June 2006 Archives

Last week I posted about how a school pulled the plug on a Valedictorian's speech for talking about her faith in Christ. Well, now another school is in the news for withholding it's Valedictorian's diploma after she spoke about her faith!

It must be in the water. Today, I read about how another Valedictorian complained about how his education was hollow ... during his speech.

The valedictorian of a Blue Ribbon-awarded high school in New Jersey has left teachers and administrators with a sour taste in their mouths after using his June 20 valedictory speech to describe his education as "hollow" and one filled with "countless hours wasted in those halls."

"I felt like the most important questions were not asked." said Kareem Elnahal, the top rated student at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood, N.J. "Things like ethics, things that defined who we are, were ignored so in that way I thought it was hollow." he told Cybercast News Service Wednesday.

The kids are definitely trying to tell us something. Read the rest.

Update 1:54 PM: Barb has a whole post on the Valedictorian whose diploma was withheld. Check it out.

After I came home from taking all the kids to the public pool, I noticed Panther was once again gapped open. Only about three of her staples were still in place and with her silo collar, there was no way that she pulled them out. They had to have just popped out. So, I loaded her up and took her back to the vet.

Unfortunately for me, my vet was out for lunch and his assistant was there. She asked me what I wanted them to do and I explained to her that I wanted her closed back up. I asked her if there was any way they could use two procedures to do it ... like staples with glue, stitches with staples, or even glue and some kind of butterfly bandage. She said she did not know.

I did notice though that Panther became very aggitated around her and was trying hard not to be left with the woman. I am serious. When she took Panther's lead, my baby started pulling with everything she had. She did not want to be left with this woman. Which has got me wondering if it was not his assistant that did Panther's spay and stapling job. She is some kind of vet in training and I know she does some surgeries. And, that staple job looked real bad. Quite a few of the staples weren't even all the way in and were barely attached to Panther's skin.

My vet ... through the years ... has spayed Princess Kiki, Maisy II, and Lady. He has also neutered Mr. Fluffy Man and Peanut. He declawed Princess Kiki and Maisy II. He took care of Lady when she was hit by that car. He took great care of Panther when she got all sick and LM wanted to leave her to die. He has cared for Peanut and Panther since they were born. I have never seen him do a sloppy job on any pet of mine or anyone else's ... so I can't help but wonder what went wrong with this spay. And, when he calls, I am going to ask him who spayed Panther. If he tells me it was that woman ... well, I am going to have to explain to him that I really don't want her working on any of my animals anymore. If it was my vet who did it, we are going to have to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it ... because this is getting ridiculous.

Update 6/29/06 7:18 AM: Well, my vet did the spay and chic did the staple job. It seems Panther's body isn't too happy about having foreign objects inserted into it and neither is Panther. So, this time it was a glue job and steel wire. We will see how that works. *sigh*

Joel Osteen has his critics, but I like him. He is uplifting. He focusses on what God wants for us and the teachings of Jesus. I personally like that.

Be a People Builder!

Today's Scripture
"Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." (Romans 15:2)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
When Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16:6, they were thinking with their stomachs and said, "It is because we brought no bread." They began arguing and accusing one another of being irresponsible. They must have sounded like school children. "John was supposed to bring our lunch." "No, Peter was!" "I told Matthew to do it!" "It's Mark's fault!"

Jesus overhears them, and says (my paraphrase), "Uh, guys? You remember who fed five thousand people with the loaves and fishes and turned water into wine? I can handle lunch. I wasn't talking about bread. I was warning you to be careful about following the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Although His disciples did not always grasp the initial meaning of His teachings or actions, Jesus didn't reprimand them in public or make them feel stupid. He made them feel loved and appreciated. In fact, six verses later, Jesus let his disciples know that He thought so highly of them that He planned to give them the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19). He never embarrassed them or belittled those who served Him. He overlooked their faults and limitations and celebrated their strengths.

We are the ambassadors of Jesus, and should speak words of hope and encouragement – building others up! I believe when we focus on the strengths and gifts of those around us we will begin to see God's favor poured out on our own life in an even greater way and we will experience each and every victory that He has in store for us.

A Prayer for Today
God, because I am Your child I am held to a higher standard in this world. I am called to be a giver, not a taker; an encourager, not a critic. There will be an opportunity to build someone up today--I'm going to act on it! In Jesus' name, Amen.

To read more of Today's Word with Joel and Victoria, click here.

Last Friday, I took Panther to be spayed. Last night she started swelling up and her stomach got real hot to the touch. I figured I would take her to the vet this morning as soon as it opened and everything would be okay. The vet was already closed by the time I realized she looked pregnant.

