It is way to early to be up on Thanksgiving morning, but on a day that I could sleep late, I can't. While lying in bed trying to go back to sleep to no avail, I began to think about Thanksgivings past and not many stick out in my mind. Actually only two.
I think all of our families try to have the Norman Rockwell type of Thanksgiving. We do our best to gather our families around and have a big huge meal of turkey and and the "fixins". Most times we succeed, but no matter how hard we try, other times it just doesn't work out.
Like most of you when living at home, we went to our grandparents home. Most times we went to my dad's folks because mom's family lived 12-13 hours away. Now, we are all spread out and for the most part we don't, we wait until Christmas.
Earlier I mentioned that two Thanksgivings stand out as different, their significance in my life will by no means inspire you, they just happened to me. I will tell you about them in chronological order.
Once in my early years in college, I think freshman year, I decided not to go with my family to the coast for Thanksgiving. I don't remember why but just didn't go. I spent the day at home and then on Friday decided to go to north Mississippi to see a friend that I had not seen for many years. I arrived at his home about mid-morning and greeted everyone and settled into a chair as we talked things that had happened since the last visit and reminisce about old memories.
Lunch time arrived and we started for the table to eat some lunch. Now I need to tell you little background. When I was growing up I did not like anything on my hamburgers but meat and the bun. Nothing! Nada! This friend and I spent a lot of time together our 1st, 2nd,and 3rd grade years before we moved away, so his mother knew full well my likes and dislikes. Now back to the table.
We all settled at the table. Pat and I had not seen each other for nearly 8 years let alone be at his mom's house. She decided to have hamburgers, which by this time was one of my pyramid foods. She sat the burger in front of me and said, "I know you still don't want anything but meat and bread". Folks, my jaw dropped and I laughed so hard I couldn't eat. This woman remembered my eating habits from so long ago. I told her that I had grown a little and requested some mayo and a slice of cheese. Even though I didn't think much of it then, I now realaize that we make impressions on people when we don't know it.
The last memory I will bore you with happened a few years after getting married. No, this has nothing to do with my wife's cooking. If you could see me, you would know that she cooks just fine, but this has everything to do with food and too much of it.
For many years we tried our hardest to be with both sides of the family every holiday. A few years ago it was easier because my parents lived a hour and a half north of my in-laws. So we would go there for Thanksgiving lunch and come back to the in-laws for dinner. That is what happened this time. We ate at my folk's and then went by the in-laws and had another big meal Two in one day. Needless to say I was pretty miserable but well satisfied. Now if I had known that somewhere I had been exposed to a bad stomach virus I believe I would have toned down the eating that day. About 11:00 that night the virus awoke and so did I. I stayed awake the rest of the night in the most important room in the house leaning against a wall. I can't ever remember ever being that sick before or since.
Whether you have traditional memories of Thanksgiving or some strange ones, Thanksgiving is a time for us to stop for a few minutes and remember all the blessings that God has provided for us. So if you are alone or if you are getting together with extended family, which we will do today, pause and remember what God has done for you.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
This Was Then.......This is Now
Then......
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."
"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Lesbians, condoms go wild in attack on Christian church
Making out at pulpit, shouting blasphemies in front of children
Posted: November 11, 2008
9:07 pm Eastern
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."
"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."
3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."
9 "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. (1)
If you think this is just the Bible and an old tale, read further.
This is now......
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Lesbians, condoms go wild in attack on Christian church
Making out at pulpit, shouting blasphemies in front of children
Posted: November 11, 2008
9:07 pm Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Worshippers at a Bible-teaching church in Lansing, Mich., were stunned Sunday when members of a pro-homosexual, pro-anarchy organization named Bash Back interrupted their service to fling propaganda and condoms around the sanctuary, drape a profane banner from the balcony and feature two lesbians making out at the pulpit.
According to a blog posting by Nick De Leeuw on Right Michigan, the Bash Back organization orchestrated a protest in front of Mount Hope Church to draw the church's security staff away from the sanctuary.
Then Bash Backers who had dressed up and mixed in with church worshippers took action.
According to De Leeuw, "Prayer had just finished when men and women stood up in pockets across the congregation, on the main floor and in the balcony.
"'Jesus was gay,' they shouted among other profanities and blasphemies as they rushed the stage. Some forced their way through rows of women and kids to try to hang a profane banner from the balcony while others began tossing fliers into the air. Two women made their way to the pulpit and began to kiss," he wrote.
He cited the Bash Back organization's own announcement of other items members brought into the church, including "a megaphone, noise makers, condoms, glitter by the bucket load, confetti, pink fabric. ..."
