Arien's Corner

Book Review: Stephen King's THE STAND

2010-03-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

I finally got off my dead behind and read a book that has given me some trepidation in the past because of the number of pages I have to go through. Yes, sadly I am one of those people who gets apprehensive and, yes intimidated, by the thickness of a book. But with a mighty resolve, I sat down and with whatever free time I can muster from my busy schedule, I devoured, in Stephen King's own words, "...this long tale of dark Christianity..." entitled "The Stand."

Words escape me as to how to express my feelings after reading this book. Was it dark? Very. In true Stephen King fashion, he depicts vivid images that make you live in your mind the trauma of what the characters experience. The psychology of his imagery makes you want to crawl out of your skin in the hopes of not having to relive the dark images you just read.

What struck me most though, was his deep, deep understanding of good and evil and how it interacts with us humans. He understood the need for a sacrifice in order to save a chosen few. In that sense, he grasped the true meaning of salvation and the sacrifice Christ made on the cross. And my one disappointment with this book is his lack of follow through.

After all the events that he wrote and how in the end (spoiler alert!) good triumphs over evil, he did not pursue, what I perceive to be the logical conclusion of his story - God's sovereignty. Instead, he copped out turned the piece into a sociological study without delving into, and fully committing to the motivations of the main characters.

Nevertheless, The Stand, is a worthy read and if you can get past the really creepy parts, the story provides a treasure trove of insight into man's recognition of good and evil and how they react when confronted with the supernatural.

My Beloved Maia

2010-01-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

January 31, 2010

I lost my baby girl two days ago. We had to put her to sleep because the vet thinks there's a tumor that's pushing out her stomach and affecting her spine. The night before, she all but lost the use of her hind legs and getting her to relieve herself on our front lawn was a herculean task for both her and my husband.

Seven months before, we brought two strays into our home that she never really got along with and I can't stop thinking that maybe this is why she gave up. All she wanted was to be appreciated and to make us happy, but since Jack and Nala came, we've been spending less time with her and lavishing less attention to her. And still to the very end, all she wanted to do was make us happy.

I lost my baby girl two days ago and I can't help thinking, it was I who killed her. Not some disease that they think was in her. Not arthritis because of her age but because of neglect and lack of attention. And still to the very end, all she wanted to do was make me happy.

The last hour was the hardest. After some prodding and poking and some serious discussion, my husband and I made the hardest decision we've had to make yet in our life together. She looked up, as if knowing the outcome, smiled her perfect smile, and sighed. I like to think of the gesture as a thank you. Thank you for ending my suffering Mom and Dad. Thank you for ending my pain. And I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy with me anymore.

I lost my beloved Maia-girl two days ago and I just wanted to let her know that there was never a time she didn't make me happy. In the 10 years we were together, she was always a source of amusement, pleasure and joy. Even as she ate my shoe or stole food from the table, there never was once a time that she didn't make me happy.

I miss you so much my baby girl. I miss your beautiful smile, and the way your entire butt shakes when you greet me as I come home from a hard day. I miss the sound your tail makes as you thump it against the floor when you're happy. I miss the way you demand for a belly rub and the way you stuck to me like velcro. I miss the way you're in my way I when I wake up in the morning or I miss how you kick my slippers under the bed. But most of all I miss your presence, your essence and your spirit.

You taught me many things my beloved little girl. First and foremost, you taught me the true meaning of selflessness. Even at your very worst, you just wanted to give and give and give. You taught me about adoration and worship. You showed me exactly how I should adore and worship our Almighty God – unconditional, irrevocable and pure. And you showed me what it was like to love and to trust. Without fear, without malice and without judgment.

I love you so much my baby girl and I can only hope and pray that you forgive me my neglect and that one day, when my time has come, God will see it fit to have you sit by the foot of His throne and together, welcome me to His Kingdom.

The "American Idol" Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama

2009-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

American Idol just started its 8th season a few weeks ago. I haven't been watching as diligently as I used to because after the "Battle of the Davids" last season, American Idol just isn't the same anymore. There is also this rather large grudge that I hold against the whole process that has embodied the show. American Idol has so deeply permeated our culture and embedded that all too familiar "popular" mentality into our collective consciousness that, as a nation, we've succumbed to electing a president with no more meaning and substance than that of a day old, chewed-up bubble gum.

Let me throw out a few question to y'all.

Question #1: How many out there voted for B.O. because of what he stands for?

In case you've forgotten in this era of sound bytes and "spin", B.O. stands to the left of oh, I don't know, Ted Kennedy? He's never met an abortion he didn't like; he's into all that gay rights things like they didn't have any and they're forced to sit in the back of the bus and drink from public fountains labeled "queer", or worst, "fags"; he's all about shutting down Gitmo and though he has yet to announce what he intends to do with all the detainees there, he's bent on undermining the safety of this country from all of them who wants us dead; and the mother of all campaign promises - redistribution of wealth! Who does he think he is anyway Robin of Locksley? I'm sorry, my hard earned money, which I rightfully, legally AND morally earn is mine to do with as I please. I don't need him to dictate how I can spend it. Why am I being punished for being an upstanding, responsible and productive citizen? Besides, I'm not sure that whole "men in tights" look is his style, know what I mean?

Question #2: How many voted for B.O. because y'all hated George W. Bush?

Honestly, I voted for Dubya. Twice! But the man let me down during the last few years of his tenure. Do you actually think the reason his approval rating looked like a professional golfer's handicap was because of all the Democrats who hated him? It's because of all of us Conservatives whom he just threw to the wolves. When we're not happy, we're not afraid to say or show it, be it our own. More than I can say for the other party. The one with the Jack er I mean Donkey.

Question #3: How many voted for B.O. so they can say they were a part of history and put a Half-Black Man in the White House?

I guess half steps are better than none right? I understand, yet respectfully disagree, with all that being a part of history baloney. For all of you who voted for him based on this reason, what a shame. If y'all want to be a part of history, do it for the right reasons, not because the guy's half-white. That just shows the esteem you hold race relations in which is not very high.

Question #4: How many voted for him because every NEWS personality or pundit within a hair's breath of a microphone, or a dead-tree op/ed writer, lauded his achievements, capabilities, intelligence or personality?

If you voted for him for this reason, you got sold a bill of goods and may I say this in earnest "Caveat Emptor". Let's face it, B.O. aka "Hope-y and Change-y" is a carefully crafted image whose experience is founded on community activism and whose charisma is based on a Teleprompter's scroll. His greatest ability to date is to raise money. Even after his election, he's still dipping into the pockets of those who put him in office and added to his list of potential donors by cutting a deal with rival Hillary Clinton in exchange for her husband's top secret list of enablers. An entire nation got fed a bunch of hooey, thanks to the likes of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, as to how he can save us from ourselves, and that he is "The One" who can give us "Hope" and real "Change".

Face it, B.O. aka "Hope-y and Change-y" is neither. On the day of his coronatio... err inauguration, the Stock Market dropped a couple hundred points indicating the kind of confidence, or lack thereof, of those who understand Business and Free Market Economics have in his administration. One of his first acts as president was to repeal abortion and partial abortion bans in place to protect unborn children. PS: All you Christians out there who voted for him, how does that make you feel knowing you've got blood on your hands? Or does it even matter cause abortion isn't written in the red ink you guys (and gals) are so fond of.

The fact of the matter is, Barack Hussein Obama was elected to the highest office in the nation not because of his ideology or his capability but because he looked good on television and for the last two years, his "people" cultivated that carefully crafted image of "peace", "hope" and "love", stuck a label on it and sold it to the public, much like Simon Cowell's opinion could make or break a contestants career or they're chances of moving on to next week's round on American Idol.

Memo To The Republican Party

2008-11-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

November 5, 2009. First George W. Bush destroys the GOP, then Obama is elected President and the Republicans lost seats in the Senate and the House and now CA Governor Schwarzenegger is calling to "re brand" the Republican Party. What next?

Memo to the Republican Party: How about going back to basics?

Traditionally, the Party stood for pro-life, fiscal responsibility and low taxes, among other things and it seems like the party leaders are hellbent on getting away from these core values to attract a new breed of voters. There are many of us out there, conservative in nature, who are so very disillusioned or who feel like we've been downright cast adrift because of the party's quest for new blood.

Here's a thought, if it's not broken, don't fix it. Let the party's core values speak for itself. Anything else and what we're left with is but a shadow of what is now a very successful Democrat Party.

So where do we start? How about rebuilding the party foundation and basing it on its roots? How about raising a new breed of go-getting, conservative, and principled leaders, men and women of character and integrity and not Republicans In Name Only. How about listening, for once, to the people. After all, this is still a country where democracy is the order of the day. Remember: it's a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

With all due respect to the Giulianis, and the Schwarzeneggers and all the other "country-club" members of the party, let's go back to the basics and rebuild the party based on the voices of people like Joe-the-plumber - ordinary, everyday citizens who carry this great country on the backs of their hard work and inherent patriotism.

It May Be Time For A Demotion

2008-07-09T03:48:00.000-07:00

There's an exchange in the film "The Devil Wears Prada" where Anne Hathaway's character is employed in this ridiculously demanding job at a high-end fashion magazine office where most, if not all, of the employees are required to dress the part of a high-end fashion magazine employee. No casual Friday's here folks unless casual means a pair of thigh high Chanel boots or a Prada ballcap or Jimmy Choo sneakers if there was such an item. Anyway, I digress... The exchange was between the Andy, played by Hathaway, an up and coming fashion magazine assistant and Nigel, played by Stanley Tucci, a dedicated and jaded Associate Editor who seems to grasp the subtleties and significance of a high-end fashion magazine in the life of whoever reads that kind of stuff.

At a photo shoot in Central Park, Andy approaches Nigel and casually comments on how her personal life is hanging by a thread because of the demands of this job that she really doesn't care for. Nigel's reply was somewhere along the lines of: "Let me know when your personal life is in the tank. It may be time for a promotion." So at 4:00 am on the morning of my departure for my high school reunion, I find myself unable to sleep not because of the excitement of my upcoming trip, but because of the job... err, I mean office work that I'm going to leave behind.

Time and time again, I've alluded to how demanding my chosen field is. I work in the real estate and mortgage industry and the hours are long, the clients difficult, the bosses slash sales reps egomaniacal and most everyone is involved in the unashamed pursuit of making money. In it's heyday, starting in 1999, the industry has sort of fueled the nation's economy. Property values skyrocketed and people took advantage of their accumulated equities to spend, spend, spend on anything and everything they can get their hands on. It stimulated the economy, increased production and strengthened all things economic in our nation.

As property values leveled, creative individuals found ways of maximizing equity even to the undeserved (bad debtors) and the unqualified (low-income). And after engaging in long complicated processes of cheating, dare I say defrauding, lenders the industry is now taking a nose dive. Home Foreclosures are up, lay-offs by the thousands are a monthly occurence, brokers are going out of business daily, agents are taking jobs at Target or Walmart, people are skipping on mortgage payments and sadly, many have just completely walked out on their mortgages. And were not talking about just the middle class, there are those highly publicized individuals who've abandoned their million dollar homes too. Oh and did I mention that indictments are a-flying because of how "creative" some people have become?

Here's my point, everyone is feeling the pinch. Six figure salaries have now been reduced to four. Mercedes Benz and BMW's have now been replaced with Prius and Toyotas, and everyone is on edge and out for themselves. It's more demanding than it used to be. Clients are meaner and greedier because there isn't much to go around anymore. There's more backstabbing among those who are still employed and more jockeying for whatever positions that are left that everyday is a day full of machinations and manipulations that one would think Machiavelli himself was orchestrating all of it in one fell swoop. This is Darwin's theory at its best. Gone is the love and joy for the work before us. It has now been reduced to the survival of the fittest or at this point, the survival of the most politically correct, backstabbing, suck-up money can buy.

And just like Andy's character, on top of all this, my personal life is hanging by a thread to boot. So at a little after 4:00 am, on the morning of my departure for a 2 week trip, I find myself up and about thinking that maybe it's time for that demotion. I certainly don't want to get to the point where my personal life is "in the tank." Though I admit to having fears of financial hardship when I take that plunge into something new and more sane. And then this thought, nay this reassurrance, as in all things I ought to trust in God to provide and deliver us from this hardship. After all, He is the Great Provider and, if nothing else, whatever He brings together, let no man put asunder.

"But I Want You To Demand Of Me"

2008-07-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

I was coming out of difficult circumstances and although I had fallen head over heels in love with my husband, I wasn't going to jeopardize the friendship we had developed. After admitting how much I love him, and when I didn't get a reply, I hemmed and hawed thinking that I had just ended our friendship. So to cover up my snafu, I immediately uttered these words: "Don't mind what I just said. It's okay if you don't have feelings for me. I just don't want to loose our friendship." (yeah I know, but what can I say? I was young and ... well young back then) It was then that I first heard these words "But I want you to demand of me." My immediate reaction was "Huh?" and then that glimmer of hope, that maybe, he may just love me to. Well he did and we did, so there.

Keith has been and will always be the kindest, most loving, most generous, most understanding, and most patient man I know. He's not a saint. Most of the time I find myself protecting those who offends God and His Name from his righteous wrath . But a more gentle man you wouldn't find anywhere else.

And, for the record, he does not take priority in my life. That's God's place. But
God has used Keith, primarily, to lead me to Him and also to embody His love for me. Not only is Keith Christ-like in his forgiveness of my idiosyncrasies and shortcomings but God uses him on a daily basis to show me just how much God loves me. God's love, through Keith, wiped away every tear I've ever shed and healed all my aches and pains and made my heart whole again. In the simplest of ways, Keith is my gift from God.

And so, ten years later, it's my turn to give those words back to him. Babe, I want you to demand of me. I need you to know that next to my relationship with the Lord, you are the one thing that matters most. In the busyness that we find ourselves in, I forget that you are my primary ministry in this life so I need you to demand of me. I fell in love with you ten years ago and ten years later I love you still from the depths of my soul.

Thank you God for my gift.

Mission Field

2008-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Back in 2004 I received an email from a high school classmate in the Philippines who now lives in Virginia. The email was an invitation to a class reunion in Irvine, CA that summer. A group of about 10 ladies from SMC class of 1983, all over North America, was going to get together and reminisce about the good old days.

My initial reaction to the invitation was "Oh no!" and "Not in this lifetime!" I didn't have "good days" back in high school. I wasn't outgoing or popular or even well-liked. When the powers that be at Webster coined the term "wallflower", they had me in mind. They just couldn't find a picture of me to publish next to it to illustrate the description. When asked who among the characters of "The Breakfast Club" I related to, I reply, without hesitation, "Ally Sheedy". That was how deep, dark, desolate and joyless high school was for me.

So, upon receipt of this invitation, I ranted and raved like the madwoman that I am. I paced back in forth in my kitchen reciting this litany of excuses as to why I could not and will not attend this get-together. My beloved husband listened to my rantings and ravings, nodded his head and very calmly said: "Think of this as your mission fields." Those words literally stopped me and my pacing mid-stride. Once again, God used Keith and in His wisdom opened up this new world to me to reach out to and spread the Gospel. Needless to say, I went, spent the weekend with the ladies in Irvine and well, the rest is His story. (yes, I know -- so sue me!)

In the last four years, everyone in this group has been made aware of my relationship with God. Some know of my experiences overseas in places I can't write about. God blessed me with two sisters-in-Christ, both of which have become my accountability partners in my walk. God has also blessed me with another mentor and discipler and although we're worlds apart, considering Australia is on the other side of the planet, we have this common ground where we always meet and fellowship. And there are those, whom I've recently told, that are aware of the new ministry that God has put before Keith and I. God has put me in a position where my witness and my walk with Him has lifted up some, rebuked some, comforted some and gave hope to most. God used my willingness, albeit reluctant, to take that first step four years ago for good.

Four years later, I am now preparing, with excitement, joy and glee, to leave for the Philippines to attend my 25th year high school reunion-homecoming. For the next two weeks, I am going to be living in a world 25 years removed from my current lifestyle. This world, that I couldn't and wouldn't get involved in four years ago, has now become a part of my mission field just as much as those distant lands are. This world of 250 beautiful, talented and loving women is the soil that God has put before me to plant the seeds of His Gospel.

I have come to the understanding that as far as mission fields are concerned, whether it's in our backyards, the groups of people we move in or the ends of the earth, the most important factors involve our obedience to His word and our faithfulness to carry out the work He has put before us. It is our duty to plant the seeds and spread the Gospel, it is up to God to grow and choose His people.

Now go and find your field and start sowing.

What Will It Take?

2008-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Most of us know about the first 14 chapters of Exodus. We've seen, heard and read various translations most of which focuses on Moses, God's chosen deliverer of the Nation of Israel. We've been exposed to the story through various forms of media from the epic DeMille classic "The Ten Commandments" to the animated version "The Prince of Egypt" jokingly referred to in some Christian circles as "Moses lite".

In each incarnation, whether it be on the big screen, the small screen, live action, animation or in print, the story always unfolds from the point of view of the main characters, God, Pharaoh, Moses, and Aaron, and the Nation of Israel.

A bit of history: Approximately 400 years prior to the birth of Moses, 72 Israelites, essentially Jacob and his entire family, arrived in Egypt at the invitation of Pharaoh, to ride out the rest of the famine that affected the whole land. They were given the land of Goshen, the best parcel of land, just outside of Egypt. (Genesis 47:1-12).

The famine was so great that all the people came to Joseph for food and paid for it initially with the money they had, then with their land, and eventually, when all their worldly possessions were gone, they agreed to enslave themselves to Pharaoh for the price of corn. By the end of the famine Pharaoh, thanks to Joseph, owned every field, except that which belongs to the priests and, not to mention every Egyptian, and the first debt repayment program (a fifth of the harvest) was born. (Genesis 47: 24)

Fast-forward 400 years into the future. The 72 Israelites who settled in the Land of Goshen now numbered in the millions. The ruling Pharaoh was not of the same genealogical lineage as Joseph's Pharaoh and had no clue as to the history, or affiliation (read: God's chosen,) of the people who lived outside his palace walls. He was so deathly afraid of their growing numbers that he incited the rest of Egypt to enslave the Israelites for their "protection." When that didn't work to his satisfaction, because the Israelites were still growing in number, he ordered the destruction of all male Hebrew children and thus we are introduced to the story of Moses and how he came to be.

Fast forward again. Moses is now 40. He had run the gamut from being a Prince in the palace of Pharaoh, to being a criminal running from the law, to meeting God in the mountain of Horeb. His mission, deliver the Israelites from Egypt and bring them to the promised land. This mission leads to his confrontation with Pharaoh and the 10 plagues that God wreaked upon Egypt.

We're all pretty much familiar with the plagues and the warnings that came before hand. We're also told God will harden Pharaoh's heart so Moses and Aaron really had their work cut out for them. In the beginning, it was "Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness." Pharaoh's reply wasn't just no but h-e- double hockey sticks NO! Plus the Israelites got punished for Moses and Aaron's insolence against a self-proclaimed deity. Moses and Aaron weren't winning popularity contests with their people either.

The next time Moses and Aaron show up at Pharaoh's palace steps Aaron's staff becomes a snake and slithers around Pharaoh's courtyard. Pharaoh summons his "wise men" and his "sorcerers" and they too, with their "secret arts", turn their staffs into snakes. Never mind the fact that Aaron's "snake" swallowed all of theirs. Turning water into blood was another miracle the sorcerers were able to duplicate with their "secret arts". So was the conjuring of frogs, though none of the Egyptian sorcerers can undo any of the magic they cast.

By the time the flies came, the magicians were flabbergasted. None of their "secret arts" can conjure up flies and gnats and they turn to Pharaoh, the only god they've ever known, and tell him "This is the finger of God." Pharaoh, by this point, starts his waffling. He tells Moses and Aaron to go sacrifice to their God in the land. In the meantime, all of Egypt is dealing with swarms of flies while the land of Goshen is untouched. Do you think Joe-Egyptian-six-pack who lived a couple of houses from the palace didn't notice that?

By the time the boils came, the magicians were nowhere to be found for not only could they not duplicate this plague, they also had it on them. Pharaoh's waffling intensifies. First it was okay, you can go, and as soon as the plague disappears, he changes his mind. This pattern of behavior goes on until the bitter end.

Before the next plague, hail, struck Egypt Moses and Aaron gave a warning to the Egyptians describing how the hail will strike dead all the beast and livestock that are left in the field without shelter. "The one among the servants of Pharaoh, WHO FEARED THE WORD OF THE LORD made his servants and his livestock flee in the houses ..." (Exodus 9: 20). Think about it, these are Pharaoh's servants, sworn to worship Pharaoh and they were fearing the word of another God they had no clue about.

When the locusts arrived and wreaked their distinct brand of devastation, groups of people came to Pharaoh, not to ask for deliverance like their ancestors did with Joseph, but to point the finger at him and tell him to "Let these people go ... don't you realize that Egypt is destroyed?" Enough already! That kind of confrontation is significant. Never in the history of man - at least not up to that point - has a group of people confronted their god specifically to plead for mercy and submission to another God to save them from the destruction that was occurring in their land.

