Fixing the Economy Begins With Me

My husband shared with me last night that our retirement fund is exactly HALF of what it was just three months ago. Fortunately the price of gas is also half of what it was a few months ago…but we can’t retire on our gasoline savings, can we?

The economy in America is teetering. You might compare it to a glorious house stuffed with gold and diamonds and platinum napkin rings. Lots of luxurious “must-have” items fill every room of this house called American Dream. The closets are so full of the latest fashions that it’s hard to shut the doors. The view out of this house used to be filled with crystal clear waters, sugar sand beaches and lush tropical foliage. Today a huge cloud bank is building off-shore, and the once-smooth waves are eroding the beach. But there’s a bigger problem. This Dream house is situated on prime, not-yet-paid-for real estate on the beach. And though the house looks pretty solid from the outside, it wasn’t built on a rock. (you know where this is going, right?) This Dream house has been built on a foundation of sand. Oh, it looks good. But what happens when the storm comes?

You and I live in this house. We are the ones who have built it. We have bought into the American “Buy More” dream where he who has the most stuff wins the most status, the most security, the most success. Those of us who have a credit card or a car payment or a mortgage built this house on shifting sand. Everything is smooth sailing as long as we keep making payments. We can keep using our cards to satisfy our desires, but what happens if we lose our jobs and are unable to make those payments? What if we get sick and are unable to work?

We’ve been like hamsters running on borrowed time, and now, as a country, we are on the brink of paying for our sin of greed. God has provided so richly for us, and how have we responded? By never being satisfied. Personally, I can say that I have been like the rich man who got so much stuff that it would no longer fit in his storehouses. Jesus warned us to be on our guard against greed in Luke 12:

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

How is this applicable to me? Well, how’s this for fresh honesty: my closets are so full of stuff we are storing that I have considered renting out a storage unit. If we were to sell this home and buy a smaller one, we would first have to get rid of much of our furniture because it all would not fit in anything smaller. Every time we have moved, we have moved “up” to a bigger home even though there are only three of us. Why? Because we could. So…have we been wise? Or have we been foolish?

This is a tough message to swallow. My husband and I were up in the wee hours last night discussing our lifestyle and trying to figure out how we have managed to become so undisciplined in matters of finance. We began reading Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace workbook, and God has brought us on the same page. We prayed and felt that the crisis facing our country isn’t just about the corporations and the banking industry. It’s about us. It’s about how we view our wealth, how we acquire it, and how we use it.

So imagine our surprise when today’s message at church was exactly what we were discussing! Our pastor said that he believed that God in his providence meant for this exact message to be preached to the congregation today. The entire topic was about wealth and contained explicit, some would say prophetic, warnings, about the dangers of putting your trust in wealth rather than in God.

From James 5 (The Message):

And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment.

All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you’ve done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it.

When the “crash comes upon” us? That sounds pretty much like what’s happening in today’s stock market. It’s what happens when we spend our money before we’ve earned it…it’s what happens when we are slaves to our lenders.

The King James version is so poetic. I like comparing translations of tough passages because it helps me get a handle on the meaning of these precious words:

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Before we slap each other around and walk around feeling dreadfully guilty, let’s dig deep and discern what God is telling us in these verses.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

We who are wealthy (and, since Americans have 70% of the entire world’s wealth, that would put all of us in that category. The poorest of the poor in America are vastly more wealthy than the poor folks in Haiti who live in the dump) are warned that misery is coming.

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.

Our wealth is corrupted. The Greek word translated “corrupted” also means “to be destroyed, to become rotten.” The term brings to mind the fleeting nature of wealth. Our rocky economy built on credit is a great example of wealth just ripe for destruction. The bigwigs at those failed banks took huge bonuses even though they were the ones responsible for risky and possibly illegal behavior. That is rotten, destructive, and corrupt!

But before I throw stones that those bigwigs, I need to take a hard look at my own financial practices. Was it  foolish to lease a new car just because I could? Yes. It was foolish and rotten. Why rotten? Well, if we assume my lease is for $500 a month (it’s not), I would basically be shelling out $6000 for my own selfish desires instead of using it for the Kingdom. In fact, through Samaritan’s Purse, $6000 would feed thirteen hungry babies every week of one full year. With just $1500 more, Samaritan’s Purse can build a 500 square foot house for a destitute family…a family that right now, as I write this, is sitting in a shack.

I’m looking at my life, and I don’t like what I’m seeing.

