Thoughts and Quotes to Ponder

Wherever there is a mountain, there is a life giving river running through it, and ultimately the river is stronger, so do not fear the mountains you face.

"Beauty is created with purpose....Beauty is created. It's intentional." - Lisa Wingate 

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"It's funny how what you are used to seems right even when it's really bad."  

That quote by a 12-year-old river gypsy spoken to her friend as she is helping her flee a very abusive home she is reluctant to leave in the book "Before We Were Yours" is profound. It explains how so much evil has overtaken cultures throughout history. Even God-fearing freedom fighters like George Washington who accomplished so much good for others could not see slavery for the evil that it is because slavery had been common practice around the world for thousands of years.

It explains how Hitler used propaganda and of the natural human longing to belong to a group to brainwash his people and build the cult of Nazism.

It's why Americans allowed the sexual revolution of the 1960's to take over our culture, destroying marriages and families.

It helps us understand how our nation can courageously stand for freedom, spending billions of dollars and sending our most courageous heroes into battle to rescue the oppressed while at the same time allowing and even funding via tax dollars the brutal dismemberment and brain sucking slaughter of millions of unborn babies. Instead of calling abortion the most evil form of genocide throughout all of human history, we call it a woman's right worth defending because evil seems good if you hear it, belong to those who support it, and are around it enough.

Open our eyes, Lord; give us spiritually discerning sight. Just because something is familiar doesn't make it right. Just because our people say it, do it, or defend it doesn't make it legit or good, nor does it mend it. Anchor us in Your word which shows us right from wrong. Help us stand on the Rock, upright, steady, and strong. (Isaiah 5:20, ESV)

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If we can't post the 10 Commandments on or near government buildings anymore, could we post this convicting verse instead to help temper our political discourse?

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

Top Quotes of the Week

During my readings each week, I come across quotes that seem especially relevant or that I want to remember, so I'm going to try to start recording them here for future reference.

The most pondered quotes by me this past week include:

"The argument is that mathematical laws, in order to be properly relied upon, must have attributes which indicate an origin in God. They are true everywhere (omnipresent), true always (eternal), cannot be defied or defeated (omnipotent), and are rational and have language characteristics (which makes them personal). Omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, personal… Sounds like God. Math is an expression of the mind of God...Modern natural science was created by people who said that they were trying to 'think God’s thoughts after Him.'” - from an interview with Vern Poythress by Jerry Bowyer, "God in Mathematics", Forbes 

Biblical Masculinity

I fell asleep reading these words in a book by John Piper, "At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a man's differing relationships."

Then as soon as I woke up the following morning, Facebook sent me this applicable quote by my son when he was only 5 and likely only modeling the "mature masculinity" his father possesses.

While my husband was away on a camping trip with our daughter, I commented to my 5-year old, "I don't like it when Daddy is gone for the night."

My boy put his arms around me and said, "Well, I guess that means I'll have to protect you tonight, Mom." And so he did.

2016 Elections

"Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens."  (Exodus 18:21, Jethro's advice to Moses)

Given that Hillary is clearly very ill as evidenced by her most recent public fainting incident (I'm convinced she has advanced Parkinson's Disease) but still lying to cover up whatever it is, she is not able. She obviously is not a man and given her lust for power, her compulsive lying, her gross corruption, her bribes, pay-for-play, stealing items and even large furniture from the White House, and her long history of corruption, she is certainly not the type of leader Jethro had in mind. 

Of course, Trump isn't exactly qualified either.

"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,but with the humble is wisdom.

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness. (Proverbs 11: 1-5) 

And this is why I'm so outspoken about the elections this year. The corruption, deceit, greed, and battle against God and all that is good and right is epic.  We must fight it.

Trials

Context:  After my daughter shared all her frustrations over the AAU basketball tournament today and with the way other players are treating her, I replied, "If it is causing you so much angst, maybe you should take a break from basketball now and just focus on field hockey."

She replied, "No, Mom. I can't quit. Besides, bad days make better players." 

That quote must have come from the Lord, for it sounds a lot like Romans 5:3-4.

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4) 

Living Life Abundantly

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."  - Helen Keller

Friendship

"If you want to make friends, spend more time noticing and caring about others than you spend trying to get others to notice you." -Paraphrase of a quote by Tony Dungy from his book, Uncommon

 M3 Memory Verse

 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^"  (Romans 12:1)

Back to School Again

Summer officially ended on August 3 when we spent most of the day at school for orientation.  The kids and I rotated between classes listening to talks from each of their teachers.  Our son still has just one primary teacher and assistant teacher with different teachers for art, Latin(?), P.E., and band. Our daughter has a different teacher for every subject this year plus two electives, creative writing and art.  Both kids seem pleased with their teachers and expect to have another great year.

I left orientation feeling better about our school than ever before.  The new science teacher who will be taking over the STEM program I started and hopefully expanding it as well is gifted, enthusiastic, and on board with the STEM methodologies I value so much.  I am very excited about working with her and am thankful for the skills she is bringing to our school after teaching AP classes at one of our public school district's best high schools for math/science.

There is still much room for improvement in other aspects of the middle school, however, so I have already begun advocating for more changes, while hoping and praying my voice does not cause my children to be treated unfairly by teachers who disagree with any change or additional work whatsoever regardless of how much it could improve the educational experience, love for learning and passion for God for our students.  It's hard to be the voice, crying out in the wilderness so to speak, speaking on behalf of the parents and the administrators as I share what a select few do not want to hear, even if what I'm saying is motivated out of sincere love for the school and students.

I will say that given our political/cultural situation in which the nanny state and in many ways the global state have replaced god in almost every aspect of society, it's worth every penny just to be around people who share a Biblical worldview and understand the source of my concerns for our nation.  I don't know how much longer our school will have the freedom to teach from a Biblical worldview or to incorporate classical and complete history that presents a big picture view of life and culture instead of the revised texts that indoctrinate students to accept a socialistic, progressive mindset.  I don't know who much longer it will be until great classical literature texts that challenge students to think critically and stand for truth and justice will be banned by the government, but I'm thankful for a school that equips students to stand as bright lights in a dark and dying world as long as they are able.  When the government exceeds it's clearly defined limits under the Constitution to the point of demanding that our school to compromise it's values, the school will shut down before it will submit to what is wrong.

