Life Goes On?

I received this update today from my cousins, Phil and Amy. I have often thought of them this last month and wondered "how are they really doing?" Here is her response, and it is heartbreaking. Please join me in lifting up this precious family in prayer.

Dear friends & family:

It was 4 weeks ago right now that we spent the last hour of Dylan’s life. Once I woke up and realized what this hour was (4:00 a.m.), there was no more sleep for me. So here I am, trying to describe what this last month has been like for us. Many of you have asked how we are doing through calls, emails, etc. We don’t want to avoid answering the question, but it is also difficult to do so on a daily basis, so here it goes…

The first week was a devastating whirlwind. We had done what we thought was a lot of planning 3 years ago. We wanted to have it “done” and not let it hang over our heads for the rest of Dylan’s life, so we could Live. That was a good decision, but we wished we had taken it further. We planned things like which funeral home to use, bought the plots in the cemetery, decided to do a private burial and a huge memorial, and planned the balloon release. What we didn’t know is that there would be a thousand other decisions that would have to be made. Some were made very quickly, such as what clothes to bury Dylan in. He wore his Christmas sweater. I had bought matching sweaters for the boys at Old Navy, and had nearly returned them as being unnecessary. Dylan’s was red and Jackson and Conner’s were gray with a black stripe. The three boys wore them to the Christmas Eve service at church. The big boys wore theirs to the burial. Unbelievable details.

Now is about the time that we got the boys out of bed to say goodbye to their brother (4:50 a.m.)

Many decisions took a long time. How do you write your child’s obituary? It is unspeakable. Literally. Lisa wrote the first draft, or I never could have put a word to paper. We also needed to select photographs to use at the services. How do you reduce 5 years of your child’s life to 30 photographs? It was impossible. So we finally settled on 350. Delisa whittled it down from over 2,000 and then Amy went through them twice after that. So many people did anything and everything possible to help us during that planning time. Trisha – there are no words, my dear friend. You were there in the beginning, and you promised to be with us until the end, and you didn’t miss one single step. We will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives. Delisa – you are my rock. No way to say enough. Dick – you prayed that God would “show up” because we needed him. He did, or we never would have made it through that week. Your words were just right. Thank you.

Amy’s sister Laura had come to visit from Charleston for the first time in two years. That ended up being Dylan’s last night. We were in the middle of the movie P.S. I Love You that night. It had a whole new meaning when we finished it almost a week later. It was so helpful to have my sister here. Certainly not the visit we had planned. Laura and Katie and Delisa created a system in the chaos and handled everything at home, while Trisha led Phil and Amy through the fog of decisions. We spent time on every detail because we felt it was the last thing we could do for Dylan. We wanted his Memorial to be beautiful. It was just like we wanted it.

John – the DVD is stunning. We will mail it around to family members to watch (and return to us). If you couldn’t make it to the Memorial Service, you can watch it on Phil’s YouTube account at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8B519F0ED97D701D. Please listen closely to the words of the 3 songs. Deb wrote “Dylan’s Song” for him 4 years ago, “Homesick” is our heartfelt prayer, and we know that Dylan is now “Dancing with the Angels”. People have asked how many balloons we released. There were 500 and they filled the sky.

Our extended family members were in absolute awe at the support network of friends and neighbors/friends that surrounded us. Delisa and David opened up their home, and friends and ALL of the neighbors swooped in with food. Angie & her sisters cooked a feast. Amy’s family from Illinois just couldn’t get over it. You Neighbors have not missed a Wednesday night meal in over 4 years. Inconceivable. Thank you. Larry and family want to “steal” our church and take it to Evansville . Special thanks to many other friends – you know who you are – from helping to pick out flowers, helping to pick out clothes for the services, etc. More to come later on how we made it through Dylan’s birthday on January 16.

5:11 a.m. Dylan’s time of death. Sophie just woke up and cried out. That sweet baby is the most intuitive little being. She is grieving also. In just 18 months, she has lost her birth mother, her foster mother of 7 months, and now her brother. And she just doesn’t understand. I am so sad for her, but INFINITELY grateful to have her here. What would I do with empty arms, after carrying Dylan around for almost 5 years after birth and 9 months in utero? Sadly, Phil needs Sophie’s snuggles just as much, but she’s not giving them. She has never been a snuggly baby, so you just have to take it when she’s willing. She was quite mean to Phil for 3 weeks because she was being totally a Mommy’s girl, but has been better for the last week or so. Maybe God knew I wouldn’t survive it without her clinging to me. When she sees me cry, she stops what she’s doing and walks to me with her arms stretched out.

