Seeing God in everything…even Hurricane Ike October 2, 2008

Wow – I haven’t posted in several weeks! That’s what happens when a bout of bronchitis and a horrendous hurricane interrupt life! And another wow is really the only word to describe Hurricane Ike, which blew through southeast Texas and devastated many coastal cities. Where I live only superficial damage resulted but it was a storm that I don’t want to remember.

However, at one point during the aftermath of the Category 2 storm, I wondered if sometimes a hurricane or other natural disasters are used, maybe even needed, to get people to put priorities into perspective. Tons of people lost their homes and possessions. Crawling and digging through rubble, residents in Galveston and other beach-front properties tried to put some semblance of their lives back together. Even if they could only salvage a fork and a spoon, at least it was theirs. If they have nothing, then what do they have?

People who were without power for days and weeks found new ways to cope with significant amounts of time, much of which was spent during hot and humid days. But God was gracious in providing some cooler weather. But what thoughts raced through people’s minds as they were kept back from watching TV or using the Internet due to no electricity? What did they ponder upon? What changed?

There is no immediate way to determine how the hurricane has impacted people’s lives, other than those who are completely homeless. Many people seemed to remain hopeful in spite of the loss but deep down what questions were being held inside? How will I get through this? What will happen next? What if I don’t get my next paycheck? Where will I live? Where is God? Personally, I never heard Paul’s words in Philippians 3:7 more clearly:

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Only a few days after Hurricane Ike, I read my devotional for September 17 and was amazed at how God could be so timely. Only in His perfect and infinite wisdom could He have known that the words written so long ago in Streams in the Desert for that day would be needed for this day. Focusing on seeing God in every circumstance and situation in life, the message says:

To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain and loss, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

And what truly spoke to my heart and made these words of seeing God in all of life’s trials and tribulations even more applicable was a poem written by A.E. Finn that followed the devotional and I’ll post it here (the last one is MY favorite):

“Give me a new idea,” I said,
While musing on a sleepless bed;
“A new idea that’ll bring to earth
A balm for souls of priceless worth;
That’ll give men thoughts of things above,
And teach them how to serve and love,
That’ll banish every selfish thought,
And rid men of the sins they’ve fought.”

The new thought, came, just how, I’ll tell:
‘Twas when on bended knee I fell,
And sought from HIM who knows full well
The way our sorrow to expel.
SEE GOD IN ALL THINGS, great and small,
And give HIM praise whatever befall,
In life or death, in pain or woe,
See God, and overcome thy foe.

I saw HIM in the morning light;
He made the day shine clear and bright;
I saw HIM in the noontide hour,
And gained from Him refreshing shower.
At eventide, when worn and sad,
HE gave me help, and made me glad.
At midnight, when on tossing bed
My weary soul to sleep HE led.

I saw HIM when great losses came,
And found HE loved me just the same.
When heavy loads I had to bear,
I found HE lightened every care.
By sickness, sorrow, sore distress,
HE calmed my mind and gave me rest.
HE’s filled my heart with gladsome praise
Since I gave HIM the upward gaze.

‘Twas new to me, yet old to some,
This thought that to me has become
A revelation of the way
We all should live throughout the day;
For as each day unfolds its light,
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight.
Life will, indeed, a blessing bring,
If we SEE GOD IN EVERYTHING.

Yes, we can see God in everything because ALL THINGS can be used for His glory, for our refinement and for others’ encouragement. Yes, even a hurricane. For life will indeed a BLESSING bring if we see God in EVERYTHING!

The Gospel of Christ: the ONLY thing that can unite ALL people July 17, 2008

Are you seeking unity among your fellow people? Are you praying, hoping and dreaming of a united America, a truly “United States?” Unity is the battle cry of presidential candidates and is often the goal among some politicians. But what can truly bring unity to a people divided?

After listening to a radio message this morning about the message of Christianity, I realized that no matter who you are, where you are from, what you have, what you don’t have, the language you speak, the possessions you have, the one thing that can unite you to another person who seems completely opposite of you is the Gospel of Christ.

