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Shutting Down the South

Posted on January 10, 2017 by fivesonsplusone

We had a snow/ice storm here in North Carolina. No school and quite a few people working from home if it is possible for them. We get quite a bit of teasing from Northerners, which I was once one of as most of my readers know. I grew up in North Dakota and snow is something I am very familiar with. Cities in the South just don’t have the equipment necessary to deal with the snow and ice like they do in the Northern part of the US.

We can look at life like these Southern snow and ice storms and giggle and tease those who seem to “shut down” when something they aren’t used to gets thrown their way. Something may seem easy to you, but it can be terribly difficult for somebody else. Are we compassionate and empathetic toward those who have difficulty, or do we tell them how ridiculous we think they are? I can’t say I am always compassionate when I should be. Truth be told, I find myself more cynical than compassionate in too many situations.

How can I grow in love and compassion for people who seem to ‘shut down’ at the slightest bit of chill in their lives? I do have love and compassion for people, but I find that when people constantly put themselves in the same situation over and over again, it can be very difficult for me to tap into that compassionate side of me. Every time it snows in the South, it is guaranteed that memes and jokes will show up everywhere about it. I can laugh and joke about it with the rest of them, but I do see how the South just hasn’t been equipped for this stuff.

Some people are not as well equipped for different seasons of their life and what they don’t need is anyone reminding them how much they don’t know or haven’t learned yet.

I’m not saying we can’t ever joke with people or have a little fun with close friends, but if you have just met somebody and don’t know what their life is like, walk in compassion first. I need this post probably more than anybody out there because sometimes I feel like I see life so different than other people. My first reaction may be for someone to ‘suck it up’ before I think that maybe they could use a hug.

Lord please help me to grow in Your love and Your compassion. I want people to see You in me before AND after I open my mouth! Help me be a light that guides people to You.

Political Manipulations

Posted on February 8, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

I am a hugely political person. I have chosen up to this point to not write about political things, although those who know me personally, know how I feel about so many different things in the political realm. I am clearly a very conservative woman based on all I have written about up to this point. I believe in the Bible first and foremost. I make my decisions based on the Word of God. I believe every person in this nation needs to do their own research on each candidate. We cannot merely believe that our media represents us or that manipulation is not happening all around us. Politics has become more about manipulating an audience, manipulating our emotions, and manipulating facts than about desiring to continue to build a nation on the original foundation that we once held dear.

I truly get disgusted by things that are stated by both parties. As I said before, I am conservative, but that doesn’t mean that a Republican, or Libertarian can do or say no wrong. What has made me most angry this week that has pushed me into writing this, is the statement that Madeleine Albright made with Hillary Clinton. “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.” [Madeleine Albright] She made this statement in a speech with Mrs. Clinton eluding to the fact that if we don’t support Hillary, we will have a special place in hell. Apparently hell is very segregated. Over the years I have heard about special places in hell for different races, genders, and classes of people from all sorts of men and women trying to shame and manipulate.

Why do they have to attempt to shame people? What about that special place in hell for those who murder little baby girls in the womb without repentance? or boys? or black babies? white babies? every baby that is murdered in the womb? Why don’t we stop with shaming people into voting for you? We saw the same type of thing with President Obama when he was running. Many people believed you were a shame to your race if you didn’t vote for him because of the color of his skin.

I beg of you, American people, please do not vote unless you have done your research. Look candidates up and read from multiple web sites. Look at their records and history. Do not assume that what people say is the truth. Do not assume what the media tells you is the truth. I love my country and I want my children and their children’s children to live in a nation that still believes in the Constitution and that God is truly in the very foundation of this nation. This nation was birthed in order to be different from the rest of the world. Why do we want to now copy the rest of the world? Why do we allow such a small percentage of people in this nation to instill such a fear in us that we cannot speak Biblical truth any more. We have a political correct culture that dictates would we should say, what we shouldn’t say, what we have to say.

It’s time we stand up and not let this nation slide into more of a moral abyss than it already is. Revival begins inside each one of us. Let us remember that this isn’t one physical church that is going to do it all. This is a Kingdom BIG vision. Churches need to stop their elitist attitude and understand that we all have the same vision. We all want to see every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. We all want to see nations bowing down before their one true King; King Jesus. It will happen one day as God’s word states it already.

