Santa vs. The Nativity

Every year I look forward to Christmas. I love shopping. I love wrapping. I love surprising my friends and family with gifts. I like the decorations and the lights and, yes, I like the food a lot.

That sums it up. A time of friends, family, gifts, food, and decorations. A time for me to spend a little (or a lot) of money on my family to show them that I care- and just for fun.

I do like that at Christmas time everyone seems a little more happy. A little more generous and loving. That's certainly an added bonus to the friends, family, gifts, food, and decorations.

However, there is one thing I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT LIKE about this time of year. And that is what Christians have turned it into. I do not appreciate that Christians (and yes, I am one) have tried to make December 25th something it's not- the birthday of Jesus.

First of all, let me state quite clearly that I have no problem with a family or individual deciding that they want to take a day out of the year to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Christ's birth is most certainly worthy of celebration. The sacrifice our God and Father made for us- sending His one Son as a vulnerable child who would soon die for all of mankind- will forever make me stand in awe. I cannot describe to you, reader, the love I know when I realize that Jesus was placed into the care of sinful people as a baby. I can't tell you the emotion I feel when I know this world had nothing better for Him than a dirty stable. This is something that I think of often. It is something I thank God for at every opportunity. And please have no doubt that I celebrate the birth of my Lord.

However, the special celebration of Jesus' birth on December 25th of every year is neither commanded, nor is it accurate. Jesus was not born on December 25th (well, I suppose there is a 1 in 365 and 1/4th chance that He was). Celebrate the virgin birth throughout your life. And celebrate it on the 25th of December if you like, but please, please do not proclaim to the world that Jesus was born on that day.

Digging deeper into this issue, I see a great problem among Christians. That problem is that we are being inconsistent. This year, for some reason, I noticed more than ever a theme of "Santa is a lie." coming from Christians. The point being that if you tell your children there is a Santa, you are lying to them and that is sinful. Let me ask, with all respect, is it any LESS of a lie to tell your children that Jesus was born on December 25th? Let me submit to you that saying Jesus was born on December 25th is not only a lie, it is adding to Scripture (Revelation 22:18). God's Word never tells us when exactly Jesus is born, nor does it specifically tell us to celebrate that day. We ARE commanded to gather around the Lord's table to proclaim His death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26) But celebrating the birth of Jesus is not something we're told to do on any specific occasion in any specific way.

As far as Santa is concerned, children naturally have an imagination. My sister and I, much like any other little girls, used to pretend we were princesses living in a fine castle. Did my parents punish us and tell us we were lying? Certainly not. My parents know that lying is a sin. But they also know that using your imagination is not a lie.

That being said, if you do not want to play along with the Santa game, then don't. I won't tell you not to celebrate the "birthday" of Jesus if you won't tell me to stop believing in Santa. After all, in our house if you don't believe in Santa you don't get any gifts.

All of this to say, I think Christians really... really need to evaluate how we use Christmas. Do not treat other Christians, or non Christians, like they are wrong or sinful for enjoying the story of Santa and focusing on gifts. Children can enjoy opening presents without being "materialistic". Please realize that Christmas, to most people, really is not about the birth of Jesus. It's about the above mentioned friends, family, gifts, food, and decorations. And is that WRONG? No! A healthy family or individual can keep things in perspective while enjoying a holiday that is really just an excuse to have some fun. So whether you're singing Silent Night or Santa Clause is Coming to Town, realize that your version of Christmas may very well not be any more holy or right than that of your neighbor.

2009

The Trujillos have been blessed with yet another wonderful year. God is good. Please know that we thank our God at every remembrance of you. (Phil. 1:3)
2009 has been an eventful and exciting year. From seeing Tim Hawkins live, to marching with crowds of TEA Party protesters, our family has been busy. We enjoyed a visit from my mom’s parents in September. We don’t get to see them nearly as much as we would like to, so this time together was greatly cherished. The Trujillo ladies spent a weekend in Estes Park, touring the Haunted Stanley Hotel. (although the Super 8 we stayed in was just as creepy!) The men had their fun hunting once again this year. They love the time spent together in the creation. Sarah and I spent two weeks counseling at Kamp Koinonia in the summer. My dad and Karl joined us for the second week- dad as a teacher and counselor and Karl as a camper. Three of us met Joe the Plumber at a TEA Party rally this year! Fellowship with our church family, homeschooling, football and basketball games, and discussions solving the world’s problems were also a large part of our year. And we only had to call the police to our house one time in 2009!

