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One of the most rewarding endeavors of my many college years was to persist in reading some of the great philosophers until the intention of their messages became clear.  What most people take for granted at a basic level, the perception of the world they see, philosphers take upon themselves to explain in minute detail.  A very good question is to ask why.  Why does it matter?  How does any of what these people think and write affect my daily life? 

On a conscious level, the meaning is not so visible, and thus the reason for the question.  Yet it does matter a lot, for the ideas and thinking processes that philosophers ponder over for lifetimes change the way we think in hidden, subtle ways.  That’s why we don’t notice it.  A very clear example of this is with the scientific need for empirical proof.  Today’s world for the most part takes nothing at face value without this type of proof–and in many cases this is rightly so.  After all, who would want a physician basing diagnosis and treatment upon vague symptoms when often a simple test can provide conclusive information?

There is the current notion coming from philosophy, pluralism, that has the guise of making the world a better and more harmonius, homogenous agreeable society.  The model, however, falls far from its intended mark and in reality actually causes more division and more anger.

Pluralism is based upon a concept of truth.  The concept says that no truth is absolute.  Truth that exists only is true for the social group who holds to the tenets that make their truth reality for themselves.  Herein lies a first issue among the truth brokers.  Let’s take for example Christians, who all say that the Bible is their guide and ultimate truth, for it is through the Living Word of God as found in Scripture, that is the Holy Bible, that God comes to us through the Holy Spirit. That is, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, speaks to us in a personal, intimate way.  Unfortunately for Christians, though the One Truth is proclaimed as the only truth, they cannot agree upon which Christians actual really know the truth.

So, here we have it.  One truth in the world of pluralism, that is One God as the Holy Trinity is the truth for all who name themselves Christians, but the truth exists–where and how?  Within the group who believes as all in the group believe.  WHO THEN are the Christians?  Here is a real sticky wicket.  There are many, many groups who call themselves by name, Christian, and multiple groups named Christian who believe that the group they are in holds the only true truth.  I ask again, WHO THEN are the Christians?  We could add another name to each group–if each group had an additional name to add, but that isn’t the case.

Continuing on religion-wise, should we take another group (looking at only the huge-member major groups) who call themselves by one name, we would again find the same problem.  Hindu, Muslim, Budhist, all have groups within their groups.  How far does the watering down supposed to go, before a group as a whole splinters so fine that the unit no longer exists?

A belief system of any sort requires a group to have at least one belief.  That one belief or multiple beliefs, howsoever far the group has thought the beliefs through, will at some delcaire “This is what I believe,” thus forming for the group their credo.  Certainly, the word Credo does have particular religious connotations, as the word has evolved over time, that being Christian credos, such as the Apostles and Nicene creeds.   Even so, just by stating, “I don’t believe,” or “I don’t believe in anything,” there has been the formation of a credo.

It is very safe to conclude that for there to be a group there must be a basic agreement of what is true.  This statement of what a particular belief system uses as an agreement for normalcy is the group’s credo.   The credo is what the group represents to others, their ultimate truth.

It is quite a circle of confusion, isn’t it, when a group has multiple sub-groups that declare their own truth?  How can that be, though?  If we agree to have groups with their own truth, and many groups with many truths, what are we to do with the truths that allow for no other to be agreeable as another truth?  What will be the acceptible truths, the unacceptible truths?  If a belief is a truth then can it be unacceptible?  Does truth by nature of its definition have to be acceptible?

If there are multiple truths, what happens in a court case when a person must promise to tell the truth?  Does the person need to add on a claim form stating which truth is true in their belief system?  If a truth is only true if it can be emperically proven, where then do all of the truths go that stem from perception, experience, and conclusion through the process of thought?  What of the truth of any religion without logic?  None can be proven by any defintion of empirical evidence.

Another example has to do with creation.  Though the process of evolution is used to differentiate between two groups of thought regarding the origin of life and its development, many who belief that all was created by God initially believe also in evolution–only with a different definition than the one used by evolutionists.  From this debate has come a new term, that of “intelligent design.”  This doesn’t contain the truth into two groups, however, since there is still more dissenting opinion that divides and splits the two groups.

Also regarding creation is the “how” of how it happened. With multiple true religions, each with its own creation story, are there then multiple creations?  Well, the answer is … of course not!  What of the god or gods that each religion believes is the creator?  Do we have multiple creations? hmm…. back to the same answer. 

Here is an example.  There was an item stolen in Osseo, Minnesota recently, and the police were called.  The truth is, there was a theft, for which under any law in the United States of America is a punishable act.  When the police came, however, they defined the theft act by adding another term to what the truth was that happened, that of “cultural differences,” and thus nothing has been done.   Where then does this stop?  How far do we go in adding definitions to truth, changing essentially laws that have been in place since the dawn of time (and certainly in the U.S.A.) regarding property, before it brings harm on many?  What then is the purpose of law?  Are our laws now follow the pluralistic definitions within truth also?  How does this benefit all who are affected?  It seems to me that it can’t. 

Another example is the proposition 8 voted upon in California.  The voters placed their ballots to continue to define marriage as between a man and a woman.  Yet, there are people who didn’t like it and don’t accept what the majority of voters voted in–who are now vocally and disruptively seeking to have their truth put into place.  Where does that leave truth?  Is it in the largest group who was agreeable, or in the smaller group who seem to get their point across in a stronger voice?

There are valid reasons for concluding that pluralism of truth doesn’t equate with a more respectful, tolerant society.  With everyone having their own unit with its own truth, there must be equal respect for all.  Yet, that isn’t the way it’s going, is it?  One group speaks their belief, another disagrees.  The first claims lack of respect and feel insulted.  The other group feels slighted for not being able to speak their truths without being defamed.  Where does it all end?  Why hasn’t this system where every group has the right to believe, live and speak as they wish created one big happy family of citizens?  Why are so many slighted, emotion dripping from their eyes, feeling secluded and not understood?

It’s time to look at the definition of “truth” or “true.”  Here is a fact, folks.  The “great thinkers” throughout the ages cannot even agree upon what it is–to the point of there being five major theories about how to define/describe what is true  CLICK HERE to read more about TRUTH at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.