Philippians 2:9-11 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

old constitution Let’s be smart about this. Vote what you feel is the best. Remember, nothing comes free. Everything has its cost. Always do your research and understand that our founding fathers put things into place, such as our Constitution and Bill of Rights, in order to protect us from the very things that are trying to overtake us in this time. These are truly God given rights. We are all equal and we all have a right to protect ourselves. We have a right to religious freedom and no true leader should ever even want to take these freedoms away. Don’t let guilt or shame dictate who you vote for. God is a sovereign God, but He also gave us free will to make our own choices. What choice will you make?

Christian Criticisms….(Facepalm)

Posted on November 12, 2015 by fivesonsplusone

I have to say, it is so easy to criticize. We live in a world so filled with criticism, I don’t even know what it will be like when I don’t hear something daily. We have bandwagon criticisms and we have our own unique criticisms. God wants us to have a thankful heart, but when we choose to criticize, we are the opposite of thankful. This is that time of year when I start to see all those social media posts on what people are thankful for, which is awesome, except that those posts are generally in between all the critical posts.

I think one of the big things that bothers me is when Christians constantly criticize one another as well as non-believers. We jump on these bandwagon offenses and try to shout louder than anybody else. Is the solid red cup really Satan’s tactic to lead us into temptation away from God? My goodness people, quit being so silly and ignorant! We pull out our Bibles and tell our friends why they can’t eat that way; why they can’t drink that. We point our fingers and we put our noses in the air because we have received the revelation and can’t believe that all you sinners won’t listen to us. Why can’t we be thankful and love one another? Why don’t we concentrate on loving each other and helping the orphans and widows and saving the lost souls?

I want to be known by man and by God as a thankful person. I want to understand the widow’s mite. I want to help others understand that being thankful is being humble. When we point our fingers and criticize others, we are being proud and arrogant, which are not true characteristics of God. We need to speak the truth in love. The Bible is very clear about so many things that the world tries to tell us are morally fine. I’m not saying that we don’t speak the truth, but don’t condemn people. We want to be a people known by our love.

Lord, I thank You for all that I have. I thank You for my family and all that You have blessed me with. You are a good Father and I am so thankful that You love me more than I can even fathom. Lord, help me break this critical spirit off my life. Let thankfulness not only be for one season of my life, but I want a whole life filled with thanksgiving.

Progressing Into What??

Posted on November 6, 2015 by fivesonsplusone

Today as I was reading Deuteronomy, I came across this scripture.

Deuteronomy 4:2 “Do not add to what I command you and do no subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

God’s word is enough. We don’t need to add to it. We cannot subtract from it. So why do we see so many churches revising their church guidelines? Why do we hear so many religious people saying they have evolved in their thinking? Well, that is not scriptural or Godly. God doesn’t change His mind. He knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. He stays the same through the ages.

So many people argue that the Bible was written for so many years ago and surely God has progressed with the times! No, you just took God off His throne and put Him in your own little box and told Him how it is. God doesn’t sit on His throne and think, boy did I screw that up making a woman for Adam; or even making them have their own gender! He doesn’t look upon us and see how Satan has corrupted too many minds and brought perversion into mainstream society as a norm and think that the ‘student has surpassed the master’!

When we say that the Bible is an old book and the world has changed. Yes the world has changed, and the Bible may have been inspired to be written a long time ago for us, but it doesn’t take away the power that God’s word brings us. In Deuteronomy, His word says not to add or subtract from it. Man can attempt to change governmental laws all they want, but they will never ever change God’s laws. The Bible is filled with answers, and power, and encouragement. The Bible tells us to watch out for the enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy us. If you believe that gender is fluid and sex is between whatever man, woman, or thing you want it to be, then you don’t know Him. You don’t know God and you have lost all fear of the Lord. What you have gained is the fear of man and the fear of rejection. You won’t be standing before a group of your peers on Judgement Day. You won’t be able to tell God that ‘love is love’ or that the world is evolving. Yes, God is a merciful and gracious God, but He is a just and jealous God.

If you believe that the world is evolving and it’s just better to go with the flow, then you have rejected the Holy love of God and replaced it with the unholy darkness of the enemy of God. God does not change. He gave us a choice to choose Him, but He will not make us choose Him.

