Light Shines through the Darkness

When the sun is shining brightly with few clouds in the sky, I rarely even notice the sun or the sky. But when the sun breaks through the darkness at dawn or fades into darkness at sunset, lighting up the sky with brilliant colors, I am struck in awe at the glorious display of God's splendor. When it rains, I eagerly await the beautiful rainbow that follows, a symbol of hope and of God's faithfulness. When a dark cloud moves in front of the sun, momentarily darkening the sky as in this photo I just took, I am once again moved into a place of awe and wonder as I see the rays of light and hope spilling out all around the clouds, reminding us that God's light still shines even when dark and stormy trials seem to come between us.

We do not really appreciate God's light until we face the world's darkness. We don't run toward His goodness until we are confronted with evil. We can't fully know His joy until we've experienced His sorrow. We can't receive His forgiveness until we've acknowledged our own sin. So let us praise Him for every trial that reveals His glory, strengthens our faith, and draws us closer to Him.

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (1 John 1:4-5)

What Black Lives Matter Really Represents

After spending the last week listening to people from various ethnic backgrounds (blacks, whites, Latinos, etc.) including police officers, after studying our nation's history, Antifa, and statistics on police brutality by demographic, after mourning over all the violence, destruction, and lives lost (back, white, & blue) during these destructive, violent and even deadly riots, after studying God's word and praying for our country, after trying to make sense of it all and then being reminded through Ecclesiastes that our God is far too mighty, omnipotent, omniscient, and sovereign for our finite minds to comprehend, and we can't possibly know all the ways He will work all of these things out for good, I have come to a simple conclusion.

This battle isn't between black and white or black and blue. It's a battle between good and evil. If we want to support what is good and resist evil, we must have enough truth to discern between the two and enough of God's love and light to drive out the hatred and the darkness.

The media claims that white privilege and police officers are the enemy.

However, statistics and a growing number of black people disagree.

• Will Witt: https://www.facebook.com/thewillwitt/videos/208742493631870/
• Morgan Freeman, Lil  Wayne, and other Famous African Americans: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=292609615461210
• Terrence Williams:  https://www.facebook.com/terrencekwilliams/videos/3280114432020747/
• The Hodge Twins: https://www.facebook.com/thehodgetwins/videos/292000931822483/
• Candace Owens: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL0u5uz7KZ9q-pe-VC8TY-w?

I don't know of anyone, except maybe abortion workers in reference to the unborn they want to slaughter, who would argue that black lives don't matter. Of course, black lives matter. They were all created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) Our Lord and Savior was oppressed, afflicted, tortured and killed, paying the ultimate price for all mankind, blacks included. (Isaiah 53:7)

When anyone is oppressed, God's people must stand up for them. The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed (Psalm 9:9). The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. (Psalm 103:6)

God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11) As His children, neither should we. (James 2:9)

Instead of focusing on our perceived "privilege" over someone else, we must remember that no one is greater than anyone else, regardless of race, state, income, or position. (John 13:16) Believers are ALL vital members of the Body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

Our words and actions must be motivated out of sincere love and humility, not out of a desire to make ourselves feel better or more virtuous. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3)

Let us show black people that their lives matter to us through authentically loving interactions with them. Let us be hospitable, compassionate, kind, and generous. But before we virtue signal with the BLM hashtag, let us first consider all that the movement represents. Much of it sounds good and just on the surface, but do you agree with all of their beliefs and with their ultimate agenda? Are you okay with the way it is being used as a political tool by the left, with Marxist themes, for the purpose of creating chaos and division, especially given that chaos leads to tyranny?

Are you okay with their new demand for defunding the police? 93% of black homicides are committed by black men with police presence. How many more will die without their intervention? Do you support the idea of law abiding citizens who can't afford private security protection having no one to call on when their lives or property are threatened? Are you okay with allowing looting, vandalism, rape, murder, drug dealing, and gang activity to run rampant because BLM requested that police funding be diverted to housing programs instead?

Do you support BLM's goal to "disrupt the Western-prescribed (aka traditional) nuclear family structure"? Do you support their attack on men which causes even more fatherless homes? Do you believe that coordinated action groups are needed to "dismantle cisgender privilege"?

Do you support anti-nationalism while advocating for globalism?

If so, then by all means, support BLM.

If some of this bothers you, can we find other, more peaceful ways to love, support, and bring justice & equality to black Americans?

(Reference: The Black Lives Matter website)

The Greatest of These is Love

It seems almost ironic to me that while so many are celebrating many long years of academic achievements as they graduate from their respective schools and are now filled with so much knowledge, that my Bible study guide would take me to 1 Corinthians 8 today. The first three verses of this chapter convicted me and have remained on my mind all day.

"Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." (1 Corinthians 8:1b)

Schools exist to impart knowledge. We hope that when that knowledge is received through the lens of God's word, students will also gain wisdom.

