Happy Reformation Day!!

Do you know what October 31st is to Protestants?  It is Reformation Day. 

 I have been so busy that I have not collected all of my favorite links to share with you about this, but a sweet friend of mine has done all of the work, so I am sending you to her blog.

Go to Mama Archer’s Blog 

Christians & Halloween

Last year I wrote a post on Halloween.

You can read it here

Thought I would repost it for you.  My feelings have not changed concerning this.

From Dr. Dobson…

Family News From Dr. Dobson October 2008 The November election promises to be one of the most consequential in recent memory. Come November 5th, this election will be over, barring hanging chads, voter fraud or an Electoral College tie. Regardless of the outcome, Focus ministries will continue to nurture and defend families as long as the Lord sustains the effort. This month, however, those who wish to contribute to our work have a choice of two organizations to support. The first is Focus on the Family®, which is a nonprofit ministry which can offer a tax-exempt receipt to all donors. Second, Focus on the Family Action™, which paid for this E-mail, needs support too, but contributions to it are not deductible. When Dr. Dobson first took to the airwaves in a tiny rented radio studio in 1977, he never could have fathomed the impact his work would have on the culture in years to come. Thirty-two years later, Focus on the Family, a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to the preservation of the family, continues to minister to people in need. We all appreciate your continued support and welcome any contribution you feel led to offer this month. Dear Friends, Can you feel the tension in the air? The nation–and indeed, the world–is holding its collective breath as the final days of the presidential campaign wind down and the candidates engage in one last round of electioneering and debating. By this time next month, we’ll know whether Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama will be inaugurated in January as the 44th President of the United States. Considering the stark differences between the two presidential candidates and the critical issues that are hanging in the balance, it’s not difficult to understand why Campaign 2008 has been such a spirited affair. I’d like to take a few moments to consider what is at stake in this year’s election, particularly for those of us who embrace a biblical worldview. Please understand that I will share these thoughts under the umbrella of Focus on the Family Action™, which has supported the preparation and distribution of this newsletter. Focus Action is, in turn, supported by contributions from those who do not receive tax deductible receipts for them. Thanks so much to you who made it possible. Let’s start with the need to elect a pro-family, pro-life President. The importance of this objective cannot be overstated. Between 2009 and 2012, there will likely be two or more opportunities for the President to nominate new justices to the Supreme Court. Some court watchers say there could be as many as four resignations. That alone should give us serious pause as we consider for whom to cast our votes. In the months ahead, the Supreme Court will likely hand down rulings that will impact America for generations to come. We need a President who will nominate conservative, strict-constructionist judges to the Court. If that doesn’t happen, the highest court in the land could become stacked–even more than it already is–with justices who will endeavor to legislate from the bench and impose a liberal agenda on the nation. It will likely affect the definition of marriage, religious freedom, and the protection (or lack thereof) of life in the womb. It’s probably obvious which of the two major party candidates’ views are most palatable to those of us who embrace a pro-life, pro-family worldview. While I will not endorse either candidate this year, I can say that I am now supportive of Senator John McCain and his bid for the presidency. This is not because I am beholden to the Senator from Arizona or to the Republican Party. Anyone who has even a passing familiarity with my views knows that I have agonized at times during this election process, and have been strongly critical of Senator McCain and the Republican Party on numerous occasions. My concern is for the biblical and moral values that I and millions of Americans hold dear. I will gladly support politicians of any stripe who are willing to defend the sanctity of human life, support the institution of traditional marriage, protect the country from terrorism and advance the cause of religious liberty. While certainly not perfect, the 2008 Republican platform comes closest to embracing those ideals by a wide margin. In recent weeks, I have received some measure of criticism from those who feel that my “change of heart” toward John McCain is unwarranted. I understand those views and