Go AMERICA!

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and I am psyched.  I mean literally. I love this holiday so, so much! I mean, yes, the BBQs and family and beach and fireworks are awesome.  Hanging out with my family is my favorite thing ever.  But that’s not why I love this holiday.  I love the Fourth of July because I LOVE my county.  I am so proud of being an American, I can’t even express it.  You’ll notice that’s a common theme in my blogs.  Let’s remember that I started this blog because of my trip to Ireland, but don’t let that fool you.  Ireland was awesome, but America is my home, my heart, my county.  It’s true, I’m not fond of everything this county does or of all of its values; however, I still couldn’t be prouder of where I’m from.  I refer you to both my post from the last July 4th (Oh Say Can You See?) or a couple of my posts from Ireland, the first where I taught America to my Middle Students (2nd Paragraph from Where HAS the time gone?!) or when I saw the bodies in St. Michan’s Church Crypt of the Irish Rebels (last 2 paragraphs from Here at the end of all things).  Heck, just click on the tag “America” on the main page of my blog and read all of the ones I’ve posted under that name.  I love my country.

I have noticed that going overseas has one of two effects on the average person.  In general, both sets of people will acknowledge the separate cultures they visit and create an appreciate and respect for them.  The first sort of people will leave their heart overseas, converting their loyalty to where ever it is that they visit.  This bothers me.  Yes appreciate, yes respect, yes love, but remember your roots.  I don’t ask that immigrants to this country forget where they are from.  I except that a person who moves here from Ireland will become American, but also keep their connection to their home country.  There are exceptions to this that I’m just not going to get into right now, because this is not a political blog, so we’ll leave that aside for later.  The second kind of effect overseas travel will have is when a person goes to another country and falls in love with the culture they find there, but they come home with a greater love for their own nation.

That is what happened to me.  I’ve always loved being an American, but now I am downright exuberant of it.  I love my God and my country.  I even love North Carolina more than I did before (which is saying something as I have always loved my state).

However, it wasn’t just overseas travel that increased my love for America.  Teaching has done that to me as well.  It was one thing to study American history as a student and appreciate it, but another thing altogether to impart this knowledge and information to children and teens.  Suddenly, I’m drawing conclusions and making connections and explaining their importance.  It makes me so excited to be able to say, “Look at this! Look what our Founding Fathers did! It was unprecedented, unimaginable, and nearly impossible–but they did it.”  I even now more appreciate the story of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (which by the way, today is the anniversary of the last day of that battle).  Before Lincoln gave that short little speech people would refer to the United State as a plural and say things like “The United States are a democracy.” Afterwards, whether because of that speech or because of the war in general, people referred to the country as a singular, such as, “The United States is a democracy.”  Also, think about our pledge of allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands ONE nation UNDER God, INDIVISIBLE with Liberty and Justice for all.” Have you ever thought about why Indivisible is in the pledge? It seems an odd word thrown in there.  It’s because of the Civil War.  I am a Southerner, and I am proud of that too, but the Civil War almost destroyed what the Revolutionary war built.  Afterwards, we realized that we are a people Indivisible.  We are United under our God and our government to stand strong together.  Amen.

I want to end this blog by expressing again the importance of what happened during the American Revolution. Can you imagine what the Founding Fathers felt when they voted on and signed the Declaration of Independence.  Had they failed in their intent, and by all accounts they should have, they had just knowingly and willingly committed an act of treason to the crown.  They had signed their own death warrant.  THINK ABOUT IT!! The Declaration of Independence could have been the Death Warrant of the 56 men who penned their names to it.  For many of them, it was.  Doesn’t that give new meaning to what they did? Doesn’t that hit it home? It is sobering.  I know that I am sobered by it.  And yet, they had confidence in it.  So strong was the confidence of my personal favorite Father, John Adams, that he wrote back to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776 of the events of July 2 (the day we should actually celebrate the Independence Day, as that was the day the Declaration was adopted) of a great celebration that would continue in this country for the rest of history.  I am posting it hear for you to read carefully.  Read between his lines.  He is thrilled, but also afraid.  He is confident, but also realistic.  But his forethought is incredible.  He knows he is right, and he knows what he had just done.

The Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their Judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats, and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfire and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil, and Blood, and Treasure that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet, through all the Gloom, I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means, and that Posterity will triumph in that Day’s Transaction, even though We should not rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

God Bless America.