By the time it was all over and the Angel of Death has taken every Egyptian first born not only did the Israelites find favor in the eyes of their neighboring Egyptians that they were freely given articles of clothing, gold and silver but at the exodus, "A mixed multitude also went up with them ..." (Exodus 12: 38)

That was staggering for me to realize. Here is a people group conditioned, for 400 years, to worship the god in residence at the "temple" at the top of the hill and not only were they turning their back at said god, but they mustered up the nerve and the courage to tell him, to his face, that he single-handedly and stubbornly caused the destruction of Egypt.

Here's the whole point of all of this: Taking the Egyptians (read: non-believer) point of view, at what point will you say yes there is an Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing God who is in control of all things living? Will it be at the first sign of the plagues? Or will it be at the cost of the life of your first born? Will you be like Pharaoh, who even in defeat and despair, clung to his hardened heart and will not submit? What will it take for you to acknowledge the presence of the one true God in your life?

Of Body Art and Body Piercings

2008-03-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I heard a radio broadcast of Family Life Today, the radio ministry of Campus Crusade about a week or so ago. They were interviewing a Pastor who wrote a book about parenting and kids today. I wasn't listening that closely until something about their conversation caught my attention.

The guest speaker was relating an anecdote about his son who grew up in the faith and was faithfully and dutifully taught right and wrong by his dad. Like many of today's kids (and adults), the son got caught up in the world and strayed from his walk. One day at the tender age of 19, the son realized the error of his ways and recommitted himself to Christ. He then proceeded to get a tattoo of a crown of thorns as a reminder of his commitment. The body art was permanently etched on the skin of his upper arm, just a hair's breath above the hem of a normal short sleeve shirt. It was appropriately discreet from a distance but from what I heard of the description, up close, the tattoo can cause quite a conversation.

Anyway, when the kid came home, his father immediately noticed what he had done. It wasn't like he came home saying, hey look Dad - isn't this cool? He actually tried to hide the mark.

"What's that on your arm, SON?" His father asked.

The kid hemmed and hawed and launched into his prepared speech. "Well see, Dad, funny you should ask. I found myself straying from Christ so I renewed my commitment recently and as a reminder, I got myself this."

Again the father asked, "What's that on your arm, SON?"

"It's a crown of thorns Dad. I was actually going to ask you for scripture to go with it that I could add on at another time."

A few weeks later, after his initial shock, the father gave him Leviticus 19:28 to go with his tattoo.

Here's what I'm trying to get at. Yes, because of grace, laws like Leviticus 19:28 which in the NIV reads as "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." aren't quite the essentials of our faith. But putting that aside, fast forward 70 years when gravity has taken it's toll and age has settled in and took hold, that piece of body art wouldn't even come close to resembling a crown of thorns.

And it's just not body art that gives me pause. I've seen Christian men and women, young and old alike, with unusual or highly inventive body piercings. I myself have pierced ears, one in each ear to be exact. But then again, I'm a girl, and growing up that was the norm in the society I lived in. But of late, it seems like anything and everything goes. Ever heard of a "Prince Albert"? But that's neither here nor there.

And if it's not the location is the excessive amount of piercings. I've seen individuals with pierced eyebrows, lips, nose, multiple ear piercings and tongue. And that's just the face. I know what a piercing feels like and believe me I struggled when I got mine done. Suffice to say, I'm not into pain.

I entertained thoughts of getting a tattoo. If nothing else, I thought it would make me look cool and hip and well - worldly. Really, just how much damage can a discreet, well-placed double bow and arrow wreak? However, after much debate and prayer, I came to the conclusion that getting one wouldn't be in my best interest for many reasons:

(A) May I say again that I'm not into pain.

(B) After another 40 years and 30 pounds in either direction, that little cute double bow and
arrow won't be.

(C) In the event that God blesses us with a child, I would like to have the credibility to
support my negative response when my kid ask for one. I am of the mind that my kid will
never, ever, see the inside of a tattoo parlor in real life, while I have breath still in
my body.

(D) And last but definitely not least, why would I want to desecrate the temple of the Holy
Spirit?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (NIV)

In context, the verse addresses sexual immorality, but still the command is clear, honor God with your body. Many of us Christians frown upon indulging in bad habits that dishonors God like smoking and drinking alcohol. I've heard time and time again that we are to keep this temple sacred, therefore we are to practice sexual purity and dare not pollute our insides with nicotine and liquor. Yet why do we not take the outside of our particular temple seriously as well?

When was the last time you saw a church building peppered with graffiti and left untouched and uncleaned? There is immediate outrage when a building dedicated for worship, may it be a church, a synagogue or a mosque, is desecrated by graffiti.

In the same vein, when was the last time someone accidentally had a tattoo? Or better yet, when was the last time that gold stud found its way into someone's mouth and embed itself on their tongue? Why, then, can't we muster the same outrage towards body art, unusual body piercings, cutting, or any other depraved habit or custom that we humans, left to our devices, can and will develop? Especially since there is clearly malice aforethought.

Smart-mouthed, sharp-minded guys and girls may reply with something like, but this mark IS all about honoring God. That's why I have God on my body, to honor Him and show the world that I belong to Him. Hmmm, really? And what has God done in your life lately other than give you intimate knowledge of a tattoo needle?

To those out there who disagree and are quick to stamp me with the "L" word, know that I don't love you any less for going out and getting all this done. I'm not going to shy away from y'all or cross the street so I don't come into contact with you lest I be infected by your worldly ways. And don't get apoplectic, that there was a joke.

In all seriousness, what I'm saying is I disagree with the decision to go and get marked or pierced for whatever reason. In case you missed my point, my body is a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, therefore it is my responsibility not to desecrate it. There are physical reasons as well.

I've said it twice and I'll say it once more, I am not into pain, though I've been told that popping Vicodan before the procedure does take the edge off. I'm not really looking forward to explaining the artwork when everything has sagged and faded. As for body piercings, I can't even begin to imagine the scene at the airport with a hand held metal detector.

If you're of the same mind as I am, thank you for imbibing the Kool-Aid. If not, let me know the whys and wherefores. I honestly would like to get some insight. After all, there are times I revisit the thought of that little double bow and arrow at the small of my back.

'Tis Only God

2008-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

I just had one of the most unpleasant experiences I've had in a while a few hours ago. I was told, albeit in a roundabout way, that I was no longer welcome to participate in a group that for all intents and purposes, was the source of my encouragement through all my trials and tribulations. All this because I rekindled my association with a couple that has been banned from a church I no longer attend.

When the news was broken to my husband and I, the first words were something along the lines of "this has nothing to do with you both" and "we love you both but..." Verses were quoted, primarily, Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 - things to do with how to confront an errant and sinning brother or sister in Christ and how to deal with unrepentant sinners among the brotherhood/sisterhood. As the words kept coming, all I could think of was if we did nothing wrong and we are loved then why are we being told that we were no longer welcome? Eventually the answer came loud and clear - we were guilty by association.

This is my capsule summary of what I was told. Someone pointed out something to somebody else that caused some kind of reaction that I'm still trying to fathom. A meeting was called, behind our backs, and a decision was made to "unwelcome" us. I can go on and on about who said what and so on and so forth but as I sit here mulling over these events, I realize how moot a point that would be. We've been judged, and we've been found lacking.

Through all this I find myself asking the question of just how loving is "loving"? Where do you draw the line? I've heard and read over and over again that Christ dwelled with the sinners and the riff raff and the dastardly. I'm a sinner, and a riff raff and my ways are dastardly so why was I tossed out like a rag doll all the while being told that I'm "loved". And over and over again I'm reminded, 'Tis only God who is truly loving. 'Tis only God who is truly gracious. 'Tis only God who is truly forgiving. 'Tis only God that I can trust for true compassion, understanding and acceptance. Everyone else, though laden with good intentions, fall short.

All Things Considered

2008-01-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

2007 has come to a close and 13 days into 2008 and I'm already on catch-up mode. Isn't that just sad.

I'm hopeful, though, that this year will nowhere be as stressful and hectic as last year. At 40-something, I'm ready to unwind, unfurl and just totally relax and enjoy life God's pace and not at some human mandated, dictated speed of which I am its absolute mercy.

And yet, despite the careening pace of last year there are many things I am so very totally grateful for and a few things I will probably regret for a little while longer. I'd love to end this piece on a high note so I'll start with the regrets.

My biggest regret concerns my beloved husband. In the last three or four months, Keith had to make do with was left over of me after 15 and 16 hours days in the office. There were some Saturdays that I put him to work in my office just so we could spend time together and not have our weekends without each other.

And though God's work comes first, I'll be the first to admit that one of the hardest things I have ever done this year was to leave him behind on our 9th wedding anniversary and his landmark birthday to go to Sri Lanka for a short term, pioneering mission trip. But as always, Keith's love for the Lord and his Christ-like love for me helped make things a little bearable. Keith understands that God's work comes first, above all else, and he considers it his obligation to make sure that, wherever and whenever God leads me, he is involved in getting me there.

My other regret concerns my parents. I had an opportunity early in the year to turn the tables and take care of them and provide a roof over their heads, but sadly, that lasted about 3 months and change. Right now, they are living with my younger brother who moved back to California from Boston - permanently. I guess my folks aren't ready to settle down and live the retiree's life, although I'm still a little bent about the 2nd floor apartment they rented in place of joining our household. You see, my Mom has trouble with stairs and their new apartment has 15! of them - and that's just to get to the front door.

Most of all, I miss my Mom. I miss talking with her, laughing with her, sharing the kitchen with her and just being around her. I miss the "girls time" - me, my Mom and my dog - just hanging out and spending time together. I miss my Dad too, and though it was hard living with him, I miss having him around. I honestly wish things were different and yes - that they were here with me.

Perhaps the most bitter regret I had last year was my slide back into my old ways. There was a period of a few months were I picked up the nasty habit of smoking, cussing, drinking and just totally lacking in self-control. Personal sanctification went by the wayside and my walk with God was in serious jeopardy.

I'm not mitigating any of my personal degradation, but my encounters with a few "church people", who publicly professed to love God and yet almost single-handedly drove the industry that I am employed in to the ground, left me a with a sour note about "christians". Time and time again, people from churches of all flavors have proven that none of us, without conscious thought and a constant struggle, can serve two masters. Y'all know the phrase, "the love of money..." so I leave it at that.

Thank God for Keith who, in deadly earnest, made the distinction that God's people are forever fallen in nature, until we get to heaven, but God is perfect in His ways and that I shouldn't be taking man's fallenness out on God. Like I said - "bitter slide back into my old ways". And though I'm still struggling as of the beginning of the year, I've quit smoking, I've concsiously made an effort to get back into God's word and I'm slowly, but surely, getting back into the habit of prayer for grace, repentance and restoration. Praise God for His mercy and grace!

There are other things that I can look back on and say yes that's a "could've been" or "should've been" or "would've been", but, you know, God's in control. So again, joy and praise to the Lord - otherwise things would really be mucked up and with the bad, God provides the good.

In contract to the last half of the year, the first half offered privileges and opportunities I wouldn't trade for anything else. Keith and I had an opportunity to minister to a young woman and though that has been on hiatus for a the last few months, the times we shared together made up some of the best times we had last year.

Keith and I celebrated 9 glorious years of wedded bliss and our small group has been going on, strong and steady and in complete obedience to God's will, for about 3 years and change. Our small group has grown into a family of interconnected lives and it has been an honor to share every aspect of my life with each and every one of them.

I am also grateful that, despite the differences I have with my parents, they are still both alive and I am able to touch, hug, express and even argue my thoughts and feelings with them.

And there are the things of God that made this year special, encouraging and so much more than ordinary.

God provided me with the means and the opportunity to go and minister in Sri Lanka this past year. It was a special time for me as for the first time in the last five outings, I went without my husband or my pastor and participated in the first of many trips to a country that we virtually knew nothing about spiritually. I learned that as long as God leads the way and as long as our hearts are open to Him, we, as His servants, can accomplish anything and everything in His Holy Name.

My youngest brother accepted Christ and became a believer last year and though he is not yet comfortable in leaving the rituals he is familiar with, praise God that my brother was chosen and is now faced with the daunting task of reaching our other brother - a hard core Agnostic, bordering on Atheism. But I believe in the power of prayer and God's power to reach and uphold them both.

Last year also provided a source of constant encouragement in God's love and faithfulness. A dear friend is in an extended season of his life that I cannot even begin to imagine entering. For reasons I can't discuss in detail, this gentleman has been taken away from all things familiar and has been deprived of the most basic of liberties and material comforts of daily living. And yet, despite his circumstances, he is more alive in the Lord than any of us living our busy, mundane lives. God, in all His wisdom, put him in a place where not only can he minister to those in need but also enrich himself with God's word and empower his faith through God's glory and grace. These days when my mind wanders to his predicament, images of the great apostle Paul dance in my head. This gentle man's joy and encouragement is a gift to us all.

And finally, here is, in my mind, the greatest event I was privileged to be a witness of in 2007. I had just returned from Sri Lanka and Thanksgiving was approaching when I hear the sad news of an old man's passing. The father of one of our close family friends passed away at the ripe old age of 98. The man has seen it all and experienced it all. Blessed with sons and daughters and innumerable grandchildren, this old man's passing, though still tragic, wasn't quite a shock to the system, after all, he had led a full life. And because of his age, his last days were lived in a haze. Old age naturally allowed for senility and the ravages of time take its toll on human frailty.

And yet, despite his full life, God had other plans for him. A few days before his death, God granted this old unbelieving man a few hours of lucidity and clarity of thought and this dying old man, with God's grace and guidance, used those few precious hours wisely and well. This man, who has seen it all, and most likely done it all, chucked everything he knew that was of this world and opened his heart to Jesus Christ. In those hours were he was able to think clearly, this man understood that nothing he had done can compare to the gift that God has given freely and accepted that gift with arms wide open and a contrite heart. In those few hours, he made a conscious decision to choose everlasting life.

His funeral was no more a celebration of his life here on earth and the eternal life granted him in heaven as as it was a plea for all his remaining family members who have yet to believe. At the funeral, I can almost here him say, come and join in the arms of our Saviour where we will all be together as a family for all time.

In having recapped the year, with all things considered, 2007 was a year of growth in faith, trust and love of the one true living God. I pray that 2008 will be an extension of that growth and will be a witness to my continuing obedience and trust in the Lord our God.

Off To A Journey Unknown

2007-10-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

"Oh my bags are packed ... I'm ready to go ..." Okay, okay, Keith will not forgive me for that one. Seriously, I'm off to a journey unknown and only God leads the way. Couldn't get any better than that.

I'll fill in the details when I get back, but this is another milestone for me. I get to lead devotionals (gulp), one night so keep me in prayer that I stay true to God's word.

Pray for Keith too. These separations are difficult considering we're "attached at the hip" most of the time. But hey, God's work comes first right.

God bless you all in the name of His Most Holy Son.

Geez Folks, It Was Just A Joke

2007-10-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

The premiere of ABC's Desperate Housewives on Sunday, September 30, 2007 was in the news recently. The popular, series caused quite a stir of controversy and elicited outrage in the Filipino community because of a joke delivered by one of the series' main characters that seemingly disparaged the reputation of medical schools in the Philippines.

The uproar and the outrage was sudden and widespread. By Wednesday of the following week, being from the Philippines myself, I was in receipt of a few e-mails from Filipino friends and colleagues who were in the thick of the outrage. Here is a portion from one of the emails I received:

This type of derogatory remark is not only unnecessary and hurtful, but is also unfounded, considering the presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the health care industry. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. and passing their U.S. licensing boards as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant.

As Filipino Americans, we need to band together to ensure that this type of hateful message is not allowed to continue on our television and radio airwaves. Given the recent amounts of media attention that has been given to Michael Richards (against African Americans), Isaiah Washington (against gays), and Rosie O'Donnell (against Asian/ Chinese Americans), it is ridiculous that this type of hateful speech made it through various screenwriters, the show's producers, the show's actors, and ABC itself. Yet, this isn't the first time that negative remarks have been made about the Philippines or Filipinos in the past.

In recent years, we've heard one too many "dog eater" comments by "comedian" Joan Rivers on the red carpet or in her stand up act, and I believe that it is about time that we stand up for ourselves, so that this type of hateful speech never happens again.

Another e-mail was a PDF copy of the letter sent by no less than the Philippine Consul-General of Los Angeles to a producer at ABC expressing it's "strong displeasure" and citing the Philippines as a "top Medical Tourism destination with many foreigners, including U.S. Citizens who choose to undergo surgical and other medical procedures ... in recognition of its high quality and reasonably-priced medical services."

In yet another email, a Filipino Congressman called for "Terri Thatcher" to apologize for her remarks made on the show. (And, sometimes, I wonder why we, as a people, become the subject of many jokes)

I read these emails and somewhat followed the bruhaha that ensued with little or no care whatsoever until I heard on Friday morning that ABC bigwigs issued a non-apology apology over the events and my whole attitude towards this spectacle changed. People for crying out loud, it's just a joke!!! It's not even in the same category as a Rosie O'Donnell diatribe against some ethnic minority. It's not hateful speech, it's a joke! Geez, if every Tom, Dick, Harry, Juan, or Pidro take offense at what everyone else says then our society is doomed. Doomed I tell you.

Okay so what ABC aired wasn't exactly in good taste and yes maybe something like that deserved some kind of firestorm, but to this extent? It's not even real life people. My goodness, it's a television show, a work of fiction - it's not real. Why are we allowing 2 seconds of mindless airtime define our community or our National Identity. Are we unable to separate fact from fiction that a tasteless joke can galvanized us to this level of civic involvement when events occurring in real life leave us absolutely apathetic as a community? This is so absolutely petty and the saddest part of this is we've brought unnecessary free publicity to an already inane show. Oh and by the way, thank you for advertising the Philippines', "reasonably priced" medical services. If it's so affordable that foreigners flock to the country to get nipped, tucked and altogether altered, why can't the majority of the Filipinos living in the country afford them or even basic healthcare! (Another time, another rant)

Here's a suggestion, let's not worry about what other people say about us and start worrying about how we present ourselves to the world by our deeds and accomplishments. A year from now no one will remember the dialogue, but this seemingly ill-tempered, although well-meaning, response will go down in the annals of our history and I'm not sure this is one of those achievements we can claim with pride.

Let's choose our battles wisely and not play into every insensitive, dumb, untrue remark, gesture or issue that will invariably occur for the sake of generating humor. Repeat after me: It's just a joke! That being said, can we now move on to real life and show the world the real difference we are capable of making.

The "Gift" of Antagonism

2007-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

We all know about the different gifts that we receive from the Holy Spirit in order to function in the Body of Christ. For a list of these gifts, open your bibles to Romans 12 or 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 and while you're at it please mull over 1 Corinthians 14: 12 "So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church."

We are also told that each one us, those who are part of the Body of Christ, will have at least one of these gifts and that we are to function with these gifts in that same Body of Christ in ministry to our brothers and sisters and ministry to those who are lost in the world. There is, however, one "gift" we all seem to have in common in varying degrees. And it is that most egregious of "gifts" - Antagonism. We all, whether intentionally or not, have the ability to piss people off.

Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for antagonism and outrage. Christ himself followed through on his outrage when he drove the merchants, the money-changers and the prostitutes from His Father's temple. But there is an appropriate time and place for everything and, well, defiling the Holy Temple provided one whopping excuse to denounce and show outrage. Christ, too, was downright antagonistic towards the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Didn't He, on one of their many confrontations, denounce them as hypocrites? But then again He was dealing with the Pharisees and and the Sadducees - the ancient equivalent of the politicos and moral equivalency advocates of our day. So yeah, I can see that happening too. However, everything that Christ did, He did with love and in love. He even left us with a commandment that would identify us to world as His disciples: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-36)

Unfortunately, though, today especially in North America, many in the Evangelical Church have become quite the opposite of what Christ has commanded. We've become a denunciatory and antagonistic bunch in general, not just towards the lost but towards each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of us so-called Christians are focusing on the shouldn'ts, couldn'ts and wouldn'ts of the Christian life as opposed to engaging our brothers and sisters in Christ-like interaction. We have lost sight of our goal - to be Christ-like in all aspects of our life. We've resorted to finger-wagging, here's a new term - "blog-smearing" and so much in-fighting that we've forgotten to look to our Savior and offer ourselves to Him as His beacon of light to bring the lost home. Many of us spread the gospel not by action but by angry rhetoric that does nothing more than turn away the lost and antagonize those who may disagree with said rhetoric.

In this day age, where Christian persecution is taking center stage in every aspect of our culture, we have done little to enhance or improve the credibility of our Christian witness. On one hand we've besmirched our reputation by engaging in reprehensible and heretical behavior in our own churches. We now have homosexual pastors, female bishops, prominent personalities who promote heresy and in-fighting because my denomination is better than yours.

