Category Archives: America

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The Sound That Changes Things

The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord—at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; all the peoples see his glory.

Psalm 97
There is a sound I love to hear
It's the sound of the Savior's robe
As He walks into the room where people pray
Where we hear praises He hears faith
Where we hear worship He hears faith

Y’all. The last couple of weeks have been rough. Really rough. Can we all agree on at least that much? There is so much going on, and so much shouting on all sides.

So many people telling us through their posts and speeches and tweets and instas that “silence is violence” and if we don’t say something we are horrible people. And at the same time these same folks are shouting at us to shut up and listen.

Add to that, there are some things going on in my own life that are looming large and weighing me down. Issues that don’t need to be mentioned here, but dang, I could use some prayer y’all!! Truly.

It’s been a really, really rough couple of weeks. I’ve cried more than I’ve laughed. I’ve grieved more than I’ve celebrated. And I’ve yelled and screamed into the silence of my home (or to my television or computer or to God) more than I’ve said in public (or private) to anyone.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praise aloud
Sing His praise aloud

My dad fought in Vietnam but he never talked about it. I often wondered why. When I finally asked him, he simply said there were too many people already shouting about it, loudly, and he didn’t want to add to the cacophony of voices. He had his (very strong) opinions, but chose to keep them to himself – unless asked, privately – because there was already too much noise about it in the world. The war was far more complex, he said, than most made it out to be, and his opinions would take someone who was willing to listen and ponder and be open to the complexity. In other words, it would take someone who wasn’t a black-or-white right-or-wrong thinker, someone who understood the world was full of variances of greys, particularly when it comes to situations and people. And war.

I didn’t understand then, but I get it now; I get what my dad meant, and why he kept his opinions about such a controversial issue to himself. Every time I’ve gotten on Social Media over the last couple of weeks there is a cacophony of voices shouting at… I don’t know who… “everyone else” I guess… about all that’s going on, telling anyone and everyone who disagrees that they are horrible people. There’s so much black-or-white-right-or-wrong-all-or-nothing thinking going on!! And no one is actually listening to anyone else.

There is a sound that changes things
The sound of His people on their knees
Oh wake up you slumbering
It's time to worship Him

Here’s the thing, Brothers and Sisters in Jesus: We aren’t going to change things with posts on Facebook, tweets on twitter, or stories on instagram that just shout out our opinions and shout down anyone who disagrees with us. We’re just not. We might get some cool positive strokes from “friends” with the same political bent, or who hold the same opinions we do, but we aren’t going to change anyone else’s mind. And are we really advancing the Kingdom of God when we do this? I don’t think so. Posting a black square for a day, or making some symbol of something our profile picture, may make us feel good for a moment, but it does little to change the world or advance God’s Kingdom.

UNLESS that symbol, that black square, drives us to stop posting, close our computers, get on our knees and pray and worship Jesus.

Awake my soul and sing
Sing His praises loud
Sing His praises loud

Before you go off on me that right now we need action, not prayer (or maybe action with prayer) let me remind you of a couple of the many times prayer and praise accomplished more than any human action could.

In Acts 16 we see that our God delivers individuals who choose to pray and worship Him – while also benefitting all those around them! Paul and Silas were in prison for freeing a woman from a evil spirit. That spirit was profiting a particular man greatly and he was really pissed about losing that profit. So that man had them put in prison.

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.”

Acts 16:25 – 26

Did you catch that last part? Not just the good guys were freed by God; everyone, even all the criminals in the jail, were freed! Because two men chose to pray and worship.

And in 2 Chronicles 20, we see our God delivers an entire nation (Judah) from a horde of enemies because they chose to praise Him – and not one of them raised a weapon in their own defense.

“The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.”

2 Chronicles 20:22 – 23

All these nations had conspired together to take Judah down, and it scared the crap out of the King, Jehoshaphat! His fear drove him to his knees in prayer. Not only that, but he called all of Judah to pray and fast…and they did. And. God. Moved. On their behalf.

