Happy Columbus Day

                                                                                           

Happy Columbus Day. That may seem offensive to some, but that's not my intent. I'm trying to say politically correct bias and prejudice does not end by changing the victim. Nor can there be a meeting of the minds by using nasty names for the opposition, tearing down historical figures, or any other thing being done at the moment to express outrage. I have the feeling history may be far more harsh on our day and age than we are being on someone who lived more than 500 years ago.

This morning, on FaceBook, Chelsea Clinton was quoted as saying she would not be celebrating Columbus Day because Christopher Columbus took Native Americans back to India. News to me and my history lessons were far superior to hers, I'm sure. I say that because I once applied for a job in San Antonio and had to take a math test. I groaned and said I hadn't been in math class for 25 years. The woman administering the test said I would do better than someone just out of high school. She was right. I aced the test and the kid who took it with me didn't do well at all.

It is true Columbus was trying to find India by sailing west to get east and when he arrived on our shores, he called the natives "Indians" in an effort to prove himself right. It may also be true he enslaved many of the natives he met.

 
Some of the he did things were not Christian, although his writings show he was a believer. However, that being said, Jesus plainly said that we are not to judge or we, too, will be judged. Only God knows our hearts. Never have I heard that He retired and handed the gavel to an imperfect human being. I have to wonder how we will be judged. especially the Clintons. To many in earlier centuries, slavery was not a bad thing because it is mentioned in the Bible. That's certainly not our understanding today.

Our understanding of slavery may also be flawed. What about people in bondage to drugs or alcohol? Those selling it and getting rich may have to answer for enslaving others out of pure greed, although it's very much an accepted part of society today. Then there's the abortion industry. Pharmaceutical companies, food companies, and cosmetics have put fetal material in their products without telling the pubic, turning us into cannibals without our knowledge. What will history say about that? Far worse, what will God say? He took down ancient nations because they soaked the land with blood. What will He say about us? Adrian Rogers once said if God didn't punish America, He owed Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.

Then, too, what happened in history cannot be changed. Right or wrong, there it is. Trying to make Italians feel bad about their hero doesn't fix a thing. Columbus was a product of his time, just like we are a product of our time. How will history judge our generation? Especially the Clintons. Should history ignore wrongs? No. By the same token, it should not negate the good done by the very same flawed people. We're no better, but we've been too busy pointing fingers to see there's more coming back at us than there are pointing at someone else. Focusing on the negative is one of the reasons America is so angry and depressed. Be grateful for the advances made and leave the negatives to God.

Let's face it. Nobody's perfect. When I stand before Holy God, the only thing asked of me is what did I do with Jesus? Did I acknowledge my sin, repent, and ask him to be my Savior? Christopher Columbus, Chelsea Clinton, Donald Trump, nor anyone else will come into the conversation. It's all between me and God. 

Heart problem

This morning, as I read Isaiah 26:9-10, my thoughts went to the latest tragedy that has sparked an old controversy. People are screaming for gun control. Others are saying it won't work. Isaiah 26:9 -10, tells why. "My soul yearns for You in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for You. When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the LORD."

The Las Vegas shooter had so much to be grateful for. He was a successful businessman, had people who cared for him, and pretty much seemed to live the life some people envied. It seems like everyone is asking why he did such a horrible thing. All the grace that God showed him in giving him the intelligence and skill to go from the son of a bank robber to a millionaire prior to turning killer
is exactly what Isaiah 26:10 is saying. All that grace and look what happened. There's been nothing on the news about his training spiritually. Who knows what he was taught when he was a child? Righteousness must be learned. He didn't.


Yes, I know full well that the religious can be evil, too. I knew an elder in my church who killed another man in cold blood over a business dispute and said it was OK with the Lord. NOT. His actions stated loud and clear that he did not regard the majesty of the LORD. What that man claimed and what he was is known only to God. I have no right to judge his spiritual condition, but I do have the right to say that his actions were anything but Christian. The reason gun control will not work is that the problem is not with the weapon. The problem is with the heart of the person holding the weapon. I've been around guns all my life and have no fear of them because I know and trust the sanity of the ones holding them. Sane people cannot understand the actions of the mentally sick or minds deranged by a chemical. A quote that turns my blood cold every time I hear it, "The heart wants what it wants." It's usually used to excuse illicit sex, but it's appropriate for killers, too. Or anyone determined to do evil, for that matter.
Maybe how he got rich also points to a heart problem. How did he become a millionaire on a mailman's or an IRS employee's salary? Certainly saying he'd like to kill his mother points to a wicked heart.