We went through all the stages of grief in the 4 years since Dylan was diagnosed. Denial, Anger, Depression, Acceptance. Bargaining is in there somewhere and we did that too. We grieved for the loss of our healthy little boy. We grieved with each loss of ability, with each “new normal” that was less than what we had before. Around Christmas, Amy had started to grieve the fact that she wouldn’t be registering Dylan for Kindergarten in the spring. There was constant loss and grieving. But we still had our “sweet boy” (which is what we called him) in our arms. And now we don’t.

So now we grieve for the sick little boy that we wrapped our arms and lives around. He wasn’t physically whole, but we tried to love him enough to make up for it. I really don’t think a child has ever been kissed more. A woman sitting behind Phil in church one day asked him if he knew how many times he had kissed Dylan during the service. He said “I don’t know. A bunch”. She said, “Probably 100”. That was in an hour. But now we start over with Denial. This is such a physical loss for us, because we held him so much. We are in shock that we will never hold him again. Our grief counselor said it can take up to 3 months for it to really sink in. Of course we knew this was going to happen. But there is no way to be “ready”. You can never be ready to lay your child’s body in the ground. I know he’s not there. But the little body that we touched and kissed is there.

There is no comfort for us in not having to care for Dylan now. It is much less busy, but not a welcome relief. Phil realizes that so much of his identity was wrapped up, not in work, but in being “Dylan’s Dad”. And he was such a good Daddy. No man could have been more involved or loved a child better. He feels somewhat “without purpose”. It is hard to explain how our lives (and even our house), were wrapped around Dylan’s care. After he died, there was not a direction we could turn our heads and not see some painful reminder of Dylan’s life and care. His medicines was all over the counter tops, the cabinet was full of bottles, there were notes on the inside of the cabinet of food ideas, there was a tub of neck pillows and positioning devices next to the couch, there was a basket of diaper changing supplies on the other side of the couch. That’s just the living room area. Not to mention his chair. We moved it yesterday. It sat there just like he had left it for weeks. We finally folded the blankets and pillows into a stack. Yesterday, I washed the comforter that was on top of it (and forgot to put it in the dryer, I now realize). We can’t get rid of the chair, so we are going to have it recovered and use it until it collapses. We are getting a bigger kitchen table, so it will fill the spot where his chair was.

Amy finds one point of relief. I had stressed and grieved for so long over “not knowing”. Not knowing when, not knowing how, not knowing if he would be in pain, not knowing if he would know us, not knowing if we would be with him, not knowing if we would be in a hospital with tubes and monitors everywhere, not knowing if it would be chaotic or peaceful, not knowing how much more we would lose. Now I know.

We would have asked for more warning for our own sakes. But for Dylan’s sake, it went the best way possible. And now I know that. So in that, there is relief.

So how are we really doing? We have been living our worst nightmare for over 4 years, and it is not time to wake up. But we are getting out of bed and getting dressed, so what more can we ask for? People have been faithful in praying and continue to offer support in many ways. We know the prayers are there, because how else could we be functioning? The big boys seem to be doing well. We hope it’s not just Denial, but the grief counselor will continue to help us monitor them. Phil’s pain is every bit as big as mine. I think that’s hard for people to understand. Women are relational beings and men want to fix it. This can’t be fixed and there are no words, but please be there for Phil as well. This will be a long road ahead.

Please continue to pray for us:
+ For strength, to survive.
+ For peace
+ For Jackson, Conner & Sophie to deal with their grief and not suppress it.
+ For Sophie to give Phil her snuggles and fill his empty arms.

The website is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmay.

I Got Drunk At Church Yesterday

So, I'm sick. And not just a little bit sick. This is kicking my tail. I've pulled out all my all-natural tricks, finally went to see the doc who prescribed an anti-biotic which hasn't touched it. Went to Urgent Care over the weekend only to have the arrogant doc there tell me, "It's not that bad."

I said to the moonlighting doctor who got his degree from the University of Phoenix, "Look, I've had four babies without drugs. In the last 10 hours I've taken 13 Ibruprofen. That's more than I took when I gave BIRTH. I am I-N P-A-I-N."

He looked at me and rolled his eyes, and said, "Keep taking the Ibruprofen."

You wanna see a Redheaded Rant & Rave? We nearly had ourselves one right there in the doctor's office. He doesn't have very much hair, it wouldn't have been pretty.

