both were virtually mind-numbing.  We wanted to be fed with God's Truth!

     That's where John 16:13 comes in.  We have both been blessed by the Holy Spirit as He has become our guide and our revealer of Truth.  As we have asked for more understanding and knowledge, the Spirit has complied and led us where God would have us go.  I truly believe that God determines our maturity and ability to handle more knowledge of Him, and breathes His truth into our souls through the Spirit.  

     I am reclaiming knowledge that the first century Believers knew about our faith.  They were the closest to the Apostles and the early church fathers, and their faith was based on understanding how God's ancient covenants with his chosen people merged with a renewed covenant through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Through the Holy Spirit, I am learning that man has contributed to a loss of the depth of God's Truth through the translation of the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew to Greek to English.  

     That does not mean that I discount the Bible, as it stands, as God's Truth!  It simply means that I want to rediscover the complexity and the scope of what was lost through the ages.  For instance, we modern Christians tend to separate the Old Testament and New Testament; often proclaiming that we are under the "New Covenant" of Jesus Christ, and the laws and the prophets of the Old Testament do not pertain to us.  But did you know that the Hebrew name for the Gospels and the books that follow (Matthew through Revelation) is B'rit Hadashah.  B'rit means "covenant", and Hadashah means "renewed" or "a cycle of restoration", or "to return to a previous state".  Therefore, a more accurate title for the New Testament would be "Renewed Covenant", or "Renewed Relationship", not "New Covenant".  

     If Jesus came to renew our relationship and covenant with the Father, and not replace the old one, shouldn't we understand everything we possibly can know about the previous relationship?  Instead, the modern Church acts as if the only thing that matters is knowing the resurrected Christ.  But if the Holy Spirit is guiding and leading you, as He is my family, then you already know that Jesus appears and speaks to us throughout the Old Testament as well.  Wouldn't you want to know everything about this relationship He is trying to renew?  

     So I am so grateful that my Father in heaven gave the Spirit the authority to speak to me; that He is revealing not only the Truths from the past that have been hidden from Believers, but that He promises to tell us of the things to come.  Has my hunger to know Him been satisfied?  Not in the least!  As He reveals more of Himself, my appetite just keeps growing... and the taste of His Truth is, oh so sweet to the soul.

Renewal and Regeneration

     We are all tired.  It's not easy to adapt to this changing world and face a new and declining reality.  But face it, we must, and this post is a warning of sorts ... to the "sunshine" realists; those who purport to be awake and prepared for the times in which we find ourselves, yet so easily slip back into their normalcy bias.  We cannot afford to "coast" when things seem calm and routine.  It is exactly that conventional mindset that will lull us into a state of complacency; a feeling of uncritical satisfaction in which we tell ourselves "I've done enough" or "Maybe things will be OK."

