Reason Enough

Here is a new song that I have been listening to a lot, by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, words below, and a video of the song at the end of the blog, if I did it right. :-)

Reason Enough:

1)You have walked me through the valley

Of the shadows dark and low

And that's reason enough to believe.

You have shown me endless mercy

Oh why, I'll never know

And that's reason enough to believe

Chorus:

So I won't wait for signs and wonders

To teach me how to trust

Cause You've already proven Lord

The depths of your great love.

You took the cross so willingly

And spilled your precious blood

And that's reason enough for me.

2) When I took your grace for granted

I was granted even more

And that's reason enough to believe.

With compassion You convinced me

I'm not hopeless anymore

And that's reason enough to believe.

It has been a struggle for as far back as I can remember for me to believe that God loves me and cares about me, and what happens to me. I think a lot of it is rooted in my getting picked on so much as a kid & teenager, I grew up thinking no one liked me, including God.

At times, it seems I have finally gotten a foothold in believing that this God who created everything and oversees all of Creation, does care about me, and actually love me, and then something would happen to pull the rug out from under my feet, and there I would lie in a flood of hurt and disbelief, thinking I had been right all along. God really doesn't care.

Needless to say, someone who struggles with this very basic tenant of our faith, that God loves everyone, does not have the most successful Christian experience. The crazy thing about it, is I think I could do a pretty decent job of convincing someone else that God loves them and that they are important to Him, so why can't I convince myself?

If everything in life is going wrong, and our earthly parents have the resources to help us out, but just sit back and watch us struggle, we would deduce that they didn't love us or care what happens. I have to admit, all too often that is how I have felt with God. He likened Himself to the father/son relationship so much in the Bible, and I have found myself wondering why He hasn't done what an earthly father would do, and bail me out. Impress me with a miracle. Answer a prayer in a powerful way.

At times, it has seemed I was drowning, feeling like I was going down for the last time, and God was sitting on the bank casually looking on, telling me to just have faith, and all would be right. Sometimes, I have wondered if I was so messed up with what I know is an incorrect view of God, if there was any hope that I could ever have a true relationship with Him.

The thing is, we cannot put God in a box. As tough as it is to believe, He always has a reason for what He does. Or what He doesn't do. He isn't a genie in a bottle who will give us whatever we wish for. He sees everything, past, present, and future. He knows what is best for us, and even though everything in us thinks it will be good for us, that we can handle getting what we want or think we need, God knows the end result.

I had been trying to sell my piano for some time. I would have preferred selling it before I moved back to Ohio, but that didn't happen, even though I had been praying that it would sell. Well, it finally sold this past week, and just in time to give me enough money for Christmas, which I had been worrying about having enough money for. Did God know what He was doing? It sure looks like it.

This new song, Reason Enough", has an awesome message, and is one of those songs that seemed to come along for just me, though I am sure there are many others who need to hear the same message. Just the fact that Jesus died on the cross for everyone - and that does include me, no matter how much it has seemed that it didn't. Kind of a ridiculous notion to believe that of all the people in the world, I was the only one that Jesus didn't die for, or love. Looks even more ridiculous in print!

What it boils down to, is the devil is out to destroy all of us, and he knows where we are weak. He will never work much at tempting me to steal, kill someone, drink alcohol - for he knows better. I have no desire to do any of that. But he knows there is a weakness in me regarding God's love and my believing in it, and it seems he has worked overtime to make that weakness my downfall.

The Bible still says that God loves the whole world. That He sees even the sparrow when it falls. That He takes care of the lilies of the field. There are so many things in the Bible that I believe as true, so why doubt Him on this one, yet major, issue?