On the news yesterday, a Congressman mentioned several weapons of mass destruction that won't be affected by gun control. He even mentioned one I never thought of: drones. Gun control won't stop the person determined to kill and destroy. It didn't stop people who burned others alive, drowned them, stabbed them, beat them-the picture is clear. Guns don't kill. People do. Someone posted this morning that over 84 million gun owners did NOT commit murder.

For all those gun control advocates, please rethink this. Both the head and the heart must be in the right place. All heart is selfish emotion. All head is cold disregard, but when the heart chooses to do evil, God gave us a mind to control those selfish hearts that wants what it wants. Regarding the majesty of the LORD is the only answer.

Keep it going.

It seems like everyone is posting on Facebook that we need to pray for those suffering from Hurricane Harvey in Texas. No argument there. Anyone who's been through a hurricane, let alone 2 and one half hurricanes in three weeks like we did in 2004 appreciates the prayers being lifted on their behalf. It's the only thing that enables you to come out on the other side with any kind of sanity.

For those of you who've never experienced a hurricane, the aftermath can be as bad or worse. Insurance companies are more concerned about the bottom line than the people who pay into that bottom line. Contractors and repairmen descend on the area like locusts and many do not have the work ethic that's needed to restore the damage, let alone improve anything.  In 2004, China was building the Three Gorges Dam and concrete was hard to come by everywhere else.

I wrote to my Congressman and one Florida Senator at the time, asking for pressure on insurance companies who refused to understand that insurance is a pre-paid service. The response I got from both was, "It's not a national issue." A year later, those same men were more than willing to assist the people suffering from Katrina. The cobbler's children go barefoot and the baker's children go hungry, I guess.


For those encouraging everyone to pray, I say a hearty AMEN! I wasn't on Facebook when Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne hit Sebastian between September 4, 2004, and September 25 of the same year. I don't know if the same call for prayer was going on or not. I hope so. Sometimes, it felt like we were fighting the battle all by ourselves, especially after the Congressman and Senator refused any assistance in dealing with corrupt insurance companies.

It's often been said prayer is hard work. I cringe when I hear those words, but it's true. Most of the time, I feel like I'm chanting like the heathen do rather than pouring my heart out to Almighty God.

Does anyone else feel that way? Is that why the churches were full after 9/ll and Congress sang "God Bless America" on the Capitol steps, only to forget all about prayer and the Lord within a very few days? How long did it take for church attendance to return to what it was? How long before Congress was back at partisan bickering over politics? I say again, I heartily concur for those calling for prayer for the suffering in Texas. 

There are other forms of prayer and I wonder how often we express those. How often do we (I) worship Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe? Are my prayers filled with asking God to bless
rather than thanking Him for the way He has blessed? Do I whine because He hasn't done things the way I expected Him to, forgetting His thoughts and ways are not the same as mine? His thoughts and ways are far superior, but am I willing to admit that? Is my attitude petulant when He needs to chastise me for sin? Do I ignore Him when He reminds me that sin is there like Cain did after murdering his brother?

I learned a long time ago that good works is not the way to heaven, but do I still try to manipulate God with good works, rather than coming to Him in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication like He longs for me to do? Am I wholehearted in my devotion to Him, or am I paying lip service, like many of us have done by praying during emergencies and then ignoring Him during the good times? Do my prayer times say I love the Lord and enjoy Him, as the Creed calls for me to do, or am I dutifully putting in time so I won't feel guilty?

II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, Then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and heal their land."

The way things are going in America right now, it's pretty obvious Texas isn't the only place that needs prayer.  Keep it going.