What is the Gospel? What is the central message of Christianity? Paul sums it up nicely in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8:

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

The Gospel – the Good News – that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again to give us new life. This is the message of Christianity – the message that is good enough for the poor and for the rich, for the healthy and the sick, for the wise and for the simple. As believers in this Gospel, we can be united to persons from all walks of life no matter their background, no matter their history, no matter their differences. This is the message that unites. Nothing else has this power. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met that when I find out they are Christian and followers of Christ, I have felt like I’ve known them forever. The connection to Christ is universal.

But the Gospel, ironically, is also a message that divides – divides those who do not believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and then rose again. For Paul also describes the power of this message in 1 Corinthians 1:18:

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Us who are being saved – the Gospel is our power. Yet, we don’t know of those around us who right now do not believe the Gospel if they will eventually believe once they hear this life-giving message. God has given us the power to share this message and leave the results up to Him. Do we want to be united to others around us through the message that brings hope to the hurting and life to the dying? If so, we must proclaim the excellences of Him, our God, who has called us, the ones being saved, out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9-10.) For we, too, were once not a people who believe, but now we are, by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It is not anything that we have done ourselves – we have only responded in the faith to the message of the cross. The Gospel, which is truly the Good News to those around us. So, will we proclaim God’s greatness? We will proclaim His excellencies? Will we set aside every hindrance that prevents us from telling others about the glory of Jesus Christ? Who around you needs to know? For even Moses doubted that God could use him in a magnificent way to tell of God’s power, yet God responded that it was He, the I AM, who has even made men’s mouths (Exodus 4:10-12.)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Possible Planned Parenthood clinic to be built in Katy area July 1, 2008

An online story today caught my eye: Planned Parenthood expands to Houston suburbs. One of those “Houston suburbs,” according to the story, could possibly be the Katy area. The reason for the expansion, officials say, is to diversify its revenue base by reaching the poor as well as the affluent who need healthcare, too.

Most of the Planned Parenthood clinics, at least in Houston, are located in low-income areas making affordable healthcare and medical services accessible. Not many people are able to take a bus (if you can find one) from the suburbs into town to get an annual check-up or take a pregnancy test so Planned Parenthood is hoping to fill in the gap. Oh, and the story devoted about four paragraphs to the clinic’s founder, its purpose and its most controversial procedure, the abortion.

However, there is one problem I see, at least in the Katy area. Based on the number of growing clinics for the uninsured and low-income (Breath of Life Children’s Clinic, Christ Clinic and UTMB’s Maternal Health Center), families from across the spectrum are being served. Most, however, do not know about the free or reduced-cost resources available and instead opt for the more widely-known health providers. In addition, the rapidly-growing Katy community has a pregnancy care center that offers free pregnancy tests and directs clients to STD/HIV testing, which is also offered at Planned Parenthood. In a community that is set to gain at least three new well-known hospitals in the next few years, are there not enough services for those in need?

So, is PP’s true purpose to make itself more accessible to the poor and wealthy living in suburbs, or is the organization attempting to do what Margaret Sanger set out to do more than 90 years ago – rid society of its most lowliest creatures by aborting those unwanted babies being born to the poor? We may never know the answer.

But one thing I do know is that if a Planned Parenthood makes its suburban debut in Katy there will be many pro-lifers waiting at the doors of the clinic to inform young women that their babies are just that – babies. Even if only a small percentage of women seek abortions at the clinic, one baby saved is one less that is killed. And at the same time, while the possibility of seeing a Planned Parenthood clinic in Katy could cause many people to protest, create some sort of division or stir up a righteous anger, I do believe the great writer of the book of Philippians has a timely word for Christians desiring to save those lambs being sent to the slaughter:

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents–which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. Philippians 1:27-28

Christians are called, urged, mandated by God to help end killing in the womb March 10, 2008

After reading this Biblical Mandate by pro-life group Abort73 urging Christians to do something about abortion, I was so encouraged to do all I can to defend the defenseless and be a voice for the voiceless. The message stems from James 1:27 which says

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Please take time to read through the entire page but I’ll leave you with a few excerpts:

There are some in the church who are so focused on being “unstained from the world” that they isolate themselves almost completely from the suffering of those around them. They read the Word, they pray, but they stay far away from the ugly and messy needs of the downtrodden (like orphans, widows and unborn children). There are others in the church whose commitment to meeting social needs is unwavering, and they hit the streets: caring for the homeless, feeding the hungry, protesting at the abortion mill, but having (perhaps) too little concern for personal holiness, and very little regard for the absolute centrality of the gospel. Devotion to God has been replaced with devotion to cause.