This video explains in better detail the concerns I'm alluding to with respect to the progressive educational system's attack on morality and efforts to produce a unified, submissive, Marxist generation. Conversations I've tried to have with recent college graduates who are not rooted in God's word support every last accusation in this video. They cannot think on their own, reason logically, or even recognize rational thought if it hits them over the head.  I'm glad our students are learning the art of rhetoric, but I doubt they'll either be allowed to use those skills or find someone who is intellectually capable of engaging in a thoughtful exchange of ideas without calling them unjustified ugly names. At least our students will not have fear because there is power in being able to support your position with truth.


In fourth grade, students get to choose between chorus and band.Our son's voice is lovely like his dad's, but he wanted to play drums in the band. So now he is taking both piano and drum lessons each week.  Weekly lessons are required to be in the band, but given how much I respect his drum teacher (who is also a bi-vocational pastor who has taught theology and now teaches apologetics and rhetoric at our school), just having this man influence my boy is worth the time and cost of drum lessons.

Ready for the 1st day of 7th and 4th grades

Our school celebrated it's 20th anniversary last weekend with a family carnival night followed by slide show presentations and various speakers. Our son's teacher and my favorite high school math teacher bravely volunteered to sit in the dunking booth.  Here are pics of our son's sweet teacher going down.

Here is a picture of son's 4th grade glass with teacher, Mrs. Gardner, and assistant teacher, Mrs. Boyd.

Celebrating Our Independence

Independence Day grows more somber every year as we see the freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution ignored or overridden by executive orders and justices legislating from the bench.  The gross overreach of each branch of government is unbelievable, yet no one seems to be stopping it.  The corruption is so deep that a life long criminal and proven felon is now on the the Democratic party's choice for POTUS.

But far too many brave men and women fought, suffered, and/or died to set us free, so I will celebrate the spirit of their sacrifice and the hope America offers to suffering people around the world for as long as any remnant of freedom remains, and I will continue voicing my concerns and campaigning against systematic government tyranny until the day I die.

Each year, our neighborhood hosts an Independence Day celebration on our cul-de-sac with grills, potluck, games and movies for the kids, small sparklers and whatever is allowed in our strictly regulated town, and a show the kids put on for the adults.  We live in a very diverse neighborhood in which Americans are the minority, but you would not know it from my pictures.   Most of our neighbors are Hindi, but we also have Arab Muslims, Chinese, and South African neighbors living next to us, but I guess they were note as interested or available to celebrate our American holiday with us.

We hosted two families for a cookout at our house on July 4.  My college roommate and long time friend (we were bridesmaids in each others' weddings) drove over an hour to join us. Their oldest daughter just graduated an will be living a few steps from where we shared an apartment at the same university this fall. She is an exceptional student, home-schooled all through middle and high school, with over 45 college credits obtained through our local community college. She was one of 12 admitted to the design school this year and received the top award across all colleges at the summer enrichment program offered for prospective students.  I wanted to congratulate her in person.

This couple has been fostering two kids (half-siblings who had never met each other and never even knew about each other until they came to live with my friends). These children came with a number of physical, mental, and emotional needs as  children of drug addicts, but their progress has been remarkable, and my friends (who have known suffering more intimately than anyone else on earth in ways that few can possibly comprehend and who will continue to experience suffering as my friend battles her latest diagnosis, MS) are in the process of adopting them permanently.  The work God is doing in their little lives and in my friends' hearts are amazing.  They are very young children, and m my friend is older than I am with MS, but they are persevering.

Her husband just got his first assignment as a Guardian Ad Litem, which is a volunteer role I hope to assume one day when I can find the time to complete the 30 hours of initial training.  He answered questions I had and further confirmed that I God has uniquely gifted me for that type of ministry to orphans, but I'm praying for the right time to begin as my kids are my primary ministry right now, and I keep getting pulled in so many directions with all my many interests and passions.

We invited another family who have two adopted children via open adoptions.  The son's birth mother was recently born again and is on fire for the Lord.  She flew out to meet her biological son for the first time a few weeks prior, so I was eager to hear how that went. These parents are amazing to me in their openness with the adoption. They are not the least bit possessive over their children, seeing themselves as stewards over God's children for a time and then will let them fly wherever they wish to go when they are grown. Their daughter wants to move out west where her birth mother lives, and they are supportive of any dream she has. That astounds me, as I know I would be so jealous, but their love is unconditional, Christlike love - the purest form.

My husband thought a flag cake was disrespectful, so he went with a fireworks theme instead.  I loved the freedom this year of watching someone else shuck the corn in my place.  The kids have been very interested in cooking this summer.  Our daughter preparing most of our meals all summer long!

The two families had much to talk about and exchanged useful resources.  It was a nice pairing, and I'm so glad it worked out with our guests not knowing each other at all at first. We talked for four hours straight, losing track of time, so we arrived at the fireworks display just in time for the finale, having missed most of the show. Oh well....I'll take edifying conversation over the most elaborate fireworks display any day.

Cheese burgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, chicken, corn, baked beans, vegetables, fruit, cookie cake, and S'mores!

Encouragement During the Most Depressing Political/Social Era of my Life

Now that the Indiana results are in, we know who will be on the ballot in November, and I find it extremely ironic (and utterly depressing) that the two candidates chosen to represent each opposing party are actually more alike than candidates within their own parties, even with regard to many political issues. Both are only matched by each other in terms of life long corruption, loose and careless tongues, impropriety, narcissism, greed, deceit, scandals and cover-ups, unfaithfulness, fear mongering, hatred spewing, anger escalating, and utter contempt for the Constitution or anyone who holds them accountable to any standard except their own. Does anyone sense that this upcoming election will be like choosing between the dragon and the beast - in that both are put there to usher in judgment?