According to the alternative Lansing City Pulse – which reported it was notified of the protest ahead of time and sent a reporter along instead of warning the church – the protesters also screamed at parishioners and pulled the church facility's fire alarm. Printed material protesters distributed said, "We specialize in confronting homophobia, transphobia and every and all other forms of oppression."
The report said Bash Back issued a statement today confirming it targeted Mount Hope, which has about 5,000 church participants, because it participates in "the repression of queers."
On the newspaper's forum page, a contributor commented, "Homosexuals and anarchists. A perfect combination of human beings with no hope, no morals, no future."
Many demonstrators fled and the rest were quiet after sheriff's officers were summoned.
"Mount Hope churchgoers were unclear as to what the purpose of the demonstration was," said a statement from David Williams, a spokesman for the church.
"The leadership of Mount Hope Church does not attempt to identify the church as anti-homosexual, anti-choice, or right wing. The church does take the Bible at face value and believes what the Bible says to be the truth," Williams' statement continued.
"According to the Bible, Mount Hope Church believes homosexuality to be a sin, just as fornication, stealing, drunkenness, and lying are sins. No sin greater than the next. Mount Hope Church strives to follow Jesus' example of loving the sinner but not the sin while helping people change their lives for God's glory and their improved quality of life. Mount Hope Church also recognizes that to each person God grants freewill."
The church then offered help for people "caught up in unwanted sexual sin, drug abuse, and many other areas."
De Leeuw reported "the 'open minded' and 'tolerant' liberals ran down the aisles and across the pews, hoping against hope to catch a 'right winger' on tape daring to push back (none did).
"This is what we're up against," De Leeuw wrote. "Amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our president-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful churchgoers.
"Mount Hope, for the record, is an evangelical, Bible believing church whose members provide free 24-hour counseling, prayer lines, catastrophic care for families dealing with medical emergencies, support groups for men, women and children dealing with a wide variety of life's troubles, crisis intervention, marriage ministries, regular, organized volunteer work in and around the city, missions in dozens of countries across the globe, a construction ministry that has built over 100 churches, schools, orphanages and other projects all over the world and an in-depth prison ministry that reaches out, touches and helps the men and women the rest of society fears the most. They also teach respect for all human life and the Biblical sanctity of marriage as an institution between one man and one woman," De Leeuw wrote.
"The church's response? After things settled down, the blasphemy ended, the lewd props removed and the families safe from fear of additional men and women running into and past them the pastor took the stage and led the congregation in one more prayer ... not for retribution, or divine justice or a celestial comeuppance (that's what I'd have prayed for) but instead that the troubled individuals who'd just defiled the Lord's house, so full of anger and hate, would know Jesus' love in their lives and God's peace that exceeds human understanding," De Leeuw wrote.
His blog attracted dozens of comments, including one that said it was just as well the protesters hadn't picked his church.
"It was well within the church members' rights to respond with non-lethal force to put an immediate end to this assault. It this happened in my house, I'd have every right to throw someone out a window or two."
In a statement posted on the Internet, Bash Back confirmed its "operatives" were in the service, "stood up, declared themselves fags, and began screaming loudly. … Another group threw over a thousand fliers to the entire … congregation. The fire alarm was pulled. Queers began making out in front of the pastor. And within a matter of minutes, everyone had evaded the guards and made their escapes."
The statement continued, "Let is be known: So long as bigots kill us in the streets, this pack of wolves will continue to BASH BACK!"
The report comes just a day after video documentation of pro-homosexual protesters in California challenging a 69-year-old woman to a fight because she was affirming the biblical perspective of homosexuality.
"This screaming and shouting, name-calling and pushing by homosexual activists is not unlike a small child throwing a fit because he doesn't get his way," said Randy Thomasson, chief of the Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family group. "The public is getting a clue that homosexual activists don't like democracy and are willing to trample anyone and anything that gets in their way."
California voters by nearly 53 percent to 47 percent last week adopted a state constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan and co-author of the Marriage Protection Amendment approved by Michigan voters in 2004, condemned the homosexual activist group's intimidation tactics.
"We will alert churches statewide of this now close-to-home threat of disruption of their members' freedom to worship in peace and safety," Glenn said, "but this is not the first time in history Christians have faced persecution or threats of reprisal for standing for their faith and values."
He predicted Americans, "particularly people of strong religious faith, are not cowards" and would not "be bullied by emotional adolescents who disrespect private property, the rule of law, and anyone who dares hold opinions diverse from their own."
"We will pray for and offer help to those who have gender identity and same-sex attraction disorders, but Americans will continue to reject their attempts to overturn the will of the people and impose their disorders on our children and society at large," he said.