Continuing on this pass that at present is seeming to go anywhere but forward, let us attempt to move on.  I suggest looking at truth from more of a sideways angle.  If the possibility exsists for concurrent truth, why then is there such disagreement over what is true–what is acceptible as truth?

As an example, I will use the eBay discussion board conversation that went on for several day.  A thread was opened up to put forth “principle wiccan beliefs.”  The intended purpose was to clear up misconceptions, as the the original poster (OP) indicated are common.  In our pluralistic society, the unspoken rule is to accept all truths as agreeable, or the disagreeable person will be subject to the denunciation of the opinion presented.

At the same time, though, to be accepting is also the underlying premise of agreement.  It cannot be helped–with any form of discussion there is agreement, neutrality or disagreement. 

Taking a different position, for lack of a better representation, SIDE B  offers a response to the wiccan beliefs from the Christian point of view.  Following the Christian’s presentation an outcry rises up–and it is the normal of circumstances–not only between Christian and non-Christian, but anywhere opinion is voiced that disagrees with someone else’s truth.  The reason for using this particular discussion is because I was a participant.  The opposition viewpoint (mine) was for the most part denounced quite thoroughly.

Herein is the first problem.  Either all truths held by each individual group are allowable, or none are allowable.  Why?  Because, for pluralism to be viable it is the way it must be or the model of a plural society doesn’t work.  If one group decides that how their views differ from someone else’s beliefs, that should be quite alright. Surely, a person should be able to put forth viewpoints that differ without being called judgemental, not respectful or closed minded.

Why?  Because all truth has been made acceptible–not some, but all.  When denying the right to speak, the denier has chosen a superior role.  When one truth is acceptible and another is not, the group has been denied.  When no truth or the group defining that truth is denied, the whole notion of plural truths is negated.

Yet, it cannot be.  When, such as the city of Osseo ignores the law, they have set themselves up as (a) lawbreakers and (b) deniers of a group or party’s validity to exist.  When one group denounces another’s truth they become that which they have denied exists, which is that a truth is either a single entity only, or that there is superior truth.  To not discuss differences in truth is a silent acknowledgment that the truth a group has taken as their own is not defensable, and therefore not a truth.

Where does respect for the truth end?  How far is this notion of multiple truths supposed to extend?  Are we to accept the ideology of street gangs as their truth and acknowledge their right to live as they see fit?  Are we to extend the notion of cultural differences to the point of breaking the law?  If one law is to be broken and it is okay, then how many laws are breakable?  Should we accept terrorism because it is part of a groups culture?  Should we accept forms of abuse of diverse groups who might accept their behavior as the norm? 

The question is this: Where does it end? When does acceptance turn into compromise of a moral, ethical society that coexists at least on a most basic level harmoniously?  Without a doubt, I believe that compromise has demonstrated itself to not be the viable answer and humanly impossible.  From a societal point of view, it is impossible without ramifications  that will damage and endanger society as a whole.

A very good example of this was this year’s presidential election.  All agree that never before has there been such polarity in our country, never have such extreme opinions come to the fore and produced physical violence over who would be president.  This model of behavior exhibited here in our United States of America is what the philosophic blanket of pluralism has produced, and the election is no isolated occurrance, it is ongoing and happening across the board.

There is one more element that is very important.  It is that there is a difference between the acceptance of one truth as the only truth by a group or society as a whole, and being able to converse, live and interact with all or some who enter our lives.  That this difference is not recognized is one of the three reasons why Christians are constantly bombarded with insults and hatred–and why the premise for pluralism is flawed.  It may even be what will be the downfall of the United States of America.

America, built on the concept of many freedoms for all had turned its back upon the one truth necessary to make it work.  That truth is One Nation Under (One) God.  We are the country that accepts many cultures, accepts the right to worship as one sees fit for all, the right to live a life in freedom within our laws–these rights are not the same as pluralism.  The unified whole under the one supreme truth with the same rights for all from many cultures has become skewed.  It is to the point of a speeding train going down a dark tunnel with no light on the other side unless we change.  We are now so focused on group and individual rights that there is no place for God anymore.  It has allowed for greed that is destroying us financially, and rights that are killing us physically and emotionally.  God help us before it is too late.

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There certainly are many in today’s society who believe that multiple truths are not only feasible but completely doable.  What this does from a religious standpoint, however, is make for many gods who created the same universe, life, and world.  It makes for the possibility of believing our world came to be by chance, or essentially from nothing–yet, something can’t come from nothing.  It allows not only for multiple theologies with differing essential beliefs, but for the enactment of those beliefs whatever the consequences may be to society as a whole.

The Christian God, as the First Commandment tells us, is the one and only God, creator and maker of all that is seen and unseen.  He is a jealous God, allowing for no other Gods–whether universally spatial or an object or a thing.  The Christian must answer as Peter did when asked, “Who do you say I am?”  If the answer is anything but “Thou art Christ, the son of the Living God,” then the person has a problem.

It is not always easy, folks, but it is way it is.  To acknowledge or acquiesce to another way of thinking is to deny God.  To do any less than love all, including those who don’t believe, by praying and caring for them when sick, poor, or in need of basic life necessities, is also to deny God, as Jesus said… “To have done to the least of these, you have done it unto me.”

It may seem harsh, but believe me when I tell you this: that by acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life is in no way forcing your beliefs upon anyone.  Just by someone stating that you can’t force your beliefs is the person telling you that you are not doing it.  Second, each person must come before the Father, ask forgiveness of their sins and accept the invitation to life with a future.

It would be really nice to say that all groups with their only set of truths are okay, opening the door to universal salvation–that is, everyone being saved.  That, however, is not what the Bible states.  It says that the invitation is open to all, but that are those who have and will deny God.  God is faithful to His promises, and he is for justice.

The harshness that seems to be is just that–an appearance of what is not real or true.  The reality of God is a world of beauty in all circumstances, richness in all that is before us through the fact that its very existence glorifies the One who created all.  It is the hope of a future filled with brilliant light and harmonious peace that we cannot even imagine possible.

There is no reason to limit ourselves to a world with multiple truths where everyone and anything goes.  God is limitless.  There is a past with no beginning and a future with no end.  I invite you to come out of the here-and-now world and enter the world of truth–that there is One Father, One Son, and One Holy Spirit–forever!

