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. :)
Showing posts with label my writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my writing. Show all posts
Friday, July 31, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, March 2, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Real Man
What is a man? I have always been taught that a real man will readily lay down his life for a woman or child. Yet our new President-elect believes that it is a "fundamental right" to cause an "unwanted" down syndrome infant to die a miserable and lonely death inside a linen closet.
So tell me, what exactly is the job of the President? Is it to pay my mortgage? Is it to make sure my health benefit package matches that of my neighbor's? Is it to bail me out of financial crisis? Is it to raise my children?
It is the President's job to protect the citizens. If he refuses to protect an innocent handicapped child...then who will he protect?
I am disgusted and ashamed of the "men" who let our country get to this point. We, America, have elected a guy who would take money from one and give it to another, allow the murder of children, and call a baby a "punishment" for a "mistake made". I'm utterly shocked that a generation of "men" would stand in a crowd with a million others chanting for the Great Obama to give them a hand out. It is clear in Scripture that a man who does not work shall not eat, and that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel (i.e. unbeliever).
1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
2 Thess 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
I do thank God for the true real men in the world. Those men who love God, work hard, provide for their families, raise their children, and fight for our freedom. Those who would give up their own comfort, and even their own lives, for a woman or child if it came down to it. Those who stand for the lives of the most innocent. These men are few and far between, and I am thankful for them. I am honored and blessed to know many of these wonderful men. America needs more real men.
I'm praying that God will raise up a generation of young men who know that to eat, you work. To be free and safe, you fight. And a man lays down his life to protect a child. I know this is possible, and I plan to help- starting with my own brother. As much as we need men, we need women who will stop trying to be men, and instead start to raise them.
Let's start now, and pray that in 2012 and the other elections to come there will be real men to vote for. God, preserve for us another generation- a generation of real women and real men.
So tell me, what exactly is the job of the President? Is it to pay my mortgage? Is it to make sure my health benefit package matches that of my neighbor's? Is it to bail me out of financial crisis? Is it to raise my children?
It is the President's job to protect the citizens. If he refuses to protect an innocent handicapped child...then who will he protect?
I am disgusted and ashamed of the "men" who let our country get to this point. We, America, have elected a guy who would take money from one and give it to another, allow the murder of children, and call a baby a "punishment" for a "mistake made". I'm utterly shocked that a generation of "men" would stand in a crowd with a million others chanting for the Great Obama to give them a hand out. It is clear in Scripture that a man who does not work shall not eat, and that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel (i.e. unbeliever).
1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
2 Thess 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.
I do thank God for the true real men in the world. Those men who love God, work hard, provide for their families, raise their children, and fight for our freedom. Those who would give up their own comfort, and even their own lives, for a woman or child if it came down to it. Those who stand for the lives of the most innocent. These men are few and far between, and I am thankful for them. I am honored and blessed to know many of these wonderful men. America needs more real men.
I'm praying that God will raise up a generation of young men who know that to eat, you work. To be free and safe, you fight. And a man lays down his life to protect a child. I know this is possible, and I plan to help- starting with my own brother. As much as we need men, we need women who will stop trying to be men, and instead start to raise them.
Let's start now, and pray that in 2012 and the other elections to come there will be real men to vote for. God, preserve for us another generation- a generation of real women and real men.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Arguments for abortion...
A while back there was an anonymous comment on one of my posts. The poster gave an argument FOR abortion, one that I've heard countless times. I wasn't going to answer, because it's anonymous. But I keep hearing this argument thrown out. Probably because we're getting close to the election, and in CO it's especially relevant because of Amendment 48. I'm going to go ahead and give my thoughts on this. The argument, as stated on my blog, is as follows:
"If you believe that abortion is murder, do you not have a moral obligation to each child brought into this world to ensure they receive basic health care, that their parents can make a living wage,that they receive a decent education, and we fund the social services to ensure these children are not left to fend for their safety, health, and developmental needs."