Marty (aka Dad) worked hard in our community/church garden all summer. This resulted in a fantastic harvest of sweet corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, and lots of other tasty veggies! He spent a week in Arizona with his mom, sister, and brother-in-law. While we shivered in Colorado, he enjoyed palm trees and 80 degree weather! Of course he kept busy visiting with church members, studying for sermons, keeping bees, messing around in his “blow away shed”, and teaching Karl Greek and American History.

Allie (aka Mom) continues to enjoy her job at the post office and her time teaching Karl. The visit from her parents this summer was especially nice for her. Her Grandma Kay also came to visit! The doll collection continues to grow. We are very thankful for our mom, and her dedication to being a keeper at home. Mom is so thankful that her whole family is still living at home, so that we can enjoy the time spent together.

Sarah turned 20 this year! I, with lots of help from the rest of the family, and friends, was able to pull off a surprise birthday party! And she really was surprised when she walked in to find people from all areas of her life in the same room! On a not-so-positive note, Sarah was in a car accident that totaled her 1996 Pontiac Sunfire. However, she is now the proud owner of a 2004 Hyundai Elantra. Maybe one of the biggest highlights of Sarah’s year was a visit from her sister Amber, her brother-in-law Phil, and their three kids. She was able to spend a lot of time with them over the few days they were in town. Sarah continues to teach Bible class every week and work with the treasury and enjoys her job in the Sather’s Jewelers office.

Miranda, yours truly, had an interesting year with a lot of “new” things. For example, I am now driving my “new” old car (although I prefer “classic”). It’s a 1985 Ford Tempo in excellent condition and I couldn’t be any more happy with it! Also, after searching for a few months, I was blessed with two new jobs in February. The first was a job as a lunch lady sub and the second was as a Party Coordinator at Pump It Up. Both jobs have been wonderful. I was moved up to Shift Manager at Pump It Up over the summer, and have just recently quit the job as a lunch lady. I’ll miss it, but I’m enjoying spending more time at the Inflatable Party Zone, working on marketing in addition to managing. In February I officially became Miranda Trujillo, Master Herbalist! Since then I have been making and selling my own remedies, which can now be found at Copoco’s Honey, a local beekeeper’s shop. “Randi’s Remedies” can also be found at www.copocoshoney.com . Last but not least, I was able to spend some time in Indiana last summer with my grandparents. I love the church family there, and the little town of Wheatfield where I can walk anywhere I need to go. I had a blast doing photo shoots with my cousins (who are some of my best friends) Joanna, Emily, and Abby.

Karl started on CLP Jr. High’s Varsity basketball team at the beginning of the year. More recently he started on Poudre Highschool’s Freshman football team and even more recently made Poudre’s Sophomore basketball team! As I am writing this, they have had one loss and one win. Karl is always encouraged by our friend Chuck, who makes it to every game! We had a scare at the beginning of the football season. While Karl was headed to Denver with his team he went into Anaphylactic Shock due to an unknown pineapple allergy. Needless to say, we are much more careful what we feed him these days (which is quite a task, you would understand if you knew how much he eats.) In addition to this scare, Karl sustained a ripped off fingernail, bit into tongue, and broken pinky throughout his sports seasons this year. Some of the newest news about Karl is that he is now employed at Pump it Up as a Party Attendant, which technically makes me his boss. He continues to enjoy air soft wars with friends, and his trading card business.

We hope 2010 will be a great year for you!

What are you doing?

When you graduate, you get used to questions like, "What are you going to do now?" and "What school are you going to?" That seems fine and good...for about a month. Then it gets old. Many people have a definite answer... most probably the school they'll be attending, their major, etc. I had no such answer. "I'm not going to school." was my answer for a while. My answer to "What are you going to do now?" was something like, "Uh..nothing much different." Either that, or I would pull out one of the things I'm "doing"- an educational endeavor, job, or whatever came to mind at the moment. But that one thing never seemed to sum up my life- what I'm doing.

Here's the problem. I've been graduated for TWO YEARS now and these questions have not stopped. The problem is not that I'm doing nothing. The problem IS what people have come to expect as an answer- where I am going.