Attitude of gratitude

Exciting times these days. Our son called last night to relieve our anxieties about the tornado-category 2- that ripped up a few stores less than a mile away from where he and his family live. August tornadoes are rare and while there were no deaths, there were damages and injuries, but our son's family was untouched. No need to explain an attitude of gratitude there.

About 10 days ago, I broke my foot and had to stop the morning walks I was enjoying so much. It wasn't easy to be grateful because I've not been exercising for quite a while and finally got around to it again. Three weeks later, it all came to a halt. But, I am grateful. I am reminded again that God loves me and does what's best for me, He's not interested in how much I exercise. He wants to know if I trust Him to do what's best for me.

I have to admit, I wasn't too grateful this morning when I had to walk during shopping. The handicap carts have different instructions for all of them and I couldn't figure them out! A manager asked if he could help me with anything else after he told me where to find the walnuts.  I told him about the carts and he said he'd have to look into it. He understood my frustration, but I smarted off by telling him to tell that to my doctor-and my aching foot and leg! I had to go back and apologize for my bad attitude. Yes, I was frustrated and hurting, but that does not excuse me. As a Christian, I am to be Christ-like and my attitude wasn't.



While I was in the office at home, there was a loud thump, sounding like something hit the house. Concerned that Bob may have fallen, I went to check on him. Sheila was on the love seat, staring out the window, something she doesn't usually do unless someone is approaching the house. Bob was fine and on his way out the door to check on what caused the noise. "There's a car on fire in front of the school!" he exclaimed. Sure enough, flames were coming from both ends of the van. Two fire trucks and three police cars were there, but no ambulance, something to be very grateful for.

I have to say I'm grateful that the Lord has shown me that I'm too high strung to have a job like a policeman or a fireman. They took their sweet time turning the hose on the fires. Me, I would have been scampering about like something insane and not getting anything accomplished other than getting all in a dither. They got the job done in a calm, professional manner. Thanks, Lord.

What was interesting about the fire is that when they turned the hose on it, there was an explosion and a shower of large white sparks, like fireworks. Never saw anything like it before. It happened three or four times. Both in the front of the van and the back. The van was delivering new carpet for the school, so what caused the fire is unknown. Apparently, the carpet man was inside the school, ripping out the old carpet when the fire started.

Again, we have much to be grateful for. The school was just a few feet away and if the wind had been blowing in a westerly direction, it could have burned down the school. However, it was blowing in a northerly direction and there are no buildings that way that could have been harmed.

School starts in a couple of weeks, and I'm grateful for that. The boys are so precious. I had the privilege of scoring one of the boys entry tests today (gave me something to do while I'm laid up.) The boys are tested to determine what they've accomplished in previous schools, rather than for aptitude or IQ. I'm in love already and sincerely hope he'll be joining us when school starts. They're such a joy.

Not sure, though, how grateful I should be for my boss. When he called to ask if I could doing the scoring, I was telling him that I was teasing Bob about getting me one of those truffle blizzards. Bob said he didn't love me that much. Today, I told Bob he really loves me more because he knows I don't need a truffles blizzard. My boss ignored that part of the conversation and brought me one when he brought the tests. I'm grateful I don't want another one. They're OK, but nothing to write home about, so I'm grateful for the lesson.

All in all, I have much to be thankful for. The Bible tells us to be thankful in everything. It's a great way to live.

Walking in the Light

It all started while I was watching "American Ninja Warrior." It wasn't that the participating athletes said anything profound or new. They keep emphasizing the need to stay active. Inspired by their amazing feats of daring do, I decided to abandon my usual excuses and get active.

It's been a long time since I've been active about anything except my teeth. I do enjoy eating and it shows. For years, my excuse to not exercise the rest of me has been myoclonus (sudden, uncontrolled, and unexplained body movements.) I was convinced they increased with activity, especially if I rode the bicycle my son gave me. I allowed myself to believe any activity increased them. Then too, arthritis has crept in. I know, I know, exercise reduces arthritis symptoms, but I couldn't be bothered getting past the initial stiffness and soreness.