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.
    ….babamarusia

Christian publishers are no different than other publishers, their business is producing books that they believe will interest a target audience, with the goal to either (a) cover costs, or (a & b) cover costs and make a profit.  As a bookseller, others may think that I read a LOT of books, but it is the opposite.  I am so busy putting books for sale that I must MAKE TIME to read.

What do I find is a good book?  How do I know it will be, or is a good book?
Some books published are just so awesomely powerful that as soon as they are released to the public they become instant bestsellers and stay that way for years into the future.  Books might be popular by nature of relation to other bestsellers written by the same author, and if not of the same quality sales soon dwindle.  There are books that could be called “sleepers” because they don’t receive recognition immediately, and then there are books that reach only a certain “niche” audience for the most part due to content or type of writing.

Certain books I have in stock though they need to wait for the right buyer.  These I keep in stock because it’s just a good thing to do–books on grief, abuse, and other self-help topics.  One book of which I had purchased many copies sat on the shelf for a good healthy year–then, they all sold at once and mostly in one state.  A storybook about getting children to talk about bad things that have happened to them, they just about all went to schools, perhaps a curriculum directive.

From a Christian perspective, I wonder how many books on certain Christian topics would sell if Christians actually did what they are supposed to be doing–which is reading and meditating upon the Living Word of God in the Holy Bible.  If I may suggest, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there are a lot of answers to questions right in the Bible.

There IS, all of this being said, great blessing that can come from reading a good book.  It might be fiction that entertains and relaxes, or maybe has an underlying truth within.  It might be a book about a book in the Bible, or a how-to, whodunnit, or get-into book, that will get those juices in the brain flowing with thought.  This is where I am this evening.

Today I read On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom, A Book of Ancient Christian Wisdom compiled by Robert van de Weyer, published by Ligouri/Triumph, 1996.  It’s a pretty little book, and the pages all have lots of space that is empty–and at that, it is full of wisdom and thought that is as useful and functional today as it was in the 4th century.  Beginning with a brief biography of John the “golden-mouthed,” name for his eloquence and the outspoken truths in his sermons, John was eventually forced to leave the city where he lived because the rulers and the rich didn’t care for what he was saying.  There are 84 writings–very easy to read in one sitting, and also marvelous read one each day for 84 days.  However it is done, it’s a good read.

Now for today.  After reading this book, I understand better the nature of being a steward of all that belongs to God–which is…. EVERYthing. 

Why should I take care of my home and yard, my possessions?  I should take care of them as a steward, keeping all in good order for the next steward to come.

Is it possible to be humble and meek, and be wrong?  Most definitely so, and here is how.  As John Chrysostom points out, humility and meekness can become an idol, a worship of attitude instead of a reflection of the Christian’s nature in relationship to God.  When humility and meekness, and other forms of visible display–such as living frugally, relying on other for transportation and the like create a situation where someone else is put out in an yway–cause others to inconvenience themselves in an unnecessary manner, then the humble person has elevated him- or herself to a position above others.

Why did I speak out in response to a list of principal wiccan beliefs?  The book doesn’t answer this question.  I really don’t know my initial motive.  After reading this little book, however, I understand now the need to do it.  Wiccans, witches and their magick need to be exposed for what they are really all about, because they promote it as a harmless religion and lifestyle –and it is far from that.  It is a worship of self and nature through the eyes of oneself, not as a reflection of God and goes nowhere.

Christians need to use discernment and caution, taking care that love and witness doesn’t turn to compromise.  We need to teach our youth and young adults what it is about, and pray diligently that they don’t get caught in its web.  My pastor had a very good point, and that is to leave witches alone, and I agree 100% that he is correct.  Thus the conclusion of this is that I feel it was relevant to write what  I did on the eBay discussion board.   Parents: Do you really know what your children are reading?  Take a look at New York Times Bestseller Children Chapter Books.  There are a lot of books with psychic subjects, evil, and the like on the list.  This is not about censorship, it’s about knowing and either discussing with your children what they read, or having a say in what they read.

A lot of topics are covered by John Chrysostom, taken and written in current English usage by the author.  There are strong words spoken out of love, that come across as loving rather than harsh.  Whether this is the nature of John’s message or the creativeness of Mr. Van de Weyer’s writing, I don’t know.  The author worked from pieces and fragments as you might expect he would, given the age of the original manuscripts.
I encourage you to read this book that I now recommend to you.
…. babamarusia

The Holy Bible > The New Testament > The Book of Matthew > Chapter 16

“Who do you say that I am?” is what Jesus asked His disciples.   And they replied.

Some say you are John the Baptist.  Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets. (NCV)

Again, Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered.

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. (NCV)

This answer given by Peter, given to Peter by God as Jesus stated, were the most important words of his whole life.  Peter declared Jesus to be the Son of God, the Christ, the Savior for whom the world had been waiting.  With those words, Peter commited himself to Jesus forever. 

It was his declaration of independence, so to speak, from the world, and his declaration of dependence to live forever within the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Now in 2008 we find ourselves living in what is called the postmodern world.  It’s a world where anything and everyone is to be tolerated, upheld as correct as true.  Every group is allowed to carry it’s own “truth.”  What is right for me is okay, and what is right for you is okay too.  It is called pluralism, and it has diluted our faith.

Who do  you say that I AM?  Jesus is asking you right this very minute, and your answer is as important as the one Peter gave.  

We have moaned, and we have groaned about what is happening in our world, but God is not.  He is saying to His children that the time for your answer is right now, and he is demanding it at a time in our world when there are a whole lot of people who won’t like your answer.   From now on, when you are asked a question about what you believe, when you are offering your view in a converstation, use language that what you declare as your faith makes it the one faith with One God, One Savior, One Lord.

Time is running out.  Jesus is asking, demanding you to make a commitment that allows for no turning back. 

Who do YOU say that I am? 

Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  (KJV)

Time IS running out.  Jesus speaks to each one of His children through His Living Word, the Inspired Text of the Holy Bible.  For several weeks now, since I have been studying the book of Matthew as part of my preparations for the Bible study of which I have been a part, every morning I wake up right about 3 a.m., and today it was even earlier.