The first thing I want to point out is...what does that have to do with ANYTHING??? That proves nothing, because it puts forth no proof that abortion ISN'T murder. So..what's the point? It seems to be just another way to dodge the real issue, which is that abortion is, in fact, murder.
But, to actually answer the question. No. I do not have a moral obligation to make sure each and every child who is not aborted is cared for. That's the same as saying that everyone who believes murder is wrong has a moral obligation to take care of every single person who is not murdered (i.e. everyone who is alive today). My moral obligation is to stand for those who are being slaughtered, because it IS murder. It IS wrong. And they cannot speak for themselves. My moral obligation is to warn a pregnant mother contemplating abortion that what she's about to do is murder her child. Some people actually don't know that because we like to use words like "fetus", "fetal tissue", "expulsion", etc. If I warn women that they are about to murder a child, it does not become my responsibility to raise every non-murdered child.
Now, according to Scripture it is my responsibility to care for the orphans and widows. (James 1:27) So let me go ahead and give some examples of what my family does do.
My grandparents just retired from 20 years of living in a children's home, caring for our society's throw away children (I hope no one would suggest that it would have been better for these beautiful children of God to be sucked from the womb and tossed in a trash bin instead of ending up in the children's home) They also adopted two babies from a Christian adoption agency- they became my aunt and uncle. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of these babies to adopt now (even though there are many couples who would gladly adopt them). If the reason for fewer babies is due to more education, and lack of promiscuity, then I say "Praise God!". However, if it is due to more children being murdered before drawing breath, then shame on us.
My own family has taken care of approx. 35 foster children, as well as adopting one and giving her our name. We also mentor many children who don't have fathers. My dad started a boys and girls club in our area. He coaches jr. high boys and counsels families. My sister speaks to adoptive support groups about the joy of being chosen. We support a Christian child care agency and buy many gifts every year for underpriviledged children in our community. We also put an incredible amount of money in the mail quarterly (a.k.a. taxes) that takes care of poverty stricken children. Unfortunately, the amount of money mid-income families are forced to pay into taxes leaves us much less to give directly to children who need it, or to child care agencies that we believe in.
Personally, I love children (from conception on up), and have many plans that include loving and caring for them in the future. My #1 goal is to be a faithful wife and mother. I want to raise many children for God's Kingdom, and I pray that I'll be able to. But, if I don't get married, I plan to adopt young women who are "too old" to find adoptive homes. Everyone deserves life first, then a loving family.
All of these are things that my family does because we love children, and we have been called to care for them. However, I don't believe everyone is called to participate in all of these things. Even if we did none of this, abortion is murder. It is the most horrendous, despicable abuse that we could force upon children. And it's legal.
In the history of mankind, the issue of poverty has never been adequately solved. Maybe it never will be, but that doesn't change what abortion is. First of all, the argument assumes that every person contemplating abortion would only be able to provide a single parent, poverty stricken home. Actually, often times women/families who could easily provide a loving, secure home choose abortion. Pregnancy, even without difficult circumstances, can be hard and emotional. Who's to say that, if these women could get past this trying time and choose to let their children live, they wouldn't be able to provide a loving and stable home?
The argument also claims, whether or not the people that throw it out realize, that we have the right to choose who lives and who dies. Why do I, someone who was born into a family with a mother and father who can provide for me, have more of a right to live than a child born to a single mother who lives from pay check to pay check? Life- all life- is sacred. No one is more important than anyone else, and it's ridiculous to say that it's better to murder low income children with broken families than to fight to let them live.
Like I said, it is not my moral obligation to provide for every child that is not aborted, any more than it is my obligation to feed and clothe a child for the rest of his life if I saved him from drowning. Any more than it is my obligation to provide for a little girl if I threw myself in front of a car to keep her from being hit. Any more than it is my obligation to provide for an entire school of children if I prevented a homicidal gun man from entering the school house...need I go on?
Perhaps the best way to show love to children...to care for them, starts by speaking up for them when they're in the womb. It should be the safest place for them, yet in our "civilized" country, it is not safe at all. To do my very best to make sure children are given life and to NEVER stop letting people know that abortion is the shedding of innocent human blood- that is my moral obligation.