These are sad, sorry days in America, but perhaps we should follow the example of a wise old Jewish rabbi and keep stress from the outside world at bay by keeping those within our inside world (loved ones, family, neighbors, friends, students, etc.) close at hand. One person may not be able to undo the mistakes of years of failed leadership, but one person can make a powerful and lasting difference in the lives of those around them.

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My sweet little boy recently hugged/held me as I grieved over:

1. The stronghold of evil in America evidenced by media headlines and blasphemous comments posted to these articles
2. The fact that by doing the right thing in exercising my freedom to vote, I would be forced to do the wrong thing, that is approve of evil (Romans 1:32)
3. The POTUS's threats to withhold education funding for the very children HB2 seeks to protect if NC does not repeal it.

Then the following morning, my son asked me the most profound question:

He asked, "If life was truly fair, would the world be a better place?"
No, I replied, "For then there would be no mercy or grace."

And just like that, through an innocent child's inquiry and an unintentional rhyme, God gave me perspective. Reading Romans 1 and Jude 1 helps, too.

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 1: 17-23)

See also this post on Romans 1:

But Why, God? (Perspectives on America's Sorry, Sordid Demise)

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If God is our king and this world is not our home and given that American culture has become so blasphemous and morally bankrupt, should Christians isolate themselves or engage themselves in social issues and government affairs?

Imagine how different history would have unfolded were it not for the faithful and courageous engagement in pagan politics by Mordecai & Esther, Joseph, and Daniel.

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

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The conservative leadership in North Carolina is also a source of encouragement for me right now.  They are standing strong for their commonsense bathroom bill (HB2) which protects women, children, and victims of abuse from PTSD triggers, further abuse, humiliation, pedophilia, rape, victimization, voyeurism, indecent exposure, or worse.  There is nothing discriminatory or illegal with this bill which was passed as an emergency measure to stop a Charlotte ordinance from putting the majority of their citizens in great danger through broad, gender neutral, bathroom and shower facility mandates.  The state's bill is logical and necessary to protect basic privacy rights, but modern progressives have ZERO TOLERANCE (oh the irony) for anything that is reasonable, helpful, and good. Since passing this bill, the governor's office and the state in general have faced constant attacks, some of which include:

1. Massive assaults by the mainstream media which is pushing false information and emotional propaganda
2. Refusal by Bruce Springsteen and others popular musicians to perform concerts in the state 
3. Complaints by big businesses threatening not to set up business operations there (or pull out), which is especially ironic given that HB2 is much like their own business policies in place at their places of business and given that the bill gives businesses freedom to accommodate transgenders in accordance to the businesses' own values. Economic freedom is huge with NC's current governor and congress, and that is apparent in this bill.
4. Multiple law-suits by lobby groups, one of which is fueling all the propaganda
5. Federal law suits brought by the Department of Justice claiming the bill violates Title IX with threats to withhold all federal educational funding if the bill is not repealed.  Federal education funding amounts to $1.4 billion dollars in federal funding for North Carolina’s universities, approximately $800 million dollars in federal financial aid to North Carolina’s students, and federal funding provided to all elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state.  That's a LOT of cash, but if it effectively kicks out all federal manipulation, mandates, and excessive testing requirements, and returns local control to NC schools, perhaps it would be a bargain.

The Department of Justice is grossly overstepping it's reach under the thumb of the king of overreach himself, Obama.  It is also using the very laws "from the 1960s and 70s that were enacted to combat sexual harassment and discrimination by men against women are now being used against women, specifically by letting men use women’s showers and locker rooms against their will.”  More on this subject can be found here.

This video is a must see for anyone thoughtful enough to consider that there could be other ramifications.


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But as Bonhoeffer suggested long ago, you can't argue against stupid and win.  Stupidity is a much bigger threat than evil intent, and liberal progressives are full of both.

But North Carolina is not backing down. That takes courage.

North Carolina is also shining as an example of great outcomes that result from conservative economics.  One of the first moves North Carolina's new conservative leadership made was to cut taxes, both on resident income and on businesses, with the goal of growing the economy, providing more jobs, higher incomes, and more prosperity for everyone even while dealing with recession and all of Obama's fiscal blunders at recovery.  North Carolina cut taxes immediately, but still balanced their budget in the black.  Soon there was enough money to finally increase teacher wages. Granted, oodles more is needed, and it will come as economic liberty attracts business and residents to North Carolina.  As the economy grows, more money is available for education and for everyone.  It's common sense economics 101.


When the government takes a smaller slice of the pie, the pie grows, so EVERYONE, including the government, gets more pie.
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Update as of 5/19/16:
I never imagined I would share an article from the N&O, liberal rat that it is, but this article actually shares some good news. Teacher pay raises will never be enough, but this administration is at least pushing pay in the right direction. 

"NC House backs budget with teacher raises, income tax cut"

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article78496697.html

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Liberal socialists like Bernie or Hillary would say that North Carolina is greedy to support tax cuts for actual tax payers and businesses.  Over 50% of my paychecks is taken by the government.  The biggest chunk of my pay check goes toward wasteful federal spending, giving weapons and funding to terrorists, and supporting illegals.  While I am in favor of ministering to refugees, I am not in favor of being overrun by terrorists, gangs, and drug dealers who take home more money that I do by not working or obeying the law. Some of my money goes toward an illegal (for everyone except the government as usual) pyramid scheme called "Social Security" and "Medicaid".  Thankfully, some of my retired loved ones are getting a piece of that, but when it comes to primary roles of the federal government, national defense, they have punted and surrendered to ISIS.  What a waste.

But by reducing taxes and helping businesses grow, almost everyone wins.  Those businesses invest in state infrastructure, purchase supplies and equipment, pay taxes, create jobs, pay taxes on those jobs, provide income for more people to spend more money in North Carolina.  Even entitlement coffers benefit from business growth because this growth provides more tax income to fuel government programs.  It's a win/win for everyone.

