VOTE!...right for what?

I dislike politics.  I am beyond done with all this junk.  It pulls you down. It makes neighbors enemies and family even more dysfunctional (especially when they don't agree).  Its awkward.  And what does it do? Your opinion isn't going to sway anyone else's...no matter how passionate you are.  They are probably just as passionate.  People just get angry!
So here I am going to pour salt on some wounds.
Massive Presidential election.  We all know it.  The conservatives put out this power play called Vote Yes for Marriage.  Keep it between a Man and a Woman. They did this to get the majority of Christians, Catholics, Jewish,etc.... out to vote.  ITS in the Bible! Its in the Old Testament (so is a lot more then just that....like tattoos, lots of wives, stoning, not to eat meat on certain days, ...sorry won't get started there) Its a hot topic.  Otherwise they may not vote. But this, this crazy hot hot hot topic.  That is a pot stirrer.  And its working.  I over here conversations all over about this.  More so then who is running for what in what district.
So here is my problem.  My personal problem.  Why are Christians so excited to vote for Romney/Ryan.  Yep Ryan is a christian.  He has a pretty good Christian record.  He is handsome, family man, church goer...I kind like him.  He stands for a lot of values I believe in, and some I don't.  Really there is no perfect candidate for me.  But he is not running for president.  Why do you think they picked him?  They needed him to balance the ticket.  
Lets talk more old school bible, aka the Old Testament.  There are many parts in the bible where God shows his wrath, because a selected individual or a group of people start worshiping some idol that is not God.  He busts them up.  Smites them all! In fact his FIRST commandment...is Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 
With God we get three in One.  We get God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit! Amen.  We sing some amazing worship songs for them.
So why do we make Romney a Christian?  He believes in God, Yes.  But he worships John Smith.  Mormons SING songs worshiping this man.  They have a different Bible.  John Smith's Bible. Who is not Jesus, God or the Holy Spirit.  Why do we bend the 'christian rules' for him.  Why do we kind of ignore his beliefs?  Why do we pick and choose what to really throw on the election table?   Makes us feel better.
So lets get out an vote.  Elect a person in old school Bible, would of gotten beaten down for his beliefs...We can curb our beliefs, sideline them...because thats okay...he is kind of a Christian. Well his running mate is!  He is better then Obama!  Obama is a Muslim on some days and a Christian on others.  Isn't this a pot calling the kettle black?  WHY??? WHY do we do this.....Romney is a straight up Mormon.  He doesn't deny it.
I have heard a lot on the Vote Yes for Marriage.  In fact a Pastor I once admired recently preached about it to his congregation, that if we allowed THIS to happen.  Well, then, soon every one could be walking around naked, married to many and ALL kinds of animals and children.  And thats not even the case.  That preached panic and lots of hate.  Got the congregation up and moving!  Lots of chatting! Lots of hate being tossed around! Bad move.  This bill doesn't open that door.  How about how he preached a while back on acceptance.  LOVING everyone.  Reaching the community, reaching ALL communities.  You don't have to love the sin, you love the sinner!  If the vote is passed as No.  It in NO way will allow a pedophile to marry a child.  A man or woman to take sheep as a spouse. It doesn't even wedge the door open!  Come on!  In fact it broke my daughter's heart.  It made her feel less then human.  But that isn't my point! And a topic for another day!
WHY is he (the pastor or ANY pastors) not preaching on Electing a Mormon for president.  What doors will that OPEN.  He will be the leader of the free world.  He has influence.  Won't his beliefs affect us Christians?  Whose to say many people won't conform to Mormonism?  Heck their 'laws' or 'bible' (because it is NOT the same bible as we Christians have), may look a little better in the eyes of Christians.  Maybe John Smith is a trade for Jesus Christ.
Why is one sin, so harmful and life threatening then other sin?  Sin is not rated in the bible.  In fact...I remember a story about a plank in an eye.  Sin is not rated in the bible.  Sin is not rated in the bible.  Sin is NOT rated in the bible.  Quit making it so.
I know one thing...God doesn't like other idols.  Don't think he is a fan of John Smith or the worship songs for him!  So why is that okay?  Number 1 commandment.  First on the list.  But Christians are going to look past that.....because well, Romeny, is ALMOST a Christian.  He is the lesser of two evils.

Powering up for Battle....

I met the devil last night.  I was face to face with him.  His gnashing teeth, next to my bed.  I can still feel the warm saliva dripping on my face to wake me up!  This is real.  I wasn't reading some crazy book before I fell asleep. Why is he trying to come for me?  I am really no one...ahhhhh...another lie...I am a child of God.  I am a soldier and I have a battle cry too!

  This isn't the first time we had a...well, lets just say discussion.  In fact ever since a friend told me about a trip to Panama last summer, and God put it into my heart I would be going with them this summer, well....I have had some scary dreams, scary....like waking up in a cold sweats scary, night after night.  I am involved in this spiritual battle, and I know it will get worse before the calm comes.  He is frightened of lil' ole me....he tries to play on my fears, with visions, doubt, and well just plane ole fear of travel.

Sorry...he picked the wrong girl. 

I am no longer this girl who believes the lies.  Who doubts her faith.  I know where God is...and He is the one with power, with love...and he has given me a heart for hurting girls/women!  This is why the enemy is trying to scare me..he knows who will win.  he knows the THOUSANDS we are going to pour our love on.  he knows who we are saving...

As quickly as he comes in my dreams to my bedside...my armor lights up.  I admit I panic and start to believe the lies he withers in me.  But God gave me this shield, this sword, a pretty stylish helmet...not to mention an army of friends, who pray for me, for the trip to Panama, for the THOUSANDS of girls who we WILL reach at the conference. 