Anywho ... I got up this morning and took her to potty. I didn't notice anything unusual. I went back to bed until about 7:30 AM and when I got up, I noticed Panther's incision was wide open. I was so beyond grossed out. I immediately got her to the vet and she had to get staples and one of those big white silo collars to prevent her from chewing on the area. She looks like an alien dog or something.

Have you ever heard of a Liberal Republican? What about a Conservative Democrat? Did you know that there are atheists in the Republican Party? What about Christians in the Democratic one? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then you are probably your average citizen. You probably realize that while some would like to use stereotypes to explain just about everything ... that the truth of the matter is that such generalizations only succeed in segregating and dividing us further. Unfortunately, Why Christians Don't Vote For Democrats by Richard Miller fits right in. It is full of generalizations, half-truths, and stereotypes all geared to make the reader think that Democrats are nothing more than atheists looking to destroy the world, our culture, and our religion.

In the authors own words:

The author hopes to communicate to the Democratic Party why Christians don't vote for Democrats. How do Christians communicate to atheists their legitimate objections to the Democratic Party in a mature and loving way?

But, you know, Richard Miller isn't the first to proclaim such a thing. He isn't the only one that is guilty. There are other authors out there that would like to say anyone that is not a Republican is just a godless heathen. There are some out there that claim Republicans are nothing more than Right-Wing fanatics looking to force everyone to live under a theocracy. Those same people also claim that Republicans are doing nothing but promoting the hatred of homosexuals and Muslims, while promoting fiscal irresponsibility and war. Yet, we know that is not true. There are Muslim Republicans. There are homosexual Republicans. And, there are Republicans that are totally against the pre-emptive strike and all for free will, democracy, and saving money!

And, you know, I might have bought into all these generalizations if it weren't for the fact that I am a Christian and a Democrat. I am also not the only one. I know many of them. I go to church and I am surrounded by them. I know far more Christian Democrats than I know Christian Republicans. I am also blessed to go to a church that does not endorse systems of government or any political party. My church teaches that while civil government is ordained by God, should be supported by all citizens, and that we should pray for rulers and government officials in order to maintain peace and civility ... that the role of government and politics is different from the role of the church. It also teaches that both institutions are both ordained by God, and should respect each other, that it is imperative neither institution overstep its given role and that as citizens our involvement should be guided by God's will for our lives.

My church encourages it's members and adherents to influence society and the political process by voting, maintaining strong moral convictions and holy lifestyles, praying for government officials, encouraging and promoting legislation that strengthens the nation morally, and speaking out both corporately and individually against any political issue that would have an adverse affect upon the kingdom of God or His moral absolutes ... regardless of which political party or candidate is advocating them.

I think that Why Christians Don't Vote For Democrats would have been better if it had focused on the struggle we have as Christians to filter through what the Secular Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and Independents try to get past us instead of seeking to divide the Body of Christ based on misguided half-truths. Unfortunately, Christians will continue to remain divided until we put partisanship aside and focus on everything our Lord calls for us to do. I give the book 3 stars for writing and getting it half-right.

Richard Miller claims to be firmly non-affiliated with any political party. He is married to a Republican and has three daughters, two of which are Democrats. He graduated with a BA degree in ministry from Bethany Bible College and wishes to encourage Christians to exercise good stewardship of their collective citizenship. Why Christians Don't Vote For Democrats is Richard's second book and was published by Xulon Press.

- Why Christians Don't Vote For Democrats by Richard Miller was reviewed by me for Active Christian Media.

I am kind of bored today and don't really have anything that I want to blog about. So instead of just not blogging ... I decided that I would highlight what I have been reading instead. That way you can read all the really cool stuff I have been reading and that will give us the warm fuzzies and stuff. Really. It will. Just try it.

Boppin' Around The Sphere:

• Todd Nettleton is blogging the "Wear the Crown" Conference.
• Tidbits And Treasures is celebrating her blog anniversary!
• Adrian needs our prayers.
• RightFaith has a new look.
• Bob is back and talking about Worldview.
• An anti-war Christian takes on a pro-war one.

Noted In The News:

• The Episcopal Church has lost it's mind.
• McCain denounces Republicans for reckless spending.
• VooDoo celebrated in New Orleans.
• Al Gore wants you to fight global warming!
• Philippines abolishes the death penalty!!! Praise God!

Walking The Web:

• The Way of the Master has a snazzy new look!
• Xianz is the new MySpace for Christians.
• Woman's Touch is going to webzine only after next month.

