Equality is Lost with Pride

I started to write this as a facebook status and realized it was way to long to say what needed to be said...

As our nation revs itself up for a giante "parameters of marriage" debate and possibly passing a national bill allowing same sex marriage, facebook has lit up with posts that I have avoided like the plague. I do not wish to get involved in what amounts to a spitting contest between "oppinions".  I know some of my liberal friends are going to bite my head off because they won't read past certain statements; and some of my conservative friends, will do the same.

First of all I want it to be made clear, I do not agree with same sex marriage.  I see marriage as a union between God, yourself, and your spouse.  It is a HOLY union, and whether it occurs at a church, on the beach, or at the local court house.  It is sacred.

God does not approve of homosexuality. Leviticus 18:20 calls the act "detestable". Romans 1:24-27 shows the act of homosexuality as a distinct turning away from God's laws.  It is disobedience to God, and disobedience to God is, in it's very nature sin.

Now that my liberal friends and family are thoroughly ticked off... lets see if  I can do the same with my uber conservative legalistics friends and family.

1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Luke 10:27 tells us to love God and to love our neighbor.  It does not say to love only those who agree with us and are perfect and without blame.  If God took that approach to us we wouldn't be celebrating Easter this weekend.  He'd still be waiting for us to get perfect.

Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates His love for us in this: that while we were still sinners Christ died for us"
 

 Two men or two women having a ceremony, and getting a piece of paper that now says the other can now be on their health insurance, and have all the other social rights of a heterosexual couple will not be as great as a detriment to the sanctity of marriage as divorce among hetero couples has been.

There are more people not getting married at all because they only see it as a step towards divorce.  There are more heterosexual couples "playing house" and having children that have no relationship with one or either parent because heterosexual couples have stopped allowing God to be a part of their relationship.  THAT is the degredation of the sanctity of marriage.

While I don't agree with same sex marriage, I also will not stand against it. I do not see it as harming my marriage with my husband because we make sure God is a part of our marriage.

I do not see it as a spiritual issue because it does not hinder my relationship with God, or who God is.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

It is not our place to judge the hearts of others, that belongs to God.  It is not our place to hate or slander another because they do not live as we live. 

Remember if we had to be perfect before God saved us, we'd all be lost.

1 Timothy 1:3-11 (NIV)

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer

or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.

They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,  for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
 

This country was founded on the gospels, but with the idea of equality NO MATTER what your religion, culture, or lifestyle is.

God commands us to love one another, not judge, not condem. The last two are for God alone, and He is just and will do what is right in His eyes.  We may not understand it, but God is not for us to understand. He is above and beyond all things.  Faith means that we obey God.

Though homosexuality is a disobedience to God's law, so equally disobedient is the hate and judgement many christians display towards those who do not know God or live by his statutes. Instead of treating one another in love we'd rather fight to prove ourselves "right".

Stop fighting with each other about this issue.  Worry about the divorce rates, or the millions of children each day who are killed before even seeing daylight for the first time.  Worry about those bought and sold as slaves around the world, or those who are slowly starving to death because your faith (and the works that should come with it) have been pushed aside to cater to your pride.

As I said befor, i'm sure i'm going to upset those on both sides of this arguement, but i'm sick of the fighting on social media and felt the need to say my piece. I will not speak on this again, because i feel all the time it needs has been spent.

Easter

If you enter any store, knowing nothing about Easter, by what they sell you would assume it is about bunnies, chickens, and sugar highs.

Bunnies and chickens have become a part of it as a way to represent spring.  Easter is the first Holiday of spring after all.

But Easter is a Holy day, one that should not be limited to chocolate and bunnies and eggs.  However you can use some of these elements to teach the true meaning of Easter.

One of my favorites are Ressurection Eggs. They are 12 plastic eggs, 11 of them holding an item that helps tell the Passion story.



Egg 1 - A Donkey figurine (Jesus rode a donkey into Jeruselum)
Egg 2 - 3 Silver Coins (Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver)
Egg 3 - Chalice (The Passover Feast)
Egg 4 - Praying Hands (Jesus prays in the garden of Gesthemeny)
Egg 5 - Leather String (Jesus was whipped)
Egg 6 - Crown of Thorns
Egg 7 - Cross of Nails
Egg 8 - Die (soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothes)
Egg 9 - Spear (they pierced His side and blood and water flowed)
Egg 10 - White Cloth (Jesus was wrapped in linens and laid in a borrowed tomb)
Egg 11 -  A Rock (a large rock was placed in the opening of the tomb sealing it)
Egg 12 - Empty (HE HAS RISEN!!!)

And then today on facebook i saw "Ressurection Rolls"  I desperately want to do this with my daughter.

 

 

 

 

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
... Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Instructions:
Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
Bake according to package directions.
Cool.

Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!

 

 

 

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Goodbye Too Soon

This week has been a rough one. Saturday, a good man who my husband knew really well passed away.  His kids and grandkids and great grand daughter are friends of ours. Tuesday was his viewing and wake.  I couldn't go to the viewing but met up with my husband afterwards for the wake.

While there i received a text message from my father that Hospice who had been called in earlier in the day for my Nana (grandma in Louisiana) was most likely not going to be with us much longer.  Tuesday March 19th at about 9:20 central time Nana passed away.

Both of these people were amazing people, who had lived long lives.  Both had been sick for a while, and had spouses who had passed before them.  While letting them go is not easy, it's comforting to know that they are not in pain, not sick, and with their loved ones again.

Today I got to work, and as I entered the school saw teachers, parents and children crying. A 3rd grader at the school passed away last night.  His older sister and cousin are in the same class as my client.  I spent the morning with a group of crying, hurting kids and I'm barely keeping it together myself.

How much loss can be endured in one week?

All I want to do right now is go hug my daughter.  I am so thankful to have her and my husband in my life.  So thankful for my family both here and in Louisiana. I am so thankful for the wonderful friends that I have, whether i have known them my whole life or have just met them recently, they are a great blessing.

Life's Treasures

I'm watching the snow come down and complaining on facebook about it.   But in all honestly I'm very happy with everyting that is going on.  It is life's treasures that makes everything worth it.

 

To start off with I'm at the end of my 25th week.  It will not be too much longer until our little boy joins the family.  I feel him moving and kicking daily, and he is as active as his big sister.

Last night was fun, well for me, not sure if it was as fun for Mike.  I'll let the pictures explain it.

 

 

 

Today as I prepare for a long to do list to knock out today (wonder where that energy is going to come from), my daughter got creative and made her own living room camp out.

 



The weather might be crap, but life is good!