There are factions in the Church where most anything goes as long as everything is tagged with "I Love Jesus". Most conversations take on the surreal tone of something like: "Man, I believe that the high priest in the higher realm of Kilimanjaro is far better than your Dalai Lama of the Himalayas and Deepak Chopra combined so there - oh and by the way - I Love Jesus too man!" Guess what? Satan loved Jesus too you know - before his fall.

On the other side of the spectrum, we've got the extremist who would stop at nothing to create havoc in the world. In the last few years there have been a lot of negative and controversial things and issues inaccurately attributed to what is popularly called the Christian right (kind of redundant, if you know what I mean). We've been accused of things such as gay-bashing or abortion clinic-bombing. And although there are some people guilty of such abhorrent acts, I can say with certainty that they are not Christians because that is not the kind of behavior a true follower of Christ engages in.

And then there are those who claim to zealously love the Lord and will fight and uphold the Truth of our Lord to the extent that they alienate everyone and cost them the credibility of their Christian witness. Because of their zealousness for God's truth, they are more than willing to pick up God's sword and quick to skewer those who are of the same faith but leave room for error (grace?) or those whose beliefs are not entirely reliant on the written word of God. Of late there has been a rash of downright slanderous name calling and internal bickering amongst fellow believers because of these differences that we are accomplishing nothing to further God's kingdom in this world. They forget that for the most part anything we do in love will have more of an impact than anything we do with outrage and indignation -righteous or otherwise.

Consider this, recently, I read somewhere that one should consider the message and not pay attention to the method of delivery. To that I reply, but the method of delivery is always a part of the message. Just take the lost art of rebuke. Rebuke is one of the hardest things to do in our daily life. First, I don't know of anyone who lives for a confrontation. Second, the message is never pretty. But if done in gentleness and in love, with a generous serving of encouragement, the rebuke will go a long way to accomplishing change, hopefully for the betterment of the individual. Now take the same message and add all the bluster and outrage of a raving virago under the guise of righteous indignation and not only have you tainted the message with antagonism and malcontent, but you've also destroyed that most precious of commodities - your Christian witness. Congratulations!

There are other things we do to screw up our Christian witness. There are the big things like Ted Haggard or Jimmy Swaggart. And then there's the little things - those that play out in our everyday life. The worldliness, the inconsistencies in our faith, the disconnect between our professed faith and our values and our daily fall from grace. Our everyday life is a different matter altogether. We touch and influence more lives on a day to day basis and though most of us Christian believers understand how repentance and forgiveness works, the rest of the unforgiven world does not. All they will see and, most likely remember, is the disjointed and discongruent relationship between our professed faith and its practice, or lack thereof, in our life.

As I said before, there is a time and place for appropriate and righteous anger and outrage, but if that is all we indulge in then we're shooting ourselves in the foot even before we get a chance to put said foot in our mouths for good measure. If we continue on this path, devoid of love, grace and the giving of, and even the asking for, forgiveness, we are faced with the most heartbreaking of losses - the loss of our ability to effectively reach out and spread the Gospel under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9/11 - Six Years Later

2007-09-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

It happens very rarely, but on this day, I become a news junkie. My television is set to Fox News, my radio is set to KRLA (my local conservative talk radio) and I comb the blogs for everything and anything - the good, the bad and the ugly - related to the attacks on the World Trade Center six years ago today.

The 9/11 Commission Report states the death toll at 2,981; 2600 at the World Trade Center, 125 at the Pentagon and 256 people died on four planes 40 of whom died resisting their hijacker. All of them died a hero's death.

Six years later, it strikes me that we now have a generation of children who, for the most part, will never know a loved one who lost their life 6 years ago. Every year in New York, thousands gather at ground zero to commemorate these attacks and as the years pass on these kids, who without understanding why, will come up with their parent or guardian and will stand in the heat or rain to hear 2981 names being read and the bell that tolls for each one.

I can't help wondering what this day means to them or how they will view this event 10 years from now - on the 16th anniversary of 9/11. What is our responsibility, us who witnessed these attacks unfold first-hand to them? What will our legacy be - the truth as it happened or will it be the spun web of lies put forth by the jihadist, the extremist or the likes of Rosie O'Donnell?

From where I stand, it is clear what our responsibility is to those who come after us. We must never forget the significance of today's attacks, how they happened and more importantly, why they happened. We can have different opinions of the aftermath, like the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - but let's not dishonor, disrespect and defile the memories of those who lost their lives in the service of this country that day.

With understanding and compassion, and in love, let us leave a legacy of heroism and truth for our children.

God's Will Be Done

2007-08-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Let's this straight and out in the open. I am livid. Livid, angry and very, very, very hurt. For circumstances I can't discuss ever, I am in a place now in my walk with God that, perhaps for the first time, I have a full understanding of what it means to leave your family behind, pick up your cross and follow Christ.

I am struggling with decisions I disagree with and I've come to the conclusion that God's will is uppermost in my life. My obedience to His will may be flawed and fragmented at best but I am damned if I don't submit myself to His will and His will alone.

I've never asked of anything from anyone before, at least not in this corner, but I ask now from anyone of you who stumbles into this corner, please keep me and my husband in prayer. We are at a crossroads and it is of utmost importance to us to know, without a doubt, that whatever road we choose, it is with but one thought in mind and it is the road that God has willed for us to walk and it is solely for the glory of God.

Grace and peace to you all.

What Are You Prepared To Do?

2007-07-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

In the film "The Untouchables" released in 1987, Sean Connery, in the role that earned him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, delivered what probably is one of the more memorable lines in recent film history. While in the throes of death in the arms of Kevin Costner's character Elliot Ness, Connery's character asked him in the face of the war being waged against Capone, "What are you prepared to do?"

I've been reflecting on that piece of cinematic dialogue for a while now in the context of my faith and belief in the One, True God. And the more I think about this question the more convinced I get that in everything that I do, I am sadly lacking in my commitment to the Lord.

So I ask myself, what am I prepared to do? Am I prepared to stand up for God's truth when confronted by the ways of the world? How about in the name of "grace"? Graciousness is a disappearing character trait in today's society filled with the "gimme, gimme, gimme" mentality of materialism and the love of the almighty (in my case) dollar.

And then there's "tolerance" and "acceptance". Ideally, these two should go hand in hand for how can you have one without the other. How can each stand apart from the other? And let's not forget "Rebuke". How far am I willing to make myself unpopular and "uncool" and act upon what I know is right instead of giving in to peer pressure or worst, censorship. How about "forgiveness"? Do we even know what that truly means or the sacrifice it entails?

Then there's the frustration that we experience daily. Some comes from the battles we've lost to the flesh. Others stem from observations, and yes judgments, of the motives of other brothers and sisters in Christ. And while we're at it, how much of this frustration is really all about the stoking of our all-important egos.

From the standpoint of a small group leader's spouse, how important are the "numbers" in terms of members, attendees, lessons learned, lessons unlearned, etc? Are these "numbers" an indication of the success or failure of the task at hand? Or are the "numbers" just another ego-assuaging indicator more akin to fame, popularity and the unconscious desire to be likable in the mistaken impression that likability is a factor in becoming an effective teacher or imparter of the Gospel.

Then there's my whining the last few posts alluding to my personal feelings of uselessness in the Body of Christ. I defined as the a "spiritual twiddling of thumbs." Shelved, I believe, was the word I threw out there to describe what I now believe to be a feeling of exclusion from the activities swirling around me.

Well no more. In the last few days, I realized that "Christian" activity is not, and will never be a substitute for the true faith. God re-opened my eyes and re-aligned my heart towards His purpose. I may live in this world but I don't have to be a part of it. And though there will be times that the flesh will win battles, I refuse to surrender to my sins and my inequities.

Beginning today, I'm starting a series of posts thoughts, reflections and Bible-based beliefs on the different aspects of life and faith and the extent to which I am prepared (or in some cases need to prepare) to serve My Lord and Master, in the Name of our Most Holy God.

I close with the often quoted passage in Ephesians on donning the Armor of God and I bid those who stumble across this post and those succeeding it, let us engage in conversation without compromising the Truth and with love, honor and respect.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Ephesians 6: 10-18 NASB)

75 Girlfriends ... and counting - One Year Later

2007-07-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Last year, a group of enterprising, vibrant and beautiful women met in the now-famous, (or is it infamous) Wheatberry's Cafe on July 1 to reconnect and relive the good old days of High School. A few days later, on July 5, our exclusive SMC_83 Internet group was born. Seven ladies, mostly from Manila, initially signed up for this group. By the next day, most of the attendees of a 2004 Southern California "mini-reunion" had signed up. By the end of the first month 58 ladies from the Philippines, the U.S.A., Canada and Australia were plugged in to this group. A whopping 1334 public messages have been exchanged and "mini-reunions" were happening all over the world. By the end of 2006, at least a third of Saint Mary's College, Class of 1983 had renewed, revived or re-established old friendships and have created new ones from all over the globe. SMC Batch '83 was officially a phenomenon.

However, we were not just a bunch of girls who existed for the latest gossip. We were all brought together, at this particular time in all our lives, so we can support one another, grow in each other's friendship and ultimately help the ones who need it most. In the last few months, this group of fabulous women have gotten together and defined a purpose for our group's existence.

After the Wheatberry meet, a formal general meet occurred on July 22 in conjunction with our Alma Mater's homecoming for Batch '81. The "Core Group" was established and at the same time, the group's officers were voted into office. The first collective photo was posted and the first round of “Who is she?” or “No, I don't remember her?” started.

Individuals also started posting their personal collections of High School class pictures and everyone wanted to know - well what happened to our Senior Year class picture. Sadly, we didn't have one - it's called a yearbook and we didn't get to have that one as well. And yet again more rounds of “Who is she?” or “No, I don't remember her?”

Here is an excerpt from my article last year:

"When I stop and think of what is happening, I once again find myself in awe and wonder of God's plan. I long ago stopped believing in coincidences and this is no exception. God is moving in our lives in ways we don't even comprehend. God allowed this group of 40-something women to be formed, after all these years, to remind us of who we were, what we've become and what role He has played in the shaping of our lives and our faith.

God in all His glory brought us together, some in person, most through the Internet, and allowed us to minister to each other in our time of need whether we acknowledge the need or not. In the blink of an eye I know have girlfriends who I don't have to explain where I'm coming from as they were there with me at that same time and place."

A flurry of mini-reunions and group activities followed and whether it was to plan for the direction of our group or just to gather around and talk, it was loud, filled with laughter, peppered with memories and lasted well into the night.

November 2006 brought an unspeakable tragedy. We lost our first batch mate in the person of Cecille Andrada. Cecille passed away from a heart attack at the age of 39. Due to financial straits, Cecille's family was in a bind to finance her funeral. A donation from SMC Class of '82 and our Class of '83, on top of the flowers we sent and the mass that was scheduled on her behalf, provided for Cecille's loved ones and they were able to commence with her funeral without further incident or delay. And though we all grieved, Cecille's loss was a testing ground for our mettle, resolve and purpose and we passed with flying colors! SMC Class of '83 has arrived.

To date, we've had several "mini-reunions" not just in Manila for all the "Balikbayans" but also over the world. Many of us have laughed or cried or rejoiced at each other's silliness, failures and successes. We've shared life-changing events and heart-breaking tragedies through our life stories. We've offered counsel and prayer and a helping hand. And unlike our younger days, our friendships are no longer solely for our "barkadas" anymore. Experience and maturity have taught us that we can all be girlfriends with a common bond regardless of where we are in life.

God's Remnants

2007-07-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had an impromptu Bible-study the other night. Once again I was whining and this time I was whining about feeling like an outsider in my own home and wallowing in the world, in general. Yes I know, wah wah wah. And as usual, God used my beloved to set me straight.

Throughout man's history those who live outside of the ways world have always been set apart as God's remnant. God has and will always cull His people and if there are any doubts to this, we only have to look at the Bible for evidence.

Let's start with the most basic of stories: In the beginning, there was Adam and Eve and amongst their offspring were Cain and Abel. From the beginning, God favored Abel which eventually led to Cain's murderous jealousy. Also, consider Enoch who walked with God. And then there was Noah and his family. Imagine an entire civilization wiped out from the face of the Earth in a sweeping flood of unimaginable proportions.

Let's not forget Abraham and how once again God made a choice. From Abraham, God decreed that His chosen was going to come from the loins of Isaac and not Ishmael. From Isaac, he culled the herd again and chose Jacob and his 12 instead of Esau and his descendants. From the 12 tribes of Israel, God banished 10 from the Book of Life. From the 2 remaining tribes taken into captivity by the Babylonians, only a handful returned to rebuild Jerusalem. Even in the most innocuous of circumstances such Gideon's fighting men. God made His choices clear. And as His "chosen" people turn their backs on Him, He makes a way for others to be grafted in through the sacrifice of His Son.

Fast forward to the end of days, we are told that God still continues the culling process. In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John writes of those who will fall away when the persecutions intensify.

And always, those who follow steadfastly are the same ones ultimately chosen even before creation. It's sobering to realize that majority of the world's population were created by God simply for the purpose of bringing His chosen to that one moment of clarity for which they were created. Just like Pharaoh - but more tragic because after all, being created in God's image, we are all wired to hear the call of the Lord and still not all of us will become His remnants.

How does this apply to my whining? It made me realize that compromise with the world is one of the many roads that leads away from the Lord and in the end, I know I would rather be alone against the world than be in it cast away from the Lord's remnant.

The Immigration Bill - An Epilogue

2007-07-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard by now, the much-touted bipartisan Immigration Bill died a second ignominious death on the Senate Floor. With bated breath, I kept tabs on those keeping tabs with C-SPAN and yes, I rejoiced when the Bill met its demise by a vote of 46-53. The defeat of the Bill restored my faith in the democratic law-making processes our forefathers put in place.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that politics is pretty much giving up 50% of what you want to get 50% of what you need passed. And on any given day, I welcome the opportunity to extend our borders to those who are able to legally enter them. The key word is legally.

My biggest objection to the whole proceeding was the attempt to pass a law to essentially protect lawbreakers. Illegal immigrants, regardless of the country of origin, are lawbreakers and unless they fully understand - and experience, the extent of the consequences of their actions, then there is no reason for the American Government and our elected officials to aid and abet in the process. Why then not extend the same "courtesies" to drug dealers and heck while you're at it how about ousted dictators - oh but wait, we already have that - it's called Asylum. Oh well.

Let us never forget that this country, whose laws are founded on Godly principles, is first and foremost made up of the people - our elected officials are supposed to come from the communities, cities and states they represent, unless you're Hillary Clinton; governed by the people - not dictators, monarchs, the elite (or the misinformed) with deep pockets, corporations with deep pockets or special interest groups; and for the people meaning the legal, accountable and productive CITIZENS and RESIDENTS, of this great society period. Did I mention legal?

I'm not smart enough to parse nor patient enough to pour through the hundreds of pages of amendments, counter amendments, codicils and whatever else that encompassed this attempt at passing a bad law. But I do know that what we already have on the books as law are not being enforced or are being circumvented outright. If we are to "fix" this problem let's start by shoring up the front lines. Build the danged fence along the Mexican border and reinforce border security on both sides. Make our border agents care about their duties. Heck make our overseas Immigration Officials care. After all it has to start somewhere. Folks, it's not just a job. There's a reason it's called Homeland Security and it's not all just about lawn mowers, janitors, dishwashers or lettuce pickers either.

As a legal immigrant who waited my turn and jumped through all the hoops to attain my precious citizenship, my point is there is a standard by which everyone is held against and there is a due process that everyone, without exception, must go through. The United States of America is the great melting pot of the planet, but this great country did not get to where it is today by lowering its standards or by creating shortcuts.

I Am My Father's Daughter

2007-06-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

My earthly father is a difficult man to please. His standard is perfection. So is my heavenly Father's. But there is a difference between them.

Growing up I would come home with report cards that had an A- in a sea of A's and my father would look at that A- and tell me I should do better, because the kid next door brought home all A's. Eventually, I stopped caring about the A's and just cruised in school. It was a clear message, among many, to my father that I didn't really care about what he wanted ... or maybe it was a plea for attention? Anyway, psychobabblle aside, bottom line was I stopped trying to live up to his standard.

When my brother was born, my relationship with my father deteriorated because he finally had his "Junior". After all, six years of having a "Daddy's little girl" wasn't quite cutting it. It only got progressively worst from there and when I got involved with a man he didn't approve of, what tenuous relations I had with him completely disappeared.

When my first marriage started failing, I confided and sought comfort and solace only from my mom. I did not dare talk to my father or seek his advise. In my mind, I was his living disappointment and I wasn't going to give him another reason to reinforce that. His "blessings" for the divorce came through my mom, only because my mom told him every sordid detail that she knew about my ex-husband. By the time the divorce became final the man I had called "Daddy" throughout my life had become "my father" to convey to him that he no longer was a part of my life. He had become a figurehead of the family I belonged to, whose counsel I didn't care for and whose love I can do without.

In the fall of 2000, I opened my heart to Jesus Christ and I was slowly introduced to our heavenly Father and all that He is capable of. As my relationship with God grew I came face to face with the relationship, or lack thereof, that I had with my earthly father and I knew without a doubt that the healing had begun.

The restoration of my relationship with my earthly father is a slow process. My Dad and I started having short, civil conversations instead of screaming matches. I stopped systematically rolling my eyes at the sound of his voice. I also realized that as difficult as my Dad is, he has remained faithful to my Mom through 43 years of marriage and despite the approach he took in all of our lives, he only had the best of intentions for all of us.

The more I experience grace, mercy, kindness, love and compassion in my relationship with our heavenly Father, the more my heart opened towards my Dad. Eventually, I came to a place where I could ask for the very same things from my dad as well as the ability to give him grace, mercy, kindness and compassion. There too was the revelation that I do not hate my dad, on the contrary, I love my dad very much.

Father's Day pasts were filled with anxieties and ran the gamut of emotions from "exercise in futility to "why do I even bother." This time around, I'm praying for a better outcome. With Father's Day 2007 approaching, I found myself reflecting on where I currently stand with my Dad and I can only praise God for slowly healing my heart and opening opportunities for my Dad and I to heal past hurts.

It's not an easy road to walk because my Dad remains a difficult man. There are days when we revert to what we used to be, but, just like in my relationship with my heavenly Father, now there is reconciliation as well. And every day that I bask in God's grace, God adds a new layer of respect, grace, mercy, love and peace between me and my earthly father.

An Epiphany

2007-06-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I was expressing some dissatisfaction with my church. I went as far as telling my husband that I was ready to move on. I had begun the process of "church-shopping". I was looking at another building where I can sit in the pew, plug my spiritual umbilical cord to whoever happened to be teaching that day and most importantly live my "Christian" faith in anonymity and seclusion, just me and God.

My dissatisfaction stemmed from a number of things. Primarily it was the nagging feeling that I no longer "belonged" to this congregation. I've outlived my purpose, and as one of my Pastors succinctly described, I've been "shelved."

I was also becoming increasingly aware of the differences in perspective among several members and leaders in my church and I was at a crossroads. I looked to my Pastors and took note of their perspectives. I then looked to my mentor and discipler and took note of his and the differences bothered me. Mind you there were no heretical thoughts or impulses in either party, mostly it was an exchange of thoughts and ideologies where most fell in the "yes... but" category. All amicable, all done in love and yet again, why the differences? If we're all loved by and are all followers of the one true God why the differences?

Then, I had an epiphany. My epiphany was so unexpected and so profound that in the middle of worship, one Sunday morning, tears started welling up. I love my church! Not the sanctuary, not the fellowship hall, not the baptismal "pool", not the grounds, but the people who make up my church. The people who, except for a handful, I sit with every Sunday and spend a few passing hours with. Whose lives, for the most part, I know nothing about. Differences or whatever else be damned.

I'm not going to lie, there are days that I still struggle with the things that I perceive as "different". As recently as last week, I had another bout with wanting to leave my church. One of my Pastors gave me a different perspective and when I look at it from that angle, it makes perfect sense, but only from that particular angle. There are days that I want to abandon the ship altogether and the same Pastor asked me where I was going to go and I couldn't come up with an answer that makes sense because everything comes back to the one Holy God.

My husband calls it a season of the soul. I call it my fallen, sinful nature and through the worst of it, I can only cling to God's grace, love and mercy to get me through. And God does - get me through.

Through all the muddled, boo-hoo-hooing that I was experiencing, God reached out and gave me a renewed purpose. Instead of running away, God has placed this group of people in the forefront of my life so I can help and serve and build up my church. Instead of focusing on the imperfections, God has allowed me to see the love when my church rallied to the side of a man convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Instead of whining about what my church wasn't doing, God provided me with an opportunity to minister to those who are hurting. God gave me a precious gift in my ward and my small group.

And now I pray that instead of feeling left out and shelved, God will open doors and bring me to those who need my help. After all, in everything that I do, I do for His greater glory. For only from Him do I get the strength and only from Him comes the ability and the source of my epiphany.

