History, Present and Future is our God's

HISTORY FORGOTTEN

This is worth remembering, because it is true. It's familiar territory,
but those of you that graduated from school after the early 60's were
probably never taught this. Our courts have seen to that!

Did you know that 52 of the 55 signers of "The Declaration of
Independence" were orthodox, deeply committed, Christians?
That they all believed in the Bible as the divine truth, the God of
scripture, and His personal intervention. It is the same Congress that
formed the American Bible Society, immediately after creating the
Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress voted to purchase
and import 20,000 copies of Scripture for the people of this nation.

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution,
is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death";
but in current textbooks, the context of these words is omitted. Here is what he actually said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that
presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks. Was Patrick Henry
a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this: "It cannot be
emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been
afforded freedom of worship here."

Consider these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote in the front of his
well-worn Bible: "I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the
doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be
rallied to the unity of our creator." He was also the chairman of the
American Bible Society, which he considered his highest and most important role.

On July 4, 1821, President Adams said, "The highest glory of the
American Revolution was this: "It connected in one indissoluble bond the
principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President of the United States reaffirmed
this truth when he wrote, "The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

In 1782, the United States Congress voted this resolution: "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools."

William Holmes McGuffey is the author of the McGuffey Reader, which was used for over 100 years in our public schools with over 125 million copies sold until it was stopped in 1963. President Lincoln called him the
"Schoolmaster of the Nation."

Listen to these words of Mr. McGuffey: "The Christian religion is the
religion of our country. >From it are derived our nation, on the character
of God, on the great moral Governor of the universe. On its doctrines are
founded the peculiarities of our free Institutions. From no source has the
author drawn more conspicuously than from the sacred Scriptures. From all these extracts from the Bible, I make no apology."

Of the first 108 universities founded in America, 106 were distinctly
Christian, including the first, Harvard University, chartered in 1636.. In
the original Harvard Student Handbook, rule number 1 was that students
seeking entrance must know Latin and Greek so that they could study the
Scriptures: "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed
to consider well, the main end of his life and studies, is, to know God and
Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John 17:3; and therefore to lay Jesus
Christ as the only foundation for our children to follow the moral
principles of the Ten Commandments."

James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United
States, said this: "We have staked the whole future of all our political
constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves
according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."

Today, we are asking God to bless America. But, how can He bless a
Nation that has departed so far from Him? Prior to September 11, He was not welcome in America. Most of what you read in this article has been erased from our textbooks. Revisionists have rewritten history to remove the truth about our country's Christian roots.

This information shared is only a drop of cement to help secure a
foundation that is crumbling daily in a losing war that most of
the country doesn't even know is raging on, in, and around them...

Passion...or lack there of

So, this is my first post in I don't know how many months. I could just flash back to my last post, but don't feel like taking the time to do that. It's been a long time, let's just say that.

Hmmmm....what to say? A lot has happened - Josh and I are no longer together. That is painful and by far the hardest thing I've ever experienced. Even being the one who initiated it...I don't care to ever go through it again.

I'm going to Africa again in February for two weeks. This will be my third time, and I have mixed feelings about going. Two weeks is just long enough to begin to be adjusted, to feel myself open up and my heart begin to reattach...and then I'll have to leave again. I wonder if my feelings of dislike for certain things about my own country will be as strong this time around as they were last? Probably. I'm also experiencing feelings of annoyance at the thought of such a short period of giving of myself. Something that has such a place in my heart requires more than just two weeks. It can seem so trivial, but I go with the hope that our prayers and presence will be of great encouragement to our African brothers and sisters. I'm thrilled at the opportunity to worship and pray with those who have already committed their lives to Christ. I love the picture of every tribe, tongue and nation coming together in worship and freedom and joy - being moved by God. Thrilling!!

My roommate and I just shared our second Christmas together in our apartment and if all goes as planned, we'll have one more before we move our separate ways. We got a Douglas Fir for the first time in my life, and I think I may have been converted. It is SO much easier to string lights on one of those babies than on the Nobles. Last year Em and I spent I think around two hours at least putting the lights on, not to mention the hours spent sawing off the lower branches with butter knives. Yes, we did do that. Makes for some fun memories. This year was MUCH easier. We even got to go tree viewing in the snow! And we had snow the day before Christmas Eve. Close enough for me!

I have also discovered the joy of line dancing. And I am not being in the least sarcastic. I absolutely love it! My good friend Missy Pearson and I have been faithfully going for about a month now. It's the Kitsap Kickers' Line Dance Club in Old Town Silverdale, located in the trusty Boy Scout Hall. Our fellow dancers range in age from 45 to 80. Let me tell you, it's a blast! It's a riot to see those elderly gentlemen out there pushing their tush and doing the boot scootin boogy. :) That's how I want to be when I'm old.

I've also discovered that dancing, singing and writing bring me completely alive. They are my favorite ways to express myself and when I allow myself to indulge, I feel my sorrows and cares lifted from me. I have to remember that, I haven't been indulging nearly often enough!

