March 2006 Archives

Last night, Kirk Cameron and Lee Strobel had a wonderful discussion about The Da Vinci Code. They discussed how Christians should take the opportunity granted to us to have a dialogue with unbelievers, and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well, who may walk away confused from the book or movie. Lee Strobel has even come out with two great ways to start those conversations. One is a very inexpensive book that you can give to people called Exploring The Da Vinci Code. The other is Discussing The Da Vinci Code, which includes 4-session DVD, a group discussion guide, and a bonus outreach book. It actually takes you to all the historic locations that are mentioned in the book and separates the fact from fiction. And, as Lee Strobel points out ... only 10% is fact and 90% is fiction. Kirk even brought one of The Da Vinci Code Gospel Tracts, which are a great way to break the ice and witness to unbelievers.

My favorite three words to describe The Da Vinci Code is ... "It's fiction, dummy." Many people are walking away from the movie and the book confused, not sure what to believe. Unfortunately, my way isn't the greatest way to witness to unbelievers about Christ or even explain to them who He is. And, as I came to realize listening to Kirk and Lee last night, this is a witnessing opportunity for all of us. As Lee pointed out, we should be thanking Dan Brown for it! He put the discussion on the table and now it is time for Christians to take it to the next level.

Kirk Cameron, of The Way Of The Master, will be hosting Praise The Lord tonight at 9 PM CST on TBN. He will be interviewing Lee Strobel, author of Case For A Creator, and Randy Alcorn about his new book Heaven.

Scribe does an excellent job of tackling the topic ...

In the “War on Christmas,” what was gained? Did more people turn their lives over to Jesus or were more turned off by judgmental, self-righteous Christians trying to impose their value system on people who have not embraced those values? Does fighting for our “rights” and whining of a perceived “persecution” advance the Kingdom of God? Is this a wise use of our time and resources — convening conferences and disributing costly materials decrying the pervasiveness of worldly values… in the world? As Christians, Jesus tells us that we are no longer of this world, but now serve as His ambassadors to this world to spread His good news of love, hope, grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Go read it all. Now. It is good stuff.

Matt, the winner of The Biggest Loser Season II, just proposed to Suzy on the Today Show!!! I cried. It was so sweet! I am so happy for them and pray they have many, many wonderful years together.

Semi-related thought: I so need to get back on my exercise program! I am slowly gaining my weight back. And, now that I think about it, it looks like Matt is too. :(

... Satan wants you to believe that Jesus was not the Son of God so he can have your eternal soul ... forever? That is the real question you need to ask yourself, not whether or not Jesus survived the crucifixion. Jesus did, but not in the way Michael Baigent would have you believe in The Jesus Papers.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." - Matthew 28:1-10

And, that comes from the greatest book ever written ... The Holy Bible.

While reading a post Catez wrote on the controversy that was/is The End Of The Spear, she said something that I have been feeling for a long time ...

In the process of following this controversy I was relieved to find that I am not alone in being tired of the "culture wars" dictating Christian responses. There are a significant number of Christians who want to engage with people. We can comment on our culture too - it is not an either/or dilemma. But the feeling of many, which I share, is that the culture war mentality has had too much emphasis and engagement has been reduced to rhetoric and even speculation at the expense of real dialogue.

I think we sometimes forget who the real enemy is and instead target the people we are supposed to be witnessing to and hopefully bringing to Christ. Unfortunately, this kind of mentality only hurts our witness.

Semi-related:

• I Just Don't Get It

Update 03/28/06 7:34 AM: Abdul Rahman has been freed and Italy asks to grant asylum to the Christian convert. Please pray for him.

The headlines all remain the same. They state that Abdul Rahman will be freed, but if you read the articles you start to see just how dangerous this situation is for this Christian convert. Unless the Afghani government can get Rahman out of the country undetected, he may still face death from his fellow citizens. If they do take him out of the country ... the country itself is at risk ... especially when it's citizens are making threats against outside interference.

President Hamid Karzai has been searching for a way to satisfy Western demands without angering powerful conservatives at home who have demanded a trial and death sentence under Islamic law. [...]

Protesters in Mazar-i-Sharif chanted "Death to America" and "Death to the convert Abdur Rahman". One cleric, Abdul Asrar, said Afghanistan should be left to implement Islamic law.

