It is possible to have diversity directly on stage.
Waging war using computer keystrokes is comedic.
Cheetos and pizza comes before homeless and hungry.
Everyone is a hypocrite at some station in their life.
Humble pie trumps vanity meals any day.
Christian is another term for policy maker.
Do we really watch the game for the game itself?
I don’t think we have to guess too hard at what I am referring to in each line. My husband and I watched SB50(and we are not football fans by the way), but we did it to be part of the American tradition and to be honest I enjoyed the game and I liked how it honored the great performers from the past.
What happened on social media after the game is what made me see what was in American’s hearts the whole time.
As children of God, let’s keep in step with positivity and good spirits, let us be good role models and demonstrators of the love of God no matter what sector of life we are in. And if we see something different/appalling on television/websites, let us seek knowledge and dispel that knowledge to others- particularly the children who may not know how to deal with the imagery.
Post by Erica
Blessings
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Jon Ronson is an eloquent speaker and I watched the whole video “How One Tweet Can Ruin Your Life” because his points made sense- but to whom did it benefit?
He uses the example of Justine Sacco. A white woman that posted a disturbing tweet about blacks and Germans two years back. I will not repeat it here. In the end, Ronson believes her depression stemmed from the responses she received on social media and not from consequences of what she posted.
The responses were vile. People tweeted they wanted to harm her and hoped she’d lose her job- and honestly, these were brutal. We are not to treat each other this way. Online or off.
The point is, there is freedom of speech, just be prepared for the consequences.
As believers in God, there are ways we should conduct ourselves at all times so that we do not end up like Justine.
Proverbs 4:23 “Out Comes the Issues of Life”
Ronson believes that Justine made a little joke and really is not a racist. However, why would someone choose stereotypes and hurtful things to tweet in the first place? Tweets, like speech, begins in the heart. Justine and others like her did not wake up one day and decided to post anything their fingers come up with. No. It begins with what is inside.
Ideologies vs. Humans vs. God
Ronson goes on to say he favors humans over ideologies any day.
Well, the Word does say do not be carried away with “every wind of doctrine” However, Justine has her own ideologies and she tweeted them. Everyone has an ideology or we aren’t human.
But God has His standards too. Again, if tweeting prejudices is okay, how about we tweet something negative about ourselves online for once?
We’re Not Androids
When I speak, when I write- I hope it means something. Because I have meaning. And my words should instill hope and light in everyone who reads/hears my words.
If I am tweeting mess, then mess shall return back to me. I am not just some machine wound up to spill out whatever and then cry later, “Ooops, I made a mistake.”
Summation
Jon Ronson is a great speaker. I give him that.
And I don’t like to be too PC(Politically Correct either), we all have freedom to say what the heck we want.
However, we nee to be prepared mentally and emotionally for the backlash we may get for the words we say. We also need to think about what we are saying and why we are saying it before we post it.
Once things are Tweeted, Facebooked, Googled, etc.- it is out there forever and now it is up for grabs to be dissected by everyone.
I am not perfect, but I try my best to post the truth in love.
You should too.
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They were once bonded to their masters. Happy to swerve, cut, and slice down their enemies. They were beautiful, crazy, strong, dedicated.
Until one day, some sneaky dude wearing 80s makeup tells them to disobey the Shinigami they serve.
I am talking about the Zanpakuto in the anime Bleach. The Zanpakuto is kind of difficult to explain. The Shinigami uses swords to fight but there are spirits in these swords, with personality. But someone has been controlling the Zanpakuto.
How was he able to achieve this?
By drawing on the Zanpakutos’ anger.
Many of them grew tired of serving and became weary of doing good.(Gal. 6:9)
With the holidays finally closing its curtains on us, many people are going back to work, on the grind making their wages. Many of them came from a very frustrating holiday season where money was spent on food and gifts or maybe, like some of us, we were off during those two weeks and don’t miss the craziness at all.
And others allowed darkness to cloud their judgment.
It is so easy to let the devil in because we are angry. Last Christmas I saw so many angry folk it was a nightmare to be in the spot as they were.
Don’t get me wrong, anger is not a bad emotion. It is an emotion given from God, but should we be addicted to it? Should it drive our every decision?