Lord, today I choose You. I choose to follow Your commands and to not add or subtract from them. I repent for ever listening or obeying the enemy when I felt it was the right thing to do to compromise. God I know one day every knee shall bow and ever tongue will confess that You along are God. I thank you for Your grace and mercy on my life and I will continue to worship only You; My KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.

Forgive Me Again

Posted on May 6, 2015 by fivesonsplusone

I shampooed most of the carpet in my home yesterday. I love that clean new carpet look after they are cleaned. There is no more dirt or stains. It is like they are brand new again. It is such a great feeling! I can look at my life the same way. When I sin, I start to become dirty, or stained. I can continue to live my life with the filth and stains, or I could choose to clean myself up. We all sin, but how we deal with our sin is what can really change us. As a child, I used to say “I’m sorry” all the time to get out of trouble. I knew it would appease my parents. I knew if I showed remorse, that they would show more mercy. I think many Christians live their lives like this; without maturity. Apologizing and asking God for forgiveness makes us feel better, but it does not change us.

Yes, God forgives us when we ask for forgiveness. He never reminds us of our sins that He has already forgiven us for. The problem with too many of us, is our failure to truly repent for our sins. To truly repent, we literally turn away from that sin and change our course. God knows our hearts. We can’t fool Him. He knows when we are trying to soothe our own soul, and when we are truly coming before Him, broken and wanting to be made whole by the only One who makes all things new. I know in my own life, there are too many times I have been almost flippant in my, “Oops! Sorry Lord, I did it again! Oh, please forgive me Lord!” Then, I choose to walk right back into that very same sin. I have to stop this. Where is the Fear of the Lord in this attitude? I should have the utmost of respect and reverence for the Almighty God, that my deepest desire is to completely turn away from my sin.

This takes maturity. We need to continually be maturing as Christians. If we truly want to be followers of Christ, we need to obey Him; obey the leading of His Holy Spirit. When we hear that still small voice telling us we shouldn’t be doing something, we need to obey Him. Yes, we serve a gracious and merciful Lord, but that doesn’t mean we continue to live a sinful life because we know He will always forgive us. Why are we even Christians if we don’t attempt to truly follow Christ in every area of our life?

“Lord please forgive me for not fully committing my life to You; for not truly repenting and turning away from my sins. Lord help me to walk in maturity and today I choose to recommit my life to serving You and loving You. I choose to understand who I am in Christ. I thank You for Your grace and mercy and for always loving me because that is who You are!”

Humble Yourself

Posted on December 5, 2014 by fivesonsplusone

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

I can be honest. Sometimes I struggle with humility. My personality demands justice and justice now. Sometimes I think God’s timing just isn’t fast enough. The opposite of humility is pride. I am being proud when I think my justice should be God’s justice. I could fill up this whole posting with so many scriptures on humility and God’s timing and God’s justice because is it so important. God doesn’t want or need us running around and enforcing our own forms of justice. Oftentimes we use manipulation as a tool to get justice. If one of my sons doesn’t think one of his brothers was punished enough, he often does his own form of punishment, or tries to manipulate me into adding more punishment. We see it in our children and we don’t tolerate it. Why should we tolerate it in ourselves as adults? We try to teach our children humility, yet we put ourselves above those standards.

If somebody hurts us, not only do we want them punished, we want everybody around us to know how they hurt us. Why do we spread discord among brothers? I think we all have that super close friend that we can talk to and they can talk to us where everything is private and we trust each other. That is not what I am talking about. How many times have we talked about a loved one negatively in order to manipulate or punish them, and when things finally get dealt with, we find ourselves wondering why our friends and family have ill will toward that loved one? We are sowing seeds of discord. We are gossiping. We are being proud and not humble.

When we lower ourselves, God raises us up. I know I would rather God raise me up than man. I would rather keep my mouth shut and learn to hold my tongue than to offend my King. Lord help me and all of us to learn what humility truly is. Help me learn that love and humility go together. Help me to learn that God is a just God and there is absolutely nothing He does not see. There is nothing He cannot change, fix, repair or correct. He loves us so much that He actually wants justice for those who have hurt us. Help me allow God to be my everything. God doesn’t need me, but I need Him!! Thank you Lord that Your mercies are new every morning!!