concede that the Senator continues to embrace positions that concern me. I don’t apologize, however, for reevaluating our options in this election year. John Maynard Keynes, whose views I have disagreed with strongly, said this about reversing course: “When the facts change, I change my opinion. What do you do, sir?”1 In this instance, Keynes’ perspective is correct. Every thinking person will eventually have reason to change his or her mind as circumstances evolve, as they have done during this long political ordeal. There are four primary–and I believe compelling–reasons why I now view the McCain presidential candidacy favorably: During the “Saddleback Forum” on Aug. 16, Sens. Obama and McCain fielded questions from the Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren. Senator McCain gave very solid and encouraging answers to questions about the sanctity of life and the institution of marriage, whereas Senator Obama came down at the other end of the argument. You will recall the following interchange during the forum: Pastor Rick Warren: “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?” Senator Obama: “… Answering that question with specificity, you know, is, uh, is, above my pay grade.”2 With all due respect, Senator, if this question is above your pay grade, then so is the job attached to it. The Republican Party’s 2008 national platform is a remarkably conservative document.3 Indeed, it is the strongest pro-life platform in the history of the party, surpassing even the pro-life advances of the Reagan years. It was approved and sanctioned by the McCain campaign. Senator McCain selected an astonishingly strong pro-life, pro-family running mate in Governor Sarah Palin. Although he could have embraced a liberal Vice Presidential nominee, such as Senator Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge, he made the bold decision to join forces with a VP pick whose views reflect those of the party’s conservative base. I’ll discuss Governor Palin’s candidacy in greater detail in a moment. The longer the campaign continues, the more concerned I have become with Barack Obama’s liberal views. Certainly, he is an attractive and very charismatic candidate who has embarked on a campaign of historical proportions. However, the majority of his policies represent the antithesis of principles I hold dear. Senator Obama’s record is more liberal than that of any other Democrat in the Senate4–and that’s saying something! For example, when he was a state senator in Illinois, he voted four times in three years against legislation that would have saved the lives of babies that managed to survive the abortion process.5 The U.S. Senate subsequently passed similar legislation called The Born Alive Infant Protection Act by unanimous consent.6 (Obama was not a U.S. Senator at the time.) State Senator Obama was chairman of the committee that opposed this protection of babies, and in 2001 and 2002 was the only legislator who rose to argue against the Illinois Born Alive Act.7 That is an undeniable fact! My good friend, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum published a scathing analysis of Senator Obama’s pro-abortion record earlier this year. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote: In March 2001, [Senator] Obama was the sole speaker in opposition to the bill on the floor of the Illinois Senate. He said: “We’re saying they are persons entitled to the kinds of protections provided to a child, a 9-month child delivered to term. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child.”8 So according to [Senator] Obama, “they”, (babies who survive abortions or any other preterm newborns,) should be permitted to be killed because giving legal protection to preterm newborns would have the effect of banning all abortions.9 To further underscore Senator Obama’s radical devotion to abortion rights, he has promised that “the first thing I’d do as president” would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act.10 The FOCA is a devastating piece of legislation that would overturn nearly every local, state, and federal anti-abortion law passed in the last 40 years.11 In fact, it’s so broadly written that legal analysts suggest the bill may prevent institutions and physicians from refusing to provide abortion services by invoking the conscience clause. Earlier this year, while talking about sex education and abortion, the Senator said the following: “I’ve got two daughters, 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”12 In other words, a pre-born baby is viewed as a form of punishment, and can therefore be murdered in the name of convenience. It is a matter of historic significance that Barack Obama has become the first African-American to capture the nomination of a major political party for the office of President of the United States. I applaud that remarkable accomplishment. Nevertheless, I cannot support his candidacy because the positions he