Nope.
Because with sheer anger, we can do anything: revenge, murder, cheat, steal, bicker, and become bitter.
And after all of that, you’ll get a modicum of satisfaction- right up until you land in jail.
Or dead.
Exactly how the enemy wants it.
My favorite emotion is joy. Because I see through rosy glasses and I have hope that makes my heart swell. I treat myself kinder therefore I treat others kinder, I see more of what God has for me.
Other emotions like pain, sadness, apathy(lack of emotion), and happiness are also alert systems for us to know what is wrong.
But they are not something to hold on to.
Every day there is a homeless man with a tree limb walking along the road, or an old woman begging for change from customers, and a young woman about my age, spitting on the ground cursing to herself.
And yes, I am mad. So mad.
Because in this great, bountiful country, why is this happening? We have churches along every ridge of street, every curve has a sign saying why we should go to church.
I look at the poor and the poor in spirit and I wonder…is this righteous anger I feel?
And even then, since I am not a monk and I am not God, I still err. I talk badly about the rich, I envy others…
Ever felt that way?
I think there is a way to channel all of this anger so that the devil will not entice us with spoiled fruit. Like what happened to the Zanpakuto. I don’t want the enemy to use my anger to fuel his agenda.
Even now, writing this, I have no keen solutions for you out there. I am just like you. Studying the Word, praying and talking with others in the Kingdom.
I may not ever find riches( I never wanted to be rich anyway, just well off) this side of the moon, but I do know that Christ is concerned with heaven and how we treat each other. That is what matters in the long run anyway and that, my friends, is true joy.
Kudos to Linda Cliatt-Wayman for making a Mission Possible, providing guidance and positive strength to broken schools.
It has been a looooooong time since anything online has moved me, if ever. But this video did for a few reasons.
Linda Cliatt-Wayman is an African American woman who is educated, professional and passionate about her mission. You rarely see this in the news and media.
I have been in the education field for years now and I currently tutor, so when I clicked on this link, I knew I would get inspired.
Linda shows us how to reach out to others during a presentation. You can literally feel her passion and strength pour over the audience. I saw a few tears shed in this one. She has such conviction about her topic that I had a couple of tears fall as well. Powerful!
What does Linda talk about?
Linda’s TED talk focused on her experience as a principal in broken schools. She recounts the startling story of how one girl says in the auditorium that “This school isn’t a school!”
This school isn’t a school!”
And from then on Linda found her mission: Turning schools back to a school and the 3 major tips she shares, I suggest you write them down and carry them in your heart for whatever mission you are on.
Side note: The more I watched this video, the more I thought: “That has to be God speaking through her…”
My brothers and sisters in Christ, America has a serious heart condition(as do the rest of the world). We can not be blind and hypocritical as to think that we live in a peaceful and fair place. Certainly America has much good going for it and lots of potential, but let us keep it real. It needs more love.
With each tragic event(the Paris attack) and emotionally charging headline, our emotions and history tend to color our convictions and as Christians we have to be careful not to stumble and take on the world’s solutions and philosophies concerning these problems.
Why am I bringing this up?
Following the brutal and tragic attack on Paris, Syrian refugees are no longer welcome in certain places.
If I understand this Christian Headline article correctly, Poland and the Netherlands are closing their borders or at least they want them closed. Ben Carson and Ted Cruz reportedly called for a halt to resettling 10,000 refugees.
So it seems the response is to not lend help to these refugees.
Now is this the right response from a human being?
Is this the right response from a Christian?
To be honest, the comments on the Christian Headline website pretty much confirmed what I believed about this Nation.
Even though the writer quoted Deuteronomy 10:17-19 and Leviticus 19:34, many so called Believers allowed fear and hatred to color their attitudes about this situation.
I understand why there is fear. No one wants more “uninvited guests” in their home and increase the likelihood of more violence(sarcasm here)
But what if I reveal that evil has already been in America? We are surrounded by bombers, pedophiles, gangs, police brutality, rape, modern day slavery, poverty- all of this is here already.
Terrorists are everywhere(as my old high school teacher used to say), why are we suddenly believing that America is not stained?