I have seen what chaos the enemy builds.  I have seen the bondage of the girls.  The chain linked fences they are behind.  Their hands bound, bloody and infected.  The loss in their eyes.  I have seen the enemy with his arms of lies and control over their shoulders.  AND I have seen what God has planned for their freedom.  The beautiful LIGHT to overcome this darkness.  This blood washing over them for their freedom.  They deserve to know who has their back.  And we are coming to show them, to find them, to love them..the enemy has no power over me. 

I have been face to face with the devil.  He thought he could scare me.  For a minute he did....then this inner light poured from me and slashed through him.  And he was gone.  God's got my back. 
He knows what is a head of us....and he has equipped us like no others.  We have this powerful battle cry and gorgeous army.  We are ready. 

Please pray for Panama 2012.  For the conference ahead of us. Pray for the thousands of girls we will reach!.  Pray for the conference team.   We will need to be re-energized!

Be ready for some more blogs....I have a feeling...this summer is going to be wonderful!

Much Love,
...xoxo

Closed Hearts=Empty Pews

    Who are we to say who is allowed to go to church? Plain and simple.  Our church, Our Jesus.  Oh we love worship! We love to hear our pastors preach it!  We love to see our friends, enjoy the company of fellow Christ followers.  Smile and be smiled at.  Hug and shake hands.  Its a weekend collective.  Are your hearts there, friends?  Do you get what Jesus did?  He is our example.  He is our center.  He hung out with some people in his world, that maybe weren't so excepted and acknowledged.  Yet they were Christ followers.  They would follow him and listen.  They craved his next 'preaching'.  They gave up their lifestyles, and sometimes their families.  Jesus welcomed everyone to listen.  So why don't we?
      
                                    Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk.  Love everyone.

 Gosh I could throw a lot of catch phrases out there.  But what happens church family, when someone enters the suburban church, who doesn't fit in?  Do we play the Electric Company game..."Which of these things Don't belong?" or was that Sesame Street...? Anyways....
    People say we accept everyone.  Everyone can enter through our doors and hear the world of God.  Is it shown?  Through your actions? Your thoughts? How about your sneers, your avoiding eye contact? Your gossip? "Did you see what she was wearing?"  "He smelled like he just walked out of the bar?" "I can't believe he is here with HER?"  You may be thinking or saying this..."This church isn't for those type of people?"  No I would say not.  I wouldn't want them coming to my church to get that reaction!   Oh I have heard it.  I have felt it.  My family has heard it.  And it hurts.  It pushes people away.  They feel they are not worthy of knowing Jesus and his love, and his forgiveness.  These people may have had to drum up all the courage they had left to walk into a church.  They could be at the rock bottom stage in their life.  They needed to hear Love, and instead they found empty hearts.  And even if you are pleasant.  You smiled at 'those' type of people.  What does your heart say?  He knows your heart.  He knows your false actions. 
  Have you heard the younger generations newest catch phrase?  Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner.  Or Love the Sinner, hate the sin.  ?  You don't have to love or even like what they choose to do.  You love them.  Its hard, I get it.  It is not condoning what/who they are.  Its more simple.  You Love.  Love.   Love.  You be the better person.  It doesn't mean you are on a platform saying...THIS IS OKAY!  It means you are being a Christian.  Showing that act of Love is more then enough.  It is saying your reflection in their eyes will be a smile not a glare of disgust.  Your actions speak so much louder...and maybe it will catch on.  Maybe a family member will see it.  Maybe a friend, a stranger.  They will know, this is a Christian Church.  EVERYONE can hear the word of God.  Instead of them fearing...worrying....wondering....
   So what to do when your church goes on a bus tour (granted this was a sign up and go thing...and not our church providing it- but a company who was hired to shuffle the group around..).....and the bus driver who or the MC, points out a church ...that is a Christian church...but has a rainbow flag to catch the eye.  Hmmmm... and pretty much says "Its a Bad Church..."
....So here we go again.  Only certain people are allowed to hear the Gospel.  Only certain people can enter the thru the front doors.  What the MC didn't say or maybe he didn't know...Was the flag was put there to show to the gay community, that they can come and feel safe at their church.  They can hear the Gospel of Jesus without discrimination.  Without the pointing and the funny looks.  They will not have Bible quotes tossed in their faces.  In many Christian's eyes, we have a ranking of what sins are the worst.  If you steal, not so bad.  If your spouse tends to look online at 'those' type of websites, not so bad.  If you lie...again...ranking- maybe low on the list.  How about Gossip or murder?  Homosexuality, well, in the ranking of sin, seems to be pretty high. I don't think God,- or how about Jesus, ranked sin for us.  I don't pretend to know everything in the Bible, but I remember a story about a plank in an eye. 
  I was not on that bus trip. I am going by what friends have told me.  But it stirred something in me.  This isn't because I have a child who is gay(super tender of course).  Its because I am tired of the non-Christians, the atheists, - I am TIRED of them pointing out the hypocrisy they see.  And it seems to be like an on/off switch.  If its fresh from the Pastors lips, church follows.  But soon its forgotten. 
  The church maybe be filled to the gills with people.  Some have such a HUGE love glowing from them.  I have heard some comments, some whispers and sometimes stares. 
Oh church we need prayer! We need to soften our hearts when it comes to human beings.  If we want to spread the word of our Lord, we have to believe it.  I have a hard time with it too.  I am guilty in other aspects....but that is another blog for another day. 
  If our hearts are closed off to certain people, our pews are too.  We are the ones not getting the message while sitting there.