See. I told you. All warm fuzzies and stuff ... because you can't forget the stuff. :) Now go and enjoy your Saturday!

Peanut and Panther both spent the day at the vet today. Panther needed her last set of shots, both needed their rabies vaccination, and Panther had to get spayed while Peanut was in for a neuter. Now they are both sleepy, sore, and looking at me like I am the meanest mommy in the whole wide world.

Poor babies. They never saw it coming. Neither did my wallet.

So does everyone else you buy from, so get over it. When the AFA sends out their little email about boycotting Ford, you need to write them back and ask them about all the other companies they need to be boycotting too since obviously supporting gay and lesbians is a mortal sin. Just ask Jesus.

Companies you need to be boycotting today:

Best Buy, Sears, Walgreens, Staples, Home Depot, Target, General Mills, Kraft, Pepsi, Kodak, Tylenol, Proctor & Gamble (which makes almost everything), Johnson & Johnson, Whirlpool, Wells Fargo, Walt Disney, GE, Sara Lee, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, Dell, Hewlett Packard, AOL, NBC, CBS, ABC, HBO, Time Warner, Hasbro, AT&T, Bellsouth, Motorola, Cingular, Sprint, Verizon, Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, Dodge, SC Johnson & Son, Kimberly-Clark, Buick, Pontiac, Hummer, Toyota, Mazda, BP, Shell Oil, Chevron, Texaco, Amoco, SeaWorld, Hilton Hotels, American Airlines, American Express, Capital One, Mastercard, Gap, Old Navy, Levi, Hanes, Playtex, WonderBra, Nordstrom, Nike, Starbucks, UPS, Hugo Boss, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bob Williams.

And, don't forget these ...

Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Kellogg, Kroger, Coca-Cola, Ben & Jerry's, Mattel, Fisher Price, Toy's R Us, Blockbuster, Nextel, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Hallmark Cards, Universal Studios, Dominoes, Bridgestone, Firestone, Progressive Insurance, Humana, State Farm, Hershey, Avon, Colgate, Palmolive, Visa, Mc Donald's, FedEx, JC Penney, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren Footwear, Reebok, LL Bean, SuperValu, Save A Lot, Shop N Save, Safeway, Office Depot.

Research provided by My Corner Of The World.
Sarcasm provided by moi. ;)

Related posts:

• I Just Don't Get It

When we find ourselves at our lowest point, I don't know how those without faith make it through. Without my faith in God and the salvation He promises me through the blood of His Son ... I would have no hope when times got tough. You see, God promises to restore us. Whatever the enemy of our soul takes from us, God says that if we have faith that He will restore us. Isn't that wonderful to know?

I went to the enemy's camp
And I, took back what he stole from me - Unity Klan

Praise God! He reminded me of that message last night at church and it was one I so desperately needed to hear. He reminded me that we choose to love and we choose to forgive. We also choose to have faith. We are to walk and live by faith, not sight. God is in the restoration business and faith is the key! And, through that faith we can take back everything that Satan has taken from us.

Stories like this are why I stopped being a card-carrying member of the ACLU:

She knew her speech as valedictorian of Foothill High School would be cut short, but Brittany McComb was determined to tell her fellow graduates what was on her mind and in her heart.

But before she could get to the word in her speech that meant the most to her -- Christ -- her microphone went dead.

The decision to cut short McComb's commencement speech Thursday at The Orleans drew jeers from the nearly 400 graduates and their families that went on for several minutes.

However, Clark County School District officials and an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday that cutting McComb's mic was the right call. Graduation ceremonies are school-sponsored events, a stance supported by federal court rulings, and as such may include religious references but not proselytizing, they said.

They take things way too far and this is just one example of that. I am proud of the girl. I would have went with the original speech as well.

You have got to see this!

Kristen Day recently published an article entitled, "Politics and the Culture of Life - Why I Am Still A Democrat" in the University of Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy. It is definitely worth the read ...

As Christians, we all have a duty to be generous to others and to give of ourselves before we take. We have a duty to follow this general vocation and strive to be followers of Christ. As we are reminded in Hebrews, "[D]o not forget kindness and charity, for by such sacrifices God's favor is obtained."

Jesus is clear about how he expects us to serve the poor, the oppressed, and the needy. In Matthew 25 we are told that when the Son of Man comes into his majesty, he will separate people into two groups. He will recognize those on his right as the ones who fed him when he was hungry, gave him water when he was thirsty, and tended to him when he was sick. The just people will ask, in confusion, when they did such deeds for him? Jesus will reply, "Amen I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me." The second group, which did none of these things, "will go into everlasting punishment, but the just into everlasting life."

