A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said, "Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even one year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together."
So the doctor said, "OK, and what do you want me to do?"
She said,"I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this."
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady, "I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too."
She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued, "You see, in order for you not to have to take care of two babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms."
The lady was horrified and said, "No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!"
"I agree," the doctor replied. "But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution." The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.
This was an email chain sent to me by Alexia. I usually find chain letters VERY annoying, but the last two she sent me have been really good (I'll share the other one with you later).
Abortion is a crime. A crime is a crime. Abortion is murder. Murder is murder. It's plain and simple. Why do people find it so hard to understand?
Please check out www.abort73.com and Lauren Barlow's site www.neversilencelife.com (and yes, it is really the BarlowGirls.)
12.1.09
Is God Just? [part1]
Have you ever done something you knew was wrong, and then got punished for it? Maybe your mom found out you were out past curfew last night. Or maybe your dad caught you watching TV when you were supposed to be doing your homework. Do your parents just “let it slide” when you repeatedly and purposely disobey them? No. They use negative reinforcement to teach you not to do it again. And if you don’t learn from that, then my dog is smarter than you.
In the same way, God cannot let your sins slide! Some Christians believe that God does not punish sin, because he is merciful. They are partly right. Yes, God is merciful. Remember in Exodus 16, God has just saved his people from the Egyptians, and then when things got a bit tough, they suddenly suffered from a case of selective memory loss. The Israelites had just seen God miraculously free them, and now they were complaining again. “Did you bring us all this way just to die in the desert?” they whined. If it were you or me “playing God”, we would have snapped our fingers and said, “Ungrateful brats, why don’t I let you starve to death?!” But God didn’t do that. Instead, out of mercy, God sent a type of bird to the Israelites for dinner. The birds, called quail, would simply sit on the ground and let the people catch them! In the morning, God gave them manna that fell from the sky. So, even though the Israelites were whiners, God still loved them and showed mercy to them.
That’s pretty cool, huh? So, if you do something wrong, you just get blessed, right? Wrong! Then you’d keep doing wrong things, and God would not approve.
To look at it from a different angle, God is a just God. In Numbers 16 (we’re still traveling with the Israelites), a man named Korah learned of God’s justice the hard way. He didn’t like how Moses was leading the people – he thought he could do a better job. Korah and 250 men told Moses that they were sick of him. Numbers 16:3 says, “They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far!’” Well, when they were dissing Moses, they were actually dissing God! (Because God had appointed Moses as their leader.) What happened do Korah and his men? “They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them …” (Numbers 16:33) Imagine you were Moses, standing in front of them. Suddenly, the men and their families and everything they owned fell into a crack – alive! It was like they never existed!
God clearly tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.”
So, that’s it? We die? After all, we’ve sinned a BUNCH! Nobody’s perfect, but God requires perfection. God can’t stand sin. So we can’t be with him, right?
Stay tuned for part 2!
In the same way, God cannot let your sins slide! Some Christians believe that God does not punish sin, because he is merciful. They are partly right. Yes, God is merciful. Remember in Exodus 16, God has just saved his people from the Egyptians, and then when things got a bit tough, they suddenly suffered from a case of selective memory loss. The Israelites had just seen God miraculously free them, and now they were complaining again. “Did you bring us all this way just to die in the desert?” they whined. If it were you or me “playing God”, we would have snapped our fingers and said, “Ungrateful brats, why don’t I let you starve to death?!” But God didn’t do that. Instead, out of mercy, God sent a type of bird to the Israelites for dinner. The birds, called quail, would simply sit on the ground and let the people catch them! In the morning, God gave them manna that fell from the sky. So, even though the Israelites were whiners, God still loved them and showed mercy to them.
That’s pretty cool, huh? So, if you do something wrong, you just get blessed, right? Wrong! Then you’d keep doing wrong things, and God would not approve.
To look at it from a different angle, God is a just God. In Numbers 16 (we’re still traveling with the Israelites), a man named Korah learned of God’s justice the hard way. He didn’t like how Moses was leading the people – he thought he could do a better job. Korah and 250 men told Moses that they were sick of him. Numbers 16:3 says, “They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far!’” Well, when they were dissing Moses, they were actually dissing God! (Because God had appointed Moses as their leader.) What happened do Korah and his men? “They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them …” (Numbers 16:33) Imagine you were Moses, standing in front of them. Suddenly, the men and their families and everything they owned fell into a crack – alive! It was like they never existed!
