Less of Me

I recently learned that one can be self-confident, self-centered and still insecure.
Being self-confident isn't necessarily a bad thing but being self-centered is.
I think I can be all three.
Sometimes I'm very self-confident. I feel like I am smart, hard working, and somewhat personable (in the right circumstances)   But still I am insecure. I will often doubt myself, those very things I am confident about.  I wonder if maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am or as others are?  Hey, how many mistakes can you find in this blog?  LOL  Grammar is not my strong suit.  Sometimes I will think that I don't work as hard as someone else.  Wow, some people can work circles around me.  And then other times, even though I can talk to people one on one, if I am in a crowd I want to be sick!
I also am often very self-centered as well.  I often make things about me.  I expect too much from people. 
So what do I do to change?  It's so hard to change how your mind works.  I don't think I can keep my expectations at bay.  But I can turn those expectations around and try to focus on what people have already done for me. Often spouses, family, and friends disappoint but if those people are really genuine then I will find things about them to reflect on where I've had good experiences with them.  So instead of thinking of what they aren't doing, I will try and focus on what they have done.  Because, honestly we are human and cannot be everything to everyone. Sometimes our lives get in the way of being there for others. 
Recently I've had to deal with some people who are disingenuous, selfish, unforgiving and gossipers.  Of those I say "I can be thankful for these difficult people in my life, for they have shown me how not to be!"  Those people often are so worried about talking behind your back they cant fix the faults in theirs.  So I've chosen to not give them too much thought, except what I don't want to be like!
Another way that I fit in the character of being self-centered is I worry too much about my looks, or how people perceive me, or if people like me.  Again, when I do this, I'm giving this too much thought!
I don't think I can keep doubt about myself from creeping in from time to time.  The solution is not to believe it.  I'm trying to figure out how to do that.
Just yesterday, I read in my devotion "Breakfast with Jesus" by Greg Laurie how John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ.  When Christ started His ministry John said about Christ "He must increase, but I must decrease"  He prepared the way for Christ by proclaiming His coming.  I think we too need to proclaim Jesus to people but I often let myself get in the way of that.  I think too much about me.  I need less of me and more of HIM.  I need to worry more of how things reflect on Christ than how they reflect on me. 
How can I do this?  I'm not sure.  I'm still pondering this.  Again it's a battle of the mind.  I want to not worry about what others think and be more humble.  I want to share God's word without worrying how people will take it.
Yesterday on Facebook I read where someone was really attacking people for praying to "a magical person in the sky".  One person stood up to him and proclaimed her faith.  He continued to belittle God and prayer and anyone who would believe such nonsense.  I realized one thing as I read his comments, this atheist was being inflated by the chance to attack God.  I didn't want to feed his ego.  But I thought, Saul of Tarsus was a great persecutor of Christians. But God (not man) chose to reach him.  God stopped him in his tracks and turned him into Paul, the man that wrote most of the New Testament.  Saul, renamed Paul, the persecutor of Christians, who went on to preach to many about Jesus Christ and even gave up his life for the gospel. 
So as I see it, no matter what I say or do, how people accept or don't accept what I stand for, ultimately it's in God's hands.  I should never give myself too much credit.  I think this is my answer.  If I think too much of what I say, I must realize that it's not about me.  Its about HIM.

What I Wish People Would Know About Me ~I am nothing without Christ

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny."
~ lyrics to "Christ Alone"

 

 

 

I am very moved by this song.  I think because anytime I hear about the blood of Jesus cleansing me it reminds me of why I love Him so much, why my Faith is renewed, how I've needed that cleansing blood in my life!

I wasn't always living for Christ.  I spent many years, living for myself.  I believed but I didn't want to serve.  I wanted to serve my own purposes, my own pleasures.  I often thought of my soul and if during this time I'd be lost if I died.  I believe God had a greater purpose for me even while I was serving my own purpose.  He didn't allow me to die because He had called me to live for Him at a very young age. 