Glenn said AFA-Michigan will join the Catholic League in urging Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to investigate the organized violation of the church's private property rights and the group's threat of future disruptions of worship services.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue today issued a statement condemning the group's actions and accusing the news media of failing to report it with the same intensity they routinely do complaints by homosexual activist groups.(2)
So as you can see, we as Christians are in a spiritual war. Gird up and get ready, at some point you will have to take stand.
They are ready
(1)NIV
(2) World Net Daily http://www.worldnetdaily.com
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It Will Be Alright
Dearest Daughter,
It has been a while since my last letter. Not for any particular reason, it's just that over the last year we have spent a lot of time together so I hadn't felt the need.
I know that this past election cycle has caused many, including you, some concern. That concern shows you are growing and maturing, at least in some areas. Ha! Yes, there are some things that many people don't like about our new incoming president. I know he is for killing babies. I know he is for re-defining marriage and family, and a host of other things that we cannot agree with. But, no matter, he will still be our next president.
So, what are we to do? Well, let's see if we can come up with a thing or two.
All these new things are a little scary aren't they? And they scare all of us to some degree. We can never know for sure how a person will govern the people in his charge. Israel, God's chosen, had bad kings. They led or allowed their people to worship idols and false gods and God dealt with them justly and then showed his compassion.
I wish I could assure you that things will be as they are now, but I can't do that. I can promise you that whatever we are called to go through that we will be better on the other side of it. As I look at where the gospel is spreading the most, I see it growing and flourishing in places where it is most persecuted. There are countries like China where the underground church is far bigger and stronger than their government will ever be able to know. Even Christianity itself was spread faster and farther because of the persecution brought on it in the early stages.
I told you that our pastor taught from Habakkuk last Sunday night. Chapter 2 v. 1 "I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved" (answers me). Guard your heart and your home with the Word of God and respond as he answers. And while you are standing guard, v. 20 gives us one other instruction; "But the Lord is in His holy temple(Heaven)" ... I might add that He is still on the throne as well.
Things just might get hard, then they may not change much at all, but, "For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; the upright(those that follow Him) will see his face." Psalm 11:7 NAS. What a promise for us. We accept his righteousness as the payment for our sin, we follow Him and His teachings, things turn out in the end and in His time.
So don't worry. As you know very well, God is in control of every event and He knows in advance what our needs will be. All we have to do is ask for it. Sleep soundly tonight knowing our futures are in the only hands that matter.
Your Dad
It has been a while since my last letter. Not for any particular reason, it's just that over the last year we have spent a lot of time together so I hadn't felt the need.
I know that this past election cycle has caused many, including you, some concern. That concern shows you are growing and maturing, at least in some areas. Ha! Yes, there are some things that many people don't like about our new incoming president. I know he is for killing babies. I know he is for re-defining marriage and family, and a host of other things that we cannot agree with. But, no matter, he will still be our next president.
So, what are we to do? Well, let's see if we can come up with a thing or two.
- Pray earnestly for him by name. Pray that God will protect him from harm and illness.
- Pray for his family.
- Pray for his adviser's.
- Pray that the decisions he makes are bathed in his own prayer. (assuming he is Christian as he states)
All these new things are a little scary aren't they? And they scare all of us to some degree. We can never know for sure how a person will govern the people in his charge. Israel, God's chosen, had bad kings. They led or allowed their people to worship idols and false gods and God dealt with them justly and then showed his compassion.
I wish I could assure you that things will be as they are now, but I can't do that. I can promise you that whatever we are called to go through that we will be better on the other side of it. As I look at where the gospel is spreading the most, I see it growing and flourishing in places where it is most persecuted. There are countries like China where the underground church is far bigger and stronger than their government will ever be able to know. Even Christianity itself was spread faster and farther because of the persecution brought on it in the early stages.
I told you that our pastor taught from Habakkuk last Sunday night. Chapter 2 v. 1 "I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved" (answers me). Guard your heart and your home with the Word of God and respond as he answers. And while you are standing guard, v. 20 gives us one other instruction; "But the Lord is in His holy temple(Heaven)" ... I might add that He is still on the throne as well.
Things just might get hard, then they may not change much at all, but, "For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; the upright(those that follow Him) will see his face." Psalm 11:7 NAS. What a promise for us. We accept his righteousness as the payment for our sin, we follow Him and His teachings, things turn out in the end and in His time.
So don't worry. As you know very well, God is in control of every event and He knows in advance what our needs will be. All we have to do is ask for it. Sleep soundly tonight knowing our futures are in the only hands that matter.
Your Dad
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