show_me_your_glory's Xanga

Letter to an American Terrorist

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:12:48 GMT

You.

You were born in this country. This great country. MY country.

You born here, raised here, went to school here. Did you go to football games? Maybe you played in them. Or basketball? Maybe baseball, the great American pastime. And college. You went to college here.

And then you did the honorable thing, the heroic thing. You joined the armed forces. You agreed to become a guardian of freedom, a defender of justice.

We celebrated you. Metals and honors. We recognized you. You worked hard and long and aided our wounded and broken men and women. They trusted you. WE trusted you.

My heart was broken when I heard what had happened.

How dare you?

And the more I thought about it, the more I heard, the more the mourning was replaced with anger.

Good, you deserved to be dead. I was glad.

Our armed forces work hard, and they deserve to feel secure when they are at home. They’ve EARNED it. You shattered that. You took it upon yourself to steal away the sanctity and peace of “home.”

Good riddance.

And then you weren’t dead. And the contempt grew. My once broken heart hardened, and I wished you dead again.

It was just easier that way.

And now they are saying you praised allah before you opened fire.

And that you wanted out of your commitment. That you had begun to despise the work you willingly agreed to undertake.

And that you gave away your belongings.

You sir, are a coward.

You are a disgrace to this country, YOUR home. No other country was ever your home.

And contempt bred rage. Seething, gnawing and fierce.

You wanted out, so you thought you’d become a martyr. One of allah’s mighty warriors. Not man enough to face the consequences of running from your duties, you decided “paradise” was the better option.

And you failed. HA! That’s right, I LAUGHED.

And you got for yourself the best punishment I could imagine. You failed allah. You missed paradise completely. And now, for your crimes, you will be put to death by the “pig dogs” and allah will reject you because of it.

But first you have to recuperate. You have to suffer the physical pain of your wounds. You have to rehabilitate. And all the while, you have to think about how you failed.

And you might try to end it all, but they won’t let you. They will keep you alive to face trial. And it will be easy for justice to be served.

And it will be sweet.

And my rage was appeased by these cynical musings. You will suffer much, and I was glad for it.

And then the whisper in my heart that I had so easily ignored overtook me.

I didn’t want to pray for you. I wanted to pray for the injured. And the families and friends.

But not for you.

How could God ask me to forgive? How could He expect compassion?

And then, in place of the rage, sorrow. How often have I failed, and He forgives me.

And you, there you are, under guard, wounded and guilty. And your country has rejected you. Your peers have rejected you. Your family is forced to make apology for you. And your god has turned his silent back on you.

You will suffer much, it’s true. And you cannot avoid the consequences.

But you do not have to suffer alone.

Your god has left you, but MY God has offered you a second chance.

You are alive. For how much longer, only God knows.

But you are now presented a choice. You can merely survive the remainder of your days a failure, only to die alone, a coward’s death. You will spend eternity in torment. ETERNITY. Fully aware of your torment. Fully aware of the choice you made.

Because hell IS real.

You may think this is hell, but you are wrong.

Or, you can seek after God. Not allah. Jehovah. Not the god who requires his followers to destroy his enemies for him, but the God who forgives and loves and who desires to establish His enemies as His children and faithful servants.

The God who builds up, not tears down.

The God who heals, not destroys.

The God who IS light, not a messenger of darkness.

The God who died for His beloved so that no more blood would ever be required.

And when your days on this earth end, even though they will end as punishment for horrific acts, you can stand before THAT God, the God of love, and He can welcome you into His presence.

But it is your choice. You alone can decide how this last chapter of your life will play out. And you alone can determine your destination when eternity calls. Because you and I both know that it will.

And my heart is broken again.

Because you will not read this letter.

And I will not be granted access to you.

And so I pray. My God, Who is big enough to heal those you injured, and Who has more peace to give than the mourning families you broke could ever use up, is more than able to reach out to you.

He already has.

You should have died. If justice had been done, you would be a corpse right now.

But compassion won. Mercy granted you a second chance, a pardon.

You don’t deserve it.

But neither did I.

Not when I first learned of saving grace so many years ago, and not when, in my rage, I flippantly condemned you to damnation.

And THAT is why I will pray for you. Not out of duty. Not because some unseen force is compelling me.

But because I received mercy.

I ask only one thing in return.

When that compassionate hand, in whatever form it may take, reaches out to you with the gospel of love, will you take it?

************************************************************************

I wrote this letter, or whatever you want to call it. It comes as the result of my reactions to the tragedy at Fort Hood yesterday.

In a moment of reflection, God revealed to me that the rage I had internally justified as righteous indignation was, in fact, not of Him.