Acquiring knowledge was a big priority for me as a student. I know through personal experience how much hard work, discipline, sacrifice, and endurance it takes to reach lofty academic goals, to obtain a full academic scholarship at a high ranked engineering school, and to graduate at the top of your class. We should celebrate students' outstanding academic achievements. So, I in no way want to take away from the credit due to all the amazing students who have achieved so much, especially in an environment that is exceedingly more competitive than I ever knew as a student.

Thankfully, the Lord held me close throughout my high school and college years, but I deeply regret all the times I made my own academic goals a higher priority than extending the love of God to my neighbors and classmates. In His grace, the Lord opened many doors for ministry during that time, but I surely missed far more opportunities because I was too busy studying. I don't know if my peers will remember me more for my grades, my love, or my lack thereof, but I know for a fact that God is much more concerned with how I have loved Him and others than He is about my transcript.

While we send our kids to school to gain knowledge, we chose a private Christian school with the hope that the knowledge would be rooted in God's truth and love. We are much more concerned with how well our kids love God and others than with their academic achievements. We desire that they give their best in all their academic and athletic pursuits for the glory of God (not their own glory), but love for God and His people must be the higher priority.

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 2:37-39)

No matter where our students attend school, it's nearly impossible to avoid all the stressful striving that so characterizes our affluent, high achieving culture. This constant pressure to perform makes students feel more like a number or a circus animal who must jump through ridiculous hoops and over higher and higher bars to find acceptance and self-worth. Even at the best Christian schools, students are often pressured so much that they believe they must ace their AP exams, win state titles in their respective sports, and gain admittance into an Ivy League school to be "good enough". When decisions that dramatically and directly impact students are made without giving them any input, students assume that since their opinions don't matter to the decision makers, then they must not matter either. Some are regularly being told that their past achievements are no longer good enough. Such pressures and out of reach expectations can easily tempt students to despair. The isolation of this shutdown only further dehumanizes their educational experiences.

Are we as Christian parents, role models, teachers, coaches, administrators, and/or influencers helping students put this pursuit of knowledge into the proper perspective by prioritizing God's truth and love? Are we teaching students by word and deed that their value is not based on what they do or achieve but rather on what Christ did and achieved for us on the cross? Are we pointing them to God's word for true wisdom and understanding? Do they know they are infinitely valuable because they were made in God's image and because Christ paid the ultimate price out of His infinite love for each of them? Have we helped plant seeds of faith deep into the soil of their hearts? Are we faithfully watering and nurturing that faith with truth, encouragement, and love?

Are we celebrating the fruit of God's love in them as much as we celebrate their academic or athletic achievements? For example, if we are going to boast about one student's scholarships or impressive college acceptances, are we also celebrating with full enthusiasm the student who decides to take a gap year so as to take the Gospel and the LOVE of God to the world through global missions? Only God's love compels students to do radical things, which often require laying down their own goals and plans for themselves, for His glory. Let's celebrate that and let students know how much their love for God and others matters to us and to God!

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

How the Media Controls Our Thoughts and Emotions

Have you ever considered what the media is doing to us individually and as a nation? 

I've never studied psychology, but I've always had a passion for truth and have observed the powerful effect that believing a lie (verses believing the truth) can have on a person's physical and mental well-being. Some people choose to believe a lie because their false illusion seems easier to handle than the truth, while others continually believe lies that are absolutely destructive because they are being manipulated by powerful forces that benefit when the masses believe those lies.  As the same lies are repeated over and over, like a hypnotic dangling watch, moving back and forth through their minds, they can no longer discern the truth from a lie. They have traded reality for an illusion.

 As propaganda was produced and distributed at record rates during (and after) the Great Depression, George Orwell noted that “useful lies were preferred to harmful truths”. He went on to say, “History stopped in 1936 – after that, there was only propaganda.” Misleading propaganda was used as psychological warfare by Hitler to gain power and to control his subjects.

Orwell’s statement could also be applied to the mainstream media today. A glimpse at leading headlines over the past three and a half years from CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, the NYT, and others have echoed the same destructive themes:

• The sky is falling! Worldwide doom is near.
• It’s all Trump’s fault! 
• The "orange man" is a monster. 
• We must get rid of Trump! 

These themes are all intentional for the purpose of sowing hatred, antagonism, and division.

After three years of lying to the public about collusion with Russia while burying the real collusion story surrounding the fake dossier, after repeatedly insisting that Kavanaugh’s accusers (now discredited) were telling the truth while denying Kavanaugh due process (yet now these same media outlets are discrediting Biden’s accuser without evidence, denying her press coverage, and burying the story), after repeatedly slandering Nicholas Sandman (only for his family to fight back through successful legal actions against mainstream outlets for libel), it should be obvious to all that the media is not telling the truth and will say or hide anything to promote their narrative. Yet, many Americans continue to choose to believe “The Big Lie” by consuming these exaggerated and/or deceptive headlines daily. The seed of hatred has taken root, and it's roots run deep, always hungry for more.