There are so many other examples throughout Scripture of God moving, powerfully, mightily, in huge ways and in small ways that make mighty differences in the world! I challenge you to find more and post them in the comments. Let’s encourage each other with how powerful and good and righteous and holy is our God!

And when He moves
And when we pray
Where stood a wall now stands a way
Where every promise is amen

Do you know why these things happened? Because God saw the faith of His people. Where we see His people praying, worshipping, crying out to Him, God sees faith.

Now, not everyone believed He would move – but they most believed He could. And I’ve discovered – at least in my own life – that that is enough for God. When He sees my faith that He can, even when I admit I don’t know if He will, He moves and shows me He will. And, man, that increases my faith! It’s helps my unbelief! Sometimes I don’t even have to believe He can. I just cry out; and He hears faith in that cry. Isn’t that amazing!

Seriously, y’all! Our God is incredible! Marvelous! Awe-inspiring!

When God’s people pray and worship Him, when we admit who we are and focus on who He is — holy, righteous, just, merciful, loving, gracious, patient, slow to anger, all-powerful, all-knowing, always present– when we focus on Him, He does miraculous things!

And when He moves
Make no mistake
The bowels of hell begin to shake
All hail the Lord all hail the King

Sometimes He tells us to just watch Him work. Wouldn’t that be amazing to see Him work in our country right now!! And sometimes He lets us be a part of the miracle. He sometimes even calls us to be a part of it, pressing in on us and giving us words to speak and actions to take. Oftentimes those are very scary and demand a great deal from us personally. They aren’t what’s popular or cool; they aren’t what the rest of the world is saying or doing — or perhaps it requires us to change, to allow His love to permeate us and transform us rather than someone else. Whatever it is, His call to action is never easy. It requires faith. It requires prayer and praise. Lots of prayer and praise.

I know. I’ve had the great privilege of being called out by God, and man, it’s scary! And it’s hard! But you know what? That’s also when it get’s so exciting because it’s GOD-initiated rather than self-initiated. And God will see it through! As one of my pastors, Dave Buehring, says, “What God initiates, He permeates. What we initiate, we have to sustain.”

When we let God determine our words, our posts, our tweets, our instas, and our actions, He permeates them with His power and causes them to do all He plans for them to do. But we can’t know what those words and actions are if we don’t first go to our knees in prayer and praise.

It is the sound that changes things: us getting on our knees, praying and praising God. I know it’s hard to do right now. So many people shouting and pulling our attention away from God and to a myriad of issues – some very valid, some completely made up – that seem to demand all our time right now.

But right now is the precise time we need to fall on our knees and pray. We need to humble ourselves before our God, let Him search our hearts and show us where we have missed the mark. We need to know what our God thinks of all of this. We need to know what He wants us to do; what He needs us to do. That may mean we remain silent on some things. It may also mean we have to say and/or do hard things that go against the world’s opinions.

And right now is also the precise time we need to fall on our knees in praise to praise the God of the Universe, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the only God who can restore us to sanity! And He will, if we but ask Him. But it’s not going to be an easy, pain-free path. For anyone.

Sing His praises loud, y’all! It is the sound that changes things.

Oh let the King of glory enter in!
Fall down on your knees and worship Him!
Let His praise rise up don't hold it in!

Awake My Soul by Brooke Ligertwood – Hillsong Worship

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An Historic Night

Whatever you may think about the candidates in this year's election; whatever you may think of the politics of the parties involved, you cannot deny this is an historic night!

The country once divided over slavery of another race has now elected as president a man from that same once-enslaved race. A country who lost a great president because of his determination to not only end slavery but keep the United States united has now elected as president a man for whom that great president so long ago died fighting to restore freedom and liberty.

Lincoln would be proud of that.

I have so often been troubled by the divisiveness that can arise between people simply because of one's skin color. I spent most of my early childhood completely colorblind. I had no idea that my best friend in kindergarten was "black" and I was not. I just knew I loved hanging out with her. Nor did I realize that one of my closest friends in jr high was Latina and I was not…. No idea. Yeah, I can be a little…blind at times. :)  Until my sister received a big beat down by some girls from who school who did not like the color of our skin; who felt we owed them…. something… because we are white — did it ever dawn on me that color matters to some people.