Interestingly, this painting is inaccurate and a scene such as this never took place, however, what a great representation of what it means to be American

Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson refining the Declaration

 

A Few Things I’m Tired of Hearing About

It’s been awhile, but I am feeling the need to post again.  As a social studies teacher, this may shock you, but I have stopped watching the news.  I am fed up with the media and what is portrayed on their stations.  With all of the news or whatnot that’s out right now, I feel the need to express just exactly when I’m tired of hearing about:

1) Michael Jackson. I’m sorry he’s dead, really I am, but let’s move on.  There are way more important things out there right now in this world than obsessing endlessly over the death of a fallen star.

2) Jon and Kate Plus 8. Or as I am calling them now “Jon and Kate plus 8 multiplied by paparazzi minus Jon divided by lawyers.” It not only makes me sad, but all this talking about it is, I believe, the root of everything.  Leave the poor people alone. And that’s all I’m saying

3) Barrak Obama as celebrity. He is the president of this country.  I could care less what show he went to with Michelle in NYC.  He does not need to be on E! but on CSPAN.  Stop putting him in the same category as Brangelina or the Jonas Brothers.  He is the president and I’d like to hear more about his policies than his swimsuit color choice.

4) The Recession/The Economy.  Would you like me to give you a simple overview how this whole recession thing started? Step One: before this county was technically in a recession, the media was whining about it.  Step Two: People freaked out.  Step Three: People stopped spending money.  Step Four: Places where people would have normally spent their money had to shut down.  Step Five: Other people lost their jobs.  Step Six: Those people stopped spending money.  Step Seven: The United States Government bought Chevrolet with the tax monies of those people who can’t afford to buy a car.  Ta da. Yes, it sucks, but seriously, stop talking about it.  When it gets to the level of the Great Depression, let me know.  Though if you’d watch MSNBC, they’ll tell you it’s already there.  For shame media.

5) The Phrase “How’s the job hunt going?”.  There is a hiring freeze in my school system. No one is hiring, no one is interviewing.  Our dear state government and governor can’t tell which way is up, much less plan a budget for next year—because it’s more important to spend money keeping the education lottery going rather than to spend money on keeping jobs for teachers.  I don’t have a job yet.  I’ll let you know when I do.

6) Twitter.

These are not, by far, the only things I’m tired of, but they are the biggies right now.  This weekend is the Fourth of July.  This holiday means so much more to me now that I’ve been in Ireland.  I love America more than I can express so I want to hear more about the good things in this country and those I can be proud of.  I want to hear about soldiers who are bravely doing their duty.  About families who are working for themselves to beat this economy.  About the politicians who are doing more than cheating on their wives. I want to know what is stimulating and thought provoking.  There needs to be more that encourages people to think, not sit mindlessly by and let the rest of the world pass.  I am seeking a better way.

 

One year

Tomorrow is a very important and very sad day for my family.  Tomorrow marks one year since Jordyn went to be with the Lord.  It feels like just yesterday since she was with us, and yet it feels like decades ago.   So much has happened to us since then, and I hardly know where I stand. We have another little one in the family, Mike & Lisa’s Bridget, and little Jacob Daniel who is almost here.  There are some days when I still can’t keep from holding back the tears and there are some days when Jordyn feels so close to me that it’s almost like she’s here.  I can still hear her calling me, “Da-becca.” And watching Cinderella III with her snuggled against me.  And picking “a-torns.” And holding her just after she had been born in the hospital: the first of my baby cousins.  And wanting me to play with her and holding her sweet little hand when I took her to the movies.  And laughing at Faith’s first birthday when Cindy stuffed chocolate on my face.  And her ever joyful last Christmas. There is a part of me that still questions, still wonders if something could have been different, but biggest part of me has moved closed to what I might term as acceptance.   Not acceptance of her death, but of God’s greatness.  I was so fortunate to have a wonderful church family who supported me throughout everything and afterwards, who helped me realize that it wasn’t a vindictive god who took her, but a loving God who cares for her.   Jordyn already has a headstart spending the rest of eternity worshiping God, and I’ll be with her again one day.   Jordyn doesn’t long to be back on Earth, so why should we long for her to be.  That doesn’t make it any easier, but I continue to have hope in Christ who redeems me.
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

~Psalm 34

 

Travels North

Yesterday, was the start of my 2 week Easter Holiday.  On Friday, we sent the students off at school at 12:15 and then all of the staff went out to lunch.  Saturday, I went on a tour with the other American students to the North of Ireland.  As you may know, Northern Ireland is not apart of the Republic of Ireland, but is still part of Great Britain.  Therefore, I was literally in a different country.