I was forced to consider my own life and choices, and reached a simple conclusion- Jesus died for ALL of us. He is the final judge.

My job is not judge, but it is to stand, and having done all to stand, stand some more. And as I stand, show love, compassion and mercy to those who would tear me down. And when I fall, to stand back up. And stand, not as a reflection of His light and love, but allowing Him to shine and minister THROUGH me.

Prayer Request

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:45:01 GMT

I'm a slacker, I know. I've totally abandoned Xanga that past few months, but things have been so crazy. I really only have time right now to share a prayer request...

My mom, simply put, has an issue of blood. Her body is destroying her red blood cells. This has been going on for 2 1/2 years now, as I have shared many times before. The doctor has tried chemo. and other radiation therapies to kill whatever is killing her red blood cells, all to no avail. Currently she is on an anti-rejection medication, usually given to folks who are having organ transplants, to keep her body from rejecting the blood she receives in the transfusions, which she is still having to get every two weeks.

On 10/19/09 she is to go to OSU Medical center where they will either do a bone marrow transplant or stem cell replacement therapy. Her doctor says this is her last option, and that people with similar disorders usually only live 2-5 years.

I disagree. Jesus received stripes on His back for our healing, He bled so that we don't have to. Thank you for praying.

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

God is not dead, Nor does He sleep...

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:49:04 GMT

I know this is a "Christmas" song. But when I got up this morning and I remembered what day it was, strains of this song started playing through my heart. I really felt I needed to share this (I emphasised the portion that is resonating in my heart as I type), maybe someone somewhere can take some comfort in these lyrics...

I heard the Bells on Christmas Day
as performed by Casting Crowns

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat
Of peace on earth good will to men

And the bells are ringing
Like a choir they're singing
In my heart I hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing
Like a choir singing
Does anybody hear them?
Peace on earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men

And the bells they're ringing
Like a choir they're singing
And with our hearts we'll hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells they're ringing?
The life the angels singing
Open up your heart and hear them
Peace on earth, good will to men

Peace on earth, Peace on earth
Peace on earth, Good will to men

I know a lot of people hate these posts. They say that by posting on 9/11 we're letting the terrorists win because we're focusing on the past and on a singular tragedy.

I disagree.

This is a day for us, as Americans, to remember that we are not exempt from the hardships the rest of the world faces. But in that, we need to remember where our strength comes from. We were built on a foundation of faith in God, and the structure of our nation was raised by unity, two attributes that we have long since laid by the wayside.

It's time to remember. God is NOT dead. He does not sleep. He is our only hope. There are a lot of people suffering in this nation, and if we look at the facts, it's only going to get worse.

The thing is, the Truth (that's right, I mean Jesus) trumps fact everytime.

It's time to wake up and take back what the enemy has so successfully taken from us. No, not taken... We've handed it over willingly. And by enemy I don't mean any one person, or any political party. I mean satan. He WANTS America to be in the mess we're in. Why would he want a nation founded BY God, in order to bring glory to God's name, to succeed? He wouldn't. So he tempted us and lulled us, and we took the bait and rolled over.

But there is still hope...

2 Chronicle 7:14-15 says: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."

It's time.

Praise Report!

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:20:40 GMT

I know I've been MIA. It's been a rough couple of months. I hope to update in depth soon. I miss this SO much!

BUT, even though I can't stay long, I have to share this with all of you who have been faithfully praying for my family...

Dad got a job today!

I'm not sure even what the name of the company is where he got hired, it all happened so fast! He found a listing for a lab opening a few days ago and submitted his resume. They contacted him yesterday and set up an interview for this morning (I didn't know anything about it until almost 8:00 last night!). The interview went very well, and they said they would be in touch. He was still in the car when they called him and told him he had the job (salary is only a little less than he asked for, but a little more than he was making before!), and asked him to start tomorrow morning!

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers! God is so good!

Indescribable

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:52:39 GMT

I saw some amazing artwork by the Master Artist on my way to work this morning. These don't even compare to seeing the real thing, but I hope you enjoy them anyway...

I'd like to point out a rarity to you...
on the bottom right corner you will see our local
drive-in theater. They actually have two screens,
and they show a double feature (all new releases),
for $7.50 a person, every night of the week through
the spring, summer and early fall. I've been there three
times in the past month! They're always packed out!

If you look closely in this photo and the two below it,
you can actually make out a fainter second rainbow
above the brighter one.

Have blessed day everyone!

Independence

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:38:32 GMT

Declaration of Independence

Here is the complete text of the Declaration of Independence.
The original spelling and capitalization have been retained.

(Adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776)

The Unanimous Declaration
of the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776

******************************************************

The Believer’s Declaration of Independence

I am free from failure for "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

I am free from want for "my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Phil. 4:19

I am free from fear for "God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2Tim 1:7

I am free from doubt for "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Rom. 12:3

I am free from weakness, "the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Ps. 27:1

I am free from the power of Satan "because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1Jn. 4:4

I am free from defeat "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." 2Cor. 2:14

I am free from ignorance, "for Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God." 1Cor. 1:30

I am free from sin "for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth me from all sin." 1Jn. 1:7

I am free from worry "for I am to cast all my cares upon Him." 1Pet. 5:7

I am free from bondage "for where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2Cor. 3:17

I am free from condemnation, "for there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:1

I AM FREE, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

ROMANS 6:1-14

¹What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

²God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

⁴Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin.

⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

⁹Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

¹³Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

******************************************************

Ok, and just for fun...

Keep it safe everyone. And never forget what it is we're celebrating!

God bless!

Enlarge Your Borders

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:33:39 GMT

A friend e-mailed this to me. It's an e-devotional she receives from Fire Carrier Ministries:

Enlarge Your Border
by Steven Bliss
Jun 28, 2009

"The sons of the prophets said to Elisha,
'Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision

is too small for us. Please let us go to the Jordan where we can

each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.'

'Go,' he said."

2 Kings 6:1-2 (HCSB)

"The Holy Spirit is encouraging many of you to expand your thoughts and ways of God; you are to enlarge your borders. You've come through a distinct period of training, and now it's time to be sent out. Go forth and practice which has been deposited within you.

"There is no failure for those who believe and trust in the Father. You are not alone. He will not forsake you, but is constantly watching over you, offering direction. Examine your ways so you might leave behind those things which hinder you drawing closer.

"There is a place for you. It is yet beyond the safety net you've established. You are being called to move into the deeper waters of the Holy Spirit. It is there you belong. Build for yourself a home which is on a firm foundation."

Friday, June 26, 2009

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:10:05 GMT

15 High Impact Books

I got this from a friend who got this from Facebook. Thought you all might enjoy it, too.

Directions: don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

These are in no particular order:

The Bible This book has everything I'll ever need.

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott I will never forget the day my mom handed me her tattered copy of this book, and said "You'll love this." I can picture it in my mind. For fear of ruining her copy (I loved it so much), I saved up and bought my own, and have since had to replace that worn edition out.

Frankenstein - Mary Shelly My first real attempt at classic literature. I was terrified and enthralled at once. Still one of my all time favorites.

Battle Cry for My Generation - Ron Luce This book changed the way I thought about how the human mind (specifically that of teens) works.

God's Favorite House - Tommy Tenney I adored the book God Chasers, so my mom got me this. Hands down the best book about worship I have ever encoutered. Besides the Bible, of course.

Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back - Shel Silverstein This is the book that introduced me to the brilliance of Shel Silverstein. It doesn't even matter that it's a kid's book.

Lest Innocent Blood be Shed - Philip Hallie If you are interested at all in the history of World War II and the holocaust, you need to read this book.

Number the Stars - Lois Lowry I read this even before I read Anne Frank. Though fiction, it's poignant.

Night - Elie Wiesel I didn't know this book exsisted until my senior year of college. I read it for a Gen Ed. class. My entire view of the holocaust changed becuase of this book. I had nightmares for weeks because of Mr. Wiesel's descriptions.

The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis I see myself in "the patient" sometimes, and it sickens me.

The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis I have to lump them all together, otherwise they would take up seven entries. Besides, I have an edition with all seven in one anthology, so it counts as one. I don't know if I can pick a favorite. I wept openly the first time I read the Magician's Nephew, when Diggory encountered Aslan. I remember vividly my mom reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to my sister and me as small children. I remember thinking The Silver Chair was the most laborious reading I had ever done, until I finished it and realized Lewis intended it that way. I could go on about each one, but we would be here for a while...

The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer I hated every minute of it. Seriously.
Oh the Thinks You Can Think - Dr. Seuss I remember the day I realized Dr. Seuss' books were about far more than Whos and clever (albeit made up) rhymes.

Jesus Freaks - dc Talk & The Voice of the Martyrs My first look into the study of martyrdom. Simplistic, meant for the masses, but still very effectively eye opening.

Much Ado About Nothing - William Shakespeare The first time I truly had fun reading Shakespeare.

Yeah, I could totally go on from here, but I will spare you... Lol.

The World is a Different Place this Morning...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:26:24 GMT

...A common sentiment it seems.

