May 2005 Archives

I have always heard it said:

"Going to church makes you a Christian about as much as sitting in a garage makes you a Cadillac."

I have always loved that saying.

I read this in my email this morning and could not help but thank God for the mercy He shows us and the comfort He gives us. May we strive to be as merciful and comforting as God expects us to be.

Where does mercy come from?

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NLT

Reflecting on Today's Passage

Mercy originates with God. Since we are created in his image, when we show mercy we reveal godliness. Not only is God the source of mercy, but he has enabled (and expects) us as his creation to reflect his attributes.

As Paul reminds us, mercy is not just something for our own benefit. In fact, since sin is essentially self-centeredness, righteousness is the opposite, focusing our lives outwardly, toward God and the needs of others. Like a cup filled to overflowing, when God is merciful to us, that mercy should spill over onto other people.

We are also reminded that God doesn't promise an easy life for believers. We will continue to have troubles and we will stumble, but we can be confident that a merciful God is always there.

From the newsletter, God's Daily Promises. To subscribe, enter your email address and scroll down until you find the newsletter. Click subscribe and submit. God's Daily Promises is provided by Left Behind.

You didn't even realize that I was gone, did you? :)

The last few days have been very busy ... I mean very busy. First of all, my mouse died. And, being that it was Memorial Day weekend ... well, I did not have time to get me a new mouse. My brother gave me one this morning, so here I am.

This weekend was jam packed with family and activities. For two days the house was full of nephews and nieces. We had a volley ball net up. We played badmitton. We played horse shoes. We played basketball. We had the slip & slide out with the sprinklers going full force. There was spades and dominoes to be played. We grilled ribs, pork chops, bratwurst, polish sausages, pork steaks, fish, chicken, and hamburgers. We also fried catfish and corn nuggets. There was also sweet potato pie, pasta salad, brownies, baked beans, potato salad, green beans & potatoes, and other dishes that I can't even recall at this point.

We had a ball!

And, the money it all cost! I tell you when summer hits the cash flow gets tight. Between end of school activities, year books, camp registration fees, and Memorial Day ... I am broke. That is not good, especially since my birthday is next week and I am thinking about grilling out this weekend to celebrate. But, there are leftovers today which means I won't have to cook tonight. You just have to find the silver lining, ya know? :)

I tell you ... I must belong to the craziest Freecycle™ list there is. For real. The moderator is constantly posting reminders telling people to keep their "wanted" low and their "offers" high, but most don't listen. And, the things people ask for! It just amazes me.

Today alone ... there was a request for china and silverware, a large trampoline, a riding lawnmower, and a truck. One woman asked for a complete bedroom suit and specified that she would like for it to be in excellent condition, thick polished wood, and heavy. But, that still doesn't beat the lady who said she needed the fixing for a wedding and needed flowers, the rings, dresses and tux's for the wedding party, and a cake!

Right now, I would say that the wanted to offer ratio is about 10 to 3 and most requests are for high money items where offers are for low money items. Also, there has been a problem lately of people contacting these people who post these huge item wants offering to sell them the items ... which is a no-no too.

I don't think I will be contributing much to Freecycle™ at this rate. I have offered a few things, but I think I would rather give those things away to my church than offer them to the greediest people known to mankind.

Update: I am cracking up here. A lady just posted a message saying she had a old swingset to offer, but it has no swings and is only good for hanging a porch swing from anymore, and it needed painting. Afterwards, she posted four messages of wants. She wants a tiller, a front door, a trailer to pull behind her truck, and a camper. This is what I am talking about.

Did you know that in the small print of the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act, there is a clause that requires public high schools to provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of their students to the military? Unless families know about and are able to opt out of this clause, their children's personal information will be provided to recruiters. For some this is probably old news, but I just read about this and I am disgusted.

If you want to know what you can do and how you can opt your child out, go to Leave My Child Alone.

I found this interview with Lee Strobel today and thought I would share an excerpt:

The Resurrection of Jesus: An Interview with Lee Strobel
Interview by Laura Sheahen

What are your thoughts on more liberal Christians who say you can be Christian without believing in a literal resurrection?

I would say that the apostle Paul is probably closer to the scene then they are. He's the one who said, "if the resurrection is not true, then we're to be pitied." I think belief in the resurrection is warranted by the evidence. I don't know on what basis a person might reject it or water it down and say, "I'm going to believe in Christianity, but I'm going to be skeptical about the resurrection."

Found here.

My baby is amazing!

Not only did my middle child complete her first year of cheerleading, where she won the state trophy, but she also won an award for being on the Honor Roll for the entire year! We are so proud of her!!! She is so very talented. To say she rocks would be an understatement! :)

Fourteen adults decided to sit down and work out a compromise in the Senate regarding filibusters. Extremists on both sides, Republican and Democrat, have been whining all over the blogosphere saying their side sold out instead of being big babies and demanding their own way.

It is amazing. We teach our children fundamental values ... such as compromise, sharing, working things out, etc. Yet, as adults we don't practice what we preach and instead want everything our own way. We even get all mean and spiteful when someone else can be the better person and compromise instead of being whiners like we are. In this case, fourteen someone else's.

These overgrown children have amused me enough. Their stomping, crying, and whining is pitiful to say the least and shows just what they are about. They don't want democracy. They want their way. And, I hope the more reasonable amongst us will take note of their behavior and their agendas.

