Homosexuality

For some reason the topic of homosexuality visa vi politics and religion keeps coming across my radar.  The Bible, my Life Handbook, speaks for me on this issue ~

(God's view ~)  
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (Heb 13:4)

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools .... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator ...Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (Romans 1:20-27)

(What God expects of me ~)
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt 26:36-40)

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Luke 6:42) You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. (Romans 14:10)  Therefore judge nothing... wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's (and women's) hearts. 

God is clear on His feelings and commands regarding the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman; on what He regards as immoral behavior, and His Truths stand the test of time.  He is also equally clear that at the end of the proverbial day, it is His job and His only to judge our behavior, and each of us will be judged when we meet our Maker.

However, God also instituted governments for social order in the world.  A just government is concerned with larger issues, the greater good and with individual action.  A just government must act out of a higher moral standard and not what is the popular sentiment of the day.  The U.S.  government was based on Christian principles. (Read real history and not the revisionist stuff that is dished out in public classrooms.)  Today's society chaffs against rules that are not relative and morals that are not situational, and stands ready to challenge, denigrate and disrespect the truths on which our Constitution is based. 

God is our creator and He gets to write the rules for life.  His greatest commandments regard love.  We are all made in His image and He loves each of us dearly, despite our deeply flawed human nature.  We are commanded to love and honor God.  And in doing so we are commanded to love and honor His creations ~ which means all mankind.  God does not place one sin above the other in rank.  Therefore, my sin of pride is equally abhorrent in His eyes as is homosexuality.  I am called not to judge my brother and sister but to love.  And so I love others despite their behaviors, thoughts and feelings, and despite mine.

And so I love ~

 

Today is the Future

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.   (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Peace Out Man

 
Item:  Contrary to prevailing scientific "wisdom," the immune system of a human fetus is not a weak, inadequate system that takes months after birth to rev up to full capacity.  Researchers now say that their systems are designed "specifically to allow foreign invaders in that an adult immune system would fight off." 

The researchers state further that adult and fetal immune systems come from two distinct stem cells; in the bone marrow for adults and first the liver, and later the bone marrow, for fetuses.  In a newborn, these two systems overlap.  While the adult immune system is designed to cut off threats from invaders such as viruses and bacteria, the fetal system allows foreign bodies to "invade peacefully."  It does so by releasing a regulatory T cell that "encourages tolerance."  Why?  In order to keep the fetus from rejecting its own developing cells or those of its mother's.

My reaction:  Funny how much credence we give to scientific "truth" until it's proven not to be "the" truth and replaced by new "truth."  Maybe we should start calling our scientific "wisdom" simply a collection of facts or data, and not "truth."  Truth should be steadfast, something we can count on.

My reaction:  Who said there wasn't a God, an intelligent Creator of life?  Tell me this is just the stuff of random and mutant evolutionary progression.  The more we learn about how our bodies function, the more I am convinced of its exquisite, purposeful, intelligent design.  I no more descended from a monkey than I did an amoeba.  But then maybe that's just "my" truth and I'm sticking to it.

My reaction:  I had to smile at the author's use of the words "invade peacefully" and "encourages tolerance."   Before we even see the light of day, we are allowing invaders into our private spaces not only to bolster our resources later in life, but to protect ourselves during the formation of life.  Seems counter-intuitive that one system would be designed to do both.  I envisioned a little hippie fetus with a tie-dyed tshirt mouthing the words "peace out man" into a megaphone.  Ha. Ha.  It seems that our fetus selves understand a bit more about peace and tolerance than our grown-up selves do.


(Blogmeister note:  Original article by Erin Aliday, SF Chronicle 1/22/11)

What You See Is ~

I love to take photographs and am trying to become a better photographer.  That means getting a better grip on the technical aspects of the craft like ISO and aperture setting.  One way I learn to put this stuff into practice is to take a shot on automatic, check the settings the camera chose, and then go to manual mode to fiddle around, make changes and experiment.  I sort of had this stuff figured out back in the non-digital days, but now my camera is a mini-computer and I'm learning what it's capable of.
 

 

Kinda cool to see the different effects.  The challenge is to know my camera well enough to capture the vision that I see.  

