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He said, I called in God to help but I’m not religious at all!

Christine — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:26:56 +0000

After skating his personal best at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Johnny Weir nodded his appreciation to a standing crowd and then crossed himself as he skated off the rink. Later in his up close and personal interview he said. “I crossed myself at the end because I called in God to help me on this, and I’m not religious at all.”

I found that surprising. Perhaps I have just taken it for granted than anyone who would make the sign of the cross in public must be giving thanks to God and therefore be a little “religious”.

I have heard more than one sermon on the differences between being “religious” and being “spiritual”. Religion is based in tradition and acts of worship while being spiritual is centered more on your personal relationship with the Lord.

So Johnny Weir may very well not be “religious” but a little “spiritual” instead. In any case he felt he needed God to help him out. Perhaps that thought, that belief, that God would be with him on the ice, gave him a boost of confidence he would not other wise have had, or why bother.

It is true that religion can often define a person incorrectly, meaning, there are people viewed as being “religious” simply because of the church they attend. A church with high visability and yet in their own heart they have no deep connection with their God. For many religion has just become a word that ties them to traditions they no longer deem viable or believe in anymore. It has simply become routine.

On the flip side, there are those who have a deep spiritual committment and relationship with God and yet they belong to a “Religious” organization, a church that is associated with a high profile name. It is that “name” that defines them and not the person they truly are.

Religion stirs up alot of inward feelings and definitions in our society today. I don’t affiliate myself with a “religion” per say but I do tell people I am a christian. Sometimes I don’t say anthing, I just try to be one and hope my actions will define who I am.

But then I ask myself, “Am I cheating God out of His Glory?” What I mean by this is that for me to act, think, and be a Christian, a person who truly loves others as God loves me, than I should want to tell the whole world about Jesus Christ and how He has made a difference in my life.

My relationship with God defines who I am and I am not ashamed. Even if I appear to be a little “religious”, I know that my faith and love for the Most High God is secure. If there is any “insecurity” than it comes from me, not wanting to offend anyone, or make someone else feel uncomfortable including myself and I sure don’t want to set myself up as an “example” when I have so many imperfections. I suppose I fear having people come to the wrong conclusions about what I stand for.

So, I guess in public, I might very well have said the same thing, I’m not religious” at all. And what a shame that would be, for religion does define me in the simplist way I can explain, Love for Christ, Love for others, is my Religion.

End 2007 and Look forward to 2008

Christine — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:31:47 +0000

Are you looking forward to the new year? Most everyone I know is with high hopes for a better year. Did you receive or send a greeting card that proclaimed it…Have a Happy New Year….May Your New Year Be Blessed with Happiness, Health and Prosperity and so on and so forth?

Don’t most of us look forward to a better year? A happier year? A healthy and prosperous year? Don’t most of us feel a year older? I do! Don’t most of us have things we want to accomplish “This Year!” Does every year seem to go by a little quicker? I have definitely noticed the challenge in keeping up …..not just in business but with my health, spiritually and physically and keeping up with friends and committments and all of life’s demands. Time moves us forward whether we are ready or not. I want to be ready for whatever comes my way. I want to be a stronger individual whose faith remains steadfast and strong.

Do you ever take a look back and reflect on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly? I do, and I usually start by being thankful for the Good. There is alot of good to behold in this world even though it is scarcely seen in the media.

I then take a realistic look at all the things that had an impact on my life throughout the year and I reflect on the areas where I could have done better and make it a New Years wish to do better. Reflection for me is a healthy thing, a positive thing. I am reminded of how gracious my God is towards me and how often He has been a true friend.

God doesn’t count our mistakes, He desires to make a difference in our life. He wipes the slate clean each and every day when we ask Him to. So I don’t even have to go back and “remember”, I do so as a way of being grateful to have a Lord who is on this journey with me. So I can take the “Bad” out of “bad” by saying Life is about learning and growing and things are not always “bad” if we learn from our mistakes and move on.

What about the “ugly”? Each person has their own definition to what that may be. When I think of ugly, the words famine, homeless, sickness, drugs, war and violence in our cities, our country our world, come to mind. To wish for a more perfect world, to wish for a more beautiful world is merely a wish unless we get envolved to make it a better place to live. I want to contribute to that effort.

I am glad 2007 has come to an end. I do look forward to the New Year. There are things that I wanted to accomplish and didn’t and of course they will go on my List for “Things to Do” in 2008. And there are things that I am proud of without sounding like I’m boasting…..I am also thankful for 2007. God has been faithful to me as a friend, as my God as my Savior. I have wishes and plans for I intend to improve upon and then there are those high hopes for a year that brings me closer to the people I care about.