It occured to me as soon as I awoke that God is using the pluralism of today’s society to send a message to His Church.  That message is this:  You must declare your faith.  It is time for you to say who you believe I am.  What came on the heels of this message was the answer to why I have been waking at 3 a.m., and this is the answer: 

Wake up! …. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 2 KJV)

Jesus is warning us, His children, His world.  He is coming, and His coming will be like a thief in the night when we least expect it.

The time is right now.  Do not tary, do not delay  Declare where you stand before it is too late.  When Jesus will return–no one knows.  Do you want to be caught sleeping without having stood your ground for Him?  Are you willing to play the roulette game of taking your time?  Or, is your faith only lip service with no true belief at all?

This is the message I have been given.  The Lord has declared:  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

     …. babamarusia

The process of life seen to fulfillment, may only be viewed after the fact.  Hindsight is often thought about with regret accompanied by the phrase … if only I had … or possibly, … I didn’t think of it until after … . 

Then there is the ever popular karma or meaning the same, the phrase what goes around comes around.  In my opinion, the life of karma — creating future good for one’s self by doing good deeds and banking them for the future, knowing that the “around” is history repeating itself, the idea that I will get another chance in another life to be better than I am — is quite a chaotic way to live.  It is also a very self-centric way of life, with each act done to better one’s chances rather than for altruistic reasons.

Chance — the roll of the dice, the luck of the draw, the pulling of the lottery ticket, and on and on… none of which allows for any control except the lack of– what kind of control is no control at all?  Plain and simply, it cannot be.  One of the most wasteful ways to spend money are on the pull-tabs.  People buy those things by the buckets.  With a stoic look of mindless effort, they will sit and pull the paper off of one tab after another, waiting for the golden goose to lay its golden egg.  I just don’t see the merit in activities such as these.

Where then can we find order?  There is only one place, and that is with the one who created all in the beginning.  Yes, an initial belief comes from faith, you might tell me.  Logically, though, there is no other option.  The proof is all around–all I need to do is open my eyes and use them, use my senses to touch, taste, feel, smell and see them.  Look at it this way for further evidence: How can something come from nothing?  It can’t!  Without a creator, how can we explain our world?

The creator, God, a being with no beginning and no end, who is, was and ever shall be, gave us and all that exists life.  He gave us humans dominion over all that exists, and with that dominion we were given choice.  All that is within God is good — the penultimate good.  Yet, from almost the very beginning of God’s creativeness there has been another side that comes with being given power.  It is the vanity, the desire to be in control above all others, and it is the direction that points away from God to the self.

Did God create our wars?  Did He desire His creation to split itself apart, and split and split until only shards remain?  It is impossible to even think this within the framework of good — and certainly, there are very few if any who will not acknowledge that there is the notion of good.  What then does God do with the messes we create–the destruction, the abuse of our human powers, the harm we cause all around us, and the splintering of his creation?  Because God is good, there is justice for those who have been caused harm.

First, justice is not karma and it isn’t fate.  Justice is reconciliation and healing for what has been harmed.  How would God be good if in the end or along the way our destructiveness was not made right, the wrong wiped out?  Frankly, I have no use for karma or fate because I have no desire to live in a world spinning out of control with no one in charge.

Our good God, gave us not only the hope of future justice, the promise of complete justice in the future, He also gave us through the free gift of His son the opportunity to begin that future right now, this very minute by turning away from the world and toward Him.  All that is necessary is to say, “I’m sorry, forgive me,” to the creator and His Son to whom He gave the penultimate control over all the earth, Jesus Christ.

When a life points to God, the person lives in the glow–the light–of the creator, and becomes light also.  There is joy, peace and harmony that cannot be contained or diminished. 

Where do you find this light?  Well, sometimes it can be tough.  There are people who say they are Christian, but their lives don’t show themselves as Children of God.  These are either in process or never have truly commited to living as Jesus taught.  Jesus calls himself the Shepherd, the one who protects his faithful from harm — from evil, from the “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”  Sometimes the call on who is who and what is what can be pretty tough.  What he teaches is this: we can know what someone is about by what they do and how they live their lives.

Now, you may think it not to your liking to end some of the stuff you do–drinking, having a lot of party fun, meeting people and going home with them, getting what you want no matter what– the fact is, and I write from experience now, when the time is right in the process of life you will have no desire to do these kinds of things anymore.  That’s part of the beauty of God’s goodness.

Here is the other part of it, and I don’t confess this to make myself look good, because I am far from perfect.  I have a strong desire to live by the words of the Sermon on the Mount.  Have you read it?  You can find it in the Bible’s New Testament–Matthew 5 and 6.  You may wonder why I am declaring this, and it’s because this is one way growth comes–when God puts in your mind and soul a desire so compelling it can’t be ignored. 

Well, that’s enough for now– may our Lord and Savior, creator of all that is, bless you richly with goodness today. 

…. babamarusia

Thinking again on the process of life, consider this.  Life lived for good acknowledges the creator, who is God, and throughout one’s life the process of coming back into the goodness is taking place.  There is only one way to the purity of all that is good, one way to a future without end, and that is to live as a child of God.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” and that’s the truth.  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

This, That and the Other Thing

Good Morning, Lord!  That is the title of the book I just finished, this morning.  It’s the autobiography of George Shinn.  Excellent book!  I thought, with just a few misgivings.  He attributes his success and awards to God.  Fabulous!  I thought.  Easy reading, makes sense, and inspirational… George is a regular guy, someone like the kind of people with whom I enjoy associating.  He is a man of tremendous willpower and determination.    My “few misgivings” were that he didn’t always give God the glory–but then, a lot of people do that kind of thing.  Then, it seems, George made a huge boo-boo.  He had to go to court, about assaulting a woman, and also about a sex act.  He and his attorneys argued its consensual nature–so what? I ask.  A, Mr. Shinn had a wife of many years; and B, Mr. Shinn was still doing something that’s a no-no by God’s standards.  Midlife crisis, maybe?  Possibly, I suppose.  I don’t know Mr. Shinn.  Either A nor B fits with what I read in his book.

Yes, I still like the book, but it’s not the same anymore, is it?  Personally, I don’t want a glass house.  We all have skeletons.  Do you really want anyone to know yours?