     I'm seeing it everywhere; from friends and family, to business associates, to the church pulpit.  Folks are definitely aware that we have entered a new concept for our country and the world.  They sense that it is harder to live life freely and independently; that there are forces that want to limit a wide array of rights and privileges, not only here in America, but across the globe.  And yes, it is still frightening to many of our fellow citizens.
     But instead of standing and protecting those rights, they continue to go about their daily business, with one eye on the headlines and the other focused on maintaining their customary existence.  I know how hard it is to step outside that comfortable box; that not everyone can afford to fly to rally's across the country to register their objections.  I also know that it costs money to do the things that the "experts" tell us need to be done to secure the safety of our families.  Food, alternate sources of energy, a viable water supply, self-defense, getting in better physical shape, growing a garden ... they all take what seems like an insurmountable amount of time, money and will-power.
     And there is the inevitable heavy heart, as we ask ourselves, "how the hell did we get here?"  Not only do we need to find the ways and means to accomplish new tasks and develop new skills, but we have to fight the despair that comes from our new reality.  I'm not saying it is easy!  And it doesn't seem to matter if one has a big bank account or small.  I know those who would have no trouble outlaying the cash to prepare for the future, and yet they think their money makes them exempt from any hardship that's coming.  But money alone won't get you there!
     So we all have to do whatever our finances, skills and drive allow us to do.  If that means you can only afford a few extra dollars a month to allocate towards extra food and "How-To" books; or you have no extra money, but can spare a few minutes to make a phone call to your congressional representative -- then that's all you can do.  But we have to keep moving forward!  We cannot rest in our comfort zone!  If you are a teacher, continue your education; learn how to live a sustainable lifestyle, and then teach it to someone else.  If you are an outdoorsman or hunter, do you have all the instruments and tools to provide shelter and food for your family?  If you're an economist or businessman, do you see how the shrinking dollar will effect not only the nation's and the world's economies, but your own family unit?  Can you enlighten your neighbor and help them protect their assets?
     Believe me, I fully realize that there is no set of political solutions that will solve this nation's difficulties.  I know we have a Spiritual problem.  That is why, it is essential for Pastors and Church leaders to ask themselves this question ... Are you using your pulpit to tell your flock the truth?  And I'm talking about the Truth, with a capital "T", as well as the secondary truth of the decline of their nation.  Are you revealing the Truth of God's faithfulness through His coming judgments as spoken through the Prophets?  Or are you just tickling their ears with messages of love, mercy and grace?  Are you keeping His church holy by condemning abortion, defending marriage between a man and a woman, and calling out immorality throughout the land?  Or are you afraid to offend some government institution and endanger your tax status; or perhaps you have a major donor that will turn off the spigot if you bring up these politically incorrect subjects?  Maybe you should read the Book of Jesus's Revelation and see how he calls out the leaders of the First Century Church.  We, in Twenty-first Century America will be held no less responsible!
     I am not advocating that we all live our daily lives with a black cloud over our heads, and mire ourselves in doom and gloom.  But this is not the time to let up on perfecting our new reality, or growing our relationship with our Creator and being obedient to His calling.  I'm not promoting the idea that we all retire to underground bunkers and live off the grid, nor am I calling for a march on Washington or demonstrations in the streets.  But I am calling for a renewal of our minds and spirits to the truth of our circumstances.  We must consciously enjoy the blessings that God provides each day, while being prepared to manage a variety of difficult living environments, remaining in spiritual covenant with Him, and educating ourselves in regards to our rights, our representatives, and our redresses.
     God has not given us a Spirit of despair or complacency, but rather one that is hungry for increased knowledge of Him.  Let that hunger thrive in you and move you forward.  I think you will find that you can navigate this new reality with clarity, purpose and courage.

Proverbs 1:32-33      "For the turning away of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."

Shame on Texas!

     I am deeply saddened and yes, even angry, over a couple of situations that have happened here in Central Texas.  The first is the case of Justin Carter, aged 19, who like so many people in this technological age, has no clue that social media is anything BUT a harmless expression of our First Amendment right.
     And I say, "like so many people" because Justin's naiveté is not limited to those of his generation.  I can't tell you how many people my age that I have seen disclose political commentary, pictures of their latest firearms or commodities purchase, and angry rhetoric over everything from another person's race, to their sexual preference, to their faith -- or lack, thereof.  People wake up!  Are you paying attention to the changing landscape in our world?  Because if you aren't, let Justin's mistake teach you a lesson.

     Justin is currently on suicide watch in a jail cell in New Braunfels, Texas because he made the stupid decision to get into an argument on Facebook over the online video game, "League of Legends".  His adversary called him insane, after which Justin made a most inappropriate and morally wrong comeback about shooting up a school and eating the hearts out of kids.  He then finished his post with "Lol" and "j/k" ... Laughing out loud and just kidding.  Was that about the most ignorant, foolish, insensitive and immature statement he could have made?  Absolutely!  I would use those words to describe his actions and probably some worse than that.
     But does his comment warrant a bond of half a million dollars, and a possible 10-year jail sentence?  Because that is what Justin is facing.  In fact, he has been sitting in a Comal County jail since February, after someone filed a complaint about the comment, a search warrant was issued, and then a warrant for his arrest was carried out.
     According to Justin's father, Jack, his son has suffered "concussions, black eyes, been moved four times from base for his own protection.  He’s been put in solitary confinement, nude, for days on end because he’s depressed. All of this is extremely traumatic to this kid. This is a horrible experience.” CNN reports his father saying that his son is “very scared and he’s very concerned that he’s not going to get out. He’s pretty much lost all hope.” 
     Should there be consequences to Justin's careless and callous remarks?  You bet!  But $500,000 bond?  His attorney says he hasn't seen bonds that high for rapists and murderers in his entire career!  And what about the hateful and threatening Facebook comments made in regards to George Zimmerman or those made during the last election about "cracker babies" that have come and gone with no repercussions?  Where is the justice in this case?  And why is this kid being singled out and punished to this extent?  The world just seems upside down! 