Living in Florida is a third excuse. The slightest movement causes sweating. I hate to sweat. Add to that it causes enormous time constraints to exercise in the morning then; shower, wash, dry, and style my hair, get dressed, eat breakfast, put on a face and be at work by 8:00. I'm one of those who the hurrier I go, the behinder I get. However, if I exercise in the evening, the endorphins keep me awake. Another excuse.

Seeing those athletes on Ninja has been a wake-up call. Many of them have serious health issues and yet, all are able to compete. Often, it's the ones with the serious health issues who go the farthest. Many of their stories have been deeply moving. Perhaps the one whose story has moved me the most is the wife of the competitor, rather than the competitor himself, although he trains by carrying her around because she has a very rare disease that has caused her connective tissue to deteriorate. At one point, she said every bone in her body was dislocated. The past two years, she's been a wheel chair and was expected to have a shortened life span. This past year, they've changed their diet and she's begun to exercise with her husband. This year, she's walking beside him! Amazing and humbling.

Armed with such inspiration, it was time to take action. It's often been said if walking is the exercise of choice, 10,000 steps a day are needed, about 1 1/2 hours of effort. Before anything is done, time must be spent studying God's Word and learning about Him. Resetting the alarm also became a necessity. No more sleeping to 6 a.m. Moved it back to 4 a.m., but often anticipate the clock and get up between 3:30 and 4.

At 5:30, armed with flashlights, we set out for the .6 mile hike around the ranch. It's ideal. Sheila and my husband leave me to it after 1 or 2 laps, but I don't mind. Being alone in the pre-dawn hour is a beautiful thing. Normally, I would be apprehensive about the lonely area between the pasture and the lake. It's dark and secluded. Every body of water in Florida has the potential to be home for gators and I really wouldn't want to meet one-daylight or dark. Coyotes sometimes run the property and I wouldn't want to meet them, either. It's also a discomforting thought that men love darkness because their deeds are evil.

Day two put that Scripture verse in perspective. The morning star was twinkling brightly overhead. One of Jesus' names is the Bright and Morning Star. Looking heavenward, I was reminded that I am never alone, even in that dark, secluded spot that could house any number of unpleasant situations. I even took a picture of the morning star and posted it on Facebook. Several complimented the picture.

Each day since has been one of communing with nature. The sunrises have been spectacular. When my brother was stationed in Ethiopia, Africa, he took movie after movie of clouds rolling over the high mountain peaks. The movies were beautiful, but enough was enough. I now understand why he did it. Every morning, the sunrises are so incredible, I just want to share them with everyone. You have to be there to really appreciate them in all their glory.

Only not with me. Where you are. I cherish my time alone. It starts my day peacefully and gratefully. I have 1 1/2 hours to pray, praising the Lord for how good He is, thanking Him for the wonderful place where I live, and asking Him to care for my family, my friends, my country, as well as all those associated with Shiloh Tabernacle Ministries, Inc. Of course, I ask for me, too.

It's next to impossible to have a private audience with a very important person and yet, every morning, I have a private audience with the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of the Universe, the Prince of Peace.  Walking in the Light as He is in the light. Life doesn't get better than this.

Buyer Beware

Sigh. I get so tired of all my negativity. I'd love to be one of those people who can laugh off everything. Unfortunately, I'm not. Too many rich companies trying to dig into our fixed income pockets.

Lately, we've been engaging in more online purchases.  At our age, it's a big mistake, unless we know the site really well. Even then, it can be disappointing. For example, we have on occasion, purchased from the news channel that has "big deals" on holidays. There is a no return policy on those purchases. Until the 4th of July sale, that wasn't a problem.

Then the bottom fell out. My husband ordered a drone at a price in excess of $100. It was broken when it came and not from the shipping. It was very poorly constructed and the broken parts may not be available for replacement. We're waiting to hear from the company that promised to investigate. The hobby shop where he sought replacement parts said it was the cheapest drone he'd ever seen.

He also ordered me a pressure oven from the same sale at better than $90. When it came, the pan that is vital to use the pressure cooker part of the oven was replaced with a pan that will not work. I called the company and was told that oven is no longer made. Another waste of money.

