Overwhelming Sadness

When I posted the original thought, I didn’t realize what inner strength would come from the realization that inside my heart I feel the pain of injustice. The depth of the feeling keeps me awake at night, wishing I could fix it, but there’s no fixing carnal sin. Even Jesus on the cross couldn’t fix the depth of the problem, He could only forgive it.

I’m willing to forgive it…

But Jesus I can’t do this on my own. I need YOUR help to forgive the sin that left this world in pieces, often tears up my life and disrupts the lives of my children, your children. Lord, I need your help.

The past week has been flooded with obscene phone calls, messages left on my phone where incredibly awful names were called. Even my four year old granddaughter was called a despicable AWFUL name by her father, on my phone. Why? Because we had the audacity to be out enjoying the sunshine when he called for his phone visit, although there’s no limitation as to when he can call. Then when I was on the phone for a class, his repeated fast fire calls disrupted my class and by the time I could get the phone to my granddaughter, he’d disconnected, after calling me every name he could think of. I’d put the phone down away from my ear, but I could still hear him. I missed the rest of the class because I couldn’t call back into the line. He didn’t care, I never bothered to tell him, because to him it wouldn’t have mattered.

In his mind it was all about him.

This concept of being the axis upon which the world turns keeps coming up in my life. I’m not now, nor have I ever been the center of mine or anyone else’s world. I often wonder if I‘m still on the planet. But the point I’m trying to make is, feeling sadness doesn’t make a situation different, doesn’t improve a thing about the problem.

In fact, if everyone in the world felt SAD about the problem of carnal sin in the world, in those individuals who perpetuate the infliction of pain on others, nothing would change. We must forgive it, and then give it to God to deal with. He alone can fix it.

No matter how big the problem, Jesus can fix it, if you trust Him.

Family Values – Honor the Family

Jolts of reality struck me like lightning splintering the darkness.

Where did that come from? My thoughts rehashed the discussion of an earlier topic and landed square in the middle of a chat with my son-in-law about the values of family and how honoring heritage has created a distinctive void in current society. The implication of that statement is clouded by a downward directive. Is it only the foundational element of the family who has a right to expect honor?

In a family where alcoholism and greed provide a fundamental source of value a rejected child may feel the need to improve upon or compete with the chosen career of the parent who seems most normal. Or it may involve the child feeling a lack of position and self-confidence? Either way, the pertinent position of power is disrupted by a lack of “honor”.

Applied to current political realities these same words reek of insincerity and bleak renouncement of allegiances. A president who dares to apologize for his position, despite his status and power, the man, elected into office on the ignorance of youth and unskilled voters, disregards the heritage of freedom and liberty in an attempt to force compliance on people who reject social equity for the more realistic notion of equality. Is there justice in the daring acquisition of a position he didn’t deserve, has no right to hold and has disgraced so completely in such a short period of time?

When the implication of family values stands down the heritage of a nation, the fault of irrefutable justice lacks grounds and ceases to be of consequence. Justice in and of itself ceases to exist.

In the same realm of existence, family values cease to hold power when implied upon a fundamental foundation of alcoholism and greed. No matter how significantly applied, when a woman known to consume great amounts of alcohol is allowed continued access to a vehicle and encouraged to get behind the steering wheel, endangering the lives of others, her rights have diminished the right to life of those in her path.

So too, is the application of a president who has destroyed in his first hundred and fifty days the freedom and liberty of a nation. Although many of the laws he’s attempting to enact won’t be in appliance until after the next congressional/senatorial votes are applied, the attempts still exist. His disregard of the wishes of the American people have affected the future generations of this nation, and the world with a negative impact. Liberty is at stake. Are you willing to give it up?

Just as alcoholism and greed can destroy a family, presidential atrophy and insubordination can destroy a nation. Life as we know it is changing and without so much as a sigh, the change we didn’t want will have taken place before we can grasp the reality of our displaced freedoms and destroyed liberty.

Generational application of the lack of values changes the future, eradicates the past, and mutilates social justice. Are you ready to live with the mistakes?

There is an option.

Just as family values are built on the Biblical Principles of a Savior sent down from Heaven, the values of this nation are built on the fundamental principles described in the Constitution of the United States of America, a document founded on Biblical Principles. The American Experiment has succeeded, or at least until 1913 applications of Constitutional Amendments allowing dangerous changes to the foundational document it had succeeded. Even with those changes, the 5000 year leap had continued to improve lives, increase technology, and advance social application, until January 2009.

Sand Dunes National Monument – Colorado

Sand Dunes National Monument

Sumer vacations in Colorado almost always mean mountains. Whether we find ourselves in the Sand Dunes or high on a mountain looking out over the valleys or just tromping along a clear mountain view, the opportunity to visit the mountains in the summer just make’s sense.

We love the mountains for many reasons, they’re cool, refreshing, and scenic, to name a few. More than that, they’re an opportunity to see God’s expression in our lives. Although, not everyone sees them as grandeur and majesty, there are those of us who close our eyes on a hard day and visualize escape in the mountains.

Rugged peaks reaching up to the sky, puffy white cluods drifting overhead, clear blue skies, brilliant in their presence, and life in abundance speak to me from the mountain. I understand the blessings of God’s gift, the promise of heaven, best in the mountains. There, I see the opportunity to climb higher and experience the grander side of life, as it is meant to be. I feel the freedom of living in a world created by God, untouched by man.

I’d never seen a river flowing through the dunes before. In all the photos I’ve seen, and all the times I’ve been there, the river has never been visible. I realize it’s there, just beneath the sand, but I’ve never seen it. This photo for me, was a rush.

It reminded me that even though I can’t see God, he’s there. Even when I can’t feel the rushing waters of refreshment coming down from heaven, His love is there, reaching out to me and touching me. I believe this photo says it all. Even when I couldn’t see it, the river was still there. The blessing is that no matter how far away I feel from God at any given time, He’s still there. I simply have to open my eyes and I can see God.

Photo by Ashley Denman