With A Heavy Heart

2007-05-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

I received news today about a man I respect and admire very much and it has caused a burden in my heart. I am not at liberty to discuss the context of this news but suffice to say, this world is full of blind ambition and injustice.

More and more I find myself paralyzed by anger and despair at the unjust circumstances I am made aware of. My heart hurts for this man and his family. I am so angry and feel so helpless in my anger that I find myself lashing out at God. My husband, thank you God, had to set me straight but my anger still burns and my hurt still remains.

I'm trying to find comfort and peace in God's word but it feels empty right now. My most bases of instinct wants to inflict pain but I know I can't. I'd like to retreat in prayer but I don't think praying for the destruction of everyone who has caused this injustice is appropriate. Somehow though, I keep coming back to Sodom and Gomorrah and just hoping - that maybe you know - but -

I'm clinging to the fact that as I calm down and see the light at the end of this tunnel, I will find solace and peace and comfort in God's embrace. But for now, with a heavy heart, I lift this man and his family to the Lord, for solace, peace, comfort, love, fellowship, joy, justice and restoration.

Oh Lord of Lords, I pray these things in the name of your Most Holy Beloved Son Jesus Christ. Amen

The Difference In My Life

2007-05-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

My last post made mention of a gift. I'm mentoring a teenager and the responsibility is not unlike parenthood. I've also grown to love this kid much like my own and I'm finding that if anything untoward or unpleasant happens to this person - I am, without hesitation, going on "kill" mode and God help the individual(s) who inflicted pain on my young ward.

Seriously though, as we grow closer, I'm finding that I'm checking myself on so many things that I normally would take for granted. First and foremost, my vocabulary is evolving. Not necessarily my choice of words, because even before this gig I've always minded my language. It's more the tone and delivery. Even away from her I've become less vulgar, crude and even confrontational in my tone.

My attitude towards others have changed to. I've begun to be less compromising in my position especially if it's about right and wrong, good and bad. I'm not less tolerant of others who are not like me but I've become more upholding of my beliefs; becoming more mindful of my Christian walk.

The gray areas where I had ambivalent or compromising attitudes ie: drinking, smoking, gambling, pre-marital intimate relationships (with or without intercourse), "unequally yoked", body art, (yes, I was considering getting a tattoo much to Qoheleth's dismay), body piercing and such are slowly disappearing and becoming distinctly black or white because I would like to be able stand up in the presence of my ward and say, with love and respect - "No, I don't think that's something that would be appropriate for you."

And as I stated in my last post, I also would like to be (not just appear), at all times, a role model for my ward. I want to be a haven for her from the daily pressures she experience. I would like very much for her to be safe and secure in my company and though I vow not to usurp her parent's position or authority in her life, I would very much like to be a positive influence in her life.

And one day, God-willing, I would like to be able to look her in the eye and tell her how God allowed her to make a difference in my life.

A Gift

2007-04-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, I was given a precious gift from God. I was asked to “mentor” a sister-in-Christ's teenager. And though I have a less-than-enthusiastic reaction to the word “mentor”, I am overjoyed at the opportunity I am given to become this teenager’s friend and discipler.

I have to admit, my initial thoughts were “cool, someone I can spoil.” But that’s not the case because this young, vibrant, beautiful person understands life better than anyone else her age. Despite her protestations, underneath the teen veneer is a loving and generous spirit, touched with melancholy and pain. And though her eyes sparkle with laughter at the goofiness we share, there’s a profound side there too that allows for conversations with meaning and well – profoundness.

It’s those times that I’m struck with the magnitude of my responsibility and it never fails to humble me. I am now officially a “role model” (gulp) to an impressionable young person and that’s not something to be taken lightly. In a very big and real way, my young protégé will make me accountable for everything that I do and say. All of a sudden, I find myself venturing into unfamiliar territory where normally only parents tread. And though I am not her mother, and will, by the way, never override her mother’s authority over her, I am in a position of influence and everything that I say and do from this point onwards will impact her life.

For whatever God has planned for the both of us, I can only pray that every time this young person is in my “sphere of influence” I conduct myself with a God-given wisdom and grace all the time, lest I lead her astray. I also pray that even as we’re not “hanging out”, I remain above reproach in my behavior so as not to give the appearance of living a double life. And in the times that I fall, loose my way, or suffer a return to my B.C. (before Christ) days, I pray that God will grant her the wisdom to understand that what I have said or done is not an excuse for her to do the same but should be perceived more as a lesson not be repeated or re-enacted in her life.

Regardless, I hope neither of us outgrow nor outlast this relationship. And eventually, as time and distance cuts into the time we spend together, I will always treasure this gift from our Almighty Father.

How Am I Doing, Really!

2007-04-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I had a chance to speak with one of our church elders who I don’t get to speak with often. We talked a bit about his son and then he asked me how I was really doing. The question was simple enough, something that I hear everyday, and yet, the tone of his voice and the sincerity in his demeanor made me stop and think and reflect on the goings on in my life. That night, I shed a few tears because my life is in complete chaos, I am scared, my faith was in shambles and God in His great wisdom, just that morning, began the conviction and restoration that would initiate the healing process for my hardening heart.

Let’s start with “my life is in complete chaos”. It seems like our entire household is in some state of disrepair or disarray. We have a kitchen that’s in the process of being remodeled, a backyard that needs to be re-landscaped, a patio/garden/living quarters that need to be built and there’s not enough time and/or money to do all we need to do to accommodate the changes that are happening in our lives. Also, my parents moved in this past weekend. Permanently! And though I love them dearly, it is a difficult adjustment that we are all making. There will always be that fine line that we all have to walk to make this living arrangement work.

Plus my husband just started a new job, we need time to ourselves, we need to finish the house, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. And life goes on.

As for being scared, twelve years ago I walked away from my folks and their stuff. My parents’ sense of validation, like of many of their generation who grew up as children of war is to collect and hoard stuff. And I am bringing my parents and the majority of their stuff into our home. In any other circumstance, I would be perfectly fine with the idea but our home is the haven by which my husband finds peace and solace from his stressful work environment. I’m scared because I think my imposing all of this chaos on a man who values the peace and tranquility of his home will cause a rift in our marriage.

Then there’s the “my faith is in shambles”. In the last few months, I’ve been alternating between frustration, apathy and anger at the Christian population for what is happening, not just in the United States and the world but in my home church as well. I’ve railed and ranted and in retrospect all I was being was a noisy gong AND clanging cymbal, for although I was standing up for God and His truth, I was doing it without love. At one point, I was so lost that I sat my husband down and told him I was ready to and attend another congregation’s service but because I know he is needed here, he’s welcome to stay. His reply, wherever you go, so would I. Needless to say, I stayed too.

I attended an eight week course on how to save the lost. And like all good principles, I relegated what I learned to the recesses of my mind because I was too afraid to apply it to the real world. Instead, I took all the excuses I heard on why people don't approach other people about God and used them as my cushion against a sinful world.

The one shining beacon in my dark world was my small group. I have a group of great, wonderful, caring people who, on a regular basis allow themselves to be used by God, to minister to me and others like me. Our group leader is gifted in the knowledge of God’s word, not because he’s got an IQ like a phone number but because he’s obedient to God’s will and he is practicing his gift as God intended.

And in my darker moments, all I have to do is look over at one of my sisters in Christ and the recognition of her faith through all the adversity she is suffering is enough of an impetus for me to keep me going in my struggles. The manner in which she lives her life puts my whining to shame and in the days that I just want to give up and walk away from my faith, God uses her and gives me a reason to come back for repentance and restoration. Another sister in Christ is a source of mercy. Our talks have given me hope and a measure of peace and I feel comfortable in my own skin when I am in her company. A brother's faithfulness in the word and his cheerfulness also gives me hope and a glimmer of joy.

Then there’s a young couple in our group whose zeal and love for God is unequaled. Their passion for serving Him and His people is admirable. And our hostess is a joy to behold. Ever welcoming, ever joyful, even through all her trials. Every other week she lets us have the run of her house in service to the Lord. And during these times, I get pulled back from the brink because of our leader’s discipleship and everyone’s love and fellowship.

And finally, the conviction, restoration and healing: On Sunday morning, my Pastor gave a sermon that touched the deepest, darkest corners of my hardening heart and shined God’s light in them. I felt God's conviction and my heart wept in sorrow at how I neglected to nurture my spirit. I realized that I was on the verge of spiritual bankruptcy and I was just going through the motions. I allowed my sworn enemy a foothold in my life and I was surrendering to the world. I forgot about the everything Christian living was supposed to be about - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. With Sunday's sermon, God cleansed the deepest, dingiest corners of my heart and with that one question my elder asked, He opened that same heart and shine His light through.

As I write this, I realize that this week commemorates the events leading up to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and it strikes me that once again, as long as there is sincere repentance, restoration in the grace of our Lord is but a prayer's breath away. My Lord, and my Savior, a lot of the time I loose my way and I thank you for not giving up on my wretched soul. Thank you for the blood you poured and the life you laid down in exchange for mine. All glory, honor, worship and praise to you my Lord, my God, my Saviour, now and forever.

All or Nothing

2007-03-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll today!!!

I haven't had much opportunity these past few months to document my thoughts. And lately, it seems like all I've done is to react to everything, everyone and the world in general. So to be able to have two articles in one day - that's something!

First off, and this is somewhat of a delayed reaction to what's happening in the Persian Gulf, but doesn't it feel like 1979 all over again? Except now we're looking at 15 British sailors instead of American Embassy employees. Isn't this proof that given the right circumstances and a dictator from Hades history will repeat itself. As Qoheleth said, 2,500 years from now, some filmmaker will come upon the idea of making a movie about “15” (instead of “300”) featuring another 20,000 dead Persians.

One can only hope, and for all those who has made the term "moral-equivalency" their outcry, let me say this: This is not an issue of moral-equivalency! Those Brits, were not special ops or black ops or delta force or whatever else you can come up with. They were performing a ROUTINE inspection and they were taken against their will in violation of a few hundred maritime and international laws.

In the meantime, “Ahm-a-dinner-jacket” is trying to flex girly muscles and America is too PC to call his skanky, lopsided behind to task. Oh but wait - we have sanctions! And that is a testament to the world we live in today.

And why is this world is in such a sorry state? Because, Christians - yup, that's right – my brothers and sisters in Christ seem to have forgotten how to be the salt and light of the earth. We, yes, me included, cower at the mere thought of being labeled “Christians”; we sugar-coat our beliefs in order to “win people over”; we compromise the truth of the gospel to generate conversation in the hopes of maybe one day sharing our faith. I am tired of people, believers and non-believers alike, asking me what I think! No one should give a damn about what I think, because what I think is flawed. I would rather be asked what I know. Because what I know, with a degree of certainty and divine revelation, may just save someone from eternal damnation. But no – we are so pre-occupied with what everyone thinks about everything, especially about God, that we have a become a society that doesn't even live what we think because we don't even know what we should think!

I heard a great sermon on the radio about two weeks ago from one of the more prolific pastors of our day and age. He was talking about our society's lack of spiritual hunger for God's and how the church is adapting to fix that situation. He gave out three different examples.

The first is spiritual infancy as opposed to spiritual maturity. Ever seen an infant get fed baby food? Unless the infant is hungry and in need of sustenance, feeding time is a spectacle of make-believe airplanes and choo-choo trains all designed to distract said infant from the actual task at hand – that of getting nourishment so they can grow and be healthy, strapping adults capable of nourishing and sustaining future generations.

Equate that with a church body that is not interested in getting past the “God is Love” and the “I love you, you love me” routine. In order to "feed" a disinterested and/or disilluisioned group of people, the Church has developed a series of experiments designed to entertain and make God's word more palatable to us sinners who desperately needs to grow in our Christian walk.

Instead of getting the conviction and rebuke for our sinful ways and the motivation to mature in our Christian walk, we wallow in group hugs, and “I'm okay, you're okay” and "What do you think God is trying to tell you?" sessions intended to pat us on the back and make us feel good about being in church an hour every Sunday, if that.

Then you have the professional listeners. Those who would show up, sometimes just for the sermon, plug in by the umbilical cord to the Pastor or speaker and go their merry way for the remainder of the week, oblivious to whatever they just heard. For a lot of these professional listeners, there is an excuse of some kind or another as to why they can only afford a portion of their time to the Lord. And in the last few years, I've heard of some real good ones. “I arrive late because I'm just here for the sermon. I really don't think singing songs of praise and worship is part of the God experience.” “I need to leave before service ends cause I need to be at this other church and their service starts in fifteen minutes.” And one of the worst ones I've heard: “I don't need to go to church cause I have God in my heart and you know, wherever I am, that's where I worship.” Excuses, excuses, excuses!

The last was spiritual anorexia. This term struck me the most and the more I reflected on it, the more it pained me to realize that there are brothers and sisters in this world who constantly suffer from this malaise. God's word is a feast for our eyes, mind and hearts. It's free, and at least in this part of the world, it's available to anyone who choose to partake in it. And yet, here we are, picking at God's feast. We chew on this morsel and as soon as we have a taste, we spit it out. We nibble at this tidbit in the hopes that it will lead to grander things. We come to the table hungry and without hesitation or forethought, we leave the banquet not realizing we are hungrier now than we first came to the feast. And the most painful part of it all is it's all about appearances. We've placed so much stock on how we appear on the outside that our spirit has withered away to nothingness. And then we turn around and blame everyone but ourselves.

Heads up, boys and girls, Christian living starts from within. It doesn't take a village. Yes, God gave us pastors and teachers and prophets and discerners and laymen and whatever else we need. God even gave us The Bible as our instruction to daily Christian living – but – if and when we refuse to – here I go again – submit fully to the Lordship of Christ in our lives, all these tools are wasted. Life in submission to Christ is not about picking and choosing what is convenient or desirable. It's about total submission. It really is the ultimate all or nothing kind scenario.

In Praise of Pastors

2007-03-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

(Hat tip to Qoheleth for the title)

Let me start by praising and thanking God for Pastors. They are truly in a league all their own. Having said that I’d like to recognize one of the best that I have been truly blessed to have known and be taught by.

Pastor Jose, I thank God that He’s allowed us to cross paths. I admire the transparency of your faith and your steadfast and unquestionable love for the Lord. Even as you take this sabbatical, your words echo in my heart. “Above all else, do it for the glory of God.”

You are a hero, not just because of your conviction but because above all else, you do it for His glory. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for our church. Thank you for taking the time to share your passion for saving the lost. You, your lovely wife and your adorable kids are always going to be in our prayers. And know that wherever this new endeavor leads you, you have our full support and our love as brothers and sisters in our Almighty God.

Pastor Jose, thank you for being an example to us all!

On Turning 40

2007-03-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

I turned 40 last week and I now have come to the mid-point (on average) of my life here on earth. Eternal perspective aside, I allowed myself to succumb to the worldly neuroses that accompany this event. Two years ago, I convinced myself that my mid-life crisis would center around something loud and shiny preferably with a name like "Fat Boy" or "Big Dog". Now I'm not so sure. After all, I can ride a Harley anytime, provided I learn the necessary skills to stay on one for more than 8 seconds.

In the last week, I found myself introspectively going over the last 40 years. Without question, the last 9 1/2 are the best! I married the most wonderful man on earth (yes, once again, I am biased) and God used him to make me realize I am one of the chosen and I am loved so deeply and so thoroughly that I'm granted eternal life. But wait, there's more. I've got the greatest family anyone could ask for. No, my Mom and Dad aren't Ozzie and Harriet. As a matter of fact, they're more like Morticia and Gomez, but even as morbid as Morticia and Gomez are, there are two things they couldn't hide from the world; (1) their love for each other and (2) their love for their kids. It took a couple of tumultuous years before I realized just how much I love my folks.

It also took a few hard knocks and a long stubborn streak to understand just how good life can be. For all intents and purposes I should be dead and roasting in hell. I was once married to a man who was unfaithful and indiscriminate with his sexual partners. By the time we divorced, he had publicly admitted to having 8 affairs, mostly with gay men, during the two and a half years of our so-called marriage. To this day I cannot comprehend why I am not, at the very least, HIV-positive or suffering from some kind of sexually transmitted disease. I also, at one point, faced the business end of a .22 special, at point blank range. Talk about staring death in the face. For whatever reason, the young kid couldn't pull the trigger and I ended up with a shiner instead of my face being blown off.

In retrospect, I choose to believe that God, in both instances and many more just like it, has chosen to preserve me. And as I enter my 41st year here on earth, I find new resolve. Instead of giving in to the maudlin prospect of getting old and decrepit and wallowing in mid-life crises that are yet to occur, I find myself being grateful for all that I have and all that've experienced. Because of God's love I am experiencing another year of life. And yes despite the busyness of it and all the tasks that "need to be done", it is a good life full of joy and love. Praise God!

Why Discipleship Is Needed

2007-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

In the last few days, I have been privy to a heated discussion about “Emergent Village” (the U.S. based organization) and a broader church movement (dare I say trend) known as the “emerging movement.”

To provide some kind of distinction between the two following is a link to an article in Christianity Today about the “emerging church”

In their own words:
“Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.”

In this context, it looks like the emerging church movement is the herald of the next great Christian revival. Upon closer inspection, the movement, has caused quite a stir in the traditional, evangelical and apologetic circles.

By their own admission, the movement is not defined by a theology. To confuse the issue even more, Scot Mcknight in a speech given at Westminster Theological Seminary last year states and I paraphrase, that it’s very lack of theological definition is in itself the movement’s “theological” definition. Mcknight adds; “It is instead, best to see it (the movement) as a conversation about theology, with all kinds of theologies represented, with a core adhering to the classical creeds in a new key.”

Proponents claim, in a nutshell, that the emerging movement is a heretofore “un-churched” group of Christians who have either been burned by the traditional model of the evangelical church, disillusioned by the lack of personal focus of the mega-church and/or just completely devoid of the “church” experience that they don’t know the difference between their heads and their behinds and that they’re only way of finding out what Christianity is all about is to have conversations of and about theology where everything goes.

Prominent critic of the movement, D.A. Carson, have this to say

And here is a comment from Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA who is a known associate and has since distanced himself from the movement. He chronicles his association and eventual distancing from the movement in his blog.

"In the mid-1990s I was part of what is now known as the Emerging Church and spent some time traveling the country to speak on the emerging church in the emerging culture on a team put together by Leadership Network called the Young Leader Network. But, I eventually had to distance myself from the Emergent stream of the network because friends like Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt began pushing a theological agenda that greatly troubled me. Examples include referring to God as a chick, questioning God's sovereignty over and knowledge of the future, denial of the substitutionary atonement at the cross, a low view of Scripture, and denial of hell which is one hell of a mistake.”

The more I delve into this movement and their outspoken characters, the more I come to the personal conclusion that this is a movement who, though they may believe in the tenets of Christian faith, need to craft their doctrinal interpretations into a more biblical methodology and application of said faiths.

Their stance and writings on several controversial issues affecting the church such as homosexuality, the existence of hell and sin, saving grace and the very gender of God, leave a lot for us doctrinal purists to be desired. Their approach to evangelical outreach and Christian living is prophetic (read provocative), postmodern (whatever that means) and even experimental designed to be not only provocative but political in nature. They shroud their thoughts and writings in religious jargon that does more than rouse alternative interpretations of the written word, sometimes they’re downright heretical.

My point is this: Could there really be that much of a chasm between doctrinal (some say theological) soundness and methodology in daily life? If the debate over the movement and their "conversations" centers on labels, then there really isn’t much of a debate because labels are always subject to interpretation. However, there are absolute, God-Given, non-negotiable, tenets of faith, that cannot and must not be breached. If the Lordship of Christ is paramount in our lives and every dark corner of our heart is in complete submission to the Lord’s will, how, then, can we even consider incomplete and incorrect teachings such as “the prosperity gospel” or “the social gospel” and how can we tolerate the absence of absolute truth (which is how I understand postmodernism).

We are given commandments that we are, under Christ's authority, obligated to carry out and though there are no “Evangelism for Dummies” or “The Great Commission for Dummies” that was left behind for us to follow, I honestly do not think that we should be compromising what has been left for us to accomplish two thousand years ago by tinkering with the method of delivery or its application. And though we must adapt to our surroundings (1 Cor. 9: 19-22) and relate to our fellow men with compassion, we do so for the purpose of the gospel, in that way we may “… become a fellow partaker in it.” (1 Cor. 9: 23)

Despite what the movement puts on paper, the doctrines, teachings, and thoughts they practice and commit to their conversations, are highly suspect. Though, and I will make this concession, not all of their participants are doctrinally un-sound, the movement in it’s entirety requires discernment. In a nutshell: If there is a cause for the need for discipleship in the true word of God, this is it.

Where Are We Headed?

2007-02-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

This post started out as something else that was going to end up in sanctimonious self-righteousness. But as this piece developed I came across articles and news reports that made me reconsider the subject.

It started with a news item I came across last week. A pastor in a prominent Christian denomination is going to be stripped of his congregation and taken off the clergy roster because of his admitted gay relationship with another pastor from the same group.