holds on moral, social and family issues place him at the extreme left of the political spectrum. What the Senator believes and the policies he would seek to implement are on a collision course with the biblical principles and beliefs I have fought to defend for more than 35 years. Turning the corner, the significance of Governor Palin to the 2008 presidential race is also worthy of further consideration. Here is a woman who is a deeply committed Christian, and who is pro-life not only with regard to her policies, but in her personal life. She and her husband welcomed their latest child, Trig, into the world even though he was diagnosed with Down syndrome while still in the womb. Approximately 90 percent of babies with Down syndrome are aborted,13 but Governor Palin carried her precious child to term and now loves and cares for him despite the challenges associated with a special needs child. Similarly, her teenage daughter, Bristol, who became pregnant out of wedlock, could have bowed to cultural pressure to seek an abortion. Instead, she and the father plan to get married and raise their child together. Governor Palin has been married for 20 years, and by all accounts, she is a portrait of Christian motherhood and womanhood. As for Governor Palin’s qualifications to be Vice President of the United States and to assume the mantle of President, should that ever become necessary, she is much better suited for the job than the talking heads on the liberal Left would have you believe. She came out of nowhere to win the Alaskan gubernatorial race against a powerful incumbent. While in office, she bravely fought widespread corruption–including that within her own party–in the face of great opposition. Govenor Palin’s critics suggest that her experience as mayor of a “small town” is somehow a liability, but it is an asset. In fact, her time as Mayor of Wasilla and then as Governor of Alaska gives her a greater degree of executive experience than Senator Barack Obama can claim. Her qualifications to be Vice President, I would submit, exceed those of Senator Barack Obama, who spent only 143 working days in the U.S. Senate prior to announcing his run for President.14 He authored no significant legislation during that time. I’m sure you have heard the shrill voices from the political Left decrying Mrs. Palin for any and every reason under the sun. They gloat over the pregnancy of her daughter Bristol and claim it as “evidence” that abstinence education, which Sarah Palin strongly supports, is somehow a sham. They criticize Governor Palin for daring to hold political office and run for Vice President while having a baby at home, even though the Left has for decades supported a woman’s right to do just that. The attacks on Governor Palin and her family in recent weeks have been astonishingly unfair and mean-spirited. If she were a liberal Democrat, she would be praised and lauded for making the same decisions for which she is now being criticized. The double standard is obvious. Governor Palin’s decision to run for Vice President while raising a baby with special needs has given pause to some conservative voices as well. Some have even questioned my enthusiasm over Governor Palin’s candidacy in light of these circumstances. It’s important to note that although I have often said stay-at-home moms are vitally important to raising the next generation, I have never suggested that it is wrong for mothers to work outside the home. Indeed, Focus on the Family® has hired thousands of mothers over the years. I have said, however, that if a mother is going to enter the workplace, she and her husband must first find a way to meet the needs of their children. Sarah Palin appears to have done that. Todd, her husband, is actively involved in the raising of their children, and it seems obvious that Sarah will continue to be a positive force in her children’s lives even as she carries out her duties in the political arena. Regardless of your political views, may I suggest that the Palins need our prayers, not our disdain, at this critical moment in our nation’s history. Senator Obama’s selection of fellow liberal Democrat Joseph Biden (Del.) is also extremely revealing. While the National Journal ranked Obama the most liberal Senator last year, Senator Biden was ranked 3rd on their list–just ahead of Vermont’s Bernie Sanders, a self-avowed socialist.15 While the Senator of 36 years from Delaware stands in blatant opposition to the pro-family movement, many of you will remember him from his vociferous opposition to several of our finer Supreme Court justices, namely, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Alito and Thomas. Returning to our theme, America’s future seems to hang in the balance at this time. Our next President will have a dramatic impact on countless legislative issues. Since being relegated to minority status in 2006, House Republicans have skillfully used the rules of parliamentary