James tells us it should not be so. Visit widows and orphans and keep yourself unstained from the world. We must not become so “spiritual” in our Christian life that we forget about meeting physical needs, and we must not become so “worldly” in meeting those needs that we lose sight of God’s ultimate design. Or, to say it in specifically “pro-life” terms, we must not become so “spiritual” in our Christian life that we write off the daily slaughter of 4,000 innocent human beings as a political issue (beyond our jurisdiction), and we must not become so “worldly” in intervening for them that we lose sight of the bigger picture (reconciling people to Christ through holiness and love). This balance is the essence of pure and undefiled religion.

Disposable diapers are assaulting the earth, according to Rob Bell March 7, 2008

So, I’m enjoying a quick but somewhat relaxing lunch today in between my writing and motherly duties (as my son naps) and am reading a copy of a Q&A article with Mars Hill pastor Rob Bell. Published in the January/February issue of Relevant magazine, the story’s subhead states that Bell “tells it like it is.” And he most certainly did, when it comes to diapers, at least.

As the young “emergent pastor” details what his church members are doing to protect the environment, he identifies a group of moms that are “exploring environmentally friendly diapers.” Why would they do that? Bell explains that “diapers are an assault on the earth.” Being a first-time mom with a toddler who probably now goes through 8-10 diapers daily, I’ve never considered myself as one who was assaulting the earth but I believe my eyes have been opened. I also guess now is not a good time to mention how many diapers my son went through when he was a newborn (did I say he was eating every two to three hours)???

I suppose I could try cloth diapers. Any moms out there gone this route? It would save me about $20 per week (which I could then use to buy more food or pay for gas, which is also polluting the earth.) I wonder what kind of environmentally-friendly diapers Bell’s underground group will come up with – maybe recyclable diapers! And how much of my arm and leg will they require?

However, my first question upon reading this piece was how many diapers has Rob Bell changed? How many of those diapers have been cloth or some other “friendly” type? Did he also wash those cloth diapers? I am not trying to “judge,” but just asking a few questions. Who knows – maybe he could provide me with some tips on how to handle the toxic “assault” to my nose from handling my son’s ever-so-sweet No. 2 diapers. I’m probably being selfish – after all the earth’s needs come before mine, even though it has somehow managed to survive plenty of other “assaults.”

But, what I think stuck out even more to me than the diaper discussion, was how Bell mentioned several times in his Q&A how conservatives and critics have nothing better to do than to “take shots at other Christians” without realizing he was doing the very same thing by declaring “religious people” who question Bell’s theology (and for good reason, I might add) as ones who are fearful and lack faith. Is that not taking shots at other Christians? Where’s the love?!?!

I believe that Christians are commanded to do what they can to help those in need, wisely use the resources given to us and most importantly share the life-saving message of Jesus Christ with those who don’t know Him. But if I’m stressing over how my son’s 70 diapers per week are going to harm the earth rather than speaking up for the unborn babies who are being killed and the hundreds of people living hopeless lives without Christ, I think something is truly wrong. Don’t you think?

Obama wants education for all children, but not life for each child February 19, 2008

I don’t think I need to spend a significant amount of time informing readers that one of the democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama, has voted against the federal government’s partial-birth abortion ban.

The evidence is clear based on the Illinois senator’s voting record as well as statements he has made concerning the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ban, which prevents pregnant women from aborting their babies in the second and third trimester (the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy.) The procedure typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Here is Obama’s statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling in case you missed it:

“I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women. As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman’s medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient. I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman’s right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women.”

Nice and fuzzy, I suppose. Obama wants to protect women’s health. Who doesn’t want to hear that? But interestingly enough, evidence among obstetricians and gynecologists, along with former Surgeon General Everett Koop, has shown that partial-birth abortions are not necessary to protect a mother’s health during the second and third trimesters.

In addition, the American Medical Association has stated that the procedure, in which a baby is partially delivered except for its head and is killed by a doctor who suctions out the baby’s brain from a hole in its head, is “generally not necessary for those purposes” which are protecting a mother’s health or life or for terminating a baby due to serious fetal anomalies (another bad reason for abortion.) The group goes on to say that “maternal health factors which demand termination of the pregnancy can be accommodated without sacrifice of the fetus.” Having a child of my own, I could not bear to look at the drawn images of a partial-birth abortion procedure more than once.