I hate that. I hate that there are those in this world who look down on others with a different color of skin, different ethnicity, different… whatever. I hate it.

I always thought that the goal of uniting in diversity was to not notice another's skin color; to be colorblind. But this last year I've come to realize that it's not about not noticing our skin color/ethnicity, it's about celebrating the differences that strengthen us as a whole.

Nicole C. Mullins said at the Women of Faith conference in September, "it's okay to notice someone's color. Just don't stop there." It was good to hear that from a woman "of color." Sometimes we need those who are different from us to acknowledge those differences and give us permission to do the same before we can relax and see beyond them.

I disagree with our new President-elect on nearly every issue and ideal he articulated during this past election season. I'm a die-hard libertarian/Austrian School of economics gal, so a Progressive agenda just doesn't sit right with me. Individual liberty trumps collectivism almost every time in my book.

So in that respect I struggled tonight; I struggled to be happy or excited for our country. Rather, I worry for her.

Yet, at the same time, I am deeply proud of my country. Deeply proud. What happened today is historic, and that deserves to be celebrated.

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. — The Declaration of Independence

No king succeeds with a big army alone,
      no warrior wins by brute strength.
   Horsepower is not the answer;
      no one gets by on muscle alone.

Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him,
      the ones who are looking for his love.
   He's ready to come to their rescue in bad times;
      in lean times he keeps body and soul together.

I'm depending on God;
      he's everything I need.
   What's more, my heart brims with joy (!!)
      since I've taken for my own his holy name.
   Love us, God, with all you've got—
      that's what we're depending on. — Psalm 33:16-22 (The Message)

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So This is How Liberty Dies

With cheers and thunderous applause. (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith)

At 1:21 p.m., applause and cheers echoed through the House chamber as the number of “aye” votes crossed the threshold needed for passage with just seconds remaining in the official 15-minute voting period. — NYTimes.com Oct 3, 2008

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The Cost of Freedom

Flag_draped_coffins_on_the_beach_1

No matter what your personal opinion of the Iraq war, you gotta realize that this is the price we pay for the freedoms we enjoy; even the ones that let us vehemently disagree with our leaders and our military.

The amazing thing to me is that no matter what we say, even if we rail against what they are doing, our military will still fight, and die, so we will remain free. That is truly something to lauded.

Photo by the amazing Kat Bonson. All her memorial pictures can be found here.  The organization that puts on these memorials in Santa Monica is called Arlington West.

NOTE: I do not put this up to rail against the war, or to make a statement for it.  I am personally conflicted about it, and do not see a clear solution or easy answers anywhere.

Rather, I put this up as a salute to all the brave men and women who fought and died for the freedoms I enjoy. Whether it was in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, World War II, World War I, The Civil War, or the American Revolution, many, many people have given their lives so that I can live free. Free to pursue my particular dreams, to worship the God I want the way I want, to speak my mind on any matter I desire, to travel when and where I want…. I am blessed. We are blessed. Because they were/are willing to stand against tyranny and say, "not on my watch."

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Winds of Change

Yesterday was a bit of a trip, will all the election results coming in. It was fun watching journalists/serious news types try to contain their glee at the opportunity to blanket us with wall-to-wall coverage of all the various races.

I have to admit, I kinda got caught up in all the excitement, even though I wasn’t emotionally invested in any of the results. As a conservative in liberal California, I got used to my vote getting canceled out by my own big sister and all my friends’ votes. So I vote, but I don’t expect much. It seems I moved into the most liberal county in Tennessee, so my votes still got canceled by someone (thanks for making me feel right at home, Davidson County).