procedure to frustrate many of the Democrats’ attempts to pass bad legislation. To this point, that effort has almost always been backed by a President who is willing to use the veto pen when necessary. The threat of President Bush’s veto on hate crimes legislation and issues regarding the sanctity of life have kept a Democrat-controlled Congress from implementing its liberal agenda. Will our next President stand up to Congress in the same manner, or will he side with them, thereby giving the Democrats free reign to impose their liberal values on America? It is likely, say the pundits, that both the House and the Senate in the 111th Congress will still be controlled by Democrats. If that party also takes the White House, a wave of anti-family, pro-homosexual legislation is almost guaranteed to pass in 2009. The bills put forward and advanced this year by Democrats reveal where they want to take the country. For example, they inserted hate crimes language into the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill, but were forced to remove it in conference, again under the threat of veto.16 While in the Illinois Senate, Senator Obama voted for a bill authorizing “comprehensive” sex education beginning in kindergarten. Defenders have attempted to downplay its significance, citing the fact that it called for the content to be “age appropriate” and “medically accurate”–dubious and subjective qualifiers given the sensitive nature of the topic and innocence of the audience!17 (When criticized for supporting this legislation, the Senator was dismissive and said proudly, I quote, “It’s the right thing to do.”18) Large portions of the agenda promoted by homosexual activists will also be enacted. The implications for a federal hate crimes law are clear. People speaking against homosexuality have already been prosecuted under hate crimes laws both in the United States and abroad. If a federal hate crimes law passes, there will be little to prevent the government from endeavoring to control and curtail religious speech, especially from the pulpit. It is entirely possible that a pastor could be charged with inducing a federal hate crime simply by preaching from one of the many biblical passages that address homosexuality. Congressional Democrats will also seek to pass the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, meaning businesses will be forced to accept and condone homosexuality–and possibly transgenderism–in making employment decisions. Further, business owners, including religious businesses, will not be able to make hiring and firing decisions based on their religious convictions. Earlier this year, Senator Barack Obama said, “I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepherd Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Nondiscrimination Act.”19 Finally, I am deeply concerned about the tax and spend policies Senator Obama will impose on the American people if he is elected, especially in light of the current financial crisis. This is not the time to be taking money out of the economy, yet, he has proposed enormous new federal programs and entitlements that will cost multiple billions of dollars. These initiatives cannot be effected without huge increases in taxation on businesses, which will be passed on to the public and to individual families. This will almost certainly require a return of the odious marriage penalty tax that plagued families for 34 years! The races for the White House and the Congress are hardly the only matters worthy of concern in this election cycle. At the state and local levels, numerous policies and pieces of legislation are being put to a vote, and many of them are directly related to family and moral issues. For example, the definition of marriage is on the ballot in Arizona (Proposition 102), California (Proposition and Florida (Amendment 2). Voters in Colorado will be given the opportunity to expand the definition of “personhood” to include all human beings from the moment of fertilization (Amendment 48). In South Dakota, voters will be asked to ban all abortions except those involving cases of rape and incest, or when the pregnancy seriously jeopardizes the life or physical health of the mother (Measure 11). Michigan is considering whether to legalize embryonic stem cell research, which would result in the killing of tiny human beings. In California, voters will also get the chance to decide whether minor girls should be required to give 48 hours’ notice to a parent or adult relative before having an abortion (Proposition 4). Arkansas voters will decide whether to prevent couples living together out of wedlock–heterosexual or homosexual–from adopting children or serving as foster parents. These are just a few of the important issues that, depending on which state you live in, will be on the ballot next month. I implore you to spend the few days remaining before the election researching the various amendments, ballot