I learned a very hard lesson from the situation. There's no interest in giving people a "deal." There's only interest in helping big companies reduce inventory on something that didn't sell well in the first place. There maybe a tax break in there,too.

About a year ago, I began purchasing a supplement that was supposed to do wonderful things for someone my age. Of course, it's hard to figure out of it's actually working or not. When a certain age is achieved, improvement is not possible. I may have come to the point where even maintenance is no longer possible. About all supplements can do for me now is slow the deterioration.

Long story short, I reordered once last December for a 6 month supply plus a bonus bottle. February, a sales person called and asked me if I wanted to order some more. I told him no. April, he called again. This time I told him no more emphatically. I said if he called again, I would consider it harassment.  After all, I'm still using the 6 month plus bonus order I made in December. He said that order put me on automatic refill. Again, I was emphatic in saying no, expecting him to correct the matter because I decide what I want to buy and when.

Lo and behold, last week, we were notified they were sending the supplement and had billed our credit card. Needless to say, I called to straighten out the matter and when the items arrived in the mail, I wrote "refused" on the unopened package and sent it back, meaning they have to pay the postage for both directions. I informed the company my exact words to make sure they knew how emphatic I was in my refusal and I did the same thing with the credit card company, which informed me that the issue had been corrected by the company.

At 4:00 this morning, a notice came from the credit card company via email, stating I had two payments, one for $98+ and one for $89+. Both were from a company I had never heard of. Ever. How am I supposed to order from a company I don't even know exists?When I called the number, the girl on the line started talking and wouldn't shut up. Ever had that experience? When they start that with me, I yell until I get their attention, which of course, sent her into martyr mode. She coldly informed me she didn't have to work with me unless I sent stopped yelling. Then, shut up and listen.

She proceeded to inform me that the 2 sample products I had ordered on the 4th of July automatically enrolled me and I was being charged for a regular size of the the products. I sent for samples of a product with a completely different name! Deceitful, to say the least. She said she'd be glad to give me a 35% discount on the current order I was refusing to pay for and then she'd cancel future orders. No way, honey. No way. Imperiously, she informed I would pay for what I had ordered-in spite of the fact I had not ordered. Surpassing the 2 week cancellation date (by 3 hours and 22 minutes) constitutes an order. She insisted the credit card company would force me to pay. Wrong. They laughed when I told them what she said.

Each item had a different order number and different phone number, so I called the second number and got a wonderful young man who took care of everything. I didn't have to yell at him. He was gracious and I reciprocated in kind. He listened carefully to my complaint before he cancelled it all out and gave me cancellations numbers to prove it. A call to the credit card company said the bills were pending and hadn't shown up on our account. Give it a few days and check again. If they don't show up, the company took care of it. If they do show up, the credit card company will take care of it.

Done with online shopping.  A banker once told me I was the lightening rod that attracted all the nasty business dealings so other people wouldn't have to suffer what I've been through and corrected. Thanks a lot!

Farming babies

What "farming babies" and speeding cars has to do with one another may be puzzling, but I'm trying to do a disclaimer right off the bat. The subject of farming babies is about to get grizzly and many believers may think I'm trying to be their Holy Spirit and tell them they have to believe and act the way I am. NOT SO.

I use the speeding car as an example of how we should treat each other and allow each to be spoken to by the Holy Spirit and allow each to listen to and obey God, not me.

In the early 1990's Bob had a business meeting in Detroit. We were living in Chicago at the time. It was late January and snowing on the return trip. The snow wasn't sticking, but it was flying into the windshield, reducing visibility. Bob cut 30 minutes off the travel time. I called people in Detroit we had visited prior to our leaving there. She said, "I see the Holy Spirit hasn't convicted Bob about doing the speed limit....But, then, I like to travel with people like that. I get there quicker and I don't have anything to confess!" Bob was a new Christian at the time and instead of scolding him about his breaking the law, she made a joke out of it. Would that we all treat others with the same dignity.