The solution to this delemma is not to make skeletons.  Here is the problem with the solution: We usually don’t figure that out until some are already made!

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I read another book this morning, The Choice by Og Mandino.  I was caught up immediately by the drama, a man knowing he will die soon.  Mark Christopher, a successful insurance company executive, realizes what he has missed by being married to his job and resigns.  With his wife and two children, Mark moves to the New England countryside and takes up writing.  After being hard up financially but not destitute for a time, his book gets published and becomes a huge success.  The book he writes, A Better Way to Live, is another book authored by Og Mandino.

At the pinnacle of Mark Christopher’s and the book’s success, he called upon to make a choice–would he give up his life so that his son may live?  Leading up to this point, the author weaves into the story a series of mysterious messages sent to Mark by a person name A. B. Salom — Absolom, the murdered son of King David in the Old Testament, and David’s response …

“O, my son, Absolom, my son, my son would God I had died for thee.”

Anyone at all who has love for another–whether or not a parent–surely cannot help but feel the anquish in these tormented words.  Yet, here was King David whose offspring would bring the world back from the hellish future it was on the path to achieve, and the apple of God’s eye for his goodness and beauty, now experiencing the darkness of the depths himself with the loss of his son’s life.

Do you wonder?  … Do you wonder how God felt when his own Son was murdered on the cross?  Here was Jesus–not only His son, but part of Him in the Godhead–going through the most painful, anguishing torment.  Can an analogy be drawn between the two?  I don’t know for certain.  What I do know is that the book, The Choice, does make some sort of connection, somehow.

And, that is where the power of this story lies.  The unexamined life is not worth living …Socrates.  I will go one step further.  To believe with conviction one must not only examine their life, but more importantly examine their beliefs.  In order to speak convincingly, one must have the conviction arrived upon from the examination.

Let’s take one more look at the subject of this story, Mark Christopher.  Mark had everything he ever wanted and desired, then willingly gave it all up for those he loved.  He went through some struggles, then gained success and the pinnacle of his career.  Then Mark had to make a choice.  Was he willing to exchange his own life for one he loved most dearly.

You know what?  Someone did just that … for you and for me
His name … Jesus Christ.

What then will you do when faced with a choice of temptation or a choice with even more permanent consequences?  What will you do???

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The Sermon on the Mount
Contained in what is traditionally called The Sermon on the Mount are some of the most familiar biblical passages known to both Christians and non-Christians alike.  Here is where the Beatitudes lie, where Jesus teaches us the Lord’s Prayer, and where He extends the Ten Commandments.  These verses have been written about, preached about, depicted in art, turned into songs, examined theologically over and over throughout history–and most likely it will continue.

If we as Christians don’t take them into our soul prayerfully, the living, active Word in Scripture will be dead.  I don’t necessarily think this is a beginning point for a newbie Christian, because to live by what is commanded in the text is not an easy task.  Should you have begun as soon as you committed yourself to the Lord, I highly commend you.  As for myself, I believe I am ready to begin the journey.  God has laid it upon me to do so, and with Him I can do anything.

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Life begins.  We are all — every person on this planet, the children of God, created in His own image.  We are free to accept His call or reject it, but anything short of 100% is a reject, pure and simple.  You can’t take some or part, it’s all or nothing. 

As children of the always-living God, when did our life begin?  That! My dear brothers and sisters, is the question!   Where in the Bible does it say that life begins when the child becomes a “viable fetus”?  Since when does a creation not become created until we say it does?

Do you see how illogical it is to allow uncontrolled abortion?  Along with this, when is the taking of a human life, a life that is helpless to advocate for itself, not murder?  The answer, of course, is never.

This is not “single-issue politics” here — This is murder!

May God have mercy on us, may He have mercy!

Today was a great day, yesterday was too–and so was the day before…..  Everyday IS a wonderful day when your spirit is joyful.  I really have no theme tonight, I have thoughts. 

Regarding my state of Minnesota, the political push is still on like it is everywhere else.  The 10 o’clock news is just finishing up, and as usual we watched channel 4–WCCO ( CBS ).  This station is the tried and true for news–not for weather, though.  The weather team goes quite overboard when the thunder starts rolling.  In fact, you might draw an association between the ridiculous number of ads and the ridiculous amount of time spent covering inclement weather.

That being said, there was one night that WCCO was our lifeline.  It was the spring of my 7th-grade school year.  That day was very strange.  As I walked home with my classmate, there was no breeze, no sound, and hot.  There was that elusive feeling of anticipation, from which no point of origin could be assessed.  It was also the night of the science fair.  John, my brother, and I both got a ride back to the school after dinner, and while he went his way, I went mine.  We have another brother–he was still pretty little, only three years old.

I went to one of the larger lecture classrooms, where I assume there was someone I knew giving a presentation.  Our principal announced over the loudspeaker that there was bad weather predicted, and that we should all stay where we were.  Not moments later the wind blew in through the one window fiercely, and a man went to close it.  No sooner had he stepped away the whole window blew into the room with glass flying, then it went dark.  I remember that night like it was yesterday.

I was pretty scared.  When everything stopped students, parents and teachers went into the hallways to make our way out the front doors.  I was given a sweater by one of the boys in my class.  We looked into the gymnasium where the roof had peeled back like the top of a sardine can.  Later we heard that in the home economic rooms everyone stayed safe inside the closets.  Almost out the door, I reunited with my brother, followed not too much later by our step-dad meeting us outside in his car.

The school was not quite one mile from our home, but it seemed like a long, eerie ride.  Pulling into the driveway we saw our mom with pin curls in her hair and huge tears rolling down her cheeks while she attempted to  lift the garage door with my little brother in her arms.  There had been some kind of announcement about wires down everywhere, and that was true.  Fridley Senior High, accross the street from the Junior High, was also damaged and caught fire.

So, there we were, the five of us huddled together in the dark living room around this little transistor radio that sat on our formica end table, tuned to WCCO.  Those voices, so familiar to us from constant hearing, were like a lifeline to safety.  Twice we made our way down to the basement.  That sound people describe–it’s exactly what they say.  A tornado going overhead sounds just like a train–a train going quickly by with you standing right next to it.  Little David was too young to understand what was happening, and he never left mom’s arms. 

