Legacy of Anger

Proverbs 22:24 -25 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Are you easily angered?

Many times I have heard the laughing comments of people referring to someone's fiery temper as if it were something to be admired. Being a red head I have heard the endless comments regarding the supposed terrible tempers of all red heads. Comments made with a silly grin as if they would like to see a demonstration of the supposed temper in the next few minutes. The truth however is, according to the Bible, an inability to control one's anger is not something to be admired. The truth is it is a snare to our souls and the souls of whomever finds themselves in our company. Sadly the ones we are laying this dangereous snare for are the ones we love and care about the most; they are our own children and close family members.
The Bible says we are not become friends or go anywhere with a furious and angry man. Our children and spouses have no choice however but to be subjected to our fits of temper and thus they learn our ways and this cycle of ensnarement lasts generations.
Anger and the inability to control the emotions can grow into so many full blown manifestations with consequences that are far reaching. Many things can be traced back to uncontrolled emotions....anger, quarreling, bitterness, hate, murder...do we really want to lead our loved ones into this treacheous territory? My mother has always quoted what she heard somewhere,"What parents do in moderation, children do in excess." Do we really want our children fine tuning the abilities to fly off the handle...or storm out of a room...or throwing objects...or yelling...or screaming...or pouting and sulking?
If these are your vices your pet sins...REPENT. Ask those around you who have seen the anger rule you to forgive you and share with them this verse in Proverbs.
Anger and uncontrolled emotions do not just cost you. Our children are watching and learning from us. Let us not leave to them this legacy of anger. Let us put it off like an old garment and ask God to cloth us in His meekness, quietness, and righteousness.

Though I wouldn't repeat some of the other stuff these men below have said here is some
Food For Thought:

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.
Marcus Aurelius

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.
Ambrose Bierce

No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.
George Jean Nathan

Sacrifice of Others

Have you ever pondered how the sacrifice of others has made or makes your life possible?

For instance when we were kids we never dwelt on how much Mom or Dad sacrificed to put food on the table every meal. We just sat down and dug in. Just think about the hours working earning the money to buy the food, the labor in meal planning, cooking, and the cleaning up afterwards. Now that some of us are grown up with families of our own we are just beginning to truly see and appreciate the countless sacrifices our existence has required.

Almost everything we enjoy in life has come through the hard work of others. The items we purchase in the store, the cars we drive, the businesses we work at, our education, the beds we sleep in, the homes we live in, the wood we used to construct our homes, and even the air we breathe and for those who are blessed by it....the salvation of our very souls... can be attributed to the hard work, ingenuity, careful thought, and grudging or loving sacrifice of either mortal man or God Himself. None of us are self sufficient...with any meditation on our dependency we can see how any such thought is mere ignorant pride. Even if we lived in the days when men grew their own food and felled their own trees to build their houses we would still need God to supply the rain and fertile soil in which to grow our food. No two ways around it we certainly need God for survival here on earth and in the afterlife....and I have already made the case for needing others here on earth in this post-modern world we now live in.

Take a moment to humbly reflect on the sacrifices others make to bless your family. Think about God's Supreme Sacrifice given for your soul's salvation. Then think about what you are sacrificing for the well being of others. Do you give it cheerfully or grudgingly? Then search your soul deeply; are you sacrificing anything for God? If so do you sacrifice it cheerfully and humbly or grudgingly and hatefully?

Remember God says He loves a cheerful giver! Are you busy giving cheerfully? Think and pray about it.

Wise Words from Wise Men

With the election just days away, I think it would be helpful if we reflected on our founding fathers and what direction they intended this country to follow. Constantly, we are bombarded with what our founding fathers "really meant" by what they said long, long ago. Our polititians will make speeches concerning these intentions and never truly quote what they really did say.
Let us not presume what these wise men intended without first hearing what they actually said.

William Penn a founder of Pennsylvania said," Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants."

Horace Greeley founder of the New York Tribune in the pre civil war times said, " It is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.

Patrick Henry most know for his statement "Give me liberty or give me death" said, " Bad men cannot make good citizens. It is impossible that a nation of infidels or idolaters should be a nation of free men. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their chains.

It is clear, from these men, they did not have any intention of God being kicked out of government...because they intended it be run by men ruled by God.

Men and women in this generation look to the government to be their god. Polititians make speeches that spew forth socialist ideas and people in this once greater republic cheer. We seem to want free health care, welfare, food stamps, tax breaks, and our houses guarenteed to us even if we don't have the money to pay the bank who lended us the money for our house in the first place.....YES!!! government should take care of that ....after all it is their fault we lost our job anyway. Right?
Some polititians declare we need to spread the wealth around.... which by the way was a slogan pitched by communist leaders seeking power to people ripe with higher class hatred.

Communist Karl Marx said, " The first thing necessary to control the people, is to separate them from their heritage."