So my prayer for you is that you will have a blessed year and a good ending to 2008.

Christmas

Christine — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:58:14 +0000

The moon was big, bright and beautiul as if God were saying, “I am here!” I wonder if it was this bright 2000 years ago when He came as a child that first Christmas Eve. (Although as most of us know, He wasn’t really born this time of year, Americans wanted a “Special Day” set aside to recall that great event and so it became “Christmas.”)

My daughter and I attended Christmas Eve Service at Meadowbrook Church in rememberance of the Birth of Christ. The outside world became silent for a moment as we lifted our voices in song, giving Glory to the Most High God for the infant babe named Jesus who came to show us what really mattered in life. He gave His life for our life. It’s not a cliche that He came to “Save us All.” He really did.

Love Lives On…Jesus lived, died and rose again… He Lives! He lives in the hearts of those who believe. Scripture says “Seek and you Shall find” and you will…..

His light shines brighter than any moon. His light beckons us to see beyond the mundane, beyond the flesh, beyond today…..His light is a power that dwells within each believer. If we recognize Him for who He truly is, we have this remarkable ability to see, to feel, to know His presense which enables us to love beyond ourselves. His light is pure, His Spirit is Holy, His Words are Life to our souls.

Emanuel, God is With Us! Seek Him, you will find Him.

Hanukkah - The Miracle Story

Christine — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:26:02 +0000

The story of Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukkah) begins in strife during the reign of Antiochus IV. It is known as the Festival of Lights because it celebrates God’s glory in an ancient victory of the Jews over their enemies.

In 165 BC, Antiochus, king of Syria, marched his army of soldiers into the kingdom of Judea with the intent of destroying the Jews and their religion. He insisted that the Jews worship the Greek gods. He stormed the temple in Jerusalem and completely desecrated it. Shortly there after Antiochus returned to Syria but the soldiers stayed on and continued with their vile ways of disrespect in the very Tabernacle of God.

To the Jew this was an act of blasphemy for they worshipped only One God, Yahweh, the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Many refused to obey the king’s decree, holding on to their faith and tradition even to the point of death.

It is here where the story of faith and courage begins to burn bright. Mattathias Maccabee, a man of conviction, organized a group of freedom fighters, which included his five sons to take back the Temple. They fought bravely; using whatever hand made weapons they could devise. They gained in numbers and in strength fighting the enemy anywhere and in any way they could. When Mattathias became sick, his son Judah led the group to victory.Judah Maccabee and his followers had one goal in mind, to restore their Holy Temple and to honor the Lord their God and they did so with all their heart, mind and soul.

One of their first tasks after their victory was to clean up the Temple and to rededicate it to the Lord. When they restored the holy lamp, the Menorah, to its rightful place, they found only enough clean and holy oil to last one-day.

And here lies the Miracle of the story.

They lit the Lamp knowing there was just enough oil to last one day, but they lit it anyway, and sent someone to get more oil. The flames of the menorah burned steadily for eight days and with each passing day it is told that the flames grew brighter. The Miracle may seem so simple but it reaches into the very heart of those whose faith is in God, and whose heart for tradition is an act of Worship. God miraculously provided “unseen oil” to burn in His Menorah for eight days. (until more clean oil could be brought into the temple) His Light shone brightly in His Temple for His people to come and worship Him.

To know His peace, His faithfulness and to know His presence. To me that is the Miracle of the Story.

Today, Hanukkah is a Holiday celebrated by Jews and non-Jews because of the Message of hope that it brings. God is the true Light of the World. He is a God of Miracles; He is a God that provides for our needs, with Him and through Him all things are possible. No matter where we live, His Light can burn brightly in our hearts. We can be in His presence.

And if you ever wonder why, why did God let the temple be ruined, why did He let the oil run out, I can only answer it in this way……so we could witness HIS Divine Glory. And perhaps so we could be encouraged by the story of faith and courage shown by those whose love for God enabled them to press on and see the Victory.

For more reading on the history of Hanukkah and Jewish Traditions please visit this website http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

December 7th, a date which will live in infamy.

Christine — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 03:55:14 +0000

I was surprised when the young grocery clerk responded confidently to the elderly couple’s question.“Do you know what day it is today?”