Then when COVID-19 became the focus, the same hate messaging continued, except this time, the hatred was compounded with unjustified fear, panic, and hysteria. The media profits from every click, so the worse the pandemic seems, the more revenues the media earns and the more negative outcomes they can falsely blame on Trump. Furthermore, the more the media exaggerates the threat of this virus, the more people will surrender their liberty to the control of tyrants who "own" the media. No matter what the facts reveal, no matter how contradictory statements may be from one week to the next, the same message has prevailed, “The virus is going to kill the masses, and it's Trump’s fault, so let’s all keep hating Trump.”

There are just too many examples to cite here, but I'll list a few. The media included ER clips from Italy and claimed it was filmed in New York. Other video clips supposedly taken inside emergency rooms showed staged mannequins on “hospital beds” instead of actual patients. Headlines claimed hospitals are facing dire shortages of equipment when the actual data indicated the opposite. Media headlines insisted hospitals did not have enough capacity, while actual resident photos showed empty triage tents. Hospital lay-offs across the nation provide further proof that hospital capacity is way below normal, not at capacity. The trending news story this weekend was the media’s attempt to misconstrue Trump’s off-the-cuff comments regarding the power of UV light to kill the virus into a crazy claim that Trump advised people to inject bleach directly into their bloodstream to kill the virus. This is not the telephone game we played as children. This is intentional deception, which some might call mind control or psychological abuse.

Regardless of our political leanings, the media will manipulate and control us if we let it. If we accept whatever they say as true without fact checking the information ourselves (by looking up source documents, the full transcript, or the full video for context), without considering the credibility of the source, without looking for repeated themes that reveal an agenda, without following the money, without running the calculations ourselves, without expanding the data or timelines for the bigger picture, without reading the entire article, without comparing one source’s information to another source holding the opposite perspective, then the media will control what we think and how we feel.

If the media is feeding negative emotions like hatred, bitterness, fear, anxiety, depression, or panic, turn it off. Odds are you are being lied to and have been programmed to only consume media that feeds those same toxic emotions. It is likely that you have been lied to so much you that you don’t even realize it and have no idea how much those emotions are hurting you and society in general. This often holds true whether your media sources are conservative or progressive, pro-Trump or never-Trump. While some are more honest and forthcoming about it than others, all media is biased. I saw it up close as freelance writer, and yet I have also let the media corrupt my thoughts and impact my emotions.

Let us consider what toxic emotions do to us physically.

Toxic emotions weaken our immune system making us more susceptible to colds and infections. Daily self-care (nutritious diet, sleep, exercise) suffers. Alcohol, drug, and tobacco abuse increases when we are emotionally unhealthy. Blood pressure, headaches, body aches, back pain, insomnia, fatigue, and sweating all increase. Appetite and weight changes are common. Stomach upset, chest pain, constipation, heart palpitations, and difficulty breathing are all symptoms of poor emotional health.

Let us consider what toxic emotions do to us emotionally.

Hatred, turned inward, will consume and distract us so that we cannot focus on meaningful tasks or on our relationships with others. Hatred will eat us up inside and make us miserable and angry. Hatred turned outward becomes destructive behavior, and it may even lead to violent crimes. It will leak out into our relationships with others and damage the relationships that matter most to us. Words and actions spewing from toxic emotions could cost us our job, reputation, marriage, and freedom.

Let us consider what toxic emotions do to us spiritually

Toxic emotions take our focus off God and lead us to obsess over our negative feelings. They lead us away from righteousness and into sin and darkness. They lead us away from wisdom and into folly. They stir up anger and wrath and cause  us to grieve the Holy Spirit. They keep us from God’s good and perfect plan for each of our lives. They rob us of joy. (Reference 1 John 2:11, Leviticus 19:17, James 1:19-20, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4: 25-31)

Given how these lies can harm and destroy us, let us throw off deception and cling to the truth. To know and discern the truth, we first must know (as in a personal relationship) the Truth, who is Christ, Savior and Lord.

"And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:32)

We must reject falsehood and fill our hearts and minds with all that is true and wholesome.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.“ (Philippians 4:8)

We must choose love over hate.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;" (Matthew 5:43-45a)

A Blossoming Pear Tree Metaphor

While walking my dog today, I came across this flowering pear tree and was struck by how much it reminds me of this current coronavirus / shutdown situation. Before all the shutdowns, our schedule was filled with exciting plans, but it was also too busy, and I longed for few days off from the grind. A slower pace with my family seemed like the most beautiful gift I could possibly receive at that time. Similarly, the beautiful blossoms on this tree are a lovely gift, bursting forth while our grass is still brown and other deciduous trees remain bare.