"If you believe that abortion is murder, do you not have a moral obligation to each child brought into this world to ensure they receive basic health care, that their parents can make a living wage,that they receive a decent education, and we fund the social services to ensure these children are not left to fend for their safety, health, and developmental needs."
The first thing I want to point out is...what does that have to do with ANYTHING??? That proves nothing, because it puts forth no proof that abortion ISN'T murder. So..what's the point? It seems to be just another way to dodge the real issue, which is that abortion is, in fact, murder.
But, to actually answer the question. No. I do not have a moral obligation to make sure each and every child who is not aborted is cared for. That's the same as saying that everyone who believes murder is wrong has a moral obligation to take care of every single person who is not murdered (i.e. everyone who is alive today). My moral obligation is to stand for those who are being slaughtered, because it IS murder. It IS wrong. And they cannot speak for themselves. My moral obligation is to warn a pregnant mother contemplating abortion that what she's about to do is murder her child. Some people actually don't know that because we like to use words like "fetus", "fetal tissue", "expulsion", etc. If I warn women that they are about to murder a child, it does not become my responsibility to raise every non-murdered child.
Now, according to Scripture it is my responsibility to care for the orphans and widows. (James 1:27) So let me go ahead and give some examples of what my family does do.
My grandparents just retired from 20 years of living in a children's home, caring for our society's throw away children (I hope no one would suggest that it would have been better for these beautiful children of God to be sucked from the womb and tossed in a trash bin instead of ending up in the children's home) They also adopted two babies from a Christian adoption agency- they became my aunt and uncle. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of these babies to adopt now (even though there are many couples who would gladly adopt them). If the reason for fewer babies is due to more education, and lack of promiscuity, then I say "Praise God!". However, if it is due to more children being murdered before drawing breath, then shame on us.
My own family has taken care of approx. 35 foster children, as well as adopting one and giving her our name. We also mentor many children who don't have fathers. My dad started a boys and girls club in our area. He coaches jr. high boys and counsels families. My sister speaks to adoptive support groups about the joy of being chosen. We support a Christian child care agency and buy many gifts every year for underpriviledged children in our community. We also put an incredible amount of money in the mail quarterly (a.k.a. taxes) that takes care of poverty stricken children. Unfortunately, the amount of money mid-income families are forced to pay into taxes leaves us much less to give directly to children who need it, or to child care agencies that we believe in.
Personally, I love children (from conception on up), and have many plans that include loving and caring for them in the future. My #1 goal is to be a faithful wife and mother. I want to raise many children for God's Kingdom, and I pray that I'll be able to. But, if I don't get married, I plan to adopt young women who are "too old" to find adoptive homes. Everyone deserves life first, then a loving family.
All of these are things that my family does because we love children, and we have been called to care for them. However, I don't believe everyone is called to participate in all of these things. Even if we did none of this, abortion is murder. It is the most horrendous, despicable abuse that we could force upon children. And it's legal.
In the history of mankind, the issue of poverty has never been adequately solved. Maybe it never will be, but that doesn't change what abortion is. First of all, the argument assumes that every person contemplating abortion would only be able to provide a single parent, poverty stricken home. Actually, often times women/families who could easily provide a loving, secure home choose abortion. Pregnancy, even without difficult circumstances, can be hard and emotional. Who's to say that, if these women could get past this trying time and choose to let their children live, they wouldn't be able to provide a loving and stable home?
The argument also claims, whether or not the people that throw it out realize, that we have the right to choose who lives and who dies. Why do I, someone who was born into a family with a mother and father who can provide for me, have more of a right to live than a child born to a single mother who lives from pay check to pay check? Life- all life- is sacred. No one is more important than anyone else, and it's ridiculous to say that it's better to murder low income children with broken families than to fight to let them live.