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire

The Greek word for “cankered” is katioō, and it means to be covered over with rust. It makes me think of the images I’ve seen of artifacts from the Titanic and other shipwrecks. Those fine candlesticks are worthless lying at the bottom of the ocean, covered with rust and tarnish beyond repair. The word for “the rust of them” is ios, and this word can also mean poison — the kind of poison that men give to each other with the intent of injury. Putting this all together, I see that our rusted, misused treasure (stuff) is actually poisonous. My misapplication of the wealth God has given me is directly taking away from — injuring — someone God has purposed that I help. This is a testimony against me. In a court of law, I would be guilty. (I have to say, I am really feeling the check in my spirit here. This is one of those times that I am eternally grateful that Jesus paid the penalty for my sin as I become more and more aware of it!) Sitting here now, thinking about it, does make my face burn. Why? Because I’ve done a great deal of talking and writing the talk, but from the outside looking in, I’m learning I have a long way to go before I’m actually walking the walk.

Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days

The Greek is thēsaurizō, and it means to “accumulate riches.” While my bank account and retirement account may not look like they are accumulating, the stuff-o-meter is off the charts. Furniture. Shoes. Jewelry. Cooking gadgets I’ll never use. Organizing bins that collect dust in the garage. A bicycle that hasn’t been ridden in who knows how long. Clothes. Make-up. Things I didn’t need to buy but justified having anyway.

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton

Tryphaō is Greek for living the good, luxurious, soft life. It’s what those commercials on TV try to sell us, isn’t it? It’s all about living the life of luxury. Luxurious accommodations in ritzy hotels…luxurious cars…luxurious carpets…luxurious furnishings. The luxury bug is so entrenched in American lives that we don’t even notice it until it’s gone. We take our electricity and running water for granted, but a busted water main that sends us into a Boil Water advisory quickly reminds us of the luxury we have in clean drinking water. Water pipes that bring us fresh water on demand…sanitary bathrooms…computers…telephones…the list goes on and on! We Americans are up to our necks in luxury and don’t even realize it.

Spatalaō is Greek for wanton. It is a verb that means giving yourself over to pleasure. We get whatever we want whenever we want, whether we can afford it or not. My husband and I were spatalao when we bought — on credit — our first television set. You’d think one would be enough, right? Well, over thirteen years of marriage we have somehow managed to move from one to (count them) five…six if you include a portable one for the car. Is that really necessary? No, it’s not. It’s spatalao.

ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter

Picture a calf. Now picture it nursing. The Greek word trephō is the word used here for “nourished,” and it literally means to take nourishment through feeding or suckling. James is telling us that our lifestyle is such that we satisfy our heart’s desires just as a calf satisfies its hunger, only we do so by buying up more and more stuff. We are trying to fill up empty places in our hearts with material things, and the more luxurious they are, the more secure we feel. We get our security from these things we buy just as a calf gets security from suckling its mom. But this security is false. Just ask the fattened calf being led to the slaughter about security!

All of this is not to say that we ought to feel guilty about being wealthy. Rather, it should be a warning to us. Jesus told us to guard ourselves from all kinds of greed. As a nation, we have not guarded against greed, and our storehouses are in the process of being trashed. God is Just, and there are natural consequences for sinful behavior.

So what’s the right thing to do? Paul wrote sage advice in 1 Timothy 6 on how to view wealth, how to acquire it, and how to spend it:

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

I want to experience this “true life.” I want to be so fully committed to God that I become immune to the pesky worldly dissatisfaction. Instead, I realize that I’ve been caught in the middle between living for God alone and living for my own pleasure. I’ve bought into the idea that more is better. Casting Crowns has a song out that really illustrates the way I’ve been living — perhaps it fits your life, as well:

With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

But I praise God that I am not STUCK in the middle! I am so thankful that God is faithful and just and, above all, merciful. My heart is in the right place — I don’t want my behavior to thwart God’s dreams for his people. I want His dreams for me to be My dreams for me.

I can’t wave a magic wand and make everyone else in America wise up financially. I have no control over bank executives and legislators who run off with cash, cheat, and steal. But I CAN change my own behavior. I can move myself out of that Dream house built on shifting sands. I can fix MY economy, with God’s help, and in the process I’ll be freeing up His dreams for my life and for the lives of others.

…and Goliath fell

I am safely back in my home after an exhilarating trip to sunny Florida. The five stones God gave me to conquer the plane rides actually – gasp – worked! First, a brief summary of how those worked, and then on to the good stuff!