We all see the world through our own filters ~ physical, emotional, psychological, philosophical, religious, political, familial, historical, experiential filters ~ that shift and change.  It's good to know there is such a thing as enduring, "capital T" Truth that doesn't rest on our version of reality.

Celebrating Life, Truth and God

After two weeks of absolutely spectacular autumn weather ~ warm and picture perfect ~ I attended a much anticipated wedding yesterday ~ in the rain.  Soooo disappointing for the bride but the minute she stepped onto the red carpet her radiant beauty blotted out the gloomy weather. 

It was rather charming, actually, to be sitting under a big, white tent listening to the soft rain while  vows were being exchanged.  Behind the bridal party, glistening water drops enhanced the colors of a spectacular autumn garden.  It felt cozy and dry under the tent sharing the space with the family and friends who came to witness and celebrate the joining of this wonderful young couple.

It's funny how we can plan right down to the tiniest detail and then have no control over the big stuff like rain at an outdoor wedding.  It's humbling.  It reminds me that God is in control and I am thankful for it.  I am thankful that I do not cling to a belief that the world ~ and life ~ is random chaos or that things happen because they happen not because there is divine order in things.  Some people would call it a crutch or a foolish philosophy to believe in God.  I call it Truth and I'm sticking to it.

Seen or Unseen

Are you inside looking out?  Are you peering from one garden into another?  Are you locked out or locked in?  Is the proverbial grass greener on the other side of the gate?

We fix our eyes on what we see but don't often know what we are seeing, whether we are seeing clearly or through our own filtered glasses, if we can believe what we see, or if it is real regardless of what our hearts or minds are telling us.

I'll tell you the vision I can count on.   I can count on the truth that the corporeal is temporary and the world is not always what it seems.   I can count on the truth that I am to fix my eyes and place my hope in things I cannot see. 


So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  (2 Cr 4:18)

Parable of the Seeds

 Then (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 

As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 

But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 

He who has ears, let him hear." 

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 

He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 

This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."

(Matthew 13:4-16)

Homeless

Homelessness is a tough issue, one that makes many of us turn away and pretend it does not exist despite the evidence in front of our very own eyes.  For those of us who are willing to step out of our comfort zone and seek help for someone living on the streets, it's a real shock if we discover that person might not want help.  For those of us tucked away in our nice homes in our nice neighborhoods, it is unfathomable someone would refuse a hot shower, a meal, any necessary medical treatment and a warm bed in a safe place.  But some do, for their own reasons, and we cannot force them to accept help.

Just like God does not force us to get off the street paved with our own self-destructive behavior and to seek shelter under the goodness of who He is.  If we prefer, instead, to write our own rules and drive our own destiny , even it that means living in the squalor of our pitiful decisions, He graciously allows us the freedom to do so.  And that's what I love about my God.  He does not demand that I accept the safety of His provision.  He not only lovingly makes the offer and lets me decide, but it's an offer that never expires.

And while nothing is unfathomable to God, He does grieve when we choose our world over His because He knows how much richer off we would be if we accepted His offer.

Selective Listening

"We don't consciously and deliberately disobey God ~ we simply don't listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them...because we do not truly love and respect Him...We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen...to personal testimonies, but we don't want God Himself to speak to us...because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God's servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, 'Well, that's only your idea, even thought I don't deny that what you said is probably God's truth.' " ~ Oswald Chambers

(Blogmeister's note: No editorial comment necessary from this peanut gallery.)

To Give and Receive

"Perhaps everything terrible is, in its deepest being, something that needs our love." - Rainer Maria Bilke

"All you need is love." - The Beatles

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - the Apostle Paul, 1 Corninth 13:13

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind...Love your neighbor as yourself. There are no greater commandments than these." - Jesus Christ

Capital T

truth (n) 1. Conformity to knowledge, fact, actuality or logic. 2. Fidelity to an original or standard. 3. Reality, actuality. 4. A statement proven to be or accepted as true. 5. Sincerity, integrity, honesty.

Truth (n) ~ God

One small change in capitalization. One huge change in perspective.

Have We?

Billy Graham's Prayer for Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!'

Have we? You decide. God already has.