So, still in a lot of pain. I'm not contagious and life must go on. So, hubs and I loaded up the kids (in 2 vehicles) and headed to church to celebrate the first Sunday in our new building. I walked slow and whispered a lot. The plan was for me and the little kids to come home after and sleep all afternoon. Hubs and the big kids would attend lunch/homegroup after church, hence the need for 2 vehicles. Stay with me. The drunk part is coming up real soon.

So, I walked in the door of church and saw a nurse/friend of mine who had been keeping up with my pain status via Facebook. She asked me how I was. I gave her the look. She said, "Want a Percocet?" I said, "Hand it over." (She will remain nameless to protect her husband's medical license, yadda yadda.) At that point I didn't care - just hand over the drugs people. She could've been a gangter drug dealer from Chicago for all I cared.

So, I took it. Shortly thereafter, my voice returned, my pain stopped and I was finally relieved of the curse which had plagued for FOUR DAYS. Thank you Jesus.

Then, well............hmmmmmmmmm.............I think maybe I might need to sit down for a sec.

Ok, maybe I'll just stay right here all afternoon.

No, wait - think I'm going to throw up. Hubs brought sustenance. Didn't help.

Service ended, time to pick up kids and drive home. Oh, wait. Ummm.........I'm fairly sure that a DUI in the church parking lot on the first Sunday in our new building would not go over so well with the neighbors. (I'm certain I couldn't have made it to the stop sign.)

My face continues to lose all color, it's obvious this little pill was a little too strong for me.

Ok, so I attempt to walk the line to the nursery to get my baby, bumping and tripping all the way. Well meaning church members did a double take, "Are you okay?" "Do you need some help?"

"No, I'm fine just a little woozy. What'd you put in that latte anyway?" Wish I had a camera to capture those reactions. Oh, yes - I have a camera in my purse. "Where's my purse?"

I'm telling you, I might as well have been in a bar at 2 a.m. Takes me back to the good old days.

Anyway, my nurse/friend helped me find the children, put on coats, find my purse, and walk to the car. She drove me home (with a brief attempt-to-vomit-stop on the way) and she finally got me safely inside the house. Thank God for her.

She so wisely said, "Um, maybe you should just take half of the pill next time."

Note to self, P-E-R-C-O-C-E-T not so good for the Kristin.

The kids and I did sleep all afternoon. Thank you, Jesus. Only now the woozy-causing-pain medication has worn off. Oh, yes I AM IN PAIN!

Where's that other Percocet she gave me?

Sin

I hate what sin does. It steals, lies, covers up, deceives, and hurts. I love what Jesus does. He heals, restores, promises and delivers. But I spend more time trying to categorize the sin, that I forget to praise the Forgiver.

I recently found out (again) about a close friend who is choosing to leave his wife and family. This nonsense can only be explained as sin, and as such I will never understand it.

Once, when I was acting like judge and jury my mother answered my judgmental, legalistic pride with this question: "Why are you surprised when sinners sin?"

I don't know! But, I am!

I expect more from myself, and I expect it from you too. Am I wrong?

The Shack - A Review?

Well, I'm not finished with The Shack yet, and I might not finish it. I'm not really getting why this book is all the rage right now. Someone help me.

In the forward, the author warns us that if we don't like the book not to worry because it wasn't written for us. I'm assuming that means he doesn't want to hear or read a bad review. This isn't a bad review, it's just a statement, a warning.

I'm not sure that this is the book to introduce scores of non-Believers to the God of Agape Love. It seems like too much, too soon.

If you want a lifetime worth of theology stuffed in one book with a 5th grade reading level, then I guess this is the book for you.

I know this book has resonated with thousands of people who need to understand God's love in a tangible way. For that, the book has accomplished a great purpose. But, what do those readers do next? If there is no meeting at The Shack for them how do they move forward beyond their doubt?

If you've read it, please let me know what you think.

UPDATE: As I'm finishing this book, I do want to point out 2 areas where the author does an excellent job: his discussion of Jesus' view of church, and the forgiveness journey Papa takes Mack on. These are great models for us.

Talk About It

Like I said, I'm here. I'm hanging on. This is the 2nd week of homeschool for us, and we are alive. No one has been seriously injured in the re-entry process. There have been several, "Go to your room and don't come out til you are 40!" moments - but, hey...we're getting there.

I was browsing around for back-to-school-activities for homeschoolers (not much there) and found THIS. I'm going to have to go back for more. Preach it, brother!