• Prayer. I could feel the prayers of my bloggy friends as the tension mounted. Every single time my heart began to race into panic mode, I felt a blanket of comforting peace envelope me, and I was able to relax. I know that calming did not come anywhere from me. It came from your prayers lifting and encouraging me. Thank you!
• Rescue Remedy. I don’t know how this homeopathic remedy works, but it works. I only used half the suggested number of drops, and I felt an almost immediate effect. Yes, it does contain some alcohol, but I seriously doubt the alcohol is what makes it effective because the dose is so small and the relief is almost immediate. My husband was so impressed with the way I handled this flight compared with previous ones (the flights where I was so paralyzed with fear that I could do nothing but grasp my book with a death grip and read and re-read the same sentences over and over) that he tried the drops before giving a speech at work. Guess what? His mind relaxed. That’s what I experienced as well. Although I was still nervous on the flights, my mind was relaxed. It made a big difference.
• Dramamine. I don’t fly without it.
• God’s Word. I don’t go anywhere without this in my heart. God’s Word ALWAYS wins in any debate inside my head. So when I’m in the air and I hear a loud THUMP and my mind zooms to horrible “what-if” scenarios, my heart recites “Your Love, oh Lord, is higher than the heavens.” So take THAT, Goliath! I did take out my Bible before takeoff on both plane trips and focused on Psalm 36.
• Music. I listened to Casting Crowns, Third Day, and my new favorite band, Monk and Neagle:

I must admit that the music served mainly as background noise as I pre-read two fabulous books for my daughter which you can see here and here. The books took my mind off the fact that I was soaring 39,000 feet above the surface of the earth and transported me to other times and places.

Now for the good stuff.

Speaking of soaring 39,000 feet above the earth, imagine being on one of these:

We watched this last night launch from bleachers stationed at the Saturn V building, which is three miles away from the launch pad. The first impression I had was that the light so bright I couldn’t keep my eyes focused on it. Looking back now, I am reminded of the time Jesus was transfigured. If something man-made like these rocket boosters produce light nearly as intense (to my eyes) as the sun…just imagine how bright the face of our Lord is! You know, the disciples and people living back in Old Testament days had no experience with bright light such as the light produced by a shuttle launch. No WONDER they dropped to the ground and hid their eyes in the Lord’s presence.

The second impression I had was an awareness of extreme heat. I felt waves of heat touch my face during lift-off. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all but felt warm on my chilly cheeks! It makes me think that one day, when we see the face of Jesus, there will be no more cold hands and feet. This is a comfort to someone with Raynaud’s whose hands turn white and painful when the temperature dips below 70 degrees!

Next, I was aware of the ground shaking. I glanced down and saw my shirt fluttering back and forth. The earth was definitely moving under my feet. If you’ve ever been to a concert and felt the beat pound in your chest, then you understand the sensation. I’ve never experienced an earthquake, but this might be close!

The last thing we experienced was the sound. It was actually not as ear-splitting as I had anticipated, but it was definitely up there in the decibel levels. Looking back, it makes me wonder if God’s voice, when we hear him in-the-flesh, will be as booming as the sound coming from the launch pad.

After we stood and watched in awe until the shuttle’s light grew as distant as a star, we headed back to the buses that stood waiting to take us back to the Kennedy Space Center’s visitor center.

One of the reasons I love Florida so much is that it is so alive. Everywhere I looked I saw life not just getting by, but flourishing, with relish. My in-laws have a big porch that wraps around their house from which they feed a colony of six feral cats. About a year ago they trapped the cats and had them spayed and neutered, and now they freely roam the area….but like clockwork, they come for a visit in the early morning and late evening hours. Only thing is, my in-laws quickly discovered that other wild varmints enjoy partaking in the culinary enjoyment of cat food…such as raccoons and possums.

These little guys didn’t like sharing and got in a scuffle over who eats out of whose dish. There we sat, not ten feet away from the critters with nothing but an OPEN French door between us. They didn’t venture inside, and we stayed (safely) on the couch. Just a few minutes after we snapped this photo, they got in another scuffle which knocked the dishes down the stairs. Since the cat food was mixed with milk, the mess dribbled all down the stairs, and that meant dinner time was over. My mother-in-law shooed them away and cleaned up the stairs.