What am I doing? A few weeks ago someone asked me again what school I'm going to. When I said that I'm not, he asked what I'm doing. I scramble for answers a lot. How can I relate "what I'm doing" to this particular person? Are they looking for education answers? Job answers? Hobby answers? Interest answers? I stopped scrambling. Instead, I answered "I'm living." To which he replied something along the lines of, "Yeah, I don't do much either."

Well, obviously, my somewhat smart alec answer didn't get me far. I went on to explain that my life includes a lot of things. But how do you describe what you're doing in one sentence? I'm living my life. I'm trying my best to serve God with it. I realize that my beliefs are different, and that's probably why I have a hard time putting into words what my plans are.

A few years ago a series of events, books, prayer, and discussion convicted me of something. I became convicted of the fact that my life is not mine. I realized that there is a great plan for my life. I learned that I needed to let go of plans to prosper myself. I looked to God's Word to find what I, personally, was meant to do. I prayed and talked with my family. First of all, we decided that I wouldn't be GOING anywhere. God placed me in a family, and that is where I intend to stay. See, I think God is all powerful and wise. He knows us- what we desire, what we need. He knows how to prosper us. I find that my role is to be a Godly daughter and, Lord willing, wife someday. But the "wife someday" aside, what is my role? My role is to prepare.

How can I prepare? This was a question that bugged me almost constantly. What can I do with my time- with my life at this moment- to prepare. Well, first of all I needed to realize that even if I never GET MARRIED, there's a plan for me. So maybe the best preparation is to understand that serving my family is a high calling. This was the main reason I decided against GOING. I want to stay.. to be HERE, with my family, to serve them. However, I've found that being with them blesses me more than I can ever bless them with my presence.

When looking through God's Word, we can find how to fulfill our role at any stage in life. Children obey your parents. Wives submit to your husbands. Husbands love your wives. What I found in the books written by the christian community was a great lack of information on one stage in life- that of the adult, unmarried daughter. Actually, instead of a lack of information I found a lack of BIBLICAL information. The role of the unmarried adult daughter is assumed, by the Christian community, to be a time of finding yourself and showing your independence. This doesn't seem much different than the world's plan for this stage in life. This stumped me for a while. But I came to understand that God didn't leave anyone out. He didn't leave us blind in this world, wondering what to do. He didn't give us permission to seek after the world's plan for success for a season, and then somehow hope to return to God's plan for success when we say "I do". Christian young women are already FOUND, with no need to find themselves. And I can't find in God's Word where it says that we are meant to be independent- at any stage in life. So what is the unmarried Christian daughter to do? Why would she do anything different? If God didn't specifically point out "at eighteen year old graduation, do such and such", then maybe she's meant to do what she's been doing all along. That is, obeying her parents, preparing for a future family, serving the Church, etc. The change in her life comes when she submits herself in marriage to a Godly man- transferring her submission from her father to her husband. Never is there a time when the daughter becomes her own Spiritual authority. From what I can find, her role starts with "Honor your father and mother." and then becomes "Submit to your husband." I can't find an in between stage of "Submit to your own authority". Once a young woman has become independent of her family, it has to be just that much harder to return to the role of submission once she's married.

Preparation. Many see college as preparation for their future. And who am I to say that it's not? My personal convictions are just that- personal. So anyone reading this should realize that this is MY response to the questions I get. This is not a sermon of conviction to others.

For me, college would be the opposite of preparing. What do I seek to achieve? I seek to be a Godly daughter (first to my heavenly Father, and then to my earthly parents- who were given to me to send me toward my heavenly Father). I seek to be a Godly sister. I seek to be a Godly friend, coworker- you name it. What is my long term goal? To be a Godly wife and mother. Let me make it clear- personally, I see NO BETTER WAY to prepare to be a Godly wife and mother than to use my time becoming a Godly daughter and sister.

Career. What a word! People ask me often, "Well what do you want to DO?". They're referring to what career I want. Short, sweet and to the point- I don't want a career. That isn't my goal.

College. It prepares you for a career. As I have said before, I want to be a Godly wife and mother someday. My first priority is making sure that I can someday put my kids first- raising, training and educating them with the bulk of my time. So college, first of all, would train me for an occupation that I would neglect once children came into the picture- maybe even before children if the occupation kept me from focusing on my home.

College also takes lots of money. Money that I don't have. So not only would it train me for a career that I wouldn't use for long- it would put me into debt for this training. Debt that might cause me to continue working at the career I don't want in order to pay off the training I needed for the career I don't want...