For more on this go here and here.

Another article I read had to do with a pastor in another prominent Christian denomination who committed suicide because his illicit behavior was going to be exposed on TV during sweeps month. Read here for the follow-up report.

I took quite an exception to these two articles in different ways. In the case of the defrocked pastor, I asked myself why are they even in that quagmire to begin with. The answer is unpleasant to contemplate. By their own admission, the disciplinary committee has voiced near-unanimous concern that the “policy against pastors in same-gender relationships are at least a bad policy and may very well violate the constitutions and by-laws of this church.” The implication to me is in that particular denomination’s by-laws, there is policy that allows a homosexual man to be ordained as a minister as long as they are not openly practicing homosexuality. That as long as these homosexual men and women are not in a “loving, sexually intimate and faithful relationship, they can impart the word of God without actually having to apply it in their personal lives!

If I understand the facts of this case correctly, this pastor admitted to being in an openly gay relationship with another pastor may I add. And the disciplinary charges filed against him were not because of his sexual orientation or chosen lifestyle, but because he was having intimate sexual relations outside of the holy sacrament of marriage. So in interpreting their policy, it stands to reason that if the accused pastor marries his partner, then all would be just fine and dandy.

Are you kidding me? What is wrong with this picture? Am I the only one who realizes that practicing homosexuality is in total disobedience to God’s word? Forget about the labels or the denomination, this circumstance is a direct challenge to God’s doctrine. If this pastor, upon accepting Christ, denounced his lifestyle and there is evidence that the Holy Spirit is constantly and continuously working with his heart and his intentions, then that would be a different story. That becomes then a testament to God’ love, grace and salvation in the transformation of our sinful ways.

But how can a pastor, who is openly gay and in a gay relationship give credence to God’s word especially on the pulpit. How can he truthfully and without reproach preach and teach about say Romans 1: 18-32 or 1 Corinthians 6: 8-10? Or does he pick and choose what is applicable and archaic or, God forbid, irrelevant, in light of today’s culture.

The second article is an outcry against those of us in the church. It’s a shame that those who are in pain and those suffering in our pews aren’t able to come to the one body of people who are obligated to minister to them by virtue of Christian brotherly love. It is heartbreaking to realize that given the choice between suicide and a chance at reconciliation, suicide seemed the better alternative to this ordained man of God.

Have we become such Pharisees that there is no more room for error in our lives? Have we become such spiritual vigilantes that not only do we ignore the planks in our own eyes but we’ve also pointed, plucked and judged the specks in our brothers and sisters eyes? Are we swimming in spiritual righteousness and are our noses held up high in Christian snootiness that we forgot once upon a time, we too were sinners? That on more than one occasion in our pathetic, arrogant lives, God reached down to us and held out His hand and all we could do was cling to Him with everything we had left.

If that is the case then we are in a sorry state. We’ve given the devil and his minions a foothold in our antiseptic, spiritual existence and somewhere in the very depths of hell, our enemy and his cohorts are all gloating about it.

Here’s a reminder, in case anyone has forgotten. Repeat after me: We are sinners and there is absolutely NOTHING we can do or accomplish to avoid that great big rotisserie in hell. And if not for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and my acceptance of that sacrifice, we have no place in heaven. In essence, without us having to lift a finger and as my beloved so aptly puts it, we are getting better than we will ever deserve and it’s ALL BECAUSE OF GOD!

What can be done about this? Should we, uphold the truth in a loving and sometimes contentious manner in our thoughts and actions and live out our holier-than-thou lives in isolated, like-minded communities? Or should we reside in the trenches of human drudgery, in a cafeteria-like expression of faith, hoping to “save” the lost even as we compromise God’s truth basking in that falsely warm, fuzzy feeling of congratulatory, sanctimonious self-righteousness when we’re assured we did something “good.”

Are we so lost that we’ve twisted doctrine to suit our own needs? Or are we so self-righteous that we’ve become blind to the suffering of our brothers and sisters? What is becoming of us, the collective, North American church? Where are we headed? And why?

Doing It The Lord’s Way

2007-02-05T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI. YAY!

Yes I am a Colts fan. No I’ve never lived in Indiana, I’ve never even set foot in the state and during the Dickerson years I never really liked the team. But in this day and age where most sports thugs are rewarded multi-million dollar contracts and encourage to pursue their bad behavior on and off the playing field, the organization known as the Indianapolis Colts have given us sports fans who don’t buy into the hype something to really admire.

After they won, the Indy Colts, from their coach downward were not ashamed, embarrassed nor arrogant to give credit where credit was and is due. As exciting and unpredictable as the game was, yes Devon Hester’s first kickoff return that resulted in the first TD of the game did cause some trepidation, my best memory of Super Bowl XLI is Tony Dungy, standing on a podium on the 50-yard line, hoisting the Lombardi trophy in the air proclaiming proudly and with conviction for all to hear that they (referring to him and Bear’s coach, Lovie Smith) " … are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."

It’s the first time, in a really long, long time, that I’ve heard a celebrity of some kind, give thanks to the Lord for a great accomplishment and I BELIEVED HIM TO BE SINCERE.

How many times have we seen celebrities beat their chest and point upwards or purse their lips and send two fingers upward in an acknowledge gesture towards the Lord Almighty, while candid, unrehearsed, emotional shots show their true colors? (Think: He said what? As a camera does a close-up, sans audio, of some coach mouthing an expletive while their team run amuck on the field)

How may times have an acceptance award speech started with “First I’d like to thank God…” or ended with “…and last but not least, I’d like to thank God…” and as soon as their backs are turned away from the podium their life of rebellion against God manifests itself. (Think: How many of the 10 commandments can I completely disregard before the victory celebration ends.)

The beauty of Tony Dungy’s words are found in the life the man leads. His words, in the midst of all that triumph, where it was easy to claim the successes for himself, are mere reflections of his life walking with God. Only a Godly man would take a much-publicized tragedy last year as a test of faith and use that tragedy for the glory of God. Don't get me wrong. I'm not putting the man up on a pedestal. I acknowledge that he is human, but in his humanity, he emanates God’s peace and God’s love as his family, players and colleagues have publicly testified over and over again.

The Colts and their coach is an inspiration, not only to African-Americans, but to all of us who needs to be reminded, that getting it done the Lord’s way is more often than not, a difficult, circuitous and torturous path, filled with pitfalls, setbacks, and tragedies. But as long as we’re faithful, obedient and loving in our ways, the rewards awaiting us know no bounds and His glory is always foremost in all of our triumphs and accomplishments.

Ctrl+Alt+Del (Part 2)

2007-01-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Now that the bad and the ugly are just not-so-distant memories, it's time to celebrate God's blessings from last year.

First and foremost would be God's presence in my life. Yeah there were the raging battles with the enemy but despite all of that God never left my side. He was there and He was waging the battle. I was more like a willing spectator. Otherwise, if He weren't doing all the fighting, I would have lost every single one of them wars with the enemy, even those I was not involved in and that's a pretty sad and sorry state.

Then there's Keith. Eight glorious years, not without it's own set of battles, but still, all in all it's been wonderful and I wouldn't change anything for the world. Ask me again in another eight years and I'll probably feel the same way if not better.

One big highlight this year is SMC_83. After 23 years, I have at least 10 new girlfriends and a class full of other wonderful women who I can cry with, laugh with, exchange jokes with, sympathize with and minister to. God opened up this one-of-a-kind mission field for me to share His word, love and salvation with. What an answer to prayer!

And last but not least, Dustistan! I have no words to describe everything that God opened up to me during that time. The gamut of emotions and the sacrifice was something I've never experienced before. What I am most grateful for are the brothers and sisters - young and old - that I was blessed with. Man, what a privilege.

As I reflected back on that trip, all I could think of was if someone asked me 10 years ago where I would be, never in a million years would I say Dustistan. I was back in the streets of Samarkand, playing tourist, experiencing the sights and sounds of a world I had no idea existed, a world literally on the other side of home. Back then all I could think of was this is the reward of total submission to God. The opening of a brand new world. The witnessing of His everlasting glory through history. Man's foolishness in competing with the one true God and His grace, His forgiveness, His patience and His love. Again what a great privilege.

2006 was a banner year of ups and downs but through it all, God's love was there to comfort, His grace was there to give hope, His salvation was there to lean on and His peace was there to find rest in.

Glory and praise to you Almighty Father. Thank you.

Ctrl+Alt+Del (Part 1)

2007-01-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

Finally, January 1, 2007!

2006 went into the history books as the "best of times and the worst of times". This year that just passed had more ups and downs than any other year in recent memory and hallelujah, praise the Lord it is now officially over!

To say that '06 was "weird" is an understatement. Don't get me wrong, God allowed many successes and accomplishments but at the same time, there were more trials and tribulations. Part 1 is all about the bad and the ugly. On any given occassion, I prefer to end on a high note so most, if not all of what's good about '06 will be in Part 2.

This year brought more than a fair share of tragedies than I'm accustomed to. Early in the year our church rallied and stormed the gates of heaven for the life of a little girl named Nicki. Diagnosed with some kind of rare disorder while in her mother's womb, doctors with the best intentions advised her parents to "abort" the child at about 7 months. Fortunately, her godly parents clung to God's grace and the world was gifted with a beautiful baby girl who survived for 60 hours after birth against all odds. Her death was devastating to everyone whose life she touched, but she was a gift from God. Through her short life, God displayed his almighty power, divine grace and everlasting providence. Through her, He was glorified.

Fast forward to the "dog days of summer" when another tragedy occured in our midst. This time it was the untimely demise of a young, lovely, girl who was full of life named Anais. Her mother has grown into one of our closest friends and it broke my heart to see this strong, faithful woman tested this way. And yet through it all Maria remained steadfast in her faith and trust in the Lord. For a rundown of the events and first hand reactions immediately following news of the accident go here. Arien's Corner, Sept. 01 .

And just as recently as November 2006, I received the news that a high school classmate of mine, whose also named Cecille and not yet 40, who passed away of a heart attack in the Philippines. I have not seen Cecille since I left the country in 1983 but felt a kinship with her not just because of the name we shared but because she, like 256 others, knew and understood the person that I was and where I came from. And though we had not spoken in 23 years, she was a friend and she would be missed.

Lastly, 2006 was the year that intense spiritual warfare came into our lives. Not that we don't experience spiritual warfare everyday, but this time around, it was - well - intense.

We had the usual laundry list of troubles, finances being depleted, unexpected repairs to our home and my car, a house guest who wore out the welcome we extended, employment pressures, disgruntled co-workers, not enough time to get everything done, etc. - the usual lists of things that we moan and groan about on a yearly basis. But it didn't stop there.

I suffer from diabetes and though I'm still graced that it's the Type B variety, I was completely out of control where my diet or my medication were concerned. My numbers (blood sugar levels) were all over the map from the high 300's! to 55! Both these areas are diabetic comas waiting to happen. And once again, as in many occassions in my life, God found ways to preserve me despite myself.

The biggest struggle I had this year was something completely and absolutely unexpected. This was the year I had to face temptations of the carnal variety. It was unexpected because, as everyone who knows me will attest, I am so truly, madly, and deeply in love with my husband that absolutely, positively, no other man exist except him. And that is still so very true to this day. I am so very in love with Keith and him with me that we just entered into our 8th year of being on our honeymoon. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say, it was a fight I was totally unprepared for and all I could do was come to the foot of the cross and lay it at God's feet.

And true to His word, God worked with and for me to overcome this struggle. God's love and His forgiveness, through Keith, allowed Keith and I to strengthen our friendship and our relationship and forge ahead, more in love with each other than at any other time in our eight years together.

Keith's love for me, His forgiveness of my trespasses is the embodiment in our marriage of Christ's love for the church. He is my best friend, my equal partner, the love of my life and my gift from an ever loving father. My relationship with the Lord has also flourished and God is opening doors for both Keith and I to expand our ministry and give back what God has given us tenfold.

2006 was a difficult year and I'm so glad it is behind us. But there were very good things too this past year and just as any 'puter freezes, let me reboot to the best of 2006. On that note, Ctrl + Alt + Del

Happy New Year Everyone!

Song of the Season - #1

2006-12-24T17:16:00.000-08:00

And so this is Christmas - and a Happy New Year! and no - it is not Lennon's song that is at the top of this list.

My top pick for Song of the Season is the other Christmas carol written in the latter half of the 20th century.

Originally written by singer and comedian Mark Lowry as a monologue for a Christmas musical in a church in Nashville, this song's lyrics were so profound, it left an indelible mark on it's writer. Six years later, in 1991, harmonica virtuoso Buddy Greene supplied the haunting melody and a staple of the Christmas season was born.

I first heard this song three weeks ago. I was on the freeway on my way to work and the Christian radio station I had on in the car played the Mark Lowry version. At the end of the song, I had a lump in my throat and tears were streaming down my face.

I've always loved Christmas carols. And before this song I had my favorites that definitively gave meaning to this season. But the beautiful lyrics I heard surpassed everything I knew by heart.

The lyrics brought to life a picture of a mother holding her son whom she gave birth to in a manger two thousand years ago. I could see the joy and I could also sense Mary's wonder at the Son of God she carried in her arms. Sometimes I wonder, knowing what she's been told by the Angel Gabriel, if she fully comprehended the totality of the little boy she held.

Mary Did You Know gives us a glimpse into the being that is our Lord Jesus Christ. The song eloquently portrays who Christ is, what He is, why He is and many more and ends it simply with "The great I Am".

This Christmas season, as I reflect on who Christ is in my life, I come to the following conclusion. Christ is the reason for this and every season of my life.

He is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is the reason why we proclaim joy to the world.

He is the reason why the angels heralded from on high.

He is the reason why we exalt that silent and so O holy night.

He is the reason why we, the faithful, come and worship and adore.

He is the embodiment of the ransom of captive Israel.

He is the savior we need to welcome into our hearts.

And it is the celebration of His birth that brings us all together in a place we call home.

The happiest of Christmas to all of you and I pray that God continues to bless y'all and that Christ remains as the Lord of all that is you. In His most holy and glorious Name.

Song of the Season #2

2006-12-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

There's something to be said about Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday. Aside from the 3-day weekend it entails, it adds ambience to the remembrance of the holiest of nights in the entire history of man.

Two thousand years ago, God gave his greatest gift to man.

Two thousand years ago, heavenly beings joyously proclaimed the birth of a King.

Two thousand years ago, shepherds and wise men made the journey to Bethlemen, guided by that one shining star to worship a child born in a manger.

I wonder whether these men fully understood the sight they were beholding.

Song #2 was taken from a Christmas poem "The Manger Throne" by William Dix in 1865. Set to the music of an English folk tune known as "Greensleeves" What Child Is This gives life to the ponderings and wonderment of the shepherds and wise men who witnessed the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ - the King.

Song of the Season #3

2006-12-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - finally!

And rather than bore you, my readers, with tiresome rhetoric, I am posting an excerpt from reflections on this hymn that expresses my true heart's desire this time of year.

It's that time of year again-the time of busy shopping days, holiday baking, and twinkling lights. The time when schedules overflow with parties and events. The time to send out cards to family and friends. It's supposed to be the season of "holiday cheer." But in the weeks before we celebrate our Savior's birth, so often we feel anxiety and stress instead.

Years ago, Isaac Watts wrote "Joy to the World," the well-loved hymn often sung during this busy Christmas season. Ironically, Watts never intended his hymn for Christmas use. Instead, he simply intended to paraphrase the words of Psalm 98: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth . . . for he comes. . ." (vs. 4, 9).

Amidst his poetry about Christ's second coming, however, Watts also provides fitting words for our Christmas frenzy: "Joy to the world! the Lord is come . . . Let every heart prepare him room." Prepare him room-significant words for any time of year. Yet perhaps we need to hear them the most at Christmastime, when so many things can distract us from our faith. .

This year, as the hectic Christmas season approaches, take the time to prepare your heart. Remember Christ's first coming, as a humble King and Savior. Reflect on the certainty of his return, as Judge over all. And as you think on these precious truths, you'll probably experience the best holiday feeling of all-the joy of knowing "the Lord is come" into your heart.

So finally, after all the running around and the long hours at work, the mundane things are out of the way. Yes, I braved the malls this morning and shopped for my last gifts and now I can breathe and relax and enjoy and reflect.

As a direct result of my reflections of this Christmas Season, song #3, (which to me is equivalent to the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky) of this top 10 list is the famous and aptly joyous Joy To the World and these next few days bring the culmination of my personal preparation to celebrate the birth of my Savior.

Songs of the Season #4

2006-12-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

Almost there folks! By the way, in case you've haven't looked at a calendar, day planner, organizer or such - there's 3 days left before Christmas arrives. Are you ready for the big day?

There's a song out there that's NOT on this list called "My Grown-Up Christmas List" that talks about a world of no more lives torn apart and no wars to start yada yada yada. In my world, my Christmas list would simply be more time! More time to reflect, enjoy, enrich, savor and to be grateful for all that God has blessed me with beginning with the birth of Jesus. Rhetorical question, how many out there, just in the last few weeks, have read the first 2 chapters of the Gospel of Luke outside of church service? Or better yet, how many out there have stopped and reflected on these same chapters?

But be that as it may, in 3 days, the world will celebrate the birth of our Savior.

So back to the list. And what list wouldn't be complete without a tie. Just as I did with #5 and #6, this choice was an agonizing decision and rather than give myself a migraine, I took the easy way out and gave these 2 songs the number 4 spot on this list.

The first is a song written by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, in 1739. Although originally sung to a different more solemn tune, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Felix Mendelssohn's cantata, written in 1840 to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, to fit the lyrics of Hark The Herald Angels Sing already written by Wesley to give the glorious music we now know and love. The lyrics are magnificent as it proclaims "Glory to the newborn King" and simply yet powerfully, extoll the purpose of Christ's destiny as the Messiah - "God and sinners reconciled!"

The next song is completely void of the pedigree that Hark the Herald Angels Sing has to offer. Of anonymous authorship, Angels We Have Heard On High, nevertheless, brings to life that one glorious night of our Savior's birth from the perspective of the heavenly angels.

This beautiful carol tells the story of Christ's birth, when the angel choir told the good news to nearby shepherds. The chorus, "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," reflects the chorus of the angel choir that long-ago Christmas night.

These two songs proclaim the good news of our Lord's birth then - and now. Just as the shepherds heard from the angels that one night thousands of years ago, so do we hear God's good news everyday of our lives through His grace that lives on.

Let's stop and reflect on Luke chapters 1 and 2 and exalt in the transformation that Christ gives our lives.

Songs of the Season #6 and #5

2006-12-20T20:23:00.000-08:00

After one doozy of a hectic, gruelling day I'm back to pick up where we left off on my list.

I've agonized and debated over the next 2 songs as far as their respective placements in this list. Under different circumstances these 2 songs would have been much higher up - probably in the top three but - as things go this is where they stand.

I consider song #6 to be THE power ballad of Christmas carols. Musically, it is a masterpiece and very difficult to sing. My most common complaint about artists who attempt to cover the song is this: If you can't hit THE high note on the first try, don't slide into it with a series of arpeggios. It doesn't do justice to the music and it only showcases the artists' technique, not the talent. Besides, the original is always the best, so just "cover" something else.

Anwyay, back to the song - originally written in 1847 by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure this song was intended as a Christmas poem. After realizing that such beautiful words should be set to music, he approached his friend Adolphe Charles Adams and asked him to compose one of the most haunting melodies known to man.

Translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight O Holy Night combines the quiet reverence at “stars are shining brightly,” the regret of the world “in sin and error pining,” the introspection when a “soul felt His worth,” the anticipation behind “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,” the enchantment of “for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn,” the repentance “fall on your knees,” and the worship when “Christ was born” before building to the crescendo of wonderment and exultation of “o night divine.”

This Christmas carol remains one of the most eloquent of songs that brings into focus God's eternal love for man. Once again, I am reminded of my fallenness in contrast to God's outstretched hand.

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Song #5 is another song that's very dear to me and many others worldwide. Following is one of the many versions of how this song came to life:

It was December 24, 1818, and in Oberndorf, Austria, the assistant priest went to the home of his friend, the organist of the small church. He brought the words of a poem that he had written two years earlier and asked him to write a tune to it, to use at the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. The organist, Franz Xaver Gruber, reminded Fr. Joseph Mohr that the organ wasn’t working and so they would not be able to have music for the service. Fr. Mohr went in the other room and got a guitar. Gruber strummed a few chords, then started humming. He exclaimed, "The song, it sings itself." A few hours later, he had composed the tune, and the two men presented the carol for the first time that Christmas Eve.

When the organ repairman, Carl Mauracher, later heard the carol, he took a copy of it with him. He presented it to two groups of traveling singers, who then performed it in their Christmas repertoire, and thus it began its journey around the world. The Strasser and Rainer families traveled and performed all over Europe, and they sang "the Tyrolian folk carol". The Rainer family brought the carol to the United States, first performing it in German in New York City in 1839.