(as emailed to me from a friend)

The Way it is With Walls

tree saga part 3 continued

I've given a lot of thought as to how our new front yard will look but I've left room for spontaneity as the plan begins to take shape. Planning is important but if I don't leave wiggle room then the end result is not truly me. (You will notice that my husband is not part of the equation. God bless him; he leaves the design up to me and he does the work. What a partnership! And no, that's not my hubby in the photo.)

We begin with the hardscape. Since our land slants gently from the house to the street, the wall allows us to infill with dirt for a flat, even surface providing a level platform from which we will build a ground level deck (not patio as we are using redwood not stone).

As much as the wall allows us to build things up, it also holds things back as it keeps the dirt from spilling onto the sidewalk. So it holds things in and keeps things out. That's the way it is with walls. Whether you are on the "inside" or "outside" depends on where you are standing.

...and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Ex 14:22)

...with my God I can scale a wall (Psalm 18:29)

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. (Psalm 18:11)

You (God) have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall. (Isaiah 25:4)

This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and building, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. (Isaiah 30:13)

Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. (Hsa 2:6)

This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. (Amo 7:7)

"And I myself will be a wall of fire around it," declares the Lord, "and I will be its glory within." (Zech 2:5)

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:14)

Living Water

The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statues of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

(Psalm 19:1-8)

Small But Tenacious and Taken Care Of

I watched a bird do something this morning I've never seen before. This little guy (or gal) was collecting twigs for a nest. That in itself is not so unusual. However, I always assumed because of their small size, that birds took the path of least resistance and collected sticks and twigs that were readily available. This morning I saw just how hard some birds work for their building materials.

This little guy was perched on top of our back yard lattice which supports a very vigorous creeping fig vine. So vigorous, in fact, that I must trim it back two or three times a year to keep it under control. This vine is tenacious and even the dead branches hold on seemingly forever. The bird was even more tenacious.

I looked up to see him perched on the overhang, dead vine branch in beak, twisting his head back and forth, back and forth, shaking that vine for all he was worth. He shook so hard that at one point he shook himself right off his perch. But his persistence paid off and he flew away dragging that branch in his beak. I'm sure he was giving himself a mental high five!

Watching birds always reminds me of a particular Scripture. I've quoted it on my blog before but it is just so appropriate to quote once again.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink...Is life not more important than food?.....Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they...your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Character

Our character says a lot about us. What we believe in. Expectations of our behavior. How we will act and react. Indeed, our character is very often a predictor of the consequential outcomes, both good and bad, from our interchange with the world.

I read an interesting article yesterday written by syndicated columnist Thomas Sowell which advances the notion that a nation's character has a far reaching impact beyond general social, economic and political dynamics, a ripple effect, if you will, that directly touches the personal lives of its citizens. It's a symbiotic relationship where culture affects government policies, which in turn, can impact that very culture, for better or worse.

Sowell's column focused on Angelo Codevilla's book, "The Character of Nations," which promotes the thesis that in recent years, American society has engaged in behavior patterns that are producing negative results for our nation's existing entity. And I quote:

"Among these patterns have been a concentration of decision-making power in government officials, an undermining of the role of the family, a 'nonjudgmental' attitude toward behavior and a dissolution of the common bonds that hold a society together, leading to atomistic self-indulgences and group-identity politics that increasingly pits different segments of society against each other...."

This antagonism eventually leads to loss of personal freedom and self-respect; the latter personally, culturally and nationally. Codevilla asserts that "the character of the American way of life is up for grabs perhaps more than ever before".

Which brings me back full circle to the issue of personal character. We are what we believe. We act in alliance with that belief system. We all believe in something. So the questions that beg to be answered are: What do I base my belief system on? Is it based on Truth that does not sway with cultural preferences or political pressure? Does it uplift not denigrate both ourselves and others? Does it shy away from the hard stuff or courageously face it head on? Is it self-indulgent or "other" purposed? What is the way of life that I have chosen to embrace, why and do I strive to consistently honor that choice?

Bottom line ~ What is my footprint on the world?

Divine Design

We're getting ready for phase two of our front yard demolition and restoration. The new paver driveway was constructed last fall after taking down a spectacular but massive tree that was wrecking havoc. It's now time to take out the stump and dig up the roots that had invaded the entire front yard, which means everything has to come out ~ the deck, the plants, the small pathway that wound through the garden. A clean slate. Starting over. A new plan. We spent the entire winter thinking about the remodel and now we are excited to get our hands dirty.