Instead I've decided to work and save my money. I have several jobs that don't require a college degree. I have been so immeasurably blessed with jobs that I love- jobs that help me further my goal. I hope that the money I save will be put to good use in the first few years of my marriage, or even set aside for a down payment on a house. To put it simply, I don't know how the money will be used. But I know it will go further if I save it now instead of spending it on career training when my life goal doesn't include that career.

A keeper at home...a helpmeet. I can cook and clean and educate kids. I can sew (sort of) and my ironing skills are pretty good. But being a keeper at home is more than just keeping the house itself. A young woman can have these skills but not understand the lifestyle of a keeper at home. With all the pressure to "succeed", and my own selfishness, I sometimes find myself waivering. I find myself seeking after experiences, education, relationships, etc. that do not further my lifestyle of a helpmeet and keeper at home. But why seek after something- pouring time, money, effort and emotions into it if it does not further my goal. Why put so much into something when I don't believe that it is part of God's plan for my life?

So what am I doing? I'm seeking after education, experiences, ministry opportunities, relationships, jobs, hobbies and interests that help me achieve my goal of becoming a helpmeet and servant. A helpmeet first to my dad, mom, sister and brother with the hope of someday being the wife and helpmeet of a Godly man. A servant to the church and to everyone around me. That is what I'm doing. :)

Retreat at Mountain Park

When the Army Invaded Our Backyard ; )

Opal

TEA Party!!!

Healthcare is a RIGHT?

In what Constitution? The Declaration of Independence states that we have the right to pursue happiness, and healthcare certainly falls into that category. But we have the right to pursue, not to have happiness (good health) handed to us. Why do we think we have the right to take money from a working man, against his will, for our own benefit? Robbery is never a right. Look up the word "tyranny" in the dictionary.

When the government uses the hard earned money of its citizens to provide "healthcare", the result is what we experienced as a foster family. Our foster children had their health needs "met" at government run healthcare clinics. There we were treated like underclass citizens (because for some reason it's OK to treat low income people that way) and given less than adequate attention and care. Why? Because the staff at those clinics knew they didn't have to provide anything worthwhile. These low income foster children, wards of the state, had no other healthcare choice. There wasn't any need to provide them with a reason to stay loyal to the government run clinic.

It's interesting to me that people want to take competition out of healthcare. When competition is taken out of anything, the result is an extremely poor product/service. What we really need is more competition in the healthcare industry, not less. We need healthcare providers to try their hardest to provide us with exceptional healthcare at a great price because otherwise we might take our money elsewhere.

As an alternative healthcare practitioner, I realize first hand every day what happens when the government takes over healthcare. People die of cancer because it's illegal to try alternative medicine. True cures are destroyed or hidden so that the big drug companies (in cahoots with the government) don't lose money. Dangerous drugs are put on the market only to be taken off a few years later after they've already claimed many lives.

If you want the "right" to healthcare, you want the government to stay out of it. People should be able to study for themselves and/or consult with the practitioner of their choice to come up with healthcare programs, at a good price, that benefit them personally. Blind trust should not be placed in any one healthcare organization that has a monopoly on the industry. Healthcare is not, and should never be considered, a "one size fits all" service. It is not the government's job to hand us (low quality, dangerous, impersonal) healthcare. It is our right to demand something much better when it comes to the health of ourselves and our families.

Shall We Date?

When I turned 14 my dad took me out to a nice restaurant and gave me a purity ring. We prayed together, and I made a vow. I vowed that I would remain pure. To many people "purity" means saving sex for marriage. To me, purity means so much more. Not only did I vow to save myself for marriage, I vowed not to date. Through this vow, I have been immensely blessed. Let me explain.

In our culture dating has become accepted. It's used for recreation, finding a mate, and building relationships. I believe that dating has become so accepted that it is rarely questioned. Even within the church we have "pure dating doctrine" and we set down rules about how to date correctly. Christian teens are taught that if they follow these "pure dating rules" they will, by default, remain pure. They believe that if they don't cross "the line" they are not sinning. I have even heard that each person's "line" is different and that we each need to prayerfully decide where to draw that "line". If the person you're dating tries to cross "your line", you should quickly explain to them that they're approaching your line and you're uncomfortable. Does any of this sound familiar? If it does, you have probably heard some of the "pure dating doctrine".