However, as I approached this tree's shade, I inhaled it's unpleasant aroma. As we are now walking in the shadow of this shutdown, some of us have discovered that what seemed a beautiful gift at first now smells awful. It stinks because of the why (people are getting sick and dying from a rapidly spreading virus), the when ("indefinitely" = uncomfortable uncertainty which could translate into far longer than we think we can bear), and the how (we are being forced to stay home; it is not our free choice). 

Then when you listen to experts and consider the long term consequences of this tree, you realize that despite it's beauty, it can become a menace to people and the environment. Bradford pear trees have weak branch structures and tend to fall apart. Chinese Callery pear trees have thick thorns which can choke out native trees like kudzu tends to do.

If this shutdown is combined with extremely effective & efficient efforts to reduce the spread of the virus while increasing treatment capabilities (the malaria drug I mentioned previously, vaccines, more hospital beds, staff, and equipment capacity, etc.) QUICKLY, then we can fully celebrate the beauty of the blossoms (saved lives, fewer people infected, slower pace, family time, etc.). However, if this shutdown is too extreme or prolonged for too long, the consequences could be dire.

This shutdown carries with it extremely sharp thorns that could choke the economy and the American spirit for quite some time. The government may seem to have a lot of power to control us, but it provides a very weak branch structure to sustain us. The deficit is already so enormous, the federal government can't really afford any type of stimulus as it is, but a few $1000 checks will not sustain anyone who becomes unemployed as a result of this crisis (I've heard that 20% or more could lose their jobs), nor can it bail out the countless small businesses which will be devastated as a result. The government cannot heal those who will enter deep depressions, restore marriages, or rescue those who will turn to drugs and alcohol for escape. The government doesn't have the resources or the capability to restore what this shutdown could cost us if becomes too restrictive or lasts too long.

A gardeners and/or arborist can tend this tree and work to minimize the negative risks it carries, but ultimately, this tree and all those around it rely on God for light, nourishment, and protection. Similarly, we must do our part to protect the weak and vulnerable, provide and love on those in need, pray for the scientists, healthcare workers, and government representatives working and making decisions to help alleviate this crisis while searching for the proper balance to maintain physical, mental, relational, and economic health, but we ultimately must rely on God, whose wisdom, resources and power are limitless, to provide, nurture, and protect us all.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine. (Psalm 50:10-12)

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.... You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God...
Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame." (Joel 2:25-27)

Examining and Healing the Soul as the Corona Virus Invades the World

During this time of social distancing, isolation/quarantine, tremendous disappointment, frustrating cancellations, shattered dreams, ruined plans, fear/concern, and uncertainty, most of us should be finding more time for stillness, reflection, and introspection. The trials and inconveniences brought about by COVID-19 and the proactive responses to reduce the spread and to protect the most vulnerable and those serving the sick and needy have the benefit of exposing the true substance of our hearts and minds. For those who want to join me in using this time to examine our own hearts, confess, repent, receive cleansing, and be refined, I have provided a few questions and scripture references to ponder below.

By Original: https://www.scientificanimations.comDerivative: علاء - Derivative from File:3D medical animation corona virus.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86368808

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139: 23-24)

Are we resting in God's promises and the full assurance that comes through faith in Christ and total dependence upon His sovereignty, omnipotence, wisdom, and love, or is the uncertainty causing us to panic? (Isaiah 41:10)

Are we hoarding excessively out of self-interest or are we seeking ways to love and serve others? (Philippians 2:4)

Are we anxious because we are so entitled and spoiled by what we have that we don't know how (or aren't willing) to improvise?

After working, training, and/or planning for years or even a lifetime to pursue a goal that can no longer be attained due to cancellations, do we still trust that God is good and that "the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps."(Proverbs 16:9)

Are we allowing the inconveniences, disappointments, and losses to refine us, reorder our priorities, and redirect our attention off of ourselves onto others, or are we allowing them to defeat us and rob us of joy?

Are we willing to sacrifice and be inconvenienced for the sake of those at risk in this situation while still refusing to be inconvenienced or to stand for the most innocent and vulnerable human lives who still reside within their mother's womb? (Psalm 127:3)

Are we fearful and anxious or are we resting in Him? Are we complaining or praying? (Philippians 4:6)

Are we considering it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance which makes us perfect and complete, lacking nothing? (James 1:2-4)

Are we greatly rejoicing in our various trials so that the proof of our faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ? (1 Peter 1:3-7)

Are we allowing the trials to refine us as silver is refined, and to test us as gold is tested, that we may call on His name, and that He may say, "They are My people", and that may say, "The LORD is our God." (Zechariah 13:9)

Are we judging others' actions with our finite knowledge (only God knows their circumstances, health conditions, financial situations, risks, family details, etc.) instead of judging ourselves rightly? (Matthew 7:1-3)

Waiting Eagerly for His Return

My husband has been traveling for work frequently enough throughout our marriage that the kids and I should be completely accustomed to not having him here, but we have never adapted. Each time he travels, we all wait eagerly in expectation for his return. We miss his presence every hour, every day. The kids are usually on their best behavior, especially when unexpected trials come as they almost always do when he is away. And despite being completely wrung out by the time he returns, I usually have the fridge & pantry stocked with his favorite foods, the house tidy and clean, and all the laundry done, for I want things to be in proper order when he returns. I can only imagine how a military wife must prepare for her husband's return after deployments of 6 months or longer. Those sweet reunions of servicemen with their families like we saw at the 2020 SOTU melt our hearts as all those months of longing and eager expectation are finally realized. So much peace floods a home when the father/husband returns to his family.