"Otherwise, whichever country interferes in our internal affairs will be given the same lesson we gave the Soviet Union," he said, referring to the 1980s victory over Soviet forces.

A group including clerics and a former prime minister said the government risked rebellion if it caved in to Western pressure.

All this is occurring in a country that we have supposedly freed from tyranny and is now a working baby democracy. All in all, I think we counted our chickens before they hatched.

Related Posts:

• Christian Refuses To Deny Christ
• Seriously Disturbing
• Christian May Still Face Death

Update 5:14 PM: This is an interesting article.

Well, the only company I can find that will do $100,000 liability insurance on a dog will cost me $883.00 a year and it has to be paid in full. They don't allow you to make monthy or quarterly payments. They don't even allow semi-annual ones. They want all that money upfront and there is still a $5,000 deductible.

It isn't happening. I cannot afford that.

So, sometime this week, I am going to pick up a pen from my sister-n-law's house and take it out to my best friend's farm. It needs a little mending but she is also giving me some fence wire, so we will be able to make it workable. I will then go buy a dog house, pack up my baby's toys, and take him out to the country where he will live outside for the first time in his life and I will go home and sleep without him.

It just isn't fair.

I put up some new music on My Radio.Blog today. Incredible by Mary Mary is one of my favorite CDs. You can find the link to it on my left sidebar under Navigation. When you click the link, it will open in a pop-up window for your convenience. I hope you enjoy it. :)

While the headline today reads, Afghan Christian Convert May Be Freed, the statement I have highlighted in bold says it all ...

An Afghan man possibly facing execution for converting from Islam to Christianity is expected "to be released in the coming days," a source with detailed knowledge of the case said Friday.

Word of Abdul Rahman's release comes after days of international pressure and the day before the Afghan Cabinet was scheduled to discuss the case of the 41-year-old father of two. On Thursday, top Afghan clerics urged Muslims to kill Rahman if the government freed him. [...]

"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," cleric Abdul Raoulf told The Associated Press. Raoulf has long been considered a moderate and was often at odds with the Taliban, which jailed him three times before the hard-line group's ouster in 2001. (Read about clerics joining Raoulf in calling for Rahman's death)

Prayers are seriously needed at this time.

Related Posts:

• Christian Refuses To Deny Christ
• Seriously Disturbing

More: Persecution Blog is calling for prayers and polite letters of protest to be written to the Afghan ambassador to the United States. You can find the address at the bottom of this post.

I have been so upset the last couple of days. It seems the town I live in has decided to pass an ordinance on Pit Bulls and Rottweilers. Most of us saw it coming, at least regarding the pits. For sometime now the fashion for young black kids and their parents has been to own Pit Bulls and walk them around town. People complain. They aren't too fond of being intimidated by black people ... and being intimidated by black people with Pit Bulls is more than they can bear. It doesn't quite matter that they are intimidated just by their presence. The dogs just make it worse.

Anywho, the city didn't quite know what to do. They couldn't outlaw Pit Bulls. It has been tried and it failed. They couldn't declare that Pit Bulls could not be owned by black people or walked around town on their leashes and chains. So, they waited until a woman was attacked by a Pit Bull that her son owned and decided to pass an ordinance regulating the Pit Bulls. They made a big to-do about the attack and got people all up in arms. What they failed to mention though was that the woman provoked the dog when she kept hitting it for jumping up on her in excitement. :(

Independent Christian Voice has an update on the Afghan man who may narrowly escape facing death for refusing to deny Christ. I am giving this it's own post because what ICV has to say really isn't so much about Abdul Rahman as it is what President Bush knew about the Afghan constitution while simultaneously praising it. Go read it.

Charles Colson from BreakPoint says it best ...

The irony is inescapable: This is the country that we rid of the Taliban because of its religious oppression. This is the country in which we have spent at least $70 billion to establish a free democratic government. This is the country whose freedom cost us three hundred American lives and eight hundred casualties. And this is the country that is preparing to execute a man for becoming a Christian after he witnessed other Christians caring for his countrymen.

Is this the fruit of democracy? Is this why we have shed American blood and invested American treasure to set a people free? What have we accomplished for overthrowing the Taliban? This is the kind of thing we would expect from the Taliban, not from President Karzai and his freely elected democratic government.