We are constantly being told...didn't Barack Obama say it at the democratic convention?...that the Bible has no place in government ...attack #1.

Our founding fathers sought to end class wars. The democrats seek to start them. Attack #2 Statements they make are riddled with the attempted persuasion of making us hate the rich. When pinned down and asked, "Who are the rich" they pull some figure out of thin air of what a "rich man" currently makes....only problem is is that figure keeps changing...generally going down. Before you know it they will end up talking about you and you never even knew you were rich. By the way, most of them make more than they are talking about the rich making and they want you to vote for them and help them make more by tapping into the vast supply of your tax dollars which they love to increase regularly in order to pay for all the promises made to you in order to get elected.


Abraham Lincoln has been credited with saying...

*you cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

*You cannont strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

*You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

*You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

*You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

*you cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independance

*You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could, and should, do for themselves.

Some say these words were actually written in 1942 by William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister. He released a pamphlet titled Lincoln On Limitations, which did include a Lincoln quote, but also added 10 statements thought to be written by Boetcker himself. Whoever wrote this sounds like they could have been running against a man like Barack Hussein Obama.
What simple common sense .... what profound wisdom....too bad there aren't more Abraham Lincoln's or William J. H. Boetcker living today to recognize the foolishness behind the democrate's tactics, plans, and stratigies. Abraham Lincoln did make this moving statement, "...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."
The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House by Francis B. Carpenter (Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Nebraska Press, 1995), p. 282. Also, Recollections of Abraham Lincoln by Ward Hill Lamon (Lincoln, Nebraska, University of Nebraska Press, 1994), p. 91.

When was the last time you heard a politician say that?

A statement most attributed to Lord Woodhouselee is as follows:

Alexander Fraser Tytler Lord Woodhouselee
An Observation on Democracy
The most interesting observation is how closely the US has followed this scenario.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the Public Treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always to be followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:

* From Bondage to Spiritual Faith
* From Spiritual Faith to Great Courage
* From Courage to Liberty
* From Liberty to Abundance
* From Abundance to Selfishness
* From Selfishness to Complacency
* From Complacency to Apathy
* From Apathy to Dependency
* From Dependency back into Bondage"

--- most commonly attributed to
"The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic"
by Alexander Fraser Tytler Lord Woodhouselee (1748-1813)
(Scottish judge and historian at Edinburgh University)

On election day, I pray you will keep in mind what these wise men have said. The Democrats entire agenda goes recklessly headlong down paths these wise men warned us about. We as a nation cannot thumb our noses at God and go against the council of wise men who could foresee so clearly the danger which is to follow for a nation who forgets God.

If you are a Christian fast and pray for this election!!!

Repair man's Surprise Visit

Our shower has been leaking from the shower head for some time now. I called a man we bought the house from (home warranty) to come and fix it Tuesday. He told me he would be there that evening to take a look at it. I spent the day cleaning my house making sure everything was in its place in every room...even the ones he wouldn't be in. The place just sparkled and then I told the kids not to breath till after he left...lol. We waited and waited and he never came. At that moment I figured my luck would be that he would just show up when I least expected him and my house would be turned upside down at that moment. You know....my bed unmade (you have to go through my bedroom to get to the bathroom in question), underwear in the bathroom floor, or the kitchen a mess with the contents of my two year old son's breakfast bowl plastered to the wall, which sometimes occurs when he decides he is finished...NOW.
Two days passed and no phone call...was he coming? Then tonight the phone rang....it was the dinner hour....Mr. Fix-it said, "I'll be right over." He lives five minutes away!! I raced around to clean the evening meal debris away. The children were still eating...Then in a flash he was pullling into the driveway....ahhhhhh! I went to the door and he had the needed part to fix the shower in his hand. He said my husband could probably put the part in himself if I preferred he didn't intrude. I assured him he would not be intruding....as my mind raced to think...right before supper I had given my littlest son a shower in our bathroom....what kind of mess had I left it in....if he fixed the shower I would have to lead him casually into rooms I had not had the time to check on...what was their current condition? I decided to protect my pride and said..."You know I would hate to inconvience you...My husband can probably fix the shower and if he needs help he can call you back." While making small talk and feeling as though I had narrowly escaped this potentially pride hurting experience...I looked down at my youngest son who had come to the door some time before and had, like a good boy, been quietly standing behind me. To my profound horror I discovered he was completely naked from the waist down. Gone were his pants and pull-ups. "Jason!!!" I exclaimed loudly, "What are you doing!" Horrified I looked at the man at my door....I wondered how long Jason had been standing there in all his glory with me trying to make small talk. This was probably the reason why the guy didn't "Want to intrude"...lol. I quickly assured the man that Jason didn't normally run around this way.
When the man was gone I had to laugh through embarrassed and mortified tears. With all my efforts to look like I had it together ....my fragile pride was fractured anyway.
Tonight...I am thanking God for kids. For if nothing else they keep us humble and remind us life isn't perfect....and if it were it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.