A publisher heard the carol sung near Innsbruck, Austria around 1832. He liked it and published it for the first time, claiming the source to be a "Tyrolian folk song." The songwriters were not known at that time, and the tune had been changed somewhat from the original.

Whatever the circumstance, the world is grateful to the two friends who gave us this simple, yet beautiful picture of the Silent Night that Christ was born.

These two songs evoke images of that one divine night when the world received, in the humblest of circumstances, our King, Lord and Savior. It is that one glorious night that changes the course the man's history and it is that one act of God and His Son that gives mankind an alternative to a deserve eternity of pain and suffering.

Songs of the Season #7

2006-12-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

Song of the Season #7 originally written in Latin, attributed to John Wade, an Englishman in exile from the Jacobite revolt, was initially intended to be a Catholic hymn. "Adestes Fideles" was first published in a collection known as "Cantus Diversi" in 1751 and once again in a 1760 edition of Evening Offices of a Church .

The English version, O Come All Ye Faithful, translated by Frederick Oakeley in 1841, is also known as the "Portuguese Hymn" from a performance in a Portuguese chapel in London, where the Duke of Leeds heard it and introduced it to a group of concert singers he conducted. From there it circled the globe, becoming one of our most well loved Christmas hymns.

Following is an excerpt from a reflection on the words of this much loved Christmas carol:

Pilgrimage played an important role in ancient Jewish faith, with Jews traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover each spring.... As Christians in the twenty-first century, we don't speak much of pilgrimage today. Yet, with the Christmas season, and all through the year, we're invited to take a religious journey to reflect on the miracle of God becoming man, and to recommit ourselves to following him.

During this Christmas season, many will sing the famous words of "O Come, All Ye Faithful." In churches across the globe, millions will join in the words, "O come let us adore him," celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yet how many will really trust in Jesus and follow him day by day? How many will be faithful in every aspect of their lives? How many will adore him through their words and actions-at work, at home, on the road, and at the mall?

Indeed, how many of us will submit fully to the lordship of our Savior. We, as Christians have a responsibility to bear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our words and our deeds are the living proof of God' love and His gift and it is our responsibility to exhibit that fully in our lives. Our complete obedience to His will is a magnificent form of adoration for the "...Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing."

Songs of the Season #9 and #8

2006-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Well ladies and gents, we had our first, (no doubt of many), interruptions in the flow of this list yesterday. Think of it as a commercial or intermission of sorts, so now - back to our countdown

My pick for #9 is one of the two "youngest" songs on this list. Written by Chris Rice and released in 1997, Welcome To Our World has attracted the attention of Christian recording artists Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant and has become a Christmas staple even on secular radio.

The words behind this song speaks so eloquently of man's brokenness and our need for a Messiah. It brings forth our sorry state and how God offered the perfect gift in His Son. Two verses strike me everytime I hear this song:

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect son of god
Perfect son of god
Welcome to our world

I look at these verses and I reflect on God's power and might all wrapped in the helplessness and innate trust of a newborn child, His ultimate destiny and a wicked world who is more in need of Him even as we stand proudly and walk with our airs and misconceptions of independence. This song speaks for our need to be humble in God's presence and it beseeches us to open our hearts to Him - The Perfect Son of God.

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Song #8 dates back to an anonymous text written in Latin in the 12th Century. Tranlated by John Mason Neale in 1851 O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of the favored Advent hymns of the season. The hymn is peppered with Messiahnic references from the Old Testament including:
Emmanuel (God with us) (Isa. 7:14), Lord of Might (Ex. 19:16), Rod (Branch) of Jesse (Isa. 11:1, Isa. 11:10), Dayspring (Morning Star) (Num. 24:17), Key of David (Isa. 22:22) and the chorus portrays the longing for a bridge to gap the spiritual chasm between God and His people in the person that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

The hymn illustrates our great debt to our spiritual ancestors and just like "Welcome To Our World" this ancient hymn is also vital for today’s Christian, who with the seeming obsession for this present world, must be reminded to prepare for the world that is to come.

These two songs about our Lord, though seperated by centuries and written as proclamations of our Saviour's birth, points to the cornerstone of our faith: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

The Songs of the Season - #10

2006-12-09T04:01:00.000-08:00

I've had my head buried in the sand for a while now. I started a new job a month ago and since my return from Dustistan, I have had 3 out of town weekend trips already and to top it off, the Christmas season is upon us. Chances are I wouldn't be coming up for air until about ohh July next year, if I'm lucky that is.

Despite all this running about, I am taking the time to write about something that's near and dear to my heart. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always had an affinity for Christmas Carols. In the beginning, it was a way to earn Christmas money. Imagine a group of 5 or 6 young girls prancing about the neighborhood at dusk, knocking from door to door, caroling. By the end of the 2 week stint, because we usually start around the 10th of December, we've garnered enough money that I've funded my allowance for the first 2 weeks of the brand new year. Not a mean feat I might add.

Only later in life did I come to realize the true meaning behind the carols I loved to sing. These carols and the more modern Christmas songs have come to symbolize God's love for mankind by giving us His only Son and the different traditions that makes Christmas a time of peace and joy and love.

So without further ado, between today and Christmas Eve, I am unveiling my top ten favorite Christmas Carols. But first, a few honorable mentions:

The Funniest, Most Irreverent Christmas Song:
Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. Funny, check, Irreverent, most definitely, to be taken seriously, definitely not, unless you want a padded room all to yourself.

The Most Overplayed Christmas Song on non-Satellite, non-HD Radio:
The Christmas Song. This song about chestnuts and jackfrost and yuletide carols evoke great images until you hear it practically every hour on the hour on every radio station during Christmas. Then you just kinda want to sing "It's A Small World" to get the music out of your head.

The Best Christmas Speech:
A Charlie Brown Christmas. It starts with Linus Van Pelt asking for a spotlight and it usually ends with a lump in my throat. Need I say more? Hooray for Charles Schultz!

and last but not least,

The Best Oratorio about our Lord and Savior:
Handel's Messiah. If you've never heard it, go buy a CD. It's worth the price to hear the entire life of our Lord and Savior underscored with, IMO, one of the grandest and most heartfelt musical scores of all time.

And these are just for starters. The official list starts with:

Number 10 on my list is a song written in 1943 and first recorded by Bing Crosby. I'll Be Home For Christmas touched a nerve with both the civilians and soldiers here in America and abroad deep in enemy territory in the midst of World War II. Together with another Bing Crosby hit "White Christmas", these homegrown Christmas tunes became the most requested songs at Christmas USO shows in the Pacific and European arenas.

Today, with the war in Iraq, this song holds the same poignant longing for both our fighting men and women and their families if not more so. This song is a tribute to the spirit, determination and camaraderie of our soldiers, their families and their community.

To our men and women on the front lines, May God keep you safe and give you peace and joy during this Christmas season. Know that you are in our hearts and in our midst even though at times it's only in our dreams. In the name of His most precious Son -

Counterpoint

2006-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

I recently read a manifesto/pledge published by a very prominent lefty a few weeks ago. The manifesto was written as a direct reaction to the Republican loss of the House and Senate in the recently concluded mid-term elections and is, frighteningly enough, addressed to "disheartened conservatives". On the surface the article reads like an olive branch and doctrine on tolerance, world conservation and love all around. That is until I realized that the article was devoid of all obedience to God's word. Upon close inspection and comparison to the Bible, I found the article to be blatantly lacking in Godly principles and brimming with defiance to God's commands.

And so, in keeping with our rights to free expression, which is God-given, by the way, and not granted or bestowed by any man, I'd like to put forth my counterpoints to several, if not all, of the items in that manifesto.

First off, I am not a disheartened conservative. As I already posted, I am unhappy and disappointed with the results of the elections but I did not stay indoors in my jammies for 3 days to mope. As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to these 4 days off to take a break and get a chance to stay indoors in my jammies and get caught up with the important things like post-election analyses and predictions of where our country is headed but I digress.

God's Law:
Christ says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27, NASB)

Love and respect are the two predominant themes underlying God's command. Therefore, we should love and respect God, our parents, our wives, our husbands, our children, our fellow man and even our enemies. However, it doesn't say that we should let them get away with doing wrong or with perpetrating evil. Which is why:

(1) I am an advocate of the Death Penalty. Saddam needs to hang! After all the evil this man has wreaked on his countrymen and the world, the world needs an accounting for all the atrocities he has committed. Even if, like the thief on the cross, he accepts Christ as His savior, between now and his final hour, it still doesn't acquit him of his sins. Accepting Christ guarantees his passage to heaven. God can take care of his soul afterward. Do note that as much as I call for his death, I DO NOT rejoice in it. No one alive should have had the kind of hate this man wielded and no man alive should dwell on the same hate after his death.

(2) I am also an advocate of pro-life. Abortion is murder. It's the snuffing out of a life. Go back to Science 101. Matter can be classified into two things. Organic and Non-organic. Inorganic matter, such as a rock, astro turf or that pink-flamingo on the front lawn is either man-made or does not support life. Believe it or not, the air we breathe is considered inorganic, for although it sustains life as we know it, air itself is not a building block of life.

Organic matter, like bacteria, algae, a female egg, and a male sperm, supports and are building blocks of life. Let me write that again, anything organic, supports and builds life. To say that a zygote or an embryo or a fetus is not life is making a mockery out of science. To say that conception does not create life is saying that there are bits and pieces of our human body that are non-living and suddenly come to life after an incubation period. Why then do we have still births? How can we call it a "death" if there was no life to begin with.

(3) It is also the same reason I am vehemently against embryonic stem cell research. It's killing a life in the name of science. Stem cell research is a great field in discovering new cures, that's why adult stem cells are being harvested and used all the time. I find it ironic that we have an advocacy group to save wetlands, seals, whales, emus, dodo birds, oceans, and the like, and yet, when it comes to our unborn children, we can't wait to serve them up on a silver platter in the name of science.

(4) I love the Lord and my neighbor, and even though it's a pain, I try to love my enemies too.
But I'm not commanded to marry every Tom, Dick or Harry or even Debbie that I've determined I love. All this outcry about marrying the same sex is nothing more than man's disobedience and defiance of God's word. It's not about benefits and entitlement between partners. There are already laws in place addressing those issues - it's called domestic partnership regardless of the partner's gender.

Let's take God's word out of this equation, and take this concept to its natural conclusion, if marrying within the same sex is okay, then how about marrying one from each sex? How about 2? How about marrying outside our species? If I decided that my pet goat is the best spouse I can come up with, what's going to stop me? The point is where do you draw the line? And for the record, it is immoral! For references, see 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:8-10 and Rom. 1:26. Bottom line, if God says it's wrong, who am I to argue.

I love my homosexual brother and sister but I do not condone their lifestyle. I can plant seeds of what God wants them to be, but it is ultimately up to God to water them and make them grow. I grieve when they contract HIV and die of AIDS, I get angry when they are discriminated upon and called unkind names. I praise and worship the Lord when they too find the path to the kingdom and I am at their side and support them when they need a shoulder to cry on or when they need a kind word. We agree or disagree on politics, religion and life in genereal but they are still my brother and sister made in the image of God.

(5) Also love for one's neighbor doesn't necessarily translate to a perennial handout. I'll give to anyone who is truly in need of a boost but I am not a bottomless pit of generosity. I would rather give and support a person who is determined to make a better life for himself than to give and give and give to support a nasty habit.

I am a compassionate, consenting adult. My compassion is long-term and I do not dole out money I don't own or have the right to give. I consent to all that is good and moral and right and just and pure. Anything beyond these parameters I have a problem with.

The Right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness:

(1) I believe that my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are God-given. It is not granted by a Monarch, a Ruler, A Dictator, A President or even a political party. In this great country I have a right to vote and a right to free speech, not because it was incorporated in some document in the National Archives two hundred plus years ago, but because God gave me that right when I was created. It's the consequence of exercising those rights that can (a) get me into trouble or (b) allow me to carry out God's will in this fallen world.

I also believe in tolerance - true tolerance not this one-way variety that's been going around lately. Tolerance, the way I define it is this: We talk, we disagree, I'll defend by beliefs, you defend yours and if we still don't see eye to eye, we agree to disagree, part ways, move on with our daily lives but still remain friends.

We don't hold a grudge against each other, we don't call each other names, we certainly do not suppress each other's belief or start a jihad and call for each other's head in a bag over our disagreement.

Tolerance - as it exist today, is thus: We talk, we disagree, you judge me as an ignoramus, i judge you as an infidel and we're off to the races. Let's see who can smear the other with mud first. How about Jihad? I want your head, you want my complete surrender. What's next Armageddon, nuclear fallout, the assimmilation of an entire civilization? So much for that idea.

(2) I also have the right to bear arms to defend my pursuit of happiness. I don't need to hunt for Bambi, Bugs, Daffy or Moose. We have groceries for a reason. I am not a proponent of hunting for game or sport, but I understand that elk tastes good. More power to those who prefer otherwise, but I don't look forward to coming face to face with a 200 pound animal with horns and hooves, even if they're 50 yards away. Bottom line is it's not the gun, it's the gun in the wrong hands, that makes it dangerous. And as long as we're all educated and respectful of such raw power we should all be just fine. So please don't legislate the when and wherefore of my owning a .45. Let's all do something productive, like sending the U.N. back to Geneva or something.

(3) This country has a right to create its own militia (aka Armed Forces) primarily to defend the land within our borders and occasionally to fight on foreign soil. For the record, I hate war. In a perfect, ideal world, there is no war. But this is not a perfect, ideal world. War along with natural and man-made disasters are a result of our falleness. God grieves when His people are at war with each other, but we are also commanded to go to war. How many times in the days of old did God command the likes of Samson, Joshua, David, and Solomon to go against or wipe out this people or that tribe or that nation from this earth because of their evil ways. And the Lord was with them too as they went into battle. Had we not declared war on Germany, Japan, and Italy how could we account for God's more than six million people who suffered and died under Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolinni's tyranny?

We have this war going on in Iraq and I hate having to hear about our fellow Americans dying fighting the good fight. But I also hate how we've demonized those who've sent our troops to fight and how we're glorifying the real pertpetrators of evil. There's a reason we can't find WMD's in Iraq. It's because we've all but announced to the whole world that we are going to go look for them in Iraq. How about we go in, unannounced, say to Iran or Syria on some peace-keeping mission and start poking around there.

I hate war, but, I hate evil more. And if declaring war is the only way left to stamp out evil, then with God by my side, to battle I go.

(4) I also believe in fiscal responsibility and accountability. Economics 101: Don't spend what you don't have and always save for a rainy day. Living beyond our means is a fast track to all kinds of trouble. We have personal debts and debts as a nation that will take beyond the grave to pay back. Believe it or not, we've already indebted our grandchildren's grandchildren. As long as we keep passing Bond Measure after Bond Measure, we are borrowing money from our future heirs all in the hopes that they will do better than we did.

Newsflash: It's not going to get better. It's called inflation for a reason. And as long as we keep raising the minimum wage, dolling out welfare and borrow against some future hope that we can't even foresee, then we're only digging ourselves into a deeper mess.

Schemes like universal health coverage aren't going to cut it. First rule of holes. Stop digging! Second, throw away the shovel, just in case you get the urge to pick it back up and dig again. This country has always thrived on free market economics. Healthy competition, not monopoly and Democracy not Socialism is what allowed us to prosper and be a leader and world power, in a just a few short years.

(5) There's a passage in Genesis about the "Dominion Mandate". In Genesis 1:28 God tells us to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish and the sea and over the birds or the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." And as we read on there are other things that we are commanded to do with all of the life here on earth. God, in these passages, is giving us stewardship of this planet and so far we have done so in admirable fashion.

To those who claim that we've polluted the air and the water, let me say that that is a myth. Our waters and air have never been cleaner compared to the first thousand years or to a third world country. When was the last time an American contracted diptheria by drinking tap water. Let's be realistic about this, okay? If God wanted to pollute the waters, He'd turn them into blood. If He wanted the air to be unbreatheable He'd rain sulfur on our land. There is no global warming unless you consider a less than 3 degrees Fahrenheit rise every hundred years or so in the temperature. And for a planet that's approximately 6,000 years old, that's fairly negligible. Certainly not to the alarming degree that they pretend it to be.

Besides if I'm so concerned about pollution, I may just reconsider tooling around all over the world in my private jet that exudes more hydrocarbons per square inch per flight than my Ford does per year.

(6) Let's not forget, our form of government is "of the people, by the people and for the people". Elected officials are not supposed to serve a lifetime position. Power corrupts, there is no doubt about that. And power goes both ways. There is power in the form of the elected official because that person becomes the voice of their constituents, and there is power in the constituents as well for it is them who chooses the official. If either (or both) sides are corrupted then what you have is an elected goverment "of special interest groups, by lobbyist and for certain, entitled individuals." A far cry from what our forefathers had in mind.

Here's a quotation to ponder: "The totality of the Lordship of Christ in the life of man". Implicit in that quotation is the TOTAL surrender to the Lordship of Christ. TOTAL! Christ's Lordship is manifested in ALL aspects of our lives whether it's how we manage our finances or how we conduct ourselves in public and most especially, how we manifest our beliefs in our society. Society is changed by man, not the other way around and it is in our best interest to always keep that in mind.

In Memoriam

2006-11-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

A few minutes ago I received an email from a girlfriend in the Philippines. She confirmed the demise of one of our classmates from high school. A heart attack at the tender age of 40.

Here is an excerpt from that email:

"We regret to confirm the demise of our classmate Cecilia Andrada Salangga due to a fatal heart attack yesterday, November 11, 2006, at around 11:30 am."

Cecil left behind a husband and 3 children.

I didn't know Cecil that well in high school. From the little I can recall, what stands out the most is a beaming smile beneath a shock of curls and a rich, lilting laughter that brought joy to those who heard it.

I cannot begin to imagine the sense of loss the family must be feeling but if it's anything close to the stunned amazement that I'm experiencing now, my heart aches and breaks for all of you. I pray that you find comfort and strenght in the arms of our Heavenly Father and please know that our deepest sympathies are with you through this most difficult time.

I pray that the representatives from our high school group can effectively reach out to the grieving family and meet, in our small way, whatever needs they have. God bless you all!

Why I Love Country Music

2006-11-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

In the last 6 months or so I discovered the joy of listening to country music. Yes I know, in another life I really have no business meddling with the songs of this country's heart and backbone, being a self-described citygirl and all but I can thank the Lord Almighty for that, and many other changes, in my life.

Outside of the whole, "my spouse left me and I'm crying in my beer" or the "I'm a bad, bad cowboy with 2 trailers parked on my front lawn" scenario that's prevalent in the genre, there is a different side to country music that reflects the faith (check out the lyrics to Brooks and Dunn's Believe) by which this country is founded on and the patriotism (Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) by which we continue to move this country forward.

Many fans of the genre are down home, hardworking, God-loving, country-defending, everyday Americans who will not stand by the sidelines in any given occasion even if it's to stand up against their own. Case in point - the Dixie Chicks. They made un-patriotic comments across "the Pond" over yonder in Good Ole England (or was it France?) while on tour. Backlash: they pretty much torpedoed their career back in here in the United States. Talk about alienating your fan base! (Uhmm - the Republican Party should really have taken note of this back then but oh well - on to 2008!)

Anyway, my point is, country music is one of the few genres out there that is a melting pot of classical, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, blues and even a hint of popular music styles that gives life, almost universally, to the American spirit. Kinda like this country.

The Will Of The People

2006-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

It is the day after a mid-term election in this great country and the people have spoken. I am unhappy with the results, but I respect and defer to the will of the majority.

In light of the outcome of yesterday's election and the accompanying grandstanding from both sides, I seek refuge in the one document that modern politicians and everyone else involved in or dabbling in politics has seem to have forgotten - the Declaration of Independence

I can only hope and pray that the House, the Senate and the current Administration can find a way, beyond the rhetoric, to work together for the benefit of the entire nation and not just a particular party or specific personal agendas. I also pray that we never forget the principles and beliefs on which this great country is founded on and the freedoms that have been enjoyed by all of this country's citizens.

Your Glorious Majesty

2006-10-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Your Glorious Majesty

The pain and the glory
Of one precious moment
Never say you're sorry
Nor show your sad lament

In one glorious instant
Suspended forever in time
I saw the unending constant
Of a love so heavenly divine

Bearing with pain and passion
The full weight of my sin
My life filled with abandon
You gave back to me clean

And so with undying worship
With bowed head and bended knee
I proclaim Your complete Lordship
And Your glorious majesty.

- caarnold '06

Eight Glorious Years of Wedded Bliss

2006-10-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today, October 24, 2006 marks eight glorious years of marriage to the only man I've ever loved on this earth.

As a tribute to Keith, I am re-posting a paragraph from one of my posts about a month ago. It was true then, it is true now and it will hold true for always.