But everyone loses under a progressive socialist economy fueled by greed and laziness. I could argue that point all day long, but liberals do not engage in thinking exercises.  They only feel.  They are headless hearts, stuffed with carnal desires that will never ever satisfy.  They may call me names, use expletives, and dismiss all points as irrelevant while casting me off as an intolerant fundamentalist lacking any compassion, but I dare one of them to compare the time and money donated to help the needy by those who hold Christian conservative principles to any liberal out there.  Look at the most effective organizations meeting practical, life saving needs around the world.  They are predominately faith-based and evangelically funded while refusing a dime from the federal government so they can maintain control over their core values and eliminate all the waste infused by federal fingers.  Sorry, but I refuse to disconnect my brain from my heart as the liberals want me to do because God created mankind in His own image with the ability to think, reason, and make choices out of love for others or love for oneself.  Both must work together to make right choices and to fulfill the purpose God has for each of us.

North Carolina gets this simple principle, and it's working as evidenced by the following:

North Carolina Joins the Magnificent Seven  (and helps lead despite lacking natural advantages other states possess)

CEOS give North Carolina High Marks for Business Climate

Ranked No. 3 consecutively for America's Best States for Business

Thanks To Gov. McCrory, North Carolina Pays Off $2.75 Billion Debt, Saving Taxpayers $280 Million

Update as of 5/26/16:
After flying to Oklahoma and back for a wedding, the following analogy occurred to me.

Over the past 12 years of parenting, we've taken our children on approximately 100 flights, and ~100 times, a flight attendant has told us that in case of cabin depressurization, we should place an oxygen mask on ourselves first and then place a mask on our children.

When my son actually listened to what the attendant was saying for the first time, he said, "That's not right. You should serve us first so we can survive, live longer, and prosper." And yes, God's word is clear that we should put the interests of others, especially the poor and weak, before ourselves. But parents know that the odds of the child surviving are much greater if both the parent and the child survive, so by putting our mask on first, we can better serve the child, not just at that moment but for the rest of our lives.

So when people first hear the principles of capitalism (and democracy) pitted against socialism without any frame of reference, historical data, or big picture understanding of implications and long term outcomes, they respond just like my son did, "That (capitalism) is not right. Let the old, rich, taxpayers die (via taxation or business crippling legislation) so we poor young people can live and prosper." 

But America has proven to the entire world that by serving those who work hard, pay taxes, provide jobs, grow GDP, and build the economy, the odds of both the young and old, the weak and strong, and the poor and rich prospering is greater. But if we raise minimum wages, tax burdens, & entitlement programs to unsustainable levels, everyone will perish. 

The key is finding the right balance. If the parent only puts his mask on first and never puts one on the child, the child will die by suffocation, and the parent will die of guilt and heartache. The greatest outcome is when love for another, not greed or self interest, is what motivates us to work hard, survive, and thrive so we may better serve and more extravagantly and joyfully give to others.

Update as of 5/14/16: 
Shortly after the Obama administration threatened to remove millions of dollars in education and road funding, Obama issued another executive order requiring all public education facilities in America to not only allow transgenders in the bathrooms of their choice but also in locker rooms, shower facilities, and even hotel rooms during school field trips.

For more information, read " Obama’s transgender bathroom mandate is worse than you think"

I loved Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest's statement in response to President Obama's bathroom policy directive:

"North Carolina will not stand by and let our locker rooms and high school showers be used for social experimentation at the expense of the privacy and protection of our young boys and girls. I do not think it is appropriate for teenage boys and girls to share the same bathroom. I don't think it appropriate for teenage boys and girls to shower next to each other. I don't think it is appropriate for male coaches and male teachers to have access to girls' locker rooms and showers while the young girls are naked and exposed. I feel confident, the vast majority of North Carolina parents feel the same.

The President needs a reminder that the United States Constitution grants education decision authority to the states and localities not to the President of the United States. Our current state policy protects our children by maintaining bathrooms and restrooms consistent with the biological sex of the child and already gives schools, should special circumstances arise, the freedom to grant private single stall - single shower bathroom accommodations to individuals who might not otherwise be comfortable using the bathroom of their biological sex or a bathroom shared with other people. This is the only reasonable response to the situation that exists today. Opening all showers and all restrooms to all sexes at all times as the President is suggesting, is not a reasonable solution, but an invitation for violations of privacy and personal safety.

North Carolina public schools in receipt of the President's letter are reminded that there is a binding state law on the books governing bathroom policy and the President's non-binding directive is merely his attempt to push his version of a social policy on our state with no Constitutional authority to do so. It should be rejected as a matter of principle and policy."

Finally and unlike most other states in America, North Carolina has government leaders possessing common sense, virtue, courage, integrity, and a good dose of much needed chutzpah.

I'm SUPER PROUD of North Carolina leadership for standing strong when most would back down after the first instance of bullying or name calling.  Call them "homophobic bigots" all you like, enemies of the God. Nothing you can say can redefine HB2, Title IX, terms like "marriage", or who they are as individuals. The Creator is the definer. Liberal powers are merely manipulators and twisters of words to serve their own selfish motives. Those of us who refuse to separate our heads from our hearts know who we are in Him.  We are Children of God, and nothing can separate us from His love or snatch us out of His hand.  We are His and in Him we will forever stand.

 Update 6/24/2016

I'm so proud of our state's Governor & Lt. Governor, yet again, for their courage, conviction, and integrity as they have repeatedly stood against federal overreaches that are clearly in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution. It is always reassuring (though increasingly rare) when the balance of powers functions as it should. Kudos to the most courageous and Constitution loving leaders we've had in a long time on a job well done. Now let's see more states (and our weak AG) follow their lead! No matter where you stand on the issue of immigration, and I empathize to some extent with either side, the law must be enforced and the US Constitution respected, especially by our country's top leaders!
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Lt. Governor Dan Forest issues the following statement on today's Supreme Court ruling:

“Having authored an Amicus Brief challenging the President's actions, I applaud the Supreme Court's action today affirming what we in North Carolina knew all along... that the President has a Constitutional duty to enforce Federal Immigration law whether he wants to or not. Today's Court action shows that our Governor, along with three other Governors and 23 states around the country were right to challenge the President's affront to the Constitution. This is a victory for those of us who believe in the rule of law and the security of our US borders. I hope today's court action equally reminds the general public which Governors and Attorneys General failed to live up to their oaths of office and defend the Constitution, as there were many. I would like to thank Governor Pat McCrory for his leadership to ensure North Carolina did its part in standing against illegal immigration."