I have a huge problem with this doctrine. I believe that it is a way to compromise with the world's way of doing things. Something is either right, or it's wrong. It's either pure, or it's not. When you must be taught "how to participate in this purely", chances are it's not a pure practice. To be taught how to date purely is like being taught how to drink as much as you can without getting drunk. As Christ's people, shouldn't we be abstaining from the world's practices- especially in such an important area as finding a husband or wife- and doing things God's way? If so, let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about dating. While I believe that many of these ideas can be applied to girls and guys, I'd like to specifically speak to my sisters in Christ.

First, in case there is any doubt, let me establish that we are supposed to be different.

Titus 2:13-15 Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a peculiar people, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

1 Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Matt 5:13a,14 You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

We are to be a peculiar people, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and a city set on a hill. We are to be very different from the world. As we have commonly come to say, "We are in the world, but not of it."

Now I would like to show you some passages that have convicted me in my decision not to date. Perhaps the most cherished passage to many Christian women of all ages is that of the Proverbs 31 woman. She is an example to all of us. She is exactly what we strive, everyday, to be. I would like to look specifically at verse 12:
She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
"All the days of her life." It doesn't say, "after she's married to him" or "when she knows he's the one she will marry." It says that she, this beautiful example to Christian women, does her husband good and not evil all the days of her life. This is something that I recently discovered. I am to do good for my future husband even now. What I do at this time in my life can lead to his shame, or to his glory.

I can picture a beautiful wedding day. As the preacher says, "You may now kiss your bride.", the groom leans forward to kiss her. As he's kissing his new wife, at probably one of the most wonderful moments in his life, the best man remembers his first date...with the bride. Two young men in the audience, both now married, distinctly remember their first kiss...with the bride.
That picture saddens me. But it's something that I'm sure happens often. Through her dating, this bride brought her husband dishonor- even if he never knew it.

So many girls choose to date, and date some more. After they break up with one boy, they find another. And so on and so forth. Dating becomes an emotional roller coaster where girls are focusing on one boy this month, another next month. Their energy goes into catching his interest, and then into keeping him interested. This kind of energy is meant to be saved for one man. Instead, many girls choose to use most of it up on their Christian sisters' future husbands.

I often hear that we have the "right" to date as many guys as we can to make sure we choose the right one. What?! I don't understand why any girl would believe that she has the right to practice on other young ladies' future husbands. Furthermore, that a girl would think she has the right to place a claim on any young man she chooses. She calls him (it eventually becomes "them" as break-ups occur) her "boyfriend" and then claims him as "hers". Why do we, in this society, believe it's OK to claim someone before we're betrothed or married? That "boyfriend" is very likely someone else's future husband, and I, for one, do not like the idea of another girl placing a claim on my future husband.

Now I would like to look at a different passage. Most of you will agree that divorce is wrong.

Mal 2:16a "For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel...

Bear with me for a minute. I realize that breaking up, within the practice of dating, is different from divorce. But I like analogies. And I bleieve that the things we train ourselves to do in our youth stick with us. Habits we form are often hard to break. When we participate in something, we need to look at the long term effects.

Dating prepares us for divorce. Why? Because we get into our heads that we can date a guy, then when we get tired of him or "it doesn't work out", we can dump him. Many girls go through 2,3,4 or more boyfriends in their teen years. No matter how "serious" the relationship was, it was easy to get out of. Each break up numbs us to the seriousness of giving our hearts away again. It will be that much easier to give up on marriage- which is a terrible sin. Why numb yourself to sin?

Matt 26:41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into tempation; the spirit is wililng, but the flesh is weak.

Here is yet another reason why I'm thankful for my vow not to date. Temptation is set in front of me often. I can say from experience that even when you're "just friends" with a guy, it's sometimes hard to keep your feelings in check. Besides this kind of tempation, sin is set in front of me daily in many forms. Life is hard enough as it is. How could someone purposely place themself into the kind of situation where sexual tempation is rampant? Just as Matthew 26:41 says, the flesh is weak. I do not wish to place myself into a situation where I could so easily stumble. Not only have I been able to keep myself from situations where I'd be tempted sexually, I have been given protection from having my heart broken.

1 Cor 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

Rom 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.