My beloved husband, Keith, you are my gift from God. You have, with God's love, erased all the pain and sorrow of my first 30 years here on earth. You have replaced rejection with acceptance, you eased a broken heart, mended a battered body and nurtured a shattered spirit. You have loved beyond doubt, forgiven without hesitation and I will carry those sentiments, and more, with me through the rest of my days. I love you from the depths of my heart and soul. My beloved, my mentor, my discipler, and my best friend, thank you for the best years of my life. My only hope is that I can honestly claim that my greatest accomplishment in this life is that I make you happy. That would make my life worthwhile.

And to all of that let me add this:

Keith, my love, Happy 8th Anniversary. Sixty years or less never has been or never will be an option. I look forward with joy and love to spending eternity with you. You offered to me, when I was lost, the gift of everlasting life from our heavenly Father and I thank you for loving me enough to want to share that gift. As we've grown together, in the last eight years, I've seen the man that you are and the man that God is molding you to be and if it's at all possible, I love you more now than I did back when we first started this love affair. Thank you for being my husband, my lover and my best friend now and for always.

Go And Make Disciples Of All Nations

2006-10-22T08:57:00.001-07:00

My next couple of posts will most likely be about my trip to “Montebello”. I learned and experienced so much on this trip and there is no way I can put it all in one posts so as I remember and “process” my experiences, I will commit them to words in my corner.

"Montebello" is a striking place. It’s a distant land, forgotten by time, and steeped in a patriarchal society so domineering of women and children. My first views of the place were marred by darkness but as soon as daylight came, I was transported to a time and place I've only read about. There is never-ending dust as far as the eye can see. At times, it lingers in the air like a fog. The dust is everywhere and there is no escaping it. In that place, I learned to appreciate things and relationships I normally took for granted in my everyday life. In that place, I threw myself at the mercy and grace of a loving God and His people.

First and foremost, I have a newfound respect and sense of awe for God's laborers. These people are living the essence of “The Great Commission". Matthew 28:19 explicitly commands ALL of Christ's followers to “Therefore go and make DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son of the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)

The “lifers” I met in “Montebello” gives substance to Christ's words. They breathe the dust day in and day out. They walk the streets, they reach out to the people and they fellowship in simple ways with one another. In this desolate land with its history of wars, death and destruction, they live side by side with its people, they subject themselves to its culture, they allow themselves to be governed by its laws and at the same time they unconditionally submit to the will of our God.

Much like the apostles of old, under threat of constant persecution, they work in the different communities to personify God's love for the lost. They offer medical assistance to the sick, teach English to teens and young adults, nurture orphaned children and with full knowledge of the consequences, they boldly, albeit in discreet ways, bring the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the people.

They immerse themselves in the culture as well. They respect the written laws of the land, they study the language, they go about living their daily lives amongst the locals. Yes, they stand out in the crowd because of the color of their skin and their unusual demeanor, but they are not seen or treated as pariahs nor are they considered outcasts in a society they have little understanding of.

Their ministry is tenuous at best and yet in the spirit of love and obedience to our God they forged on with His work, unminding of personal harm, ever vigilant in the discipling of new believers in Christ our Lord. Their lives are lived in constant prayer. They constantly seek the Lord's will, and ask the Lord for guidance and protection and true to His promise, these laborers are guided, emboldened, protected and provided for by our Lord.

To all of you, know that you will forever be in my prayers. I admire your spirit, your heart, your service, your devotion and your obedience. You have truly forsaken all the earthly treasures this world has to offer for the treasures God has waiting for you in His kingdom. The lives which you've dedicated yourselves to, though full of strife and difficulty, are rich, fulfilling and rewarding. Thank you all for taking up the yoke. God bless you and keep you safe and may you also be blessed with witnessing the fruits of your labor. In His Most Holy Name I lift you all to our Almighty Father.

The Best Team of God Servants Ever!

2006-10-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

I arrived from my sojourn to "Montebello" on Saturday the 14th and as much as my heart longs to serve there long term, I belong in the circle of my husband's arms wherever we may both be. That is where my home is on this earth. Let me also say that, given the opportunity, I will go to the ends of this earth and serve again with the team that God put together on this journey.

First and foremost, to our team leaders Brett and Lauren. You two are the coolest, dopest(thank Spooky Jess for the linggo), most awesome team leaders I have had the privilege of taking leadership and guidance from. Your unfailing vigilance in keeping the flock together was a sight to behold. Thank you for being on point from the minute we left Los Angeles to the border crossings and even through Kelsey's ordeal. Most of all thank you for taking on the challenge, especially in light of how exhausted you two have been during the summer. You two are really winners!

Next, Brien, you're the older brother I never had. I still can't see the 'fro tilting in the wind but hey, it got you your wife right? You are very blessed bro and I thank God I got a chance to work with the best. There's a reason the kids love you Grandpa! Stay weird bro.

Kelsey, I will remember you most for the border crossing with Olga the Uzbek rifling through your scrapbook and reading your love letters. The grace and poise by which you handled that (plus all that groping, ughh!) is unequaled. I also admire your resilience even as they were prodding and poking you at the International Clinic. You are truly beautiful inside and out and I am so glad I got the chance to know you. You are an awesome woman.

Spooky Jess, your heart for the Lord is incredible. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch "Friends" re-runs again and hear the character of Monica scream "I KNOW" without thinking about you. I admire your courage, your love of weapons, and your independent spirit. I can't wait for you to visit California. I promise to play tourist and we can tour Hollyweird together.

Liz, you're such a prayer warrior and fearless in sharing the Lord. One of these days, we'll go the distance talking about Debt policy, Foreign Policy and any other policy you want to talk about. You're a great sister in Christ and I'm truly glad our paths cross. Still trying to figure out how you got the name Lubya. PS: So will the school be offering computer classes 48 weeks a year instead of 3 or 4? Hmmm? And I promise to brush up on my Gin Rummy (and Scrabble!) skills for the next go around.

Hannah, I truly, truly admire your spirit and your determination to do God's work. You are a blessing to us and to those kids. It must truly be moving to witness a person come to the Lord and what a privilege. God be with you always and I pray that you can continue to do God's work for a long time.

Mr. Bill you truly are the embodiment of E.F. Hutton. You do not say much but when you did, we all paid attention. Who would've thought that you liked "Friends". Or that "Boston Legal" kept you away from the Weather Channel. From the first jokes you uttered to that haunting rendition of Amazing Grace and Unchained Melody to that final gesture at Incheon International Airport, you are a man of few words, but oh what sweet words. What an honor to make your acquaintance, Sir.

And last but not least, "Sheph", I hear you preach almost every Sunday, but your ministry during our time away was truly inspiring. I truly admire how you open your heart to God and have Him dictate every aspect of your life. Thank you for the opportunity you provided for discipleship even for a short time. Thank you too for the lesson on submission. I get it now. Submission really is acknowledging your weaknesses and surrendering your pride and an inborn stubborn streak to joyfully and gratefully rely on God's mercy and grace and accept wholeheartedly the service of others. I have a new level of respect for your chosen vocation and the person that you are.

And to the staff at the school in "Montebello". Ladies and Gents, your dedication, devotion and obedience to His will are admirable, awe-inspiring and unequalled. You all are the embodiment of the "eternal perspective" and I pray that God continues to keep you safe and at the same time embolden your spirit in sharing the good news and His gift of eternal life.

I have not taken many trips of this nature in my life, and I have to say that this is the most difficult in terms of the physical demands, and yet, this too is the most rewarding of all. To see God work in a land in dire need of hope and salvation is incredible. I look forward to the opportunity of serving with all of you again wherever and whenever God calls for His servants.

In His Most Holy Name, I love you all!

Destination: "Montebello"

2006-09-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

In about 36 hours, I and 9 other individuals will depart on a trip to a place codenamed "Montebello". We are embarking on this trip because God told us to go. Check out Matthew 28: 18-20. It's all there and in some cases, it's written in red ink.

It has dawned on me, on more than one occassion, that I may not make it back alive from "Montebello". And just as one other member of our team made clear what he would like his legacy to be, I too would like to impart a legacy of sorts, just in case.

First off, thank you God, Almighty Father. Thank you for allowing me to have this awesome personal relationship with You. Thank you for revealing yourself to me in all your majesty and glory. I have only the deepest of gratitude for the gift that is your Son. Thank you for picking me up when I fall, for dusting me off and setting me onto your path when I stray and for strengthening me even as I struggle with my sinful ways. Father in heaven, I am your servant. Use me in ways that only you know how. And most of all, thank you for your love. A love without comparison, a love without condition and a love without end. I am not worthy but with this love, you have washed me clean. And to this my Lord, my God, my Savior, my knees bow and my tongue confess, you are the Most Holy, Eternal God, the King of Kings, the Lover of my Soul. Only to you is all the glory I can muster. Only to you, is all my worship. Praise you O God! Father with complete trust in your protection and complete dependence on your mercy I go joyfully into the breach to bring your glorious name to the ends of this earth.

Second, my beloved husband, K. Many of you know him as Qoheleth. K, you are my gift from God. You have, with God's love, erased all the pain and sorrow of my first 30 years here on earth. You have replaced rejection with acceptance, eased a broken heart, mended a battered body and nurtured a shattered spirit. You have loved beyond doubt and forgiven without hesitation and I will carry that with me through the rest of my days. I love you from the depths of my soul and though I have every intention of coming back to you, should God have other plans, I will meet you again in heaven. My beloved, my mentor, my discipler, and my best friend, thank you for the best years of my life. My only hope is that I can honestly claim that my greatest accomplishment in this life is that I make you happy. That would make my life worthwhile.

PS: Keep Cujo out of Mom's clutches. Please! I don't think I can handle coming home and being greeted by a 1 ton ball of fur.

Third, my family. To my Mom and Dad who're just as stubborn as I am. Thank you for never giving up and throwing the towel on this bratty kid. Even as I defied and disobeyed, argued and lied, you were always there. Thank you for the foundation of faith that you instilled in all of us. It is the same foundation I used to build this relationship I have with God. I love you both so very much. Hey bro! You're the best! Keep shopping around for your fantasy reception hall. You'll know when you find the right one. Just make sure the gal you're going to have the reception with is the right one too. Keep it real bro. Mom's counting on you for that grandchild of hers so she can lay off my dog. Keep the other bro out of trouble too while you're at it.

Next to all my friends. I don't even know where to start. To the three fairy godmothers, keep the Bachelor in check, and keep the wedding simple. Last I heard the guest list was around 70 and he hasn't even popped the question yet. To my 75 brand new girlfriends specially to Ems, Vels, 'Net, Jo, Cez, and Jenna. Ladies, it has been a real pleasure to get reconnected. Ems, I have that BIG HUG waiting for you whether it's in '08 or in heaven, it's waiting. Vels, same with the phone card, I miss you too girlfriend. 'Net, who'd have thunk we'd click huh. Word of advise, keep the boytoy, he's a keeper. Jo, always remember that God is cradling your spirit in His arms, hold on to that truth. Cez, I love you sis, I am so glad that you and I will have all the time in eternity together. And Jenna, my teacher, my mentor, accountability partner and dearest friend. I couldn't have done any of this had God not crossed our paths again. You have been and always be a heroine in my life. Your faith, your strength and your passion for Christ knows no bounds and I thank you for showing me that. God bless all of you and keep you.

A special mention to our "Small Group". Ladies and gents, you have been my refuge every other Sunday of the month. Through all the craziness of a busy life, through all our goofiness and even through all the different difficulties and tragedies that has befallen us being with y'all (yes I said y'all) gives me strength, hope, peace and joy to go on and continue to serve. "And whenever two or more are gathered in His name, there is love..." and that's why I love y'all. And oh yeah, "The Bus" loves y'all too.

And last to my church. K and I stumbled through your doors 4 1/2 years ago and we've never stumbled out. Finally, a place to call home.

Father, as we boldly go forth into that part of the world that we jokingly refer to as "Montebello", I pray that you will guide our thoughts and our words and protect our hearts and our bodies from sin and harm. I pray that you embolden us and give us every opportunity to witness on behalf of You and Your Son. I pray that those we leave behind find peace and comfort in the knowledge that we are in Your hands. And I pray that those we meet will come to know the joy and the love that only You can offer. I pray all these in the name of your beloved Son and our saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

Throwing The Gauntlet: It's Time For America To Wake-up And Take A Stand

2006-09-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

This is probably going to be my last post, for a while at least, so as in many things, when faced with a task that is probably one of the last you need to accomplish, you make it count. So here goes. But first, a warning: This post has very strong language, so for the pacifist or the easily offended, take heed. I will be taking names and there will be a body count.

In the last few weeks, I've come across several news articles and life stories about George W. Bush, American-Christians (yes the hyphen is deliberate), Muslims, Islam and tolerance, Musharraf of Pakistan, The Pope, Hugo Chavez and the U.N., a certain “whack job” in Iran, my father and of course, where there's “W” there are the Dems and their respective “talking heads” aka Pelosi, anyone of the Kennedy clan, Billy the ex-prez, and a number of media mainstays from Greta to Katie and who can forget Rosie and her rant.

George W. Bush is in the limelight again. This time around he was thrust there by Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. By now, everyone has either heard of, or read, Mr. Chavez's speech in front of the United Nations' General Assembly. But just in case current events are not your forte, here is an excerpt directed at George W. Bush.

(In reference to a book written by self-described anarchist Avram Noam Chomsky) “I think that the first people who should read this book are our brothers and sisters in the United States, because their threat is in their own house. The devil is right at home. The devil -- the devil, himself, is right in the house.

And the devil came here yesterday. (Laughter and applause.)

Yesterday, the devil came here. Right here. Right here. And it smells of sulfur still today, this table that I am now standing in front of.

Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum, the president of the United States, the gentleman to whom I refer as the devil, came here, talking as if he owned the world. Truly. As the owner of the world.”

There are so many retorts and one-liners I could think of as a response to Mr. Chavez' remarks. The most immediate, and most juvenile, is “It takes one to know one.” Others include, “How dare you?”, “He did not say that, did he?”, and if I were affiliated with organized crime “I know where you live you filthy-mouthed retard.” and so on. As a Christian, I can definitely say that the devil (the real one) made him do it, for Mr. Chavez is, after all, one of his minions.

Yes I know, do not judge others lest you be judged yourself and I agree. But, that specific passage applies to judging one's heart. After all aren't we commanded as well to judge. We can quibble about appearances later, but for purposes of judging Mr. Chavez' heart, the only thing I can say is this man's outburst condemned his heart.

And may I say, what a coward! I dare Mr. Chavez to say those things without the protection of the U.N. General Assembly. Am I the only person who appreciates the irony of all this? Mr. Chavez' vicious remarks were aimed at the leader of the country which has so graciously welcomed him. Mr. Chavez, not only insulted said leader but its people and yet, he was able to leave the country unmolested and unharmed with no more than a little “there, there, let's play nice” from the Rev. Jesse Jackson. I hope Mr. Chavez understands that had he made his vitriolic speech elsewhere, he would have had to carry his head in a separate sack lest they detach it from his body without his consent. Maybe, we should sic “Dog the Bounty Hunter” after him. After Dog's potential jail sentence I mean.

And, what about the Dems jumping on the bandwagon to DEFEND “W”? You've called him worst in your inner sanctums. You've ridiculed the man, attacked him and members of his administration, fabricated all kinds of sleaze against him and his advisors, all in an effort to bring shame and degradation to his office which, in case you've all forgotten, is the face of this country. And now that an outsider dares to defile and insult “W” and the American people, y'all stand up in arms? You hypocrites!

I wonder if the Dems have really seen the error of their ways. I can't help but think that this defense of "W" is just a political ploy to distance themselves from what Chavez had said. After all, this socialist, whacked-out, space cadet goofball quoted directly from their playbook. For crying out loud, the man endorsed Chomsky, a self-described political activist, nay, anarchist from MIT. Geez, need I say more.

And am I the only one who noticed how fast Schumer, Pelosi, Jackson, and their like back-pedalled from their own criticisms of "W"? And yet, on the other hand, they have no qualms associating with the likes of Chavez. Take Charlie Rangel of New York. He couldn't denouce and condemn this self-righteous infidel fast enough and yet, he has no problems forming alliances with him.

Following is an excerpt written by AP reporter Ian James on September 22, 2006:

"Rangel called the heating oil program very effective and said he expects that next year his district will be getting an even larger amount of oil.

"But you don't come into my country, you don't come into my congressional district and you don't condemn my president," Rangel said"

Shame on you Mr. Rangel!

Listen y'all, I'm not saying don't disagree with Chavez, after all that would be prohibiting freedom of speech, but disagree with the man honorably. Don't spout rhetoric in fear of losing votes or for the sake of holding on to your elected post. In case y'all have forgotten, an elected position in office is a temporary job, with term limits. It is not a lifetime appointment. Good God, with friends and associates like these, we're not going to have much need for enemies.

Which leads me to my next point. Do you know that a large percentage of the world's population recognize the United States as the land of opportunity? Citizens of countries like Rwanda, India, Indonesia, Cuba, Red China, North Korea and so on, who have stared true oppression in the face, dream of coming to this land to make a better life for themselves. They understand that despite our flaws our form of government works for the benefit of its citizens. Our form of government allows for prosperity, freedom to express ideas and freedom of worship. Things they will never have in the countries that I've mentioned, unless they belong to the right party or the upper class strata.

If this is the case, ever wonder then why the world hates America and its citizens? It's because the hatred comes from within. In the last 40 years, we've seen a growing group of American-bashers all living within our borders and all the rest of the world has done is follow suit. Can you say ACLU?

Let's get one thing straight. Communism never has and never will spawn true freedom. Just ask all them Russians, Chinese, Cubans and everyone else who dared buck the communist system, see what they say. Oh, my bad, they can't say much of anything cause they're pretty much all dead or imprisoned and forgotten. Just look at what the ACLU and it's henchmen are doing. In an effort to separate church and state, they are hard at work outlawing God in our public facilities.

The first amendment states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

It does not say anything about taking religion out of our school systems and government buildings. The first amendment prevents a state-imposed worship, not the individual practice of a particular religion.

Again, I wonder if the people at the ACLU truly understand what they're working against. With everything that they've done or trying to do, they seem to have infringed and/or prohibited our free exercise thereof. Oh wait, again my bad, I forgot that only applies to us radical Christians who are out to spread God's love and His word. It sure doesn't hold true for the jihadist out there who claims lives in the name of their deity.

And then there are those who are interested in nothing more that their own private agendas. Interest and advocacy groups, corporate raiders, Muslim extremist, the liberal church, postmodern thought and so forth and so on. All have one thing in common, the demise of the patriotic American-Christian man.

As for those of us who purport to be patriotic, what have we done to stem these attacks on our culture, our beliefs and our very rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Outside of some grassroots movements here and there, the majority of us have sat back, in the name of freedom, and done nothing. We have sunk into the quagmire of mediocrity and complacency, thinking that somebody else will pick up the baton and run with it.

Newsflash: There is no baton. If we love this country and its people as we proclaim in rhetoric, it is our personal, individual responsibility to stand up and do something about it. This is not a call to arms but it is a call to reason. Let us defend our rights from people living within our borders who so passionately hate everything that is right and moral and good about this country. Let's not wait for a fascist dictator to malign our great nation or its leaders. Let's not sit back and wait for the fight to come to our backyards.

There is nothing more disquieting than reading about brothers and sisters in Christ who are giving up the fight because their issues, the ones that bring them to the polls and vote, are not being handled by the government fast enough. Although it's good to get involved in the democratic process, let us not rely on government to affect the changes we would like to see done. After all, government is still fallible and there is always room for error. Let us instead affect change on our own, by stepping outside our comfort zones and reaching one person at a time through God's word. It is not enough to stand on the sidelines and say “I love Jesus” or “I love you man”. Let's embed the word of God into our hearts and our minds and bring the good news of His son and the saving grace that God gave and affect change that way. Let's plant the seeds in obedience to God's commands and watch God do all the nurturing.

I would rather be ridiculed and laughed at while giving my testimony than find myself in a situation where I'm about to loose my head because I kept silent. My preference will always be to depart from this earth and enter the Kingdom as painlessly as possible, however, if God has other plans for me, then His will be done. As Paul, says “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 2:21). Either way, I've got my one-way ticket to heaven.

I am not asking for jihad, like some religious groups do. What I am asking for is let's all take up our yoke and make a difference so that we won't have to worry about jihads, call to jihads, Rosie O'Donnell, Ahmadinejab and his sidekick Hugo Chavez, Bin Laden and anyone and everyone who wants to see us brought to our knees.

Next, we've seen or heard of various reports of the threats against the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church by a bunch of guys whose towels have been tied up in a bunch lately. Talk about irony. All the Pope did was to read something from this ancient historical document from the 14th century and everyone involved with the worship of Allah is calling for his head (Hugo Chavez should probably make a note of that the next time he decides to speak off script).