measures, and local and national candidates. Then, exercise your responsibility before God to vote on or before November 4th. Please, let your voices be heard. For more information, visit Focus on the Family Action’s Web site. Regardless of your political views, I want to urge Christians everywhere to be in prayer about this election. There are many scriptural references wherein King David “inquired of God” when he was faced by troubling circumstances (1 Samuel 23:2,4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19,23). It is time for Christians everywhere to turn to Him for guidance and wisdom. Find some time to be still and listen to what He wants to tell you. The National Day of Prayer Task Force, led by my wonderful wife, Shirley, has embarked on a national campaign entitled “Pray for Election Day.” All around the country, individuals and groups are being encouraged to gather every Thursday leading up to November 4th between 12-noon and 12:30 p.m. Spend time with the Lord, asking Him to guide and direct those privileged to cast a ballot. If you are able, I would also encourage you to fast and pray immediately before the election. After all, it was the Reverend Billy Graham who once said that “To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.”20 Amen, Dr. Graham. This election is about the future of the nation, but it will also go a long way toward determining the culture your children and grandchildren will come to know. I know you will vote with your children and your children’s children in mind. That certainly puts the election in a different light, doesn’t it? You know my heart on these issues, and I hope you understand that I am less concerned with politicians and political parties than I am with the timeless biblical principles that those parties have the power to either strengthen or damage. No candidate is perfect, whether in this election or any other. Please don’t make your decisions lightly. There is simply too much at stake. May God grant each of us wisdom as November 4th approaches. Sincerely, James C. Dobson, Ph.D. Founder and Chairman P.S. Since I began researching and writing this letter, the economic meltdown on Wall Street and congressional reaction to it has occurred. These are, indeed, difficult times for American families and businesses. Thank you for continuing to support this ministry, even though in many cases it has required sacrificial giving. You are helping to keep us afloat during this financial crisis, and we appreciate your contribution and prayers more than I can tell you. Please share this with your friends and family. Endnotes 1 Louis Uchitelle, “2 Mavericks in Economics Awarded Nobel Prize,” The New York Times, Oct. 12, 2004, (Sept. 29, 2008). Also: Alfred L. Malabre, Lost Prophets: An Insider’s History of the Modern Economists (1994), p. 220. (Responding to criticism when changing monetary policy in the midst of the Great Depression.) 2 Saddleback Presidential Candidates Forum, CNN Transcript, Aug. 16, 2008. (Sept. 29, 2008). 3 Republican National Committee, 2008 Republican Platform, (Sept. 28, 2008). 4 “National Journal’s 2007 Vote Ratings,” National Journal Group Inc., 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 5 bornalivetruth.org/obamarecord.aspx (September 2008). 6 frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2002_record&page=S7084&position=all (Sept. 29, 2008). 7 bornalivetruth.org/obamarecord.aspx (Sept. 30, 2008). 8 “Obama Blocked Born Alive Infant Protection Act,” Illinois Federation For Right to Life Daily News online, April 3, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 9 Rick Santorum, “The Elephant in the Room: Why conservatives should support McCain,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 21, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 10 youtube.com/watch?v=uUl99id2SvM (Sept. 29, 2008). 11 aul.org/FOCA (Sept. 29, 2008). 12 “Ballot Bowl 2008: More Campaign Happenings,” CNN Transcripts, March 29, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 13 Patricia E. Bauer, “What’s Lost in Prenatal Testing: Why Encourage Testing for Down Syndrome,” Jan. 14, 2007, Washington Post. 14 “Days in Session Calendars,” Thomas, The Library of Congress, (Sept. 29, 2008). 15 National Journal online, 2008, Ibid. 16 Paul Kane, “Hill Negotiators Drop Hate-Crime Provision,” Washington Post, Dec. 7, 2007, (Sept. 29, 2008). 17 Byron York, “On Sex-Ed Ad, McCain Is Right,” National Review Online, Sept. 16, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 18 “Obama on Sex Ed in Kindergarten: ‘It’s the Right Thing to Do,’” Free Republic online, Sept. 10, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 19 Michael Foust, “Obama: If elected I will use the bully pulpit for gay causes,” Baptist Press, Feb. 28, 2008, (Sept. 29, 2008). 20 Chuck Spinner, A Book of Prayers: To the Heavens from the Stars, (AuthorHouse: 2008), p. 225 (Sept. 29, 2008). Paid for by Focus on the Family Action.