Like I said, it is not my moral obligation to provide for every child that is not aborted, any more than it is my obligation to feed and clothe a child for the rest of his life if I saved him from drowning. Any more than it is my obligation to provide for a little girl if I threw myself in front of a car to keep her from being hit. Any more than it is my obligation to provide for an entire school of children if I prevented a homicidal gun man from entering the school house...need I go on?
Perhaps the best way to show love to children...to care for them, starts by speaking up for them when they're in the womb. It should be the safest place for them, yet in our "civilized" country, it is not safe at all. To do my very best to make sure children are given life and to NEVER stop letting people know that abortion is the shedding of innocent human blood- that is my moral obligation.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Young=Shallow?
This is an article that was in the Rocky Mountain Christian. I wrote it a while back, but I thought I'd post it here.
Browsing through the "teen section" of Christian catalogues and book stores has often surprised us. Usually what we find are shelves and shelves, pages and pages, of books and magazines talking about sex, drugs, alcohol, and plenty of other profane topics. Don't get us wrong, these books are encouraging teenagers to stay far from these things. But through years of looking in the "teen section", we have noticed that although these books are saying "stay away from these things", they are putting the focus where it should not be- on sin. Why is it that Christian writers in our day and time think they need to focus on sinful behaviors when they're writing books for teens? Our thought has always been that if you're writing to Christian teens, your audience is already aware- or should be- that sex outside of marriage, doing drugs, drinking beer, and cussing are sinful behaviors.
Browsing through the "teen section" of Christian catalogues and book stores has often surprised us. Usually what we find are shelves and shelves, pages and pages, of books and magazines talking about sex, drugs, alcohol, and plenty of other profane topics. Don't get us wrong, these books are encouraging teenagers to stay far from these things. But through years of looking in the "teen section", we have noticed that although these books are saying "stay away from these things", they are putting the focus where it should not be- on sin. Why is it that Christian writers in our day and time think they need to focus on sinful behaviors when they're writing books for teens? Our thought has always been that if you're writing to Christian teens, your audience is already aware- or should be- that sex outside of marriage, doing drugs, drinking beer, and cussing are sinful behaviors.
Some may argue that the Christian teens of today need to know about these things, and know the Christian way to handle them. We disagree. We strongly believe that you do not have to think about and focus on a sinful behavior to know that it's wrong. We recently saw an article in a magazine geared to Christian teens. This article was about- well, we won't even mention the name of the article- and how Christian teens should not do it. Needless to say, we threw the magazine in the trash and unsubscribed. Why? Because it seems that the writers of this magazine think it's necessary for teens to know every tiny detail of a sin in order to stay away from it. We find this absurd, because dwelling on sin is a sin in itself. The Bible tells us in
Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Thus, we believe it is crucial to direct our thoughts away from sin, not read every detail of it.
"Yes," you might say, "but Christian teens often do cuss, sometimes they even have sex outside of marriage, and many of them do drugs and drink!" We would like to suggest that perhaps the reason for this is that everyone expects these things of them. After all, when they get to be "teens" they're definitely going to rebel. But that's ok because they must "find themselves", right? Wrong! Although we often hear these statements, we strongly disagree with them. As the words to an old song go, "I was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see." If you're a Christian, you're already found! There is no need for Christian teens to "find themselves". If they ever forget who they are, they just need to open their Bible and look at Jesus' example. That's what we're striving for. Therefore, we believe books aimed at Christian teens should have a goal of encouraging teens to be more like Christ. We believe that if someone is truly seeking after Christ, they do not need the specifics of sinful behaviors explained to them. In fact, we believe they'll close a book that focuses on sin and find something better to read. Christian teens are striving to be in fellowship with God, and God cannot have anything to do with sin. We believe the authors of books in the "teen section" of Christian stores and catalogues should realize that the audience they are pursuing is seeking to live according to these words:
"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:12
"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:12
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Education Idol
I was thinking about modern day idols, and the one that keeps popping into my head is Education. Yes, I believe that we tend to worship education. There are a few main categories that I would like to mention:
1. We offer our children up on the Alter of Education. We, as Christians, are willing to hand our children over to the state for schooling. It is clear in Scripture that we are meant to raise our own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord- not let the world raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the state. Why are we willing to do this when the Bible tells us that we are to teach our children the laws of God at all times? Because Education has become our god. This society, and many Christians in it, believe whole-heartedly that schooling is the most important thing in life.