The next day we realized how fortunate we had been.  For though the tornadoes had traveled right over our house and neighborhood, they touched down in a different area of Fridley.  We lost our roof, not our house.  Mom made it into an adventure–baths by candlelight, guarded by the National Guard.  We couldn’t use our telephone to call out, but relatives and friends called in to us. 

School ended very abruptly.  Our seventh-grade class had one or two days together as a group in the gymnasium of another school before we were done for the summer.  We had each other and our home.  Others needed to relocate and rebuild.  I still have those old newspapers showing the huge tornado over Moore Lake, and I still watch and listen to WCCO.  Don Shelby, Mike Fairbourne, Mark Rosen, I really like you guys–and that’s one of the reasons this station is so exceptional… there aren’t many changes.  Boone and Erickson–well, after the tornado night I listened to them on the way to classes at the University, on the way to work, and at night before bed.  I don’t know those guys, but at the same time I do.

Getting back to my thoughts for the day, one of the news items was this tax that our Minnesota environmental people want to add on to our sales tax.  WCCO talked about that, because that is where the lottery money is supposed to be going.  It turns out that this little tiny bit of every dollar goes to the environment out of all that is spent by people on scratch offs and other contests.  That in itself is shameful, but there’s more. 

You see, in Hennepin County where I live, work and do nearly all of my shopping, we are already paying an additional tax.  It’s the tax imposed upon us by our illustrious governor Tim Pawlenty–the one where he “saved” the Twins.  I am very happy that those who like sports still have their baseball team.  As for me, I am helping to save the Minnesota Twins for them.  Well, Minnesota and Governor Pawlenty and environmental people, if I wasn’t saving the Twins I might consider helping you out with my tax dollar.  As it is, I don’t have “only 60-some dollars” added to my taxes to shell out for you.

Here is my suggestion for the environmentalists.  Get your p’s and q’s in order and get more out of the lottery money, or else wait until we are all done with our current cause and then come back with your request.  In case you didn’t notice, a LOT of people including me are hurting–and a lot are hurting much more than I am.

Next thought:  WCCO had a report about Al Franken.  One of the topics was how sorry he is for offending people in the past with his so-called humor.  Franken’s wife, Annie, said that he never intended to offend anyone at all–he’s just a “teddy bear.”  With all due respect, Mr. Franken, you need to sharpen your brain cells if you didn’t know you would offend people with your commentary.

Then, of course, there was the offensive ad run by Norm Coleman where he shows Mr. Franken using very bad curse words when describing Christians.  Yes–the sound was absent.  Yes–it was plain as day what was being said.  Al’s comment about it?  “Sometimes I have gone overboard.”  Don’t you like how Mr. Franken stereotypes all Christian conservatives into one group that he hates?  Do you think he still doesn’t hate us?  Here is how I compare his comment: It is no different than Michelle Bachman’s statements made when pressed.  Both show truths that they would rather not be known, only because they want your vote, not because they don’t mean them.  There you have the two extremes–far left and at the same time offensive, and far right–also at the same time offensive. 

The sad part about Franken is that he will most likely win the election.  Why?  Because there are three candidates and the votes will go three ways.  I feel sorrow for both of them.  They have so missed the mark in judging others. I don’t know them, never met them, yet they have made judgments that will affect me.   What will be, will be.  Que sera, sera.  What should we Christians do?  Pray for them, and continue strong in our faith–my faith is what upholds me.  God is God of both the good and not-so-good, and he will use whatever negative and bad for His glory.  I firmly believe this.

One last comment about these two people should they be Minnesota’s elected representatives in Washington D.C.  They hold opinions so strong that I can’t conceive of them being able to represent all people in our state.  Here is where a difference shows itself– in the inherent character present in our presidental candidates and running mates as opposed to Franken and Bachman.  Though I absolutely do not agree with Mr. Obama on very important issues, I respect him and feel that he would make a good president–though he will make decisions with which I will not agree.  My conscience leads me to conclude, however, that I would rather not vote than vote for him. 

Another thought:  There are a whole lot of people in our country that feel rules and laws pertain to everyone but them.  What is it?  Conceit and vanity.  When this happens, those breaking the rules make themselves more important than others.  It’s like dealing with people who make up rules while playing Monopoly because they are losing.  Funny when it happens while playing the game in good camaraderie, very unfunny in real life.   It is taking money without earning it from others who did.  In the scheme of things, these behaviors are low on the character scale of life.  In the long run, the ones being hurt will be far better off than those doing the hurting.

You may see the comments above as a negative diatribe.  However, in the scheme of things all of it is of little consequence because faith and belief in Jesus are all that matter.

May you think carefully, vote wisely, and then let it go–resting with peace in your heart because God is ultimately in control. 

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  … babamarusia (Mary Katherine May, owner of Quality Music and Books in Osseo, Minnesota)

My thoughts for the beginning of this day are torn — I am humbled in spirit again by the fact that I am still a sinner and still sin, yet can be forgiven.  I ask sincerely for forgiveness, I reset my mind to move forward again in the path of what is right, and move on.

Have mercy on me, o God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgement.  Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.  (Ps 51 NRSV)

Days go from high to low, I read Scripture, I meditate, I pray, I listen and fellowship and learn.  Yet again, I sin … from the mountaintop to the valley.  God is not done yet.  There is more for me to know, I need His strength within me to grow.

You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.  Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, o God, and put a new and right spirit within me.   Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take  your Holy Spirit from me.  (Ps 51 NRSV)

Still, because God is faithful, I know that I have already been forgiven — because I believe, and because I asked, and because I will attempt again to set my sinful soul aside and live totally within the love of my Savior and Lord, Jesus.

When I look back over the years I see great progress in my soul.  There are many sinful ways that have been set aside completely, and the temptation to act out the behaviors is gone.  Why then, do I still sin?  It certainly is not my desire to do so.  The aftermath of shame is far worse for me, and in the process of sinning I have offended others as well as God.

I cling to the words of St. Paul … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  … For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Romans 8 KJV)

These words have sustained me through some of the worst days of my life, and continue to do so every day.  The darkness of those days, though, is no different than the darkness in my heart every time I consciously sin.  St. John of the Cross understood this, Padré Pio understood, as have many others.