I have supported the Bush administration's foreign policy because I came to believe that the best way to stop Islamo-fascism was by promoting democracy. But if we can't guarantee fundamental religious freedoms in the countries where we establish democratic reforms, then the whole credibility of our foreign policy is thrown into serious question.

Hat tip: Terra Extraneus

Update 03/22/06 9:44 AM: Glory be to God! ICV has an amazing update titled: BREAKING NEWS: Afghan Christian ‘unfit to stand trial’

The American Family Association is asking for everyone to please email President Bush and ask him to intervene to save the life of Abdul Rahman. If you are not aware of who Abdul Rahman is, he is a Muslim who converted to Christianity sixteen years ago and is now facing death if he does not deny Christ and become Muslim again.

For more information on Abdul Rahman:

• Man Faces Death Penalty For Becoming Christian
• Afghan Man Faces Execution After Converting to Christianity
• Man Faces Death Over Christianity
• Afghan Christian Could Face Death
• U.S. cautiously Backs Afghan Christian
• Afghan Convert to Christianity Unfit to Stand Trial
• Afghan Convert to Christianity 'Could Be Mad,' Says Prosecutor
• Afghan Christian Convert May Avoid Prosecution

Bloggers covering the story:

• Blogger: ‘Conversion to Christianity could bring death penalty in Bush’s Afghanistan’
• More on Afghan facing death for being Christian
• Man Faces Death Over Christianity
• The World Waits & Prays for Afghan Christian

Please help get others involved in saving the life of this Christian who refuses to deny Christ. For more information on the persecuted church, see The Voice Of The Martyrs.

Update 03/22/06 7:10 AM: More blog coverage added ...

• Afghan: “I am a Jesus follower”
• Breaking News: U.S. Cautiously Backs Afghan Christian

If you have a post on this, trackback and I will get you added. :)

This is what happens when warmongering becomes more important than what Christ calls for us to do. The doctrine of the "preemptive strike" is dangerous and immoral. And, unfortunately it encourages the escalation of bad politics, hostilities, and one upmanship.

From North Korea:

“As we declared, our strong revolutionary might put in place all measures to counter possible U.S. pre-emptive strike,” the spokesman said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. “Pre-emptive strike is not the monopoly of the United States.”

Last week, the communist country warned that it had the right to launch a pre-emptive strike, saying it would strengthen its war footing before joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises scheduled for this weekend.

Hat tip: Independent Christian Voice

Today I got to meditating on what it means to be a Christian ... a real Christian ... not just someone who claims to be a follower of Christ and what that means to me. I am sure some might take exception with the use of the term "real Christian" but there are false believers out there. Matthew 7:15-20 warns us ...

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

Now the question would be how would we recognize these false believers? The scripture says that we will know them by their fruit. And, of course, God explains to us what fruit we should be looking out for in Galatians 5:16-26.

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

How many of the fruits do you bear? Are you a good tree bearing the fruit of the Spirit or a bad tree bearing bad fruit? Which tree do you want to be? Are you willing to put down your sinful nature and pick up your cross and follow Christ? Are you a real Christian or are you a false one? Think on that and let the Holy Spirit convict you accordingly.

Note: If you really want to hear a good teaching on this subject, check out True and False Conversion. You can download the audio, watch the video, or read a transcript of the teaching. I think the video is the best as they explain the concepts much more visually. It also keeps your attention better, in my opinion. There is even free study sheets for you to print and use. :)

While reading the transcript from the latest chat over at The Sims2 site, I found out a couple of things that I wanted to pass along. One is that the patch for The Sims 2: Open For Business will be released within the next few weeks! The other is that skills correlate to how quickly and easily it is to earn a badge ...

• Mechanical for robot-making.
• Creativity for floristry.
• Charisma for sales.
• Logic for cash register.
• Body for restocking.
• Cleaning for cosmetology.

If you have any news to add, do it in comments. Also, if you want to read the review I did for OFB, you can check it out here. :)

Update 03/21/06 10:54 PM: The OFB Patch is now available!

You can find some of what happened on Nightline with Kirk & Ray at the links below ...