As shocked as I was to hear about Michael Jackson's passing yesterday (when a friend told me, I actually laughed - I honestly thought she was joking at first), and as heartbreaking as the images of Ryan O'Neal leaving the hospital after Farrah Fawcett's passing were, we can't lose sight of what's really going on in the world.

Amid the headlines and photo essays dedicated to the "King of Pop," hidden in small print, I found this article...

Ahmadinejad calls Obama meddler, likens him to Bush
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called the U.S. president inexperienced, compared him unfavorably to President George W. Bush and suggested he apologize for "interfering in Iran's affairs."
"Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush," the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
"You are at the beginning of your way and you are gaining experience, and we do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated during your term of office," the Iranian leader said.
President Obama, who has been in office for five months, has been treading a careful line on Iran, which has seen two weeks of street demonstrations following a disputed presidential election there.
Pro-government security forces have cracked down on the protests, with officials saying 17 people have died. Unofficial reports suggest the number is much higher.
Official results gave Ahmadinejad a 2-to-1 victory over his nearest rival, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi. Moussavi says the results were rigged.
Obama has said Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully, and his administration Wednesday withdrew invitations to Iranian diplomats around the world to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties.
The extension of invitations last month was seen as a cautious outreach to Iran, which has not had diplomatic relations with Washington for 30 years.
Obama wrote secretly to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, before the election, Iranian sources confirmed Wednesday.
Obama said Tuesday that Iran's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States, but in the opinion of its own people.
"A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves ... consider this election illegitimate," he said at a White House news conference.
"It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity," he said. "We hope they take it."
Ahmadinejad said Thursday that even 5- and 6-year-olds would not allow insults to the Iranian nation, telling Obama: "We hope that you will avoid interfering in Iran's affairs and somehow express your regret so that the Iranian nation can become aware of your regret. If there is real change, the Iranian nation will welcome it."

I know that I just posted my "Declaration of Independence" from things worldly that would try to bind and torment me. But, even so, it is necessary to remain vigilant. Even the Bible tells to watch and pray, so that we are not caught unaware.

So, aware I will be.

And that article's last paragraph sounds like a threat to me.

So yes, the world is a different place today. Not because of the high profile deaths of yesterday, for as callous as this sounds, people die every day. No, the world is a different place than it was yesterday, because we are that many hours closer to time drawing to a close.

The stage is being set, both spiritually and politically for the end of the ages, beneath our very noses, and we are allowing ourselves to be distracted by the blinding flash and glitter that is icon worship.

Luke 21:8-36:
⁸And He said, Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name [appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them.
     ⁹And when you hear of wars and insurrections (disturbances, disorder, and confusion), do not become alarmed and panic-stricken and terrified; for all this must take place first, but the end will not [come] immediately.
    ¹⁰Then He told them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. [II Chron. 15:6; Isa. 19:2.]
    ¹¹There will be mighty and violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences (plagues: malignant and contagious or infectious epidemic diseases which are deadly and devastating); and there will be sights of terror and great signs from heaven.
    ¹²But previous to all this, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be led away before kings and governors for My name's sake.
    ¹³This will be a time (an opportunity) for you to bear testimony.
    ¹⁴Resolve and settle it in your minds not to meditate and prepare beforehand how you are to make your defense and how you will answer.
    ¹⁵For I [Myself] will give you a mouth and such utterance and wisdom that all of your foes combined will be unable to stand against or refute.
    ¹⁶You will be delivered up and betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and [some] of you they will put to death.
    ¹⁷And you will be hated (despised) by everyone because [you bear] My name and for its sake.
    ¹⁸But not a hair of your head shall perish. [I Sam. 14:45.]
    ¹⁹By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls.
    ²⁰But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know and understand that its desolation has come near.
    ²¹Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside [the city] get out of it, and let not those who are out in the country come into it;
    ²²For those are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], that all things that are written may be fulfilled.
    ²³Alas for those who are pregnant and for those who have babies which they are nursing in those days! For great misery and anguish and distress shall be upon the land and indignation and punishment and retribution upon this people.
    ²⁴They will fall by the mouth and the edge of the sword and will be led away as captives to and among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (completed).
    ²⁵And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring (the echo) of the tossing of the sea,
    ²⁶Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter.
    ²⁷And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor).
    ²⁸Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.
    ²⁹And He told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees;
    ³⁰When they put forth their buds and come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and perceive and know that summer is already near.
    ³¹Even so, when you see these things taking place, understand and know that the kingdom of God is at hand.
    ³²Truly I tell you, this generation (those living at that definite period of time) will not perish and pass away until all has taken place.
    ³³The sky and the earth (the universe, the world) will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
    ³⁴But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;
    ³⁵For it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth.
    ³⁶Keep awake then and watch at all times [be discreet, attentive, and ready], praying that you may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things [taken together] that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Answer to a question...