If a child misses worship for a game, recreation, etc., we are irritated. Yet, if the parent says that little Johnny has "so much homework to do" we turn a blind eye. After all, his homework is far more important than obeying God's command to worship. If a family misses Bible class for any other reason than sickness or school, they're considered wrong. When did homework become more important than Bible study and worship? If you place schooling above fellowshipping with brethren, worshipping God, and studying His Word, Education is your god!
2. We allow ourselves to be defined by our schooling. This covers so many areas. One of the first things someone will ask a child is "what grade are you in?" And a person's worth is dependent on how well they're doing in school. Do you get A's, B's....or F's???!! Are you "Special Ed." or "AP"? And then once someone is out of highschool he is defined by what school he's going to (or not) and what his major might be. When he's through with college, he is defined by his degree and what school he graduated from. But I believe that we are only to boast in Jesus Christ, and in no other thing. We are Christians first. Not Kindergarteners, or Seniors, or Phds, or Graduates of such and such. I'm Miranda Trujillo, and I belong to Christ.
Gal 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
3. We live a lifestyle contrary to God's Word in order to have a worldly Education. The Bible tells us how to live, but because of Education we are willing to throw God's way aside. He tells us it is not wise to be in debt (Prov. 22:7), but in the name of Education it's somehow OK and admirable to be in debt. He tells us that women are preserved through the bearing of children (1 Tim. 2:15), yet, because of Education, women put off bearing children until it's convenient for them. We are told to worship together on the first day of the week, and we are given an example of dedicating ourselves to the study of the Word. But, in order to do well in our schooling, we are willing to disobey. We are supposed to teach our children at all times about God's laws (Deut. 11:19), but we wait and try to shove it all in after school, or maybe just in Bible class (if little Johnny doesn't have homework, that is).
I am not down playing Godly education. But I don't believe that word ("education") is actually used in the Bible in the context of something we are to seek. The words that are used are "knowledge" and "wisdom".
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
So we are not wise if we don't fear the Lord enough to put Him first. We have a good understanding if we obey His commandments, not when we save them for later so that we can pay off our college debt.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So, if we put off the study of God's Word in the name of homework, do we really have understanding at all?
2 Pet 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
God is the one who has granted us all we need to know pertaining to life. When we stop putting Education before Him, we'll be truly successful. When we stop labeling ourselves as something other than Christians (as if anything could be better or more amazing than being washed clean with Christ's blood), we'll have a real identity. When we stop disobeying His commands because we would rather serve the god of Education, we will be blessed.
Please, define yourself as a Christian. Put God's will first, not the will of the "educated" people around you. Seek education- yes- but make sure it is based on a knowledge of God and a desire for wisdom.
1. We offer our children up on the Alter of Education. We, as Christians, are willing to hand our children over to the state for schooling. It is clear in Scripture that we are meant to raise our own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord- not let the world raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the state. Why are we willing to do this when the Bible tells us that we are to teach our children the laws of God at all times? Because Education has become our god. This society, and many Christians in it, believe whole-heartedly that schooling is the most important thing in life.
If a child misses worship for a game, recreation, etc., we are irritated. Yet, if the parent says that little Johnny has "so much homework to do" we turn a blind eye. After all, his homework is far more important than obeying God's command to worship. If a family misses Bible class for any other reason than sickness or school, they're considered wrong. When did homework become more important than Bible study and worship? If you place schooling above fellowshipping with brethren, worshipping God, and studying His Word, Education is your god!