How much more, then, should we be fervently preparing and eagerly awaiting the return of Christ our Savior, lover of our souls? How precious will be that reunion when we see him face to face and join him in glory. Are you ready?

For further study, please read Luke 12:35-48 and Matthew 24:42-44.

How my Dog Reminds me of the Incarnation

Just as my kids did as toddlers, my dog almost always follows me to the bathroom If I can't find him or if I can't get him to come to me, all I have to do is go the bathroom, and he is sure to follow. I think little kids and small dogs do this because when we go potty (using a western version with a seat), we lower ourselves to their level. When we're at their level, they think we are there to spend time with them, building our relationship with them.

To all who have joked that I can spiritualize just about anything, I'm about to prove you right. When my dog comes running to me when I go potty, I am reminded of the incarnation. God himself came down to earth as a man to meet as where we are at our level, so that we could know Him and to draw all people to Himself. Because Christ came down and bore our shame, we can have (and grow) a personal relationship with God Almighty. He wants us to run to Him like our little children (or dogs) do to us, especially when we get down on their level. Only our Heavenly Father doesn't simply wait for us to come to Him, He runs to us, just as the prodigal son's father ran to him while his son was still far off. (Luke 15:20)

“Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.” - Phil. 2:5-7

They Call Me Teacher; He Calls Me His Child

I recently came across the journal entry copied below which dates back to the first year I taught STEM classes to 3rd through 6th graders. The entry was a timely reminder, so I thought I would share it here as well should I ever need to be reminded again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The theme of my STEM class today centered around air pressure differentials. As we performed various experiments in class to aid student discovery, the students' big takeaway was as follows:

When areas of high pressure meet areas of low pressure, the higher pressure pushes harder causing cool stuff to happen." 

The burning candle uses up air molecules reducing air pressure inside jar.  The air pressure outside of the jar is much greater, so it pushes the water down, forcing it up into the jar.

I shared how we all face seasons of high external pressure, whether it be persecution, loss, sickness, or any array of external stresses. But as believers, we also have a wonderful type of pressure that comes from the heart and was placed there by God. "Christ's love compels us." (2 Corinthians 5:14). 

I've been in a season of high external pressure lately with today being especially difficult, but thankfully, the love He has given me for those students is greater than those external pressures, so I was recharged and ready to go before class began. As I crushed a cup in class to illustrate what happens when the pressure outside is greater than the pressure inside, I thanked God for this truth:

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)

After completing various activities to demonstrate competing pressures, particularly as it relates to the weather, I took the kids outside to meet their parents where we all discovered a very unexpected snowfall. Low pressure meets high pressure, beautifully illustrating what I had been trying to teach the students and sending a clear message of grace from our merciful Father. "Why are you feeling squeezed my child, when You know I hold all things together in my perfect, loving, all powerful hands? Rest in Me."

When His power meets the pressures of this world, He pushes harder, and cool stuff happens, amen?

"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) 

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)

Teaching our Daughters about Modesty

I have been asked by other moms how I believe a mother (or both parents, ideally) should instruct her daughter on the issue of modesty from a Biblical perspective. I will share some of my response just in case anyone else is interested or wants to add valuable input in the comments.

Modesty is a delicate topic as everyone has a different standard, and no one wants to be "judged" by someone else's standard. Rarely, however, do I hear pastors and other Christian teachers speaking to the implications of modesty decisions on hearts and souls or what they may reveal about the longings of the heart. Many highly esteemed mothers and daughters will argue that it's not a woman's responsibility to consider how her dress or behavior could influence what a guy thinks, and if he is prone to stumble in his heart when looking at her, he should simply look away. That perspective, however, fails to consider how clothing, gestures, and postures affect oneself, much less what they communicate to others. So instead of focusing on the impact on the guys, I first ask girls how they can best respect themselves and draw other's attention to God, whose light is often reflected in their words, eyes, smiles, or caring actions. School-aged girls tend to be more inclined to want to draw attention to themselves than to the Lord. So if that's where they are spiritually, then I ask them if they feel respected more when others are most interested in their heart, mind, soul, or body. There aren't many girls out there who do not want to be perceived as beautiful, but beauty is never only skin deep. Rarely do girls honestly want to be noticed only as an objectified body.