     Then the other event that has me deeply troubled is the reaction to the abortion battle going on in my state.  Both pro-lifers and supporters of abortion have descended upon the state capital in Austin to make their voices heard.  All the drama centers around a proposed bill which would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, require that the procedure be performed at ambulatory surgical centers, mandate that doctors who perform abortions obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles and that even nonsurgical abortions take place in a surgical center.
     Although I am completely against abortion, I must ask ... how is that restricting anyone's abortion rights?  For the life of me, I cannot understand any reason that a woman could not make up her mind about killing her baby before the 5th month of pregnancy.  I understand that only five out of 42 clinics in Texas qualify as ambulatory surgical centers and they are in major metropolitan areas.  That means many clinics would need to relocate to meet ventilation requirements and to have the space required for operating rooms and hallways.  But shouldn't that tell us that perhaps there are far too many "clinics" that should not be performing this procedure?  Has everyone forgotten the appalling conditions found in Dr. Gosnell's so-called "clinic"?  What's wrong in at least setting a standard for proper operating procedures and locations; for making it as humane as possible for the child whose life you are ending?
     But I think I've found my answer in the way the opposing groups chose to support their position.  As the pro-life supporters sang Amazing Grace, the pro-abortion rights group harassed them with shouts of "Hail, Satan!"  I suppose that if you can abort a baby that is 5 months or older, then there is no room in your heart for love, and it would be easy to praise Satan and proclaim him as your god.
     I know that must sound judgmental and cruel.  But, as Jesus is my witness, I cannot get into the heads or hearts of these women!  They are so deceived!  They have been led down a path full of lies and false promises.  Satan has convinced them that with control of their bodies comes autonomy and power.  But in worshipping themselves and their bodies, they have lost sight of the fact that they are killing a part of themselves.  That baby is an extension of them and they have, in effect, terminated and eliminated it.
     They will be forever changed, whether they realize it or not.  Satan deluded them into destroying a part of themselves; all in the name of women's "rights".   I have to give him credit; Lucifer has done a good job of convincing millions of women to worship at his altar of "choice", while blinding them to exactly what was being sacrificed on that altar.... millions of babies that God trusted to their bodies.   And I can't help but think that even a child conceived from rape or incest is a creation of God; the one and only Creator.  Satan cannot create, only God can.
     And so it makes me sad to see that my beloved state of Texas is home to such outrageous and monstrous demonstrations of injustice and immorality.  But I guess if I wanted to extinguish honor, justice and decency in this country, then a good strategy would be to strike at the heart of its existence.  If you can defeat it in Texas, then it makes sense that the rest of the country will follow, right?  I pray that God will give Justin and his family strength and peace to withstand their ordeal.  And I ask God to remove the scales from the eyes of those who willfully destroy His creation.  And please, God ... won't you bless Texas?

Amos 5:24    "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
   

It's Independence Day!

     I prefer to celebrate today as Independence Day, instead of Fourth of July.  I want to recall the true meaning of this day, instead of observing the façade.  We've made it all about a day off from work, fireworks, hotdogs, and a day at the beach.  We've forgotten what it MEANS!
     Independence:  free from outside control; not depending on another's authority; not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence; capable of thinking or acting for oneself.  Those who established this great nation certainly fit that description.  Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago today, fifty-six brave men made a bold Declaration, in which they "mutually pledge[d] to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."  And what was so precious to them that they were willing to make those sacrifices?  INDEPENDENCE!

     They were very clear about how they wanted to live their lives, and were able to enunciate the "repeated injuries and usurpations" of their unique American rights and liberties.  Indeed, the Declaration of Independence lists a long inventory of the Americans' grievances against the Crown.  The bottom line was this: they were not willing to live as vassals of the king's government.  They knew that their natural rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness were being restricted and they were willing to stand up to an oppressive and dictatorial regime.
     As Americans of the twenty-first century, are we still capable of recognizing when our independence is being threatened?  Are we made of the stuff our ancestors possessed?  I believe we are!  I have seen a renewed patriotism and loyalty to our founding principles, and a desire to return to the self-sufficiency and self-determination that were the hallmarks of our forefathers.  In 1776, Americans were ready to stand on their own and throw off the burdens of exorbitant taxes, regulations and unjust laws.  They yearned to be a free people, responsible for their own successes and failures; not subjects of a despotic tyrant.  King George III underestimated this hunger for freedom, independence and liberty.  And he underestimated their firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.  
     I still believe that God can guide the future of this country, just as He shepherded its founding.  If you have read a historical account of the eight long years of our fight for independence, you will see His hand at every turn.  From the first shot at Bunker Hill, to the last one at Yorktown, there was no way we should have ever defeated the great fighting force of the British Empire!  But God had a plan for America; He chose us to show mankind that they were designed to live in freedom.
     So as we celebrate the historic signing of the document that changed the world, let's not forget that the brave citizens of those colonies did not accomplish this on their own.  They could not accomplish it on their own.  And let's remember that the country was divided among their loyalties.  Historians think that only about 40-45% actually supported breaking away from Great Britain, while 20% were counted as Loyalists, and another 35% remained neutral.  Just like today, they were not a cohesive populace.  We can sometimes become discouraged that we are no longer a "united" nation.  But God can still work His miracles and use His power and authority to re-establish us as His beacon of light to the world.
     That's what I choose to celebrate today!  I am proud of our history, and proud to be an American.  I commit my strength, influence and energy to preserve what God and those amazing 56 men set into motion so long ago.  God Bless America!