From these two verses I gather that we, as Christians, are to prefer one another's company over that of the world. The teen years are a great time to nurture friendships with Christian brothers and sisters alike. Time after time, I have seen dating get in the way of these friendships. There are several reasons.
First, often any attention given to a teen by the opposite sex is seen as romantic interest. Friends quickly turn into boyfriend and girlfriend and things are never the same. What happens after the break up? Things are different. What could be a wonderful friendship turns into a romantic relationship too quickly, often stopping two people from achieving the friendship they were meant to have.
Second, when dating enters a circle of friends, people become exclusive. I have had several friends who, after entering a dating relationship, dumped the rest of their friends to focus on their date. And for what? None of these friends ended up marrying the young men and women that they gave up their friends for. Was it worth it? Friendships are stronger when everyone isn't thinking about who's dating who, or who dated who.

Christian friendships are wonderful things. We can strengthen and challenge one another in our walks with Christ. I have been blessed with many friendships with Christian brothers and sisters. If dating does not enter the scene, there is more time to nurture true friendship. If we aren't focused on dating, everyone can be included and loved. I feel that I have a certain responsibility to my brothers in Christ. I am not to cause them to stumble. I should encourage them in their purity, and not seek for them to notice me exclusively.

I have a younger brother. I expect certain things from him. One thing I expect is that he guards the emotional purity of his sisters in Christ, which is great training in spiritual leadership. It would be wrong for him to choose a specific girl and get her emotions worked up because of him. If anything, he should be encouraging her to focus on Jesus Christ and to prepare herself for her future husband. Our Christian brothers are powerful in helping us guard our purity. Yet, through dating, many of them have helped us to lose emotional purity without even realizing it.

Inevitably, when I voice my views on dating, someone will ask, "Then how will you find a husband?" My answer is this: I will not find a husband. God has plans for my future, but right now I have no idea if those plans include marriage. If God does plan for me to marry, I have faith in Him. I serve the God who created the earth. I serve the God who created woman from man's rib. I serve the God who formed me within my mother's womb. I serve the God who loved me so much that He sent His Son to die to take my sins away. So I would like to ask those who doubt that I'll be able to get married without dating, "Do you believe the God I serve is limited to dating? Or do you believe He can give me a husband without it?" I have no doubt that my God can write my love story perfectly, without me getting in the way.

I have placed before you a few of my reasons not to date. In conclusion, I challenge you to show me if you can find any Scriptural evidence for dating. Examine it for yourself. Dating is a practice that has spread across our society and enslaved our youth. Many young people, some as young as 11 and 12, are caught up in the dating game and they don't even realize that it's not the only way. We are so blinded by the practice of dating that we limit God to its boundaries and we strive to purify an impure practice. Please do not limit God in your love story- He probably has something much better in mind for you.

Supporters of Life Continue to Step Up...

http://christianpost.com/Society/Ethics_rights/2009/02/seven-states-seek-personhood-rights-for-pre-born-21/index.html (bolded text added by yours truly ;) )

As part of a renewed pro-life strategy to challenge Roe v. Wade, lawmakers in seven states are working toward legislation to grant constitutional rights to human embryos.

The Montana Senate held a hearing on the personhood bill on Thursday.

On Wednesday, North Dakota representatives passed H.R. 1572 with a vote of 51-41. The measure now goes to the ND Senate for review.

Rep. Dan Ruby, who sponsored the N.D. measure, said the legislation did not automatically ban abortion, reported the Associated Press.

The ND bill states: "For purposes of interpretation of the constitution and laws of North Dakota, it is the intent of the legislative assembly that an individual, a person, when the context indicates that a reference to an individual is intended, or a human being includes any organism with the genome of homo sapiens."

Grassroots support helped to pass the bill, according Personhood USA, a grassroots Christian organization, which reported that thousands of pro-life advocates called legislators in support of the measure.

"North Dakotans have gotten used to cold temperatures like -44 degrees, but they haven't gotten used to child-killing," commented Cal Zastrow of Personhood USA, who helped organize grassroots support for the bill.

In Oregon, pro-life advocates have also begun a petition drive to place a person amendment before voters in 2010. A similar effort is expected to be launched in Mississippi in coming weeks.

Last year, Colorado became the first state to vote on a personhood amendment. The proposed measure, which defined a fertilized egg as a person in the state, was defeated during the November election.

According to Personhood USA, these efforts aim to fill the "Blackmun Hole" in Roe v. Wade. Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in the 1973 Supreme Court decision that if it were established that the pre-born is a person, the argument for abortion collapses.