2. We allow ourselves to be defined by our schooling. This covers so many areas. One of the first things someone will ask a child is "what grade are you in?" And a person's worth is dependent on how well they're doing in school. Do you get A's, B's....or F's???!! Are you "Special Ed." or "AP"? And then once someone is out of highschool he is defined by what school he's going to (or not) and what his major might be. When he's through with college, he is defined by his degree and what school he graduated from. But I believe that we are only to boast in Jesus Christ, and in no other thing. We are Christians first. Not Kindergarteners, or Seniors, or Phds, or Graduates of such and such. I'm Miranda Trujillo, and I belong to Christ.
Gal 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
3. We live a lifestyle contrary to God's Word in order to have a worldly Education. The Bible tells us how to live, but because of Education we are willing to throw God's way aside. He tells us it is not wise to be in debt (Prov. 22:7), but in the name of Education it's somehow OK and admirable to be in debt. He tells us that women are preserved through the bearing of children (1 Tim. 2:15), yet, because of Education, women put off bearing children until it's convenient for them. We are told to worship together on the first day of the week, and we are given an example of dedicating ourselves to the study of the Word. But, in order to do well in our schooling, we are willing to disobey. We are supposed to teach our children at all times about God's laws (Deut. 11:19), but we wait and try to shove it all in after school, or maybe just in Bible class (if little Johnny doesn't have homework, that is).
I am not down playing Godly education. But I don't believe that word ("education") is actually used in the Bible in the context of something we are to seek. The words that are used are "knowledge" and "wisdom".
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
So we are not wise if we don't fear the Lord enough to put Him first. We have a good understanding if we obey His commandments, not when we save them for later so that we can pay off our college debt.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So, if we put off the study of God's Word in the name of homework, do we really have understanding at all?
2 Pet 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
God is the one who has granted us all we need to know pertaining to life. When we stop putting Education before Him, we'll be truly successful. When we stop labeling ourselves as something other than Christians (as if anything could be better or more amazing than being washed clean with Christ's blood), we'll have a real identity. When we stop disobeying His commands because we would rather serve the god of Education, we will be blessed.
Please, define yourself as a Christian. Put God's will first, not the will of the "educated" people around you. Seek education- yes- but make sure it is based on a knowledge of God and a desire for wisdom.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Materialism
I just finished reading a wonderful article in Think Magazine. This article was written by Brad Harrub. The bolded parts are his words, the unbolded parts are my thoughts.
"You can't parent if you are never home." Parenting is a high calling- a truly blessed calling. I love reading Ps. 127:4-5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. A quiver full of children is a blessing, according to God's Word! FYI, a quiver=12!
Our society is extremely materialistic. This has flooded into the church. At camp one year I heard a lesson that I'll never forget. The speaker said that as the world becomes more immoral, so does the church. The only difference is that as long as the church is 3 steps behind the world on the immorality scale, we feel like we're holy enough. What does that mean? What the world was doing 10 years ago, the church is doing now.
When it comes to materialism, it seems we're quick to follow the world. We're willing to hand our children to the world in order to keep up with the people around us. Oftentimes two parents work all day, leaving their children to daycares and schools (and Bible class on Sunday morning- hoping that will be enough Bible for the week.)But this goes completely against God's Word. Deut. 6:5-6 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." How can we teach the children to love the Lord their God with all of their hearts souls and might- as we sit in our homes, walk along the way, lie down, and rise up- if we're never at home? Even more amazing, what is being taught to them as they sit, lie down, rise up, and walk along the way? Can we even know if we're hardly ever with them?
The time has come for Christians in America to turn away from materialism and embrace lives of contentment. AMEN!!! I am so thankful for my family. I love my parents, and daily I'm reminded of their non-materialistic world view. I'm so thankful that my mom gave up the thought of a career, and never looked back, when I was born. I'm thankful that she was with me all day as I grew up in order to teach me the things of God. She has placed my soul higher on the scale of worth than riches, fame, new cars, vacations, etc. We've never owned a new car, but we were always able to go where we needed to when we needed to. We don't own a house, but we have always had a rather spacious roof over heads. We haven't taken a whole lot of expensive vacations, but we find so much joy in our day to day lives.