I forgot to get a photo of a plant that was growing out of one of the eaves of their home. It had literally germinated in a tiny bit of soil and dust that must have accumulated in a crack and was vigorously healthy. I’ve seen plants grow in the grooves of streets around north Texas, but I haven’t yet seen them grow out of the eaves of houses.

Of course we went to the beach. We went before the cold front brought chilly weather and were actually able to enjoy the water. It wasn’t too cold for us or for the birds.

As I stuck my feet in the warm sand and listened to the roar of the waves, I had to stop and thank God for bringing such beauty to the world He created. What a privilege it was to enjoy it with him for just a moment.

And for that realization, those anxiety-ridden plane rides were worth it.

Throwing Stones at Goliath

Last year I passed up on a trip to London because a Goliath-sized airplane stood in my way.  My husband ended up taking his mom and my daughter while I stayed home and wallowed in self disgust…until a dear friend reminded me that God is my Maker.  He created me and knows every single thing about me.  He knows what a panic-inducing eight hour flight would have done to me, and he provided a way for my daughter to enjoy the trip without me (thank you, MIL!)

Tomorrow I will face a two hour Goliath plane ride to sunny Florida.  What is exciting to many people is grip the seats, grab the pounding heart, frantically fan the face scary to me.  While on an airplane, I do not move around.  I sit in my seat with my seatbelt securely buckled.  I keep my nose in a book in an attempt to distract my mind so it won’t go into over-the-top panic mode.  I find it difficult if not impossible to eat any food on the day of a flight.  I am quiet and withdrawn and pray wordless prayers as I feel the fingers of anxiety worm their way in control of my body.

Panic attacks are difficult to describe to those who have not experienced them.  The chest pain they induce send many people to the hospital thinking they are having a heart attack — and the symptoms are identical.  Crushing chest pain (imagine an elephant sitting on your  chest!), excessive sweating, dizziness, nausea, uncontrollable trembling, and shortness of breath, all at the same time.  Sometimes in the midst of one of the attacks I can feel my heart “skipping” a beat, which in turn leads my imagination down paths best left alone.

So where is faith in the middle of all this anxiety?

It comforts me to no end to know that God is faithful even when I am faithless.  It’s not that I disbelieve his promises. I read my Bible and recite comforting verses and visualize him holding the plane in his mighty, capable hands.  I visualize how much more powerful he is than the jet engines.  Somehow, someway, He has gotten me through at least twenty flights over the past 18 years…but in every one of them, my stomach was tied up in knots to the point of intense pain.  In every one of them, I had a difficult time swallowing due to the anxiety.  In every one of them, my hands trembled so much it was difficult to read the book I was holding. In no sense of the word could any of those flights be described as enjoyable.

And I so want this one to be!

One of my favorite songs is Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns.  I took a moment and found an excellent video on YouTube:

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don’t seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

Suddenly I’m not as afraid.  God has always spoken to me through music.  When I listened to the song again just now, I felt chills run up and down my arms.  God has been faithful.  He has seen me through at least twenty successful flights — in none of them did I lose control and have to be put in a straight jacket!  He will see me through tomorrow’s flight and then back again, and, like David, he’s given me (at least) five smooth stones of just the right size:

• Dramamine to knock out motion sickness
• Bach’s homeopathic Rescue Remedy to help me relax (I haven’t tried this yet, but it comes highly recommended)
• The Voice of Truth and other inspiring songs on my husband’s ipod
• His Word in my Bible and on my heart
• The prayers of my bloggy friends and family

Will you help me knock Goliath out of the sky by praying specifically for me to experience zero anxiety (I’m aiming high here!)?  Will you pray specifically for me around 4:30 tomorrow afternoon?  Take-off has traditionally been the time that the panic has me in its grip…there’s just something about the extreme power of lift off…and the very uncomfortable “elevator” feeling I get in my stomach as we lift up in the air.

If I could change the person I am, I would transform into someone who actually enjoys the experience. I would have the courage to look out the window and marvel at the beauty of the clouds and the scenery.  I would even be relaxed enough to enjoy a carefree nap and would wake refreshed and energized. I would not be hungry on the plane because I would have been able to eat throughout the day.  I would be able to get up to use the bathroom instead of sitting with legs crossed unable to stand.

Thank you all for your prayers!  We are flying to Florida in an attempt to view Friday’s space shuttle launch and to spend a week with family.  As much as I wish I didn’t have to fly to get there, I know I will enjoy walking the beach again.  I can just feel the sand between my toes and hear the waves crash against the shore.