Even Musharraf, testicularly-challenged individual that he is, jumps on the bandwagon and talks about how we threatened them back to the stone age if they don't give us their full cooperation. Last I looked, they were still in the stone age. Philosophically and infrastructurally. And here lies the dilemma of the entire Western world. All this talk about tolerance and forbearance, diplomacy and such are all good, except we're all talking to people on the other side of the world who do not understand the true meaning of tolerance, forbearance and oh yes, democracy. Because they, the Islamic world, have not progressed much from the stone age and they have no clear example of tolerance, forbearance and diplomacy in their daily way of life. What with all this jihad stuff going around.

Some argue that our responsibility is to teach them and bring them out of the Dark Ages. My reply: Teaching is futile if the other side refuses to learn. They have, in so many ways, made it very clear that they're not interested in co-existence. What they are interested in is complete assimilation. For all you movie addicts, think “The Borg” from Star Trek, The Next Generation or better yet, “The Necromongers” from The Chronicles of Riddick.

Here's a brief description as given in the movie: "They are an army unlike any other... crusading across the stars toward a place called UnderVerse, their promised land - a constellation of dark new worlds. Necromongers, they're called. And if they cannot convert you, they will kill you. Leading them, the Lord Marshal. He alone has made a pilgrimage to the gates of the UnderVerse...” Sounds familiar?

Last but not least, to those, like my father, who've decided to renew the citizenship of their birth country, and still hang on to their American citizenship, I posit this question. Why in hades would you do such a thing?

In the entire course of human history, there has never, ever been an instance of anyone serving two masters successfully. Citizenship demands loyalty and responsibility so how can one be loyal and responsible to both? In the event of conflict between this two countries where would that loyalty lie?

Let me clarify what I mean. I was born not in the United States. But twenty some years ago, I was brought to this country by the same parents who also thought it was in my best interest to apply for and obtain an American citizenship LEGALLY!

So in 1988, I trotted down to the Convention Center, took my oath and renounced the citizenship of my birth country and became an American. That does not mean that I've turned my back on the culture of my birth country. I still eat the strange foods, speak the language, acknowledge the important historical dates, and most importantly, I am proud of my heritage but I am, first and foremost, an American.

And it was by choice. No one put a gun to my head and forced me to wave the star-spangled banner or put my right hand over my heart as I recited the pledge of allegiance. Therefore, since citizenship has its privileges, I have the privilege of exercising my rights as an American, pay taxes as an American, and live by the laws of this land I now call home and profess my faith to an almighty God as an American and it is my duty to defend this country.

So, if needed, I will die for this great country and everything that it stands for. The good, the bad and even the ugly. Because in the end, when all is said and done, I am an American-Christian and it's time for all who share my beliefs to wake-up and take a stand for all that we believe to be noble and good and true.

But Radical Christianity Is More Threatening Than Radical Islam

2006-09-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Rosie O'Donnell on the television show "The View", had the audacity to say that "...radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam...." Ms. O'Donnell's outburst spurred a corresponding outcry from the hallowed halls of conservative blogs, fellow Christians and theologians across this great nation. Despite her malicious and venomous stance against Christians, I agree with Ms. O'Donnell, that radical Christianity is more threatening than radical Islam, although I doubt that she and I see eye to eye as to why that is so.

Consider this. During the first century A.D., in the center of the Roman Empire, a group of people were so thoroughly feared and consequently persecuted to the point that they were made into sport and fed to a group of ravenous beasts amidst the cheers of onlookers in the Coliseum.

This group, regardless of age or race, was so feared by the Romans and other denizens of those days not because they regularly impaled themselves against the spear or the sword shouting "Allah Akbar". Nor did they regularly disrupt the peace by their violent demonstrations and illegal protests against the empire. They certainly did not drag catapults around and ram them against Roman temples and palaces in the hopes of collapsing them to kill as many "infidels" as they could in the process.

This group of people were feared because they dared to bow their heads and bend their knees to worship the one true God. In a time and age where the Caesars where considered gods, they dared to publicly denounce these rulers as no more than mere men, subject to God's rule, knowing full well the penalty for such an act. They made a mockery of every temple and every palace built to worship the deity of the day by gathering together in fellowship and worship in someone's humble abode. They made laughingstocks of the different priests, servants and temple prostitutes with the their unwavering faith and obedience to the one true God. And they accomplished all that without shedding other people's blood but their own.

This group of people, headed by ordinary men and women with names like Paul, Peter, John, Apollos, Priscilla, Aquila and Barnabas, traveled throughout the Roman Empire and carried with them the extraordinary good news of a God who loved this world so much that He gave his only begotten Son to die for our salvation. They brought with them the teachings of a God who became man so He may show us the meaning of true and everlasting love. This group of people where considered radicals because of how they loved their friends AND their enemies and their unwavering love and devotion to Christ.

Radical Christians are they not?

Before we go any further, let me make one thing very clear, men and women such as these who first and foremost loves God and are out in the world spreading God's word and His wisdom in a truly loving fashion are not to be confused with the abortion-clinic bombers, gay bashers, hate-mongers, Klan members, or neo-Nazi freedom fighters who proclaim "Glory to God," as they wreak havoc and violence with their actions. They are no more Christians than they are anarchist and they are to be denounced and brought to justice like any other law-breaking individual intent on doing harm.

On the other end, those who proclaim "Glory to God" as they look down on their brothers and sisters and cop the attitude of "I'm holier than you and you're not getting into heaven, neener, neener" legalist may classify themselves as Christians but they are nowhere near radical. They personify the demeanor which existed among the Pharisees and the Sadducees of Christ's day and they, more than anything, effectively illustrate how Christian witness can be turned onto its head "in the name of God" of course.

Today's radical Christians, as with all the others who have preceded before them, hold true to most (if not all) of the following tenets:

"First, that Christianity is objectively true and that the Bible is God's written word to mankind.

Second, because Christianity is true it speaks to all of life and not to some narrowly religious sphere.

Third, in the area of our relationship with God, true spirituality is seen in lives which by grace are free to be fully human rather than in trying to live on some higher spiritual plane or in some grey negative way.

And fourth, the reality of the fall is taken seriously. Until Christ returns we and the world we live in will be affected by the disfigurement of sin." (courtesy of L'Abri Fellowship, www.labri.org)

And finally, because we are fallen, and our nature sinful, God sent His only Son to die on the cross to save us; "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) There is absolutely NOTHING we can do to earn our way into God's kingdom. It has all been done for us.

As radical Christians, we have no mantras nor chants to abide by. We have no need to instill hatred in our young for the chosen people of God. We are not required to subdue and dominate are women and children. We do not cry out for assimilation into a religion bent on conquering the world. We do not call for tolerance on one hand and crush those who dare raise an objection to our beliefs on the other. And most importantly, we are not dependent on the whims and fancies of a willful god and his prophet whose teachings have been skewered to suit a cause rooted in dominance and hatred. We are not required to sacrifice our lives and limbs and take out as many of the enemy with us so that maybe, just maybe, we can earn ourselves a seat on the flight to the garden of Allah and have some 70 young virgins attend to our every needs.

As radical Christians, our beliefs can be summed up in "The Apostles' Creed" the text of which follow, and our way of life is dictated by God's manuscript - The Bible.

We live fully human lives under the grace of an ever-loving God. We are not perfect but as long as there is sincere repentance in our hearts and we come for forgiveness, an always forgiving God guaranteed our place in heaven. And as long as we are obedient to His will, we are able to affect change not by the sword, but by the truth of His word.

We are loving, tolerant, obedient, charitable and generous, not because of some oblique promise of the good life in some obscure garden, but because we are commanded by the God we serve. We are righteous in our anger against evil and the ungodly, and firm in our opposition of injustice not because of some cause we do not fully comprehend, but because we uphold truth and we are perpetrators of justice.

We are vigilant in protecting those who are weak and constantly in prayer to God for we recognize that our strength and our compassion can only come from Him. Our faith demands complete submission and unwavering obedience to an omnipotent God.

As radical Christians, we have a far harder road to travel and yet we journey joyfully, fully trusting that the Lord will carry us through. We have no need for weapons or doctrines of hate, for we are equipped with God's armor and in a world committed to sin, nothing is more threatening or frightening than the love of the Lord Jesus Christ as conveyed through and by His radical Christian disciples.

The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting
*The word "catholic" refers not to the Roman Catholic Church, but to the universal church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

9/11/2001 - Do Not Ever Forget!

2006-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

With all the different news mediums and blogs devoted to commemorating the events of today, I vowed to stay away from the subject that is the 5th year anniversary of 9/11. What else can I say that has not been said? What other "angle" can I cover? After much thought and prayer, it dawned on me that NOT talking about 9/11 is more a disservice to those who died and/or suffered because of the events of that day.

I recently read the text of the 9/11 commission report and as the events unfolded in a minute-by-minute fashion, I felt, again, the deluge of emotions that accompanied the first time I heard of the attacks five years ago. I poured over the list of the names of all who perished in the different hijacked flights and at the Pentagon, and I wondered if, five years later, I would find a familiar name which would bring the events closer to home. These tragic events has no room in God's perfect world. But since we live not in that perfect world, we have to deal with them and their aftermath.

Therefore, for the 2,996 souls who perished, let us not dishonor their sacrifice by remembering the facts as they happened. Five years is not a long time and most of us who are alive now have first hand experience and/or eyewitness of these events. Let us not allow the historical revisionist and the conspiracy theorist to promulgate their distortions of these events. Let us hold true to all we have read and witnessed in the days and months that followed. Let us continue to keep their memories alive for they are innocent of any wrong-doing. Let their deaths not be in vain.

For our men and women in uniform, let us keep them in prayer. The aftermath of 9/11 gave birth to our "War on Terror" and they are on the frontlines carrying out the enviable duty of protecting our country and its citizens. I understand the need for tolerance and diplomacy, not just in international affairs, but in our everyday life. However, 9/11 was a direct attack of the American people on American soil. The need for diplomacy quickly passed as soon as Flight 11 was hijacked and the first American blood was spilled. As much as I am a proponent of peace, I firmly believe in our right to defend and protect ourselves from people and groups who are bent on annihilating us simply because they are intolerant of our beliefs. Let us not give in to the jihadis who carried out these heinous and reprehensible acts for they are not interested in a peaceful co-existence. Let us stand firm in defending our beliefs and our freedoms.

And lastly, let us not forget that we are Americans, and we owe our allegiance and loyalty to the flag of this great country. Let us not be shamed or beaten to submission by the murderers who caused this tragedy and their cohorts. As citizens of this great country, we have a responsibility to uphold the very foundations of our way of life, and that responsibility can only be carried out by an unfailing and uncompromising commitment.

Each year, let us look at these events of this day with fresh eyes and experience anew our sense of outrage, horror, grief and patriotism and use all of that to strengthen our spirit and reaffirm our resolve in establishing America as the greatest democratic country of this age.

When Rubber Meets The Road

2006-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

A dear, dear sister in Christ experienced a great tragedy this week. It is the kind of tragedy that, in the natural scheme of things, is not supposed to happen. No one should be faced with the trauma of burying their young.

We heard of the news on Monday. Within a matter of seconds, my beloved husband and I ran the gamut of emotions from shock to disbelief to horror to grief. Our hearts breaking and awashed in tears we held each other and prayed to God for strength and comfort and joy and peace and love and hope and servitude to our sister and her family in this time of need.

The next few days were very hard because instinctively, I wanted to give and give and give of whatever they needed to ease their grief and their pain. And what they really needed was family time alone to rally together and support one another. Everytime I stopped and thought of her, and other mothers like her who have lost their young, my heart would break all over again. I could not begin to imagine the depth nor the scope of such pain. I cannot comprehend how to get back to "normal" after such a loss.

Where do you start picking up the pieces? How do you stay strong when her gut-wrenching sobs echo amidst the walls of the mortuary where a memorial service was held? Where do you go to find peace? When will the pain stop? Will it ever stop? What could've been done differently to change the course of events? And the ever present Why God? Why? And God answered.

With the author's permission, following is a reprint of an email many of us received this morning.

It is said that God does not give you anything you can’t handle, but I do believe that there is another part to this scripture- that should read- for only He knows just how many saints are lifting you up in prayer. On Sunday ... My First Born, My Big Girl, My perfect gift from God was taken to be with the Lord. No one should feel what I felt that night, no one should hurt this unfathomable hurt, but most importantly no one should go through this Alone. On the last day of August I was in a chapel and as I grieved I could hear the sound of a crowd growing behind me and right out side the chapel doors. It was the sound of all those saints that had said “you are in my thoughts and in my prayers” Thank you dear saints for your prayers, thank you for the lasting memories that you all have given me ...

In the Lords prayer Jesus uses the word “Us” Give “Us” this day…and forgive “Us” …lead “Us” …, but deliver “Us” from all evil. We are to pray for each other, we are to lift each other during the good and sad times. Lets us continue to keep each other in our hearts, minds and prayers.

I read and re-read this email and dropped to my knees in gratitude to the Lord and His amazing grace and love for all of "US". In the midst of all the pain my comfort and my peace came from my dearest sister in Christ who was suffering the deepest. I finally understood that when it comes time for the proverbial rubber to hit the road, in whatever difficulty or tragedy we find ourselves in, God truly provides the answer and it is our faith in Him, that allows us to transcend our difficulties and our tragedies in life.

God is limitless in His authority over all things He created. He knows our beginning and He knows our end and He orchestrates the in-between. Whether we follow the conductor or go our own way, He, our Lord God Almighty, is in control. And as long as we are willing to submit to God's will for our lives, He will use us in the most spectacular of ways. And whether we find the end of our road at 20 or at 120, it is His grace, His strength, His comfort, His generosity and His love that will carry us through.

To my dearest sister, I grieve for your lost and I am in awe of your heart. I thank God for the privilege of knowing you and being called a friend by you. Before this last week, I have known of only one other person who is Christ-like in his forgiveness. It is very humbling and awe-inspiring to know that God has allowed me to know of one other. I love you my sister and thank you for being an example of faith and hope and peace and love.

A Changed Life

2006-08-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

I very recently saw the movie "Rent" on cable television and I found myself transfixed by the spectacle, or lack thereof, before me. The experience was similar to anticipating a train wreck. You just know that the outcome would be so horrific that you morbidly, couldn't turn away.

A brief description and editorial, straight from your friendly neighborhood "wikipedia" for those not familiar with the story:

"Based on Puccini's opera La bohème, Rent, the musical centers on a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Alphabet City in the early 1990s, under the shadow of AIDS. Rent was one of the first Broadway musicals to clearly feature gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender characters. It is also noted for its ethnically diverse cast, which includes many racial minorities in its ensemble and leading roles. Rent is considered revolutionary for bringing controversial topics and counterculture to a traditionally conservative medium, and is credited with increasing the popularity of musical theater in the younger generation."

See why I liken it to a train wreck.

What I'm saying is as I watched the film adaptation, I was forced to reminisce upon my younger, more rebellious, and more (and I use the word loosely) tolerant days when idealism equalled compromised morals and love, even aberrant love, was romantic and became a cause for celebration. It took a few minutes before I realized what I was doing. As I was watching the film version I started comparing my reactions then and my reactions now to the same scenes I was seeing and the same lyrics I was hearing.

My, how 10 years worth of life experiences and a maturing faith in God can change a person.

I first saw Rent in its original form as a stage musical. It was 1996 and I remember shelling out a lot of money for two tickets at the Schubert Theater in Los Angeles to see Dr. Doogie Howser sing and trot on stage. After the whole proceedings I was one of the first ones in the audience to stand on my feet and applaud like mad at the genius I had just witnessed. I left the Schubert that night cloaked in the anthem that was "No Day Like Today". Not quite Carpe Diem but close. I was young, invincible, idealistic, romantic, and above the system.

My heart bled for every starving, angst-ridden artist who wanted nothing more than to express themselves and their ideas in their medium of choice. As if at the tender, dope-fueled, sex-driven, age of 20, they've mastered and experienced all there is that life has to offer. I celebrated freedom of choice, the genius of hot-wiring an ATM machine to steal undeserved cash, and indiscriminate sex. I blamed the powers that be for the existence of AIDS. I marched in rallies, volunteered for the DNC, reveled at gay pride events, chanted the popular trendy political rhetoric of the day and plugged-in to CNN for today's current events.

Then the unthinkable happened. I was suddenly faced with the possibility of, maybe, just maybe, having contracted THE virus. Not through any fault of my own, for despite the rhetoric and the lifestyle, I chose to remain monogamous. My "monogamous" partner, on the other hand, didn't make the same decision or commitment I did. Thus the dilemma. But, as always, God, who has always been my protector even from myself, didn't let me down. I am alive and virus free today only by God's grace and God's providence.

And because of that same grace and God's love, especially through one incredible person in particular, my eyes were opened to what was being truly portrayed by the musical I once revered.

As I watched my "train wreck" a few nights ago, I saw things differently. My stance turned from "freedom of choice" to "it's okay for you to do it but I know I can't" to "choose life". I looked at the AIDS epidemic as a direct result of man's fallen, sinful nature. In the way God envisioned and designed this world, no one, and I mean no one, should be suffering from AIDS. It is through man's fall that AIDS and death came into this world and Christ breached the gap when He died and rose from the dead.

I started voting Republican. I looked at the gay lifestyle and I believe it's wrong. And most importantly, every aspect of my life, my politics, my beliefs, and my actions, are governed and dictated by my faith and not by some popular, trendy rhetoric dictated by the "sound bite of the day" as overplayed by today's mainstream media.

My heart still bleeds, but it bleeds for the all the pain and injustice, true injustice, that this fallen world has brought upon itself. I sympathize with those who suffer, I empathize with those who are committed to making a difference and I antagonize those who are evil and unjust in their ways, because this is what God has commanded us to do with humility and complete obedience to His will.

And as trite and trivial as it sounds, it really is God that has affected this change and in this case He used an inconsequential, irreverent collection of scenes and music to bring about the realization of a changed life.

I Am A Missionary

2006-08-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Enough said!

75 Girlfriends ... And Counting

2006-08-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

I recently was given the golden opportunity to reconnect with 75 (or thereabouts) women from my high school's graduating class. Big deal right? Actually it is quite a feat considering that this particular senior class graduated 23 years ago, in a small Pacific Archipelago and at least a third has scattered to the wind. At last count (sometime around mid-August), our designated record keeper(s) have located 61 classmates from said small Pacific Archipelago, 21 currently residing in the United States, 6 in Canada, 1 in the Middle East, 5 in Australia, and another 4 in New Zealand. Like I said quite a feat.

This whole global interaction began when 5 enterprising, beautiful women rallied their "contacts" into gathering at a particular website to create what is now known as Ourschool_83@website.com. It's amazing to see how membership in this group has grown exponentially the last 2 months. From the first week's sign up of about 20 people, we have now grown to about 75 members and have catalogued a whopping 2700 messages. There has also been, at last count, about 10 reunions and get-togethers worldwide with more planned along the way.

When I stop and think of what is happening, I once again find myself in awe and wonder of God's plan. I long ago stopped believing in coincidences and this is no exception. God is moving in our lives in ways we don't even comprehend. God allowed this group to be formed, after all these years, to remind us of who we were, what we've become and what role He has played in the shaping of our lives and our faith.

God in all His glory brought us together, some in person, most through the internet, to minister to each other in our time of need whether we acknowledge the need or not. I, for example, did not realize how much I missed not having girlfriends to talk to ala "Sex and the City" girlfriend talk. (Yes, I acknowledge the bad analogy). In a blink of an eye I know have 75 girlfriends. And the beauty of it is I don't have to explain to them where I'm coming from as they were there with me at that same place. And let me tell you, cutting back on the background gives you more time to get the nitty-gritty out of the way.

More than anything, this group opened a new field for me and others who share my faith, to spread God's word, His love and His gift of salvation. No, I don't pounce on an unsuspecting individual and corner her until she surrenders to a false faith just to get me out of the way. God provided this forum to allow me the opportunity to show and tell just how much God has shaped, forged and blessed my life. And my hope and prayer is that through my words and actions, I can minister to those in need so that I may be blessed by them and glorify God in the process.

Beyond all that, I am thrilled to know that I can look at all these women, and miserable though I was in high school, I can say that because of God's love for me, I can look back and say I truly love all 75 girlfriends...and counting.

Welcome To My Corner

2006-08-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

I've always been one to put thought to paper but I never in my wildest dreams, nay nightmares, conceived of having my thoughts displayed for everyone to read.

Be that as it may, welcome to my corner of the blogosphere. Sit back, enjoy and jump in when you feel the need or when the Holy Spirit moves you.

A few house rules to follow:

(1) No profanity! This is non-negotiable. I believe in freedom of expression and while we're at it, the freedom to bear arms, but please be intelligent, courteous and considerate, even if you're in a rant. Rudeness and meaness will simply not be tolerated.

(2) Please do not post anonymously! Use a screen nickname if you absolutely don't want to be identified, but please give me and everyone else the courtesy of addressing you by a name. "Anonymous" just doesn't quite cut it.

(3) This is an open forum of ideas designed towards intelligent, adult discussion. Emphasis on "intelligent and adult". Please feel free to participate based on those guidelines.

Once again, welcome to my corner.