The tour started with supposedly catching a bus called the “Aircoach” at around 3:55 in the morning–not even kidding.  So we get to the bus…it ONLY goes to the airport.  It wouldn’t let us get off in Dublin…losers.  Luckily, Nick’s most gracious and wonderful host mom picked us up and took us into Dublin at 4:00 in the morning.  We sat at the Paddywagon hostel until around 6:00 am when we caught a bus to take us into Belfast.   This is a looong drive and as much as I really wanted to watch the scenery, I was too tired and slept much of the way there.   We arrived in Belfast around 8:30(ish?) and from the bus station, we caught the Paddywagon bus which headed even farther North.  The weather that morning was miserable.  It was freezing cold, extremely windy, and raining sideways.  Our first stop was in the tippy top corner of the country at a rope bridge (Granny, you would have died).  The bridge was closed because of the rain, but we hiked up to the area, which was lovely despite the weather.

Next, we left the bridge to a place called The Giant’s Causeway.  This is just cool.  It is a natural rock formation that looks like a bridge that was built by the hands of a giant…hence the name.  It actually comes from a legend about a man named Finn McCool.  In short, he was a giant of a man that wanted to fight a rival in Scotland whom he had actually never seen.  His rival wouldn’t do it, so he built this “causeway” for him to come over.  When he finally did, Finn encountered a man 10 times his own size, so his wife hatched a plan where she dressed Finn up as a baby.  When his Scottish rival came to the house, Finn’s wife told him that Finn was out and would be back to fight him later.  When he saw their “son” in the corner he shuddered at the thought that if that was the size of their son, there was no telling how tall Finn was, so he left and destroyed the bridge behind him, leaving only a bit in Ireland and a bit in Scotland.  The weather wasn’t quite as bad there, but it still wasn’t perfect, but the rock formations were just incredible.  It was clear to me that it wasn’t Finn McCool who placed those stones there, but God who formed them perfectly.  Next we made a photo stop at Dunluce castle which is precariously perched on the edge of a cliff, but it was quite “photogenic.”

Finally, we drove into Derry, a city that has seen many struggles throughout its history and the site of the Bloody Sunday incident in the 70s.  There is a large division of Republicans (those who want Northern Ireland to be apart of the Republic) and loyalists (those who are loyal to England) in the city that still exists, though on a lesser note, today.  It is still called by its English name, Londonderry, by it’s loyalists citizens.  Unfortunately, we got to the city more than an hour after we were supposed to and we didn’t have much time at all to explore it as I would have liked .  Instead, we walked the wall of the city.  I thought this was a bit of shame just because it is such an important city to Irish history, but hopefully I will have a chance to visit again, if not this trip, then sometime in the future.

After leaving Derry, we returned to Belfast, where we only had just enough time to grab a coffee before hitting the trail back to Dublin.  Again, I really wish I could have seen more of the city and am considering taking another tour to go back one weekend before I go home.  We arrived back in Dublin about 8:30 and went to a pub to get some dinner before going home.  It was a long, long day, but it was overall, it was a completely wonderful trip.

In travelling all over this country, it is clear to me that God’s glory is all around.  When I went out to the sea in Shankill the other day, I brought my Bible with me and prayed that God would direct me to a passage that He wanted me to read, and I flipped my Bible straight open to Psalm 97.  The first verse reads “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice!” (Exclamation point added by me)  I was just amazed by this verse because there I was, sitting on a rock on a “distant shore” and totally engulfed in the glory of the Lord.  The rest of the psalm contiunes to praise and worship God’s glory and mightiness.  I am seeing this everywhere, between the rocks of the Giant’s Causeway to birds I’ve never seen the likes of before to people that are willing to help me at every turn.  I didn’t even have to look or seek these out, but God puts them in my path.  “Rejoice in the Lord, you who are rightous, and praise his holy name” (Ps 97:12).

