Prop 8 and the People

We, the people of California, voted to approve Prop 8, defining marriage as one man, one woman. We did this a few years ago, but the Supreme Court overturned the will of the people, saying it was unconstitutional.

Now, we have amended our constitution, and the same group is challenging it. Their argument is that this is not an amendment, but a fundamental change. If this is the case, then our legislature needs to approve it.

So, in two separate votes the people of California have spoken. And, it doesn't appear to matter what we desire. Our choices go through the same small group of people to evaluate and approve.

Its like we are children, and they are parents, teachers, or mentors. We don't know whats best for us. They do. We can state our desires, but they will chose whether we can have them or not.

Legalize gay marriage, abortion, and marijuana. But you can't stand up and state that there are Absolutes. Moral truths.

I thought that we lived in a country governed "by the people, for the people." Not from where I stand. My voice has been silenced. I am governed, but I have no say in it, because I am not a judge in San Francisco.

If you are not liberal in your outlooks, you are silenced and ignored.

IDOP

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

We have so much to be thankful for, yet we take most of it for granted. Christians around the world are persecuted horribly for their faith. The fighting in Sudan, north vs south, is also Arab Muslim vs African Christians. The Christians now have oil, and the Muslims want it.

In India, in the last 60 days, 60 Christians have died, 18,000 injured, 4,500 homes and churches burned, and 50,000 homeless.

In China, all churches must register. Once registered, the government tells you what to preach, who your pastor will be, etc. Of course, Christians don't get promotions, or good jobs, or any kind of assistance. Children under 18 are not allowed to go to church, receive any sort of religious education, or read a bible.

In some 'Christian' nations, the predominate church, whether it be Orthodox or Catholic, pressures the local government to restrict the activities of evangelical churches. No in-home bible studies. No public revival meetings. Things like that are used to keep their hold on the people.

Whether it be atheist, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or other Christians, this is all persecution. We need to remember our brothers and sister in chains.

Another Test

I just added another gadget to my igoogle page, that allows me to post to my blogs from right here.

This is a test to see if it works.

First Day of Prayer for Barack

I was going to call it " First Day of Prayer for Obama" but I detest that name.  "Barack" means "blessings" and I can live with that.

I signed up for the 77 Days of Prayer, which is for the 77 days between the election and the inauguration.  This first day focuses on God's sovereignty.  This is something I needed to hear.

We put our trust in You to use the President-Elect—and every person
chosen yesterday—to serve Your great and high purposes for our nation.

I trust in God, and so I will trust him with this election.  I have to believe that this is the man God wants elected, or else I believe that 51% of the American voters thwarted the will of God.

Which do you believe?  Romans 8 says that God uses everything for the good of those who love him.  This is something to be grateful for:  I believe that Barack will be a blessing for the world in God's hands.

I'm human, and I don't see how on earth this is possible.  But what is impossible on earth is possible in heaven.

Deep Magic: Memories and Dreams

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." Romeo and Juliet. Lovers, their love condemned by their families., doomed to separation. A union never to be realized.

Most of us know this line, and the sentiment behind behind. Though we part today, we know that we shall be reunited. Tomorrow, Next week. Next year.

But what about those who pass beyond those limits where reunion is a feasible possibility. Military families relocated to distant bases. High school and college graduation drawing pals, teams, and sweet hearts apart. College and careers luring children out of the nest with promises of freedom, flight to worlds unknown, there to build their own nests.

There is a line in an audio presentation of the life of Dietrich Boenhoffer: "It is only space that separates us." Today, space is a fragile barrier. Cell phones. Email. MySpace. These all give us a chance to reconnect with old friends and family, albeit in a distant manner. No touching, holding hands, hugging, going out to eat or to the movies together. No new memories made together, just a sharing of unshared memories made in different places.

Death, however, is a much stronger barrier, one that cannot be crossed by telephones or email. Once separated by death, only by death can we be reunited.

However, they still live in our memories, and we can remember the good times, and the bad times, if we so choose. Sometimes, they invade our dreams, creating impossible situations. A land dead grandparent going to Disney Land with my children. Applauding at my wife's graduation. Sitting and visiting in my home, oohing and aahing over my fishpond.

Distant friends are welcome into my dreams, too. In this way, I am able to make new memories with them. Memories and dreams reunite us, through various types of separation, in a magical way, bridging the gaps created by space, and even death.

Lust and Desire

This is another writing exercise from the book "Writing the Natural Way."

Lust is an absence of knowledge of our desires. What is it I want? I want this bauble. That toy. Another woman. More money. A better job. But there is no fulfillment in attaining these empty goals. They do not meet the basic criteria our hearts truly desire.

We struggle and strive to climb the ladder, to reach the heavens, only to find the clouds we reached are full of empty calories, and do not fill our bellies. We scratch and bite and claw, and slowly bleed to death from self inflicted wounds.

My heart's desire is to be right. T know that what I am attempting, attaining, accomplishing, is the right thing for me to be doing. And when was the last time I felt that way? "Go. Do this. Eat your veggies. Make your bed. Do your homework. Clean your room." In a word, happiness is found in a relationship.

To be happy, I need to make that other person happy. To make them happy, all I have to do is obey. "If it pleases you to please God, then you can do as you please." He is the source of all Life, the substance from which Reality springs, the fount of all Wisdom. If anyone knows his own mind, and what it takes to make himself happy, it is God. He alone, then, is qualified to take me in hand, and guide my life, in such a way, as to bring the desires of our hearts to fruition.

Life is good. God is good. His essence pervades our life like the scent of roses. Everywhere I turn His fulfilled promises stand out like roses in full bloom. He has given us each other. We have grown closer, intertwining, our lives becoming entangled, inseparably one.



Now, we have children, the fruit of our love for one another. Even in this desert we live in, God has blessed us. For the first time, we own our own home. We prayed for a fenced-in back yard, and a tree house for Ryan. The landscaping in the front yard is almost finished. Marigolds and roses, tulips and jasmine. Climbing, creeping, growing. Annuals, perennials, bushes, trees. Sweet scents flow into our home with every breeze.

The future looks good, too. Ryan's soccer skills are improving, as are his confidence and interpersonal skills. Hope is reading better, and her spelling is improving. Faith has decided to stay in town to get her RN degree. It will take longer, but she'll be able to spend more time with Hope and Ryan. We fully expect the future to blossom as beautifully as the present.

And after Faith's graduation on May 16th? I'd like to see her get her LVN and take a job at the hospital. Then, go on for her RN. She can get her Bachelor's online. Maybe go for her Master's, too? By this time, the kids will be close to graduating from high school. Or, maybe in college? After they're old enough, independent, Faith wants to become a traveler. Maine. Texas. Oregon. North Carolina. Places we've dreamed of visiting. Then, overseas with Nurses Without Borders. South America. Africa. The Far East.

Of course, these are dreams of a distant future. Like the smallest buds on a rose bush, we don't know what the future holds. But, we can close our eyes, and the scent of roses will surround us, whispering to us of God's promises.