Ok, I'm signing off for now. Just thought I'd shoot a random post into the blogging world. I don't know if anyone even checks this anymore!

Ciao.

What Are You Hanging On To?

This story made me cry this Sunday when our women's pastor read it to close the sunday school class on contentment. I have been struggling for a few years now in believing that God truly desires to bless me and give me the desires of my heart - to give me a life that will please me as well as Him. This story sliced right through to the heart of me...

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere-Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy.

And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first. So He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.

What are you hanging on to?

I do....Again.

My parents renewed their wedding vows this Saturday. I had been anticipating this day for a good month now, and knew by the tears that were coming before I had even arrived at my parents' house that it was going to be an emotional time. I got there an hour early to take pictures of my parents before the tears had a chance to smear any make-up. My mom looked beautiful - tan slacks and a nice, green shirt with simple gold jewelry. My dad had his khakis on with a casual, pale yale shirt that stirred images of luaus and Hawaiin beaches. The smiles they exchanged with each other spoke of restored hope, love and trust. As Pastor Tom led them in the ceremony, they exchanged faith statements in their marriage - "I believe in our marriage now more than ever." My mom cried while my dad grinned down at her and rubbed her hands and arms. They exchanged their gifts to each other - their rings. My mom's ring was redone and remade while keeping some of the original look - symbolizing the blend of their first beginning and this new beginning God has brought to them. My dad's ring was the same but my mom had had, "Always and Forever" engraved on the inside. I learned something about my parents' story I had never heard before - my mom couldn't afford to buy my dad a ring so she ended up buying him the ring he now wears at my grandma's antique shop a year after they were married. It's very special to my dad.

My parents served communion to everyone who was there, we prayed and the ceremony was over. It was very special to have Tom officiating the ceremony since he had been so devoted to helping my parents' marriage survive. I tried to say something - a sort of mini speech - but didn't get very far before collapsing in sobs while my mom held me. After that emotional outburst, I was ok to say what I wanted to say. Basically, thanks - from the very bottom of my heart.

My grandpa was up for the ceremony, and that was an unexpected blessing. I love my extended family so much and to have my grandpa there, when I have no idea how much longer he will be with us, meant so much to me. Especially because he was able to meet Josh. It filled me with so much joy to have Josh meet my grandpa.

The night before (Friday night), the girls from my prayer group and I took my mom out for a mini "bachelorette" party - really we just went to Hot Shots Java and had coffee together. My girls are SO wonderful and I am so blessed. Two of them brought gifts for my mom and I found myself overwhelmed with blessing. It means so much to me that my friends had prayed and ached with me, encouraged and supported me. And now they were celebrating with me and my family - and I knew it was from their hearts. The body of Christ is a beautiful thing. Wow.

Ok, and now a totally different train of thought. I rowed in Whaling Days yesterday with my company and had a great time, rain and all. My shoulders, hips, back, chest and arms are all rather tight now, but it feels good. We lost two out of our three races, but had a great time. I really enjoyed being able to hang out with my co-workers on a non-business turf. Fun times had by all.

Updates

I have a couple of wonderful updates for all of you who might stumble upon my humble blog.

Update #1: This last week was our church's summer camp for the student ministry. We were just outside Wenatchee, about 20 minutes from Cashmere. It was a wonderful week filled with fun activities such as rock climbing, river rafting and oatmeal wars and great services where the call to be "unleashed" in our walks with Christ rang out. I met some wonderful girls and developed friendships that I know will be very special for me. It was a much-needed week where I surrounded by people who love God and each other. I felt my spirit drinking it in. While I was there God reminded me of the passion my heart had once held serving Him and for being used to bring the knowledge of Him to others. He did some more tweaking and brought down more walls (they seem to be never ending) and now I feel renewed in my commitment to give of myself in His service. A renewed sense of joy in using the gifts He has given me. So, I'm starting a small group and am so stoked. The girls in my group are incredible and we have already determined a name - Pimp Fish. Yep, that's right. Pimp Fish. I told them to run with the name part since creativity in that regard is not my forte (hence the title of this blog). So, that's what they came up with. I guess there is a loose tie to the fish crackers we had for communion that night...

Update #2: My parents. They are renewing their vows this weekend and then embarking on a trip to the San Juans for five days. I love being with my parents now - there is a freedom and a release that is so tangible to me. Others may not notice it so much, but I can definitely feel it. My dad looks happy and doesn't drift into his own world nearly as much anymore. My mom looks at my dad with a contented smile on her face - sometimes it's dreamy. :) I am so filled with amazement, praise and joy at the power of my God to work this miracle. I get all giddy and want to dance and laugh when I think about it. The beauty of seeing the realization of something you have hoped and ached for for so long with seemingly no hope at times is...indescribable. I know God will take what He started and work His healing and restoration into every other area of my parents' lives. I pray for it. I am freed from my own struggles with deep grief, anger, frustration and pain. The healing and relief that I feel in my own heart probably doesn't come close to what my parents must feel. For those of you who are willing, please continue to hold my parents in prayers for continued healing, blessing, restoration and protection.