 

Work

Well I’m leaving in just 17 short days and I feel like I have SO much to do before I go!  Not even just packing and making sure I am mentally prepared for a 6 week voyage across the pond, but also finishing my student teaching here in the good ol’ US of A!  There are times when I feel so overwhelmed that I am distancing myself from the massive chaos.  Sometimes it seems easier to avoid the problem then actually sit down and grade those essays (which I HAVE to finish for tomorrow or my kids will hunt me down).

However, God is completely aware of my situation and sent me to church this morning to hear this message: SLOW DOWN!  Ok, well that’s only part of it.  What I really heard from Him is, “Chill out, Rebecca.  I know that you have a ton of work to do and you need to do it, don’t procrastinate and be lazy, but you need to do all of your work for me.”  Yep, grade papers as if grading for the Lord and not for my students.  Being lazy does not show glory to God, but getting all of my work done–and doing it with the right attitude–does. It’s hard for me to hear that right now because it would be sooo much easier if I could forget about North Carolina for the next 17 days and just prepare for Dublin.  It’s what I would rather do.  But I have not been in God’s word like I should be and I’ve forgotten why I am doing what I’m doing.  I am not teaching for myself or for the money (I think that no one can argue that).  I can’t even delude myself that most or any of my students actually care about history.  What’s important is that I show them that I care for them.  With all of the baggage some of these kids have, they need the love from someone.  Maybe I’m not the best person, but it’s what I am there for.  I only hope that I can counsel them in a spiritual way and direct them in a path that will allow them to succeed in life.  And maybe the ones that don’t know Christ will see Him in me.  But I can’t do that if I drop off the planet and don’t for those relationships for the next 17 days.  That’s not a lot of time I have left with them.

So in summation: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the LORD and not for men.  (Colossians 3:23)

 

After Election Night…

This is from Al Mohler who is President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I do not think it could be worded any better.

The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.

The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral College. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago’s Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.

For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death — not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.

For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President — and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, “We will get there. We will get there.” No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had foreseen.

That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans — not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.

Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who — for the first time — now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.
Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.

Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.

Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.
At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liability? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.

Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general — and many younger Evangelicals in particular — are ready to “move on” to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.

We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.

Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama’s election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.

Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama’s mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose.

 

How His kindness yet pursues me, mortal tongue can never tell

I started this blog for two specific reasons. 1) Was to use it as an outlet to talk about my application process for Ireland, and eventually, hopefully, about my feelings about going once I’m accepted…if I’m accepted.  2) Was to use it as a place to talk about what it means to be “seeking”, hopefully pointing to the fact I believe that Christ is the only solution.   I feel like I have gotten away from those two goals by this point.  Now, granted, I’m not very far along in the Ireland application – I haven’t even turned it in yet.  And of course there turn out to be other things that I just want to talk about that have no relation to one this or the other, but I feel that goal #2 is very important, and I need to get back to it, by talking a bit about where I am now.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God

Seeking. It’s such a loaded term really, for one that is so simple.  Praise Jesus that I have found Him, or more importantly that He has found me.  Because that’s really what the Bible says.  God sought US out.  He has given us the choice to come to Him, but His desire is that all mankind would. He reveals Himself to us in so many ways.  God Seeks Us.  I cannot get over that.  It is such a powerful thing. Jesus tells a parable about a Shepperd who goes out to seek for one lost sheep, leaving the other 99 sheep behind.  The Lord is my Shepperd. He sought me out.  He cared for me enough to look for me alone.  And He found me! Hallelujah, what a Savior.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love;

So herein lies the essential question: if the God who created the Universe (I know I use this phrase a lot, but having taken Astronomy courses, it is something that is hard for me to fathom.  I am so small and insignificant compared to the majesty of what the Lord created and yet He still cares) sought me out above all others…why do I continue to wander away from Him?  It happens too often for me to even care to think about.  I lose focus on what it means to be a Christian.  I don’t share the Amazing News of Christ Jesus with those who don’t know, I depend on myself more than I depend on Him, I don’t always come to Him in bad times or good, I lose faith, I doubt, I despair.  I allow Satan too often to lie to me, letting me believe that I am not good enough, that I am not loved.  But here’s the kicker – why should it matter if I’m unloved by any human on earth (true or otherwise) – I AM LOVED BY GOD! Can I just repeat that? I, REBECCA, AM LOVED BY GOD I don’t have to do anything to earn that love from Him, because He sought me.  He loved me before I was.  From His laying the foundations of the earth, He knew me and loved me.  But I forget this, I forget that He seeks me, and I forget to seek Him. 

