Into the Word Wednesday

 

I stopped by Upward Not Inward, today and found a new Blog Hop going on.  On Wednesday, you post about what God has been saying to you through your Bible studies that past week.  Or a highlight from it. Or what God has been teaching you through some other means.  Well, this caught my attention right away, as I have been convicted of late that I don't do enough Christ centered posts any more and that the Lord wants me to use L & F more in that vein once again.  This afforded me the perfect vehicle to meet that particular leading and to help me meet my own personal goal of blogging at least once a week.

 

If you have a Christ centered blog or are a Christian and want to participate, just follow the links above.  If you enjoy reading these types of posts follow the links above to read what others in the Blog Hop are saying.

 

As for me, most of my Bible study centers around the devotional booklet by RBC, Our Daily Bread.  The Lord used the devotion from the 23rd of June to step on my toes a good bit.  It centered around "There is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." from Romans 13:1

 

It was a needed reminder for me that although I don't agree with much of anything this current U.S. Adminstration does or says, and I did not vote for this President, even have my doubts about his qualifications to be President, Obama is still my President.  And he could not be my president if my God had not allowed, or willed it to be.  That doesn't mean he is Godly or not.  It doesn't mean he is good or not.  It just means he fulfills a purpose that God has for our nation at this time and He has allowed him to be President.

 

Therefore, while it may be my duty as a U. S. Citizen to point out failings in the admistration or to fight to oppose things they want to implement or to try to vote him out of office, it is my duty as a Christian to submit to it's authority while it is in power and to pray for it and him as a man, a leader, my President, as a soul, a husband, a father, etc.

 

This I well know, but fall short in practicing.  Everyday life and the needs of people I know personally crowd into my prayer time and I find myself not lifting up Obama and the leaders of my country as I should as often as I should.

 

So, what God is teaching me this week is that I should commit to being more faithful to do that, and encourage each of you - whether pro Obama or not - to do the same.

Mad and Proud

There has been so much in the news lately about our rights as Americans being stripped from us.  Or causing us to become suspect by our own government or held to a higher scrutiny because of our beliefs.  Beliefs that aren't from far left field.  Beliefs that aren't imported into America on the backs of illegal aliens or piped in from dissidents in some distant regime.  I'm talking about beliefs that were core to America even 30 years ago when I was in college and Reagan was President.  Beliefs that made us the greatest nation on earth.  That made the masses want to come here.  Beliefs that protected the world from tyranny, brought the Berlin wall down, put men on the moon.  Beliefs that allowed our bread basket to feed the world.  Beliefs that told school children they were loved and unique and beautiful and could grow up to be anything they desired to be. 

Now the vocal America is a bunch of whinny, snotty nosed youngsters wanting a handout and beating up the decent kid down the block to get his candy if they aren't given any by Big Brother. Now our government has took political correctness to the ultimate extremes.  They allow a small percentage of very vocal, very litigious citizens to take the reins and steer our country straight into the ditch!

On the local level, I have recently been horrified to hear a Lumberton ISD person was reprimanded for praying at a kindergarten graduation exercise!!!  And even more nauseating to learn that Kountze ISD has decided to continue litigation against the cheerleaders that won court approval that upheld their rights recently.  Who are these people??!!!???!!!??  No one I have ever actually met or conversed with. 

But on the bright side, our wonderful Texas Legislature and Governor Rick Perry have struck a blow to the fear mongers and heathens!!!  They have signed legislation protecting school children and school personal from litigation for saying "Merry Christmas!!"   Bravo!!!  I am so proud!!  If I weren't already a Texan, I'd move here!  We are the candle shining in a dark - very dark- America!  Praise God!  And to borrow our littering campaign slogan:  Don't Mess With Texas.