"I feel the need to address an issue that few women are willing to discuss. Being a profound extrovert, and also not a woman, maybe I can put into words what many married Christian women today are feeling, but are afraid to say:
"I'm burned out, burned up, and the ember that is my personal existence is running on fumes—
—yet I have to keep up appearances."
"While I will say in public—public being church—that my husband is the rock of the household, I'm the one holding our home together."
"I'm petrified to admit I'm barely holding on."
"I'm terrified of letting anyone else know that I question whether this is the abundant life or not."
If that's you, I have a word for you: Grace. My prayer is that you receive it abundantly.

I don't understand what we're doing to women today in the Church. The pressure to conform to a lifestyle that incorporates one part Beth Moore, one part Martha Stewart, one part Jessie Wise, and one part Salome astounds me. And don't even toss in that proverbial woman from chapter 31 that every female is told she must aspire to. That's a whole 'nother post.

Is it any wonder that so many Christian homes are struggling? What woman wouldn't struggle underneath that burden? And as I noted, as she goes, so goes the home.

Frankly, I'm angered at the expectations and the pressure to conform that many women endure. We men don't have that same burden. Yes, our lives our hectic and we're overburdened, too, but we can always opt out and claim we're "just being a guy for the day." Fire up the tube and plugin to six hours of football and no other man will accuse you of being a jerk. We'll all nod and say as one, "Yep…."

But let an Evangelical Christian woman tell her compatriots that she thinks it might be easier to send her kids to public school this year and you'll witness a shunning worthy of The Scarlet Letter."

Only a man could put this into words and get away with it. All of us women folk would agree, but look over our shoulder to make sure no one sees us agreeing. When did this happen? Those of us who left the career world to devote our lives to our home have now become as cut-throat as working women are stereotyped to be. (I know several who are not.)

It is for this reason that I have enjoyed the freedom to whittle down my life. That includes blogging. I have strived to do away with the pressure to have a clean house (don't come over unannounced, please - no matter what Fly Lady says.) I have given up on having Gap-dressed children. That's too much laundry for me to handle. I'm still whittling away other parts of my life and trying to free up time for my spiritual renewal - that's a tough one. I've enjoyed reading as Megan tries to put this part of her life in order as well.

People ask, "How do you do it all?" I don't. I don't do it all - I do a few things, and sometimes I do them well. How do you do it all?

Amazing

I have been enjoying my bloggy break. I'm about to get my head above water, but I'm still in need of more time away. I have been reading my favorites, and found this quote today that I cannot help but post. My husband is at a home school conference this weekend. He called today to tell me about an awesome session he was in with Voddie Baucham. Of course, I recognized that name so started to dig around the web to find out what I had read about him before. I found this quote (regarding public schools) and it's gonna stay with me for a while so I thought I'd share it with you. What's your response?

I have asked before, and I will ask again, how far do they have to go? What do they have to do to our children before we will leave? Do they have to molest our children? They’ve done that. Do they have to beat, maim or kill our children? They’ve done that too. Do they have to fail to educate our children adequately? They’ve done that. Do they have to deny our God and his laws? They have done that too. Do they have to lead our children away from Christ and his Church in droves by indoctrinating them in Atheistic Secular Humanism? Check that one off too. When will enough be enough? When will our desire to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) outweigh our addiction to free daycare?

Go here for the entire article.

Connecting through Worship

My sister gave us tickets to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert last week. Since then, I have been on a SCC kick checking his blogs and reading about his adoption ministry. Steven's appeal has evolved from entertaining, contemporary Christian music to passionate ministry outreaches and now into a shining example of how an entire family can join together to serve the Lord through music and ministry. Forgive me for posting another You Tube bit by SCC. But this one features Chris Tomlin - the 2 of them together, now that's WOW Worship!

Don't Like It - Switch!

One of the best things I've learned from Barbara's journey from Evangelical to Catholic is that we in the Protestant world have too much of a smorgasboard mentality. Don't like the worship leader? Go to another church! Don't think women should wear pants? Find a church that supports dresses only. Don't like the pastor's preaching style? Find a church where Sunday morning consists of 3 songs and a poem. We use our freedom in Christ as an excuse for this lack of commitment.

This article just popped up on My Yahoo. Seems like Evangelicals aren't the only ones.

From America's Unfaithful Faithful by David Van Biema...