I am basically a realistic person, and as encouraging as this song is, I know it isn't going to erase any doubts I have, but it has helped put a few cracks in the massive wall of disbelief and doubt that has been growing more and more solid lately. So, does that make me a sinner? I'd like to think not. Obviously, God wants His children to believe that He loves them, and when we don't believe that, or struggle believing it, it puts a strain and distance in that relationship. He never gives up on us though, and I have to believe that He doesn't throw us out as quickly as many of us have been raised to believe. And no, I am not going Calvinistic. I fear that we holiness people, in trying to distance ourselves from the once-saved-always-saved, have come to see God as judgemental and as a God who is just waiting for us to do something wrong so He can throw us out. Yes, sin is sin, and if we do sin, we need to ask forgiveness immediately, and not just go on our merry way, but many people have things we struggle with, that a trip to the altar doesn't just wipe out, and if I am going to have any hope of making it, I have to believe that God will be patient with me.

What Jesus went through for us, for me, should be reason enough to believe. What more does He need to do? The devil has tried to convince me that He has to do this or that to prove that He cares and loves me, but really, would it? God doesn't need to prove Himself. He did that 2000 years ago, and that is what I need to work on getting a grasp on. It is hard to imagine that the God of the universe really cares about me, but if the Bible is true, and I believe that it is, then He does indeed love me. Just as much as the next person.

Rally

Today was the John McCain rally in Hanoverton. We got there at about 6:50 am, with doors opening at 8. We got in line by the principal of our academy, and a few high school students with him, so we had people to talk to. Vicki and my nieces joined us shortly after we got there.

We got to meet Uncle Sam while waiting in line. I got a picture of him with a few kids from our academy.

The doors finally opened at 8. We had to go through metal detectors, and take off any political buttons and remove all electronical devices. They checked all cell phones, and wanted them turned on, not sure why, though it has been suggested that they might want to make sure they are really cell phones and not a harmful device.

The rally was in the United High School gymnasium. I figured on sitting, but Mom and my sister went marching onto the floor and up to the gate around the stage, so we were as close as we could have gotten. With McCain due to arrive at 10, we had a lot of time to wait. After we stood for awhile, they started handing out signs, flags, pom poms, and other things, so everyone started chanting and getting worked up.

A large group of people came in wearing t-shirts that said "Joe the farmer", and on the reverse side, "don't tax us for working hard". That amused me. I saw a sign saying "Matt The Paramedic", and one for a truck driver, don't remember the name. There were signs all over. I even saw a couple of people with Obama shirts.

The school band played a few songs, one of the students led in the pledge to the flag, and a choir of kids sang "The Star Spangled Banner".

In between, they played loud country music - way too loud. I did hear a cool song I liked, talked about farmers, and the chorus went like this " he just takes the tractor another round, And pulls the plow across the ground,And sends up another prayer. He says: "Lord, I never complain, I never ask: 'Why?'"Please don't let my dreams run dry,"Underneath, underneath this Amarillo Sky." I thought it was a neat song to play.

They put up a few local candidates to speak. Tim Ginter, running for Senate, prayed - he was or is a pastor, Adam Booth, running for county recorder, Jim Hoppel, running for Commissioner.

The closer it got to 10:00, the more worked up the crowd got. Also, the more TV crews and photographers were wandering around. They seemed to like my nieces and focused their cameras on them a lot.

McCain finally did arrive around 10, joined by his wife & daughter, Rudy Giuliani, and Lindsey Graham, senator from North Carolina. They all spoke, except for McCain's daughter. Most of it I have heard before, but it was still an awesome experience. I took a lot of pictures, but most of them are really blurry for some reason - my camera usually takes decent pictures.

After McCain spoke, they went around shaking hands, and I did get to shake his and Cindy's hand, which was exciting. I wish Sarah Palin had been there, but it was still an exciting experience, and I am glad I got to go.

Update: mewspapers today (Saturday), put the crowd at up to 5000 people.

Rallies, Effigies, & Pianos

A man in West Hollywood is making national news. For Halloween, he has hung a likeness of Sarah Palin at his house with the noose around her neck. McCain is shown in his chimney surrounded by fire. Several people complained to police about it being a hate crime, but the police said it was just bad taste. Several neighbors weighed in with their disgust, though one woman thought it was funny. The reporter asked her how she would feel if it were an effigy of Obama, and she admitted it would make her angry.