It just struck me how much of an auditory person I am.  I react to sounds.  After a busy day at co-op with 300 kids trying to talk over each other, I savor the quiet so much that I don’t even turn on the radio on the way home.  The sound of ocean waves soothes my soul like aloe on a burn.  I could spend hours alone on the  beach, just listening to the sounds the Lord made.  The sea gulls’ cry…the slap of the waves…the wind whistling through my hair.

I’ve never been to a shuttle launch, but I’ve heard there will be a great deal of BOOMING going on, so my ears will probably need a little time on the beach to recover.  But what an amazing experience…I will take pictures and post about them when I return…

Until then, bloggy friends…thank you for praying!

The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness
all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.
Psalm 25:10

I entrust my spirit into your hand.
Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.
Psalm 31:5

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:5-7

Commercial Christmas

I’ve been getting pounds and pounds of catalogs in the mail these days advertising everything from Christmas trees to fuzzy socks and fake rocks. My email is flooded with ads urging me to “beat the rush” and snatch up various merchandise currently offered at unbeatable deals. Of course, all these deals are “the lowest price of the season.”

I also receive daily emails from the American Family Association. Many of these emails are a sincere effort to mobilize Christians to stand up for Christ in today’s culture. They organize boycotts against companies that advertise in “alternative lifestyle” magazines and websites. I salute the organization for its stand on many issues.

One of AFA’s drives is an effort to make sure that businesses and organizations in America do not take the word “Christmas” out of holiday celebrations. They rallied their supporters to contact Home Depot after it was discovered that their company website mentioned “holidays” and “Hanukkah” but not “Christmas.” After receiving many phone calls and emails from AFA supporters, Home Depot released this statement:

…The Home Depot has not censored Christmas. The Home Depot has and will continue to include the word “Christmas” in a variety of communication efforts, including advertising, store banners, our Web site and point of purchase displays near such items as Christmas trees.

We also use the word “holiday” in our outreach to customers, as many of our store displays and other marketing efforts cover more than one holiday from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and stay in place throughout the entire holiday season from November through January.

With that said, we are adjusting our Web site to make “Christmas” more prominent and to make our site more aligned with our advertising and point-of-sale in-store signage. Customers will start seeing the adjustments later this week.

AFA was pleased with this change in policy and encouraged its supporters to contact Home Depot to thank them for their willingness to keep “Christmas” on their website and in their stores.

As I read the statement from Home Depot, I began to squirm. A thought popped into my head:

Why should Christians care whether or not the word ‘Christmas’ is used in advertising and other promotional materials?

I’ve been pondering this thought for several weeks now, turning it over in my mind. The answer I’ve concluded goes against the mainstream Christian culture, but I believe that is because the mainstream Christian culture has bought into a fake Christmas hook, line and sinker.

Think about it. Why is it that we Christians who actually “own” the meaning of Christmas allow the mainstream American “Buy More” culture to permeate our celebrations? Many well-meaning Christians go into debt in order to buy bigger and better stuff for their children, for their families, and for their friends. In fact, Americans spend $450,000,000,000 (that’s $450 Billion!) on Christmas every single year.

Say what?

450 Billion Big Ones is spent in America every single year on Christmas. Don’t get me wrong…we celebrate Christmas with our credit cards just as much — or more — as the Jones’ next door. And last year during the holiday season I ended up with a three-month-long headache that was the result of stress and anxiety. It struck me the other day that Jesus does not want us to be so preoccupied with the “stuff” of the season. The real “stuff” that he is interested in has to do with putting our treasure in heaven.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Romans 12

If I take those verses from Romans 12 and apply them to my life during the Christmas season, I see that I have completely and totally copied the behavior and customs of this world. I have bought the lie…the lie that says that the more money you spend on your kids, the more they will know how much you love them. I have swallowed the lie that tells me that my family won’t know I love them unless I spend oodles of cash on them buying stuff that they don’t really need. Somehow I have allowed myself to link LOVE with STUFF…and that is ridiculous.

Think about it.

What does a carpet display at Home Depot have to do with Jesus? He walked on unpaved, dusty roads and undoubtedly had dirty feet! He wasn’t exactly born in the Ritz but in a stable filled with musty, earthy animal scents. Mary didn’t dress him in purple robes from BabyGap but in swaddling cloths (although I’m sure she probably would have if she’d been able!).

How on earth have we Christians come to equate presents under the tree with the person of Jesus Christ? Take a look at these advertising slogans and see how many of them you know by heart. How many of them do you know better than you know God’s word?