The Amicus Brief Lt. Governor Forest provided in the Supreme Court case: http://www.scotusblog.com/…/final.ltgov_.nc_.amicus.USvTexa…

Kids, Critters, Culture, Clothes, Comments, and Quotes (April 2016)

I can't remember a day when God has not used my kids to keep me humble. I just had the following conversation with my son:

Me: Should I teach STEM next year or take a break to free up more time for you and your sister? You seem to enjoy the class, and I love how much you have been applying what you are learning in there, but if I'm a terrible teacher, I need to quit.

Boy: You are not a terrible teacher, Mom. You just aren't the best.

Me: Agreed. So who is the best?

Boy: Mrs. B*

 

Mrs. B* was his 2nd grade teacher who tried to get me to apply as her teaching assistant, but I would not do it. Instead, I hired her to be my teaching assistant in my STEM class. I also made sure she got recognized by the local radio station as the teacher of the month because she deserves it. The timing of this statement was especially peculiar because Mrs. B* had just won in her age group in a half marathon the weekend before and then won the plank hold contest for her 5am (GULP!) boot camp class where she was the oldest (mid 50s I'm guessing), and she joked about being a little competitive, so my son's comment gave her the triple crown for the week.

Mrs. B recently sent me this amusing math meme.

Critters
Old pics of Cody showed up in my look back app, and I'm thinking he and Orwell would have made a really cute pair, except we would have had two alpha males in the house at the same time had Cody lived longer.

At least Orwell gets along well with Muffin. They both joined me for my quiet time this morning.

My mother-in-law sent me this cute meme.  The timing was so appropriate given that my husband had just wrapped my power cord for my laptop with electrical tape in four places where it had been chewed down to exposed wires.

Bunnies on laptops are familiar scenes around here.  Cody liked the pounce on multiple keys at once approach.  He once pulled off four keys in one swoop.

Muffin is more interested in getting more screen time than in troubleshooting.

Fitness
One of the moms in my Mighty Moms group invited me to a She-Fit workout instructed by a two-time Olympic contender in wrestling. She said, "I'm not sure if it will challenge you or not since you are in such good shape." My muscles were sore for the rest of the week. They say a teacher should also be a student, so I knew the workout would be good for me since it would be different, and I'm always telling my group to mix it up. And so we did. Whew, I'm tired! Then the coach went and posted a pic of us on his website AFTER the workout, I had on no make-up and was worn plum out!

As if that wasn't bad enough, later he posted a promo video of us working out.  We never signed waiver forms and had no idea what he was doing with his phone.  He could have warned us, so I could have combed my hair and put on make-up.  It's a good thing he's a godly man who I can never sue. Ha!





Update  Then in May he posted the following pic. Too bad we did not get any compensation for all these pics.

His whole family is amazing.  His wife was an Olympic competitor in soccer for Canada's team. They have five children (two by adoption) and stay busy coaching numerous clubs and teams.  She coaches the Carolina Railhawks; he is personal trainer and wrestling coach; both run sports camps for kids and family training programs all year at this awesome facility while raising five kids and planting a new church which he pastors.  Just like the apostle Paul, they are "tentmakers", earning their keep without receiving any support from their church.  

Pop-Culture & Politics
Our culture has gone insane. Smear campaigns, propaganda and outrageous ideas that anyone with a lick of common sense would easily recognize as dangerous are being forced down people's throats, and it's causing quite a stir, especially after a registered sex offender and his cronies helped push a city ordinance granting those who claim to be transgender access to any restroom they choose, men's or women's.  This ordinance which put women and children at tremendous risk by opening a door to grant pedophiles, rapists, and perverts access to them in restrooms and showers, triggered an emergency state congressional session which a bill was passed, HB2, to clarify long standing rules regarding separating open style restrooms by gender. Then Target updated their bathroom/dressing room policy to welcome men into women's restrooms and vice versa, and the media went wild with it. Surprisingly, the false propaganda and typical progressive bullying tactics aren't working this time, and Target is being boycotted by over a million people so far. Such is America these days - run over by deception, evil, and totalitarian nonsense. A must read regarding the current state of America with regard to truth vs. evil can be found here. It is right on point.

Sensing the need to diffuse diffuse some of the tension in the air with a touch of humor, I shared the following status update which was absolutely true but seemed more inclusive. Our country is filled with all this animosity, yet we forget that we do share much in common and must not become enemies with our neighbors.

We recently planted 16 large trees and five shrubs to clean up the air and provide shelter for wildlife. Our children are thrilled and love to hug those trees. We supported capitalism by outsourcing this job to a local small business owner who did not employ "undocumented" immigrants. He paid them well above minimum wage and let them use shovels instead of gas guzzling equipment. I served organic lemonade and GMO-free tea to the thirsty as they labored. I also provided food, water, and shelter from the heat to our neutered cat and bunny. All workers were given words of affirmation to nurture self-esteem (and because we sincerely appreciate their hard work). We have adopted a bathroom policy that grants all family members, friends, guests, and workers access to any of our four, private, gender-neutral restrooms.

Fashion
I went shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding and found myself asking the following questions:

• So where does an old woman with a junior sized body (which she isn't ashamed of, but she has enough self-respect to cover it up), find a dress these days that is actually longer than a shirt?
• After over a decade of teen boys wearing their pants on the ground, have teen girls decided to just not wear pants at all?
•  Do gender neutral teens wear pants?

For the love of all that is good and right, keep your booties out of sight.

An Unexpected Comment
When I'm in a good mood, I like to make small talk with cashiers and hopefully make them smile. I've gotten all kinds of responses. My favorite cashier sings and dances her responses back at me. Others have shared their struggles. Too many have made rude comments about the large quantity of chocolate in my cart. (Oops!) But today, the cashier's response shocked me. She pointed at the friendly lady in front of me who had just checked out as she was walking out the door and said, "She can be so nice at times, but other times she can be a real B****. (One syllable derogatory word stretched into 3 syllables for emphasis). Apparently this lady was her landlord, but all I could think was, "Couldn't we all be described the same way?" I know I have my good moments and my not-so-good moments, but thank God for His amazing grace and sweet forgiveness. Lord, make me mindful of how undeserving I am of your grace, so I will have a grateful heart and remember to show grace to others.