I haven't met a girl yet who doesn't want to be respected. Yet, churches usually only speak about girls wanting to be loved, and then girls confuse being loved with being lusted after by a hormonal boy who only wants to gratify his own carnal desires. The good guys will try their best to look away, but they can't avoid that first glance. The creepy guys will not. They will misuse the girls repeatedly (abusing them in their minds only would be the best case scenario). I ask young girls if they really want to use their bodies to give jerks cheap thrills, even if only in their minds? Do they want to leave a lasting immodest image of themselves in the minds of their teachers, administrators, pastors, friends' fathers, etc.? I try to help them understand how immodest images linger and are imprinted in the human mind whether we want them to or not. It was God's design that these images have a lasting, powerful effect to strengthen marriage faithfulness and intimacy. If the young lady's focus is attracting guys she likes for the purpose of being loved and cherished, I ask her what type of man she would want to attract and then ask her to consider what qualities would attract such a godly gentleman. How would he want her to dress?

I may tell them real life stories of girls (no personal identifying information) I knew who dressed immodestly not out of impure motives, but simply because no one counseled them on this issue and how that led them down the road of being used and abused repeatedly instead of being loved and honored as a man should love and honor his wife. All those girls ever longed for was to be loved and cherished for who they are inside, not outside. I avoid telling them what their own personal standard for modesty should be (although we do set standards together as a family), but I will point out areas that tend to be stumbling blocks when exposed, if they ask.

Others view the human body as God's masterpiece to be put on display like the Mona Lisa and assume that those who cover up are ashamed of their bodies. I have tried to counter this argument with my own story. Before I knew any better, I dressed like everyone else without considering any of these modesty issues, even though I was ashamed of my body at the time. Now I do regular weight training to rehabilitate my damaged back and spine from decades of competitive running. The result of that rehab training is a physique other women might show off with pride at my age and after difficult pregnancies/deliveries. I asked my daughter if she ever wants me flaunting my body via less modest outfits in front her friends. Of course she doesn't, not because my body is shameful but rather because that would be prideful, attention seeking, and embarrassing for her. So I keep encouraging her to always ask herself, particularly when making modesty decisions, what her motives are and what consequences those choices could have on others. If a girl shows off her body by wearing immodest clothing, it could make others feel envious, it may cause others to stumble in their thoughts (such thoughts can drive men to look at porn and it's been estimated that over 80% of men are regularly looking at porn which leads to all sorts of disastrous societal problems), it would probably draw judgment (or maybe even ridicule) from others, it may embarrass family members, and if the motive is to draw attention to oneself instead of to God, then it is prideful, a form of idolatry. A woman may show more of her body in a private setting to inspire other women to follow a similar healthy eating/exercise regimen (a physical trainer, for example) or to show God's answer to prayers for physical healing, but when is there ever a purely beneficial reason to flaunt one's body immodestly in public?

The Bible is very clear that we are indeed God's masterpiece (Psalm 139:14), but our bodies are too sacred and valuable to be cheapened by free public exhibition. A woman's body is so precious that God's intent was that only the one man who has pledged his life and agape love through a marriage covenant would be worthy of the privilege of viewing and enjoying it. So guard and protect this sacred treasure, which is wonderfully and marvelously crafted by God Himself.

When Persecution Backfires: Trump Impeachment Scam

God uses adversity to strengthen us for His good purposes. Clay, molded by a craftsman, is strengthened in a fiery furnace to turn it into strong pottery that can withstand the fire day after day without cracking. Fire-danubing is the process of hardening wood over a fire or bed of coals to make a spear point. In metallurgy, fire is also used to refine or remove all impurities. Turn up the heat, and we only get better.

“Temper us in fire, and we grow stronger. When we suffer, we survive.” - Cassandra Clare

The left, in partnership with the mainstream media, international billionaire globalists, enemy nations, the FBI, etc. has been launching a massive, exorbitantly expensive (paid by taxpayers), coup against Trump since he campaigned for POTUS. The attacks have been brutal and relentless. They have falsely accused him of countless crimes they have already committed, repeatedly without legal consequences. Three years of investigation at the highest levels, illegal spying, and set-ups have delivered no evidence of crimes whatsoever, which is a most surprising for the best of men, for all have fallen (Romans 3:23), much less for someone with Trump's moral history. Yet just like the odds of tiny Israel surviving all these years while surrounded by much larger, powerful enemies unrestrained by common codes of ethics or war rules are nearly impossible were these people not chosen and protected by God, Teflon Don appears to be under similar protection, with each attack backfiring and strengthening his position.