• Don’t leave home without it. (American Express)
• Reach out and touch someone. (AT&T)
• The ultimate driving machine. (BMW)
• The King of beers. (Bud)
• Have it your way. (Burger King)
• M’m M’m good. (Campbell’s soup)
• Cooks who know trust….(Crisco)
• It keeps going, and going, and going… (Energizer)
• Quality is Job 1 (Ford)
• Because you’re worth it (L’oreal)
• Just do it (Nike)
• The un-cola (Seven-up)
• Who wears short shorts? (Nair)

My favorite ornament is a “gift” that my daughter made for us several years ago. It is hand-made out of typing paper to resemble a child’s version of a present. On the inside of the present is one word: Jesus. We place this present under the tree every year. That is what I’m focusing on this Christmas: getting back to the heart of the season, which is gratitude to God for giving me the ultimate gift in Christ.

I’m not trying to be Scrooge here. I am honestly seeking to understand why I’ve bought into the lies — and I am horrified to think of what my actions are teaching my daughter about what it is that I really treasure.

That’s why I’m joining the Advent Conspiracy.

I will do my best to give Presence, not just presents that are here today and tomorrow are forgotten.

In the coming days, I will post some non-gift ideas for ways to celebrate the special Christmas season or ways to celebrate by spending money on those who have nothing. The first idea is this:

Coupon Book

This gift has been a favorite of my daughter’s each year that I have done it…and on the few years I haven’t made the time to make it, she’s asked where it was! The coupon books contains coupons for my time or for special events. Some items have included:

• Eat dessert first (this was a favorite one!)
• Skip a shower
• Picnic with mom in the park
• Mommy manicure
• Ice cream scoop at Baskin Robbins
• Skip a school assignment in our homeschool

The coupons are redeemed at any time during the year. I have several of each item, and she can use them whenever she wants. I’ve found that she likes to keep them saved up for special occasions.

This year I plan to make a coupon book for her…but I also will make one for my husband (with different coupons, of course!)

As He often does, God is conspiring all sorts of things to lead my mind in this direction. I first heard of The Advent Conspiracy on a friend’s Facebook page, and somehow it stuck in my brain. Several weeks later I checked into it and WOW! I felt as if that sword of the spirit was smiting me all the way to my marrow. Then this weekend my husband downloaded an album from a group I’d never heard of before called Monk and Neagle – and I heard this song:

Whereas last year I would have cared very much that Home Depot or Target or JC Penny or Macy’s omitted the word “Christmas” from their holiday circulars…God is working on me, people. I can honestly say today that I.don’t.care. In fact, I would rather see Christ REMOVED from the holiday spending orgy because the xBox 360 and the latest and greatest computer do not reflect the person of Jesus Christ. Those things are of THIS world and are slowly but surely stripping away all that is holy about the miracle of Christmas. I don’t want to pass by the truly needy for the twenty-first time in my rush to buy the Next Big Thing.

I am definitely still a work in progress, and so is this topic. Stay tuned for more…

Around the World in Five Hours

Life these past few days has been filled to the brim as I endeavored to follow my daughter’s elaborate 10th birthday party plans. We went on an around-the-world trip within the walls of our home. The girls had tea with the “queen” (yours truly!) in London,

played Italian street games and enjoyed fine Italian cuisine complete with sparkling grape juice in real crystal wine glasses in Rome,

took off for Dublin where they found a delicious birthday cake at the end of the rainbow,

flew to Egypt and wrote their names in hieroglyphics,

jetted over to Jamaica for some tropical swimming in a toasty warm pool, and finally headed back to Dallas for some Enchanted movie fun.

Phew! Talk about preparation…this one was a doozy, but oh it was so worth it to see the smiles and the joy. I think the best part of the party was the grown-up participation. My husband found a recording of jet engines and played that every time we “flew” to a new locale. He also found authentic music and played that added ambiance. We made passports for each girl and “stamped” each one as we “arrived” at each destination. A girl turns ten only once, you know!

So Happy Birthday, my sweet girl. I love you completely just the way you are and am so proud of your strong faith and convictions!

America the Beautiful

I am overwhelmed with gratitude this day. Our country is unique in our graceful and peaceful transfer of power…as our leaders pass the baton according to the votes of the American people. There are no rioters in the streets on this day after the election. Those of us who supported McCain now turn our hearts to the good of our country and acknowledge that God’s plans are higher and loftier than anything we can possibly fathom.