You know what's funny, and somewhat ironic? My parents have never been materialistic. But I have never hurt for anything. In fact, I have far more than I need. Sometimes I look in my closet and wonder why any human would need so many clothes. This applies to every area of my life. Yet my parents never compromised with the world in order to have more money, and more things. They're not in debt, they can happily know that their children are headed to Heaven, yet they are blessed abundantly with material things.
Are the children in the church- in Christian homes- worth giving up for a few years of riches on this earth?
True success is teaching our children the way to Heaven in such a manner that they stay on that path even into adulthood!
Christian parents must stop using worldly parameters for measuring success.
Do you know what doesn't impress me? That new boat or house at the expense of a child's soul. But it doesn't really matter what impresses me. What do you think God is impressed with? Yes, true success is raising Godly children to go out into the world and convert more to the Kingdom. If you gain the world, the riches, the "toys", the fame, the titles...yet you lose your children's souls to Satan- what was your life worth? True success is raising Godly children. Children are the only things you have on this earth that you can take to Heaven with you. Don't compromise with the world and leave them behind.
"You can't parent if you are never home." Parenting is a high calling- a truly blessed calling. I love reading Ps. 127:4-5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. A quiver full of children is a blessing, according to God's Word! FYI, a quiver=12!
Our society is extremely materialistic. This has flooded into the church. At camp one year I heard a lesson that I'll never forget. The speaker said that as the world becomes more immoral, so does the church. The only difference is that as long as the church is 3 steps behind the world on the immorality scale, we feel like we're holy enough. What does that mean? What the world was doing 10 years ago, the church is doing now.
When it comes to materialism, it seems we're quick to follow the world. We're willing to hand our children to the world in order to keep up with the people around us. Oftentimes two parents work all day, leaving their children to daycares and schools (and Bible class on Sunday morning- hoping that will be enough Bible for the week.)But this goes completely against God's Word. Deut. 6:5-6 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." How can we teach the children to love the Lord their God with all of their hearts souls and might- as we sit in our homes, walk along the way, lie down, and rise up- if we're never at home? Even more amazing, what is being taught to them as they sit, lie down, rise up, and walk along the way? Can we even know if we're hardly ever with them?
The time has come for Christians in America to turn away from materialism and embrace lives of contentment. AMEN!!! I am so thankful for my family. I love my parents, and daily I'm reminded of their non-materialistic world view. I'm so thankful that my mom gave up the thought of a career, and never looked back, when I was born. I'm thankful that she was with me all day as I grew up in order to teach me the things of God. She has placed my soul higher on the scale of worth than riches, fame, new cars, vacations, etc. We've never owned a new car, but we were always able to go where we needed to when we needed to. We don't own a house, but we have always had a rather spacious roof over heads. We haven't taken a whole lot of expensive vacations, but we find so much joy in our day to day lives.
You know what's funny, and somewhat ironic? My parents have never been materialistic. But I have never hurt for anything. In fact, I have far more than I need. Sometimes I look in my closet and wonder why any human would need so many clothes. This applies to every area of my life. Yet my parents never compromised with the world in order to have more money, and more things. They're not in debt, they can happily know that their children are headed to Heaven, yet they are blessed abundantly with material things.
Are the children in the church- in Christian homes- worth giving up for a few years of riches on this earth?
True success is teaching our children the way to Heaven in such a manner that they stay on that path even into adulthood!
Christian parents must stop using worldly parameters for measuring success.
Do you know what doesn't impress me? That new boat or house at the expense of a child's soul. But it doesn't really matter what impresses me. What do you think God is impressed with? Yes, true success is raising Godly children to go out into the world and convert more to the Kingdom. If you gain the world, the riches, the "toys", the fame, the titles...yet you lose your children's souls to Satan- what was your life worth? True success is raising Godly children. Children are the only things you have on this earth that you can take to Heaven with you. Don't compromise with the world and leave them behind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