While this general vocation is clear, every Christian is further called to a personal vocation. William May wrote that "God speaks personally to each and every Christian--priest, religious, lay person, doctor, lawyer, construction worker, business man, teacher--calling him or her to a unique personal vocation, inviting him or her to play a unique and indispensable role in carrying out his redemptive work." I searched for my personal vocation, and found politics. And it was the Democratic Party's historic principles of helping the poor, the weak, and the downtrodden that drew me in.

Read the whole thing here. (PDF)

I received this in the mail yesterday and wanted to share it before I headed off to church ...

Who's In Heaven?

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
By the lights or it's decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp --
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics, the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

She, who I always thought
Was rotting away in Hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus,
"What's the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

And why's everyone so quiet?
So somber?
Give me a clue."

"Hush child," said He.
"They're all in shock.

No one thought they'd see you!"

I love it! Grace! We are all sinners and it is all about God's grace. :)

Even as you read this, persecuted Christians from around the world are gathering names and addresses from their local communities. These names are then submitted to Bibles Unbound where members have the opportunity to mail New Testaments in the appropriate language directly to the field. This unique program gives you the ability to stand alongside our persecuted brothers and sisters and help create a witness for Jesus Christ in hostile lands right from your own home.

For a donation of only $30.00 per month you will receive everything you need to mail 5 New Testaments to individuals in a Restricted Nation. Please consider joining today.

I don't know how many of you are aware of the true nature of our prison system. Most of us don't think about such things. Criminals are people we don't want around. We tell judges to lock them up and throw away the keys. We support excessive sentencing for minor crimes. We fill our prisons with drug addicts until they are overflowing and we don't know what to do with the real criminals.

We don't think about how many of our inmates are raped in prison ... let alone how many are murdered. We don't consider the impact prison will have on a young man who has never really known life. We don't consider the impact of spending years behind steel and concrete, surrounded by nothing but men and the pornography that is distributed, will have on a man's psyche ... let alone his sexuality and what deviance will come into play before he is released.

And, on top of everything else ... we don't consider the role God can play in the lives of our inmates. How He can lift these men and women up and show them a better way and a better life. We don't think about how He can restore the dark places in a man's mind and heart. We don't think about the impact He can have on a person and how He can transform them.

The people at Prison Fellowship do. They know how the Gospel can transform prisoners and their families. And, while they have been working each year to spread the Good News throughout our prisons ... a federal judge ruled this month that the InnerChange Freedom Initiative, a prison program they helped launch, is unconstitutional and must be shut down. They are appealing this decision and will fight all the way to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

They need our support. And, right now ... a good friend of their ministry is matching every gift they receive to help them meet their Fiscal Year End budget. Up to $500,000! That means that any gift you give today will be doubled, going twice as far to bring the Good News of the Gospel to prisoners everywhere. On June 30, their fiscal year comes to an end. So, if you can, please give today. There isn't much time left.

So I just had to post a picture of my babies ...

Aren't Peanut and Panther just too cute for words? :)

This is so beyond stupid. You would think that our government would have so many more important things to do than harass a Christian organization over a gospel tract. I can't wait until the Unites States Secret Service raids Parker Brothers. I mean really ... all that Monopoly money! That has to be a serious violation of United States counterfeiting laws.

Lawyers for the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy (CLP), on Monday, asked a federal judge in Dallas to issue an injunction against the United States Secret Service to stop the agency from continuing to seize Million Dollar gospel tracts.

The CLP request was made after three Secret Service agents, on June 2, 2006, appeared at the Denton, Texas office of Great News Network (GNN), a Christian organization, and, without a warrant, ordered an employee to turn over all Million Dollar gospel tracts in the possession of GNN. The agents claimed the gospel tracts violated United States counterfeiting laws.

Go read the rest.

I love Billy Graham and Beliefnet has a totally awesome article of his:

Overcoming Anger and Fear
The evangelist shares practical steps for dealing with destructive emotions.

Go read it now. It will be good for you. :)

Divine by Karen Kingsbury is a truly touching novel about a woman whose terrifying abuse leads to a life of ministry. This book details how one life can alter the lives of many and Mary Madison's life does just that. Her life not only touches the other characters in the book, it also touches the reader. I found myself having to put the book down a number of times just so I could grab the tissue.