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Silence.

Fear.

Panic....."Where are you, God? What's happening? I don't know about this...tell me what to do."

The echo of my words leaves me feeling empty and so alone. The only thing I hear is the sound of my own fears taunting me. "He's betrayed you. He doesn't love you. There is no hope. Life is going to be miserable - bondage."

In the stillness, the seeming truth of these words sinks into my heart and makes a home there.

Weeks, months, a year goes by - and I remain in this place of spiritual torture. With each passing day that I don't hear the Lord's voice the fears in my life become stronger until they are my constant companions and I trust them more than the God I used to love.

Depression, hopelessness and grief greet me each morning. I continue to cry out against them, "God!! Come back to me. Please....remember me. Save me and restore me."

Sometimes...sometimes a faint glimpse of the God I used to know comes into view. Sometimes a sense of peace and assurance settles in me, but it never lasts. My new "friends" are quick to remind of who God really is.

"NO!! I KNOW that God is good. I remember...I remember....I remember."

The fight is draining and I learn to just wall myself up and cling to the memories of what I had once shared with the Lord, even though they starkly clash with what I am now experiencing.

Then relief - I am home from college and living with my parents. I had made the wrong choice. Now I'm free, I can devote myself to restoring my relationship with God. With fierce determination I set myself to the task.

But there is a new fight. I am angry at God. I don't trust Him.

"YOU WEREN'T THERE FOR ME! I NEEDED YOU, I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING!"

I hold my bitterness up like a brick wall five feet thick and a hundred feet high and crouch behind it. I refuse to come out. I can't, He wasn't there. He might do it again.

And then something begins to happen. Slowly, steadily, softly, relentlessly. Can it be...Love is pursuing me? Whispers of love and faithfulness reach the places of my heart that still hope. Like a person denied oxygen for far too long, my spirit sucks it in - aching with it and longing for more.

But the wall still stands. I can't believe it - I can't give in....I don't want to get hurt again. Hope is not real, I can't believe for true happiness and joy. That's not life.

But love still comes, still pursues. At unexpected moments, hope and assurance pierce the hardness in my heart and bring me to my knees in longing and pain. How I ache for it...but I can't trust it! I got too hurt!!

The voice I hear is different now. "I am constant. I am faithful. I never left you, I love you." God's splendor and majesty crash a hole in my wall, allowing more and more life to wash in and making it impossible to deny it.

"I will never leave you nor forsake you." "I have hedged you in behind and before and laid my hand upon you." "I will be faithful to complete the good work I started in you." "I love you....I love you....I love you."

This is truth? Yes, THIS is truth. It hits with me with overwhelming certainty. I KNOW it, with everything that is in me. I KNOW it.

I see a new side of God I have never seen before. He is a relentless lover and pursuer of my heart. He is intentional in His demonstration of faithfulness and care toward my heart. I am speechless. How could I doubt a love such as this?

One by one the stones in my wall are blown to pieces until only a small pile remains here and there. I can't fight it anymore, I don't want to. I long for nothing more than to walk side by side with this Wild Lover, completely in step with this One who is taking such great care to renew my faith in Him.

Now, I find my heart filled with more and more joy each time I learn something more, each time I sense my relationship with Him has matured on some level, has reached a new depth.

I am more captured by Him and my heart, once filled with hopelessness and bitterness and barely alive, is awakened more and more to life and victory and assurance that I never knew before I walked through this fire.

"You were there all along, weren't You? You never left my side, never stopped loving and protecting. You are faithful, You are faithful, You are so faithful."

Victory.

Peace.

Triumph.

Battle Cry.

Joy.

I am my beloved's....and He is mine.

It's Raining Blessings

I am feeling sheltered in peace and rest right now. Many storms that I have been weathering are showing signs of ending. My parents are renewing their vows soon and are doing very well. Josh and I have made a physical commitment to each other for purity that has renewed my love for him in a deeper way and given me an excitement and joy to be with him. My friend who now lives in Guam just emailed me about the beautiful restoration that has taken place in her marriage and how wonderful her relationship with her husband is now.

I am going camping this weekend with Josh, Danielle and Luis (and their adorable little boy, Luca). The sun is out and it's the Friday before a four-day weekend.

One of my friends, Kaliegh Ritchie, told me about a small group that meets at her house on Saturday nights for prayer and bible study. God regularly moves among them and all hearts are thirsty and expectant for God to meet with him. I've been longing to be a part of a group like that - so Josh and I are going to check it out. I went to Kaliegh's house on Wednesday and we had an incredible evening of encouraging conversation about the Lord and then half an hour of worship with her and her dad playing the guitar.

So, I'm feeling....blessed and grateful. Thank you, Lord - my most faithful friend and Father. Thank you for the ways You have carried me and shown Yourself to be so loving and merciful. I love you more than anything.