What is the solution?
idk(I don’t know). Really I don’t.
What does God have to say about this? Do you believe the Lord is at peace with our thoughts right now about the crisis?
But who is Pope Francis and should we treat him as the cure to the world’s ills?
Pope Francis 2015
Basic Facts:
He is the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church.
According to Wikipedia he was born in Buenos Aires.
Worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before attending Seminary.
He’s been noted for having concern for the poor, his humility and his commitment to interfaith dialogue.
Catholicism and the Rise of a Pope
Thankfully, after a little digging around. I learned some fascinating things about the introduction of the papacy.
Around late 4th century(?) political differences and unrest as well as geographic expansion caused the division of the Western Church which then led to Roman Catholic Church.(Morgan, G.R., 2012, p.23:World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day)
Second, during a particularly tumultuous time in church history, the churches began appointing emperors and running political systems which led to a “decrease in spiritual fervor”(p.27).
It was only around 500-1500A.D. that the Bishop became known as the Pope. At this time he declared authority over all Christians and the church became catholic or “universal”, as the term means.
Papa?
The term pope means “papa”
The pope, according to some sources is biblical. He is like how Peter, Paul and James were. Someone to look up to for hope and wisdom.
The word catholic means “universal” or “all embracing”.
Pope John XXIII, eventually held a council and declared that protestants and orthodox were also Christians.
Again, I ask. Should we put hope in the pope?
I don’t think it wise to put hope in any man. Put your trust in God.
Certainly Peter, Paul, and James were revered for their power and advice and I suppose the pope garners the same respect.
But the pope is not God.
If he is all he claims to be, then he is a vessel. That is what the saints were in the bible. Humble, willing vessels of the Lord.
I don’t have anything against the pope. In fact he seems to be teaching the things all churches should teach every day. Let us continue to teach about faith, hope, love and building communities.
Kudos to him for doing that.
_______________
Reference(s)
Morgan, G.R.,(2012) World Religions in 15 Minutes a Day. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House
*In video, Tyler Perry speaks with Dr. Phil about the power of forgiving people and shares his own personal story.
Forgiving people is harder than learning string theory.
That is because we have been taught, erroneously, that we are to dish out quick fix forgiveness to abusers, liars, killers, and bad politicians…as soon as they hurt us.
But what does God have to say about forgiveness and is there a science to it?
The International Forgiveness Institute at the University of Wisconsin at Madison advises this: we should distinguish between forgiveness that refers to an individual’s moral response to an injustice suffered, and reconciliation that refers to two or more parties coming together in mutual respect.[The Science of Forgiveness by Katheryn Rhoads Meek-PDF]
IMHO, there are special cases where you should just forgive right away anyhow:
You never see the person again.
They never repent to you.
They are dead.
In those cases, just forgive anyway to set yourself free.
Outside of those, there are two kinds of forgiveness.
Spiritual Forgiveness(Vertical Forgiveness)
Relational(Horizontal Forgiveness)
Let me explain.
When Jesus taught us the Lord ’s Prayer, that was vertical. That is going up to God. “Lord forgive us of our trespasses and those who trespass against us…”(Matthew 6:9)
But when we literally, physically or verbally assault people, we have to ask for their forgiveness and it is up to the victim to grant it according to the process outlined in Scripture.
Spiritual Forgiveness(Asking God for forgiveness)
This kind of forgiveness is vertical.
Straight from you to God.
In 2 Samuel 12:13, David cries out to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Of course he was confessing what he done to Bathsheba and how he plotted her hubby’s demise.
And that part singes me because he did not apologize to her. And he couldn’t apologize to Uriah, her husband.
Uriah was resting in peace.
Anyway, the idea here is that you confess to God for those personal things.
One example of confessing to God is when you hold hatred in your heart for someone.
Or you have lusted in your heart for a man who is not yours.
You confess to God on those terms.
If you actually “do” something about those thoughts, you will have to have that relational confession going on.
Relational Forgiveness(Forgiving Others)
Forgiving people is not easy. And it is especially hard when someone hurts you and never apologizes, or worse yet– tell you the situation is “squashed” and to forget about it.