I was first baptised at the young age of about 6.  I loved Sunday School, I loved the Bible, I loved Jesus.  So at a little Baptist church that I often went to by myself  (we lived across the street) I asked to be baptised and the pastor told me the significance of Baptism.  I was washing away the sinful man (which at the age of 6 I'm sure my sins were not very significant but I still had a selfish heart) and I was rising out of the water as a new child of God.  Not one that would just live for Him on Sunday, but one who would read her Bible, communicate with God through prayer and try to live a pure life that God choose for me.  Not to hinder me, but to bless me.  Not to make me a robot who mindlessly believed, followed and served out of obligation, but a true Christian who sought Him with her heart and felt His presence in the good times and the bad times.  I had a great example, of course, in my mom.  And my dad for 11 short years.  My parents were flawed, but they also were forgiven as I learned through my years I would be too. 

My faith remained strong, I thought.  Until I was going through my mid twenties.  Life was not all I expected.  I wanted excitement.  I didn't like to go to church anymore because it left me with convictions.  Convictions that were not forced upon me but that were coming from my heart (where God continued to dwell)  I tried to put out of my mind the gentle tugs from God.  I walked deeply into a lifestyle that spiraled into sin.  I made decisions that felt good at the time, they were pleasurable and I even felt justified.  I thought why shouldn't I do this, I'm an adult I've not experienced this or that, what am I missing?  I won't go into the sins I committed (I'll leave you guessing) unless you really know me then you probably were there with me watching me struggle.  This path I stayed on for 10 years. 

I went through divorce at this time and felt angry with God.  I wondered how he could take away the very thing I thought He blessed.  But He didn't take it away, we ruined it with one bad decision after another.  I still blamed God and even the church for not caring enough.  It wasn't God, it wasn't the church.  It was an evil liar who comes in the form of pleasure/temptation that made me believe God didn't love me.  Sound familiar to the serpent in the Garden of Eden? 

I met my husband now and we were two very different people. After being engaged I finally told him that I didn't want to sit at home and worry who he was with or when he'd be home from the bar with his friends.  This is not who I wanted to be married to.  I wasn't perfect of course.  But he stopped going to bars and I was happy.  We didn't live a wild lifestyle but we didn't live for any purpose than our own.  We raised our kids the best we could but they often witnessed some bad decisions. 

We often talked about what we believed about God and the Bible.  My husband had some mixed feelings because of his upbringing, which a very forced and mechanical religion played into that.  I remember sharing with him my beliefs but still felt like I couldn't live the life I once did.  I felt like I was never going to be able to restore my faith. 

We started looking for a church to try to piece together our lives and have a foundation to raise our kids on.  Once in church again, the songs stirred up feelings in me.  Especially songs like "At the Cross" or "Oh the Blood of Jesus"  So I got baptized again when my husband decided to confirm his faith.  He was really digging in.  He was studying the Bible and his faith was growing.  Mine was getting there but I sometimes felt I was just clinging to his faith instead of my own.  I was still having a hard time putting my trust in God again.  He hadn't let me down, put I still believed He had.  I believed my life should of been perfect when I was trying to be a good Christian.  And when it was less than perfect I blamed God. 

I didn't get what I so profoundly understand now.  People that truly put their trust in God withstand the trials of life and they grow through them.  God allows his children hard times so they learn and they learn to help others.  I often resented my husband because even though I called him my spiritual leader I felt he was better than me.  I had an opportunity to allow God to keep me from a painful situation but I choose to ignore Him and do what I wanted.  This is where that led if you care to read this poem I wrote. http://lojdandelion.blogspot.com/2007/07/my-spirit-struggled-i-heard-whispering.html

However today I have to say God has been working in my life and I've felt redeemed, forgiven and my faith restored beyond what it ever was.  My childlike faith has turned into a deeper faith I feel.  One that I depend on in good and bad times.  One I believe will be rewarded not in this life, but in my next.  I may still be tempted to make selfish decisions and I may mess up but I know that God is available to provide me a way out though if I just listen to Him.

 

 

 

"In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand"

~lyrics from "Christ Alone" 

What happens to people who never hear about God?