God clearly tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.”
So, that’s it? We die? After all, we’ve sinned a BUNCH! Nobody’s perfect, but God requires perfection. God can’t stand sin. So we can’t be with him, right?
Stay tuned for part 2!
11.1.09
Simply Praising Him
This morning, during praise at church, a man in the back row spread his hands out and, throughout the whole worship time, he mumbled prayers to God. I tried to catch bits here and there, but his voice, though confident, was quiet and I felt as if I was eavesdropping (which usually wouldn’t bother me, except the fact that this was church). Was he asking God to give him money so that he could serve God better? No. Was he asking God to make him well-liked? No. Was he asking anything for himself? No! The man was simply thanking God – praising him – for God’s greatness.
Maybe I need to be more like that. Instead of writing off a list of complaints and requests right away, maybe I should praise God first, THEN requests can come.
Why praise God? He made you! And he saved you! He let his only son die so that you could be with him. How cool is that? If someone gave you the greatest gift EVER, would you then ask him for something else, something more? Hopefully not! Hopefully you would thank him and give him all the gratitude you had to give.
God gave you the greatest gift of all. This month, would you like to join me in simply praising God’s awesomeness?
Maybe I need to be more like that. Instead of writing off a list of complaints and requests right away, maybe I should praise God first, THEN requests can come.
Why praise God? He made you! And he saved you! He let his only son die so that you could be with him. How cool is that? If someone gave you the greatest gift EVER, would you then ask him for something else, something more? Hopefully not! Hopefully you would thank him and give him all the gratitude you had to give.
God gave you the greatest gift of all. This month, would you like to join me in simply praising God’s awesomeness?
10.1.09
All or Nothing
Anyone who’s ever met me knows that my dream job is to work at Sea World, San Antonio, as the head marine mammal trainer. Maybe you have a dream job, too. Or maybe you haven’t figured it out yet.
Imagine I just get out of college with my Master’s degree, all excited and jittery about my first job interview. I spot one of Shamu’s impersonators in a tank nearby. I hurry to the office, smooth my pencil-skirt and check my lipstick. Good. I am called in to the office and I am directed to sit in a black leather swivel chair.
My future boss folds his hands and looks at me for a long while. “Mrs. Jonas,” he says, “I have been looking forward to this interview.”
I nod, taking in each word, turning them around in my mind. Does that mean I’m hired? He smells weird. Hey, maybe I’ll be a famous fashion designer for trainers!
“Here’s the thing,” the man says.
My stomach churns.
“You are only kind of hired,” he explains. “Money’s been tight, so that’s the way it’s going to be. Come in tomorrow to work…or not. Money may or may not be involved. We’ll see how things play out.”
My hair sticks out on all ends. “Wait, but—”
He ushers me to the door. “See you tomorrow—or not.”
Uh, HELLO! Not a chance! I refuse to be simply “kind of” hired. I’m either hired or I’m not. There’s no in-between stage.
Your relationship with Jesus works the exact same way. Jesus describes himself clearly to us, showing us that he is the divider between death and life. There is no “in between”. Jesus requires it of you! Are you going to give him your all or nothing? Are you going to live or die? I’m going to be totally honest with you: this is a matter of life or death.
It’s your choice.
Imagine I just get out of college with my Master’s degree, all excited and jittery about my first job interview. I spot one of Shamu’s impersonators in a tank nearby. I hurry to the office, smooth my pencil-skirt and check my lipstick. Good. I am called in to the office and I am directed to sit in a black leather swivel chair.
My future boss folds his hands and looks at me for a long while. “Mrs. Jonas,” he says, “I have been looking forward to this interview.”
I nod, taking in each word, turning them around in my mind. Does that mean I’m hired? He smells weird. Hey, maybe I’ll be a famous fashion designer for trainers!
“Here’s the thing,” the man says.
My stomach churns.