I wonder if God feels the same way when He looks at me? Did He spend time mulling over the possibilities for my life before I was born? Was He excited to get his hands as "dirty" with me as He was the first time He reached into the clay and breathed life into Adam and Eve? Did He already factor in my wayward roots when He designed His perfect plan for me ~ roots that would need to be taken out so I could refocus on Him?

Certainly the answers to all these questions are "yes" because He designed me before I was born, He calls me His child and He had His Son take care of my root problem.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are. (1 John 3:1 NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in HIm shall not perish but have eternal life. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (John 3:18, 1 Peter 3:18)

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (2 Cor 8:11, Phil 1:16)

Freedom, Fresh Starts and Joy

I hardly noticed how far I walked this morning. I was too distracted by the songs, sights and smells of the day.

Birds just knock me out. They are always full of song, but especially in the morning and particularly after a rain. They are just so happy to be free. The Bible talks about freedom.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

There is so much to see as the morning begins to unfold the day. People driving, biking and walking to work or school. The newspaper sitting in the driveways just waiting to be read. Cats preening on the doorstep. The drops of dew still sitting on the roses. The Bible talks about fresh starts.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor 5:17)

And speaking of roses. The smells that invade my nose as I walk bring me joy! I am particularly fond of the orange and lemon blossoms this time of year. After a rain their smell is positively heady as the air is thick with their tropical scent. The Bible talks about joy.

You (Lord God) will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

May your day be filled with freedom, fresh starts and joy in Christ Jesus!

Roots ~ the good, the bad and the ugly

Another senseless killing. If the developers had not planted trees that would grow too large for the lots, and had the city planners not approved, my neighborhood would not be in the painful process it is in now of having to remove 30 year-old trees from our front yards. Unfortunately, their roots are ripping up driveways, tearing apart sidewalks and threatening garage concrete slab floors.

We weren't one of the first on our street to do the dastardly deed, but now two more trees have come down in the matter of a few short weeks. It really is sad to see stately, mature, shade-giving trees that took years to grow, cut down in a few short minutes at the hands of a power saw. I can't watch as it literally brings me to tears.

Two pieces of advice my mother hammered into us kids growing up ~ never let a dentist remove a tooth unless it's absolutely necessary because the replacement is just not the same as a real tooth ~ and never cut down a tree in its prime unless absolutely necessary because its stature will never be replaced in my lifetime. Wow, both have roots than anchor and give life. And both are typically removed because of root damage. My mother was definitely a wise woman. Now where's the Biblical application?

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. (Deut 29:18)

Hope

road trip

One of the things I like about road trips is the USA Today newspaper that greets my hotel room doorstep. I know, I can get it daily by subscription, but I prefer thinking of it as a perk of travel. The reason I like USA Today is its chock full of blog worthy articles to comment on. For a case in point, read on from the March 16th edition.....

Psychic business senses fortune, says the header. Uncertain economic times have more looking to different sources for guidance, says the subhead. I don't know whether to laugh or cry on this one. The article goes on to quote Maryanne Fiedler who works for an on-line network of psychics. She says, "We're trying to ease their anxieties by offering reassurance." Hmm, I think my mom could give me just as much reassurance and she doesn't cost $85 for half hour consultation.

The article goes on to quote marketing professor Thomas Kramer. "In times of uncertainty or stress, people tend to rely on superstition or magic. They want to get a sense of control over what is happening in these uncertain economic times and reduce the levels of stress or induce hope."

Turn to psychics, superstition and magic, and you return empty handed. If you follow my blog, you know where I turn to ~ the Bible. Yes, I look to the Lord God as a fair greater, more reliable power for reassurance and hope in uncertain times.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God...my Savior. (Psalm 43:5) Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. (Psalm 62:5)

Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with Him is full redemption. (Psalm 130:7)

Be strong and take heart, all you who believe in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24) We wait in hope for the Lord, He is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:20)

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in Your word. Psalm 119:114) You answer us...O God...the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. (Psalm 65:5)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Therefore, since we have such hope, we are very bold. (2 Corinth 3:12)