The question, what happens to people who have never heard about God was unanswered in my mind until today.  I read the story of the blind man that Jesus healed in John 9:35-41. Inparticular I was interested in the part of that Bible verse where Jesus said to the blind man "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains" The Bible tells us that God is a just God.  It would be foolish to believe that He'd judge a person who never knew about Him the same as someone who did.
No matter where we live we are born with a soul.  That soul has a longing in it.  As Eccles. 3:11 says
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." 
However, some people refuse to accept what is in their very heart.  They drown out that yearning toward God.  Why?  The Bible defines why?  "God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰ All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed"
I did this myself for at least 10 years of my adulthood.  I believed there was a God.  I did have skepticism.  But skepticism isn't unbelief.  I wanted to keep living my life in the dark because there were things in my life that were rebellious.  I believe that God didn't force Himself onto me but waited patiently as the father did with the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32) In time I chose belief.  And yes, you chose it.

Where is The White Picket Fence?

It is Father's Day and I am blessed to have a wise and spiritual leader as the father in my family.  This guy often gets "understands" things I don't get.  This I will talk about later.  But first I want to give him credit for helping me raise our three children.  Imagine being single with two small children and wondering how you are going to provide a roof over their heads, stability and happiness when their home was yanked apart by that dirty 7 letter word, "divorce".  So what if I'm happier, what about them?  So after doing it on my own for about a year I meet their now step dad.  I say to him, "How do you feel about starting your nest with two children already in it"?  He doesn't only not mind, he embraces it and loves my kids as his own.  And then we had our youngest son, who will always be branded, "the baby"  Sure there were tumultuous days.  Wow...does anyone really live a life without these?  Which brings up the title of my blog, "Where is The White Picket Fence?"  To some, this question may leaving you scratching your head.  White picket fence, what the heck is she talking about?  Oh its just this little idea I had from growing up of how families are suppose to be.  Once upon a time, my spiritually wise hubby told me (let me paraphrase in my own words, cause I can't remember his, to be honest!)  We should not look on the surface of our homes, whether families "look like" they are doing things right (who really is fooled into believing someone has a perfect home...seriously?)  But what maters is the end result.  Does it matter whether us, or our kids make mistake after mistake, if God is using that to get us to a better place spiritually?  Isn't what is on the inside of one's heart (that we eventually learn to trust God and not in ourselves, prosperity, intelligence, fun or anything else)  Isn't this what truly maters?  So to my fellow strugglers, "Trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  (my paraphrase from the Bible)  so tear down those white picket fences and embrace that barbed wire because it may lead to a better ending.  Happy Father's Day to all you dads doing the best you can!

Being "Put Off" by Christianity

I've recently joined a women's christian facebook group.  What I love about it is the realness of the women.  We share our lives with each other and we don't judge. 
As Christians we need to present ourselves as humans, not extraordinary beings. We need to have many facets to our lives.  If we go around only preaching to people we tend to turn them off.   I am often put off by people who only share scripture but don't share other aspects of their lives.
We need to be relatable to other people presenting ourselves as multifaceted. We can show our true colors, our interests, how we enjoy this beautiful life God is giving us. We can even show our shortcomings, how we might doubt or how we might fear. This makes us real to those around us, so they might think it's possible to be a Christian. Being "religious" often makes people indifferent or repels them.
Jesus told stories of which people could relate to about real life, parables. Jesus made himself real to the fisherman, the tax collectors, the prostitutes. He told stories they could relate to unlike the pharisees who only read from the scriptures and didn't relate to people. If we go around only preaching to people we tend to turn them off.
This doesn't mean we are to act like the world.  I'm not saying join in on the sinful behavior of the world to win them. We still need to stand apart and stand for what we believe.  We shouldn't hurt the Christian name by flaunting to the world our sins.  But showing God's grace because we do sin is a living example. 
Working in a secular world, my husband can not exclude himself from hearing God's name used in vain, people who gossip, people who mock God or His people.  It is not always easy to let these things slide.  But I've also slipped, laughed at a distasteful joke, gossiped or cursed.  But what I can do is show that I've not lost my faith because of it.  So many of the people in the Bible were flawed.  Moses often got angry, David committed murder and adultery, Peter denied Christ.  Yet these were the men God used to further His kingdom.
Some people will always be haters of the word of God.  These people we can't change, only God can.  But we can love them.