In other news, an effigy of Obama was hung froma tree in Kentucky, and police took it down immediately. Hmm. Do I detect a double standard here? I really think it is in bad taste to hang one up of either Obama or Sarah Palin, as much distaste as I have for him, but it really infuriates me that his is taken down, and hers' is left up. I wonder what would happen if someone in the same neighborhood hung one up of Obama. Would the same police who said it was only bad taste, say the same, and leave it up? I think they would change their tune, or it would get changed for them.

Speaking of Obama, he said something I agree with! I read a clip from his 30-minute infomercial - he said he would not be a perfect president. Wow. Ya think?!

A Hillary supporter in Iowa has been doing her research and found out that the Obama campaign flushed several Hillary votes and threw away packets full of them back during the caucus. In addition, her supporters were bullied, and people from other states were bussed in to vote for Obama. Other such tactics happened in other states. Pathetic that the Democrats cheat even on each other. It is looking like she may have won the nomination had everything been done on the up and up. Story here: http://www.newsmax.com/timmerman/obama_voter_fraud/2008/10/27/144303.html?promo_code=2A89-1

McCain is going to be in Hanoverton, OH on Friday morning, about 8 miles away or so. Mom, Dad, and I are going, and I think Vicki and my nieces. I am disappointed that Sarah Palin won't be there, but it will still be exciting. :-) Hopefully I will be seeing the next president of the USA. A bit of trivia here, according to the newspaper, the last time a presidential candidate visited here in Columbiana County, was John F Kennedy in the 60's. Lyndon Johnson came here as president, and we have had some vice presidents visit and vice presidential nominees, but no presidential candidate since Kennedy. I for one, found that of interest. :-)

I have finally sold my piano. I have mixed feelings about it. I can use the money, and I rarely play it - it just gets in the way and gets dusty - but yet a part of me is sad to see it go. I don't think I will regret it though, and it will give me much-needed Christmas money. :-)

I am not feeling discouraged about this election. I have heard too many stories about Republicans being hung up on by pollsters and read too many statistics of polls from other elections to put much stock in the polls. We can still win this election, and I hope and pray that we do.

One Issue Voting

I was reading an interesting blog that Focus On The Family linked to, by author Randy Alcorn. He presented a good case on why anyone that is pro-life should vote for McCain. It got my wheels turning. I have heard and read of more than one person that is pro-life, yet voting for Obama. They say there are more issues you should vote on besides pro-life.

I personally feel the killing of the unborn is THE most important issue of the day. It is murder, no matter what they want to call it, and is there any crime worse than crimes against children?

This month's Reader's Digest had an article where they featured several people and how they were voting and why. One young man was a Pentecostal Christian, who claimed to be pro-life, but was voting for McCain, citing reasons such as the war, and a few others. Even if there weren't the issues of Obama and his affiliations, and the scary things he has said, is the war or economy reason to vote for the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for office? I think not. Yes, war is bad, but God has used war. He has commanded His people in the Bible many times to fight against another nation. Never has He ordained the killing of innocent babies because their mothers are selfish and don't want to deal with the results of their own actions.

I'm just not sure the majority of Christians are pro-life enough. I have a dear friend that I first worked with at Dutch House about 13 years ago. I have kept up with her pretty well since, and she sends me Christmas cards & birthday cards, and I send her. She is a Christian, but voted for Gore because her union supporting son told her she should. She once told me she thinks abortion shouldn't be illegal, for she would rather someone get an abortion in a clinic "than in a back alley with a coat hanger, and suffering complications and/or death. This is a Christian woman who is supposedly pro-life.

I have thought about her statement occasionally, and I disagree. This may sound un-Christian and cold-hearted, but a woman who is trying to kill her baby would deserve complications and/or death. Let me draw a comparison: if a man walked into a school with a gun, intent on killing even one child, or more, and in the process, himself suffered injury or death, we would look on and feel justice was served. He got what he deserved. So does it not make sense to feel if a woman suffers complications from killing an innocent life, she in a sense, got what she deserved?