Spiritually, I found this book to be quite uplifting at this time in my life. It was refreshing to read about a person redeemed by Christ who didn't live the perfect life and who wants to reach others that have been damaged by sin. I get so tired of perfect characters, with perfect lives, who have nothing better to do than sit in judgment of everyone else. It was nice to read about a person who has sinned, who has been saved, and is out to do as Christ has called them to do ... not out of a sense of self-righteousness, but out of true love. The kind of love Christ has for us.

This is the third book that I have reviewed that is considered to be Christian fiction. I am finding that I really like this genre. Karen Kingsbury does an excellent job of reaching out to her readers through the lives of the characters she so beautifully creates. Divine, published by Tyndale House Publishers, really is Life-Changing Fiction. If you know someone who has been abused or is being abused, I would highly recommend giving them this book. Five stars!

- Divine by Karen Kingsbury was sent to me as a gift by Active Christian Media. I was not paid for this review.

My kids are gone for the week and I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to the peace and quiet. I need some "me" time and in a very big way. I have been so stressed with what has been going on around here and with everything we have been going through. The kids have too. I think it will be good for them as well. They need a break and I need a break.

And, they are going to have fun too. They are going to be at my sister's house, not even five minutes from the lake. They will be swimming, setting off fireworks, going to Vacation Bible School, and playing with their cousins.

So what fun things do I have planned while they are gone? Cleaning house, reading, lounging, relaxing with Panther, and sleeping. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Whoever said I was not a hip party girl just doesn't have a clue what they are talking about. ;)

While I was doing a little blog surfing today, I came across a post over at Persecution Blog about VOM Meetings. I think this is too neat not to spread the word about it. If you have a heart for the Persecuted Church, I know you will want to attend one of these meetings where you can meet an actual Voice of the Martyrs representative and hear first-hand what is going on around the world. Check for a meeting near you today!

I think Anne Coulter needs to take a good, long look at her own behavior and the trash that comes out of her mouth before she opens it to speak about anyone else ... let alone refer to anyone as "Godless."

For my birthday I asked for supernatural powers that would enable me not to grow one day older. So far, I haven't noticed anything. Just in case, though ... next year I will also be 35 and every year after that until I really start to look like I have gotten older and then I may turn 40 just so I don't confuse people.

Oh ... and you know you are getting older when all the presents you request are to help you lose weight, get fit, and feel younger. Well, except for the birthday trip to Ryan's this Friday. My friends and family will be with me and I plan to behave as if I am 25 and have the metabolism of a 15 year old. :)

I couldn't wait to get my hands on He Talk Like A White Boy by Joseph C. Phillips. As a fan of his work as an actor, I was interested in what he had to say. I was also intrigued by the title. As the mother of a black daughter who is told that she "talks like a white girl" ... I wanted to hear what he had to say about it and wondered if it was similar to what I had to say about it. It was.

While I was interested in the book for the reasons stated, I have to say Mr. Phillips has a lot more to say and he knows how to say it. He can definitely turn a phrase. His writing style keeps your attention and I caught myself laughing out loud, nodding my head in agreement, and even reading particular passages out loud to anyone that would stand still and listen. I even handed the book over to my oldest daughter at one point just so she could read what I had been saying all along about boys and their relationships with girls ... but from a man's perspective.

Now, of course, Mr. Phillips did have some things to say that I didn't agree with. We didn't agree on Bill Clinton or George W. Bush. We somewhat agreed when it came to Ronald Reagan and we agreed with each other completely when it came to Colin Powell. Even though I don't agree with some of his politics and was kind of discouraged to read some of the same old Republican talking points, I really did enjoy the book and what Mr. Phillips had to say. He also reminded me that while we won't always agree with someone on everything, there is still value in their opinions. Unless it is regarding Bill Clinton and then I will just have to call hogwash, hogwash. ;)

He Talk Like A White Boy is not just about politics and race. It is about family, love, faith, community, and a multitude of other topics. He writes about what it means to be a man and a father. He writes about ethics and values. He writes about honesty and commitment. You will definitely find yourself agreeing with Mr. Phillips on much of what he has to say, conservative or not. Honestly, I don't think his views have as much to do with conservative ideology as it does with just plain old-fashioned common sense. I warn you, this book is hard to put down. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

- He Talk Like A White Boy by Joseph C. Phillips was sent to me as a gift by Active Christian Media. I was not paid for this review.

Billy Graham has a free offer this month for The Good Life by Chuck Colson.

Do you ever wonder, “How can I find significance in my life?” Best-selling author Chuck Colson searches for an answer to this and other questions.

Click here to take advantage of this free offer.