• First there is the article, Kirk Cameron, From Sitcom Star to Evangelist: Child Actor Finds Second Career Trying to Bring People to Christianity, by Martin Bashir. One of the most notable things I believe Kirk says is, "The goal of me doing the 'Way of the Master' and doing this interview is not to convince you that I am an authority on the subject. I have no authority. I am simply trying to be faithful to the God who saved me, who changed me and who has commissioned me to tell you and those who are watching this interview … about the gospel of Jesus Christ and that it has the power to change people's hearts." Now who is that reminiscent of? :) Read the whole article. It is very good.
• "Growing Pains" star tells "Nightline" about his new career sharing the Gospel. (Video)
• Kirk Cameron speaks to strangers about Christianity in a weekly cable program. (Video)
• Special Nightline Edition of The Way of the Master Radio!
• Listen to the "Nightline" Podcast (MP3)

If I find any more links, I will post them as well.

I had promised some pictures but hadn't had the time to get them up, so I decided to put a fun one up today. The picture below is a picture that has Lady on one side, when she was a puppy, and Panther on the other. Can you tell which is which?

And, Sis, you do not get to answer since you already know. :)

Just weeks after The Sims 2: Open For Business hit store shelves, Maxis announces that it is releasing the Family Fun Stuff Pack for The Sims 2 in April 2006.

Add excitement to your Sims' family with this all-new collection of furniture, clothing, and décor. Decorate the home with an assortment of cool new furnishings, including upscale living room items and adventurous bedroom sets. Dress your Sims in matching attire for an amusing day out with the family. With 60 new items from castle beds to cruise ship replicas, your Sims now have more stuff for family fun.

I am so going to have to get this booster pack. Check out these screen shots to get an idea of what all you get. :)

Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort, from The Way Of The Master, will be interviewed by Martin Bashir on ABC's Nightline this Friday, March 17 at 10:30 PM CST. Martin Bashir is the reporter who interviewed Princess Diana and Michael Jackson. It should be an interesting show to say the least. I definitely plan on tuning in. :)

I have finally gotten some storm-free time to play The Sims 2: Open For Business and I am in love! The game is much more involved, but I have been having a ball with it. I have had a couple of sims open home businesses and one even bought a commercial lot and extended his business that way.

What I Like:

• Elevators!
• Robots! And, they are integrated into your family.
• The new clothes are cool.
• More depth to the game.
• It is very realistic.
• I love that you can now lock doors.
• The new interactions are great.
• There are all kinds of stores you can open.
• You get a whole new neighborhood.
• I like most of the new furniture.
• Business can buy wholesale and set their profits.
• New objects! We always need new objects!
• You can promote an employee to manager and run the business via your telephone.
• You can buy and sell community lots and your sim profits.
• The toys for the kids are beyond cute!

What I Don't Like:

• More furniture would have been nice.
• There are some items you can only get if you build your business on a commercial lot. Home businesses can't use them.
• It is very time consuming.
• It would have been nice to have a new aspiration ... one to go with owning a business.
• You can't control your employees like you can your sims, unless they are a member of your household.
• Once you lock doors to keep customers out of your living quarters, your guests don't enter either.
• I was hoping for more car models this time around.
• Robots can go nuts and destroy your house.

Now it is time to play some more ...

Okay, let me be honest up-front. I have never read a "Christian" thriller before. I didn't even know they existed! So, I was a little curious about The Witness and couldn't help but wonder how good it would be. I mean, come on ... part of the "thrill" of a thriller has to do with not so "Christian" subjects. It was hard to imagine what one would be like if our faith was considered in the writing of it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Witness is well written and a definite page-turner.

I am not going to ruin the book for you. I am not going to give the story away. What I am going to do is sing the praises of Dee Henderson. I love her writing! This is the first book I have ever read by her, but it won't be the last. I am definitely a fan and plan on getting my hands on a few of her books, if not all of them. She has a delightful way of building her characters until you feel like you know them. They are so believable! So much so that I can't help but wonder if she doesn't base them on people she actually knows.

I have no qualms when it comes to recommending this book. It is full of suspenseful moments that tempt you to look ahead just so you will know how it all turns out. I had to stop myself a few times! I also loved the concept of the story and the twists Dee incorporates into it. I so did not see what was coming and I am usually pretty good at guessing how a book will end. Not with this one. The Witness will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!