Your vote

I don’t consider myself really political & I don’t usually post political things, but this election I think is one of the most important elections our nation has faced in a long time.

We are facing a future that I don’t think a lot of people understand.  Putting all of the “plans” aside of each candidate, we have to get down to what really matters & that is the faith of our leaders.  The faith of our leaders determines how they will lead our nation.  What are they passionate about, what is important to them?

As a Christian I stand firm in my belief that Jesus is the only Son of God and that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.  If you call yourself a Christian, you should believe the same thing. If you say you are a Christian then the Bible is Truth to you & is the most important book you will ever read & you believe that it is the best guide for how we should live. 

What do the candidates believe?  Does it line up with scripture?  Just questions I think is important to ask.

 

I ask that those who read this blog would please be in prayer over the next 2 weeks for our election.  I believe that God is sovereign & he already knows who will be our next president.  But we need to pray still.

Below is a video that I think will help you to understand the importance of our prayers & our vote.

 

Running the race

The other day I was on my way home from a meeting.  It was about 4:00 in the afternoon so the kids were getting out of school.  I noticed 2 teenage girls who were running on the median between the 2 streets.  They were obviously training for a track competition. 

It reminded me of the days (over 20 years ago) when I ran track in school.  I was not an athlete at all, but I could run long distance.  I enjoyed it & as I watched those girls run I remembered how hard it was when we would run off campus.    I remember falling a few times when our coach would drop us off miles from our school & we would have to run through fields, dirt roads & finally sidewalks to get back to the school.  It was hard to run where the ground was not level.  If you stepped on a rock just right you could hurt yourself…and I did a few times.

 

I was reminded of a great verse in Acts through all of this thinking about running.

I consider my life nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Acts 20:24(NIV)

This is the Apostle Paul speaking & he is on his way to Jerusalem.  He knew that trouble was probably awaiting him, but he knew that he had to go.  His physical body meant nothing to him, he was that committed to preaching the gospel.  All he wanted to do was finish the race that the Lord has set out for him to run.  The ground got real rocky for him, it was never an easy race for him to run.  But he understood what his purpose was, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

How do you run your race?  Do you want to quit running when the race gets difficult?  Do you wish you could run on a smoother surface?  Oh sweet mom, we all do.  I find myself asking God, “when will this get easier?”  He gently reminds me to just keep running, to keep my goal in mind and to trust him with the obstacles.  It is all to His glory that I run and when I run to complete the task that my Lord has given me I can run with joy and satisfaction.

The Physical Race is how we go about in our day.  How we respond to others.  how we accomplish the mundane chores and errands.  Do our children know what is important to us?  Does our husband know that he is the most important person to us?  How do you manage your day?

 

The Emotional Race is where we let our feeling and mind go.  Do we guard our heart like Proverbs instructs us to do? What do we watch, read & listen to?  It all matters.

 

The Spiritual Race is our relationship with our God.  Do you have one?  This is the most important race of all. We will not take our bodies to Heaven, but our souls will go.  How much time to you spend nourishing your soul?  How much time do you spend talking to your Lord?  He deeply desires to speak to you & loves to hear you talk to him.  do you meditate on his word, do you memorize it?  The older I get the harder it is for me to memorize scripture, but I still work on it.  It is such a blessing when I can remember a scripture passage that speaks directly to my need at the time.

You know when Paul went to Jerusalem, he was arrested.  The Holy Spirit prepared him that prison & hardships were waiting for him, but he went anyway.  I don’t have the faith of Paul, but I am working toward that. 

We live in very easy times in that we do not face the persecution that Paul faced or that Christians in other parts of the world face like in Orissa, India.  Yes, we struggle.  Our economy is failing, we are looking at the possibility of a new President that is not a godly man and I could go on.  Must understand what our God given purpose is…to glorify Him by teaching his gospel to our children and others. 

Run the race with perseverance the race marked out for you (Hebrews 12:1) and let God cover the obstacles with his grace & mercy.

You will be strengthened

My youngest has been sick with a cough & cold for several days now.  He is now waking up in the night because of drainage that is putting him into a coughing fit.  He sometimes begins to cough to the point that he throws up.  He will wake up around 2:30 & not go back to sleep until 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. By the time I get him back to bed I lay down hoping for a few hours of sleep before he wakes up again.

Needless to say, I am tired.  I struggle with not having a short temper with my other kids.  It isn’t their fault that I am so tired.  My early morning quiet time has disappeared because Sam keeps waking up before I can get up. 

Today, I was really feeling the affects of not getting enough sleep.  I found myself in the laundry room ready to completely burst out in tears this morning.  My children were not getting their school work done without a fight.  I had so much to do today & I didn’t have the energy to do any of it.  As I loaded the washer with more clothes I cried out to God.