I fear sometimes, even we who are pro-life, conservative, and Christian, have bought into the idea, just a little, that a baby inside the womb is different somehow, and not as important as one outside the womb. There are those who say they are pro-life, except in cases of rape or incest. I hope no one I know ever has to deal with that, but it is still a baby. Does it make it ok to terminate a life, just because of how it came to be?

I know some may say the same thing that I got over schooling - I am not married, I have no kids, so what do I know, but as Randy Alcorn pointed out in his article, Jesus spent a lot of time with children and warned about hurting one. I cannot imagine how abortion makes Him feel. Rev David Blowers once preached a message on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday about this issue, and he made an interesting statement. He related the story of Cain & Abel, and how God told Cain that his brother's blood was crying to Him from the ground. Rev Blowers then said, if Abel's blood cried to God from the ground, can you imagine what all the blood of the babies this nation has killed is doing?

Should we be one issue voters? I think it depends on the issue. And abortion is one such issue. It is more important than the economy, taxes, yes even national security. Randy Alcorn gave a good illustration. He compared a pro-life candidate voting for a pro-abortion candidate to someone who says they are pro-Jew, voting for Hitler, because he seems cooler, and has some good ideas.

McCain isn't 100% pro-life. He could be stronger, but of the two, he is definitely the one who is pro-life. Obama doesn't even lean that way. Doesn't even look that way.

If people used common sense. Those who are married and don't want kids - use birth control, get an operation - whatever - and those who aren't married, use the best birth control - abstinence, and if they are too stupid to wait for marriage, then use some form of birth control.

This whole abortion thing started because people wanted their actions to not have consequences, and all too often that "consequence" was a baby.

I have never been overly excited about McCain as president, but felt he is definitely the lesser of two evils, a belief that has grown stronger day by day. His pick of Sarah Palin got me excited about the ticket, but it is his pro-life stance that is the main reason I am voting for him, and shame on people who call themselves pro-life and/or Christian, and are voting for Obama because they feel other issues are more important than saving the unborn.

In closing, there are pro-life people who claim that Bush didn't do anything for the pro-life movement, and what can McCain do. But as Mr Alcorn also pointed out, Bush appointed pro-life judges to the Supreme Court, as McCain will most likely do. We all know what kind of judges Obama would appoint. If Obama is elected, one of his first actions - and he has said so - is to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would undo any progress that has been made by the pro-life movement. Let's not vote by our pocketbook, but by our morals, and God's Word.

Revival & Bold Authors

We just came through a 6-day meeting at church. Henry Miller was the evangelist, and he and his wife did the singing. I will admit, I didn't look for them to sing as well as they did - I only heard them once, and that was when the whole family sang, so I was pleasantly surprised. One night, they roped Brant Luther into helping on a song - awesome job - and one night, their one daughter sang with them. I had never heard him preach, but really like his preaching. I made it Tuesday-Friday. Mom and Dad went to Paul & Pam's Saturday, and as bad as it sounds, I stayed home - I needed some alone time.



I went to bed not feeling too great, and woke up at 2 needing to spend some time with the porcelain princess. I ended up spending more time there than I wanted, and it wasn't any better when I got up Sunday morning, also feeling sick to my stomach, so I stayed in all day Sunday.



Mom and Dad took out Paul & Pam's anniversary gift, a lighthouse. Dad made one for here several months ago - I was amazed at the size when I saw it - it is taller than I am, and even has a rotating light in the top. The one he made Pam was slightly smaller, but not by much - they had to take it out in the van with 2 seats out. She was very surprised and happy with it. Mom and Dad's here:



















Brock & Bodie Thoene are great Christian authors that I have been reading for ages. I had an embarrassing experience with Brock once. He called the bookstore where I worked, and after he identified himself, I said that I read a lot of their books, and he asked if I liked them, and I foolishly said "most of them", he asked which ones I didn't like, and after I 'ummed and uhhed", he had mercy and dropped it. :-) Anyway, I have been on their site and am impressed by their blog entries. They are quite outspoken about the election, and have some interesting things to say about how it could affect Israel. They don't make everyone happy, and printed a couple of letters from people unhappy with them, and their responses. One woman declared she was going to sell all their books she has and donate the money to Obama's campaign. They suggested she donate to a crisis pregnancy center instead.