So, this is not news, right? You’re wondering why this is being brought up, perhaps again. Well, I was somewhat surprised by one of Obama’s campaign ads I saw on TV highlighting his plan for education, if elected as president. You can watch the ad here but I’ll include a key statement he made below:

The one thing I was able to get was a great education. We should give every child the same chances I had.

Again, another nice and fuzzy message. Children are our future so of course they deserve a “great education.” Do you know what other chance Obama had? He had the chance to live. He had the chance to be born. That was a good chance, for him, right?

How can someone defend the chance for a great education for children yet deny the chance for a baby to even become a young child worthy of an education? What about every child deserving a chance for LIFE? Is that not a good opportunity?

And how can a person sincerely and truthfully support a candidate who hypocritically advocates for partial-birth abortion, a disgusting and unethical procedure, while promotes equal educational opportunities for all children? Children who were once in the womb and made it out safely – thank God, I suppose.

I think a better question is how can a Christian support a candidate like this? I am a Christian and I can’t.

50 million abortions and counting… January 22, 2008

On this the 35th anniversary of the Roe. v Wade decision, pro-lifers march in support of the unborn and pro-choicers speak out in support of the “woman’s right to choose.” What has happened over the last 35 years? How about 50 million babies who were killed. I read a good column about this outrageous number and how our grief over these senseless deaths should be expressed.

Even though statistics show that abortions are decreasing (a good thing in light of the situation, I suppose), abortions still remain the No. 1 way to postpone parenting and having children. After working with women and teens facing a crisis pregnancy at pregnancy care centers (unplanned and unintended in their eyes) and having my own child, I can understand the anxiety of being pregnant. It’s the complete and utter definition of “the unknown.”

You have no idea what will happen during your pregnancy, you have no idea how you will take care of this baby, you have no idea what kind of mother you will be, you have no idea how you will afford this baby, you have no idea how this baby will change your life. Now, that is scary.

But you also will never know how any of these questions and mysteries can turn into utter joy if you squelch the opportunity to allow yourself to be loved by this little one by aborting your baby. You have no idea how your situation can be turned around, how you can prove to be stronger than you thought, how your life can become something focused on someone else rather than yourself.

It’s no lie that life with a child is difficult, stressful and demanding. And many parents journey through parenthood without God and without a saving relationship with Christ (which is the real mystery to me). But even in through the troubling times and the sacrifices made for another, you will learn more than you ever knew about yourself and about your child. And in doing that, I believe God will show you more and more of Himself and soften your heart to believe. Or, if you do believe, provide you with the grace needed to rely on Him daily.

Give your child a chance, give yourself a chance and most of all give God a chance to use your life, your situation for something good. You have no idea how a seemingly hopeless situation can be turned into a glorious story of hope, love and triumph. Stop the 50-million statistic in its place and start counting down. Because there is a little someone who is counting on you and only you.

When will God end child abuse? January 15, 2008

This weekend in church, we were asked what burdens us, what breaks our heart, what makes us angry, what do you care about?

My immediate response was child abuse. I truly cannot stand to read or hear about stories involving children and abuse. The most revolting story I heard recently is about a man who allegedly threw his four children over a bridge – children ranging in age from a few months to 3 years. Supposedly searchers have found one of the children’s bodies.

Unfortunately, in this case, I have a very vivid imagination and just picture myself on that bridge watching this man throw his children over. I feel myself taking on their feelings – their feelings of fear, uncertainty, ignorance. How does an infant know he’s being thrown off a bridge into murky waters as much as 55 feet deep. What happened to the children’s sense of security in their father’s care? It’s too painful for me to imagine without crying.

If I wasn’t a Christian, child abuse would be the one situation that would cause me to doubt God cared about anything. How could He allow young children to experience such brutality? Why? For what purpose?

But I am a Christian, a creation of God’s, and am not God and therefore do not understand His ways or His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8.) Yet I wonder how much child abuse can even He stand. When will it end?