Christianity covers a very broad spectrum. Very broad and not every one of them will agree with me. That gives me no right to feel superior, or them towards me, either. However, when it comes to abortion and other things, I am firm in my beliefs and I'm going to let them be known.

The past year has brought to the public's attention that Planned Parenthood is selling aborted fetal parts. Perhaps America had to stoop that low in order for people to wake up and stand up for the preborn. Face it, we all started in the same way. The only difference between any person and a preborn fetus is age and title. We have infants, toddlers, teens, adults, and the elderly. So what's in a name? We're still all human and we all started as a fertilized egg. Science has recently discovered that there is a bright spark when fertilization takes place, further proof that life begins at conception, when the DNA is formed. The heart beat, brain wave, and spinal cord are functioning about 3 weeks after conception. Most women don't even know they're pregnant until later than that, meaning that baby feels what is being done to it when Mom chooses to terminate.

Selling fetal parts was bad enough, but it really hit home when I learned what is being done with those fetuses. I've known for decades that some Parkinson's medications included fetal material, but never gave it much thought. I've known that I, like Billy Graham, would refuse to accept such treatment. Not being sanctimonious, just standing by what I believe. The very thought of such a thing makes me sick at my stomach. I wanted desperately to ask a woman who thought it was a great idea (her husband died of Parkinson's) exactly which of her grandchildren she would be willing to sacrifice just so someone else could stave off death for another 10 years or so. No, I didn't ask her, but I wanted to. She didn't seem to mind if someone else's child or grandchild died to medicate her husband but, I doubt she'd allow her own to die.

I'm not dismissing the terrible disease of Parkinson's. It has increased over the last 50 years and I'm told it's a horrible death. But, taking the life of the unborn will not stop the death of the elderly patient for long. Whether it makes the death less painful, I honestly do not know. I only know that it's been proven repeatedly that abortion is physically painful to the preborn and most often emotionally painful to the mother and family members as well. It does not solve anything, just exacerbates the problems and the pain.

Last week, someone posted something far more grisly. It's preyed on my mind ever since. Not only is fetal tissue being incorporated in medicines, it is now being included in our food, drink, and cosmetics! How sick can this nation be? How dare we feel superior to Nazi Germany?

Take a good look. Recognize any of those bottles? Pepsi has been a favorite in my family for over 60 years. And, now this.


What about any of these? Nestle, Lipton, Campbell's soups, Cadbury Adams candies, Kraft-Cadbury Adams products. And, there's more. While looking for a Lipton logo, I just found out Lipton makes Green Mountain Coffee, which I just purchased to get away from another product! I almost feel hopeless. Almost. My list of boycotts is growing by leaps and bounds and my world is shrinking. Looks like I'm going to have to start my own garden and go back to scratch cooking. It won't hurt me and it will help a lot more than the junk being passed off as food and drink that is doing who knows what to our physical health?


Worse, what has it done to us spiritually? God gave the land to Israel because other nations had soaked the land with blood. Anyone who's ever read Scripture knows that. Adrian Rogers, now in heaven, was noted for saying if God didn't punish America, He owed Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. He's so right. We so sanctimoniously think we are superior to bloody nations now extinct. Guess what. We're worse than they are. We know better, but they didn't. We excuse ourselves by saying we didn't know. (Germany unsuccessfully tried that one.) Finally, we give up instead of fighting.

Going back to my first paragraph, I recognize the very wide spectrum included in what we define as Christianity. Only God knows who His children are and who think they are. I'm no one's judge. God didn't call me to that, but He did make this perverse atrocity known to me for a reason. Therefore, I will not now or ever again knowingly partake of any product that includes fetal tissue. Like I said, my choices have been narrowed considerably. It infuriates me to think people have the audacity to think "what I don't know won't hurt me." WRONG. God called on the Israelites to have a special sacrifice to repent of UNKNOWN SINS they committed. I didn't know I was consuming aborted fetuses, but I repented when I did learn and I intend to avoid that in every way I can. I also intend to sound the alarm. Should anyone choose to join me, please let me know. Should anyone dismiss me as a Bible-thumping, Pharisaical, bigoted crackpot, I shall wear that badge with pride and leave you to God.