Luke 18:9-14

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
~scriptures taken from www.biblegateway.com

All We Need is Love

Lack of connectedness, quiet desperation and isolation; these are issues plaquing the 21st century youth. Extreme pressure, demanding expectations often self-imposed; are causing anxieties and stress. "All We Need is Love" was the Beatles song. It that all we need? I believe it is. But can we get that from mere humans who fail and disappoint us. Those who don't understand us? Our parents don't get us, our peers not always, so who does? Who cares? We've all felt unlove, unimportant, misunderstood. Where does this disconnectiveness come from? A lack of realizing your worth. Each of us has passions, gifts, destinct personalities, uniqueness. We need to know we have worth. We all long for an answer to why we are here.
This is where faith comes in. Faith in a God who wants to establish relationship with us. The Gospel is not here for mere religion. It is not about being good enough to earn your way to heaven. It is a story of man, his failures, his need for redemption, his need for purpose, his need for relationship and love. It is about God's passion to have a relationship with you.
When there is little life experience to reflect on one can not see the possibilities in every situation. Making the most of all what life deals us is often too difficult to handle on our own. But God has given us each a purpose. Each individual's purpose may not be known to them, but it is known to God. When one puts his faith in God and cries out for God's help, he may find a relationship that not only sustains through the hard timse but a love that surpases any human love. If you don't think you can be loved try letting God love you.

*portions of this note taken from the book "Beyond Belief to Convictions" by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler

When I am Discouraged

by Lorie Reading on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 12:40pm

from Facebook note

"Sorrow is not a stanger to any of us, though only a few have learned that is is not our enemy either." -John and Stasi Eldredge* "Happiness is solely based on our circumstance, while contentment transcends our circumstances."* Contentment is in the soul.
I'm troubled by the belief that Christians should always be happy. This is so far from the truth. Jesus said "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death." Mark 14:34 and He went and prayed. David said "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?" but he also said "I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again- my Savior and my God!" Psalm 43:5 So many people have thorns or adversary in their life. Sometimes they have to live with it their whole lives. However, as Christians we don't have the promise of joy, joy, joy all the time, but help in our suffering. "When things went wrong in people's lives, whether it was about their physical or spirtitual condition or some tragedy that happened to them, I don't recall Jesus ever looking for the hand of God in it. Instead, he had compassion on suffering people."*
Our community lost 2 people to suicide last week. One was a neighbor and a client of mine. I cannot relate to the devastation it caused his family. Can anyone really understand it? I don't know the pain he was experiencing or the torment of his inner demons. As a wise old man told me, "Nobody knows the pain he might of been going through" Sometimes pain is emotional. So until you've walked in someone's shoes... I don't believe suicide is the answer however I don't want to judge the person.
"The last thing a trouble person needs is to be judged."* What I need when I get in a pit of depression or heartache is to be in communion with God and really listening for his voice. Our noisy world keeps that voice out. "There are fewer and fewer oases of silence in our noisy world. Communication has higher value for us than contemplation. Information is in greater demand than reflection." -Barbara Brown Taylor* I have a hard time when I get down to really reflect on God's word or pray. It's the last thing Satan wants me to do. This is spiritual war. We are equipped as Christians to deal with things if we use the tools God gave us, prayer and His Word.
"For our present trouble are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. for the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see wil last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17,18 This world is not my home.
"Adversaity reveals genius, Prosperity conceals it" -Roman Poet Horace* Don't get to caught up in things.
"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Matthew 16:26
Most of these words were not my own but just pieces of wisdom I've gleened from the Bible and others.

*excerpts from the book "Living with Thorns" Mary Ann Froehlich
Bible verses taken from the New Living Translation

Messages From Beyond?