The left fired their most powerful weapon this week through the House impeachment sham, yet Trump is now more popular and stronger than ever with his supporters and his party more unified. While many still question if Trump has any saving faith in God (myself included), God's hand in his work as POTUS is hard to deny. Trump has been a tremendous ally to people of faith and especially to persecuted Christians in America and around the world. He has fought for the right to life for the unborn, defunded the evil power player Planned Parenthood, greatly improved the care given to veterans, helped reduce human trafficking, provided resources to fight and prevent drug addiction, raised income levels for all, especially the poor and the middle class, provided more jobs than any POTUS before him with women and minorities benefiting the most, improved national security for the US and her allies, enabled the USA to become energy independent, won trade wars previously believed to be impossible, initiated peace discussion between North and South Korean for the first time ever, called out the corruption and abuses by the UN and foreign nations while holding corrupt US government entities accountable (I'm still waiting on the DOJ to deliver indictments though), and lifted up the nation of Israel more than any POTUS before him - all while under relentless attack. I pray that as he considers all these things, he comes to true saving faith in the one and only God who is his true strength and shield and who is guiding/equipping/helping him to do great things for America.

The left's greatest weapon made him stronger than ever while greatly weakening and dividing their party and exposing their own corruption. If that didn't take him down, then what hope do they have of undoing the will of the people who elected him? So let us not fear adversity but welcome it and allow it to make us stronger in faith, conviction, courage, and resolve. And let us be faithful to pray for our President and for all our leaders.

What "Smart" Internet Marketing Teaches us about the Folly of Man

Less than two weeks ago, I asked a friend at a cross country meet far from home which company he hired to do their family's custom closets. The next day, ads for the company he hired were all over my browser and Facebook pages. Soon after, my husband and I were both being bombarded by internet ads, phone calls, and emails from custom closet companies.

With all these ads and proposals in our faces, we felt an urgency to make a decision and place an order (how much of that urgency was out of a desire for an earthly product vs. a desire to stop seeing those annoying ads is unclear). After the order was placed, the ads did not go away. They only become more irritating. We may be so sick of the ads (despite having sophisticated ad blocking software installed on our PCs) that we may end up loathing the closet organization solution we just purchased last night by the time the items arrive and certainly before they are all assembled and installed.

That's how it goes with the things of this world. Big Brother's targeted advertising only amplifies and speeds up the process. We see something someone else has. We compare it to what we have and decide we must have it. The more ads we see the more urgent the perceived need becomes. So we waste time evaluating options, checking the budget, planning, shopping, assembling, installing, and maintaining what we just had to have only to realize any perceived happiness it brought us was fleeting. Soon we despise it for the way it owns us.

Conversely, the internet can flood my feeds, inbox, and internet searches with scriptures, Biblical precepts, sermons, praises, testimonies of God's work in individual lives, or affirmations of God's unchanging truth, and it never ever grows old. I dare you to try to give me so much Jesus that I am weary of Him. It will not happen. Only He fully satisfies today, tomorrow, and forever. Instead of resenting the way earthly stuff owns me, it is pure joy to serve my God, and perfect peace abounds as I gladly surrender to His full ownership of me.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." - (Matthew 6:19-20)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. (Psalm 107:9)

In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Effective Leaders Surrender Control to the Sovereign One

Recognizing the corrupting effect of power or control on oneself, even for mature Christian leaders, can be like trying to read a large fold-out map while holding it less than an inch from your face. The closer your eyes are to your destination on the map the harder it is to see the big picture. The more obsessed leaders are with their stated vision and strategic plan, the less they notice the image bearers of God whom they are leading. With their eyes on their metrics and their man-made goals, they don't even see the bridges they are burning or the innocent travelers they are recklessly running over to get there. Instead of considering the mutual interests, valid concerns, and unique abilities of all the talented people they are leading and then working together in synergy, they dismiss or ignore them, fearful that someone will try to hinder their progress or keep them from their targets.

Effective accountability systems are essential for anyone who wants to avoid becoming a toxic leader. Leaders need a trusted community who will encourage them to step away from the map and refocus. Within the family of faith, we are responsible for exhorting one another. May we speak truth in love, reminding leaders that the business, organization, political body, ministry, school, agency, or whatever they are directing is only a temporary, man-made concept or institution. It's value is limited by how much God chooses to bless it. It is not sacred or eternal. Even our most righteous acts or brilliant strategic plans are as filthy rags in God's sight. (Isaiah 64:6) The people who work for, minister through, serve, partner with, or are being served by this institution, however, are infinitely valuable. Their souls are both sacred and eternal. They are made in God's own image. God is much more interested in how we treat His image bearers than in what our little fleeting enterprise accomplishes.

Whether we are leading or following, let us take a step back and refocus on the big picture. May we remind ourselves and our leaders to consider the people and God's purposes, not just our plans. May we encourage one another to prioritize the eternal over the temporal. May we rely on God for each new step instead of clinging to any perceived power associated with our appointed positions, desperate to carry out our own plans and purposes at any cost because our flesh wants to believe that our coveted ends will justify any means. Peace, purpose, love, joy and eternal prosperity abound only when we revere and fear the living, omnipotent, creator God above all. As much as we love being in control, we ultimately are not. God is sovereign. Let us willingly and prayerfully submit to His leading over our lives and our institutions.