He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

He sought me and he bought me.  Jesus died for me and my sins, they He nailed them to the cross and I bear them no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh My Soul!!!! I know I’m quoting a lot of hymns here, but next to scripture, I find that they speak the most truth about what is in my heart.  This is the true heart of the Gospel.  We have to do nothing for His saving grace, but accept it.  That is what it is called grace.  We do not deserve it, but He has given us this gift to accept.  And by accepting it, I have chosen to follow Him, it is not the easy life – but it is worth it. 

Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace

I have had hard times, my family has experienced what no family should and we still deal with this every single day.  But God has given me blessings too – I have parents who have raised me to make wise decisions and to follow the Lord, and most importantly support whatever I do.  I have a brother whom I love.  I have family connections with “distant” relatives that is closer than most.  I have friends who I know that I can count on.  I am stable.  God has given me so much, and I take so much for granted. These joys should be reminders to me that God has sought me and wants to bless me.  I so often forget this, but that is a sin I confess, but he forgave me for that sin before I even commited it.  When I gave my heart to Him, every sin I had committed in the past and that I would commit in the future was laid on the shoulders of Christ – Let that grace now like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.

 

it’s seems to be darkest just after TWILIGHT

Ok so I just finished reading the “Twilight Saga” today because I was curious and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.  Here’s my “expert” anyalsis of the series as a whole

Alright, first of all I want to say that the series, as a whole, was not bad.  I was always hooked enough into the books to want to keep reading them and I always was curious as to what happened next.  They were good books, I will give Stephenie Meyer that.  I did, for the most part, enjoy them. 

HOWEVER, I did have some qualms with the books, vampire story aside (because I’m going to be honest, I’m not always a fan of the vampire novel, not an Anne Rice fan for instance, but I do enjoy some vampire stories such as The Historian  or the classic Dracula, in addition to other various vampire books I have read in my life, but I digress…) My biggest issue was the maturity level of the books, YES, I realize that they are Young Adult Fiction and they are not supposed to be completely mature, YES, I realize that they are written for a younger audience (actually, this was not the original intent by Mrs Meyer according to her website, who wrote the first book for herself without a specific audience in mind, but for the sake of argument here and as they are placed as Young Adult Fiction, we’ll go with that) but still, the characters bugged me so much! Almost every single character in the books were shallow, without any real depth or reason behind them.  Bella’s sole purpose in life was about Edward.  There was never, not a single moment, in the books where I understood the Bella-Edward relationship.  There was physical attraction, yes, but otherwise I saw no common ground, nothing to link the two characters romantically, espcially in a “deep, true love” way that I believe Mrs. Meyer was intending to portray.  I rather saw the relationship as extremely unhealthy.  Bella, until the last book when (if you haven’t read the last book, you might should stop now, I am about to post a spoiler) her daughter was born, cared for nothing and no one else except for Edward.  Yes, she did care for her family and Jacob, but not so much that she would not give up every one of them for Edward. It was an obession with her, simple as that, very teenage. This is not the kind of lesson I would want to be teaching Young Adult Girls about love – it makes for a very shallow realtionship.  In fact, as I read the books, I could understand more fully the relationship between Jacob and Bella.  (Ok, let me just rant here a brief second, but the Jacob character was actually my favorite in the novels.  I know that a lot of the fandom gives this character a hard time for being immature or selfish or whatever, but I also felt that he was the most entertianing and the most complex character in the books.  Stephenie Meyer gave me, I feel, a lot more reason to like this character and I had much more reason to pity this character over any of the others.  I think that he was well written and came off spectacularly, and I’m not sure that he wasn’t the main reason I kept reading the books because I was dying to know what happened to him, ANYWAY…) Jacob and Bella spent time together, got to know each other, were comfortable in each other’s pressence, whereas Bella did not see herself as deserving of Edward, as though he were too good for her.  How can a healthy relationship form, when you always believe that you must be better for the person you love, or that there is nothing you can do to deserve that person.  In a sense, maybe Bella didn’t deserve Edward because of that (although to be honest, he didn’t seem like that great of a catch to me anyway).  Also, while there was a sense of physical attraction between Jacob and Bella, it was not what dominated the relationship.  And, as strongly as Jacob had claimed to feel for Bella, I never saw it as the same obession that Bella had for Edward.  They just were comfortable, they fit. They were more healthy.