In Luke 17:3-4 it says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him.”
And continues, “And if he repents, forgive him.”
If he sins against you seven times in a day and says, ‘I repent’, “forgive him.”
And what is so funny is that after Jesus says this, the apostles say to Jesus, “Increase our faith!”
I would say the same thing.
Think about Genesis 50:17-18.
You see, Joseph’s brothers threw him in a ditch…you know the story. They left him for dead. Read it for yourself, you will like that one.
But later Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt needing help and he throws them in jail for a little while.
He let them “burn” a little in their spirits and then his brothers came to him to ask for forgiveness for what they’ve done and the relationship was restored.
What am I saying?
I am saying that Joseph was hurt, but what the enemy intended for bad, good came of it. Whether his brothers would have shown up or not.
Yet, Joseph still wanted that apology from his brothers or obviously he would not have put them in jail. It was a lesson worth learning.
Conclusively, this is what forgiveness looks like:
When you sin against God, you must confess to Him, this continues a right relationship with our Creator.
Jesus died for our sins but confessing those we commit against God, is good for our soul.
When we hurt people, the mature, wise thing to do is ask for forgiveness according to Luke 17:3
And we are to grant that forgiveness because this is how relationships are restored and made whole again.
God is a God of restoration and healing. Not of holding on to things and sweeping them under a rug.
Any further thoughts or understanding on this topic? We’d love to hear from you!
You have just committed yourself to the Lord. Like for real this time and now you do not know what to do.
This faith is not about doing.
It is about faith plus works. And I do not mean career and toiling the earth-although it’s included.
You could become a Christian Monk, you know; sit around and pray to God and meditate (my dream actually) and live in peace and quiet forever.
You could start developing some skill for the local church: singing, praise dancing, teaching, preaching, cleaning- whatever.
Or you could try the famous route, which for some take years: televangelism. Need I say more?
But if you are not ready for all of that, what can you do now to show God’s love to the world?
You do not need a bus load of money and you do not need to cloak the truth by calling it “tithing”. In fact, God has already equipped you to do something that is uniquely natural(oxymoronic, I know). You were born for this anyway.
Some Faith With Works Examples
Donating Time
This can be as simple as spending time with people who either knew God at some point or do not know Him at all.
You know the ones: The woman you see crying in the break room all the time. Or the gossiper who just happens to smell bad and look forlorn at the bus stop…
You talk with them in casual conversation, allowing the Holy Spirit to be your lead. You do not need to preach and criticize the person, just talk with them. Requires no Ph.Ds, no titles or camera sets.
Advice: Just be a natural. Care about the person’s needs and go from there. If they do not want to hear you, move on.
The Power of Words
Some authors make a living writing and amazingly it translates to public speaking engagements. Whatever turns your fancy, writing for God is one of the best positions on earth.
What will you write?
Write poetry. Write psalms. Write good books. Write movies and plays. Tosca Lee, Ted Dekker, WM. Paul Young, are shining examples as well as those we do not know.
Some of the best books and plays I have experienced were written by Christians and they blessed my socks off.
Advice: If you want to be published right away, try Lulu and Createspace to get started with publishing. Google other places too!
Look in Your Cabinet
I am not talking about the presidential cabinet at the White House.
Your house.
You do not need to have a formal title and a building to pass out can goods and ready made food(see your state laws for restrictions though).
Get a bag together and start passing out food to people. Make sure you are reaching them with the Word as well. In this way, you are bypassing the channels that will diminish direct contact with the lost sheep.
Advice: Choose fresh foods. Not anything you wouldn’t give to your own children- or dog. Give the lost sheep, fresh stuff.
Your Profession May Open Doors
When I worked in the hospital as a nurse aide, I found that it wasn’t the cleaning and blood taking that I liked(no sir!), I enjoyed conversation with my patients. I liked feeding them. And if I knew then what I know now, I would have prayed over them and for them. Some I still remember and hold dear to my heart.
Maybe you are a teacher? A lawyer? Nurse? Cashier?
God has placed someone in your path to speak to. Yes, man have created laws to try and restrict us from reaching the lost, but who can stop such a creative and powerful God?
No one!
Many of these suggestions takes nothing more than stepping out on faith.