On both sides.

Rex Humbard has been making guest appearances on the Benny Hinn show for the last few days. I grew up watching Rex Humbard. My grandmother loved him and Oral Roberts. As most of you know, I am quite fond of Billy Graham. I like Rex Humbard a whole lot too. He is eighty-six years old now and still preaching the Gospel.

Today, Rex Humbard said, "Jesus said it, so I believe it."

What a simple and profound statement of faith. Yet, so many people have trouble having that much faith. I know I do at times. Most people I know do. Christians are not exempt from coming up short on faith.

Think about that. How many Christians do you know that question whether or not Jesus was a real person and say He was a mythical one? How many people do you know question whether Jesus really rose from the dead and later to Heaven and instead believe that happened spiritually, but not physically? How many Christians do you know who totally or partially ignore the teachings of Jesus? How many Christians do you know that doubt what the Bible says?

These people are Christians who are lacking in faith. These are Christians who forget that II Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (KJVR). "God-breathed" is how the NIV translates it.

So, why can't we take the Bible as it is? Why can't we follow Christ as we are called to do? Why can't we believe in Christ as we should? Why can't we trust God as we are supposed to? Jesus said, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (KJVR) Matthew 17:20.

We have to build our faith. We have to stop letting others undercut our faith. We must pray and exclaim the words of Mark 9:24, ... "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" We must take the plunge and follow Christ.

I wanted to take a minute to ask you to go read about a remarkable woman who has devoted her life to not only caring, but adopting, children who suffer from handicaps and diseases. It is a remarkable story about a remarkable person and her remarkable kids.

Did I mention to you how remarkable these people are? :)

You can read more about this at Strengthen The Good and The Tom Family website.

Most of you are aware that I don't just blog here. I contribute over at Kitchen Fun and I even guest blog over at David's place. Most of you don't know that I am now a contributing blogger to Blogs for Hillary.

Clinton. :thumbsup:

I haven't actually posted over there, but I will be doing so shortly. As most of you know, I love Hillary Clinton. I am a big supporter and an even bigger fan of her politics. I am so looking forward to working on the blog and supporting her this way as well.

Blogs for Hillary is relatively new. If you are interested in joining, please click here. You don't have to be a political blog to join.

This is from the devotional, Day By Day With Billy Graham:

"... Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God .... Thou shalt love thy neighbor ..." Matthew 22:37-39

Here is the answer to the world's problems today--"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God," "Thou shalt love thy fellow man." That teaching is not out-of-date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have a capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service--not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying--but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our Heavenly Father.

The link to the scripture included is automatically to the NIV. I use a plugin that automatically links scripture to that translation.

Yeah ... I am a Star Wars fan. Just call me a geek and get over yourself. I have seen all the movies. I own all the movies. I played with the figurines as a child. I still have a statue of Princess Leia in my bedroom, in full slave garb. I have various images for my desktop wallpaper. And, I will be going to see Episode III this weekend for my anniversary. Sue me.

But, since I have to wait until Saturday to see the movie I have been waiting way too long for ... I watched this instead. It is way too cute!

And, now I am out of here. I have way too much stuff to do today. I want to get the house clean so I can focus this weekend on enjoying my anniversary. LM and I plan to see Revenge Of The Sith (as stated above), have a romantic dinner for two at one of our favorite restaurants, and a kid-free weekend. I cannot wait! :)

One of our fellow bloggers has an amazing story to tell. One that I have been enjoying for a little bit and one I think you will find interesting as well. The story is so good that GQ has an article about it:

"Marty Johnson was a perfectly happy and supremely average American guy: two kids, minivan, cozy house in the shadow of the Mall of America. Then a letter arrived telling him he was part of a Nigerian dynasty."

The article can be found here. You can read the blog here.

From Breakfast With Jesus by Greg Laurie:

To be ready for Christ's return is to be engaged in activities that would bring us no shame were Jesus to return at that moment. Ask yourself, "This place that I'm about to go to, this thing that I am ready to do-would I be ashamed or embarrassed to be doing it when Jesus came back?" If the answer is yes, then don't do it! "And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28, NIV).

I cannot count all the things I have done that I would not have wanted Jesus to come while I was doing them. Can you imagine the absolute shame one would feel to have Jesus come back while you were gossiping with a co-worker? What about while you were telling a lie? Or treating someone unkindly? What if Jesus came back while you were cheating on your spouse? Or thinking lustful thoughts about your neighbor?

We must be ever mindful that Jesus can return at anytime and that we not only need to be prepared, but ever mindful of what we are doing.

Like Marty ... I can't help myself. Which is probably why I stole this from him. :laugh:

1. Copy this whole list into your journal.
2. Bold the things that are true about you.
3. Add something that is true about you.

While reading, Why The Resurrection? by Greg Laurie, I came across this paragraph:

The reason people today say they don't believe that Jesus rose from the dead or don't believe in the teachings of Jesus is because they know, deep down inside, that if they believed these things, they would have to change the way that they live. Jesus said, "Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil." (John 3:19).

This is something I think about often. I know that it is true. It even applies to those that believe, but don't change the way they live. They love the darkness too much. The ways of Satan and the world appeals to them. They lust for the ways of the world and the ways of the world are the ways of darkness. Sin is darkness. Living sin is living in darkness.

We need to focus on being the children of Light, to love the Light, and live in the Light. Jesus is the Light!

Beck, of INCITE, likes this political quiz better. It is simple ... too simple, in my opinion. I don't like either/or questions most of the time, especially since I tend to have an answer that is usually in between the two choices.

I especially didn't like that "Reduce the deficit and national debt" was given as the either/or with "To help the poor and helpless" regarding what was most important for our country to be doing. First, it is obvious that it is supposed to be the "conservative" answer ... yet, Conservatives only want to do that by not helping the poor and helpless, but are more than happy to spend disgusting amounts of money for war, the creation of weapons, and tax cuts for the wealthy. We can reduce the deficit and national debt by cutting excessive military spending and still help the poor, while also increasing the money we spend on education.

And, don't even get me started on what Bush did with the surplus our country accumulated under President Clinton. Feh.

Here are my results, anyway. :) They aren't too bad. I still have to say that I like the other test better.

Yesterday afternoon I got a call telling me that :Lady: was off her chain and something was wrong with her eyes. I grabbed up my keys and headed out the door to go check on her. When I got there, I didn't even recognize her in the front yard. My baby eyes were so swollen that she looked like one of those wrinkle dogs around the eyes. They were completely swelled shut.

I led her to the garden hose and commenced to cleaning out her eyes. After peeling the skin back, I saw that her eyes were full of crud and dry ... like Sahara dry. I started questioning everyone at my brother-n-law's house and looking around to figure out what had gotten in her eyes to have caused such a problem.

Come to find out, LM had put some of the garden lime in her dog house and it had gotten in her eyes. Lime is corrosive. It is not something you want to put anywhere that it is not going to be absorbed by the soil ... like a dog house. LM must have not know that.

Anywho, I brought :Lady: to the house. I spent hours washing out her eyes with water as I waited for the vet to call me back. By the time he did, her eyes were open pretty good though still swollen. About every thirty minutes or so she would start to rub them with her paws which let me know that they had gotten dry again. The vet said that she would need some eye drops. He was about to close though so I had to wait until this morning to get them. I kept Lady with us all night so I could keep washing out her eyes.

Later in the afternoon, I went back to my brother-n-law's house and sprayed out the dog house and the area where Lady is chained up. There was still some lime that had not been disolved and it had hardened a bit. I broke it up with the water in the hopes that it would go ahead and absorb into the ground.

Then we went to Wal-Mart and got her a collar that actually fits. The one LM bought was big enough for a Saint Bernard! :Lady: was constantly pulling out of it and getting lose, driving my brother-n-law insane. I also picked her up some wormer too.

This morning I went and picked up her eye drops, even though her eyes are completely open. They are still a little swollen and dry, so it is worth it. I got her chained back up and her medicine in her eyes. I will have to go back later and put more in there.

Next time she comes home I will take some pictures for y'all. She has grown so much! She is so pretty too. LM gets so mad because she is such a Momma's baby. She is constantly under my feet. He is just so jealous! :laugh:

Last night we decided to rent some movies. It had been awhile and there was a few I was really wanting to see. We tend to get one movie for us, one for the whole family, and one just for the kids. This time ... the one just for the kids ended up being watched and loved by the whole family. :)

We watched National Treasure first. We all liked it. I am a big Nicholas Cage fan, so I have been wanting to see this movie since I first heard that he was in it. I also love history, so I figured it would appeal to me in that regard as well. The only part I was not crazy about was the fact that they incorporated the Free Masons into the storyline. That is just getting way too old.

Next, it was The Incredibles. It was so cute! It was intended just for the kids, but LM and I loved it just as much as they did. The kids watched it again this morning.

Last, but definitely not least, it was time for Ladder 49. Oh my goodness. If you have not seen this movie then you have no idea what you are missing. It is so well done. John Travolta is great in it, but Joaquin Phoenix is completely amazing. I will warn you though ... this is a tear jerker of the highest magnitude.

Now, I am off. Lata!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear Sister, Happy Birthday to you!

Now everyone needs to send her birthday wishes. She needs some cheering up. Bad. Like really bad.

Why, you ask? Well, she feels real old today. Ancient. Real ancient. No longer young. Not even close. You know she is 31 51 now. ;) If she gets any older ... we might just have to put her out of her misery! LOL

Ha! I got my Radio Blog to work again and then forgot to do Friday Jams! Oh, well. I guess it will take me a minute to get back into the groove of things. Y'all live, I'm sure. :)

This week we are going to do The Battle of The "The" Bands! Because, if you didn't know, I love "The" bands. They kick butt, let me tell you ... and they just don't make them like they used to.

Enjoy! :P

• There Goes My Baby - The Drifters
• Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
• (Win, Place or Show) She's a Winner - The Intruders
• Rubberband Man - The Spinners
• (Just Like) Romeo & Juliet - The Reflections
• Nothing But Love - The Five Heartbeats
• Love We Had (Stays On My Mind) - The Dells
• La La (Means I Love You) - The Delfonics
• I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
• I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops
• Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations
• Am I Losing You - The Manhattans

(Click here to go to my Radio Blog instantly.)