I can’t do this.  Sam is keeping me up at night, I can’t get up early enough to spend time in prayer or devotions, I don’t want anyone around me, I just want to sleep.  I’m not only physically exhausted, but spiritually dehydrated.  I want so badly to have some time for myself to read your word & pray, but I just can’t get it.  Your word says that you will strengthen those whose hope is in you.  You say you will uphold me with your righteous right hand.  I need to feel your strength right now.  I need you to hold me above my physical exhaustion.  You are my God & I love you.

I finished loading my laundry and began preparing lunch.  An argument broke out between 2 of my boys & I very calmly sent them to their separate corners. My sick little one came in & wanted to be held, so we rocked for a bit.  My little girl came in & insisted that I let her play with bubbles.  With a little compromise I let her blow her bubbles on our front porch with the front door open.  She & I sat outside while she blew her bubbles.  I walked back in & realized my exhausted feeling was gone.  I no longer felt as though I would explode with emotion at the next person who confronted me.  I felt an amazing peace & calm that I had not had 30 minutes earlier.

Lord God, my Holy Father, thank you for your mercy & gift of strength for today.

I don’t know if my little Sam will sleep all night tonight.  I hope he does.  But if he doesn’t, I know that my strength will come from my God & he will uphold me with his righteous right hand, because my hope & love is in Him. (UPDATE(10.21.08); Sam slept all night for the first time in weeks last night!!!)

Isaiah 40:10

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

He will quiet you…

As a mom, I often yearn for quiet.  I don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want to tell someone to do their chores, I don’t want to listen to another story, I don’t want to answer the phone, I just want some quiet.

I love this verse in Zephaniah 3:17.

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

We mothers give so much of ourselves & the precious reminder that our God takes great delight in us, and will rejoice over us & quiets us with his love…how beautiful that is.

It makes me want to just sit & meditate on his promises.  That is where my strength & joy comes from.  The beauty of His creation brings me great peace, yet energizes me.  Here are some more promises that bring me to a place of peace & rest.

Psalm 139:5, “You hem me in, behind & before; you have laid your hand upon me.

Habakkuk 3:19, “The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”

Psalm 7:10, “My shield is God Most High (El Elyon), who saves the upright in heart.”

Psalm 16:8, “I have set the LORD always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

 

Below is a video that I just had to share with you.  The music is performed by teh orchestra at my church, Stonebriar Community Church.  The man who plays the Irish Whistle is the husband of a friend of mine.  This is a very beautiful piece & is great to close your eyes & meditate on the goodness of God as you listen to the music.  I hope that you while you listen to this, you will close your eyes & imagine yourself at the feet of Jesus.  Lay your cares & worries at his feet.  Thank him for his goodness & mercy in your life & repent of your sins.  Let him quiet you with his love.

Impress them upon your children…

Deuteronomy 6 is one of my favorite chapters in scripture.   God has told Moses to prepare the people for their upcoming freedom into the promise land by declaring his commands to the people.

God gave Moses 2 commands.  The first one is one of the most popular commands in the Bible.  In the New Testament, Jesus called it the greatest command.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Israelites had been in the wilderness for several decades now.  Their parents had died in the wilderness because of their disobediance.  God was giving this new generation a new chance.  He wanted them to know that they had to love him with all they were.  A love for their God had to consume them.  They had to know that it would be their God who would take them into the new land, it would not be them.  The previous generation didn’t have this love.  That is why they wouldn’t go into the new promise land.  They were afraid of the giants of the land.

God didn’t only tell them to love him, but he also told them to teach it to their children.

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

(Deut 6:7-9)

Why was this so important to God?  If it wasn’t that imortant to him, it wouldn’t have been recorded for us to read & apply to our own lives.

I think that when we realize the mercy that God showed the Israelites by not killing them for their disobediance, but rather letting them die off, we can understand the importance of generations of believers to our God.  It is so important to God that we raise up future generations of believers.  That is why God first instructed the people to love him.  It starts with the parents.  Then we must give it to our children.