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:57:28 GMT

I just read an article posted on June 4 by Fox News about GM's selling of Hummer. I was relieved to find that the answer to my question about whether our military hummers were included in that sale is NO.

The Humvee that our military uses are built by a company called AM General, who several years ago, had sold rights to GM to build a civilian version. GM's sale of their civilian Hummer division has no impact whatsoever on our military Humvees.

A friend who read my last post mentioned to me about how random it was.

My response to him is that my thoughts on most of these subjects are also VERY random. I really just needed a place to put them down, so they weren't just bashing around inside my head.

The thing is, I think it's GOOD for us to express these kinds of thoughts. It's what we NEED to do. It's our right and privilege as citizens of this country to question our government.

Brace yourself, you're walking into an official "Over Thinker Rant" here.

Most of the people I talk to on a daily basis don't question anything our government, I.E., our President, is trying to impose on us. Sure, they complain, but they never question. They think petition our Congressmen and Senators is a waste of time and postage. Heck, maybe it is.

But it is our jobs as citizens to stand up and fight for our freedom. And it is my obligation as a Christian to take a stance for what is pure and just.

And America is swiftly moving away from pure and just.

And free for that matter.

Even the media won't question the president's motives. If you watch the news, or any anyone who makes almost any kind of social commentary, they are afraid to criticize the man. That's all it is, it's FEAR. Because we've allowed one man in one office so much control, that even though he shouldn't be able to single handedly reprimand and/or punish individuals and organizations, he can and he does.

But no one talks about that. No one likes to think about it. We all see it. We all know it's true. But I get the sense that most people are afraid if what could happen if they criticize the president. It's almost a paranoia.

And it's reaching ridiculous levels. Even people who went out and got Obama t-shirts and bumper stickers before the election are afraid to not display them. Now, this may sound silly of me for thinking this, but I actually encountered a lady the other day who was wearing an Obama t-shirt. It had his face on it in gold glitter and sequens, and some gibberish about hope. Someone who did not have a clear view of the shirt, because of the lady's purse, asked her what her shirt said. The lady slowly put her purse down, and in what I can only describe as embarrassment, she displayed her shirt. There was an awkward silence between the two, and then a rapid subject change accompanied by the lady in the shirt quickly covering her front by her purse. Now, I had seen this same lady wear this same shirt almost boastfully six months ago, but now she seemed ashamed to even have it in her possession. Yet she still wears it. To me it seems like people think, "he'll KNOW if I don't wear it. He'll find out, and then what?"

And as ridiculous as that may seem, why is it that people in a "free" country should live in fear of their leaders?

But there are millions of people out there who refuse to talk about what is really going on. They are still holding on to empty campaign promises, thinking that one of these days all of their financial worries will be over, and the hero they elected will stop all of this nonsense and do what he said he would do. And they refuse to realize that that day is not coming. Not now, and not ever. The thought may be in the back of their mind, but they suppress it, and choose to accept what's going on as if it's just the natural and logical course of things.

It's sort of like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind saying, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." But, if we put off thinking about it to tomorrow, it will be too late. We've lost so many liberties already (most people haven't even taken the time to understand exactly what liberties are effected by all of the legislation that has been passed down so far), can we afford to think about it tomorrow, when we should have been standing against it yesterday?

This is my plea- PRAY.

Pray like never before. Pray for the president, pray for the leaders he has placed around him, pray for your congressmen and your senators. Pray for the military. Pray for your state governments, and your local governments. Pray for your pastors and your churches (freedom of religion is on the short list of things to be taken from us if we don't stand against it NOW).

And KNOW the Word. It's time for Christians everywhere to understand exactly what freedom is, and how much liberty they really have. It's freedom that the world cannot give, and NO government can take away. Not even the President. Read it, memorize it, search it out and study it. Let the Holy Spirit teach you. This is no longer a matter of convenience or status. This is a matter of survival.

In my last post I shared scriptures about not placing our trust in our leaders, but in God. That is my stance. I am not a Republican or a Democrat (has anyone else read about how a lot of the European Socialist parties are changing their names to include the word democrat? Hmmm...), liberal or conservative.

I am a Christian. I am purchase by the blood of Christ, baptized for the redemption of sin, covered by grace and filled with His Spirit.

My hope is in no man.

Fear and oppression have no place in my life.

This is my declaration of independence from all things that would try to bind me to this earth, and my Declaration of Dependence solely on the ONE who created said earth and Who holds the future thereof in the palm of His hand.