The excitement I felt wasn’t about who or what "won" or "lost". It was about feeling the winds of change, even if its just a breeze, blowing through the nation. I think a change in congressional leadership will be good for the country, and I’m pretty confident the Dems won’t completely break America. Even if they do, we will be fine. We are a nation founded and expanded by adventurers and frontiersmen and women. The blood of Davey Crockett still flows through my veins, even if its quite diluted by generations. But that blood is joined by Native American blood, Revolutionary blood — and the blood of Jesus Christ. — Oh holy cow! Don’t get all "Da Vinci Code" on me. I’m speaking metaphorically now.

Look, we can do this. We can overcome whatever adversity comes our way. We’re just not so used to adversity these days, so we whine a lot. And we try to control everything, even when it’s obvious we cannot control anything. I am saddened by the passage of Amendment 1, but what can you do? Jesus’ Church is just a little too locked up in fear right now; so afraid of losing losing their own faith that cannot see they’ve already lost their way. Jesus would never had approved Amendment 1, but we His people are so much less then He. We are so imperfect. I am sad, but I am also excited. As Joseph told his brothers, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good." The enemy of our souls is laughing loud and hard over the passage of this amendment, for the pallor is casts over God’s people who are, sadly, so closely associated with its passage. But God will have the last laugh.

Not because He is legalistic and loves this amendment. I believe with my whole core that it grieves Him terribly. God will have the last laugh because He will use those who are truly following Him to overcome the damage of this law through grace and love. What an opportunity Jesus’ followers have now to throw open their door, throw open their lives, throw out their arms in wide loving embraces to those most hurt and feeling betrayed, those most angered, by this amendment.

The deed is done, but God is never finished working. He will continue working out His dreams and desires in and through those who love Him passionately, who beg Him to let them in on what He’s doing, let them be a part of it; a part of creating the future.

And that’s me. I beg Him daily to let me be a part of what He’s doing in the lives of every person around me. And I love Him passionately.

Like sweet rain on a summer day, I smell the winds of change, and it excites me. Can you smell it? Let’s create the future. Together with God.

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The Path To 9/11

Images_1

I watched Part One of this two-part mini-series on ABC tonight. I have to say, I was blown away, both by the production values of this MOW (aka Movie of the Week) and of the information it provides.

It is excellently written, acted and produced. It could rival the best episodes of 24 in its suspense and realistic feel, though it did move rather slow in a few areas. But production aside, what it reveals of the events leading up to September 11, 2001 is insanely mind-bending.

Some of it it is already known, in the arrests of various Al Qaeda operatives on their way to, or shortly after, a terrorist attack. But at one point, we apparently had a clear and perfect opportunity to take out/arrest/kill Osama Bin Laden back in 1998, but was not approved at the last minute. Richard Clark, NSC for President Clinton and now an ABC adviser, defends the move saying that the CIA operatives there would have been cut down in the attempt and it would not have been successful.

I don’t believe him. And even if he is correct, wouldn’t it have been better to have tried back then, with the element of surprise on our side, than what has happened since? It seems to me that Clinton’s advisers and cabinet were more afraid of what their Boss and what the Congress would do to them if any Ops against Bin Laden and Al Qaeda than they were intent on protecting and defending the citizens of the US. And Clinton was far too busy defending himself because he couldn’t keep his paws of an intern to pay real attention to what was happening in the world, nonetheless in his own ranks.

It will be interesting to see what mistakes and missteps the Bush Administration made in the months and days leading up to September 11th. Because you know they made them. Ain’t nobody perfect in this world.

What I do admire about Bush is that once the attack happened, he came out and said what everyone in the Intelligence community knew since the early 1990s: we are at war with this guy. Bin Laden declared war on America, on Americans, on every single one of us unless we convert to Islam or until we are all dead. Every last one of us. He declared that back in the early 1990s. He made it known to the world. And September 11th was just one in a many attacks he’s made on us. But more importantly, Bush not only declared war, he backed it up with action. He was ruthless in his pursuit. That is, until Bin Laden took refuge in the mountains of an American ally, Pakistan, who still claims allegiance to us over Bin Laden/Taliban.