“Yes!” He replied. ” Pearl Harbor Day.” “That’s right.” Declared the beautiful lady of 80 some years. ” December 7, 1941.”

The clerk began bagging the groceries while the tall elderly gentlemen wrote out a check. He lifted his eyes and spoke of where he was that day. I wish I could have heard the rest of the story but I stood several feet behind another shopper in line.

I wasn’t even born then, but for as long as I can remember I’ve watched the news clips shown every year of that traggic day in America’s history. The grocery clerk told me he watch those same clips.

When President Roosevel addressed the nation and said. “December 7^th is a day that will live on in infamy.” he was correct, it is a date that lives on. The bombing of Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II, a war that began in Europe a year before and now had spread across the Pacific.

I bought the movie, Pearl Harbor, and have watched it more than once on this date. Although it is a love story, the setting always grips my heart. However I did hear a survivor say he didn’t like the movie at all. He gave no reason. Perhaps his memories are still vivid and much to close to the surface to allow him to appreciate such a movie or maybe it’s because Hollywood did add the love story element. I think there must have been a lot of love stories that ended in tragedy that day. I thought the movie gave tribute to our service men and women and was respectful of the time and circumstances.

My father left Highschool and joined the Navy near the end of the war. He doesn’t’ like to talk about it much. Recently I saw a photo of him tied to the deck of his ship with a two-inch thick rope. He said the captain had him tied in for safety so he wouldn’t be blown off the deck while on the open sea. He didn’t weigh much over 100 lbs. From the look on his face, it was obvious he was proud to be an American and a sailor.

I have so much respect for the men and women who gave of their lives that day and those who went on to fight for our country and for our allies. The courage and the bravery of those boys are portrayed in the film, Pearl Harbor. The tears fall every time I watch it.

If you have not seen it, I hope you do.

I hope our men and women in the service today know they are appreciated and loved by many.

I pray the Lord will keep their Spirit safe and that they will come back safe and write their own love stories. I wish them all well.

Golden Compass Points Beyond Your Imagination

Christine — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:38:20 +0000

The Book “The Golden Compass” now a Major Motion Picture.

The Golden Compass is scheduled for release on the big screen December 7, 2007. The irony of that date does not escape me.

Is it any wonder that Fantasy Fiction of epic proportions has taken off on the big screen like wild fire when our world today is engaged in conflict and destruction on a daily basis.

Is it any wonder that we look for something, anything, to free us from this world and it’s limitations. Imagination is where it all begins, stories that compell us to face our fears and to grab on to something so much more exciting.

Imagination is beautiful and a gift to be appreciated. My question is: What does a Christian Parent do about the subtle messages that are protrayed within the imagination of this story line? A message that tears at the very lining of our soul. Truth and fiction can interact well together, it’s when truth is distorted and fiction becomes something sinister and evil……thats when we need to take notice.

It is no secret that Phillip Pullman the author of this Trilogy is an Atheist. The Golden Compass is the first book of three that protrays anti-religious themes.

Take Lyra’s World, the little girl in the movie, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon. The writer’s word for a talking animal spirit that accompanies children through life. No doubt the bond is extremely powerful. The story continues with Lyra joining people who are trying to kill God and the Christian Faith, and apparently they succeed. Of course this plot isn’t exactly revealed in the ”first” movie.

Children have vivid imaginations, and imagination is an awesome thing. When I see a child hugging their stuff bear I can’t help but smile. When I see children play with their animal friends I am warmed by their creative play and loving sentiments.

A child will grasp the concept of an animal as their “best” friend when watching this movie, and now they will be introduced to a new word, “daemon” a talking animal spirit guide. Don’t laugh, I’ve actually read a post where the writer believes her daemon is a mouse. It’s the plot that is more disturbing, the thought of killing God and the Christian Faith. How can we applaud that at the end of the show.

How is a parent suppose to explain all this to a child? And if nothing is said, what will their imagination lead them to believe? Have you ask yourself, how dangerous can this movie be if not properly explained?

Fox News has reported the controversy, along with ABC and ChristianityToday.

It’s definitely worth looking into before you take your children to see it. It’s worth discussing it with others. There are sure to be several opinions, for and against.

What do you think?

Thankfulness

Christine — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:09:04 +0000

A year has past since I wrote a post on Thanksgiving. Much has happened since then, so much so that my perspective for the year is one of Thankfulness.

A new city where I unexpectedly landed has begun to feel familiar and warm. A new company emerged from the ashes of the old. New friends and a new church home.