“You are only kind of hired,” he explains. “Money’s been tight, so that’s the way it’s going to be. Come in tomorrow to work…or not. Money may or may not be involved. We’ll see how things play out.”
My hair sticks out on all ends. “Wait, but—”
He ushers me to the door. “See you tomorrow—or not.”
Uh, HELLO! Not a chance! I refuse to be simply “kind of” hired. I’m either hired or I’m not. There’s no in-between stage.
Your relationship with Jesus works the exact same way. Jesus describes himself clearly to us, showing us that he is the divider between death and life. There is no “in between”. Jesus requires it of you! Are you going to give him your all or nothing? Are you going to live or die? I’m going to be totally honest with you: this is a matter of life or death.
It’s your choice.
5.1.09
Fake Holly
A hurricane of a sigh escapes my lips. My head is dizzy, my hands numb as I type.
Yes. I'm sure you are feeling the same way, or will be feeling so soon.
School has come back to haunt the houses and schools of millions of children across the world. Christmas break has come and gone. Which brings to mind a song by Alabama, called "The Little Boy's Prayer".
"Can we have Christmas
all the year long?
Tell stories of Jesus
and sing all his songs.
Something is special in our home today.
Can we ask Jesus to stay?"
Christmas comes to the world as an explosion of great things. While the Christian Christmas is even more spectacular and meaningful, even non-believers have fun (unless Santa is broke, due to the North Pole's failing ecomomy and recession crisis. The elves aren't good with money, you see). Almost everyone is willing to extend an extra dose of love to the world, whether it be cookies for a neighbor, supplying presents for the needy, or making a casserole for the hungry -- Christmas is the season of love. (After all, Jesus is love.)
Now, however, all of the Christmas decorations are gone. The tree, the fake holly, the wrapped presents, the unlimited supply of toffee and sweets -- they've vanished and we don't see them again for a whole year. (Of course, that stubborn mistletoe is still in our tree in the backyard. The only one I'll be kissing is my dog. I know, I'm such a scrooge.)
Yet there is one thing...ONE THING...that still lingers in the chilly air. There is something -- someone -- who will last longer than the presents, longer than the non-existent snow (welcome to Texas), longer than the frozen casserole and even longer than the candycanes. That someone is Jesus. He's still here, whether you believe me or not. And he's going nowhere.
Ok, so if Jesus is still here, why is he now unwelcome in our homes and hearts? Why have we closed our doors to him? Why have we forgotten him, as if he were that little chocolate Santa you devoured last week? Would you throw a splendid celebration for someone's birthday and then kick him out of your house before he can say "Happy New Year"? Hopefully not!
So, friends, would you celebrate Jesus all the year long with me? Can we tell the world of everything he's done and the love that he's offering? Would you help me to help the needy? Can we spread love throughout the nations together? Are you with me?
Let's ask Jesus to stay.
Yes. I'm sure you are feeling the same way, or will be feeling so soon.
School has come back to haunt the houses and schools of millions of children across the world. Christmas break has come and gone. Which brings to mind a song by Alabama, called "The Little Boy's Prayer".
"Can we have Christmas
all the year long?
Tell stories of Jesus
and sing all his songs.
Something is special in our home today.
Can we ask Jesus to stay?"
Christmas comes to the world as an explosion of great things. While the Christian Christmas is even more spectacular and meaningful, even non-believers have fun (unless Santa is broke, due to the North Pole's failing ecomomy and recession crisis. The elves aren't good with money, you see). Almost everyone is willing to extend an extra dose of love to the world, whether it be cookies for a neighbor, supplying presents for the needy, or making a casserole for the hungry -- Christmas is the season of love. (After all, Jesus is love.)
Now, however, all of the Christmas decorations are gone. The tree, the fake holly, the wrapped presents, the unlimited supply of toffee and sweets -- they've vanished and we don't see them again for a whole year. (Of course, that stubborn mistletoe is still in our tree in the backyard. The only one I'll be kissing is my dog. I know, I'm such a scrooge.)
Yet there is one thing...ONE THING...that still lingers in the chilly air. There is something -- someone -- who will last longer than the presents, longer than the non-existent snow (welcome to Texas), longer than the frozen casserole and even longer than the candycanes. That someone is Jesus. He's still here, whether you believe me or not. And he's going nowhere.