"The report does not speculate on the implications of its data. But Lugo suggests, 'What it says is that this marketplace is highly competitive and that no one can sit on their laurels, because another group out there will make [its tenets] available' for potential converts to try out. While this dynamic 'may be partly responsible for the religious vitality of the American people,' he says, 'it also 'suggests that there is an institutional loosening of ties,' with less individual commitment to a given faith or denomination."

Abandonment

After living vicariously through Shannon and the bloggers' trip to Uganda, I find myself in an odd place. Do I sell all my possessions and give my money to the poor? Do I continue to live in my over-indulgent, Wal-Martified, super-sized world? Where's the balance? I'm not sure yet.

Last night my husband was reading and listening to Jeff Deyo (one of our favorite worship leaders.) Here's a quote that I won't easily forget...

We need to speak and live out this quote from a national pastor who was later martyred in Zimbabwe Africa:
"The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I'm a disciple of His! I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, depend on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power. That's what it means to be a disciple of Jesus."

What's Your Gift?

If you have been in church for any amount of time, chances are you have been asked about your spiritual gift. Go here to see what gifts God has given you to use to bless others. As for me? No surprise. I scored high on the Administration/Hospitality questions and embarrasingly low on the Mercy/Intercession questions. What does that mean? I like to be in charge and need to pray for compassion! What's your gift?

A Must Read

I'm assuming you are reading this. If you are online at all, and if you've ever read a blog then you've got to read this. There is a team of bloggers in Uganda right now on a trip with Compassion International. Every day I read about their journey and tears fill my eyes. We are so blessed. God help me to remember that.

All Done

I finally finished the last book in the novella series by Francine Rivers. She wrote 10 books in all: 5 about Biblical men and 5 about Biblical women. I just recently completed Silas. I am so glad I invested my time in these books. Even though they are a quick read, the books are full of thought-provoking dialogue that sends me back to Scripture time and time again.

The series on women featured historical fiction stories about Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. The men had their turn with stories about Aaron, Caleb, Jonathan, Amos and Silas.

My favorite in the women's series was Tamar where I learned to not judge another culture. But then again, Rahab helped me learn about how God draws us all to Him, Ruth helped me learn about devotion, Bathsheba helped me learn about steadfastness, and Mary helped me learn about patience.

My favorite in the men's series was Caleb where I learned about submission. Aaron helped me learn about God's love, Jonathan helped me learn about ties that bind, Amos helped me learn about staying strong through the long-term, and Silas helped me learn about God's precious Word.

I was never intrigued by characters such as Amos and Tamar until I read these books. Now I think about them frequently. Thank you again, Mrs. Rivers for placing these centuries-old individuals into my everyday life. After I've read her books I see Scripture in a whole new light.

What Am I?

Like, I've said before I'm pretty black and white. But, lately I've been on a spiritual journey to figure out what I am. I know to Whom I belong, but this world gets caught up in labels and with all the camps floating around I'd like to know which one I would be grouped with. Pentecostal, Reformist, Charismatic, Emergent, Conservative, what?

Molly took this theological quiz, and so did I. Turns out (according to the quiz) that I'm..... drumroll please.....Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. {Oh-kay?} I don't remember driving by a church with that kind of a sign. Now, I'm more confused. Anyway...
here are my results. Take the quiz for yourself.

You scored as a Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 68%
Fundamentalist 57%
Neo orthodox 50%
Reformed Evangelical 50%
Classical Liberal 46%
Charismatic/Pentecostal 43%
Emergent/Postmodern 39%
Roman Catholic 29%
Modern Liberal 11%

Think I'll check out a Wesley book the next time I'm at the library, since I'm "influenced heavily" by him and all.

Another thing, since I'm Holiness now (whatever) here are some quotes gathered from a former pastor.

A Call To Prayer

It's not often that I hear something new at church. I was raised in a wonderful non-denominational body of Believers, and sometimes it seems like I've seen it all and heard it all at some point in the last 30 years. But, this weekend I experienced something I had never heard before.

My husband and I were able to skip out of town for a 2 day break. No children, no schedule, no tv. It was wonderful. [Thanks to my sister for making it all possible ;) ] One of the things we did manage to squeeze in our "no agenda" weekend was a visit to IHOP. No, not for pancakes.