We had something interesting happen the other day. Rog, Erik and I were at dad's picking up brush piles from the fields and on the radio was the song "You are my shining star" Which I reminded Erik was the song that gma Beverly's favorite bear "Ringo" played. We had gotten her the bear at the hospital once and it had a star on it's foot so she named it Ringo. We had put it in the casket with her when she died. After we were done working in the field I checked my cell phone which was on me in a case and there was a picture of Beverly on the screen. A picture that was taken 3 years ago and mixed in with lots of other pics on my cell. Erik commented "That's Weird" and Rog simply said "Mom is saying Hi" :)
This story is similar to a story shared by my sister. "Annette was down in Arkansas when Mom passed and we couldn't get in touch with her for a while. When we did Annette was very upset that we hadn't been able to let her know mom was so bad. She was crying and when she got into the truck with her friend her cell phone started making strange flashes, then up popped a picture of mom that she had in with all her other pictures"
Also shared by my sister, Mary who lost her husband of 50 years this past June, is this story. "One morning I woke up to the smell of Old Spice, and there isn't any Old Spice in the house. The smell was all through the house for most of the day. (This has happened once more time since then) Bill loved Old Spice but when he was so sick he couldn't wear it because the smell made him sick . The kids would always buy him the expensive after shave and we would always smile at each other because Old Spice was what he liked the best and me too because it is what Dad always wore and Bill had wore when we were going together."
And again a story by Mary about my brother-in-law. "at Christian's(their grandson) BD party...Bill had always wanted to get him a Nerf machine gun and Bill would always put it in the cart and I would have to tell him we couldn't buy it for Christian because his mom didn't want him to play with guns. But this year she called and said if I wanted to get the Nerf gun to go ahead and get it, because he was begging for one. So I did and it was the best thing he ever got, or so he said. After the party I told Bill(Jr) how happy Dad would have been seeing Christian so happy with the dart gun, as I was telling Bill this, he was folding up the birthday gift bags, he felt there was something inside one and tipped it over and emptied it into his hand, I saw the look on his face and asked, "What is it?" He showed it to me. It was one of the memory rocks that they had for Bill at the funeral home. I feel this was another way God has allowed Bill to let us know his precense is with us."
I had to share these stories for those who have lost loved ones so they may know that God doesn't stop caring about our sorrow. I believe He sometimes gives us these glimpses of our loved ones, even though they are physically gone from us. Feel free to share your stories with me. I'd love to hear them.

Scriptures for the Day

"What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever" (Isaiah 5:20–21 NLT).Psalm 1 begins, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (verses 1–2, NKJV)."Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant" (Galatians 6:7 NLT).
However...Jesus said,"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10 NKJV).
I don't wish to add years to my life. I do wish to live my life more abundantly. This world is not my home, I'm just passing thru!

Do I Dare Ask God for a Sign?

I often think of the people of the Bible who witnessed miracles and signs and I ask myself if I dare ask God for a sign? Well, I did! I have a peace lily that hasn't bloomed since the first blooms died off last winter. I am not a plant expert and have a rather black thumb but the plant was surviving well. Then one day I noticed one tall bloom! I don't know why this thought came to me but I asked God if he'd show me a sign that all my children would someday serve Him. Acts 16:31 (King James Version)
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." So I asked that he let 2 more blooms form on my plant, one for each child. While watering it a few days later, I noticed a new bloom...then a few more days as I cleaned I saw a third bloom. Now I have 3 full blooms. It was a simple request but yet a much needed sign. I can rest in the fact that God has my children close to His heart ever so gently calling them to Him.

I then dared to ask for a bloom for each of my grandchildren...I have one and one on the way! My husband said to God, "Now you understand how I feel. Nothing is ever good enough!" Well, I'm happy with the three blooms and I do trust God will take care of my grandchildren too!

The Wisdom of the World

1Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[a]20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?... 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

In a previous blog I said that I intended to elaborate on facts that support the Bible. Even though I myself am more of a spiritual believer and accept faith without science or theory there are those who are intellectual that seek after facts. I just watched the movie "Expelled" with Ben Stein, a documentary about professionals that have lost their positions, grants,etc. because they chose to believe in Intelligent Design. I recommend this movie if you wish to see how scientists and theologians on both sides feel about "Darwinism" and "Intelligent Design" It seems that there is no room for intelligent design in our schools, museums, etc any more. It is sad. It takes away all hope of the meaning of life. We live, we die, the end. How sad. I would rather believe that a Creator such as the God of the Bible designed life. I have a hard time believing that a single cell "just came" into existence and then evolved into all life forms. The "Darwinists" cannot even attest to where this cell came from. They "just don't know" So how do they know it wasn't intelligent design??? It is evident that life among it's own species does evolve. But to believe I evolved from another species seems ignorant to me or that life started on the back of a crystal or from an evolved higher species (some Darwinists' theories, see "Expelled")
Back to defending the Bible as true I will simply state one fact I've found interesting and supporting.
The Bible has hundreds of prophesies in the Old Testament (See the book of Isaiah) written 100s of years before they were fulfilled in the New testament about the coming of Christ and His life on Earth.
"In 1947 a shepherd boy tending his father’s sheep in Qumran, north and to the west of the Sea in Israel, made an amazing discovery while looking for a lost sheep. There in Qumran, in a hillside cave that had laid untouched for nearly two thousand years, he discovered an ancient collection of hand written copies of the Old Testament. These scrolls had been hidden in caves by the Essenes, a Jewish sect living in Qumran, 2,000 years ago. These scrolls and writings (now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls) represented every book of the Old Testament except the Book of Esther, and are considered one of the greatest discoveries in modern times"http://www.alwaysbeready.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=0
Coming soon...More amazing Bible facts.

Creation Museum

We went to a new museum on our vacation. It is The Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. It combines the Biblical account of creation and science. Most museums use science to tell you how old dinasaurs were, how man came into existance, etc. One of things I liked about the dinosaur exhibit was that it shows you fosils and asks you to draw your own conclusions. Such as if a dinasaur had sharp teeth what would you perceive about it? That it is a meat-eater? Well, that would be a conclusion based on many of the animal species. However, the Koala bear, a vegetarian has sharp teeth to tear into the bamboo that they eat. Interesting...

What is science? It is man taking a little of what he does know (facts) and combining it with his own bias. How often does science disproves itself? One moment scientist theories say they know something then they find out otherwise. I've never had much faith in science. I trust that we are a result of intelligent design.

Some questions to ask? Did man and dinosaur live together? How about the Indian cave drawings showing man and dinosaur together. Are dinosaur bones really millions of year old? What about the T-rex bone that was found with red blood cells still intact?

The museum has very interesting exhibits. Some are replicals of dinosaurs, Deplictions of Noah's arc with one 3 story room exhibiting 1% of the actual size of the ark, and wax exhibits of Adam and Eve and the fall of man. The outside botonical gardens were beautiful with exquisite pond lillies, waterfalls, dinasaur carved subery, swinging bridges, gazebos and lush greenery.

** For more information on the creation museum go to http://www.answersingenesis.org/

***Due to some unexplainable problem with blogger I am no longer able to post pics:(

Our Astonishing World

"The law of biogenesis states that life always comes from life. Both observational science and Genesis 1 tell us that organisms reproduce after their own kind. This and other natural laws exist because the universe has a Creator who is logical and has imposed order on His universe."
"Everything in the universe, every plant and animal, every rock, every particle of matter of light wave, is bound by laws which it has no choice but to obey."
-Jason Lisle, Phd
quotes taken from Answers Magazine Oct.-Dec. 2006

Crepuscular Rays



A Bipolar Emission Nebula


















Tornado and Rainbow over Kansas

Results From "Survey of the Opinionated"