"Personhood efforts raise the standard of what it is to be pro-life. We expect that as the understanding that all humans are people spreads, the injustice of abortion will end," said Keith Mason of Personhood USA.

Judie Brown, president of American Life League, has said the personhood movement marks a monumental shift in pro-life legislation of the past 20 years.

"It strikes at the root of the culture of death and discusses life issues in their true context – as the foundation of all civil rights issues," she said earlier this month.

Victory for Babies in North Dakota

http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/22733892.html

-North Dakota Personhood Bill Passes, First in US History
Contact: Keith Mason, 202-595-3500

BISMARK, ND, Feb 18 /Standard Newswire/ -- Signaling the growing momentum of the personhood movement, North Dakota lawmakers approved HB 1572 with a vote of 51-41.

Rep. Dan Ruby introduced the "Personhood" bill, which affirms the rights of pre-born humans and states: "For purposes of interpretation of the constitution and laws of North Dakota, it is the intent of the legislative assembly that an individual, a person, when the context indicates that a reference to an individual is intended, or a human being includes any organism with the genome of homo sapiens."

Thousands of calls to legislators were made by pro-life grassroots volunteers who helped with this victory. Only one representative voiced opposition to the bill during the debate of the bill, while overwhelming public support was seen.

"Personhood USA applauds the leadership and support that the North Dakota Life League and North Dakota Family Alliance have shown to make this victory happen," stated Keith Mason of Personhood USA. He continued, "We thank Rep. Dan Ruby for his courage and for being actively pro-life. This great family man with his wife and 10 children are an example to us all."

"North Dakotans have gotten used to cold temperatures like -44 degrees, but they haven't gotten used to child-killing. We applaud and support their efforts to protect every baby by love and by law," commented Cal Zastrow, who, along with his family, worked on the North Dakota bill at the grassroots level.

The next step for HB 1572 is to be voted on by the ND Senate which could happen in the next two weeks.

"HB 1572 brings us one step closer to applying the same laws that apply to you and me, to all humans," said Daniel Woodard, lobbyist with North Dakota Life League.

Personhood USA is a grassroots Christian organization founded to establish personhood efforts across America to create protection for every child by love and by law. Personhood USA is committed to assisting and supporting Personhood Legislation and Constitutional Amendments and building local pro-life organizations through raising awareness of the personhood of the pre-born.

For Interviews please call 202-595-3500
For More Information please visit

Personhood USA
www.personhoodusa.com

Personhood North Dakota
www.personhoodnorthdakota.com

North Dakota Policy Council
www.ndfa.org -

Now that we have someone in the White House who is willing to overlook the murder of children, Americans are really going to have to decide where they stand. In fact, I'm beginning to think that Obama might be good for the pro-life movement in some ways. Maybe people need someone to stand against in order to really be willing to stand at all.
While we as a country bury ourselves further in debt and worry about "global warming", babies are being mercilessly slaughtered. We kill our children and then we wonder why there are so many problems. A nation that murders its own isn't headed in a good direction.

Yesterday morning I checked my e-mail to find an update from Personhood USA. The above article is what I found. I honestly didn't know what to do. After Ammendment 48in Colorado failed, I was greatly discouraged. When I read that e-mail, it was a wake up call for me. To me it said that God lives and He cares for the babies. He hears the prayers of His people. If God cares even for the sparrows, of course He cares for these beautiful innocent children whose silent screams are being ignored by our nation. But not everyone in our nation is ignoring them. North Dakota is an example to every other state. They have taken a huge step forward in the war for our children.

What a VERY interesting take on the fact that EVERY life matters...

I'm considered racist...

because I don't support Obama.

It is a historic day. I'm not shallow enough to dismiss the fact that having a black man as our President is a great accomplishment. However, I can't overlook the fact that he stands for evil things that I can never support. I don't support him, and I wish he was not our President. It's completely in God's hands now, and I willingly give it to Him because there's really nothing I can do about it.

What am I trying to say then? I'm saying that the color of his skin had nothing to do with the way I voted. I didn't choose to stand against him because he's black. I simply did not, and do not, agree with him.

Now, I would like to ask what is more racist- choosing not to support a black man because I disagree with him on nearly everything, or supporting him just because he's black? I will never support someone just because of their skin color. That's demeaning and racist. We, as a nation, have turned this election into a celebration of race. We have divided ourselves by focusing on the color of someone's skin. Isn't that exactly what we're supposed to be trying not to do? What matters is what a person stands for and how he will lead- it doesn't matter if he's black, white, brown, orange, or purple.