If Pakistan’s leaders really believe that, they must be completely out of touch with their own people, who are aiding and abetting Bin Laden and the Taliban even today. Personally, I think Pakistan’s leaders are playing both sides of the fence because they get benefits from being on America’s side but I think their hearts really belong to Bin Laden. That’s just my opinion.

Bush started so strong. He was kickin’ ass and takin’ names. But he seems so impotent now. What happened? What happened?  I have to wonder if He got so frustrated with Pakistan that it caused him to turn and kick Saddam in the balls, which drug us into an unwinnable position in Iraq. And somewhere along the way he lost his way.

Back to "The Path of 9/11", I can see why many Clinton loyalists cried foul over this movie though. It doesn’t shine the best light on Clinton. But that’s really Clinton’s own fault, not the fault of the 9/11 Commission or the filmmakers. He sucked at foreign policy. Even Clinton fans have to admit that. He just sucked at it. I don’t know if he just didn’t care, or if he just completely lacked comprehension of it.

Failure doesn’t belong just to him, though. It seems clear that it didn’t just filtered down through his underlings, but it had percolated unchecked through the intelligence and law enforcement agencies for years; perhaps due to Reagan’s failing mental health or the elder Bush’s lack of trust or belief in Reagan’s policies.  There was a gross lack of communication and trust between intelligence agencies and a whole lot of people who just didn’t see any of it coming till it was too large to stop.

Whatever you may think of Clinton or Bush, I think ABC actually made a very wise and valuable choice in producing this film. How many of us actually took the time, or would bother to take the time even now, to read the whole 9/11 Commission Report. But we’re all more than willing to watch a mini-series for a few hours, especially one that’s aired uninterrupted — as in without those stupid, pesky, annoying commercials. And perhaps some of us, like me, just might get curious enough to read the real thing and actually have a better understanding of the world we live in and events leading up to the attack that woke us up to the fact that we really are at war. Not because we declared it so, but because someone out there really does want us dead.

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How Can This Be??

Our intern, a graphic design major at a UT school, just told me she’s never heard of the EU and doesn’t know anything about it.

Huh???

How is that possible?? How does a 25 year-old graduate from high school and make it all the way through to her senior year of college — including a couple of years for just working and hanging out — and not learn about the fastest growing, most loudly self-promoting, and somewhat influential political body in the world today?? Just what are they teaching in schools today???

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Remembering Why

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” — Greeting to All, Statue of Liberty

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” — Invitation to All, Jesus

HT: Joe Kennedy

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A Voice From The Past…

…speaks to the present.

"The world has never had a good definition of the word ‘liberty.’ The American people just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty. But in using the same word, we do not all mean the same thing.

"What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling seacoasts — these are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty, which God has planted in our bosom. Our defence is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own door.

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow?

"Never.

"All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, could not, by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer that if it ever reach us, it must spring from amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we ourselves must be the authors and finishers.

"As a nation of free men, we must live through our times or die by suicide. Let reverence for the law be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap; let it be taught in the schools, in the seminaries and in the colleges; let it be written in primers, in spelling books and almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls and enforced in courts of justice; and in short, let it become the political religion of the nation. And let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly at its altar. And let us strive to deserve, as far as mortals may, the continued care of Divine Providence, trusting that in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security.

"Let us not be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves.

"Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it."

— Abraham Lincoln

Read the full text of Ron Moore’s post here.

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Deployed

I received an email from my brother tonight, letting me know my nephew-in-law (my niece, Billie’s, husband) has officially left for Iraq.

Ed left for Iraq this morning. It’s supposed to be a 7 month deployment but we all know how that’s been working out.
He will be based in the north, repairing equipment that is being used to secure the border. That means he will occasionally be required to go get equipment in the field that has broken down…. which is dangerous. The terrorists are, for good reason, fighting this build up along the border.

Please remember my nephew, Ed, my niece Billie and their two young sons during this time.

I know his heart, and he walks with Jesus. I know his desire is that all who see him will see Jesus more than they see an American soldier. Please pray that this will happen. Pray that his presence in Iraq will have eternal consequences, even as he serve the Iraqi people to make their home a better, safer and free land.