- The Witness by Dee Henderson was sent to me as a gift by Mind & Media. I was not paid for this review.

I know I haven't been around and I apologize, but the weather around here has been atrocious. It has been thunderstorm after thunderstorm. I haven't even been able to play my new game (and yes, I did get it!), The Sims 2: Open For Business, and I am just sick about that. The only good thing is that I have had lots of time to read and catch up on laundry, though I am not sure how "good" of a thing that whole laundry thing is. ;)

I will catch y'all when the weather permits ...

Meditating on the Word of God gives insight, knowledge, and a better understanding of what we are to do as followers of Christ Jesus ...

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

 Here is a trustworthy saying:
 If we died with him,
   we will also live with him;
 if we endure,
   we will also reign with him.
 If we disown him,
   he will also disown us;
 if we are faithless,
   he will remain faithful,
   for he cannot disown himself.

A Workman Approved by God

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. - 2 Timothy 2

Read the Bible. Boost your faith. Learn. Then do what God calls for you to do.

Billy Graham has a free offer this month for Jesus, the One and Only by Beth Moore.

Christian writer and teacher Beth Moore gives an inspiring and insightful look into the life of Jesus. If your heart’s desire is to strengthen and deepen your love for the Savior, request your free copy online now!

Click here to take advantage of this free offer.

Unlike the contributors of Independent Christian Voice, we haven't lost power yet, but we are dealing with a mirade of thunderstorms today and a tornado watch. I seriously doubt I will be online much. That is perfectly okay, though. I have so much to do around here. I just pray I keep my power and ICV gets theirs back. :)

Lata!

Update 10:16 AM: I had some errands to run this morning and got home long enough to check some blogs before the sirens started going off here. So, now I am off until things get to looking a little better.

Update 6:10 PM: The sirens went off four different times today and I spent most of my time offline wondering where the next tornado would be spotted. According to the news tonight, there was quite a bit of damage around the area. They haven't mentioned any injuries though and that is a very good thing. :)

Update 8:15 PM: The sirens went back off at 6:50, 7:05, and 7:15. I thought it was over, but I was definitely wrong. This time, it was really bad. We took cover in the hall as the local news station told us that there was no time to delay and to seek cover immediately because the storm was rolling thru fast and tornadoes were on the ground. And, according to the weather channel, this weekend doesn't look much better. Storm after storm will be coming our way.

AgapePress reported today that Open Doors USA released it's annual "World Watch List" of the top 50 nations where Christians face the most intense persecution due to their faith. For those of us that follow Christian Persecution around the world, we are not surprised to hear that North Korea continues to top that list.

For more on Christian Persecution, please visit The Voice of the Martyrs.

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is an interfaith membership organization whose mission is to educate and mobilize faith communities to act to abolish the death penalty in the United States. PFADP relies on its members for support. Annual membership rates are: $25/individual, $40/household, and $100/congregation, or whatever amount is affordable. Checks are acceptable or you can donate securely online at www.pfadp.org.

If you are not a member, please consider joining today.

Over at Jacke's blog I recently made the following comment ...

I don't make everything about politics and I believe too many people do. As I said, Satan uses that stuff to divide us and we are letting him do it ... which is why I stand in the middle and say ... I am not conservative nor am I progressive or liberal. I am a democrat and come from a long line of democrats, all Christian, all Evangelical, and I am proud of that. But, I understand that neither side represents my faith or stands for it. And, I trust neither side explicitly and I vote my conscience always. Neither side is doing what they are supposed to according to the word of God and I don't expect them to. This whole "us" vs "them" mentality that is so prominent today is sad and I want no part of it.

I would rather refer to my brothers and sisters in Christ as such than refer to them by their politics. Like I said, that has nothing to do with the Gospel, the spreading of the Gospel, or following Christ and that is what I believe in first and foremost. It also reminds me that no matter what someone believes, whether their politics disagrees with mine or is the same, they are my brothers and sisters in Christ above everything else and I find it helps me treat them as such instead of the adversary Satan would prefer I see them as.