I looked up this word “impress” or “teach” (KJV).  It means to sharpen or shape.  How cool is that!  When we teach our children to love the Lord their God with their whole heart, soul & strength we are sharpening them.  I can’t help but to think of a sword.  When it is sharp, it is used to defend.  A sharp knife is used to shape something to be useful.  The word of God is sharper than a two edged sword.

What is shaping your child’s mind & character?  Did you know that the average American family spends less than 30 minutes a day discussing spiritual matters?   What are they doing the other time?  Well studies show that a child in school (public or private) spends on average 14,000 seat hours in school in grades K-12. If that same child is only getting 30 minutes a day of spiritual discussion at home that is only 2,372.5 hrs during the same time frame, K-12.

You have to wonder, who is impressing our children?  We only get one chance to invest in the lives of our children…what are we investing?

What are your impressing on your children?  Do they know who God is?  Do they know him as their Creator?  Ya know in public school your kids are not taught that God created them, so what do they know about who they are?

Start young  telling your children who God is.  Tell them from the beginning that God knows everything & is everywhere.   Start young showing them that your God is so very important to you.  They know what & who is important to you, no matter what you say.

Not too long ago I was taking one of my children with me on an errand.  They were having a difficult time with a friend.  My child made the comment, “I’m glad that God knows how to help me.”  I asked, “How do you know that?”  “Well, you  & Dad always say that when you are having trouble that God knows what you should do, you just have to wait for him to show you.  You told us that God knows everything & when we are ready he will share with us what we need to help us.”  I wanted to cry!  I wasn’t sure if this child ever heard anything I say, but he had not only heard, but had watched his father & I live it out.  That was proof it him that it worked.  What a blessing!

  We live in such a dangerous world & the enemy is working overtime to lure our children in by false hopes.  Impress on your children to love the Lord their God with their whole heart, soul & strength.  Let them see you living this command out & they will see the blessings of obediance in your life. 

The Dwelling Place

From the Writings of Ray Stedman

The Dwelling Place October 5th READ: Psalm 90:1-6 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:1-2). In this psalm Moses begins by declaring that God has been the dwelling place of people in all generations. What is a dwelling place? It is where you live, your home. This statement declares that God has been the home of humans ever since they have been on the earth. In all generations, God is where they continually live. You will recognize that this is the same truth Paul uttered when he addressed the Athenians on Mars Hill. He explained to them that God is not far from any of us (even pagans, he points out), “for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God exists as a home for people. That is a tremendous thought, isn’t it? Here Moses is looking back over the course of human history and declaring that God is great because He is the God of history. Moses had seen pharaohs live and die. Perhaps he had seen the tombs of the pharaohs and noted the many who in the past had been laid to rest. Despite the passing centuries, there is no change in the relationship of humans to God. He has been the home of people for all generations. Then Moses points out that God is the God of creation. Here he is looking back across that record and saying that before the mountains were formed, God was. Then before that, he “brought forth the earth and the world.” To us that is saying the same thing, but in the Hebrew it is literally “the earth and the land.” God formed the earth first and then later brought out the land from the waters, as the book of Genesis makes clear. The land emerged from waters that covered the earth. So Moses is gradually moving back in time from the formation of the mountains to the emergence of the land and finally the creation of the earth itself. Before all this, God was. Then he takes a longer leap into timelessness and says, “from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Surely here is the greatness of God. He is the God of history. He is the God of creation. But beyond all that, He is the God of eternity. He is beyond and above His creation. He is greater than the universe He produced, and before it existed, He was. In fact, the Hebrew here is again very interesting. It suggests the translation, “From the vanishing point in the past to the vanishing point in the future”; thus, from everlasting to everlasting God exists. How great He is! When I think that Moses, so many long centuries ago, understood these great facts about You, I am inclined to cry with him, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. This daily devotion was inspired by one of Ray’s sermons. Please read “A Song of Realities” (or listen to the audio file  ) for more on this portion of scripture