A lot of new experiences that stretched my faith and grew me as a person. A lot of opportunities to look to God and be thankful. My quiet times were meaningful. What I am most grateful for is to have a God who shows Himself in every situation. I may not understand the circumstances before me, but I do know He is with me.

I am thankful to have My Lord as a parent, a friend, and a teacher. A God who will love me through a difficult year….who will challenged me and grow me and then bless me beyond my own expectations. A God who is faithful, always faithful.

Time does not stand still.

When my father became seriously ill last month, the passing of time became more real to me. Life is not merely fragile, life is short and it is not simply that of our own….we belong to each other, and we belong to God.

This became evident when I spent 4 weeks with my father and mother to help with his care. A time I am most thankful for. I’ve never seen my father so weak and so frail. He has always been a person who liked the outdoors, time spent hunting or fishing or gardening. His quiet time could best be described walking across the meadow or through the woods. And now his time is often spent in a chair looking out the window. I wonder what he is thinking. He says he is ready to go on. I kissed him goodbye when I had to leave, knowing it may be the last time I see him as he is now…. but not forever.

Time goes so quickly; I feel as if I too am growing old. I am thankful for the days I’ve been given with my family, my friends, myself. Yes, myself…these times of reflection, these moments where I can look to God and thank Him, when I can ask….What would you have me do these later days of my life, how would you have me spend them.

I ponder such questions.

Unfinished dreams, unfinished projects, a hundred things yet to do. There are people who’s lives can be touched with a thoughtful word or act of kindness all in due time. And that’s just it….time!

Time…..a time to be thankful…..a time to give…a time to hope….a time to Praise….a time to make a difference…..a time laugh…..a time to be what I am to be…..to others, to God and to me….and that would be a true friend.

Our Shepherd

Christine — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 03:33:14 +0000

The Lord is my Shepherd (that’s relationship)

I shall not want (that’s supply)

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (that’s rest)

He leadeth me beside the still waters (that’s refreshment)

He restoreth my soul (that’s healing)

He leadeth me in the paths of righteous (that’s guidance)

For His name’s sake (that’s purpose)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (that’s testing)

I will fear no evil (that’s protection)

For Thou art with me (that’s faithfulness)

Thou preparest a table before me tin the presence of my enemies (that’s hope)

Thou anointest my head with oil (that’s consecration)

My cup runneth over (that’s abundance)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (that’s blessing)

And I will dwell in the House of the Lord (that’s security)

Forver (that’s eternity)

Lift up your Voice, By Christina Rothman

Christine — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 03:26:33 +0000

Even the Birds - lift their voices in song

They migrate for miles - knowing where they belong

Is it a wonder - God knows them by name

Or that He created them - not the same

Are we not more - than the birds of Heaven

Loved by the Father - And called Children

Lift up your voice - with a Prayer or a Song

God is listening - all day long!

Something Slimy Slid Sideways, by Christina Rothman

Christine — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:54:36 +0000

Scientist Sam saw silly Sarah sitting sideways slurping steaming spicy soup. Soon Sam’s sister, silly Sarah, started spinning six shiny stripped saucers.

Sam said. “Silly Sarah’s small shadow slightly slants sideways, she should sit straight.”

So silly Sarah silently sat straight spinning six shiny stripped saucers. Sam’s sister soon started singing some simple silly songs. Suddenly, somehting surprised Sarah, she stopped singing, she screamed. “Sam, Sam, something strange, something slimy, somethings sliding sideways.” Sarah seemd so scared she started shaking, she spilled Sam’s soda.

Sam scolded Sarah saying, “stop screaming, stop shaking.” Scientist Sam stood solemnly still. Silly Sarah’s silver streaked sneakers started squeaking. Sam shouted. “Shhh, Sarah stand still.” Soon scientist Sam spotted seven skinny speckled slugs, sluggishly sliding sideways. Sam screamed. “Sneaky slimy slugs, stop squirming.”

Silly Sarah softly stuttered. “Surly something shall stop seven super sized slimy slugs.” So Sarah sprinkled some sweet sugar. Sam sprinkled some salt. Sarah sprinkled some smelly spices. Sam squirted Sally’s Soft Soap. Silly Sarah starated sneezing. Scientist Sam somehow slipped, spilling Sarah’s spicy soup. Silently, seven sneaky soapy smelly speckeled slugs, slowly slithered somewhere safe.

Silly Sarah sighed. Scientist Sam surprisingly sat smiling.

The End!