If I were writting these novels, I would certianly had ended things differently.  I would try to show my audience that real love is based on more than a shallow, unexpainable attraction.  That real love doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing yourself and those around you just to be with that one person – you should remember the love you have for your friends and family as well.  There are comprises that can be made and sometimes there are sacrifices that should be made, but never in a way that I feel it was done in these books.  It was a selfish “love”.  There is no doubt that Twilight has a large fan base and a following, but I really don’t feel like this is a good thing, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE VAMPIRE BOOKS, please do not mistake me on that, I had no problem with the vampire aspect of the book in essence, but it was the way the book played out because of the vampire aspect that I took issue with. I feel that these were inmmature books that should not be given to an immature audience, at least not without guidance. Sometimes, the Young Adult mind has trouble decerning for themselves.

Please do not mistake me.  As I said before, I did enjoy the books, they were good – for a one time read.  I will never read them again, more than likely.  I’ve heard them often compared to the Harry Potter books as the “next big thing” but I really see no comparison.  For one, the HP have lessons I would be more willing to share with the younger generations, and while they were not always mature at times, it was an age appropriate immaturity for the characters.  They are books I will (and have already) read many times over.  

This really has just been my 2 cents.  You don’t have to agree with me, but I do ask that you at least consider where I am coming from.  I’m in college to become a high school teacher, and I care about and worry about the next generations.  In the world we live in today, teens are not given a clear picture of right and wrong because in our objective society, many feel that they are gray areas, but I don’t believe that.  There IS morality and there IS right and wrong and we need to teach our children this.  The Twilight books were one large gray area.  The only real time we got a “right or wrong” was in the decision of the main characters not to drink the blood of man, but animals, and of course murder is wrong, but I feel like the books blurred the lines of morality in many other places.  I ask that you please use caution when reading the Twilight books.  They are good stories but please learn how to categorize story and reality, and don’t take all of the “lessons” from the book to heart.  Use the brain you were given to think for yourself, don’t follow the herd of sheep just because you can.

 

Notes About Alcohol From an Almost 21-Year Old, Part II

I recently recieved a comment on my last note about alcohol that addressed some of my points and would like to reply to it.  First let me post that comment here so everyone else knows what I’m talking about!

Ok, look dude. Im in the same shoes you are. Im turning 21 in 2 weeks and can’t wait and un like most of my pears my age I actualy do kind of like the time I spend in church and feel that I do have a personal relationship with god. However, I seriously can not understand why you have never tried alcohol just because the law states that you have be 21. Its a poor law and is not uniformly enforced. Make the decision for yourself, I did and I made it when I was in Curch, yes Church. I recieved my first communion including wine in fifth grade. If you can have thimble of whine when your 11 yrs old in gods house and infront of your entire congrigation guilt free. How then is drinking underage immoral. And do you recall that classic mirical where Jesus turned water into wine. I do, In the story he preformed this miricale at a wedding, and I can pretty much garentee you, based on trends of the time period, that those 2 getting maried and a fair number of people at that wedding were under 21
years of age.   Think on this for awhile. So go out have a drink or two, just be responsible and you won’t have any problems. Peace

First of all, props to you for having a personal relationship with God!! As Paul says, what a joy to be able to say “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile,” (Romans 1:16). I pray that you are using your beliefs to be a witness to those around you and bringing others to Him so that they too might be able to share in the eternal salvation that you will enjoy!

Perhaps I did not focus enough in my last note about some of the strong reasons why I choose not to drink underage.  I do not believe that drinking under the age of 21 is immoral in an of itself.  I believe it is a sin because it is against the law of the land, and therefore against the law of the Lord.  The law may be a poor law or an outdated law, but it does not change the fact that it is a law.  As a United States Citizen, I am bound to obey the laws of my country.  We have been given many, many freedoms as Americans. However, in order to accept these freedoms, rights, and liberties; there are certian other rights and liberties that must be given up for the protection of the nation as a whole.  The authors of the Constitution knew this, and it is a truth that still holds true today.  I feel that giving up alcohol until 21 is a “right” that I am willing not to have.  I will harken back to the scripture I mentioned, but did not dwell on in my first note, Romans 13:1-7:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Paul also writes in Titus: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,” (Titus 3:1) Regardless of if I like the government or not, or what the government institutes or not, I am obligated by the word of God to obey its laws.  Clearly it states in the Bible that God has given all authority to Earthly government (Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 2 Peter 2:13), even Christ tells Pilate that “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilt of a greater sin.” (John 19:11)   By defying our governing authority, the Consitution, we are defying God.