This is from the devotional, Day By Day With Billy Graham:

"Ye call me Master and Lord:
and ye say well; for so I am." John 13:13

He (the Spirit) will never lead you contrary to the Word of God. I hear people saying, "The Lord led me to do this ... The Lord told me thus and so ..." I am always a little suspicious unless what the Lord has said is in keeping with His Word. God never directs us to do anything contrary to His Word. The prophet Samual once said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." The Scripture teaches, "He that willeth to do His will shall know the doctrine." When you find yourself up a blind alley, not knowing which way to turn, if you are willing to do His will, He will reveal Himself. He conceals His will only from those who, before they consent to do His bidding, seek to know what He is going to say. Be an obedient Christian. Remember that "where God guides, He provides. Where He leads, He supplies all needs!"

The link to the scripture included is automatically to the NIV. I use a plugin that automatically links scripture to that translation.

Mind & Media is looking for a few more reviewers! If you like reading good books and don't mind writing up reviews ... then you just might want to check this out. You get free books, a snazzy graphic for your sidebar, and your site gets to be included in the Mind & Media blogroll.

What could be better than that?

If you are interested, go check it out. Like now. :)

Faith-Based Politics has an interesting post today which links to a new survey by The Pew Research Center. You can even take the Typology Questionnaire and find out where you fall within the political spectrum. Which was really neat for me. Though, I was kind of surprised to find out that I am a bit more conservative than I am moderate ... though I am definitely a Democrat. :)

My results ...

Conservative Democrat

Based on your answers to the questionnaire, you most closely resemble survey respondents within the Conservative Democrat typology group. This does not mean that you necessarily fit every group characteristic or agree with the group on all issues.

Conservative Democrats represent 14 percent of the American public, and 15 percent of registered voters.

Basic Description
Conservative Democrats' religious orientation and conservative views on many social and political issues set this group apart from the other Democratic-leaning groups, Liberals and Disadvantaged Democrats. Conservative Democrats' views are moderate with respect to key policy issues such as foreign policy, regulation of the environment and the role of government in providing a social safety net. Their neutrality on assistance to the poor is linked, at least in part, to their belief in personal responsibility.

Defining Values
Less extreme on moral beliefs than core Republican groups, but most oppose gay marriage and the acceptance of homosexuality, and support a more active role for government in protecting morality. No more conservative than the national average on other social issues such as abortion and stem-cell research. Most oppose the war in Iraq, but views of America's overall foreign policy are mixed and they are less opposed to Bush's assertive stance than are other Democratic groups.

Who They Are
Older women and blacks make up a sizeable proportion of this group (27% and 30%, respectively). Somewhat less educated and poorer than the nation overall. Allegiance to the Democratic Party is quite strong (51% describe themselves as "strong" Democrats) but fully 85% describe themselves as either conservative or moderate ideologically.

Lifestyle Notes
46% attend church at least once a week, 44% attend Bible study or prayer group meetings, a third (34%) have a gun in their house.

2004 Election
Bush 14%, Kerry 65%.

Party ID
89% Democrat, 11% Independent/No Preference, 0% Republican,(98% Dem/Lean Dem)

Media Use
Emphasis on traditional providers as main news sources: newspapers (50%) and network TV news (42%).

Note: All descriptions and percentages are based on the national sample of adults surveyed by telephone in December.

In the overall typology there is a ninth group called "Bystanders" who are defined as adults who are not registered, who do not follow news about government and public affairs, and who say they rarely or never vote.

I am sure many of you have already seen this but I didn't until yesterday. I am a huge Matrix fan, so it totally cracked me up. Also, as someone who lives in a county with more Agri-Corp chicken farms than you can shake a stick at and knows how they treat, process, and abuse these animals ... it is a cause near and dear to my heart.

You should drive by one sometime. The stench is disgusting. Whole neighborhoods out in the county just reek from them.

Anywho ... go check out The Meatrix!

I wanted to share this article, Confessions of a Blue State Christian, that I just read. I can so relate to it and I am sure many of you can to. It also touched on many of my feelings regarding the current political climate and what I feel my party needs to do moving forward.

"The faith envelope puts a sheen on anything they put into it," she continues. Properly packaged, any issue can be assigned to it: "children's issues, family life, health care, housing." Because few people have time to deeply ponder whether or even why something might work for them, "buyers need to understand a [product's] message immediately, to be able to instantly discern if A or B is the right fit."

And in politics? "The faith position that Republicans have claimed implies that all of their positions line up with faith values," Raybon suggests. Time-strapped voters "tell themselves, 'Oh, these are the faith people' and they assume they can vote for them."

In fact, she points out, "a lot of Republicans are talking faith talk without walking a faith walk. They aren't necessarily working for affordable housing, or family values, or excellence in education for all children" - issues that followers of Jesus' doctrines would likely support.

So a war with Iraq - a nation that the Bush administration falsely suggested was directly connected to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks - gets put into the faith envelope, despite Christ's stated commitment to peace. The apparent misdeeds of "conservative" politicians or pundits - think Tom DeLay, Rush Limbaugh, or Bill O'Reilly - appear to be minimized or overlooked because their stances on many issues fit nicely into the faith envelope. Even ignoring the poor can be an envelope-worthy impulse if the indigent are portrayed as lazy, greedy, or otherwise undeserving of Christian assistance.

Fitting People and issues into envelopes is easy - goodness knows, many liberals and Democrats unfairly squeeze intelligent and sincere Christians and/or Republicans into envelopes marked "misguided," "unsophisticated," or "fanatic."