The Era of Reprobate Minds

There are so many passages of Scripture describing the last days which seem to be exact descriptions of our culture today that it's hard not to wonder if we are the last generation before Christ's return. The passage quoted below from Romans 1:28-32 is especially apt. 

28 "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

What stands out to me lately is the "debased" (ESV) or "reprobate" (KJV) mind in verse 28. The original Greek word translated as "reprobate" here is ἀδόκιμος, which is also translated as "not approved, rejected, unfit, not as it ought to be." 

Only a debased, unfit mind celebrates the violent murder and dismemberment of innocent unborn children in the name of "women's rights". Only an unfit mind will spend millions to save a tree and ~4 million a year through Medicaid in the USA alone to kill healthy children in the womb.

Only a mind completely set apart from the God of righteousness celebrates all forms of sexual immorality, including pedophilia, despite the consequences of such lifestyles recorded throughout history. 

Only a defunct brain will deny fundamental scientific truth found in every cell of the human body to bully people into believing that gender is a construct of the mind. Only a greedy and depraved mind will systematically abuse children through medical organizations (AMA, APA, AAP) by insisting children should be chemically and surgically mutilated to match whatever gender their underdeveloped minds like best on any given day, even when appropriate counseling and the natural maturation process almost always correct any mismatches between the mind and the body (except when such minds are continually manipulated by others to deliberately make them continue perceiving themselves wrongly). 

Only a reprobate mind exalts tolerance of evil over the most common sense universal moral laws which have sustained and preserved cultures throughout history. 

Only a corrupted mind is so consumed with self while denying the sanctity of human life enough to commit a mass shooting. 

Only an unfit mind gets offended by what is true, holy, and just and insists others must not speak of, much less hold, Judeo-Christian values all in the name of "tolerance".

Our culture's epic level of insanity should come as no surprise. God foretold all of this 2000 years ago.

Worldly vs. Biblical Leaders

Which type of leader do you prefer?

I would rather follow someone who has fallen low, sincerely repented, and received God's forgiveness over anyone who looks squeaky clean on the outside but does not recognize the pride rooted inside his/her own heart.

"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47)

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) 

Credit: Eric Santillan

I prefer a leader who is humble and completely dependent upon God over the most successful government official or enterprise executive or who trusts primarily in his own political prowess or business acumen. (James 4:10)

Give me a leader who knows he is weak and seeks the Lord for wisdom over a man who thinks he is smart or strong.  (1 Corinthians 1:20-31)

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Corinthians 1:25)

I would rather follow someone who is despised by the world but honors God over anyone who is esteemed by the world for his worldly achievements but only gives lip service to God. (Matthew 7:23)

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Give me a man who is poor in spirit over a man who is rich in this world. (Matthew 5:3, Matthew 19:24)

How do we distinguish between these two types of leaders? How do we know if they are self-reliant or fully trusting God?

Watch how they respond when things do not go their way?

Do they accept things as they are, trusting in God's sovereign plan, or do they become angry, stressed, resentful, or bitter?

Note how they react when anyone or anything threatens their plans, intents, or goals.

Do they bow in prayer and seek God's word for wisdom while submitting to God's will no matter what, knowing His ways are better than theirs (Isaiah 55:9), or do they retaliate, belittle, lie, slander, make threats, coerce, or use human force to get their way? If they deliberately hurt people (God's image bearers) to protect their own plans or goals, then those plans are an idol for them. Even if those plans seem to serve others' best interests from our limited perspective, they are filthy rags apart from God. (Isaiah 64:6)

Watch how well they embrace Christian accountability offered in love and truth.

Do they welcome it humbly or push it away? Do they respond to others who help them check their motives and actions against God's standard with sincere love and appreciation, or do they avoid, label, and resent them or feel threatened by them?

Watch how they handle power and money.

Do they acknowledge that both ultimately belong to God alone? Do they share their wealth and control with others, mindful of the corrupting influence each has on the human heart, or do they hold onto both too tightly?

Credit: NeetiR

Watch how they number their days.

So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

Do they live in the past (regrets, resentments, coveting what they previously had), future (anxiety, eager anticipation), or in the present? Are they so focused on achieving their goals that they fail to notice how they are treating the people around them? Are they anxious about tomorrow or so confident that their plans will succeed that they store up their resources on earth, expecting to live fat and happy for many years like the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21? Are they so busy building empires and enterprises on earth that they fail to store up riches in heaven? Are they lazy, too busy, or balanced?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20)

Look for symptoms of Toxic Leadership Refer to the list of symptoms described by Thom Rainer his article, "Fourteen Symptoms of Toxic Church Leaders".