And honestly, I don’t feel that it is  poor law.  I know a man who, in high school, was drinking, made the unwise choice to get behind the wheel of a car, and killed one of his best friends.  I also know several other high school students who were killed 2 years ago because they were driving back home from a city a couple hours away drunk.  They did not see a curve on a bridge, flew over it, and all four were killed.  Another young girl from my youth group my senior year in high school was killed because, although she had not been drinking, she was in a car with someone who was.  They wouldn’t stop and let her out of the car, and they crashed.  She was killed.  Young people as it is (being a young woman myself, I speak from personal experience) often have an inability to make good decisions.  Teens don’t drive as well as they think they do, the younger you marry the more likely you are to get a divorce, and are quite frankly, very immature.  Some of these decisions should be regulated for them, in order to keep themselves and others safe. I consider drinking to be a responsiblity, and I don’t think that those under 21, and in fact many older than 21, are responsible enough to be privilaged with it.

Claiming to have responsibilty is not always enough either.  Alcohol is a drug.  It retards your mind and your inhibitions.  You may think you are being responsible when you aren’t.  For one person, 6 drinks might do what only 1 does to someone else.  I don’t want to take that chance yet.  When I’m of age, I will do the best I can to be reponsible.  It is a safe bet that I will never take more than one glass of wine at a time.  But as I said before, part of responsibility comes with respecting the laws of the land.

 

There is another point addressed in that comment that I would like to…well, address, for lack of a better word .  You say that you took your first try of alcohol at Communion, guilt free. Ok, well that maybe be true.  At my church, we do not take wine for Communion, but grape juice.  If I am not mistaken, wine is generally used in churches where they believe in the miracle of the mass, or rather, that the wine and bread become the blood and body of Christ when you take it by miracle. I, for one, believe that Communion is mearly symbolic. It is meant for us to remember Christ and what he did for us.Paul speaks lengthly on Communion in 1 Corinthians.  First he talks about what the Lord’s Supper means: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corintians 11:23-26).   Communion is meant to be for us a testimony, an indentification with Christ and his death and ressurection. it is meant to be a time of reflection and observation of our own hearts and how we stand with the Lord.  By taking the Lord’s supper we are to be in reverence.  Paul then warns what happens if we are not while taking Communion: “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Corintians 11:27-29).  Taking communion is not about taking or drinking wine, it is about remembering Christ’s sacrifice.  It is a sin to take it in any other mannter.  As long as you take Communion, be it wine or grape juice or even water or Pepsi, in the manner in which Paul has spoken, then I believe that you are acting morally. 

 

You also mention Christ’s first miracle at the wedding in Cana. You must remember, I do not believe that drinking responsibly by is a sin alone, but only when the drinker gets drunk off of the sin.  The Bible speaks of drunkeness as a sin, not drinking wine.  I only believe in underage drinking as a sin for the points I’ve already made.  Now, the water to wine miracle.  This was a miraculous act indeed!!! But we must remember something very important about this miracle: THE MIRACLE OF TURNING WATER INTO WINE WAS NOT ABOUT THE WINE! John 2:11 says clearly: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galielee. HE THUS REVALED HIS GLORY AND HIS DISCIPLES PUT THEIR FAITH IN HIM.” Only Christ, his mother, the disciples, and the servants knew Christ had done this, none of the wedding guests knew. This was at the beginning of His ministry and this miracle was about showing who he was to the disciples. Again let me repeat, THIS WAS NOT ABOUT THE WINE.