I sent out "a survey for the opinionated" recently via e-mail. Thanks to a few of my friends and family I got some interesting answers to some controversial subjects. I want to compile those answers, trying to vary them. I don't necessarily agree or disagree but I found the diverse answers interesting. There were a few opinions that weren't elaborated on, probably cause they are touchy subjects, (eg. Being born gay and pro-choice). Following you will find some of the answers I received. *I will interject new opinions if I receive them. Or you may post a comment at the end. Thanks.
1. Would you consider yourself, Conservative or Liberal?
5 conservative and 2 liberal. 1 very conservative and only one who elaborated:
"Politics is not my thing, it is so messed up" -Nick
2. Do you believe in Creation or Evolution?
6 for creation, 1 for evolution and 2 who elaborated :
"Creation and micro "evolution." That means that I believe living beings can adapt over time based on changes to their environment. For example, people who work in freezers, like meat packers, develop an extra layer of fat under the skin of their hands which provides protection from constant exposure to cold. There are lots of other examples of small biological changes that occurs when our body becomes stressed and needs to change. I do not believe in macro "evolution: which is the jump of one species to another... One time I saw a picture in National Geographic of a gorilla wading in a stream. He was standing straight and up to his chest in water and I thought, "Woa, he really does look a lot like a man." Then I asked myself why God would create such a creature that had so many similarities to a human being? My theory is that God created all animals and brought them to Adam to show him,"Look, none of these animals, however similar, are a suitable companion for you because you are unique. They many look a little like you or act a little like you but they are not like you. Only the companion that I create will be the perfect match for you." I think God wanted Adam to realize that he was set apart in a special place in God's creation.- Pam
"I believe that all was created but some animals have evolved from their original form."-Christie 3. Do you believe in Censorship?
Here it appears that people are mixed.
2 No, 4 yes, 3 yes and no
Some elaborated:
"I believe in freedom of speech although when it comes to TV and such I think you need some conservative censorship to protect our youths from language, sex, etc."-Roger
"For adults not really, as for children somethings are not meant for them to hear or see."-Christie
"No... Censorship is a dangerous road because who determines what needs to be censored...You have to take the good with the bad and learn to discern truth from untruth."-Pam
4. Do you believe in Capital punishment?
4 yes, 2 no and 3 not sure
"No...My daughter asked me once if all the soldiers were going to go to hell for killing people. How do you say you can't kill people and then say, well only in these circumstances."-Pam
"Yes, if you kill (premeditated) you should die. God laid down guidelines for this back with the Israelites."-Roger *He also believes there is a difference in killing (as in war) and murder (as in premeditated)
5. The war in Iraq, good or bad?
3 good, 3 bad and 3 both
"All war is bad!! Not just Iraq...But I also believe in defending our country...Strongly..But we have war on the streets of America... Drug wars, political war, racist war, Christian war, etc. etc,... But, I love America and we need to do something to straighten out our country...What?? I wish I knew where to start."- Traci's aunt"Good!! Better on their soil than ours. I believe they left us no choice."- Christie
"Very good-Democracy in the region will stabilize it over time."-Tom
6. Love Dogs or Cats? This was to be a light hearted question in the mix of complicated ones!
I thought this would be a gender thing. But wasn't really.
6 love both, 1 prefers cats and 1 dogs, and 1 "No, just like them."-Tom
*"Dogs, Cats are evil."-Jess (she's allergic to cats!)
7. Life after death? Does heaven and hell exist?
This certainly wasn't a cut and dry answer.
Only 3 people believe in hell but most believe in an after life."Yes, I believe in life after death. I believe Hell does not exist but I do believe our spirits go somewhere, a type of Heaven maybe until we are ready for our next life."-Nikki"I believe the Bible. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies: and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26 Hell? Matthew 10:28"-Myself8. Who is God?
Most expressed belief in God as the creator. Others also said:"I believe there is more than one & they are Male & Female."-Nikki"...Mostly I think, for me, he's the still small voice that is constant and ever present that defines my life for me and brings stillness and peace."-Pam
"The Father, the Son, the Holy spirit, the creator and Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior."-Roger
9. Spanking our own children?
5 believe in spanking (not beating) 4 against spanking
"(Spanking not beating) only in extreme cases when nothing else will get a child's attention and they are headed for serious trouble."-Tom
"I think spanking confuses children. This is from my experience as a child and from what I've heard/seen from my own children. Discipline is good. I believe in consistency in discipline and finding each child's form of currency. "-Myself10. Teachers spanking our children?
3 yes, 4 no and 2 agree to the following:
"I think that since the discipline has been taken away from the teachers that the kids are more out of control and not as respectful.. I know that when I was in school and a teacher threatened to take you out in the hall for a smack, the class straighten right up though. I would be worried about whether the teacher and I would not see "eye to eye' on whether what the child did warranted a spanking.'-Traci
11. Are you a racist?
4 said no, others felt they were somewhat racist
"We all are to some degree, but that's no excuse to let it rule you."-Roger
"Only toward people who want special attention because of their race."-Christie
12. Pro-life, Pro-choice?
8 pro-life, 1 pro-choice
"Pro-life, yet again another tough one there can be so many variables here."-Nick
"Pro-life and pro-forgiveness, I am strongly opposed to abortion, but every woman who has made this choice and regretted it deserves forgiveness. "-Myself
*"Pro-life, it's not a choice that should be made by anyone other than God."-Jess
13. Sex-education at home, at school?
7 for both home and school, 2 for at home
"At home, but the reality is that sex is everywhere. Kids are going to be exposed."-Pam
"Sex ed class in high school I think would be OK but parents should start talking to their kids as soon as they know what sex is."-Traci
14. Dr. Phil, Love him, hate him, don't care?
I included this question 'cause I've come across some people that dislike him quite a bit.
4 liked him 1 hated him, 2 don't care and 2 never watched him
"He's okay when I agree with him."-Roger
"Like him most of the time although I do think that he is pretty full of himself most of the time. He does do a lot of good things for many people though."-Traci
15. Passing out condoms to teens?
2 said yes, 3 said no, 2 said this is up to parents, 1 unsure, 1 said don't care
"They started passing out condoms at school and the teen birth rate went up along with sexually transmitted disease. Passing out condoms is telling them, GO AHEAD...Parents are responsible for takin care of this...NOT the schools.."-Traci's aunt
"I'm for it, teens are going to have sex either way! This way they are less likely to spread disease and have unwanted pregnancies."-Christie
16. Prayer in School?
4 said yes, 2 said no, 3 said on a voluntary basis
"I believe that we should not take God out of the schools. This is America and if the ones that don't like it, they need to go back where they came from."-Traci
"I think prayer in school should be allowed on an optional basis. If my child went to school in another country and was forced to say prayer to an idol, I'd be disturbed. I can understand a non-believing parent feeling like that about Christian prayers. I don't think Christianity should be forced or hindered. It always has to be a free choice. That's the way God planned it."-Pam
17. Marriage between same sex?
2 yes, 7 no
"Marriage sure, if both people are in love, why not? But I don't think it is right for them to raise kids."-Christie
18. Born gay, become gay?
2 born gay, 7 become gay
"Gay is a personal choice."-Tom
"Are we born with a sexual preference?  I would say no because our sexual desires don't come into play til we are adolescents.  However many gay ppl would say it is not a choice.   It would seem like we have no choice in who we love, so ppl who commit adultery could also say that it was not their choice, they just fell in love.  So it's a sin issue and has to be dealt with between the person and God.  Like all sins, forgiveness and deliverance is available to those who ask. 1 John 1:9"
19. Union, non-union?
3 union, 1 non-union, 2 neither, 1 both, and 2 unsure
"Non-union has done well for both my husband and my father."-Christie
"Both can be evil."-Nick
"Management will never change, always trying to get the most for the least. Unions will never be effective for the same reason. A person must make their capabilities valuable."-Tom
20. Absolute Truth, relativism?
4 for absolute truth, 4 for relativism, 1 other
"God's word is absolute truth. Nothing in this world (other than God's rules of nature) is black and white just various shades of gray."-Tom
"Absolute truth but who decides the truth? You or God?"-Roger
That concludes my survey. This was really time consuming! But I enjoyed it. I wonder, has anyone's opinion changed by hearing others? I know I was quite impressed upon by some answers. Thanks.
How about Gun control? Something to think about...

Relativism v/s Absolute Truth

"Relativism- a theory that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind and condition of knowing; a view that ethnical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them." Merrium-Websters Collegiate Dictionary 10th edition. As in the poem "The Blind Men and The Elephant" -A Hindoo Fable by John Godfrey Saxe, three blind men approached an elephant, one his trunk, one his tusk and one his leg, each believing "this is a snake" "a spear", "a tree". When in truth only the story teller knew the truth. I believe God is the story teller in the story of life. The Bible is the guidebook of life. If we chose to believe it we must weigh its truths. Acts 17:11"...and they searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so." I think God has given us a guide to what will give us the best possible life. If we don't lie we don't jeopardize our character and people trust us. If we don't steal or covet we won't become greedy and will earn what we have. If we don't commit adultery or murder we won't hurt others and ourselves. Treating our bodies as a temple of God we won't subject ourselves to STDs, lung cancer, addictions. These and others are Biblical guidelines. These are not just there to shock people into moral conduct. Relativism is the opposite of absolute truth. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." John 8:32 Truth is that which is real, complete and unchanging. We can't trust in science since it is always changing. Society is always changing. What is normal is always changing. But we can trust in Jesus Christ. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrew 13:8