How far I have come. I remember when I used to rail at "conservatives" for the hypocrisy I could see in the things they said and did. I hated having some of them claim I was not a Christian because I did not agree with them. I considered myself a "liberal" then but soon came across a rather large group of Christian "liberals" and read things about how Christ didn't really rise on the third day or ascend to Heaven and I realized I wasn't one of them. While I tend to rate "fundamentalist" or "conservative" on what "type of Christian am I" stuff, I am socially "liberal" in a big way and believe that we cannot legislate our faith. It is our job to spread the Gospel not force people to live the way we know God wants them to.

That is when I jumped in the middle and said, "I am not playing this game anymore." And, the more I have taken it to God, the more I keep getting the same response. I do not believe for one minute that God is happy with all this division, the twisting of faith with politics, idolatry, the arguing, the use of the pulpit for political purposes, and the "us" vs "them" mentality that has grown from all of that. I refuse to be a party to it anymore. I don't want to be the kind of Christian whose religion ends where their politics begins. I don't want to be that person.

I am a Christian; a follower of Christ. I am not a political pawn for any political party. I am a Democrat, but I vote my conscience first and foremost and I always have. I will vote for a Republican, Green, or Independent if I believe they are doing what is right. I will vote for an athiest if he/she is doing the right thing. I will not contribute to the work of Satan by adding to the division or painting my brothers and sisters in Christ with broad brushes that are not even accurate. The stereotypes need to stop. The division needs to stop. The "us" vs "them" needs to stop. It is all a waste of precious time.

All of that stuff has nothing to do with the real job we were given ... the spreading of the Gospel and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. We are told to love our enemies. We are told to love, love, love, and love some more. We are told to forgive repeatedly. We are told to spread the Good News and if we love each other the way we are supposed to, we will. All this other stuff just detracts from that.

After I quit smoking, my sister decided that if I could quit after 22 years and two packs a day ... and cold turkey at that ... so could she. She hasn't smoked since either. While visiting her recently, she showed me how she has let her nails grow out and how pretty they now look. She, like me, has bit her nails all her life. I was so impressed that I figured if she could do that then so could I. And, I have not bit my nails since.

Cool, huh? :)

I have been really enjoying my hiatus. Really. I haven't had an interest in blogging at all either. I have really enjoyed getting my house together and working on the things in my life that have needed some renovating. I have also been very busy at the dentist of late. I have been having a lot of work done. I go back today and I cannot wait. I am really liking how my smile is turning out.

I have quit reading a lot of blogs and I have never felt so good! I am telling you, some blogs are like poison. Even some Christian blogs. The negativity, the politics, the trash talking, the judgmental attitudes ... all of it. It can really crush your spirit and I have decided that if reading a blog makes me feel angry or irritated ... I am not reading it anymore. Period. That is not what God wants for me and I am totally cool with that. Following Jesus is the way to go and more people need to focus on that and quit with all the conservative/liberal agendas and worldview crap. Leave the world to the world and pick up your cross and follow Christ. A lot of people have let Satan use that stuff to occupy their time, minds, and hearts. All they want to do is argue now and beat their chests. Both sides claim to have some kind of superiority and or mandate and neither do.

I have also been doing a lot of thinking about that movie Brokeback Mountain. I am like totally confused. I do not get how a movie about two men committing adultery has become the "greatest love story" EVER. Especially from women! If it were a movie about two men cheating on their wives with other women, would women even let that come out of their mouths? No. Not unless they were the "other woman" and was seeking something to hold onto. I mean, really ... if it were your husband cheating on you would you consider his relationship with another woman a love story? Let alone his relationship with another man? No. No one would. But, because it is a movie about two dudes cheating with each other that somehow makes it "hot" ... I am sorry, but I don't think so. I am not saying the movie isn't a good movie, but come on. This movie is not a love story, it is a lust story.

I haven't bought The Sims 2: Open For Business yet and I am just sick about that. Sick, I tell ya! I love my sims and I so enjoy controlling their little 3-D lives. Now, I want them to enjoy this aspect of their lives too and I just can't afford it right now. *sob* But, when I do ... a review will be forth coming.

I have some cool pictures to post later and a review to do, so you can look forward to that. I don't know how much blogging I will actually be doing though. I definitely do not feel the need to blog everyday and doubt I will be. There is so much life to live off of the computer and I am totally enjoying it. And, yes ... this post has been about everything ... hence the title. :)

Holla!