President Bush’s speech this morning was one of the best examples of the beautiful American spirit that I have ever heard. Regardless of your personal feelings about him as a leader and about his legacy, I hope you will take a few moments to hear and see what he had to say this morning about passing on the office:

Now, I will be praying for President-Elect Obama and his family. It will not be an easy road by any means, and any person who choses to walk such a stressful life in service to his country must get some kudos from me. I am grateful to be living in such a country as this, where the transfer of political power is gracious, and for a short time at least, our leaders transcend their political parties and unite as Americans. What a privilege and honor it is to be living in times such as these!

I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9

Fall Reflections on Election Eve

One the eve of tomorrow’s election for our country’s leaders, I pause to reflect on the heavenly government that is to come.

His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
Isaiah 9

The Lord on High is on his throne this evening…he will not step down. He will not sleep. The earth and all that is in it rejoices and rests in the sheer majesty of our Mighty God.

You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Isaiah 55

No matter which way our paths lead us, we know that our God holds them all in the palm of his hand.

Because of God’s tender mercy,

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,^[a]to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.
Luke 1

And though the hardships we encounter may leave us scarred, God himself tenderly cares for us.  He promises to restore our health.

The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Isaiah 58

Along the way we realize that God has done such wonderful things for us.  Our future is assured!  We know the final score.  Such knowledge is too wonderful not to share!

We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
Psalm 126

Indeed, what joy we really have!

Make The Crooked Paths Straight

Those of you who have not yet decided who to support in this presidential election — one out of seven, according to a recent poll — you hold the keys to the castle, and my prayers are with you.

Consider this disturbing report revealing details about Senator Obama’s support for Kenya’s Raila Odinga in 2006 (Odinga claims that he is Senator Obama’s cousin).  Watch this clip from YouTube, and then read the words of Isaiah, in Isaiah 59, below the clip:

Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you,
nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.

Lord, we cry out you!  Save us, Father, from ourselves.

All their activity is filled with sin,
and violence is their trademark.

Father, please protect us from violence, and place your shield of protection around us and around our brothers and sisters in Kenya and around the world.

They don’t know where to find peace
or what it means to be just and good.
They have mapped out crooked roads,
and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.

Please make the crooked roads straight.  Wipe away the distortions of the evil one so that those in our nation can see.  Awaken a desire within us to seek out your word…write your word on our hearts.

So there is no justice among us,
and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
We grope like the blind along a wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.

Open the eyes of those who will vote this Tuesday, Father.  We call on you directly to intervene.

We look for justice, but it never comes.
We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
For our sins are piled up before God
and testify against us.
Yes, we know what sinners we are.

We know we are not perfect.  We know that we have allowed the government to ban your word and our prayers from our public schools.  We know that we have left on the television at times that we should have turned it off.  We know we have caved in to the American “Keeping up with the Jones’” attitude at times.  We have neglected to pay attention to those we elect to lead us.  We have neglected to hold each other and ourselves accountable for our actions.  We have bailed out our kids when they would have been better off if we had just let them suffer natural consequences.  We have turned our backs on the needy without even realizing we are doing so.  Father, forgive us!  Help us turn back to you.

Truth stumbles in the streets,
and honesty has been outlawed.
Yes, truth is gone,
and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

Those of us who take a stand for morality are attacked in the media.  “Evangelical” is a bad word in today’s society.  We are ridiculed.  We are berated for “clinging” to our religion.  The press that is charged with reporting the truth distorts it for their own aims, and they neglect to report information that proves the wolf really is in sheep’s clothing.

The Lord looked and was displeased
to find there was no justice.
He was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.
So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm,
and his justice sustained him.

As you did before, Lord, I pray that you will intervene.  I pray that you will step in and save us with your strong arm.

In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord;
in the east, they will glorify him.

We will glorify you and  your name, Lord, no matter what the outcome this Tuesday.  Still we plead for mercy and judgment…and that your will be done.

“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem
to buy back those in Israel
who have turned from their sins,”^[b]
says the Lord.

We have turned from our sins, Lord!  We believe in the name of Jesus, and we eagerly await his return!

“And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Yes, Father, you are with us always.  Thank you for sheltering us beneath your wings.

The ABCs On The Wall

Although my faith is firm in my King Jesus, I cringe to see the ABCs on the wall for this country we inhabit if we do not stand firm and refuse to believe the deception swirling around us.