You can read more here.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

Show your support for PEACE in a very tangible way through the purchase of "Support Peace" pigment-dyed tote bags, field bags, and cinch sacks as well as car magnets, window clings, lapel pins and apparel.

When you place your order at http://www.support-peace.com enter "SOJO" into the promotion code field of the online personal information form and Sojourners will receive a percentage of the sale.

Has anyone else noticed how high groceries are getting? Yesterday, I went shopping and spent $240 at a no frills type of grocery store and then spent another $40 at Super Wal-Mart on more food. That is a total of $280. What surprised me is that I used to get the same amount of food for about $100 cheaper.

Last year, around the same time, I could buy a family pack of pork chops and it would have about 10-12 chops. That package would cost almost $8. At that time, I would put about 6 chops to a freezer bag. Now, a family pack of pork chops has 7 chops to a package at a cost of $8 and some change. Sugar was $1.50 for four pounds last year and this year it is $1.89 for the same four pounds. I could get bread last year for 72 cents and I am paying 90+ cents this year.

Last year, I would spend about $400 dollars on groceries a month. This was meals, deserts, and snack foods for the kids. That was three meals a day for five people. And, I am talking real meals ... not a bunch of frozen junk you can put in an oven to eat. I cook. I also buy cheap. I am not a big name brand kind of person, except when it comes to my Lipton Tea. :)

This year, at the prices we are dealing with ... I am looking to spend almost $600 a month on groceries. And, that is cutting back on deserts and snack foods. I hate that too. Fruit has went up as well. And, in Western Kentucky ... that is just outrageous. Our cost of living tends to be quite low compared to a lot of the US.

But, I have noticed this jump in food prices for the last two years and I was wondering if anyone else is feeling the crunch? Especially considering how low the cost of living is here ... I can just imagine what some of y'alls grocery bills must look like. Though, I will say that when I lived in Florida ... groceries were pretty cheap where I lived. Rent was outrageous, but groceries were quite tame in comparison. And, oranges were dirt cheap!

I got this in my email today and felt it's message was worth sharing:

God's Own Party?
by Jim Wallis

Several weeks ago, Episcopal priest and former Republican Senator John Danforth began an op-ed in the New York Times by writing: "By a series of recent initiatives, Republicans have transformed our party into the political arm of conservative Christians." And, I would add, some Religious Right leaders are trying to transform the church into the religious arm of conservative Republicans. Either way, these partisan attempts to hijack faith and politics are wrong.

Yet each week brings a new outrage. This week's news was of a Baptist church in North Carolina, where nine members, including three deacons, say they had their membership revoked because they were Democrats who supported John Kerry. According to the Charlotte News-Observer, the nine walked out of a church meeting when Pastor Chan Chandler asked them to sign documents agreeing with his political views. When they left, members remaining voted to terminate their membership.

While the pastor has attributed it to a "misunderstanding," the former members say that last fall he told the congregation that anyone who planned to vote for Kerry should either leave the church or repent. One, a 75-year-old deacon, told the News-Observer: "He went on and on about how he's going to bring politics up, and if we didn't agree with him we should leave. I think I deserve the right to vote for who I want to." News reports today indicate that Pastor Chandler is resigning.

It's the latest outrage in a continuing pattern. Last year, news stories included Republicans seeking church membership lists and mailing postcards implying Democrats wanted to ban the Bible. Just a few weeks ago, Religious Right speakers held what they billed as "Justice Sunday - Stopping the Filibuster Against People of Faith" in support of President Bush's judicial nominees. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council was quoted in the New York Times as saying Democrats "have targeted people for reasons of their faith or moral position."

Because many other religious voices spoke to challenge the attempt to make God a partisan, President Bush, to his credit, repudiated the equation of faith with his policies. He was asked at his recent press conference whether he thought filibusters against nominees were "an attack against people of faith." He replied: "I think people are opposing my nominees because they don't like the judicial philosophy of the people I've nominated.... I don't ascribe a person's opposing my nominations to an issue of faith."

Then, on ABC's This Week, George Stephanopoulos asked Pat Robertson about his statement that "the out-of-control judiciary, and this was in your last book Courting Disaster, is the most serious threat America has faced in nearly 400 years of history, more serious than al Qaeda..." Robertson replied: "George, I really believe that. I think they are destroying the fabric that holds our nation together...the gradual erosion of the consensus that's held our country together is probably more serious than a few bearded terrorists who fly into buildings."

This latest news from North Carolina is the logical, inevitable result of the road the Religious Right and some Republicans have taken.

It is the assumption that Christians must accept one partisan political position on issues, or be accused of not being Christian. This is an assumption we must reject. Rather, we must insist on the deep connections between spirituality and politics while defending the proper boundaries between church and state that protect religious and nonreligious minorities and keep us all safe from state-controlled religion. We can demonstrate our commitment to pluralistic democracy and support the rightful separation of church and state without segregating moral and spiritual values from our political life. Abraham Lincoln, in his famous Second Inaugural Address, said of the two sides in the Civil War: "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other." He would say the same today.

The Republican Party is not God's own party, as the Religious Right and some Republican leaders seem to be suggesting. And, of course, neither is the Democratic Party. We must say it again and again until it is heard and understood: God is not partisan; God is not a Republican or a Democrat. When either party tries to politicize God, or co-opt religious communities for its political agenda, it makes a terrible mistake. God's politics challenge all our politics. Our faith must not be narrowed to the agenda of one political party.

Found here.

I am a Fundamentalist. Did you know that? Weird, huh? Who would've thunk it? Honestly, it doesn't surprise me much. I used to be a devout Pentecostal and at a reasonably young age.

You scored as a Fundamentalist. Fundamentalism represents a movement in opposition to Modernism, stressing the highest importance on foundational religious tradition. Science has brought on corruption of society. God is real and is watching. Scripture leaves little room for interpretation; man is God's creation. About a quarter of the population in the U.S. is classified as Fundamentalist. What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com

Snatched from Donna!

Well, I am finally finished! David's blog has a brand new look. Now, if I could just teach him and his guest bloggers to stop putting weird code into posts, all would be well with the world ... at least over at ISOU.

Please go have a look for me and let me know if anything doesn't look right. I have looked at this code for over a week now and it is just swimming before my eyes!

Pure evil ...

The father of Laura Hobbs has been charged with the murders of his 8-year-old daughter and her best friend Krystal Tobias, 9, prosecutors said Tuesday. Jerry Hobbs, 34, could face the death penalty if convicted. The girls were reported missing on Mother's Day and their bodies found in a wooded park Monday.

Via CNN.

Because I am too busy for much else ...

10 years ago:
I was 23.
I just moved into my little box house.
I was back with my baby's daddy.
I really loved the neighborhood I lived in.
I was really, really skinny.

5 years ago:
I was 28.
I was working for a start-up.
I adopted Sir Jasper.
I was living in the house on the hill.
I was in a long-distance relationship.

3 years ago:
I was 30.
I was living in Florida.
I didn't like my job.
My boyfriend was deployed to Iraq.
I felt like I was losing my mind.

1 year ago:
I was 32.
I married LM.
My family got much bigger!
I finally went to visit the grave of my Daddy.
I found out that Joyce and Jerry were dead.

Today:
I am getting ready to celebrate my anniversary.
We adopted :Lady:.
God shows me constantly how blessed I am.
We are looking to move out to the country.
I am still grieving for my Daddy.

Swiped from Donna. :)

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 5:22-33

The day is not even half done and I am already whooped! I got up this morning to get the kids off to school and then it was out to my brother-n-law's house to decontaminate his yard. That is where his dog died of parvo and where :Lady: lives as well. So, I raked the whole area, everywhere the dog chain would reach and somewhat beyond. Then I had to shovel all the stuff I raked up into the back of the truck. It filled it up quickly too! After that, I sprayed bleach solution all over the ground.

Tomorrow, I will go back and spray the ground again with bleach. Wednesday, I will do the same thing again and then spread lime around too. By Sunday, :Lady: will be able to return to my brother-n-law's. Nothing should be living in that ground then ... nothing at all!

In the meantime, she is here with us taking Pepto and drinking gatorade. She is doing much better. She is drinking water on her own and eating a little bit. She still has loose stools, but she hasn't puked since yesterday. I think we got her through the worst of it and that everything should be okay.

Thanks for all the prayers, I really appreciate them. :)

Now, I am tired and ready for bed. Thankfully, I do not have to cook today. I still have so much food from yesterday that it ain't funny. We still have a plate of fried catfish and a whole pot full of spaghetti. I also made a pineapple upside-down cake for LM. It is da bomb!

LM celebrated his birthday yesterday. His sister made him a brownie pie and K made him a lemon icebox pie. The girls got him a beautiful new photo album (as he loves taking pictures) and I got him a bunch of new fishing gear. He was tickled pink.

For Mother's Day I got various cards, odes to my womanhood, and chocolates from my daughters. And, LM ... oh my goodness ... that man bought me two glass angel candlestick holders with candles that match my living room. They are gorgeous! I love angels so I am beyond happy!

Also, my nephews took time out to call me and come see me for Mother's Day. I tell you ... I have the most beautiful nephews. I am so in love with them. I really am. They are just so sweet to me and make me feel so special. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Really.

And, you want to know what is so wild about it? They are my nephews by marriage. There is about five of them that just love me to death and make a point of visiting me, checking up on me, and coming to eat with me. They call me and bring their babies to see me. I spoil them rotten as a result too. I just adore them and they truly make me feel like family ... even when some of the family doesn't.

But, you got to take the bad with the good ... and luckily I have a lot of good. A lot more good than I have bad. I am truly blessed. :)

I hope all of you Mommies have a great one!

Daily Kos (twice), Democratic Underground, and Dem Bloggers (here, here, here, here, and here) (has news clip on most of them) all have posted about East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina excommunicating their Democrat members. Church members were told that if they voted for John Kerry that they were against the church and that they needed to repent and support George Bush or get out of the church. Forty church members left in protest. You can read more about it here and here.

This is the sickest display of bastardized doctrine that I have seen in a long time. It is bad enough that Christians have been bombarded with the politics of the Religious "Right" for the last five years, but when it leads to churches kicking out members ... then it has gone too far. And, I just don't get it. Pat Robertson is not the Messiah and his, and his ilk's, continued message of hatred towards anyone who is a Liberal is wrong. Anyone who supports tearing the church apart is not doing what the Bible calls for us to do, let alone what Jesus has taught us.