Quotes I Came Across Recently That I Want To Remember

•  "I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them."  (Mary J. Blige)  💕 

•  "Let’s celebrate womanhood without emasculating manhood". (Beth Moore, Esther study guide) 

From the book,  Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom:

• A charity worker running a homeless shelter asked a man on the street if he was homeless? He replied, "No, I have a home. I just don't have a house to put it in." 

• Upon discovering that his most revered rabbi initially got kicked out of seminary and did not get inspired to try again (with huge success) until after helping a troubled kid as a camp counselor, Mitch Albom wrote: "The most inspirational man I ever knew only reached his full potential by helping a child reach his." ‪#‎WordsToLiveBy‬ 

• Paraphrase (because I'm listening to this book on tape and going by memory here) of something Mitch said during the eulogy for his lifelong rabbi :  One measure of the good he did is the bad we did not do.  (I'm not sure I totally agree with this statement because each man must make his/her own choices, but I appreciate the sentiment and encouragement to equip my kids with the knowledge, wisdom, and example of faithfully seeking Christ personally that they need to chose rightly).

• "He kept the [depressing, frightening news of the] outside world [which he could not change] at bay by keeping the inside world [those closest to him whom he could significantly impact] close at hand.

Gun Control

SOAPBOX RANT: Guns

While I'm proud to be married to a veteran who knows how to use a gun to save lives, I will admit that guns scare me. I'm so sensitive to violence that I can't watch PG..much less R movies or even regular TV shows without being haunted by violent images, so I avoid them all. Guns are dangerous in the wrong hands, especially in those of crazy folk who are filled with hatred and deadly intentions.
Ironically, the most devoted Christians who serve the Prince of Peace,who is perfect in both love and mercy, have been the target lately. Of course, the press will not call it a hate crime unless one who is a threat to society, hates Christians, and has terrorist connections and evil intents is targeted instead. The Bible warned us of these days, so we are not surprised or shaken by them. We know how this story ends.

I'm not nearly as afraid of guns, however, as I am of losing my freedoms to a corrupt power. I'm not as afraid of guns as I am of walking into a gun-free zone where one instantly becomes a sitting duck. And even there, in the firing zone, I am not all that afraid because I know without a doubt that after I die, I will go home to my Father in Heaven where there will be no more sorrow, sin, evil, corruption, pain, or need for guns.

I would welcome a world without guns as gladly as anyone, but as long as there is evil in the world, there will be murders of all kinds by any number of weapons. So until we have no evil, corruption, or sin in the world, gun possession (by guards or responsible individuals) has been proven time and again to be the only effective way to prevent a mass shooting. Killers have no interest in obeying gun restrictions, but they are very interested in making sure they destroy as many lives as possible before being shot themselves, so they enter churches, schools, and other GUN-FREE ZONES where they can get the most bang for their buck.

So, to the one who is paving the way to arm Iran with nuclear weapons, whose mishandling of gun transactions with terrorists resulted in the murder of four Americans at Benghazi, who ran guns to drug cartels in Mexico which were then used to kill more Americans, who relies upon armed guards to keep himself and his family safe, who invites to the White House a boy who brings something that looks just like a bomb into a school and who has questionable connections while refusing to acknowledge, much less welcome, the man who took multiple bullets to stop the Oregon shooter, who speaks lies every time he opens his mouth, and who lives as if he cares about no one but himself, give your gun control agenda a rest for a moment and try to show a little compassion for the lives lost and for the many severely wounded by a sick man whose fires of hatred have been fueled by the press you have manipulated and controlled to divide and weaken America.

 

When Daddy and/or the Kids Were Away...

While Dad Was Away

After being away from their dad during our trip to Bald Head Island while he worked, and then after having him gone until late Saturday evening on a business trip, the kids flew out on Monday for almost two weeks with their grandparents.  We drove to Nashville this past Saturday and met up with them late Saturday and then drove all the way back on Sunday.  My husband was on the phone most of the day with work.  Then he was gone again by 4:30am on Monday morning.  By the time he returns, the kids will have been away from him for 25 out of the last 28 days.  It's taking a toll, for every child needs quality and quantity time with both his/her mother and father.

Unexpected and urgent business trips make them sad.
Such is life when the industry's hero is your dad.

Out of 28 consecutive days,
Twenty-five without Dad is quite the malaise.

 

While the Kids Were Away
The house was quiet and lonely with the kids gone and my husband at work most of the time.  I had hoped to get lots of projects done around the house, but his shoulder and bicep were still out of commission, so all the work fell on me.  I did at least purge my office, the mudroom, the pantry, the play room, five closets, and the kids' rooms.  I should have taken before/after pics, but I feared a before pic of the kids' rooms could get us in trouble with HAZMAT for our daughter is a going through a hoarder phase I hope she will soon outgrow.  

Desk makeover for our girl

We had my old desk from when I was a little girl refinished and replaced all the hardware on all the pieces we had already refinished previously.  I'm still waiting on my husband to drill holes in the desk for one more handle replacement, and then it will be done.  I stayed up past 3 am several nights reorganizing her room and still did not get it all done.  She was not happy with me when she got home, but my son thanked me profusely for making his room so much neater and more organized.  Those two are so completely different.

Look what I found together while purging the kids' rooms. At least now I will be prepared for their April Fools pranks, and I am glad they want to make a positive difference in the world when they are not pranking their parents.

Orwell kept me company during all these cleaning sprees. Here he is enjoying one of my bins.  Note how the markings on his back look like an elephant.  When we first got him, he sat such that the markings formed a heart as if to say, "Please let me into your heart."  This time, I think he's expressing his preference for small government and conservative Republican ideals.

I barely noticed him sleeping on the chair one day with all our daughter's stuffed animals all around him.

The school room was one of his favorite purging spots.

In addition to keeping me company, Orwell did a lot of growing while the kids were gone.  He's over three pounds now (vs. one pound when we got him a month ago), and he is now approximately the same size of Muffin.

I also gave the house a deep cleaning while the kiddos were gone and updated some of the decor.  My son noticed and thanked me for making the house look so nice (I'm sure his allergies thank me too), but my daughter complained saying she physically needs clutter around her to function properly.

I took the old rocking chair my mom rocked my brother and me in to my refinishing pro for an update during their absence.  I kept this chair in the nursery for rocking my babes.  It was outdated then too, but the colors blended.  Now we have the rocking chair in the guest room where the new furniture is dark walnut with expresso accents.  So, our refinishing pro updated the chair to black with dark walnut distressing for an inverse match. I now love the chair I once loathed!

I wasted a lot of time simply observing Orwell while the kids were gone. As a new cat owner, I am fascinated by everything that cat does and especially enjoy watching him play (except when he's tearing up my flower arrangements, scratching my furniture, or shredding my expensive area rugs).  Ugh!  I watched him sleep in a wide variety of odd sleeping positions.

I gazed amused as he would play furiously, run wildly, poke or hop over Muffin to get her to play with him.  Once he seemed to mope about as if missing the kids.

 

Sometimes I merely watched him sit while wondering what color his eyes will be when is fully grown.

I had a hard time finding him when he slept hidden among my giveaway piles.  I made lots of trips to Goodwill and the garbage can while those kids were gone.

One simple to-do item on my list was to get the side view mirror on our van replaced. It seemed such a simple task, but when the dealership quoted me well over $600 to do the job, we searched for a better price.  We got a slightly lower quote at a large collision center closer to our house, but they could not see us for another four weeks.  It's dangerous to drive without a side view mirror, but I kept rubber necking to see and tried to be careful during that time. We figured they must be really good to be so busy. 

We took it the same morning our kids flew to St. Louis, but they had not ordered the part during those 4 weeks of waiting and told us to call mid-week to check on the progress. After looking at the shock on our faces, the guy said, "Bring it back tomorrow at 10am. I'll order the part express right now." So, I brought it back the next day at 11:30 to be safe. Still no part. I told him to call me when they are ready for me next time. On FRIDAY they claimed they were finally ready so I brought it in and RAN HOME crossing very busy streets because they had no shuttle and then having to shower and launder my clothes because I was dripping wet from the run in the hot & humid weather.  

I got it that afternoon and paid the money they quoted us initially. While driving home, I noticed that the camera on it wasn't working, so I took it back again on Monday.On Tuesday,  they called and said they can't fix it, and have to take it to Honda to fix it, and I would have to pay the extra $122 they charge to fix it for approximately 10 minutes of labor . They took it to Honda and then brought it back to the shop with no gas. But guess what? Honda took the money but didn't fix it either. It still doesn't work. 

But since it was completely out of gas and the voice mail from our customer rep suggested that he wanted us to come put gas in it so he could take it back to Honda the next day, my husband drove over there at 10pm that night to take it for a fill up. But then he discovered that NO gas stations were open after within the few miles left before it ran out of gas.  So my hubby rolled it into our driveway thinking we at least have some gas in the mower can. It had been on 0 mile range for the past mile and a half. It is a miracle he made it home. But our gas can was empty too. So, then my guy who is still recovering from shoulder surgery jogged back to the repair shop to get his car, drove back home to get the gas can and then drove further out to finally find a gas station that was still open.  He poured it back into the van that still isn't fixed.

So the saga continued until I called the collision center manager who finally agreed to cover the Honda dealership fees.  By the end of week two, we finally got the van back.  Had the kids been here, they would have missed several hundred dollars worth of weekly activities since I had such limited van access during that time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another goal for our time without the kids was to go on dates.  Out of 11 evenings without them, we only found time to go out three times, but that's two times more than we normally go out together over a period of six months. We used gift cards to treat ourselves to fancy dinners.  I dusted off some of my favorite cocktail dresses and enjoyed the peace, quiet, and professionally prepared gourmet meals which reminded us of our honeymoon dinners and special anniversary trips.  We treated friends one evening for a double date, which is something we should do more often.

We also got to catch up with friends we haven't seen in almost 10 years since they moved to Florida.  Most of the families we were so close to back then have left our church or moved, so it was a sweet reunion indeed, and we all got to meet lots of new kids who had been added to these families which mostly consist of at least three children.  My husband had to use his zoom lens to capture us all, and he still missed a passel of kids in the back right corner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, while the kids were gone, our POTUS, who has worked tirelessly over the past 6.5 years to tear apart our country according to his global citizen mindset, made the worst deal ever with Iran.  I'm still in complete disbelief that we could let something that idiotic happen. This deal bans U.S. inspectors from Iran nuclear facilities.  It lifts economic sanctions that could boost Iran's economy with $150 billion in revenue which will most likely be used to arm terrorists and build their nuclear arms program.  It also allows Russia and China to sell arms to Iran, and considering China's economic woes, they should be glad for the new revenue stream.  This treaty slaps Israel upside the head with the worst stench of betrayal.  Anyone who has read Biblical prophecy pities the fool who rejects Israel. So this deal has basically set the course for WW3 which prophecy describes as a nuclear war.  Iran's hatred extends beyond Israel, for iranians have repeatedly attacked Americans and regularly chant, "Death to America!"  "Get right with Jesus, people!" is all I can say for our days are numbered.

It's ironic to watch America repeating so many mistakes of the past and trying to emulate failing nations.  I seriously thought that the reason we study history is to learn from past mistakes and to form a broader, richer, wiser understanding of the nature of humanity and of the world. How silly of me, for "progress" apparently means rewriting, denying, or hiding history and repeating the same mistakes from the past but in a more epic disaster kind of way.  Our leaders won't even let themselves remember Clinton's treaty with North Korea only 21 years ago.  I don't think our POTUS is dumb enough to trust the world's nastiest enemy.  Surely his goal all along was to weaken America because he sees the U.S. as a great evil.  Bush made some serious mistakes, but at least he loved America with great zeal and honored the office of President.  Now it is politically correct to hate both God and America, apparently, as evidenced by the lewd parades in which near naked activists wipe their rear ends with the U.S. flag and the pages of Scripture.  So just as I told a friend with a completely opposite worldview from mine a week after the SCOTUS ruling, calamity will keep coming in every aspect of life at a quicker pace and at a greater intensity than ever before as God sends more harbingers of the judgment to come so that more people will come to their knees in repentance and receive His gift of salvation.

Here are just a few that come to mind since I issued that warning to her:
 

Technology Attack all on the Same Day

• NYSE closed
• Wall Street Journal webpage died
• United Airlines had to ground flights

Internation/Domestic Relations 

• Iran Nuclear Arms Deal that essentially allows them to set up a nuclear arms system which they will use on Israel first and then us & betrays our great ally
•  Four marines and one sailor were killed when a domestic terrorist went on planned shooting spree at a recruitment center where they were sitting ducks without arms.  (FYI:  "Gun Free Zone" = "Welcome mass shooters")  Yet, instead of allowing our armed forces to bear arms, the POTUS has advised they close the blinds and stop wearing uniforms. Give me a break!
• Several black veterans have been killed by Black Panthers for standing up those in the south who are being persecuted by the north

Financial

• Greece financial collapse – buy out with Europe
• Chinese stock market dropped 30% (trillions in value)

Natural Disasters

• Top scientists warning of a pending earthquake in Seattle area that could destroy the city and kill at least 30,000

Christian Persecution

• Bakery owners fined for not baking cake for a gay wedding followed by multiple threats on their lives
• Christian hostages in Iran not even brought up during negotiations which was the one time we could have seriously gotten them out of there
•  Bible publishers are being sued by radical groups because they think the Bible (God's love letter to mankind) is filled with "hate speech.
• Hate groups have been parading in streets on an social media as they wipe their butts with the American flag and with pages of Scripture as a way of offending and blaspheming God and liberty loving patriots 
• Threats to take away churches’ non profit tax status are intensifying.

Even though the Bible warned of such calamities and we know it will only get worse until Jesus comes again, it's still so hard not to get angry over the state of the word and particularly over the moral depravity in America. Even G.K. Chesterson predicted these types of events almost a century ago when he said the following:

“For under the smooth legal surface of our society there are already moving very lawless things. We are always near the breaking-point when we care only for what is legal and nothing for what is lawful. Unless we have a moral principle about such delicate matters as marriage and murder, the whole world will become a welter of exceptions with no rules. There will be so many hard cases that everything will go soft.” - G.K. Chesterson (1874 – 1936)

But as I keep learning the hard way, we can't win people for the kingdom of God or rescue them from the drowning floods of postmodernism with mere rhetoric and especially not with angry rhetoric. So I turned to Scriptures and wrote the following in my journal.
Our country is surely more divided than it has been in my lifetime. We are all so angry and rightfully so. The media is so biased no one knows what to believe anymore, but whatever is published seeks to inspire anger, hatred, bitterness, and division.

Government accountability is missing and the system of checks and balances is defunct. Sanctuary cities and all branches of power seem to be picking and choosing which laws they will and will not obey which begets widespread lawlessness.

Unarmed military personnel have been slaughtered by domestic terrorists as predicted by authorities, so now armed citizens are giving their time to stand guard over unarmed "armed forces" who were employed to protect citizens in the first place!

Women and children are still trafficked like slaves and at an increasing rate as the pornography industry continues to trespass into hearts and homes taking captive unsuspecting and vulnerable internet users with the result of wrecking families while increasing the lust for more perverse and more frequent abuses of women and minors.

Babies are butchered and then sold in parts on the black market by an organization established by a racist eugenicist and funded by taxpayer dollars against the wishes of the majority of taxpayers.

Some extreme groups are parading virtually naked in public while wiping their rear ends with the American flag or with the pages of Scripture, for it is now politically correct in America to hate both God and America.

The dignity of human life is disregarded as postmodernism & moral relativism have become pervasive. So unstable, hurting, young people feel justified in shooting praying saints in church or innocent children in gun free schools.

America has abandoned her allies and shacked up with the world's worst enemies and put the entire world at greater risk of nuclear war.

The story of my life right now

Many of us want to cry from the mountaintops, "STOP IT!" But if all we do is cast insults at one another out of our own personal hurts or speak the truth with stinging words, forgetting there is a soul behind that electronic screen, then we only make the situation worse. We cry ourselves to sleep over the oppressive evil all over the world and want so much to make a difference, but words are silenced and positive actions don't seem to get far in a broken democratic republic. So where do we turn? How do we stand upright in a world that has turned upside down?

King David turned to God, pouring out his heart with shocking honesty. He did not mince his words, either. He begged for God's judgment to fall on his enemies, for he was desperate, weary, surrounded and outnumbered, despairing and afraid. These emotional rants are recorded in the psalms, but they almost always end with praise because prayer leads us to acknowledge God for who He is. Prayer helps us see His power, goodness and love. It reminds us that He is still sovereign over all these things. So instead of slaying one another with our words (speaking to myself here), let us cry out to God, look to Him, confess, intercede, and worship.

4 "For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield." (Psalm 5)

*Note: This psalm was written before Christ's righteousness was imputed on those who believe & trust through HIS work (not ours) on the cross.

I'll close with some quotes and links that have been most helpful for me during this cultural slide off the moral precipice:

From my all time favorite teacher and apologeticist:

 "The Church must not be a fortress guarded by a constabulary but a home where the Father ever awaits the return of each of us who is in the far country." Ravi Zacharias

How Wide the Divide: Sexuality at the Forefront, Culture at the Crossroads

Liberals and conservatives both cite ignorance of levitical law as evidence that the other side is biblically illiterate. They are both right. - By Tim Keller

Preaching the truth boldly:   Will the Real Christian Pastors Please Stand Up?

Wise and wonderful people have come out of Oklahoma, y'all, including my husband.  Must see video below:

Powerful floor speech from Senator James Lankford on the horrifying practices of the abortion industry. This is a must-watch!
Posted by National Right to Life on Saturday, July 18, 2015