There is one final point I want to make.  I don’t drink underage for my witness to others.  My friends who aren’t Christians know where I stand and if they were to see me drink, they might think, “Hey now, she claims to be a Christian, but doesn’t she think this is a sin (afterall she blogs about it enough, lol).”  Paul says “‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.” (1 Corinitians 11:23-24).  Something may not be a sin in its moral sense, but if it causes a brother to stumble or it harms my witness, it is as good as a sin.  It is my freedom as a believer to make this choice.  Teddy Roosevelt was asked one time when he was in office how did he know what the people wanted.  He replied “I don’t know the way the people feel, I only know the way they ought to feel.” That may sound arrogant, but Roosevelt was probably one of the greatest presidents we ever had as a nation, and I agree with him.  I cannot make you believe what I am saying, but I strongly believe I am speaking the truth, and I say this only because it is the scripture that is speaking it, not myself.  I believe in the Bible’s authority above all else and hope I am living by what it says. I am choosing to live by my convictions, you may not agree with them, but I know that I am not being tossed about as ships in the sea. (Ephesians 4:11-15).  In choosing not to participate in underage drinking, I am not seeking my own good, but the good of my fellow man, and in the end, doing what I believe to be God’s Will (Romans 13, Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 4:1-6). 

 

Notes About Alcohol From An Almost-21-Year-Old

This post is not about Ireland, but it is to be about searching and seeking, and about an issue that I feel is really important.

I know that I am the un-average college student. I would rather spend “Thirsty Thursday” at Campus Crusade for Christ than at a party. I have never been drunk, and I don’t plan on becomming so. I don’t believe in drinking underage. I know this is a conflicting opnion from most other of my age, perhaps even from many of my friends. However, I believe in my heart that this is right. Now I’m not going to lie to you and say that I’ve never had alcohol before, and even though it was never been much, usually never more than a sip at a time, I regret them. I would love to be able to come to you with this note to say that I have been pure of alcohol, but I can’t. However, I do hope to come to you today not as a hypocryte, but as a person who holds certian views and has been tempted by the world to go against these views. I have repented and I know God has forgiven me for these slipups. However, this comes back to my point. Once I turn 21, I will not be opposed to a glass of wine or mixed drink with dinner (I don’t like the flavor of beer). As long as it is done in moderation, I am not against it. However, in excess, I whole-heartedly believe that it is wrong, both a sin against God and against the laws of our land. I know personally a man whose life was changed forever by a stupid mistake when he was a teenager because of alcohol. I have seen what can happen when a person goes even a little bit overboard. I was in an accident involving a drunk driver. She was just barely over the legal limit, but still over it, and now I still have back issues and my car has been since sold for parts, not to mention we are still dealing with the legal issues. I’ve seen people make stupid choices and do stupid things when under the influence. Being drunk can lead to your doing things that is even more of a sin that you may not have done under a normal circumstance. Again, it doesn’t take very much, but just too much is still too much.

And this is not just me talking. The Bible tell us that it is a sin; Paul speaks frequently on it: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)” or “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Romans 13:13-14)”. Paul even goes as far to say this about Christians: “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. (1 Corinitians 5:11). It is also littered with imagery that relates drunkenness as being apart from God (“Make her drunk, for she has defied the LORD. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. ~Jeremiah 48:26). It tells stories about the consequences of drunkenness or the evil that comes from it (the story of Lot and his daughters, Genesis 9; David/Bathseba/Uriah, 2 Samuel 11). As Christians we are called to a life lived differently to the world around us:
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:1-6)

As to underage drinking, I am opposed to that for 2 very great reasons. The first, it is against the American law and I want to respect the country I am in and obey its laws. The second reason is that as I Christian I believe that I am called to respect the authority of the land, unless it conflicts with the law of God (Romans 13:1-7). Therefore, as I believe you will find no where in the Bible where a Christian is required to drink under the age of 21, then I believe that that American law is in compliance with the law of the Lord, which I am to obey with all of myself. That is why I choose not to participate in underage drinking.

Now, I have said all this to make myself understood. I will turn 21 in August. I struggle with myself sometimes about whether or not I am going to choose to drink on my birthday. I know that it is expected on your 21st birthday to go out and get drunk, but I honestly have no intention of EVER doing that. I also want to make a statement, saying that yes, just because I will be legal doesn’t mean I have to drink. Maybe I will have a drink, maybe I won’t, but I can promise you that I will not go in excess. I don’t believe it is right according to scripture, and I quite honestly don’t like the thought of losing control of myself in that way. If I am going to lose control of myself it is going to be in another way altogther, and that is in my praise and adoration of the God most high:
Be stunned and amazed,
blind yourselves and be sightless;
be drunk, but not from wine,
stagger, but not from beer. (Isaiah 29:9)