The bile that is spreading amongst Christians needs to stop and stop now. Satan is running rampant in the church, people. And, he is seeking to devour whom he can. 1 Peter 5:8 Those who support this kind of irrational and hurtful behavior should be ashamed of themselves.

The only thing I can hope for at this point is that some good will come of this. If all the churches who worship these false teachers kick out all the members that don't worship them ... then those people can start new churches and actually TEACH the BIBLE instead of playing politics in the pews. Now that would be glorious! We could bring Jesus back to the church!

What a novel idea.

I think :Lady: has parvo. She won't eat or drink. She puked her guts up this morning and is having loose stools. I have started giving her Pepto Bismol and Gatorade through a medicine dropper. According to the vet, that will give her a 50% chance of survival since LM is not hearing paying tons of money to have her put on an IV. Which we truly cannot afford right now anyway with us just spending a ton of money getting the truck fixed.

If you are so inclined, please sent out a little prayer. :Lady: really needs it. Bad.

I decided to surf around the blogosphere today and see what everyone else was talking about since I don't have much motivation for writing today. Let's see what I found:

Shaulah.com has a powerful post today titled, To Believe is not Enough. I highly recommend it.

Rick of Faith-Based Politics is also blogging at Sollicitudo Rei Socialis. Thank goodness for copy/paste! :)

BloggerFish says to Put It In Jesus' Hands.

Stacy is speaking at GodBlogCon 2005 and wants you to register.

I am a Christian Too sent Rush Limbaugh an email. Limbaugh should be ashamed of himself for even letting those words come out of his mouth.

Messy Christian expresses herself with Crusade for doctrinal rightness. I so feel you on this. It is something I pray about a lot.

Between Sundays is spreading the news that the Christian Carnival is up at Kentucky Packrat. There is some interesting reading right there. Maybe I will find some inspiration. :)

Something is wrong with my monitor. It keeps doing this flicker thingie. Every minute or so, my monitor flickers. It lasts just a second, but it is noticable. It just started doing it the other day and I have a feeling ... it is a sign.

My monitor is about to die. Or it has a short. Either way, if I don't check in one morning you know it bit the dust and I will be on my way to getting a new one.

I found this over at Frank's place. And, considering I am a moderate ... it is a bit off.

Why is it that when some people are talking about God online they use "G-d" instead of just writing "God" out?

Just wondering.

As you may remember, I decided to share with you my Ray Charles box set, The Birth of Soul. Well, that got interrupted by me losing my Radio Blog. It just wouldn't work until last night. But, it is back and now you can hear the last CD.

The third CD is a collection of songs from 1957-1959. Now this is the CD that has some of my absolute favorites on it. These songs are from Ray's Atlantic years, which are the best, IMO. But, during these years in particularly ... Ray was seriously putting on a show.

Enjoy! :P

• You Be My Baby - Ray Charles
• Yes Indeed - Ray Charles
• What'd I Say, Parts 1&2 - Ray Charles
• What Kind Of Man Are You - Ray Charles
• The Right Time - Ray Charles
• That's Enough - Ray Charles
• Tell The Truth - Ray Charles
• Tell Me How Do You Feel - Ray Charles
• Tell All The World About You - Ray Charles
• Talkin' 'Bout You - Ray Charles
• Swanee River Rock - Ray Charles
• My Bonnie - Ray Charles
• I'm Movin' On - Ray Charles
• I Want A Little Girl - Ray Charles
• I Had A Dream - Ray Charles
• I Believe To My Soul - Ray Charles
• Early In The Morning - Ray Charles
• Carryin' The Load - Ray Charles

(Click here to go to my Radio Blog instantly.)

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6

I just got my Radio Blog to work again!!! I just changed the name of the folder I keep it in and it decided to work. Weird, but I will take what I can get. LOL

Friday Jams will be back tomorrow. :)

Sounds like a Star Wars movie or something! LOL

Anywho ... ISOU is back, though David isn't. He still cannot see the site, but we are expecting that to change quickly. I am in the process of trying to get all the guest blogger info so I can set up the accounts and pass on that information.

I will also be working on David's new site design ... so if you don't hear from me you will know why. I have a feeling that this is going to be the last template I do for anyone. For real.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

~John 8:3-11

Billy Graham has a free offer this month for God in the Garden by Curtis Mitchell.

"This 2005 commemorative edition will inspire you as it presents an eyewitness account of how God worked during the first Billy Graham New York Crusade."

Click here to take advantage of this free offer.

While checking email this morning, I saw a link to this article and decided to share it here:

Evangelical Voters, Practice What You Preach
At this moment of alleged political clout, let's look to the Bible, not to political parties, to set the agenda.

Evangelical political activists talk a lot about protecting and restoring marriage (and I agree). But numerous polls show that evangelicals and born-again Christians (a somewhat broader category) divorce at the same rate as--or slightly more often than--other Americans. And, according to pollster George Barna, 90% of all born-again folk who are divorced did so after they accepted Christ!

Evangelical political activists promote abstinence programs to reduce out-of-wedlock pregnancy (and I agree), but the sexual behavior of evangelical youth is not a lot different from the rest of the society. In the last ten years, several million of the most devout American evangelical youth have signed the "True Love Waits" pledge to abstain from sexual activity until marriage-but a massive recent study found that 88% had broken their promise.