Martin Luther spoke truthful words when he spoke of the renewal of baptism … so that a truly Christian life is nothing else than a daily Baptism, once begun and ever to be once begun and ever continued … And here you see that Baptism, both in its power and signification, … which has been called repentance, as it is nothing other than Baptism. 

… For this reason let everyone esteem his daily Baptism as a daily dress in which he is to walk constantly, that he may ever be bound in the faith and its fruits, that he supress the old man and grow up in the new.  For if we would be Christians, we must practise the work whereby we are Christians.  But if anyone fall away from it, let him again come into it.  For just as Christ, the Mercy-seat does not recede from us or forbid us to come to Him again, even though we sin, so all His treasure and gifts remain.  If, therefore we have once in Baptism obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as long as we live, that is, as long as we carry the old man about our neck. (Large Catechism)

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me in a willing spirit. … (Ps 51 NRSV)

My greatest desire is to be one with my Lord and God, 24 hours each day, seven days each week, every day of the month of every year.  Thus I wait … and wait eagerly for the time when I will sit at His feet in the heavens, and time will be of no consequence forever.  I see myself gazing with awe at his beautiful, glorious countenance and pray, Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

In the interim, I will most certainly sin again, and ask forgiveness, and then move on.  Will you please join me in this pursuit, will you ask Jesus to forgive you, love you, and make you His?  Do you wish to have a merry heart through all of the problems and dangers of human life?  Do you wish for peace?  Do you desire an end to the longing to fill the emptiness within your soul?

Come, Jesus said, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light, and I will give you rest. 

Come ye sinners, poor and needy
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus … He will embrace me in His arms
In the arms of my dear Savior … O there are ten thousand charms.
… Joseph Hart, 1759

Here is the tear, the dichotomy, the split: Though a sinner through and through, forgiven daily, my spirit renewed, the joy within stays beyond compare, for my Savior forever dwells with me there.

You can begin your eternal life right this moment by asking in faith for Jesus to come and be with you forever.  It won’t be wonderful every moment, because with all of the evil in our world that is humanly impossible.  Yet inside you this burning light of joy will grow and grow, and you will be happy in all circumstances.

When evil, mean-spirited people work to destroy you–and I have real-life experience to know that they exist, you will always have something better than they will ever have.  You will have Joy, Jesus and eternity.   And, because you are forgiven you will forgive them and pray for them, and then leave it in God’s hands.

May this day bring you blessings beyond all human measure. … babamarusia

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

Would you believe that according to the statistics posted on www.adherents.com, 85% of the population in the United States of America declares themselves Christian?  It does make a person wonder, doesn’t it?  Since 85% of us– almost every person in the U.S.A. is Christian, why are we then in such a mess?

How has greed, so putrid green and ugly, reared itself up to become as large as the Sears Tower in Chicago?

How has self-interest before anything or anybody else served if we are living as Jesus taught us to live?

How come there is so much crime, murder, abuse, addiction of every kind, all over our nation with victims of every race and income level?

Why have Christians in the everyday world been silenced so as to be “politically correct” when there are so many more of us than them?

It is absolutely mind boggling, isn’t it?  I believe the answers to these questions are both convicting of the Christian faith as well as denial and complacency.  In many ways, because Christ taught His followers to love, be compassionate, fair, humble, and respectful, some of the above and more have been given a free token to do as they will.  In many other ways, though, we Christians are complacent, gullible, and desire to have both worlds–and thus essentially deny Christ and His demand for us to give 100% of ourselves to Him.

I had an interesting conversation recently about this issue.   As we spoke, the subject of when we were saved came up–by the baptism of the Holy Spirit–and what a difference that made.  This person relayed to me that before the salvation experience when asked, the reply was always “I am a Christian.” 

After all, what else would I be?  I’m not Hindu, Muslim or Budhist, I live in the U.S., so I must be a Christian, right?

I celebrate Christmas … give gifts, have Santa coming down the chimney, eat dinner with the whole family … so I’m a Christian, right?

I try to do the right thing, be nice to people, don’t tell too many lies.  That means I’m a Christian? 

Truthfully, I don’t know what’s in anyone’s heart.  The doubt does crop up, however, and actions speak far louder than words.  The fact of all of this is, though, is that I really don’t believe at all that if 85% of us in this country were living our lives 100% by the teachings of, and in obedience to Jesus Christ, our country would have nearly as many problems as it does — but it would definitely still have problems!

What makes it different for Christians, or supposedly so, is that we have made the choice to answer Jesus’ call and live as He taught, within the parameters of our faith.  The problem is that as forgiven sinners we still make mistakes, and we still are in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus.

Within every group of people that adhere to a belief system there will be those who are at both ends of the extremes, and those in the middle.  Go too far with the rules and you become legalistic, go too far in bending the rules and the faith can’t be found: either way-either extreme, it is difficult to find Jesus teachings being lived out.  Without, however, the extremes there is no middle ground.

As stated above, I don’t know what is in anyone’s heart, and thus can speak only for myself.  My calling is to do the very best I can to love all people with compassion.  I don’t always do such a wonderful job, and after a mistake I am always determined to think first the next time.  I take seriously the judgement, and the New Commandment to Love as I have loved you.

Sometimes, though, it is necessary to speak up…

Speak up over injustices brought upon those who cannot defend themselves.  Speak up when the eldery or those who are mentally challenged are abused in any way.  Speak up when you see injustice brought upon others by those who have evil, destructive, selfish motives.

Then, pray these situations into the hands of God and leave it there with Him.

Jesus gave me 100%.  He asked no return, no conditions, no tit-for-tat… and I can do no less for Him.  If I am overboard on anything, it is in my love for my Savior, who by some wonderful miracle saved me from myself.

There are many who would say I am absolutely nuts … crazy … a weakling to need something like God to make me happy.  There are those like Al Franken who is running for the office of Senator from my state of Minnesota … a lot of others like him, who will say they hate me and others who believe as I do, use curse words, and say that I am forcing my faith upon them.  Here is the truth as I see it: Why does the way I live my life bother you so much if it isn’t true?  As a human being with a thinking mind, how can I force you to believe anything? 