Authors and celebrities take a chance when they do speak out, which may be why so few conservative ones speak out. It seems we are inundated with leftist celebrities speaking out and threatening to move to Canada - why don't any of them ever keep their promise?! I don't read much secular fiction, but occasionally read a John Grisham book, and was disgusted with him campaigning for Hillary, so I am sure authors and celebrities can experience fall out for speaking up, but I have to admire and respect the Thoenes for their actions. They aren't just ranting against Obama. They use Scripture and history to show where we are and what could happen to this country if Obama gets in.

They are experts in Jewish history and culture, and they feel that if Obama gets in, Israel will most likely strike Iran in between the election and inauguration, as they are not assured our being an ally under an Obama administration. And according to Jesse Jackson, that will most likely be the case.

Man, the closer we get to election, the more sure I am that if Obama gets in, this country will go through change for sure, and not the kind we want. I followed a link today to yet someone else who has done an Obama "praise song". This is a rapper from Kenya, and he even used words from the Lord's prayer in his song. There has never, to my knowledge, been songs written to conservative leaders. But there has been songs sung to Hitler and people like that.

In closing, here is an excerpt from a blog by Brock & Bodie Thoene. If you want some interesting reading, check out their site: http://www.thoenebooks.com/blog.asp

"In Germany, when Hitler came to power, it was a time of terrible financial depression. Money was worth nothing. In Germany people lost homes and jobs, just like in the American Depression in the 1930s, which we have read about in Thoene’s Shiloh books.

In those days, in my homeland, Adolph Hitler was elected to power by promising “Change.” He blamed the “Zionists” around the world for all our problems. He told everyone it was greedy Zionist Bankers who had caused every problem we had. He promised when he was leader, the greedy Zionist bankers would be punished. The Zionists, he promised, would be wiped off the face of the earth.

So Hitler was elected to power by only 1/3 the popular vote. A coalition of other political parties in parliament made him supreme leader. Then, when he was leader, he disgraced and expelled everyone in parliament who did not go along with him. Yes. Change came to my homeland as the new leader promised it would.

The teachers in German schools began to teach the children to sing songs in praise of Hitler. This was the beginning of the Hitler Youth movement. It began with praise of the Fuhrer’s programs on the lips of innocent children. Hymns in praise of Hitler and his programs were being sung in the schoolrooms and in the playyard. Little girls and boys joined hands and sang these songs as they walked home from school."

Letter From 2012 & Christmas Gift Idea For Lori

There are a few interesting articles that I wanted to link to. First off, "Letter from 2012", posted by Focus On the Family. A scary look at what life might be like if Obama wins. Note: they are not saying everything in the letter will happen, but could. An interesting, and scary - read.
http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf

Next up: A Democratic journalist gives his take on honesty, or lack of, in the media. Very good article: http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081017light.html

And on the ludicrous side, Obama is claiming there is a "righteous wind" at his back: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/obama-tells-vir.html

And also on the ludicrous, according to this moron reporter, socialist is code for "black": http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2493

On another note. my friend Lori seems awfully accident-prone lately. A few weeks ago, she wrecked her car and turned it into a "ghetto runner", and last week, she was playing volleyball and sustained a concussion from an elbow to the head. Her mother reads my blog sometimes, so I thought I would pass on a Christmas gift idea to her. Get the girl a helmet of some kind - it is obvious she needs one!! :-)

My oldest niece has Lori as a teacher. Maybe I should warn her not to ride with Lori or stand close to her in Volleyball............ :-)

Email Warning

This from Ann Coulter's site. It may be bad of me to post it, but it really amused me:

If you get an e-mail with "Nude Photos of Sarah Palin" in the subject line, do not open it. It might contain a virus.

If you get an e-mail with "Nude Photos of Hillary Clinton," do not open it. It might contain nude photos of Hillary Clinton. :-)