Evangelicals have enthusiastically endorsed President Bush's Faith-Based Initiative to allow faith-based organizations equal access to government funds to run social programs that empower the needy (and I agree). But year after year for more than thirty years evangelical giving to their churches to fund and run these faith-based social programs has dropped-even as their annual incomes have grown larger and larger. Only six percent of born-again Christians give the traditional tithe of 10%. The average for evangelicals is a mere two-fifths of a tithe.

And when it comes to racism, Lord have mercy. In a Gallup poll survey on how people respond to having a black neighbor, evangelicals were more racist than everybody else.

Read the rest here. It is a very interesting article with a message that we need to take to heart.

For all my Democrat buddies, the Liberals of my Party, and the Progressives ... especially those that about fell out when they realized that there are Evangelical Democrats ... read this:

"The Bliss Institute at the University of Akron has discovered that less than half of all evangelicals (48%) are what might be labeled the "Religious Right." More than half of all evangelicals (52%) are centrists and progressives. More than half of all evangelicals want the government to spend more to fight poverty even if that means more taxes on the wealthy (55%) and favor environmental regulations even if that costs jobs (52%)."

Now ... let's change the tune a little bit and see what we can do to appeal to these people. Thankyouverymuch. :)

You know, when I heard about Freecycle™, I was interested right away. I would much rather give away stuff that I don't want anymore to people who want it than to throw it away or even sell it. I have never had a yard sale, but I give to local clothing banks and stuff regularly. I have always felt it was better to give than to receive.

Unfortunately, most of the posts on my local Freecycle™ list are about what people want. And, they want a lot of stuff. They want tillers, trees, flowers, lawn furniture, shrubs, garden tools ... and that is just one person. It is obvious that they would like to do some landscaping but don't want to pay a penny to do so. Oh ... and there is this woman that wants a trampoline, bunk beds, children's clothes, toys, and a swing set.

And, I guess that wouldn't be so bad if they were willing to give as well as want. Even the list owner constantly posts about how it is better to give than receive and that people should post more giveaways than giveme's. I don't think most of them listen and tons will respond to pretty much every giveaway posted. For real.

I posted that I had this chakra thingie to giveaway. It was given to me and I never used it, it was still new, and I hadn't ever opened it. I bet I got thirty responses. In Kentucky. Most people in Kentucky don't even know what a chakra is let alone what one would do with a home study course on them. :laugh:

Oh well. Maybe I should be greedy and post a mile long list of everything I want too. Do you think if I tell them I want a maid that someone will give me one? What about that log cabin I want out in the woods? For free. Oh yeah. That would be nice. :)

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~Ephesians 2:1-10

Sometimes, I get really tickled at all the labeling that goes on within politics and the blogosphere. If you were to ask me where I stand on political issues, I would say that I am a moderate to centrist Democrat, who leans to the Left. Most definitely a Clinton Democrat and proud of it. But, that is not what I hear about myself from others.

Here is a roundup of quotes from emails I have received ...

"You lean too far to the left sometimes."

"Are you sure you're a DEM?"

"I don't think your response was very liberal."

"One minute you sound like a liberal and the next you sound like a right-winger. Make up your mind!"

"I don't think there is anything moderate about your politics. You are entirely too far leftist in everything you say."

"Left. Right. Left. Right. Do you know the difference?"

"Of course you are a lefty. You hate Bush!"

"Pick a side. You can't straddle the fence forever!"

"What kind of Democrat are you anyway?"

You know, I am glad I know who I am or I would have an identity crisis! :laugh:

I found this last night and wanted to share it:

Prayer and a Powerful Witness
Have you ever desperately wanted to share the life-changing message of the Gospel but were stricken with fear instead?

We all know what it is like. God puts the burden on your heart to share your faith with a certain person. After waiting for the right moment, you start to speak, and suddenly your mouth goes dry. Your mind blanks out. Your heart palpitates. You think, "What am I doing? Who do I think I am, actually trying to speak for God?" We all have experienced this sudden, acute sense of inadequacy.

Has the task of bringing the Gospel to your family, friends and neighbors seemed overwhelming at times? Do you feel spiritually weak and ineffective? You might be surprised to know that you are not the only one. No less a Christian than the great Apostle Peter struggled with this as well. His denial of Christ is legendary, but so are his accomplishments. How is it that the same Peter who could not muster up the courage to admit he was a disciple of Jesus before a complete stranger could, only days later, give one of the boldest messages in the history of the Church? He did it by the same power that set into motion the Early Church-and as a result, the world was never the same again.

The Early Church had a daunting task as believers sought to reach their culture and their world. Everywhere they went, they faced ridicule, harassment and persecution. They even were assaulted physically for their faith. They lived under the jurisdiction of the godless Roman Empire. Immorality and idolatry were rampant. The religious establishment, for all practical purposes, was corrupt. Yet within a period of about 30 years, the early Christians became known as "these who have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6, NKJV). They didn't have the Internet, television, radio or even a printing press. But they made a difference, and the same power available to them is still available to us as believers today.

In Acts 12, we find a classic example of why the Early Church made such an impact. Here, we see early Christians faced with a very difficult situation and how they rallied using the secret weapon of prayer.

Read the rest here.

Don't forget that May 5th is the National Day of Prayer.