The last fact here at this early hour of the morning is this:  Christians are not called to be silent.  However, just as in any other faith there is a lot done in the name of the faith that has nothing to do with it — and I think we have seen more than enough examples of that in our good ol’ USofA. 

To my fellow Christians, committed 100% to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, stand firm in your beliefs.  Don’t hide your light–put it on the hilltop for all to see.  Love others as Jesus has loved you.  Be compassionate, caring, forgiving, and understanding.  Leave the rest to God–he says to do that, too.

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus…    … babamarusia

DEFINITIONS:

TRAVEL: To go from one place to another, as on a trip; journey

JOURNEY: The act of traveling from one place to another; a trip

TRIP: A going from one place to another; a journey.

I am writing to you as I travel on my journey, a trip through time.  How interesting it is that three words having essentially the same definition are three shades of the same also.  TRAVEL refers to the movement from one place to another, JOURNEY is the explanation of the act—the self in movement, and TRIP as defined is the actual moving.

In terms of these definitions, the TRAVEL of which I write from one place to another would be defined as the state of my body, from infancy to old age.  The JOURNEY is my spiritual growth as a Christian, and the TRIP, or movement is through time.

Through it all, I cannot remember a time when my thoughts didn’t include the truth of God’s existence.  We went to church and at families dinners discussed church.  I went to Sunday School, or as we called it Church School.  I sang in the choir, directed the choir, and participated in the accompanying cultural activities.

I have no explanation as to why others who traveled with me on this journey fell away for reasons of which I was aware while I remained faithful.  There were the church services in the Ukrainian language that I didn’t understand—my solution was to learn the Cyrillic alphabet and follow the corresponding English on the opposing page.  Other behaviors—taught and acquired individually—that I still hear about today when I occasionally meet someone from my younger days, and how it caused the recipient of the behavior to leave the church.  I certainly understand why they turned their backs and moved on—but I didn’t do the same.

I still love the spirituality of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Byzantine art and ancient music—and never have experienced anything coming close to it in the Lutheran church.  Even so, it was in a Lutheran church where I received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not the Orthodox Church where my childhood was spent.

Since that moment, when God came to me in such a powerful way, I have had a passion to know my Lord and Savior, to draw ever closer to Him.  To accomplish what my heart burned to know I attended a seminary.  I read, study, and think until my exhaustion forces me to rest.

Perhaps the roots come from my Orthodox background with its ancient traditions, but I am drawn to books of a classic style.  I don’t necessarily mean books written long ago, I mean the style of writing.  Each book leads to more questions, more books, and longer periods spent in meditation and prayer.

I seek to know God and His will for my time on this earthly journey upon which I travel.  I desire to be cleansed of all that hinders my free will that opposes Him, and to be filled with a joyous spirit in all circumstances.  I wish I could say that 100% of my time is like that, but it isn’t, and perhaps just the act of being in the world as a participant precludes such an achievement during anyone’s lifetime.

Thank God, “endurance training” does take breaks.  Even though illogical, it is the break times why I usually make my mistakes.  Isn’t it wonderful that forgiveness happens anytime, any place, anywhere, and more than once?

I would like to recommend a few books and authors that have inspired me on my journey.  Maybe they will be fruitful for you also.

May God bless you with the richness of the Holy Spirit this day on your journey.
…. babamarusia

Recommended books & authors: a short list

The Holy Bible

The Little Flowers of St. Francis

Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross

The Early Church Fathers’ writings: can be read online

Beginning to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (or any of his books)

Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (or any of his books—some are very deep reading)

Books by Jeanne Guyon

Books by Watchman Nee

Here we are, folks, in the United States of America, with loads of problems.  The reason we can have some of the problems we do is because of our democracy, and this fact should never be out of anyone’s sight.  Within reason, the press can publish what they do because the freedoms written into the U.S. Constitution, we can voice opinions publicly, and live where we please.

Now we have the results of those freedoms going too far, and are living through the downward times as the consequence.  We Christians always say that the U.S.A. is “one nation under God.”  Well, now God is reigning our Godly nation in before it comes to a complete halt.

Big businesses have gotten too big, and the consumer is no longer appreciated as the one who made their growth possible.  They never have enough money–the gross and profit must always be larger no matter what the cost. 

People–the regular guys like you and me–have overspent to have the so-called “American dream” rather than a life centered on God. 

We have made ourselves gods and exercised our right to put ourselves first and then worry about everyone else if convenient. 

We have judged a whole lot of people for the lifestyle they live to how they practice their Christian faith without looking at our own selves first.

The answer is not to blame the government, the politicians, and the businesses without blaming ourselves also. 

For businesses, the answer is not to come along with new ways to entice the public to spend money that they shouldn’t be spending, especially now when we are on the verge of a serious crisis.

For charities, including Christian ministries, the answer is not to prey upon those who you lead and ask for more money because you are running out. 

The situation is the same everywhere.  My business is hurting and we are broke.  You might have lost your job, your house or your self esteem, or all three.  When I get a letter from someone who I have always valued, such as James Dobson, asking for money because his ministry is important, I wonder how my ministry–which is my bookstore–rates lower than his.  Is it because he reaches more people overall?  Is it because those who come into my store and we pray for needs one-to-one just don’t equal the masses that Dr. Dobson reaches?

The bottom line is this.  I am in the retail business selling books, music and gifts.  My husband and I tighten our belts every month, praying for relief to come.  We want to sell to you and everyone who walks through the door of our shop or visits us online–BUT NOT at the expense of the needs you have that must come first.  Bad business move?  Most certainly, it is.  What is the price I would pay, though, if I compromised ethical, moral and Christian principles for the sake of money?

I pray constantly for God’s guidance, and trust that what comes into the till will take care of our store’s needs.  Often, I wonder at how little the Lord thinks that I need.  Yet at the end of the day, as I count what came in, I thank God for providing what is necessary emotionally, physically, spiritually, and monetarily. 

Trusting in God and following God’s will in every Christian’s life are not options.  It is what it is.  Thank the Lord, for He is beyond compare!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not on thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.   Psalm 46:1 KJV

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  John 13:34 KJV

I will life mine eyes up to the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Psalm 121:1-3 KJV

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.

     … babamarusia