Repair man's Surprise Visit

Our shower has been leaking from the shower head for some time now. I called a man we bought the house from (home warranty) to come and fix it Tuesday. He told me he would be there that evening to take a look at it. I spent the day cleaning my house making sure everything was in its place in every room...even the ones he wouldn't be in. The place just sparkled and then I told the kids not to breath till after he left...lol. We waited and waited and he never came. At that moment I figured my luck would be that he would just show up when I least expected him and my house would be turned upside down at that moment. You know....my bed unmade (you have to go through my bedroom to get to the bathroom in question), underwear in the bathroom floor, or the kitchen a mess with the contents of my two year old son's breakfast bowl plastered to the wall, which sometimes occurs when he decides he is finished...NOW.
Two days passed and no phone call...was he coming? Then tonight the phone rang....it was the dinner hour....Mr. Fix-it said, "I'll be right over." He lives five minutes away!! I raced around to clean the evening meal debris away. The children were still eating...Then in a flash he was pullling into the driveway....ahhhhhh! I went to the door and he had the needed part to fix the shower in his hand. He said my husband could probably put the part in himself if I preferred he didn't intrude. I assured him he would not be intruding....as my mind raced to think...right before supper I had given my littlest son a shower in our bathroom....what kind of mess had I left it in....if he fixed the shower I would have to lead him casually into rooms I had not had the time to check on...what was their current condition? I decided to protect my pride and said..."You know I would hate to inconvience you...My husband can probably fix the shower and if he needs help he can call you back." While making small talk and feeling as though I had narrowly escaped this potentially pride hurting experience...I looked down at my youngest son who had come to the door some time before and had, like a good boy, been quietly standing behind me. To my profound horror I discovered he was completely naked from the waist down. Gone were his pants and pull-ups. "Jason!!!" I exclaimed loudly, "What are you doing!" Horrified I looked at the man at my door....I wondered how long Jason had been standing there in all his glory with me trying to make small talk. This was probably the reason why the guy didn't "Want to intrude"...lol. I quickly assured the man that Jason didn't normally run around this way.
When the man was gone I had to laugh through embarrassed and mortified tears. With all my efforts to look like I had it together ....my fragile pride was fractured anyway.
Tonight...I am thanking God for kids. For if nothing else they keep us humble and remind us life isn't perfect....and if it were it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.

Family Portraits

Today I took my six children to have their pictures taken. My oldest daughter is in college in Kentucky and couldn't be present for the exciting occasion or there would have been seven kids in the photo. I can't believe how exhausting picture taking can be. Trying to get everyone to smile and hold their heads just right is quite a task....and that isn't even mentioning all the preparation before the photograph ..... making sure all the clothes being wore are clean and not of any color that would clash with the sibling sitting beside them in the picture.
While I was applying some last minute spit to strands of hair that didn't want to lay in their proper position...I was reminded how miraculous God's gift of family is. Those of us with children know just how intense the daily grind can sometimes become....family can begin to mean to us one more load of laundry to do....or an evening meal to prepare just when we think we can't take one more thing on our "plate"....but may we never forget that all those little messers, all those mouths to feed, the husband hogging our side of the bed at night is God's special gift to us, souls that will never die made in God's own image to remind us of Him. Be mindful of this when you fill that sippy cup up one more time....or when you slide to your edge of the bed with a husband snoring loudly in you ear. Thank God for the dirt and grime on little hands requiring your attention; providing you with the opportunity to look deep into your loved one's eyes a moment made to take a mental photograph.... one you'll treasure for years to come when children won't be around to ask for small favors.
Photos taken in studios will be filed away in albums confined to bookshelves or displayed in dusty picture frames...but the family portraits I think most treasured are the ones imprinted on our hearts.....the ones mentallly taken while spending time in the shelter of our homes....without the backlights, drop cloths, and adjustable stools.

Religion vs Christianity

Religion vs Christianity

What is the difference between Religion and Christianity? The line between the two seems to
become more and more blurred everyday.

Romans 2:13 - (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law
shall be justified.
James 1:22 - But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

The Religious are schooled in the right things to say and do....lots of times they can quote
large passages of Scripture defining what they "believe"...however the Christian knows
true belief is in the doing not the saying. This is where the religious fall short...they say
they know what is right....but they perform very little to none of what they say.
The religious are swept along on the tide of their whims and flesh.
They are comfortable with their sin nature....they secretly are even happy to dwell with it.

Christianity is knowing what the Bible says to do....and doing it...through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
Sure, a Christian might fall every now and again...but when they do they get up and repent
and start over again....doing what the Scripture says....living it day in and day out.

Proverbs 24:16 - For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:
but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

The Christian will fight a battle with sin every day....They will not be content to dwell with it.

Are you a Christian?....or just Religious?.....Pray about it..