I am reminded of Psalm 10, a psalm that was brought to my attention during a seminar on domestic violence and abuse. When reading through this psalm, I see a wicked man who is determined to destroy the innocent:

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire, and the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. He says to himself, “I will not be moved; Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.” His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness. He sits in the lurking places of the villages; In the hiding places he kills the innocent; His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate, He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the afflicted; He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net. He crouches, he bows down, And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” (Psalm 10:1-11)

Oh but our God has not forgotten. He is the King gallantly riding upon his horse ready for war, ready to judge the living and the dead. He is a Mighty God who will destroy all evil one day and the source of all evil. With this destruction will come an end to child abuse, to all kinds of abuse. And the only tears that will flow will be tears of relief, joy and hope because a Savior has returned for His people and is rescuing them:

Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, “You will not require it.” You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever; Nations have perished from His land. O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror. (Psalm 10:12-18)

The homeschooling vs. private school vs. public school debate January 4, 2008

My son will turn 2 years old next week and I’m already considering what to do about his schooling. Actually, other people are wondering what I’ll be doing about his schooling. They ask if I’ll be sending him to pre-school (I’m not sure). Does he need pre-school at 2, and a better question is, can I afford it?

A couple weeks ago, I read an interesting blog post about homeschooling vs. public schools and was intrigued by the comments. It was almost split as to what people preferred and which was, without documentation, the best approach to educating children.

I will be attending a meeting this weekend about “Homeschooling How-To’s” at my local library.  I am leaning toward homeschooling my son because 1) I love to teach and what better student than  my own child; 2) I want my son to learn about Christ in his education and not just after school or in Sunday school; and 3) my son seems to be a fast learner and I’ve been told homeschooling can take students through a faster-paced curriculum.

But I have yet to make a decision and have some hesitations – I work part-time from home as a writer, I would like to have a second child soon, is homeschooling cost-prohibitive, will my son be on an equal playing field for college, will I remove my son from the world where he can be a light for others and will I destroy his “grammar school” experiences (buying milk at lunch, playing on the playground) by homeschooling?

Of course, there’s no way to answer those questions. But the one thing I am sure of is that as his mother I am commanded to teach him about God’s Word and ways and have been doing this since he’s been born. Either way we decide to go for his education, Christianity and the Bible will always be core parts of his curriculum as long as I can help it.

Feel free to share any tidbits, tips or advice on either of these types of education.

Technologism: Are you a victim or perpetrator? December 7, 2007

Kudos go to my hubby for giving me the idea for this blog post – after I explained to him my experience at a local Apple Store at the mall. I suppose I should first define technologism, in my own view, of course, since the word doesn’t appear to exist – the blatant discrimination against a person who uses an electronic or technological device that has been upgraded and enhanced and is almost obsolete.

Now, continuing with my story…I decided to make a longer trek to a fancy mall to show my 2-year-old son something different. He was excited once he got there (he kept yelling ‘Mu, mu, mu’ (translation: mall) in the car knowing that I was clearly driving in a different direction than we usually head for our regular mall outing.)

So, as I just purchased a refurbished iPod mini, which is ironically not really mini since newer and slimmer versions of the iPod exist, I wanted to go to The Apple Store to find a better case for my new gadget. A pink case did come with the mp3 player but I wanted something different.

I finally find the store in the mall (which has no name on the outside, just the Apple symbol – how clever), I look around at all the cases available. After about five minutes, I realized that cases for my mini are not displayed. So, I ask the employee there, “Do you all have cases for the iPod mini?” She looks at me and then looks at the wall o’ cases, smiles and says, “No, we sure don’t,” and then she laughs! Not a gut-wrenching, belly-busting a laugh, but more of a snicker, like what I had asked was funny.

I kindly thanked her and left. I was however a bit shocked at her response. I mean, I understand that the iPod has evolved over the years, as does all technology, but that doesn’t mean everyone who has ever received or bought an iPod must discard their “outdated” equipment for something newer. I am actually quite happy with my mini, even though I bought it used and refurbished. It’s my first iPod, it works well and does the job I wanted it for.

So, I believe I was a victim of technologism – discriminated against by a perpetrator who was surprised to find someone still uses the mini. Maybe if Apple and other companies could come up with some sort of trade-in program, for example, donate your old ipod and we’ll give you a 10 percent discount on a new one, then more people like myself would be willing to spend money on updated products. In any case, I will be keeping my mini, thank you very much, and trying to find a case elsewhere. Anyone have one to sell?