IHOP or The International House of Prayer is....just that. Inside this building there is 24/7 prayer and worship. What we witnessed was the closest thing I've seen to the heartbeat of God. Ongoing prayer, fasting, teaching and oh my, the worship. What we heard couldn't really be called worship as it is known in the modern day church. These sounds were raw prayers set to heavenly melodies. There are IHOPs all over the country, and after our brief visit I can tell you - I want to go back and spend some time camped out in that place. There's an IHOP in Atlanta, Phoenix, Cincinnati, Denver, Talahassee, Kansas City and all over the world!

As we walked out the door I was thinking about revival. That's what I felt like sitting among a congregation of 90% young people who were digging into the Word of God, praying without ceasing and singing spontaneous psalms to the Lord.

Historically, spiritual revivals have resulted from the long-term prayers of a committed group of Believers. I'm no prophet - but I know the Lord hears the heart cry of the IHOPpers and I, for one, will rejoice when He answers their prayers and they reap a huge harvest. I am glad to be alive right now to witness the amazing things this generation of young people will accomplish for the Lord.

Some others also believe God is ready to rain down His power on this fertile soil. Read here about the I-35 prophesies.

Go here to learn more about IHOP and if you are driving through the area, say around 3am stop in for spell. The Lord will meet you there.

Kids Worship!

Hillsong is by far my favorite music. Our family has been listening to their worship music in our home since the mid 90s. While looking for Christmas gift ideas, I came across this. What do you think about kids worshipping like this?

Willow Creek Changes Their Tune

In the last 10 years a wave of seeker-sensitivity has hit churches across this country. Pastors went from preaching the gospel, to delivering relevant messages about self-esteem and relationships. Churches went from being a house where individuals could grow spiritually, to a place where our waistlines are growing from Starbucks and donuts. Classes used to focus on studying Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and now focus on hosting satelitte seminars from Maxwell, Barna and Osteen.

I have held off long enough, but my red head is about to blow. I've wavered back and forth, but the bottom line is........I do not believe in the seeker-sensitivity movement of today's churches. I believe what the Bible says is true. Yes, the gospel is offensive. But, we are to preach it anyway. "Through Him and for His name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith." Romans 1:5

Evidently, the founders of this dumbed-down system have realized their error.

Check out this article where Willow Creek admits they are wrong.

I have 2 observations about this article: 1) it took a multi-year study for them to figure out this doesn't work? I'm no theologian and I coulda told you that. It's contrary to the Word of God - therefore it is by definition bound for failure. 2) Kudos to Willow Creek for disclosing the truth from the research. A lot of organizations would have sugar-coated the results and spinned them to meet their needs. Huge pats on their back for honesty.

Just Love Him

"If you make doctrine the main thing, you are very likely to grow narrow-minded. If you make your own experience the main thing, you will become gloomy and critical of others. If you make ordinances the main thing, you will be apt to grow merely formal. But you can never make too much of the living Christ Jesus. Remember that all things else are for his sake. Doctrines and ordinances are the planets, but Christ is the sun. Get to love him best of all."
Charles Spurgeon

Someday I'll Stop Trying To Figure It All Out

"We see that it is not the task of Christianity to provide easy answers to every question, but to make us progressively aware of a mystery. God is not so much the object of our knowledge as the cause of our wonder."

Kallistos Ware

To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Required

This was my motto during high school and college. I would use it conveniently during job screenings, as an election slogan and for panel interviews. At that time I really didn't understand that it was more than a good way to market myself.

Senator Brownback recently spoke at the Washington Briefing. There he emphasized two points: we need to stop abortion (therefore promoting life) and we need to reclaim American culture.

This country has a huge responsibility. Why? To whom much is given, much is required. Senator Brownback used this to explain why America is so targeted by other nations. It's like when 9/11 happened and the Mayor just went to work fixing it. When you are called to do a big job (either by appointment or by accident) then it's your opportunity to give out of the abundance of which you've been given.

God has blessed America, and we in return have much to give. Are we living up to the challenge? Are we giving what is required of us? Or are we caught up in maintaining our level of abundance that we've forgotten where it came from?

For the complete audio from Senator Brownback go here.

Go here to check out the other speakers including Chuck Colson, James Dobson, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Phylis Schlafly.

What A Sixteen Year Old Has To Say

This post is from a non-Christian 16 year old boy who attends a Christian school...

I’ve never been offended once when someone has tried to convert me. I understand Christianity enough to know that people do this out of love, out of compassion, and not the need to meet an arbitrary quota of souls or something similar. I don’t know about religion, and I don’t know why we’re here, but it just seems to me that the way this is all happening isn’t the right way to find it all out.

Read the whole article...Christian Indoctrination