And I invite you to watch this emotional video that celebrates those who help ensure that we remain independent and free.  They need our prayers and our support.  Bless them, Lord!

Galatians 5:1    "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

America: How The Rest of The World Sees Us

     As I scan the headlines, I can't help but notice that the perception of America as the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave" is damaged among the peoples and nations of the world.  One of the reasons can be laid at the feet of the NSA.  Reports that European Union offices and computers were hacked has resulted in leaders of the EU intimating that trade relations could be effected.  Germany's Foreign Ministry has actually summoned the U.S. Ambassador to do a little explaining.  French President Francois Hollande also threatened to block negotiations on a transatlantic free trade treaty, and allies from Belgium to Italy and throughout Europe have used the strongest language possible to register their distaste for alleged American spying.
     But it's not just government heads that are suspicious and mistrustful of our motives and actions.  Fugitive CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden released information to the German magazine Der Spiegel, in which he said the US had monitored phone lines and bugged embassies of European countries.  Editorials are appearing in the magazine lamenting the German peoples' lack of faith and doubt in the American government.  Having lived through the Nazi and Communist subversion of their own government, they are now openly warning Americans to wake up from our complacency and see the threat to both our liberty and our security.  While acknowledging the need to collaborate on both sides of the Atlantic to pursue and prevent organized crime and terrorism, the article admonishes that "it must be done in a way that strengthens civil liberties and does not reduce them."
     And it's a pretty sad commentary when a German citizen writes an editorial that chastises and corrects the President for his incorrect use of a quote by one of our Founding Fathers.  Malte Spitz got it right when he wrote, "Perhaps instead of including a quote from James Madison in his speech, arguing that “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare,” Mr. Obama should have been reminded of the quote from another Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, when he said, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  The German people have made it very plain that they have no intention of relinquishing their liberty, and no intention of repeating their historical mistakes by blindly trusting leaders who promise security through a reduction of freedom.

     But it is not only Europe who has become disillusioned with how America is conducting its affairs.  Opposition groups to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi are accusing the US of "being partner to a conspiracy to keep President Morsi in power."  The mass rallies in Cairo's Tahrir Square are evidence that the populace is disillusioned with the lack of promised democracy.  As far as the $1.3 billion in military aid the U.S. government gave the new Egyptian leader, the rebels are now furious.  "America and the Brotherhood have united to bring down the Egyptian people," said Hassan Shahin, a member of the Tamarod, or "rebel," movement.  To prove their point, the protestors have stormed and ransacked the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters and given a time demand to Morsi to abdicate his presidency.
     And it's only a hop, skip and a jump to the powder keg in Syria.  I don't think I need to remind you that we have made some questionable alliances and some poor decisions in the midst of their civil war.
     Of course, our relations with Russia are surely to be strained as Putin appears to be offering asylum to Ed Snowden, in direct defiance of our government's demands.  Of course that hasn't stopped the two Super Powers from signing agreements that will allow trained Russian "experts" to provide security at mass events.  (This is according to an article by the Ministry of the Russian Federation of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters).  So can we now surmise that we are no longer capable of providing our own security or cleaning up after a natural disaster?  Try telling the folks in Moore, Oklahoma or Joplin, Missouri that!
     All in all, the headlines of the day show a disturbing trend in regards to the image, perception, and actions of America.  We used to be the nation that everyone looked to for inspiration; and our influence and impact were sought after.  Now it appears as if we are mistrusted, doubted and down-right duplicitous in our foreign relations.  I am inclined to believe that the slide from the original vision for America has been occurring at a gradual, yet steady pace over the last century.  My fear is that somewhere in the near future, we are going to wake up and discover that the gradual decline has become a full-blown plunge.
     Now, more than ever, we need to return to the values and purpose for which this nation was founded.  Regardless of what the peoples of other nations think of us, Americans still know what freedom, virtue and honesty look like.  It is up to each of us to embody those principles in ourselves, instill them in our families and export them to our communities.  Now is the time to show the world what we're made of!

Proverbs 10:9    "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."