What plans has God set in your heart? If you feel comfortable enough to share, please do. We welcome them!
I don’t know about you, but do most children or teenagers think philosophically about a religion before they choose one? Before baptism and acceptance…?
Okay, save for those child prodigies out there.
But seriously, when I was fifteen and stood on that church stage under glowing hot lights with hundreds of other church members, there was only one thing on my mind. Two at the most:
I really don’t want to go to hell and,
I really do love God(should that have been first)?
See what I mean?
A Play Set My Faith in Order
The play the church put on called “Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames” was so moving with black robed demons dancing around snatching loved ones and flaming yellow and red ribbons everywhere represented fire-while tall, white robed angels stood proud and wore radiant expressions.
I wanted to go to heaven. That was all I knew. And from then on I began the practice of daily bible reading and fellowship along with Sunday church attendance.
Which is all good.
But for those who have not fallen in love with Jesus– those investigating Him to see if He is worth the time, is it wrong to seek the Dead Sea Scrolls for ultimate proof? Is it wrong to hunt down the annals of time to see who else knew Jesus 2500 years prior?
Is it wrong to question the validity of the Bible?
Evidence of Christ
I am reading (and will review later) Lee Strobel’s TheCase for Christ and he asks a question:
After finding all the corroborating evidence and archeological proof of Jesus having at least existed somewhere on earth, does it solidify or shake my faith?
Personally, my faith has been waning in the last few years. Intact, but totally weakened by my lack of hope in human beings. The news and personal circumstances can make anyone feel like God is perhaps sitting back and keeping watch- doing nothing more.
Here is an interesting Scripture which is kind of hard to forget…
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength”- 1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV
What a statement!
All of the philosophies and theology we learn are beautiful jewels if projected in the right direction, however it befuddles me when I wonder if we are even close to explaining how Great God is to have left His son here full of His divinity and power wrapped in baby skin only to mature and build and perform miracles we do not deserve.
So, if you are on your quest like Lee Strobel was, to finding out if this faith is the real thing, I pray you rely on the best resources and scholarship available.
However you come to know Christ, the angels rejoice anyhow because your name will be in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
And if you are like me, already in a relationship with God, then learning more about Him doesn’t hurt- it has solidified my faith in Him. I have chosen the right belief.
Created by Tambako The Jaguar for Flickr.com/Design by EJ Smith
It is called ghar wapsi or “coming home”. 30 Christians last year re-converted to Hinduism and this year at least 40 families converted to Hinduism just to receive benefits from the government. You can read the rest on Christian Headlines.
The saddest part I fear, is that India may not be the only place this is happening. In fact, I know in my spirit it is EVERYWHERE.
But look deeper.
What is happening? People feel forced to rely on governments that goes against their faith to receive the help they need.
Is this happening in America?
Before you say no, I implore you to take a look at these Scriptures:
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion–how can God’s love be in that person?” (1 John 3:17 New Living Translation)
“But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?”(James 2:6-7 New International Version)
In both the Old and New Testaments, we see God’s desire for His children to show compassion to the poor and needy. Jesus said that the poor would always be with us (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7). He also said that those who show mercy to the poor, the sick, and the needy are in effect ministering to Him personally (Matthew 25:35–40) and will be rewarded accordingly. Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/giving-to-the-poor.html#ixzz3gfKc2As8
Again I ask, have you seen this America? Have you seen or have you been that person who had the resources to help but showed zero compassion? Have you belittled the poor? Have you walked by Jesus without ministering to help, because you and I both well know what Matthew 25 talks about…
What is happening in India is happening all over the country. Church goers and other conservatives have shut their doors or made it so hard for the poor to receive help that the Wolf has come and he offers benefits, stating all you need to do is pledge allegiance to him.
My husband and I do what we can with what we have and we understand we cannot save the world, and yes there are people content with their living situation but that represents the few not the many who want comfortable shelter, fresh clothes and food.
Here is comforting Scripture for those who are going through it financially, spiritually, and mentally:
“Listen my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?”(James 2:5).
Lets come together with the riches and talents God bestowed upon his people and be a blessing to others.
Mission Possible 