I'm praying that our new President will surprise me. Either way, God is in control.

The Exodus Mandate

http://www.exodusmandate.org/

"The first place we need to march is right out the front doors of those Christ dishonoring, academically inferior, soul killing, government indoctrination centers." -Voddie Baucham

Luke 6:40 "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher."

Formal Dress

Modesty is "in", as far as talk goes. Girls sit in youth group discussions and pledge to be modest in how they dress and behave. They give each other ideas on how to dress modestly. Christian schools and youth groups have dress codes that value covering up. It is explained over and over that we're not to cause our brothers in Christ to stumble. We're told that guys respect girls who cover themselves and behave in a modest fashion. We pursue modesty with the goal of purity.

There is one exception. Did you know that there is an occasion where it's OK to put on less? In fact, it's perfectly acceptable to embrace immodesty at certain times. While I'm sure you all disagree, it seems that the above statements are agreed upon by a large group of Christian "modest" young ladies and their families, whether they realize and admit it or not.

What occasions am I talking about? The title of this post- Formal Dress. When you go to a dance, banquet, party or other formal event, all of a sudden it's right and good to choose a revealing dress. How have we come to this conclusion? The Bible does not teach situation ethics or, in this case, "situation dress". When the Bible says that we are to be modest, there are no exceptions. Formal events are not an excuse to cause our brothers to stumble or to show our body to the world.

Dances deserve their own article completely, as how one dresses at a dance is not near the only stumbling block to be found there, but I'll address them briefly. When choosing out a dress for a dance it appears that young women try not only to find a fancy dress, but to find one that barely exists (making dancing rather difficult, I suspect.).

Maybe a more interesting phenomenon is that of the "banquet" that many private Christian schools and youth groups offer their young people in place of a dance. From my own experience with friends who attend these, and from pictures I have seen, I wonder why this is even offered? If we're going to dress just as immodestly for the banquet, what's the point of offering a substitute to the "worldly" dance? You might as well just go along with the world's way, instead of acting as if you're more holy. What message does this send to our non-Christian friends? We're telling them that we're too holy for their dance, but that we'll attend our own "modified" event where we'll behave and dress just as badly.

Perhaps the hardest concept for me to grasp in this topic is that of undressing for your own wedding! A wedding is a time for the bride to show her beauty, yes, but it is also a time for her to testify her purity to the world. Everyone knows that all eyes will be on the bride for the entire day. What you wear as your wedding gown is a test of your true character. Will you use that day to show off your body to the world (as your groom stands by and vows himself to you)? Or will you use that day to do your husband good and not evil all the days of your life (Prov. 31:12) by showing the world that you have saved yourself completely for him and that he is, in fact, receiving a pure bride.

Bride's maid's dresses are a topic unto themselves. As young ladies striving for modesty, we should encourage one another in modest dress always. How is it that a young woman would choose dresses for her closest friends that make them look trashy? How is it that her "modest" friends would have so little respect for themselves that they would adorn themselves in next to nothing?

My dad is a minister and loves performing wedding ceremonies. But he has often been shocked at the way the bride and her maids have been dressed. How sad it is that the preacher should have to try not to look at the young ladies in the wedding party, for fear of seeing too much.

So why do I write this? Because it hurts me greatly when I see beautiful young women dressing like not-so-beautiful young women. It bothers me when we, who are called to be different, blindly accept the world's ways even as we make a claim not to. It strikes me as a great loss to use a formal occasion to undress instead of to have fun dressing up and showing those around you that you are modest, and lovely, under all circumstances. When we decide it's OK to dress scantily for formal events, we tell the world, "You're right. Modest dress makes me look frumpy and silly. I'll dress immodestly in order to look beautiful for this event." This is NOT true! Modest dress is what God expects of us and let's never forget that HE is our Creator. His commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3b). Women are made to be beautiful, and we can show modesty, purity, femininity, and true beauty through how we dress for formal events. We do not need to cling to the world's way of doing things, which ultimately degrades women and their bodies and causes us to lose our testimony of purity. And let us never forget that it is not our outer beauty that determines our worth in God's eyes.

1 Timothy 2:9a "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves modestly..."

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.