Ok, so if Jesus is still here, why is he now unwelcome in our homes and hearts? Why have we closed our doors to him? Why have we forgotten him, as if he were that little chocolate Santa you devoured last week? Would you throw a splendid celebration for someone's birthday and then kick him out of your house before he can say "Happy New Year"? Hopefully not!
So, friends, would you celebrate Jesus all the year long with me? Can we tell the world of everything he's done and the love that he's offering? Would you help me to help the needy? Can we spread love throughout the nations together? Are you with me?
Let's ask Jesus to stay.
3.1.09
No Driving in Heaven
I opened a savings account today. (I can hear Maddy gasping right now.) I put in $96 to start with. It may not seem like a lot to you, but to ME, well – I do my share of chores and only get a measly $2 a week. Yeah, I know.
So, what’s even worse, my siblings (except the youngest) opened an account as well, but because they were under age 13, they got $25 from the bank to add to their account! It is SO unfair. So now they have almost as much money as I do, and I’m twice their age!
It makes me mad. I’m saving up for a car that I don’t even want (I NEVER want to drive – it’s called a chauffeur). My car will probably be held together by duct tape, and maybe the previous owner’s cat gave birth in the seat. The wipers will wipe water onto the windshield, there will be no OnStar to tell me the name of that song on the radio, and the worst part? When I have to dodge bad guys like NCIS’ main character, and back up into a lake to avoid being shot, my seatbelt will suddenly jam and my face will turn white and this stupid fish will come and nibble my cold fingers as my vision and consciousness leaves me. Then, alas – I will be but 16, not yet at the prime of my life, with my entire life ahead of me. My life will flash before my empty eyes – my first day of school, when I took my training wheels off my bike (I was 10…don’t laugh), when I got a dog, when I started this blog, when I got horses, when I spent $10 on a milkshake at an amusement park and forgot that it was my money. (Don’t ask.) Then a light will flash against the still, murky water and I’ll hear the voice of my Father – that is, my Lord – and I’ll go to heaven and there God will give me a bright red Ferrari and a chauffeur so I never have to drive it. And there will be no jammed seatbelts in heaven. And no savings accounts. And no overpriced milkshakes. I’m so excited! I can’t wait! What about you?
So, what’s even worse, my siblings (except the youngest) opened an account as well, but because they were under age 13, they got $25 from the bank to add to their account! It is SO unfair. So now they have almost as much money as I do, and I’m twice their age!
It makes me mad. I’m saving up for a car that I don’t even want (I NEVER want to drive – it’s called a chauffeur). My car will probably be held together by duct tape, and maybe the previous owner’s cat gave birth in the seat. The wipers will wipe water onto the windshield, there will be no OnStar to tell me the name of that song on the radio, and the worst part? When I have to dodge bad guys like NCIS’ main character, and back up into a lake to avoid being shot, my seatbelt will suddenly jam and my face will turn white and this stupid fish will come and nibble my cold fingers as my vision and consciousness leaves me. Then, alas – I will be but 16, not yet at the prime of my life, with my entire life ahead of me. My life will flash before my empty eyes – my first day of school, when I took my training wheels off my bike (I was 10…don’t laugh), when I got a dog, when I started this blog, when I got horses, when I spent $10 on a milkshake at an amusement park and forgot that it was my money. (Don’t ask.) Then a light will flash against the still, murky water and I’ll hear the voice of my Father – that is, my Lord – and I’ll go to heaven and there God will give me a bright red Ferrari and a chauffeur so I never have to drive it. And there will be no jammed seatbelts in heaven. And no savings accounts. And no overpriced milkshakes. I’m so excited! I can’t wait! What about you?
2.1.09
Help please!!
Blogger is confuzzling me...again. It's done this before. When I go to the "New Post" page to write, there is just the title box, the typing box, labels box, and the publish post button. There's no options for pictures, changing the font, colors, etc.
Can anyone help me? That'd be great.
Thanks,
Melissa
Can anyone help me? That'd be great.
Thanks,
Melissa
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