Many Americans have been duped, such as this one:

If I help him, he’s gonna help me.”

The bedrock of this country is crumbling in the name of ‘help’.   A man in El Paso jumped off a bridge to his death and left 2 notes behind to Senator Obama, asking him to “help” his family.  What is wrong with this picture?

Obama is NOT a god.  He will not fill your gas tank or pay your mortgage, yet somehow those people and probably others like them seem convinced that he is the savior.  Not only is he NOT our savior…not only does he hold socialistic views and believes the Warren Court was “not radical enough” to declare redistribution of wealth a civil right…not only did he vote against the Born Alive Act which would have protected infants born alive during botched abortions…not only does he not want his daughters to be ‘punished with a pregnancy,’ but he also has extremely dangerous views about government involvement in education.

Keep in mind as you listen to this clip of Obama discussing education what another socialist, Adolf Hitler, had to say about children:

He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.

And mull over this quote from the Father of Socialism, Karl Marx:

The education of all children, from the moment that they can get along without a mother’s care, shall be in state institutions at state expense.

Now here is the front-runner in the United States Presidential race, Senator Barak Obama, talking about educating children from age 0 to 3 and beyond:

Did I hear that correctly?  Obama wants the federal government (taxpayers) to pay for RNs to identify and then work with parents to show them how to be parents.  This policy has the potential to rip apart our parental rights.  For example, how will the RNs “identify” those who need the government’s “help” in raising their kids?  What sort of help will they provide?

In arguing for 0-3 education, Obama mentioned that lots of kids start school already behind their peers.  As a former first grade teacher, I can tell you that this is a fact.  I had first graders who could read and I had those who did not even know the ABCs.  Obama claimed that those kids who started out “behind” eventually “push back” against education and give up.

Not so, Mr. Obama!

This discrepancy in children’s knowledge prior to kindergarten and first grade is not merely the result of their socioeconomic status, as Obama seems to imply.  It is directly a result of a child’s readiness.  Not all children are ready to sit still, pay attention, and learn to read at age 5. Their brains are just not ready to process the kind of fine motor and visual discrimination needed to correctly identify letters, shapes, colors, and numbers.  It does NOT mean that those children are “dumb” or “slow.”  Nor does it mean that their parents should have had some form of government intervention to help their kids learn their ABCs before entering kindergarten.

It means they aren’t ready.  Period.

Some kids would be more successful students if they didn’t even begin school until they were 8 or 9….others are reading at age 3.  Yet Senator Obama thinks that the government needs to indoctrinate these kids so they are not “behind” before they start. I submit that the reason these kids end up “pushing back” against education is not because they started out “behind” their peers, as Obama suggests.  The reason they end up pushing back against education is because the government put an arbitrary age on compulsory education.  It’s the government’s fault for pushing school on these kids before they are developmentally ready.  Now we have a host of kids (mis)diagnosed with ADHD and many other medical labels when the truth is they just weren’t ready for book-learning!  Their brains needed more time to explore the world around them.  And their parents, eager for what amounts to free day-care in their minds, willingly dropped their not-yet-ready children into classrooms that can’t meet their needs.

If the public schools switched to a multi-age, small group approach, it wouldn’t matter.  If a child needed three years in kindergarten, let him have it.  If he needed two years to master the concepts essential to understanding multiplication, let him have it without the stigma of having to repeat a grade.

The public schools continue to fail our kids because they push multi-shaped kid brains into square-sized boxes.  This is why homeschooling is such a great option for these kids because their parents now get to choose curriculum that is appropriate to what their child is READY to do, not what the state says he SHOULD be ready to do at certain ages.  It is exceedingly telling that the Obama campagin has been silent about homeschooling.  If they come out against our right to homeschool before the election, they will  lose millions of votes.

For more information on compulsory education laws in the United States, the Home School Legal Defense Association has put together this very informative article. The writers conclude, most interestingly,

Is it merely a coincidence that the two countries whose educational system we have most admired (Japan and Germany) gave rise to totalitarian states in the 20th century, bent on world domination? Looking into the dying embers of two world wars should remind us that the utopian impulse that lures men to entrust control of the individual—including compulsory attendance and state control of education—to the wisdom of the state, sets the stage for corrupt and domineering governments.

We should be very wary of anyone in the government telling us how to parent — and school — our kids. The future of our nation depends on it.

If you have not made up your mind yet who to vote for on Tuesday, contrast Obama’s comments about  education with those made by Senator McCain: