Mr. Garner Goes To Washington

Thrilled For Tebow

2012-01-27T03:29:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well enough knows I'm not much of a sports fan. I never played high school or college ball. I couldn't explain a single play or strategy in any sport. Never shot hoops after school or played football in the yard with friends. Golf's the only game I tried to play - emphasis on tried. Rarely is a game on the TV in our house. No team would I really consider "my team." I've never worn or owned a jersey. The only sports logo in my closet is that of Southern Miss on a nice gold polo shirt given to me by a friend.

I'm pretty much as unathletic a guy as they come. So, for me to have a sports opinion is rare. But in the case of Tim Tebow, there's much to say.

Yeah, I know. Tebow's history. He's out of the media spotlight since the Broncos were punted from the championships. However, if you're a sports fan, you should be thrilled that for once here's the real deal. Tebow's not some punk collecting a paycheck, running around getting drunk, partying it up, and acting like a thug. Here's a real role model. Kids still need those. Heck, adults need them, too.

But perhaps we've forgotten what is a real role model. Or maybe we really don't want one. After all, Tebow appears to be an actual gentleman. He shows kindness and integrity. He's even turned down multi-million dollar endorsements because he wanted to focus on football and not have those distractions.

Here's a guy that when asked how the win over the Steelers felt, he didn't say he was going to Disney World and praise himself. Instead, he focused on one little girl.

“Football is amazing. We love it. We're so passionate about it,” Tebow said in his postgame news conference Sunday. “But the real win, at least I would say today, is being able to comfort a girl who has gone through 73 surgeries before the game and get a chance to go hang out with her now.

“That's the biggest win of the day. They're both exciting, but that's what I'm even more proud of."

Read more about that here.

What Tebow knows is that he couldn't help or encourage this child and many others if he wasn't doing what he's doing. And what he's doing he considers a blessing from God. Thus, he gives Him praise.

Have we become so jaded that when a sports figure or celebrity appears to be successful and a gentleman that we expect them to fail? That they can't be for real. They must have some skeleton in their closet! We stand on the sidelines waiting for them to fail.

If you're a Christian, you should be thrilled that here's a guy that's unashamedly sharing his faith. He's had John 3:16 painted on his eye-black, he tweets and Facebooks scripture references, and he praises not just God, but also Jesus, every chance he gets.

Have we become so comfortable in our own private faith that we want Tebow to tone it down? To shut up about his faith? One writer even compared Tebow to praying like a Pharisee. Really? Maybe this writer missed that Pharisees wanted people to see how righteous they were by their long, drawn-out, well-spoken, emotion prayers. Their intent was to bring attention to themselves, not God. Certainly not to Jesus.

But one could say, "But look at him! He's kneeling in front of everyone! He's praying! He's praising God! He should be doing that with no cameras around!"

I'd say that Tebow would be doing what he was doing whether no one was in the stands and no cameras were on him. That's genuine faith and that proves where his motives are focused.

I read several tweets after that Steeler win that essentially said, "God doesn't care about football." What was the motivation of sharing such a phrase? Does God really care about the game of football? Does He care who wins or loses? No, He does not. If a team with a Christian quarterback loses, does that mean that they're no longer in favor with the Heavenly Father and that prayer didn't work? Nope. It's a game. Someone wins. Someone loses.

I wonder if those who don't support Tebow - Christians and not - are essentially saying what John Oliver has said:

“I dislike Robert Mugabe. I hate Tim Tebow. If I was in a room with Tim Tebow and Bin Laden and I had a gun with one bullet in it, I’d shoot Bin Laden. I’m not a monster. But if I had two bullets–I’d shoot Tim Tebow first.

“How dare you thank God before thanking your offensive line…If I was an offensive lineman for Tim Tebow and I heard him thank God instead of thanking me at the end of the game I’d find myself lining up for the following game and say ‘oh Tim I heard your press conference at the end of the game last week, great to hear Jesus get a shoutout. Wasn’t he fantastic for us? Wasn’t God great, especially in that fourth quarter?”

How sad. How sad to publicly say you hate someone - joking or not. How repulsive you'd say you'd kill someone. And over what? Because he praises God? Hmm, that was done over 2000 years ago.

And Christians may forget what Christ said in John 15:

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’

Tebow isn't surprised that he's being mocked. People hated Christ without cause. People hate Christians today without cause even to the point of killing them. So, expect to be mocked. And be encouraged by it. It means you're getting people's attention.

But now that Tebow's out of the playoffs, all the chatter will die down. Not the mocking. Nope, that's been going on for 2000 years. People haven't changed much.

But maybe...just maybe the better thing to do...is respect the man, let him play football, say good for him, and pray that God keeps him safe. Not a bad prayer for anyone, whether you like that person or not.

Leaving The Church Is Not The Answer

2012-01-19T01:38:00.000-05:00

In 2011, did you stop attending church? Or was it just another year that you didn't darken such doors? Over the years, both Believers and non-Believers have shared with me their absence was due to hypocrites being in the church. So, what they're revealing is that something another person said or did became a great excuse for them to not go to church. Fact is, we're all hypocrites. We all say one thing and do another. At least occasionally. And some of us are bonified experts.

We're all human. We're all flawed.

However, are people being flawed the reason others are absent from churches? Hypocritical people is such an easy and lame excuse. I'm thinking there's more to it, and spending a few moments researching online yielded dozens of accounts to how people view church attendance.

Leesah Marie says here that there needs to be less judgement and more love in churches.

I think if Jesus were to come down from Heaven this moment, He’d stand outside these churches, wipe his brow in exhaustion, and say with embarrassment, “Geez, look people, I appreciate it, really I do, but I think you completely missed My point ... LOVE each other. That was what I said. Stop hating each other. Stop judging each other. Be kind and forgiving to each other because that’s what I’ve done for you, and that’s the greatest thing I taught you.” (Well maybe the Son of God wouldn’t speak in run-on sentences, but you get my point.)

And that’s why I stopped going to church every week. I can’t tolerate being around judgmental people. I can no longer make myself stand behind one line and chastise the people standing on the other side of the line. I’ve read the Bible many times, my mind is (almost) in constant prayer every moment of every day, I’ve been baptized, confirmed, AND saved, and I continue to speak to God daily. He has never told me to judge others. Yet the people who claim to be closest to God are all too often the most judgmental people I’ve ever met.

Stephen Lamb explains here how those sharing "the Word of God" use Him as their Body Guard so they can share their views which aren't always Scriptural.

Like thousands of sermons I heard growing up, the speaker opened his sermon by assuring people how bad of a preacher he was, that whatever the sermon was about came from God and not from him. It’s a brilliant set up, if you think about it. It means that people know up front that if you disagree with anything they say, you are not disagreeing with them, but with GOD. Using the phrases so familiar from my childhood, the words that provided the comfort and assurance that come from knowing you are absolutely right in everything you think, that not only is there absolute truth but that you have a complete grasp on it, the speaker that morning left no doubt that God was on his side – and you would be too, if only you weren’t so intent on rebelling against God (or him; the distinction was a little blurry by this point).

Washington Times religion editor Julia Duin writes in her book, Quitting Church, that many Christians dropout of church simply because they're burned out. She says many feel they're not getting meaningful worship, teaching, or fellowship and that they've heard all the sermons and served their congregations for years. This has produced Believers who prefer private devotions or informal home groups.

"The folks that I've interviewed who had left church were all surprised that no one ever came after them. No one asked why they were gone," Duin points out. "Businesses find out why no one wants their product anymore. Why can't churches do a little bit of asking the hard questions?"

A commenter named Freda shared here that she felt condemned at church.

My whole family is fragmented because of the harshness and corruption of the "Institute they like to call church." No love, no compassion, no peace, no joy, no understanding, fed up with seeing the backs of people's heads with no face to face conversation! No real fellowship with real relationships to form. Just talking about money and giving and "sowing a seed of faith." Too busy for me when I just needed a friend, instead I got a leader to whip me into shape with a verse or three! No edifying, just condemnation. Need a break from all of this so that I can be built up again by Jesus Himself, thank God for Jesus' ministry!

Another commenter named G. Jensen shared here that church is a reflection of society attended by people focused on money and themselves.

I have quit church because of all the small 'p' politics and masks that people wear. Church is basically just a reflection of the society in which it exists. People are focused on money and taking care of themselves first and foremost. I was once told that religion has nothing to do with how people treat each other, and have found this advice to be very true. Claiming to live by biblical principles is the easy part - the real test is to apply it in real life. Pastors are pretty much useless when it comes to conflict resolution. If you are not a major financial contributor then you mean nothing. Many pastors are very focused on their incomes and so it's the big money givers who count and they are the ones who call the shots. You see people on Sunday, but they don't really give a rip about you if you're not in their little clique.

There's over 200 posts like this. This phrase speaks volumes: You see people on Sunday, but they don't really give a rip about you if you're not in their little clique. I've felt that way before. How many others have?

There are some people who seemed to have allowed others to dictate their views on church.

I have tremendous faith, but I have no love for organized religion. Truthfully, most churches are filled with hypocrites. People who would rather go around telling others what they’re doing wrong, rather than deal with their own house.

Decent people like that write gossip blogs, they don’t stand on pulpits.

Seriously, to me, churches, synagogues, temples, any house of God, should be working with their parishioners and the community to make this world a better place. Feeding the poor, giving counsel to those in need. NOT organizing bus trips to protest Lady Gaga.

Others stopped going to church because they felt that they could learn more on their own.

I stopped going to church because I couldn't make myself go when there was nothing to learn. I knew the Bible inside out and I knew everything the preachers did. I wanted to be inspired in some way and the church totally failed to inspire me. In fact, I would often feel worse after church than before church, the reason being that I went in hopeful for a good time of fellowship and music and learning/inspiration. It didn't happen. I got more out of private Bible study at home and a walk in the bush or park.

Some have "lost their faith" or at least stopped going to church because The Church doesn't accept a sexual lifestyle when the rest of society seems to do so.

Many church principles simply don't reflect the views of young Americans. A recent study discovered that young people are more accepting of homosexuality: 63 percent of young adults believe that homosexuality should be accepted within society, versus 50 percent of adults in general. In most churches, discussing homosexuality is a taboo. "There's denial about homosexuality in the church," said Boyce Watkins, Ph.D., founder of the Your Black World Coalition. It's "even to the extreme where you have people who believe that if you pray enough, you will not be gay anymore," he adds.

We live in a society where open homosexuality is becoming common, but most in the church have yet to accept it. If God accepts us as we are, then why do some homosexuals feel unwelcome in church? Skepticism concerning church teachings about the Bible may be the reason 67 percent of young Christian adults say they don't read it.

We too often forget that prayer for those not in church is a very powerful thing.

Pray for your friend. My brother stopped going to church for a year. I asked him over and over if he would come to church with me and he always made up some lame excuse. I decided that there was nothing that I could do to change his mind (or heart), so I gave him over to God. When I began to pray for my brother everyday I began to see God work miracles in his life. When you pray for your friend, expect God to answer your request. Once you begin to see progress, keep praying. When your friend begins to open up, tell her that you are praying for her and ask her if she has any specific needs that you can pray about. If there is less of you, there is more room for God to work in and through the situation. He is faithful, so keep the faith!

Maybe the difference is as simple as our motivation for going?

So I’ve decided I’m not going to “church”- I’m going to worship. I’ve decided not to go to “church”- I’m going to serve. (Isn’t that why it’s called a “service”? Maybe we’ve turned it into a serve-us…)

What if we stopped going to church consumed with our needs (God will take care of them anyway), and started going consumed with the needs of others? What if we stopped going for what we could get, and started going for what we could give? What if we stopped going to church to fulfill an obligation, and started going to express a passion? What if we stopped going to church to sing about God, and started going to sing to Him?

Maybe we should realize that we shouldn't go to church...we should have church.

“I stopped going to church a long time ago.” I have heard that comment a lot lately from people I meet every week . Just today a lady at Safeway asked me about what I do as a pastor. I invited her to come and join us and find out. Her first comment to me was, “I have not gone to church in almost 25 years.”

I have to admit I did not have a great response, but after thinking about it for a few minutes I decided that the next time someone says to me, “I stopped going to church five years ago”, my response will be “Great, me too… I stopped going to church along time ago.”

Church is a people, not a place, not an event, and not a building. So in truth I have never really “gone” to church, it is only just recently that I came to understand the message Jesus taught me more than 2000 years ago.

Maybe we all just need a new perspective and remember that we are the church.

Sometimes the church looks like a pizza party, and sometimes it looks like a sports utility vehicle. These kinds of churches will have momentum and communion, mission and community that attract others: not to an event, but to a family. Christians and non-Christians are joining the family. Why? Because they have found a believable church, one with community and one with mission.

Don't give up on the church. Instead, start giving things away, sharing your life, and see what happens. Stop going to church, and start being the church. You'll be glad you did.

So, what about you? Have you left The Church or just a church or denomination? Did something done or not done...said or not said...force you to conclude that it was time to leave?

My simple take on this is that leaving The Church is never the answer. The "Lone Christian" cannot survive in this world. We need other Believers to encourage, motivate, challenge, pray, and fellowship with us. This is crucial.

However, leaving a church is an answer. Maybe one needs to consider leaving a denomination. The comments above are just a drop in the proverbial bucket. I cannot help but think if each of these people would find a church home that welcomed them with open arms and loved them just as they are...how different their stories could be.

What are willing to do to change your story?

To Group Or Not To Group - There Is No Question

2011-11-25T12:51:00.000-05:00

We've heard it said: "Birds of a feather flock together." The phrase of justification is used to gently explain why people with similarities prefer to join a certain group. It's quite unavoidable. Guys like to hang with other guys watching sports or playing golf. Women like to go shopping or to restrooms together. Science fiction fans enjoy huddling together at various conventions.

From church denominations, to office teams, to politics, to skin color...people prefer interacting with groups in which they have something in common. Commonality fosters comfort. If there's no comfort, one is less likely to remain in a group.

How a group perceives itself may differ from how another group views it. One group may appear to be a clique outwardly but the members are not consciously trying to exclude anyone. Or groups are stereotyped based on the input received or perceived from other sources. For example, there was a day when the right-wing and fundamental groups weren't viewed as racists, bigots, or terrorists.

Dozens of young people lost their lives to a shooter whose name I will not type here. This shooter was misidentified in the media as a "right-wing fundamentalist Christian." I'll group him appropriately: murderer. Done. The rest doesn't matter.

Yet, there seems to be a need to understand why it happened. Just like there's a need to understand why every tragedy happens. We pride ourselves on being able to understand why. To understand the person or situation, we try to group it as if by the person or situation being in a category the incident is more understandable.

With the shooting, superficial evidence pointed to his right-wing, fundamentalist, and Christian views. These were quickly offered as reasons for his actions. Yet, soon it was apparent that none of these labels were true of him. The media, yet again, made the mistake of not checking facts and trying to be first with the sensationalism that seemingly generates more stats.

Murderer was the only relevant label.

Sometimes, there simply is no reason. Or no reason that we can found and understand. But this got me thinking. How would writers and bloggers whose works I admire and read define the words right-wing, fundamentalist, and evangelical? Since these three terms are often tossed around in a negative connotation within multiple circles of people, would the answers I receive be similar? Or would I find an interesting perception never considered?

Responses to my inquiry came in from John UpChurch, Mauricio Vivas, Jesse Medina, Matt Appling, Matt Heerema, and Tracee Persiko. Click their names to learn more about these disciples.

Right-Wing

John UpChurch: For me, right-wing implies a person or group that demands strict adherence to a racial, religious, or historical creed. In my mind, the Pharisees would be the typological example. They demanded reverence to the historical laws—and not necessarily the God who gave those laws. However, in America and other Western nations, right-wing has come to mean anyone who wants to preserve a current system instead of being "progressive." This makes it easy to lump people into an artificial category, but it reduces the nuances of what people truly believe.

Mauricio Vivas: More like a conservative, traditional perspective to all things. Faith is important, also history and the "way we did things"

Jesse Medina: This term refers largely to one's political interests, revolving around the beliefs shared by Republicans. "Right-wing" connotes a more extreme form of conservative politics which has a tendency to be characterized by fear-mongering, arrogance, and partisan politics on the negative side. On the positive side, "right-wing" is fiscally conservative and confesses traditional Christian morals (i.e. abortion, homosexuality, etc.)

Matt Appling: Right wingers are unusual in the extremity or the passion or their political or social views.

Matt Heerema: This is a political term that has nothing to do with Christianity. In the purest form of the definition it has to do with wanting to get back to "the way things were", which is foolishness. (Ecclesiastes 7:10). In modern vernacular it usually has to do with a mean spiritedness. But, as with any given group of people it is a mixed bag. You have people who are right wing because they have observed a (very real) breakdown in the moral fiber of our society, and want to return to a more innocent time. Unfortunately, these things only come about through the slow, slow work of individual redemption.

So, do you identify with these definitions? These comments offer threads of similarities. Yet, each offer differences in perception. I agree that right-wing has nothing to do with Christianity. It's political and cultural in nature. More often today, the term "right-wing" is used by a person of liberal views to identify one with conservative views. Likely, many consider me right-wing although I wouldn't consciously think of labeling myself with the term. I wouldn't be offended by it either.

Fundamentalist

John UpChurch: Post 9/11, the media often used this term to mean anyone who adheres to a historical faith no matter how far the world has "progressed"—and there's usually the hint of violent intent. But thanks to groups like Westboro Baptist, there's been a forced reassessment. After all, if you call all religious groups "fundamentalist," from the SBC to Mars Hill (Seattle) to Westboro to the PLO, it basically means nothing. Right now, the term sits like an amorphous cloud in the culture's conscious with no clear way to define who is and isn't fundamentalist. It's one of those words that may be better left behind.

Mauricio Vivas: Christians who focus more on literal meanings of the Bible and completely disregard history, opinion, and knowledge outside of their "mentality".

Jesse Medina: The term "fundamentalist" refers to that particular segment of evangelical Christianity which confuses it's political stances with Biblical Christianity; overemphasizing God's judgment, while neglecting to preach/show Christ-like grace.

Matt Appling: Fundamentalists are similar in the unusual extremity and single-minded passion for a few biblical interpretations they hold to that most people find unimportant. Fred Phelps is a fundamentalist, and typifies that breed of Christians by being completely fixated on one issue, fueled by a biblical interpretation that is unorthodox at best, and flat wrong at worst. When the people who make the news the most are guys like this, it's easy to paint everyone with the same brush.

Matt Heerema: Two definitions here again. Fundamentalism began as a response to liberal theology, stating the basic and core beliefs of all true Christians. It was nearly synonymous with evangelical. Over time it has come to mean a mindless extremist, usually bound up with ridiculous legalistic, moralistic, and separatistic behavior and practice, and (therefore) completely devoid of an accurate understanding of the Gospel of Grace (though they will talk a lot about Jesus, sin, and salvation). I consider myself an evangelical fundamentalist and the old definitions of each.

Again, any one definition with which you identify more closely? There's nothing wrong with getting back to basics or fundamentals. Yet, society seemingly wants to label this approach as archaic, narrow-minded, and possibly violent. This happens easily thanks to extreme examples such as Westboro Baptist being promoted by the media. While I wouldn't consider myself a fundamentalist, I support the idea of focusing on the basics of the Scriptures, allowing those to be one's foundations for life, and not getting distracted by all the goofiness of the world.

Evangelical

John UpChurch: I prefer to take the most generic use of this term as being someone who takes the Great Commission seriously and must share the Christian faith as Jesus commanded. That's why I don't want to jettison it. However, in the media, the term seems to mean Christians with unyielding beliefs and political aspirations to impose their will on everyone. In particular, this allows the media to distinguish certain Protestant groups from mainline groups—especially those that embrace at least mild universalism. Personally, I think Barna has it right by looking for born-again believers over those who consider themselves "evangelical."

Mauricio Vivas: A Christian who believes in the Bible and who bases his life on it. The scriptures have authority and they live their lives according to it.

Jesse Medina: The term "evangelical" refers to that population of Western (largely American) Christians which is characterized by low-church (e.g. non-liturgical) Protestant Christianity. Evangelicals self-identify as "born again" and tend align themselves under right-wing politics, almost by default.

Matt Appling: There is nothing inherently controversial about the term "evangelical." It used to refer to the dominant American Christian culture. It represented particular doctrines and values. Today, it has become a loaded term, probably because of the public personalities that identify themselves as evangelicals. Your average evangelical is likely a very lovely person who likes to get along with people and does not stir up controversy among friends by acting like a firebrand. But because guys like John Piper, James Dobson, or Pat Robertson are the names and faces of modern evangelicalism, the stereotype or caricature of an evangelical is a distinctively un-modern, culturally backward, irrelevant, loud, oftentimes obnoxious dinosaur who probably hates gays and Democrats.

Matt Heerema: There are two definitions here. The current, popular one, and the correct one. The current popular one has to do with a Christianized (not Christian, Christianized) religious adherence, related to fundamentalism, that has to do with a certain moral/ethical code and religious observance. Since the 70s, it has also been bound up with certain political positions and efforts. The correct definition of evangelical is a believer and follower of Christ who believes in justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, as revealed by the scripture alone, to the Glory of God alone. This understanding of Grace (God's forgiveness of their sin in spite of their depravity) leads to proclamation of this same Gospel to all they come into contact with. In other words evangelical Christian = Christian.

This is the one term that I feel there should be no disagreements. If you are a Christian, you should be evangelical. You should wish to share the gospel with all. I wonder if some people hear or see the word "evangelical" and think "televangelist" with visions of prayer cloths being sold?

Final Thoughts
Tracee Persiko: The operational definition that brings these three together would be – People who believe that life is best lived by implementing principles. Those principles are founded from those presented in the bible.

We live in a culture of chaos. The issues of right and wrong seem to be relative. The person who resonates most with these words, believe that life is lived/experienced with in the boundaries of biblical or conservative principles.

The illustration I can think of that best describes this group of people would be parents and kids. RWEF play the role more of parent in our society. They are also described to be more reactionary. Liberals are considered more free spirited. Kids are often wanting to try new things, to which parents respond accordingly to the decisions made by the kid. Depending on the decision the child makes, the parent responds with the “right” boundary or discipline accordingly. I see that RWEF’s type people take on the role this role. It’s not always handled well, but I do agree with the wisdom of trying to apply biblical principles as a way of life, or a foundation for the frame work of our lives. Life is lived most full in Him.

Matt Heerema: I also think you are fighting against a cultural tide that has been mandated by God. We are to be about the work of evangelism and edification of the church. The culture, in some ways will continue to get worse and worse, and in other areas, continue to get better. The wheat (church) will continue to grow as well as the chaff (the world / humanistic culture) until then end.

Matt Appling: First, I think that all three terms are today often maligned and used inter-changeably to paint people as religious or political caricatures that should not be listened to. But the terms have become less useful as they are used more and more to paint "normal" people as hateful, bigoted, narrow-minded, ignorant, and any other number of cliched adjectives.

My Conclusions
We are too focused on labels. We worry too much about what others think and if we're fitting into certain groups or not. Ultimately, how you define these terms may align with these bloggers, myself, or a combination. You may even have a completely different take.

But here's where it gets interesting. We should discuss these perceptions and not assume. We should ask questions of the other person because maybe...just maybe their view is different enough that you're agreeing or disagreeing on unrelated principles.

We need to all set aside our emotions and stop trying to be heard over other voices and feel validated in our views. What we fail to do is to understand where someone else is coming from...why they think a certain way...why they've chosen a path. We're not concerned about the other person. Instead, we want someone to believe and feel the same as us. So, if they feel differently, we either wish to slam our views down their throat or not have anything to do with them. Neither approach has any progress.

Talk. Discuss. Dialog. Let's do it.

Forming An Educated Opinion On Mississippi's Initiative 26

2011-11-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

Recently, a dear friend in Mississippi asked for my honest opinion of MS Initiative 26. In order to answer her question, I researched the initiative to form my own educated opinion. Support for it seemed easy as the amendment wants to identify life beginning at conception. Yet, there appears to be opposition from various and sometimes unexpected sources.

What is Initiative 26?

"Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi:

SECTION 1. Article III of the constitution of the state of Mississippi is hereby amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION TO READ:

Section 33. Person defined. As used in this Article III of the state constitution, "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof."

Why oppose Initiative 26?
The Mississippi Nurses Association wrote a resolution to oppose Initiative 26 stating:

Many forms of commonly used birth control pills could become illegal.
Initiative 26 has no exception for pregnancies that put the life of the mother in danger. Some pregnancies, if carried to term, pose life threatening dangers to the mother. Initiative 26 makes no exception for these tragic cases, forcing women to risk their lives or leave the state to seek medical care.
Initiative 26 could hold women and doctors criminally responsible for common medical practices. In-vitro specialists could be investigated if one of the embryos is damaged.
Registered nurses who work in any of those medical settings including in-vitro fertilization, labor and delivery, midwifery, primary care, etc. could be affected by this initiative.

Faith leaders claim the measure is too vague. "This is not simply an issue of pro-life or pro-choice. This is an issue of badly written legislation," said C. J. Rhodes, Pastor of Mount Helm Baptist Church in Jackson.

The concern appears to center around future laws based of this amendment. How might they affect in-vitro fertilization or ectopic pregnancies?

"From the moment of fertilization, a human embryo or fetus has the rights of a person, then we can't freeze embryos, store embryos. We cannot do stem cell research," said Rabbi Debra Kassoff.

Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America, says that women's rights are in the spotlight in Mississippi. By defining "personhood" from the beginning of fertilization, these measures are designed to outlaw abortion care. Initiative 26 is so extreme that were it to pass and go into effect, it would ban abortion care without exception: even in cases of rape or incest, and even when a woman's life or health is in danger.
Gynecologic Oncologist Dr. Paul Seago said that the measure could eliminate common birth-control options, including the pill and IUDs. Dr. Randall Hines, a reproductive medicine and infertility clinic physician, said in-vitro options for infertile couples would be illegal.

Mississippians for Healthy Families - an organization now identified as having ties to Planned Parenthood says:

Initiative 26 could ban birth control.
Initiative 26 could ban in-vitro fertilization.
Initiative 26 bans abortion without exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

Glenn Cohen, a Harvard Law School professor, said in a recent panel discussion that if the amendment passes, judges will have to interpret it.
"Whether you are for or against abortion, whatever your position is, this is a bad amendment - not because of what it represents but because it is ambiguous," Cohen said.

Why support Initiative 26?

Mississippi's leading elected officials are all supporting Initiative 26. This includes the current governor, Haley Barbour (R), and both candidates for governor: Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) and Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree (D); as well as Attorney General Jim Hood (D), Sen. Roger Wicker (R) and Reps. Alan Nunnelee (R), Greg Harper (R) and Steven Palazzo (R).

The Association of Pro-Life Physicians says Initiative 26 would not protect eggs, it would protect a human embryo, which is an egg after it's fertilized.
The measure also wouldn't outlaw hormonal contraceptives that prevent ovulation.

Let's break it down further by addressing some of the concerns and misconceptions mentioned above by physicians, writers, and others.

The Personhood Amendment:

WILL NOT outlaw or ban the use of hormonal contraceptives, including most forms of the "Pill." However, drugs such as RU486 which allow a baby to be conceived and then expelled will be banned.
WILL NOT ban in-vitro fertilization. However, Personhood would not allow unused embryos to be destroyed.
WILL NOT prevent a doctor from saving the life of a mother with a problem pregnancy. Under Personhood, the doctor would be required to save both lives if possible; but in the hard cases where the baby is unviable, the doctor would save the life of the mother.
WILL NOT criminally prosecute women who suffer miscarriages. This rumor is both silly and cruel. Women were not prosecuted for miscarriages before Roe v. Wade and Persongood will not make having a miscarriage a crime.

What's my opinion?
Regarding that friend who wanted my honest opinion on Initiative 26, I'm telling her that if I were still a registered voter in Mississippi, I would vote yes. I'm telling her that she should vote yes. Everyone she knows should vote yes.

It appears to me most of the concerns are based on future possible scenarios. Maybe this could happen. Maybe that could happen. What if this law was made or what if this entitlement was taken away?

Let's face it, abortion wouldn't be an issue if society viewed life as more important than rights and entitlement. None of these arguments and debates would be going on about Initiative 26 if one's entitlement to have sex and the choices of what to do with a child conceived from that act were not more important than the rights of that child.

Many have complained that this amendment is to vague or ambiguous. To me, it seems rather clear. It's an effort to place a speed bump in thought and actions to what otherwise could easily lead to an abortion. It's an effort to say when life begins.

The issue that none of us really want to face or admit is that the problem is with our hearts. We're a broken society. Children are born into broken marriages and broken homes where they don't see real love played out before them. Too often, children don't have the input from both parents. They grow up lacking the love from a mother or a father and they cannot identify what it is they're lacking. They feel entitled to find that love by having sex outside of marriage. Sometimes, a child is conceived. Then what? Is the child aborted so that the teens can continue to have sex and perhaps with other partners?

Plus, there's the shouts of "no government should interfere with a woman's body or her choices!" But this isn't about a woman's body or a woman's choices. Again, a woman's choice to have a man inside her body shouldn't be more important than the life of a child.

Changing people's hearts and home environments could be considered a far larger task. Perhaps even an impossible task. With Iniative 26, the question of when life begins is answered. Yet, many don't like this answer. Maybe if we took a step back and actually agreed that when an egg is fertilized that it has the potential of becoming a person - that it is a future life - then maybe our actions and entitlement would change.

For now, you're entitled to your own opinion. You also control how you respond to the viewpoints of others. If someone is voting different than you, that's their choice and their opinion. Name-calling and bullying them to change their vote is immature and childish. Someone voting no is not a murderer. Someone voting yes is not a radical right-winger. But whatever the outcome of this vote, you should move ahead with maturity and love.

One final thought...
Depending on your point of view, there are really only two sources that can assist you with finding an answer of when life begins: science and the Bible.

I encourage you to read this this article from Carl Smith. Whether you believe in logic, the Bible or both...after reading his article you will know what vote to cast for Initiative 26.

Never Know Who's Watching You

2011-10-15T14:17:00.000-04:00

The woman spoke to me from several feet away while I was walking and reading tweets on my iPhone. She was placing items in the passenger side of her car.

Giving her my full attention I said, "Pardon?"

She repeated herself. "You can come knock on my door to make me go walking. You don't have to wait for me. Just knock to remind me."

I smiled politely, "Well, come on, it's a great habit to have!"

She began to step into her car, "You're doing good. Keep it up. You never know who's watching you."

Without breaking my stride, I shot a smile towards her and shouted, "Thank you!"

Since beginning my walking routine, I've received several random encouragements from neighbors. All of them have shared genuine expressions of how well they think I'm doing, that I should keep it up, and wondering how much weigh I've lost. Each have been complete strangers.

The woman's parting comment of me never knowing who's watching is a good reminder to us all. My walking is a routine is one that varies. Very rarely do I not encounter someone going to their car, walking their dog, checking the mail, or other activities. How many routines do you have and never think who might be watching you? Is your routine commendable and inspiring? Or would you be ashamed if someone commented on it?

Fact is, we're always being watched by the Holy Spirit. Our choice is whether we listen to His guidance and promptings.

Getting back to my routine, I don't know how much weight I've lost. And I don't care. It's around 20 pounds but I prefer to focus on the results and not the numbers. I don't get on the scale every day or every week. I don't count calories. I don't beat myself up for not drinking enough water or for having a doughnut.

I've concluded this is why weight loss is so difficult for many people. Expectations are often set high for a certain amount of poundage to disappear in a certain time frame. We forget the fact weight comes on slowly over weeks, months, and years. Yet, we want drastic results in hours and days.

Some work their bodies to a frenzy to burn calories in a rush to change appearance. No doubt, their bodies have drastic improvements but at what mental and emotional cost? And sometimes this leads to yo-yo dieting where fantastic results are wiped away by a return to old habits.

I had to set a new normal for myself. This required paying attention to what I consumed throughout the day. Couple that with walking 4 miles a day, 5 days a week. The first 3 are brisk, the last is with Maddy the beagle. I try to drink at least 96 ounces of water a day. I try to keep sweets, breads, or other high calories foods to a minimum.

Websites like Spark People and apps like Lose It to track dietary intake are helpful. These are good products and likely some people can keep up with them. For me, I reach a point where I see the patterns. I see what foods are poor choices for my body if consumed too often. I see how many calories are going in and being burned. I see where changes are needed. Then, I'm done with the tool. I apply a new normal and move on.

This plan may fly in the face of what other trainers, nutritionists, or other such experts say. But this is where many get frustrated and often give up. Every body is different. What works for one person may have less or no results for another.

The truths for everyone:

We MUST get moving. (Walking, running, sports...)
We MUST burn more calories than we consume
We MUST drink 8 glasses or more (96 ounces) of water EVERY DAY

Do those things and you will lose weight. Maybe not as fast as you want but it will happen. But what is happening everyday is your impact on other people.

Are you a motivating and encouraging example? Or just more static and noise?

"We're Being Attacked"

2011-09-10T13:16:00.001-04:00

The question has been asked countless times this week: Where were you? What were you doing? Each year, I reflect on my answer. This year, I'll share it here.

That Tuesday morning commute into WJTV in Jackson, Mississippi, was a pleasant drive. The weather was also pleasant. Clear skies and 71 degrees. The radio mentioned something about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. My mind pictured a small aircraft such as a Cessna. With my being responsible for the content on WJTV.com, I wanted to get to my workstation and get it powered quickly. This likely would be a significant news event.
I had to pass the newsroom before heading to my office. Video monitors showed smoke billowing from one of the two towers. I rushed down the hallway, unlocked my door, and began powering up my workstation, monitors, and video decks.

After launching a breaking news update on WJTV.com, another reported plane crash on the other tower. These were no accidents.

I walked into the newsroom just as reports were coming in about smoke rising from the Pentagon. Video monitors showed the evidence.

"We're being attacked," said Darren Dedo, the morning anchor. He was sitting at his workstation, gathering information before going back on-air. A sickening feeling covered me. I agreed with my friend and returned to my workstation. I remained there for rest of the day.

Maybe I went next door to the kitchen for coffee or water. I'm sure there was a potty break or two. Between encoding video, listening to reports, scanning for as much data as possible...the day was a blur. Breaking news seemed a trite term. Every update was breaking. Every moment was waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

It's fascinating to me how much technology has changed the news industry since September 11, 2001. There was no YouTube, no Facebook, no Twitter. TV stations barely had a grasp of the power of the web. WJTV owners, Media General, had created an Interactive Media Division. Each station had one IMD employee to help evangelize the power of the web to newsrooms and TV stations built on the power of TV. The web was still new media and posting stories and video was an afterthought at best.

All IMD staffers encoded in RealVideo. It was king at the time. Videos were made to play on 14.4k and 56k modems. Dial-up, baby. Oh yeah. After all, highspeed internet access was the future and not our market audience. Upon encoding and trimming the video clips to the desired content, the files were FTP'd to our RealVideo streaming servers. Then I embedded links into stories.

This was a visual story. Images could tell some of the story. Video would capture the raw emotion, the tragedy, the unrelenting horror of that day. So, I captured all I could. Posted all I could. All the while trying to not be too emotionally distracted.

I prayed a lot that afternoon. Sought His wisdom and guidance. Rested on the fact that He was and still is in control. That all things happen for a purpose far greater than we can comprehend.

What I experienced that day was only slightly different than others. While many people could barely take their eyes from national broadcast news television coverage, I was doing the same but also repackaged those images, video, and words for others to absorb.

Yet, that experience compares nothing to what my friend and former colleague Mike Walter went through as a journalist. I would come to know Mike years later when I came to work at WUSA in Washington, DC. Getting to know Mike, I would hear of how he and other journalist saw the airliner impact the Pentagon. In the documentary "Breaking News, Breaking Down" Mike peels back the veil of the secret and painful suffering for those who report on the slices of hell we see from the comforts of our home.

We can forget a great deal, debate pointless topics, and try to place blame on multiple levels. But we must never forget that 3000 lives were lost that day. Each of those lives touched countless others. And even in death, some of those lives continue to teach...to love...to remind us of how valuable and special human life truly is.

To the heroes of 9/11...

Get Out Of Gyms, Get Into Neighborhoods

2011-08-23T06:18:00.000-04:00

Having never been a member of a gym in my life, it's easy for me to tell you to get out of your gym. Perhaps you're rather fond of your gym and find value in going there on a variety of levels. I've only been inside probably two gyms: once for a television promotional announcement I was producing and once to briefly check out the swanky setup at AOL in Sterling, VA. I've also never owned a piece of exercise equipment. Not even a pair of dumbbells.

Do I have some sort of aversion to gyms and equipment? Was I laughed out of a gym or mauled by some treadmill in my past? No, nothing that dramatic. More likely, I'm just cheap.

Perhaps my outlook would be different if I had grown up in a big city or never had easy outdoor alternatives to exercise. From my perspective, why buy a machine for your home that often becomes a clothes rack or borrow a machine that's been profusely sweated on in a gym when those same exercises can be done outdoors?

But let's step back a bit.

Growing up, I enjoyed the outdoors but I don't remember being "outside all the time." I didn't play any sports for personal recreational time and wasn't on any high school or college teams. Thus, my weight's always been on the heavy side.

Arriving in the Baltimore-Washington area in June 2004, I weighed 200 pounds. While this may have been a bit overweight for my six-foot frame, over the years I would pack on 70 additional pounds.

Yup, according to doctor's records from my last check up in Jackson, Mississippi, I was 70 pounds lighter. Depending on how you know me, you might have either thought that I really didn't show it. Or maybe when you mentioned that I "looked good," you were rationalizing how the extra weight looked good on me.

I've often wondered during trips over the past few years to Mississippi if my family or friends have been startled by my appearance. In your mind, you have an image of what a person looked like the last time you saw them. Then, you see them in person years later and they've packed on some pounds. You're startled. Maybe it's only in your eyes as you concentrate on not showing anything other than joy for seeing the person. But startled you are. "My, they've gained some weight," you say in your head. We're human. Sadly, we judge books by their covers all the time.

For everyone, there's a currency. It's that moment that gets your attention. My shrinking wardrobe wasn't it. The extra effort dashing up stairs wasn't it. My current doctor asking me if I wanted to be around for my daughter's wedding wasn't it.

For me, it was seeing that I had gained 70 pounds since living in Maryland.

I thought back to when I first moved to Maryland and was working in DC. Then, I used the Metro to get to work. So, I walked at least a couple miles Monday through Friday and sometimes on the weekend. WUSA9 has four floors and I often chose not to use the elevator. Plus, it was a stressful job with daily amounts of drama. Thus, my weight gain working there was minimal and often negative.

When I started working for AOL, mostly at home and enjoying less stress...the pounds began to creep on. Yet, going to the gym or buying equipment were still not options. Equipment is not an option due to our two-story 1100-square foot townhouse. As much as I would enjoy riding a bike, we have no space for that either.

While the 70 pounds motivated me to do something, I still didn't know what to do until AOL started a Virgin Health Miles program which included a free pedometer. I'd heard about people tracking their steps with these little devices but never really concerned myself with their benefits.

I started walking around the neighborhood. From our house and return was a mile and some change. So, I started walking 1 mile. When that became too easy, I added walking Maddy, our Beagle, for a mile. When that was easy, I walked 2 miles and Maddy for 1 mile. Now, I walk 3 miles plus the 1 for Maddy.

Granted, not everyone feels safe or has the time to walk around their neighborhood. But the value of doing so is great. You get to know your neighbors by random conversations and sometimes lending a helping hand. You get fresh air and sunshine. Sure, it rains sometimes but that's when you grab an umbrella.

Randomly, I have older ladies tending to their grandchildren or walking their dogs tell me how great I'm looking or how impressed they are with me keeping up the routine. Positive reinforcement does wonders for the soul and it seems I've encouraged a few of them to walk.

My initial reluctance to neighborhood walking may be yours. If you walked, you might have to speak to people. You might have to care about their lives. Is this why it's better to pay a gym or exercise in your home? You can shut out the world and focus on yourself. There are times during the day I prefer to walk because I know I'll encounter less dog-walkers or perhaps avoid certain people. Sometimes, those plans work out. Sometimes, they do not.

Do we treat our health as an anti-social activity? Discuss below.

Life Lessons From Courtrooms

2011-07-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

Courts are a foreign land to me. While several of my friends are lawyers, I've never been summoned to jury duty, never sat in the gallery, never stepped foot in a courtroom. Until last Friday. That's when I was witness for the state of Maryland.

Without going into details about the case, I'd encourage anyone to be willing to help their neighbors. Too often, it's easy to stay locked away in our homes, clueless to what's happening in our neighborhoods. It's easier to just ignore what's going on around us. My seeing suspicious actions, discussing it with a neighbor, and sharing it with police led to me receiving a court summons. But it was the right thing to do.

However, it's not the court case, which has been postponed for now, that I wish to discuss. What was eye-opening for me was what unfolded while seated in the gallery awaiting the trial for which I had been summoned.

Several cases were on the docket for that morning in this district court, and all had in common the life-impacts of alcohol and drug abuse. With each passing case, the judge in one wording or another reminded each defendant how their decision to abuse alcohol led to other poor choices and brought them to this courtroom.

One case stood out in particular. The defendant was escorted in by an officer from a forward door. He was wearing an orange prison outfit and handcuffs. He was seated to await his turn while the case before him received the judge's ruling.

When it was time for his case, an older woman was soon called forward by the state attorney to read a prepared statement. The words were well crafted and yet clearly designed to expose the deceit and destruction this man had brought into the lives of her family.

His history of drug abuse was unknown to the parents and grandparents of his young girlfriend. Maybe she didn't know the extent of his addiction when they met. Maybe she was like many young girls who either want to rebel or are so in love with a guy they don't care about his dangerous addictions or habits.

Soon, she was doing drugs but not while she was pregnant with their child. Yet, this new family wandered into seedy places in Baltimore to get drugs, exposing the child to drug deals that could easily have ended poorly.

But the man's primary crime was stealing over $10,000 in jewelry from the grandparents. Of course, the reason for the theft was to get more drugs and sadly much of the jewelry will never be recovered.

The judge articulated to the defendant something even more poignant than the grandmother's read statement. She explained to the imprisoned man how stealing from a store is impersonal. How that action steals profits away from a business that often the thief doesn't know the owners or employees. But a home robbery is more devastating. It violates a sanctuary. Home is where one should feel safe. And in this case, he was trusted enough to be in the home as the young girl's boyfriend and father of their child.

Yet, he violated that trust. The cost wasn't just the monetary value of the jewels but more importantly he stole memories from this older couple. Her wedding ring represented decades of marriage back to when it was given. Each ring, each bracelet, each necklace had a memory. Some jewelry was passed down by long-dead relatives. Perhaps they were the only physical reminder of them. They represented a special time, place and event. Keepsakes that were meant to be given to the older couple's daughter, granddaughter or even their great-granddaughter.

Memories that now cannot be replaced.

This case yielded destruction on so many levels. Unlike the cases before it where alcohol abuse led to poor decisions that may have cost a defendant money, time in court, and some embarrassment...this case's drug abuse impacted more than one person. The man's choice to try drugs led to his addiction which led to his incarceration. The young girl's choice to explore her attraction to this man led to her being introduced to drugs, having unprotected sex, giving birth to a child, and bringing that child to drug deals. The child is growing up without a father and may never be allowed to know him. The young girl's mother and grandparents have been exposed to theft and fear.

It's easy to lay blame and guilt on the man or perhaps even the young girl. Fact is, we've all made poor decisions. At the time, you may have felt justified or entitled to your choices and decisions. And you may have even tried to blame someone else for your actions.

Your choices may not have landed you in a courtroom or jail cell but what you've said or done - or not said or not done - has impacted others. Sometimes dramatically. May God grant us wisdom and discernment to be responsible for our actions and learn from them.

Do you recall a time in your life when your poor decisions impacted others? How did you resolve it? Or did you? Share your thoughts below.

Suck My Vents

2011-06-28T14:00:00.061-04:00

Perhaps you've seen the random flyers in the mail. They often have headlines similar to "Whole House Air Duct Cleaning" and a special price ranging from $40 to $80. The specials include seemingly many things: unlimited vents, one return duct, and one main duct.

I was quite certain we needed our vents cleaned. Waiting too long to change out our central air unit's filter yields a disgusting, solid black film. Clearly these ducts had never been cleaned since the townhome's construction in 1987.

But unless one has friends or family who've used a duct cleaning company, how does one choose? For me, it was based on two main factors: price and website. $49.99 sounds like a great price compared to other much higher specials. Along with the price, came "certified - licensed - insured" and offering other services such as power washing decks/siding and steam cleaning. Clean 4 Clean also had the most professional website. It showcased their products and services well, unlike other competitors whose sites were rather amateurish. As a bonus, Clean 4 Clean promotes that all their products are green and environmental friendly.

So, I set an appointment for a Friday afternoon between 1- 4pm.

Clean 4 Clean called the morning of the appointment to confirm and the tech called a bit later for permission to arrive earlier which turned out to be shortly after 12:30pm.

Eventually, Andre - a polite, professional, young man looking to be in his early 20s - was hauling a blue 5-foot tall vacuum unit through my front door. The unit was nearly 6 feet tall. He positioned it below a vent in our family room, hooked a large flexible hose to it, taped the hose to the ceiling, and turned on the unit. The sucking had begun.

Next, he brought in a small vacuum and opened the cover to the large return on the downstairs floor. Huge clumps of black dust, fur, and who-knows-what nearly blocked the smaller duct behind the vent grate. Andre's vacuum sucked that up and he used a large brush attachment on a drill to clean deeper into the duct work.

Next, he cleaned the upstairs return duct which also contained a decent amount of black debris. Inspecting the central air unit, Andre had a mold testing tube which he described as a "CSI" approach to mold. Swabbing the interior of the unit near the drum, Andre then inserted the swab into a tube where the sample reacted with a liquid. A color chart on the tube's exterior showed a scale ranging from deep purple to light green. While the sample was black, Andre said that he's seen samples be darker and produce a green color on the indicator. Thus, no mold. However, my sample began producing a purple result after almost a minute. He claimed the test was for molds that would impact the respiratory system but didn't specifically know any mold names.

Shortly after this, Andre worked up a customer order form. Here's where this process becomes a bit sketchy to me. Before this form, Andre mentioned that the special for $49.99 would become $170 based on my number of returns and mains and wanted to know if this would be acceptable. Kudos to him for being up front. I never expected to pay the special price and assumed a $200 bill would be more likely. However, I wasn't prepared for what Andre was about to show me.

At the top of the form is a block labeled "AIR DUCT CLEANING" which listed the Special of 11 Vents, 1 Returns, 1 Mains: quantity of 1 for $50. Cleaning of Additional Openings: quantity of 1 for $20. Cleaning of Additional Mains: quantity of 2 for $100. There's the $170.

The next block is labeled "FURNACE & A/C CLEANING" which the $49.99 special indicated that Clean 4 Clean would do a free inspection. Andre's inspection of the coils and blower determined that the central air unit needed cleaning. Furnace Cleaning: quantity of 1 for $75. Cooling Coil Cleaning: regularly $189.99 was now $150. Blower Motor Cleaning: quantity of 1, regularly $225 was now $175. This totaled $400.

We're at $570.

Now, remember that mold test? The next section is labeled "HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" with a line for Treat all Interior air passes with Sanitizer: EnviroCON (EPA Reg. #9804-3) Kills germs, micro bacteria, dustmite feces. The regular price for my townhouse treatment would be $225 but is now $180.

Treat all Interior air passages with Sanitizer: Sporicidin (EPA Reg. #8383-3) 100% kill rate of disease causing mold. Normally $517 this is now $450.

Treat all Interior air passages with Soot Sealant: Prevents particulate recontamination. Maintenance program for future cleaning included - no charge. $150.

Total for this final block is $780. So, with 11 supply vents, 2 return vents, 3 main trunks, and 1 air handler with dirt, dust, dust mites, mold, pet hair, fungus, grease, carpet fiber, rust, and construction debris collected...my total bill is $1350.

At the time Andre shows this to me, he had only completed the first block of $170 and strongly recommended the remaining two blocks. So, it wasn't like I was being hit with a bill for $1350. With Kim working for the government, we received a 10% discount bringing the total to $1150. But clearly sucking vents wasn't adding up to that price for me even with mold in the house. Andre phoned his boss and the price was brought to $950 based on our being willing to recommend Clean 4 Clean to others.

We'd set aside some money for home repairs and this would wipe that out. But after discussing the price and work with Kim, we agreed to the $950.

Andre was in our home for 3 hours doing all the tasks professionally and was fun to talk with. Before he left, Andre summoned me to the furnace where he had pulled the power to the unit to show me some circuitry that was sparking when the power was connected. After the quick demonstration, he recommended contacting someone to look at it as this was a fire hazard.

When a friend examined the unit, he determined the emergency heat was coming on when the unit received power. It wasn't doing this prior to Andre's visit, but it became clear to me what may have happened. Andre cleaned the interior of the furnace and blower with power to the unit off. When he was done and turned the unit back on, he noticed the sparking. Either by accidentally or initially moving some wiring, Andre did the right thing to summon me and leave the unit off. But it's seems clear, a perfectly functional unit doesn't have sparking wires and emergency heat kicking in without some help.

Andre mentioned the chemical smell from the fogging (the $450 treatment) would last for two hours and then smell like a fresh snowfall. After two days, the chemical smell which reminded me of new rain boots didn't come close to a crisp winter morning.

Three weeks after the treatment, I do think the house smells clean and fresh. Our sinuses aren't being exposed to all that crud in the vents. But would I recommend Clean 4 Clean to someone else wanting to clean their vents? Yes and no.

If one has a new home, duct cleaning would be completely unnecessary. It's possible that even an old home wouldn't need duct cleaning if no pets have been in the house. However, without knowing the full history of our townhouse (built in 1987) and it having six years of two cats and a dog living in its 1100 square feet...a duct cleaning was completely in order.

I would totally recommend Clean 4 Clean as a service for cleaning your duct work if your home meets my criteria above. However, did I receive a good deal? Have you ever had your vents sucked? If so, how does your experience compare? Share your thoughts below.

Unless You Become Like Children

2011-05-19T00:57:00.000-04:00

The U.S.S. North Carolina's anti-aircraft guns helped save the carrier Enterprise in August 1942. On February 22, this mighty vessel witnessed a different victory - the salvation of a soul.

To set the stage, Kim and I desire to live out a life of faith around Georgia. That's meant praying for her (that she would know Christ at an early age and for her future husband), praying with her and allowing her to pray at meals, enrolling her in a Christian school (for a quality education with a Christian worldview), reading with her from her children's Bible and devotional (along with another short book of her choice) before bedtime prayers, and talking to her about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

But all of these things never guarantee a child will accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Nor does it guarantee they'll fully understand their decision. Some parents may feel a child should wait until they're older...when they're more likely to comprehend matters of faith. Some may prefer the younger-the-better age. This is where discernment comes in. It's not up to a parent when or if a child accepts Christ. That's a decision between the child and God. Any child wants to please their parents and wants to feel included. One can only pray that when they're ready, they'll want to follow Christ.

On our return trip from Myrtle Beach to Maryland, we'd decided to tour the battleship North Carolina. Kim had suggested it knowing my love for history, World War II, and ships. Georgia was in the back seat reading her children's Bible. I thought it interesting since we'd brought dozens of books and usually we read from the Bible only before bedtime. But in this case, she had chosen it on her own as travel reading.

After parking near the battleship's visitor center, Georgia gets out of the car proclaiming, "I love Jesus! I love the Bible!" I barely had a chance to say how awesome that was before she added, "That makes us Christians, right, Daddy?!"

"Well, accepting Jesus as Savior makes one a Christian."

She pondered a moment. "But...I think I've already done that."

"When do you think you did that?"

Again, brief pondering. She wasn't exactly certain but seemed to think she had done this recently. The opportunity was clear and couldn't be ignored. We got back in Highlander and I asked her to sit next to me.

Kim and I have wanted Georgia to articulate what sin means in her own words. Not to repeat what she heard other people say or what she read. To define it in her own words.

Why is having an understanding of sin important? Simple. Turning to Christ, asking Him into your heart, or whatever lingo you choose can be done in the briefest of moments. But if one doesn't understand that sin is real...that it's all around us...that it's something we cannot escape but something we can avoid and turn away from with Christ's help...if one doesn't understand sin then there's little reason for a Savior. Since Christ died for our sins, how can one accept Him as Savior without understanding what sin is?

Her answer? "Sin is stuff not of God. Stuff we do that God doesn't like." She offered a few examples and it was clear that she comprehended it. So, I had her repeat a few lines of an impromptu prayer and at the amen Kim and I were crying tears of joy.

Children have such a pure view of things. Minus all the baggage and cynicism. I'm reminded when the Disciples wanted to shoo away children from visiting with Jesus. But He told them to let them come to Him and reminded the Disciples that unless they became as little children, they would never enter the kingdom of God.

Become as little children? What a concept for us adults! We're so focused on being safe and secure, that the joys of life can often escape our reality. Sure, children don't have our years of "experience and wisdom," but how easily, clearly, and boldly they step out on faith! How easily and often they want to make friends with other children!

As much as we're here to guide, instruct, discipline, protect, and love our children...there's much we can learn from them. If we can only take the time to listen to them. To shut our own mouths. We will be blessed.

I'm very blessed to have seen my child experience physical and spiritual births. Both were amazing moments. I look forward to our journey on this faith walk...together...as little children.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15).

Paying Respects in Mississippi

2011-05-10T17:18:00.001-04:00

USMC Staff Sergant Jason Rogers

Paying your respects is an interesting phrase. The Cambridge dictionary defines it as:

- To visit someone in order to welcome them or talk to them. "We went to pay our respects to our new neighbors."

- To honor someone after their death, usually by going to their funeral. "Friends and relatives came to pay their last respects to Mr Clarke."

We seem to have forgotten what respect is all about. We think it is something someone has to earn. The man or woman sweeping up trash on the street doesn't desire a smile or greeting. We don't know them and we look down upon their job. They don't deserve our respect, right? Wrong.

Because of one's skin color, they can be ignored or held in contempt without seeing them as a person with a spirit. They are a walking agenda to be loathed, right? Wrong.

If someone goes off to fight a war we disagree with we should spend more time complaining about the Administration's decisions or promoting peace, right? Wrong.

While every person you encounter deserves your respect just for being human, we should respect military service men and women even more. Regardless of their reasons, they have chosen to help defend our country through tasks, operations, jobs, and training that many of us cannot imagine. Equally, many of us cannot imagine the pride families of service men and women experience when their father, mother, son, daughter, sister or brother serves in the military.

Nor can we imagine the pain of learning of their death. Many return to quiet ceremonies. Honorable burials. Long goodbyes.

Few are able to receive the homecoming USMC Staff Sergant Jason Rogers received when his body returned home to Brandon, Mississippi, on April 14, 2011. A graduate of Brandon High School (Class of 2000), Jason was killed in Afghanistan by an IED.

The video below was Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Elmo Townsend’s view as his dash cam recorded the escort from Airport Road and along Highway 80. Hundreds of onlookers gathered to pay their respects.

Born and raised in Mississippi, this amazing video doesn't surprise me. As much negative press as my state receives, I know that unless one has lived in Mississippi, one cannot understand how we think and see the world. Our way isn't backwards, simple, or ignorant. Those perceptions are from the entitled unfortunates who haven't taken time to literally stop and smell the roses.

Whereas one might think that streets should be lined for living soldiers deploying or returning home, in the South we see this person as a family member returning home and want to show his family and friends that we appreciate the sacrifice. That we're here to help. That we love and care.

Watch this video and thank the next solider you see for their service and sacrifice.

The Shoeless Mother

2011-04-23T19:46:00.000-04:00

I saw her walking away from me while I braked my car to a stop at the intersection of Whiskey Bottom and Highway 1. Her hair - blonde and in a poneytail. Her attire - casual with a nice, tan jacket and slacks. She carried a young girl on her left side who was was blonde, too. Nothing looked out of place about what I could assume was a mother and daughter.

Across the street, on the other side of Whiskey Bottom, a man was pushing a black baby stroller. Perhaps the two were together. Perhaps the stroller was for the toddler in the woman's arms. Perhaps the stroller contained the little girl's sibling.

My gaze drifted back to the mother and daughter as the light turned green. Before I applied the gas, I saw what others may have overlooked. The woman had no left shoe, only a sock. Her right foot also had a sock but had either the remains of a shoe of some other material used to cover that foot. The material fanned out like a shredded tire as she walked with the child.

They kept walking. I drove past the pair with heavy heart.

This is the crossroads so many of us face. In a moment, we can choose to act or ignore. Sometimes, we take action. We ask a question. Offer money. Lend a hand. Other times, too often, we pass on by. Out of apathy, fear, or indifference we choose not to act.

I've done this countless times with the "corner sign man" who comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes. I presume he doesn't really need help. If he has time to stand on the street corner with a sign, he could spend time looking for a job...any job. I judge by his weathered appearance and often decent clothing that he'll use my money for booze, drugs, or sex.

By claiming that I can't help everyone who appears homeless, in reality I help no one.

Driving down the road to an Easter musical rehearsal at church, I winced at the irony of missing a ministry opportunity. Missing a rehersal is nothing in comparison to show compassion. The more I ponder about turning around to at least see where the "family" was going or what they were doing, the further away I become. Until, I dismissed the need.

Missed opportunity? Missed blessing? Missed chance to make a difference? Maybe. Maybe not. The point is we'll never know unless we act. God can certainly bring someone else along to help in a sitatuion...just as easily as some situations happen tragically for a reason. God is no less present in the tragedy than He is in the rescue.

Instead, will we be present during someone's time of need? Will we be willing to be willing?

Keep an eye out of the shoeless mothers around you and make a difference.

Stand With Me In Support of Tench Tilghman

2011-03-17T13:28:00.002-04:00

Hearing about a public elementary school taking a stand for prayer is a rarity these days. For that school to be in Maryland is an extra surprise and a bonus since it's in my backyard.

The headline Md. School Criticized for Prayer Event before Test was impossible to ignore. Reading the article, I found a school and a principal's union in support of prayer while a school system and the ACLU denounced prayer.

Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School held a Saturday prayer meeting on March 5. The flier promoting the event indicates it lasting for 30 minutes with a celebration of food, music, and fun following. Yet, the Baltimore City Public School System and the American Civil Liberties Union see nothing positive in holding this event. BCPSS said in a statement, "It is not appropriate for public institutions of education to promote any particular religious practice." Of course the ACLU expressed their usual rhetoric by denouncing the event as a Constitutional violation of the separation of church and state. Yet, the most ridiculous aspect of the ACLU's denouncement is from attorney David Rocah who said, "They send a message of exclusion to people who are not of the particular faith or of any faith at all."

So, the prayer meeting excludes those who do not believe in prayer. Give Mr. Rocah a cookie.

Denouncements such as these are what make the ACLU so irrelevant and highlight the pettiness of the people they represent. In this case, the only reason the ACLU became aware of the event was due to one teacher who didn't wish to pass out the fliers to students. The event was on a Saturday - outside of normal school hours - during a time when many students are either barely awake, watching cartoons, or playing in their sporting leagues. Thus, having any event during this time is excluding quite a few students, parents, and teachers.

One teacher voices resistance and the ACLU cries foul! They continue listening to the whining complaints of the few who offer no positive solutions.

We've become a society too sensitive to rights, needs, and wants. We're more concerned with everyone getting along and keeping the peace that we've eradicated any real structure to things. In trying to be a melting pot and include everyone, we've relinquished too many boundaries.

There's nothing wrong with prayer in school. If a student doesn't wish to pray, they don't have to. Have their rights been violated? No. Did they have to listen to something they disagreed with for a few minutes? Maybe. But that's life. Get over it. But in this case, this was an event outside of school hours. And if the teacher didn't want to pass them out, she could've sat them on her desk and said, "Class, there's a flier about an event happening at the school this Saturday. Please take one if you like."

We've conditioned our society to complain about everything that makes us uncomfortable, never considering the positions of others, and empowering organizations that represent those positions.

I applaud Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School for this simple stand for prayer and hope more schools will do the same. Prayer is powerful and many children aren't exposed to its life-changing benefits. It's possible that such an event could plant a seed that could lead a child to Christ - the most important decision of their life.

Please show your support to Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School in one or all of the following ways:

- Pray for Principal Jael Yon, the staff, students, and parents. Pray they be encouraged during this time and that God be glorified.

- Pray for BCPSS and its leaders to soften their hearts and support this member school in its decisions to positively impact lives.

- Pray for the Maryland ACLU to focus on more relevant matters and to be shown the Truth that is around them everyday.

- Consider sending an email of support to Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School and Principal Jael Yon. Express your appreciation for their stand for prayer.

- Consider sending an email of support to Baltimore City Public School Administrators and Supervisors Association President Jimmy Gittings for his support of this prayer meeting.

- Consider also sending an email to BCPSS Chief Executive Officer Andrés A. Alonso and the ACLU of Maryland expressing your disappointment on their denouncement of Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School's prayer meeting.

Read more about it at BaltimoreSun.com

Your Favorite Chicken Is Not Anti-Gay

2011-02-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

The gay rights agenda needs new PR.

They're behaving as if Chick-fil-A's traditional-family, faith-based views are new and scandalous. Yet, their over-reaction to this issue is not only typical of gay advocates (not typical of gays, just gay advocates) but is also conducted with the same bully mentality they claim is killing gay teens. Ultimately, the approach seems to be for gaining attention to themselves and provoking reactions from "pro-traditional family" and Christian outlets.

The Chick-fil-A controversy began when the LGBT blog Good as You (G.A.Y.) noticed Chick-fil-A's name on the Pennsylvania Family Institute’s Art of Marriage flier. G.A.Y. examined connections between Chick-fil-A, PFI, Ruth Institute’s Reel Challenge, Loveishere.com, the WinShape Foundation, and the National Organization for Marriage.

Meanwhile, Change.org editor Michael Jones created a petition demanding that Chick-fil-A pull sponsorship from "anti-gay" events. The petition has 25,777 signatures as February 15. Chick-fil-A's Facebook Page soon became a war zone of comments now over 10,000. Also, Student movements attempted to oust the chain from Indiana University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Thus, those who preach tolerance, love, and pride are actually spewing the sort of rhetoric President Obama said should stop. Freedom of speech, religious liberty, and simple disagreement are being demonized.

Lake Lambert, author of Spirituality, Inc., told the Tim es regarding Chick-fil-A:

"They're going in a direction we haven't seen in faith-based businesses before. This is probably the next phase of evangelical Christianity's muscle flexing."

Really, Mr. Lambert? A Pennsylvania outlet - one store - provides some sandwiches for a traditional marriage seminar and it's "a direction" unseen before? Wow.

This article also mentions how this "outcry" has sparked similar boycotts and proposals from college students to remove the restaurant from campuses, and that these actions mimic the backlash Target received when it was discovered to be making contributions to "anti-gay politicians."

Michelle Malkin points out that the writer of the Times piece isn't an unbiased journalist:

Kim Severson is an openly gay advocate of same-sex marriage equality herself and the former vice-president of the identity politics-mongering National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association.

In a biter op-ed on gay marriage laws not changing quickly enough, she asserted: "I don't want the crumbs. I want the whole cake." Severson has voiced complaints about her social and economic status status as an unwed lesbian with a partner and child in several media publications.

None of this was disclosed in Severson's advocacy journalism hit job on Chick-fil-A. But therein lies the unofficial motto of The Gray Lady: All the ideological conflicts of interest unfit to print.

An example of word-twisting is in this article on the advocacy website Change.org:

If an organization is anti-gay -- Focus on the Family, the National Organization for Marriage, the Pennsylvania Family Institute, Exodus International -- the chances that Chick-fil-A has either donated to them, or worked with them via Chick-fil-A's charitable branch is darn near 100 percent.

So, if an organization promotes traditional family or traditional marriage they are anti-gay. If that's true, what these advocacy groups are saying is that by promoting gay family and gay marriage they are anti-straight. So, is that acceptable? Is it permissible to be anti-heterosexual but not to be anti-gay?

I'd presume any gay advocacy group would deny they are against heteros. But they forget, pushing such extremes is a two-way street.

Instead of trying to have a discussion about the issue, the G.A.Y. blog would rather amass an archive of negative articles on Chick-fil-A and dissect statements from Dan Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A, Inc.

When Cathy said that Chick-fil-A will not champion any political agendas on marriage and family, G.A.Y. concluded:

No, this political involvement claim is simply untrue. The annual marriage seminar is thoroughly tied to the political fight, even if couched under "strengthen/protect marriage" rhetoric.

Thus, G.A.Y. calls Cathy a liar because if one supports traditional family and marriage, one supports an anti-gay political agenda. Quite a stretch, G.A.Y.

Meanwhile, International pro-family group World Congress of Families defends Chick-fil-A in this article. The Congress’s managing director Larry Jacobs says of gay activists:

“They fear an open debate on their agenda and discussion of the importance of natural marriage, they invariably seek to silence dissenting voices," Jacobs said.

The pro-family leader maintains that Chick-fil-A’s strong support for heterosexual marriage is a worthwhile cause and should be not be controversial at all.

“I wish other corporations did half as much for the natural family, as Chick-fil-A, which promotes pro-family values through its WinShape Foundation, including helping orphans and sponsoring seminars that help people strengthen their marriages and become better parents," said Jacobs.

This Washington Times article points out, the Campus Ally Network, a pro-gay campus group, helped shut down the Chick-fil-A at Indian University last month. However, when Chancellor Una Mae Reck ordered a review, the suspension was terminated.

Yet, this article from NYU says Chick-fil-A financially supports bigotry and hate:

The restaurant itself has worked with Focus on the Family (a far-right Christian nonprofit) to distribute bible CDs in its children's meals; additionally, Chick-fil-A has even donated to Focus on the Family — an organization which publicly supports corporal punishment (that's right, let's hit our kids to make 'em learn) and opposes equal rights for women, as well as homosexuality, pornography, gambling and premarital sex. The far-right group also actively works to have creationism taught alongside evolution in science classrooms and has been publicly condemned by the Anti-Defamation League for comparing some of President Obama's policies to Nazism.

Here's a slice of what liberal colleges can teach a young mind. Spankings are abuse. Far-right people think women should be in the kitchen having babies. Homosexuality, porn, gambling, and premarital sex are good without question. Creationism has no place in the classroom.

The writer of this opinion piece goes on to say:

I'm not calling for a boycott of Chick-fil-A, nor am I saying that they should be kicked off campus, which students at other universities are attempting to do. But at a university known for its social progressivism, students have the right to know where their dining money is going.

How convenient to claim Chick-fil-A is spreading bigotry and hate and demonize Focus on the Family but hide behind the statement that you're not calling for a boycott or booting of the chain.

What needs to happen is for people to quit wearing their emotions on their sleeves. To quit being so sensitive. This goes for both sides. Gays want everyone to justify their lifestyle and accept it by trying to force the issue. If you want respect, be respectable. Show the kind of love you want given to you, even if you don't receive it.

For those who disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, regardless of your faith, quit trying to force gays to change. Focus on trying to love them for who they are and where they are in life. Not what you want them to be, be doing, or not doing. Never underestimate the power of talking to someone. Words are powerful but they can mislead and confuse if used poorly.

The messages that should be clear:

Jesus loves you right now. No matter where you are. No matter what you're doing. No matter what you've done. No matter your choices. Jesus loves you. Following Him will always take you where you didn't plan or think is possible.

We as Christians should continue to promote love and love our neighbor as ourselves. Love the sinner and hate the sin takes maturity. It's easy to say but not to implement. Many Christians simply don't possess enough maturity to do this. Equally, many think their choices define who they are completely. One's choices are a mere slice of who they are. Disapproving of a sin or choice isn't hate. On the contrary, loving someone enough to care about their choices is just that - love. We can be such backwards little children sometimes.

Father, forgive us. For we know not what we do.

Dan Cathy Statement from Chick-fil-A on Vimeo.

What If It Were My Daughter?

2011-01-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

COURTESY OF THE FAMILY
Christina-Taylor Green, 9, had just been
elected to the student council and wanted
to meet Giffords.

Instead of rushing to judge or react to a tragic scenario, we can learn so much more when we slow down, stop, listen, think, and speak only if needed.

The shooting rampage in Arizona is a gut-wrenching and senseless tragedy. Yet, we showed our collective immaturity as a nation by wanting to place blame on others instead of first praying for the victims and their families. Rather than collecting facts, we gathered pitch forks and torches for Sarah Palin over statements and a map she posted online. Instead of being patient for details, we rushed to be a apart of the online attack blaming the T.E.A. Party for spreading "hate rhetoric."

On that dreadful Saturday, I slowed down and stopped by asking this question: what if it were my daughter? What if she had died from that assassin's bullet?

Would I be angry? Blinding rage. Would I want justice? Blood-thirsty. Would I be willing to do anything to protect my family from further harm? Without hesitation.

But would I blame Sarah Palin (or any other politician) for what they said, didn't say, or posted online? No, I'd blame the shooter. Would I blame semi-automatic weapons or the NRA for allowing the shooter to have a gun? No, because one person's misuse of a weapon doesn't discolor all guns or a group of gun advocates.

We want to blame other people, especially those with whom we have problems, for causing situations rather than either placing the responsibility where it needs to go or accepting our own part. For example, if you're feeling discontent towards your pastor, you're more likely to criticize him for not visiting you in the hospital instead of realizing that you've distanced yourself from church members who aren't mind readers. If you feel you deserve a raise at your job, you're more likely to criticize your boss or company instead of realizing you haven't really talked with the boss about your concerns.

So, it's not surprising people want to blame Sarah Palin and the T.E.A. Party for this shooting because so many disagree with their statements and positions on issues. It's as if they want to toss out enough noise revolting against them so that surely other people will see how misguided Palin, the T.E.A. Party and others are with their actions.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. That sort of noise vomit shows how immature, mindless, and knee-jerk those people are with their emotional words and jaded viewpoints.

Many have commented on how irresponsible the map on the right is with its crosshairs referencing the names below, including Gabrielle Giffords. The outcry is this map encourages lunatics to shoot people. Really? So, if the map used red dots and someone used a laser-scoped rifle to kill - Palin & the map did it! If the map used X's and someone killed with a pick or knife - Palin & the map did it!

Folks, crazy doesn't need a map to commit crazy acts. Crazy will do what crazy does. However, I'm more certain than ever that less crazy would breed if children were taught to value human life. From unborn babies to elderly, all human life is sacred. When people become objects, nothing good can come of that.

But Saturday wasn't about Palin, maps, T.E.A. Parties, or the N.R.A. Saturday wasn't about our inability to disagree without being disagreeable. Saturday was about Christina-Taylor Green. 9 years old. Daughter. Sister. Grand-daughter. Third grader. Swimmer. Little league. Animal-lover. She'll never serve her newly elected post on the student council at Mesa Verde Elementary School. She'll never take lessons for the guitar she received at Christmas. She'll never experience life to its fullest.

Christina already made a name for herself being born on September 11, 2001. She likely would've helped change her corner of the world for the better. Instead, she's impacted that corner through her death. Born on a day of national terrorism and dying at the hand of a single terrorist, she's impacted an entire nation.

What if it were my daughter? What if it were your daughter? Would you react differently? Slow down, stop, listen, think, and speak only if needed.

Pray for these victims, their families and friends, and our nation. Most of all, pray for Jared Loughner. Whether you believe it our not, he needs to know the love of Christ Jesus. He'll face the consequences of his actions here on earth but if he rejects God he'll face those consequences for eternity.

"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:9

The Man and the Birds

2010-12-24T16:11:00.001-05:00

Since today is Christmas Eve, my thoughts randomly reflect on many topics: Georgia's excitement, family visiting in a few hours, dinner that's cooking, Kim resting from a head cold, how Christmas seemed to have come out of nowhere this year, how we might not be so stressed out for most of December if our priorities were different, and Paul Harvey.

Yup, Paul Harvey.

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It's not often that I ponder the iconic radio figure. Many of us grew up listening to him. Or listening to our parents listen to him. While I'm not certain of my age or if it was Christmas Eve or Day, I remember mom drinking coffee and listening to him recite this story.

There was something captivating about Paul Harvey sharing anything, let alone sharing a Christmas story. Mom was teary-eyed by the end and it's hard not to be. Such a simple story is a tale of redemption and of how one man finally "got it" through an unexpected encounter with some cold birds.

Listen to the story below and feel free to add any comments below.

Shuns and Boycotts: Where's The Love?

2010-12-20T16:05:00.005-05:00

Slowly fading from our social media memories are the blog posts and tweets about Ann Rice's decision to leave Christianity. But in case you've slept since then and forgotten, here's what she posted to her Facebook wall July 28:

Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

Then, a few minutes later, she added:

...In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.

She clarified further:

My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.

My initial reactions to these statements were either she was sincere and wanted to start a firestorm of discussions or she was provoking a means of publicity.

Rice called the publicity accusation nonsense.

That's a very cliched accusation that's made against authors in particular. I can tell you this: Offending the Christian right in this country is not considered a good career move for anybody, especially not someone who has written two books about Jesus Christ.

Interesting. She states the "Christian right" is the group she offended.

I shared my thoughts about Anne Rice's statements at ThinkChristian.net and the discussions that followed were also...interesting. The link opens to my initial comment and the conversation that began. Feel free to read the entire post for context.

John Mark Reynolds in his post Escaping the Tyranny of Me says:

Poor Ms. Rice has fallen for the comforting delusion of this age that one can be a follower of Christ without being a Christian. She is a victim of the most powerful tyrant: herself.

Jason Boyett had this to say in his Beliefnet post Anne Rice Quits Christianity:

I've grown weary with the constant delineations (this week by Anne Rice and, well, all the time by less famous believers) that they can be Christ-followers without being a part of "Christianity." Or I've heard it put this way: I'm not religious...but I'm a follower of Jesus. Look, if you follow the religious figure Jesus Christ, then you are aligning yourself, whether you like it or not, with his other followers. That makes you a Christian, and that makes you part of the Christian religious system. You're not making a legitimate distinction by trying to separate the religion from your personal faith. You're just using cute wordplay. And only Christians feel the need to make the distinction. People outside the faith don't see it that way at all. To quote the kids from High School Musical, we're all in this together.

Christianity is flawed, but one of the things it gets right is community. If you join our system, you join a community of messed-up people. You join people who are trying to follow Jesus but who fail in horrible, Christ-dishonoring ways. The individual "just me and Jesus" thing may be attractive -- trust me, I get it -- but even Jesus surrounded himself with a community of disciples...guys who made him cringe from time to time, too.

Justin McRoberts sums it up well in his open letter to Anne Rice:

Aligning yourself with Christ means aligning yourself with Someone who not only declared his love for all God’s children (believer or not), but suffered and died in order to establish and maintain a relationship with those children. It is this redemptive sacrifice that defines His love as characteristically His. Having chosen to follow His example, it seems that at least part of the redemptive sacrifice you are being challenged to make is to associate and identify yourself with this shabby batch of miscreants who are often quite bad at practicing the religion you love.

Pastor Dan Kimball of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA, said in an email to The Christian Post:

I am sad that Anne experienced what she did. But something so important for Anne and anyone who wants to quit the church to understand, is it means quitting themselves.

We are the church.

Tom Davis points out in his article I Quit Christianity, Too how mindlessly we forget Paul's instructions to Timothy:

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Breaking that down, Paul is saying:

Focus on your own sin by cultivating a pure heart that resists the temptations of your sinful nature.

Speak kindness instead of quarrels when dealing with everyone (not just other Christians) so that you can teach.

Paul is instructing Timothy on how to live out the gospel ethic of love both inside and outside. Being "disputatious" is not part of the plan. In fact, Paul knows that we are drawn into such arguments with the greatest ease. Many Christians seem primed and ready for a fight wherever the fight is.

But perhaps Mark Driscoll, Founding Pastor Mars Hill, says it best of all these examples in this Newsweek article:

Christians should not be offended by her rejection of Christianity. We should instead use it as an opportunity to search our own lives to see how we have been vicious, cruel, mean, unloving, and difficult to others, and repent of our own sin without fixating on what we think are her sins.

We should also pray for her. My guess is that she's simply struggling with what it means to be a Christian while hurting. She lost her daughter Michele to leukemia in 1972, buried her gay best friend John Preston, who died of AIDS in 1994, and in 2002 she buried her husband of forty-one years, Stan Rice. Her son, bestselling author Christopher Rice, is a gay rights activist whom she loves even while she reads the Bible's denial of his lifestyle as a God-honoring one. So, let her fellow Christians pray, love, and wait for Jesus to keep working on her as he is on us, thanking Him that at least our struggles are not as publicly scrutinized as hers.

The ABC video below peels back a shocking misperception or miscommunication on Rice's viewpoint.

She seems to lump the Westboro Baptist Church as an example of her leaving Christianity along with her "deep theological reservations" and "social & political implications" that occurred over the past year. The grouping is to say that the extreme views of many Christians - and the cult of Westboro (I refuse to refer to them as Baptist or church but pray they see the glory of God) - and her views simply were irreconcilable. Rice also implies support from thousands of Believers with the same reservations. Thus, thousands of persons of faith are also considering divorcing themselves from Christianity but continue following Christ.

While many Christians might not declare a shunning of Christianity, they may have participated in a boycott.

Perhaps the most infamous was the boycott of Disney. While the Southern Baptist Convention received the most credit for the ban on Mickey Mouse, the boycott of the Disney Company began with the Catholic League's objection to a movie "Priest" (Miramax, 1995). In 1996, the Southern Baptist Convention threatened to boycott over Disney's equal treatment of heterosexuals, bisexuals and homosexuals. Also in 1996, the Assemblies of God started an independent boycott of Disney. The SBC initiated its boycott in 1997 and was joined by one Muslim, two Jewish, one mainline Christian denomination and dozens of conservative Christian faith groups.

Many of these boycotts remained until 2005.

The American Family Association (AFA) boycotted PepsiCo for a year from 2008 to 2009 after the company made $500,000 donations to Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in 2008. Records from PepsiCo, HRC and PFLAG indicate repeat donations did not occur in 2009. Thus, the boycott ended.

Perhaps the best example of how absurd AFA boycotts can become was on November 19, 2010, when an email from AFA instructs supporters to boycott Dick's Sporting Goods until December 25 because:

Our research of the Top 100 retailers in America, Dick's advertising is likely the most "anti-Christmas" of all. We looked high and low for "Christmas" at Dick's, only to find they couldn't care less if they offend you and other Christians. Sure, Dick's wants you to buy their products...but no retailer in the nation has appeared to go out of its way to snub "Christmas" more than Dick's.

At the end of that same day, the company had responded to AFA with plans to include "Christmas" will be in their campaigns after November 28.

Did someone not do their homework? Did the campaign nudge Dick's into spreading Christmas cheer?

Does it really matter?

I do think boycotts are useful tools if used correctly. If a store is selling a dangerous or defective product, a boycott makes sense if one has attempted to discuss the issue with the store first. AFA follows this motto, however, they take the boycott one step further by essentially saying, "Stores, once we pay you for goods, we don't want you to support homosexual employees, gay agendas, or any other social/political/cultural agenda with our money. Plus, we're going to tell others not to give money to you until you stop doing this."

Sounds a bit like bullying or extortion.

Boycotting a business because they don't say "Merry Christmas" and placing them on a "naughty list" is perhaps the most misguided of efforts. While it's attempt is to try and keep Christmas in the public eye, such decorations and cheerful words don't ensure that Christ is being honored or uplifted. Nor does this ensure that customers are getting honest deals or employees are being treated fairly.

Another form of boycotting that's perhaps even more judgmental is when Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, and Michael English each went through their own divorces and sexual scandals. Both times, their music - so powerful and iconic in multiple Christian music fields - was pulled from CD racks and removed from playlists. For a time, their life-choices caused radio stations across the country to shun them.

Yet, even some more mainstream celebrities who have made a name for themselves in the Christian field have also been abandoned and shunned. Anna Broadway writes in her post Why I Can't Boycott Mel Gibson:

That’s probably the greatest loss of all, in our tendency to snap superficial judgments of friends and exes, pastors and celebrities alike. Not only are we missing part of the truth about them, we’re also missing a bigger picture of God revealed when we acknowledge the pain of seeing tremendous sinfulness and inordinate worth in the same dusty being. And, really, think of that — think of someone whose deeds you find repulsive, then ask yourself what future God would have for them. Is it a life at best lived in penance for his or her crimes to date? Or could even that debased, destructive life be transformed by God into something truly beautiful?

What disturbs me even more than the immaturity we have in our hearts to both those of faith and those dying in their sin, is how freely we share these opinions online where all can read for all time. Debate and disagreement is healthy, yet we use the Bible and Scripture as weapons trying to wound the other person or force them to see our point.

Amy Henry describes in her WORLD article how Believers Behaving Badly is becoming too much the norm:

Disagreement is a big part of online discussion, and I get that. I love a good debate as much as anyone. But what I see here sometimes goes beyond cordial discussion and the respectful exchange of ideas. And I cringe when I think of what nonbelievers must think of some of our interchanges.

Justin Wise also gets in our face with 7 Reasons I Don't Like Most Christians:

We think we know everything. This one could take all day. I’ll save you, though. The more I know Christ, the less I am sure of. And not just spiritual things, everything. That’s why I don’t understand why cranky Christians think they have a lock on everything from who’s going to hell to who’s going to win the election (or who should win the election) to what day we should hold services on. God is great and knows all. We do not.

George Elerick points out in The Nameless Other how our theology needs rebooting in the wake of forgetting Jesus' words:

Jesus says we must love ‘one-another’. Even in that phrase is the idea of oneness. Wholeness. Completeness. And unity. When we go out with our arsenal of labels ready to deploy on those we meet (whether consciously or subconsciously) we must remember the damage these labels do.

We've forgotten the basic commandment: love one-another. Not just fellow Christians but also those who don't know Him. Not just friends of Jesus but also those who relish the idea of being His enemy.

The easy solution is to shun other Christians...to drop-out of Christianity. Sure, Anne Rice may say what she did was hard at first but it's gotten easier. Being a Christian isn't suppose to be easy. Yet, we've been lulled into thinking that something's wrong with our faith if we're not drowning in blessings.

Our outlook is tainted and flawed. Humans are tainted and flawed. It's not up to use to change their minds. More importantly, our focus should be on being where He needs us when He needs us there. Not what other people think, say, or do. Everyday could be a struggle if that's what the Lord wants for you. And it'd be okay because He's in control. We can look forward to struggles because through Him we can conquer the struggles. In the end, He is glorified.

Shunning other people is also easy. Ignoring or avoiding that church member that made you mad - easy. Gossiping about the pastor and his preaching or leadership style - easy. Passing by the homeless person or other outcast because they make you uncomfortable - easy. However, praying for each of these people or getting involved to offer help or ideas - that takes courage and long-term commitment.

Boycotting businesses is also easy. Often, it's so easy that all you need to do is fill-in some blanks on a web form and click a submit button. But trying to find out if there's some underlying troubles at that business, employees in need of Christmas cheer, or someone seeking to know why they feel Christ isn't real - that also takes courage and patience.

James 3:9-10 says:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

If James were around today, he'd likely agree this applies to the written word. Father God, may we use Your discernment more freely before we open our mouth or hit the submit button.

Christmas With A Capital C

2010-10-09T11:23:00.003-04:00

Since Christmas decorations have been in stores alongside Halloween decor for months now, seems even more relevant to have a Christmas movie coming out, right?

Last season had the aroma of disgruntled grinches wanting nativity scenes or other Christmas symbols removed, hubbub sprinkled of stores saying "Seasons Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas" and various boycotts roasting on open fires. Thus, a movie being produced about this subject isn't surprising.

I love good, clean, inspiring, family movies. Too often Hollywood forgets that a flick can do well without showing lots of skin, tossing curses around, or focusing on the worst of human nature. Don't get me wrong, my favorite genres are sci-fi and action movies. The more explosions, robots, and peril the better! But even with some of those films, there's this compelling need to drop in as many curse words as possible. It amazes me that the industry thinks it's fine for a 13 year old to hear the Lord's name misused. But that's another topic for another time.

After watching the trailer above, is this a movie you're excited or curious about seeing? Why or why not? Share your comments below.

Respect and Entitlement

2010-06-30T09:55:00.003-04:00

In doing some thinking recently, it's become very clear to me how spoiled we as a society have become. We are so spoiled and comfortable that we no longer show proper respect towards things and people that deserve respect and we feel our respect must be earned. But worse we feel we're entitled to anything at anytime. That we deserve the very best and we deserve it right now. Here's just a few examples:

Elders
Respecting the elderly doesn't entitle us to treating them like children. Senior adults have not only seen many milestones of history but also have much wisdom to share. However, we treat them with the care of an old electronic or something that has served its purpose and needs upgrading or replacing. We feel entitled to ignore, pity, and even mock their age and frailness. Take the time to document their knowledge. Record their stories and learn from their teachings.

Military service personnel
Respect for our military hasn't always been strong but it has been ever-present the last 10 years. Yet, we feel entitled to forget their sacrifices because we're not living their life. They chose a job and we did not. They volunteered for the lifestyle. Also, we feel entitled to force more changes upon them. Women are serving in more roles than ever including nearly on the frontlines. This is wonderful inclusion but being cautious is not being sexist. Just as some men aren't qualified for certain tasks due to mental or physical stamina, some women would equally not be suited for a task.

How despicable a notion to force sexual preferences onto the military. One's sexual choice shouldn't be on the frontlines. The entitlement of thinking sexual preference plays a part is arrogant and selfish.

Unborn
Life in all forms should be respected. Just because you may feel women are entitled to the freedom of choice doesn't entitle you to kill your unborn child.

We respect your right to have sex but that choice may lead to pregnancy and your lack of maturity or other life-circumstances doesn't entitle you to kill that life.

Doctors who perform abortions may not deserve respect in your opinion but they are entitled to perform their vocation and live their lives. Pray that God changes their hearts. You are not entitled to take their life because you think God ordained such action.

Sex
Respecting your spouse's love for you doesn't entitle you to take advantage of that love and have an affair. Seek help individually and as a couple.

While I may respect your position (of power, authority, or celebrity), you are not entitled to live as you please. True, it's your life. But eyes are upon you. You are a role model to someone and they may feel the way you conduct your sex life is acceptable. Your children, family, friends, or fans deserve better. Act like a role model or get out of the public light.

Respecting your choice of partner doesn't entitle you to force my acceptance of your lifestyle. I can love you and disagree with your choices.

Respecting your desire to marry your partner doesn't entitle you to redefine marriage which is between one woman and one man. Period.

Respecting your right to peacefully protest doesn't entitle you to take your views and disrupt church services or attack others who disagree with you.

Church
While most ministers make an effort to respect your schedule and end services on time, you're not entitled to complain to their face or behind their back about getting out of your seat a few minutes late.

Respecting your wish to serve in an area of the church more aligned with your talents doesn't entitle you to sit back and wait for that opportunity to come along. Jump in. Help. Serve. For example, all parents should rotate in service of the Children's Ministry. Once a month or even once every two months on a regular basis is better than always leaving your children in the care of others and saying "someone else can do it, I'm a parent all week." Yup, and so are many of the workers. Be willing to be willing.

While you may feel your taste in carpet should be respected, you are not entitled to complain about the church's choice of carpet nor should that aesthetic be a reason you don't worship or help divide a congregation. Yes, some churches have split over such pettiness.

Your leadership skills may need respect but those skills don't entitle you to lead campaigns or agendas against who God has placed in leadership at a church.

The World
Respect taking turns. You can wait patiently at a shelf in a store's aisle without feeling entitled to meekly or quickly maneuver around they who were there before you to get what you need just so you can "get out of their way."

Respecting your busyness or distractedness doesn't entitle you to knock something off a store shelf and leave it because you know someone else will pick it up.

Respect the driver in front of you. You're not entitled to honk at another driver when the traffic light changed 1 second ago and they haven't moved.

Respecting your opinion doesn't entitle you to consider me or anyone else stupid, slow, ignorant, retarded, racist, redneck, or a bigot because I don't share your view of the world.

Respecting your difficult life doesn't entitle your going to college because you think you deserve it. You go to college because you want to work for your education. To better yourself and your family.

Respecting your skin color doesn't entitle you to use that color as an excuse for why you deserve anything and everything today...and often for free. Learn from the past, don't live in it.

Respecting your desire for the best health care doesn't entitle you to it because you deserve it, because it's your right, or because you're American. Health care isn't a right granted by God or the Constitution.

While I respect your feelings that things in America are broken and need to resemble something more like Europe, you are not entitled to bash this country that many men and women gave their lives to build.

Respecting your right to be a comedian doesn't entitle you to spew intolerance and hate at those who disagree with you, Bill Maher and Janeane Garofalo.

Respecting your choice to be an actor and endure the trials of Hollywood doesn't entitle you to dictate how everyone should think or feel about someone or something.

Respecting your choice to live in New York City doesn't entitle you to look down upon the rest of the county and think you're better than everyone else.

You may be a respectable person to your family or community but that doesn't entitle you to treat others as beneath you, regardless of their skin color, sex, or vocation.

Respecting those who sweep up your trash means knowing you're not entitled to make trash or ignore trash made by others. Pick it up. Throw it away.

The key with all of these examples is to realize we should be giving out respect, not expecting someone to earn it. But granting that respect doesn't entitle anyone to make selfish choices. If we can shed our toxic devotion to feeling entitled to things, only then can we truly experience and give love. Only then can we truly forgive. Only then can we be useful in this world.

So, can you think of anything you could add to this list either under an existing category or under a new one? Add it to the comments below.

Is Oil Choking Your Faith?

2010-06-01T17:46:00.002-04:00

Are you weary of the daily news onslaught relating to the Gulf's oil spill? Looking at any media lately, it's nearly impossible to escape some sort of update or opinion about the Gulf's oil spill and its damage to the environment or BP's latest idea to stop the leaks. You can even look at a live video feed of the oil-spewing leaks a mile under water. Searching for "oil spill" produces hundreds of results. Here are just a few of today's headlines:

‎

Oil spill, are they doing enough?
Obama seeks 'full and vigorous accounting' of Gulf Coast oil spill
Will the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Hurt Tourism in the South?
Spill wipes $23 billion off BP‎
In Louisiana, damage from the oil spill can be deceiving‎
Gulf oil spill: 'Everybody's lost hope'‎ - USA Today
Gulf oil spill has BP in crosshairs of AG Eric Holder
BP Shares Under Deeper Pressure
BP Needs 'Lottery Win' to Seal Oil Leak at First Try
Relief for Gulf is 2 months away with another well‎
Alabama coast could see oil Wednesday‎
BP CEO Tony Hayward (VIDEO): 'I'd Like My Life Back'

‎

Searching for "oil spill prayer" offers half the results but more than expected. One article reminds the reader how God can change the laws of nature. When a builder loses his borrowed ax in water, the prophet Elisha throws a stick into the water and the axe floats.

Another article mentions how Louisiana churches are stepping up to help with prayers and food those whose livelihoods are being impacted.

The Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast has created a website to share information about the oil spill.

Another article titled "God is bigger than this oil spill" captures how many are feeling in a church member's quote: "There is a helplessness that comes with it...Right now, there is very little we can do."

Indeed, there is little we can do. Yet, we still try. Every day, headlines seem to speak to this helplessness and increasing anger. While projections were made from the first week of when oil would arrive on shores and destroy wildlife, the Obama Administration has continued to keep its "boot on the throat of BP" to pressure them to resolve this crisis and threaten them with lawsuits.

Such arrogance.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says: 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'

I challenge you, myself, and even our President to reflect on this Scripture. God is still in control. This oil spill did not surprise Him. This crisis will not destroy His creation of the Earth. Just as with the hammer that floated on water, He is capable of much that we cannot understand or see.

Our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not. Thus, we've hit on the trifecta of our issues. Obedience, trust, and submission are three of our most difficult challenges. But with God's help, we can learn to obey, trust, and submit. In doing so, we will become stronger and wiser instead of weaker and ignorant.

Instead of criticizing BP, supporting that we never drill for oil, fretting that the coasts will be ruined and wildlife become extinct, take a moment and stop. Remember Who created it all. Remember that God truly is bigger than this oil spill and pray that He grants wisdom, discernment, and protection for those involved, and that through this crisis God will be glorified.

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Like Miley Cyrus, We've All Given Lap Dances

2010-05-14T14:59:00.002-04:00

"Wait, what? Miley Cyrus? Gave who a lap dance? And what do you mean? I've never given anyone a lap dance!"

Oh, the questions you must have. Let's start from the beginning.

Last year, Miley Cyrus - the cute, precocious teen, celebrity daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana, and Disney child star - began slipping into teenage rebellion when she quit Twitter. Yet, Miley didn't just quit tweeting or cancel her account. She also wrote a rap song about it.

Mashable reported: Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account this week, citing the fact that tabloids were using the Tweets as fodder for their stories.

Her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, tweeted: "Miley. You are a light in a world of darkness. You were born 'Destiny Hope Cyrus' for a reason.You can't leave everyone now.We r countin on u."

Miley tweeted: "FYI Liam doesn't have a twttr & he wants ME 2 delete mine w/ gd reason." Moments later, her account was gone.

However, in a Parade interview, she offered a different explanation for the account's deletion: “There has been so much controversy sometimes about what I’ve said or done because I believe there are no mistakes because God is the only one who can judge us. That’s the reason I deleted my Twitter account because I said on there that I believed in gay marriage because everyone should have the right to love each other, and I got such hate mail about my being a bad person.”

Miley joined a few celebrities who were speaking out against Carrie Prejean's support of traditional marriage with these tweets:

• "Everyone deserves to love and be loved and most importantly smile."

• "Jesus loves you and your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! That's like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz he's gay and that is wrong and very sad!

• "Like I said everyone deserves to be happy."

• "God’s greatest commandment is to love. And judging is not loving."

• "I am a Christian and I love you - gay or not - because you are no different than anyone else! We are all God's children."

Is quitting Twitter really rebellious? Taking back one's privacy from the public actually seems commendable. Putting out a video to explain the reasons are the marks of a singer and actress. But what makes this a bit similar to a very public teenager-door-slamming during a discussion are the various reasons including quitting over the gay marriage debate.

Like any teen, Miley likely wasn't prepared for the backlash she would receive. That's not her fault. Who could be prepared for the amount of venom people can dish?

So, if quitting Twitter could be considered rebellious, Miley's latest video - the title track from her June-schedule release "Can't Be Tamed" - could be considered scandalous:

"Can't Be Tamed" seems to embody the spirit of a teenage girl rebelling against the world:

I go through guys like money
flyin' out the hands
They try to change me
but they realize they can't
And every tomorrow is a day I never plan
If you gonna be my man understand

I can't be tamed
I can't be saved
I can't be blamed
I can't can't I can't can't be tamed

But examine the words closer:

Well I'm not a trick you play,
I'm wired a different way
I'm not a mistake,
I'm not a fake,
It's set in my DNA
Don't change me

These sound like positive declarations of a confident young girl. However, lyrics like these lean more towards a teenage rant:

If there is a question about my intentions,
I'll tell ya
I'm not here to sell ya
Or tell you to go to hell
(I'm not a brat like that)
I'm like a puzzle
but all of my pieces are jagged
If you can understand this,
we can make some magic,
I'm on like that

While the song by itself may not be scandalous, the new video pushes past that line with Miley in revealing attires and provocatively performing with both male and female dancers.

What does her daddy think of this video?

Billy Ray, I agree that the video concept and execution are cool. It's a work of video art. As a father of a daughter, that video would be awkward for me. This is likely why so many people are shocked, disturbed, concerned, and have such strong emotions to it.

But this is where we parents may need to pipe down. After all, this is a close family. Many teenage daughters barely communicate with their dad if he is even in their life. Plus, most of us have not nor ever will be in the entertainment industry. Dad and daughter are in that very public venue having all sorts of opinions tossed at them. If there are creative boundaries that neither she or her family are willing for her to cross, who are we to judge?

Finally, while Twitter, songs, and videos may truly be public slices of life...other pictures and videos aren't meant to be. The image below was posted to the Twitter account of Adam Shankman, producer of Miley's latest movie The Last Song.

Popeater reports last June the producer posted a photo of Cyrus on Twitter, showing the actress provocatively posing in a make-up chair. Shankman tweeted: "Miley is a sweet angel who works tirelessly and endlessly, and is allowed to have fun in the make up room!" Shankman later said in defense of the photos. "Lighten up or no more behind the scenes pics! She's my little angel sister."

Then comes the lap dance video:

Well, technically, it's Shankman grinding on Miley and she on him. It's shocking that this is happening between a 17-year-old girl with a 44-year-old man. But you're likely missing the justification: he's openingly gay.

This justification hasn't been publicly made but why else would a family-oriented, well-grounded, mega-celebrity, Christian teen pose provocatively with and be grinded on and upon a man almost her father's age?

Parents should note this is how many teens, even Christian teens, are dancing today and they're being fueled by what their friends are doing and today's media. But does that make it ok?

Billy Ray Cyrus defends his daughter again saying, "It's what people her age do" and that she was "having fun."

Because everyone else is doing something is not acceptable. But that's the point, to be accepted. To fit in. To be cool. Plus, it feels good. It's also a little dirty. There's nothing wrong with Miley being at parties and she certainly didn't know she was being taped...but isn't that the point? One never knows who's watching or listening.

Maybe she has no issue with this video. She likely considers Shankman a friend and since he's gay he's "safe" in a sexual way. But does that still make it wise to express her sexuality around him?

Let's face it, every teenager goes through some form of rebellion. What's key is if their family and faith foundations can withstand the "earthquake." Let's examine Miley's documented faith for a moment. At 15, Miley's faith appeared focused on Jesus Christ. In a YouTube video episode of "The Miley & Mandy Show," Mandy Jiroux, Miley's best friend, reads a question from a fan who asked if the girls were Christian.

They both offer a resounding "Yes!" Miley continues, "Yes! We love Jesus! Happy Easter, by the way. He died for our sins. That's how awesome He is. Jesus rocks! That's why we do what we do," the Hannah Montana star adds. "She (Mandy) dances for Jesus. I sing, dance and act for Jesus! ... Now that I think about it, I do everything for Jesus. We make the YouTube videos for Jesus. We’re all about it."

These comments come at 6:10 into the video below:

Miley credited her family and faith for keeping her grounded in an interview with TV presenter Barbara Walters that aired for the Oscars:

“Some people don’t have a family to fall back on, like I have, and that’s when something greater than even that comes in – and that’s faith and that’s what I have for me,” Cyrus told Walters. “That’s what keeps me strong.”

In an appearance on Oprah last year, Cyrus had also mentioned church as the source of her strength.

However, two years later, Miley seems distracted. In an interview for Parade Magazine she says, "The one thing I’m really strong about regarding my religious beliefs is that you should know a little bit about everything before you define your own beliefs. I think all religions have a good practice in them. Liam and I have been reading about Buddhism lately and it’s all about hope and love. To me, faith is about having a clean slate and a clean start.”

The Parade interview continues:

“My faith is very important to me,” she says. “But I don’t necessarily define my faith by going to church every Sunday. Because now when I go to church, I feel like it’s a show. There are always cameras outside. I am very spiritual in my own way. Let me make it clear, though—I am a Christian. Jesus is who saved me. He’s what keeps me full and whole. But everyone is entitled to what they believe and what keeps them full. Hopefully, I can influence people and help them follow the same path I am on, but it is not my job to tell people what they are doing wrong.”

Is it hard being openly Christian in Hollywood?

“People are always looking for you to do something that is non-Christian,” she answers. “But it’s like, ‘Dude, Christians don’t live in the dark.’ I have to participate in life. If I wear something revealing, they go, ‘Well, that’s not Christian.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go to hell because I’m wearing a pair of really short white shorts.’ Suddenly I’m a slut. That’s so old-school.”

...

At last summer's Teen Choice Awards, Miley danced on an ice-cream cart and appeared to pole dance. Many voiced their opinions of disapproval. Miley's response:

“My job first is to entertain and do what I love, and if you don’t like it, then change the channel. I’m not forcing you to watch me. I’m not forcing you to talk about me. I would do that pole dance a thousand times again, because it was right for the song and that performance. But, dude, if you think dancing on top of an ice-cream cart with a pole is bad, then go check what 90% of the high schoolers are really up to. It’s funny. I don’t know if a lot of parents remember what they were like as kids. But I’m like, ‘Dude, as if you were an angel!’”

She sighs. “I’ve learned I can’t live for what people are going to say. People are so judgmental—especially parents. You can say what you want about mine,” she says, “but I think the world of my mom and dad. They are the best. I am not afraid to tell them anything. Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Miley, we’re not completely stoked about your decisions,’ but at least they’re not worried at 3 in the morning, wondering where I am. It’s all about communication. I don’t care what stories are written about me or what other parents think, because I know how close I am with my parents.”

In fact, Billy Ray Cyrus did not have an issue with the pole dancing routine. “I always tell her to love what you're doing and stay focused for the love of the art and not worry so much about opinions,” Cyrus says.

So, how judgemental are you feeling towards young Miley right now? Assuming that you have judged her, are you willing to forgive?

The Parade article continues with what she's learned about making mistakes and learning the power of forgiveness:

“You don’t have to say, 'Well, I’m already a bad person so I might as well go ahead and do this other bad thing.' It’s about knowing sometime that what you did wasn’t always the best choice but you now have the chance to start over again. That’s the biggest thing to me about my faith: you don’t have to live tallying up all the things you’ve done wrong. It’s all about forgiveness. If God who created the world can forgive you then you can forgive yourself.”

One only has to listen to the wisdom from her grandmother to know where Miley stands:

"It's a God thing with her," said Ruth Ann Cyrus's grandmother and the mother of Miley Cyrus's father, country singer father Billy Ray Cyrus. "God has blessed her to do as good as she does. She's a good Christian girl. That's mine. I'm so proud of that."

It's so easy for people to lose sight that this girl is a teenager who will make mistakes. Lots of them. Parents made mistakes as teens but did not have their every move photographed, videoed, and shared with the world.

God doesn't tally up our wrongs. He doesn't keep score and nor should we. Yet, we do and often with no effort. We should live and love life...be in the world but not of the world. And that's really where things get fuzzy. How can a Christian enjoy life and this world without falling trap to its sin? It's a daily process that's simple...stay focused on Christ. Spend more time thinking about...praising...praying...living a Christ-centered life and everything will have its priority.

Yes, it's that simple and that hard.

There's a fine line between loving and supporting someone and approving of their decisions. Too often, many feel that to love someone is to approve of their actions or choices. This is the "love the sinner, hate the sin" part that many don't understand. I agree with Miley that everyone deserves to love, be loved, and be happy. Jesus loves everyone. But Jesus did not and does not approve of everything we do. So, I can love someone who chooses to be gay without approving of their choices. I can love a gay couple without approving of them getting married.

While it's not Miley's or any Christian's job to point out the wrongs of others (some of us do this too freely), there are times when standing up to sin is necessary (some of us do this too little) even if it's awkward and uncomfortable. Our maturity and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is tested here, because often there's a better time or way to confront the sin than the time or method we want to use. Sometimes, the time and manner are sound but fear keeps us silent.

Bottomline, I think Miley's pushing boundaries while working her faith. Unlike many of us who settle within comfortable boundaries and have our faith defined by preachers and books.

Again, the difference is a foundation of family and faith. Many celebrities don't have this foundation or have one that's been devastated with divorces and affairs. Miley appears to have a strong family foundation as portrayed in this scene from Hannah Montana: The Movie which not only captures a musical father and daughter's love for one another but also captures so much of who Miley is:

So, beyond not worrying about the splinter in someone else's eye (Matthew 7:3) and ignoring the plank in our own, my advice is simple:

Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Grow in that faith.
Love and pray for your family and friends.
Before we judge someone's actions (especially someone with whom we have no contact), pray for them.

Yes, we all have "given a lap dance" in our lives. Often many times over. Something we've done or said has caused regret or conflict. Ideally, we and those around us have grown from the experience. Growing up is hard...in life and in faith. But in both we can enjoy the journey.

So God's Work Might Be Displayed

2010-01-18T02:48:00.000-05:00

Rousing from an unplanned nap near 1am Saturday, my cellphone blinks in receipt of a message. I assume it's spam to the work email account. Instead, it's a text message from 12:22am. It reads: Baby Pierce got his angel wings today at 3 o clock.

News began to circulate around 4pm and trickled to Caringbridge at 11:40pm Friday night. An outpouring of love to the family was already in progress on Facebook and continued through the weekend.
If you recall, Kim and I began a journey with a complete stranger in November. The expereince and the friendship forged with Leah Helms is documented in this blog post. Much has happened since then. Much.

Leah has continually stated, "God has big plans for Pierce." Beyond witnessing the love between a mother and child, Kim and I had the blessing of meeting a fellow Child of God and walking with her during a "valley" moment in her family's life. That's not a pat on our backs for being "good Christians" or lifting us up in any way. It was truly great to meet someone from Mississippi who just needed friendship, fellowship, and prayers. We could've gone about our own agenda and lives and never bothered...but what a blessing from being sensitive to the Holy Spirit!

I still chuckle how we would've never known about or met Leah, her husband B.J., or little Pierce had Leah's purse not been stolen at Children's Hospital in DC. God works in such intricate and simple ways.

Now, several fundraisers, Facebook fan pages, prayer chains, emails, and texts later...little Pierce is gone. One could ask, "Was it all worth it? All the tears, prayers, efforts...was it really all worth it?" Or one could demand, "Why, God?! Why not answer these prayers? Why even let this child come into the world?!"

I say yes. Yes, it was worth it! Every second of not giving up on Pierce. Every moment of praying for his healing, him to have a new heart, for the peace of his family. All of it was worth it.

As for the why...John 9 1:3 comes to mind:

As (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

The disciples were often so like us today. They thought that because a man was blind, surely he or his parents must have sinned to cause it. Yet, without that man's blindness, Jesus' miracle could not have been performed.

Yet, there are some who remain blind their lifetimes both spiritually and physically. For those spiritually blind, we must be diligent and pray for them. A member of my home church in Jackson, Mississippi, prayed for the salvation of his son for years. Decades, perhaps. He could've given up and may have at times. I'm certain many members stopped praying. I did. Yet, I'm certain two or more faithful people (one being his father) continued to pray for that man. Now, he is a child of God.

God answers prayer. Always. The answer is either yes, no, or wait. We must be prepared for the answer even if it's not what we wanted.

For the physically blind and those with other conditions, such as Pierce's defective heart, one could wonder why God allows such things. Or wonder if He's listening or concerned with our prayers when those we so earnestly pray for die. If God’s love for us required Him to heal every disease and every infirmity, no one would ever die. "Love" would sustain all in perfect health.

The biblical definition of love is "a sacrificial seeking what is best for the loved one." What is best for us is not always physical wholeness. Paul the apostle prayed to have his "thorn in the flesh" removed, but God said, "No" because He wanted Paul to understand he didn’t need to be physically whole to experience the sustaining grace of God. Through the experience, Paul grew in humility and in the understanding of God’s mercy and power (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Leah was correct. God does have big plans for Pierce. Another text to me: It has brought me closer to Christ. I do not take the little things for granted anymore.

Pierce's life allowed Leah, B.J., and her family to meet people they never would've met. Relationships have been forged that are eternal. As noted in that text, people's faiths have been strengthened. God's plans for Pierce began well before 3 months ago and they will continue well beyond now.

Politics and Religion: Knowing Little But Never Being Wrong

2010-01-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

You may have heard the age old axiom from your parents. "Never talk about politics or religion." My guess, this was a mantra to avoid uncomfortable dinner parties 30 years ago. Hard to believe but people actually met IN PERSON to talk and catch up, instead of sitting at their computers or using their phones to text and tweet.

Not bringing up the topics of politics or religion, especially when in mixed company, helped keep everything pleasant and calm. Few chances for awkward moments when talking about the weather, food, kids, and the lawn.

But why are people so passionate about these topics? Why do they cause such conflict in discussions?

Simple. Selfishly, no one wants to be wrong.

Take it back to Adam and Eve. After Eve listened to the serpent and God confronted both Adam and Eve about what they had done, what's the first thing they do? Blame someone else.

Genesis 3:12-13: "The man said, 'The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'"

You see, if you blame someone else, you're not really at fault. It's far easier to blame your parents or your neighborhood for your personality, fears, or habits today. More excusable that your spouse is unloving and ignoring your needs as why you had an affair. More palatable to blame your schedule, time demands, or stress on your poor eating habits.

If you blame someone or something else, you don't have to take responsibility. And you ultimately don't have to take the blame (for your needing meds, getting divorced, or being overweight) either. Therefore, you're not wrong.

Larry Ross, President of A. Larry Ross Communications, articulated this point well. "Sin is a word so seldom used in our culture that society has almost lost any point of reference from which to acknowledge or embrace the concept. In an effort to rationalize away bad behavior, immoral activities are often downgraded to mistakes and indiscretions, or responsibility blame shifted to one's upbringing or another individual."

Since we're talking about Scripture and faith, a great example of not wanting to be wrong with religion can be found with Brit Hume's humble suggestion that Tiger Woods embrace Christianity.

Here's the clip:

What has his suggestion to Tiger produced?

Tom Shales, a Washington Post Staff writer, suggested Hume should apologize. "You gotta (apologize). Just say you are a man who is comfortable with his faith, so comfortable that sometimes he gets a wee bit carried away with it. If Hume wants to do the satellite-age equivalent of going door-to-door and spreading what he considers the gospel, he should do it on his own time, not try to cross-pollinate religion and journalism and use Fox facilities to do it."
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann said Hume should "keep religious advocacy out of public life since, you know, the worst examples of that are jihadists, not to mention, you know, guys who don't know their own religions or somebody else's religion like Brit Hume."
MSNBC's David Shuster suggested that Hume denigrated Christianity by sharing his faith.
Homosexual activist Dan Savage said, "American Christianity has been hijacked by the lunatics, by the Pat Robertsons ... and by people like Brit Hume, and it's an insult to Christianity, it's an insult to Christians."
Even Welton Gaddy, Pastor of Northminster (Baptist) Church of Monroe, Louisiana said, "I am not pleased to see my faith used in a utilitarian manner whether the issue is personal forgiveness or national politics. Unfortunately, the manipulation of faith has become so common that to many it now seems acceptable."
Condemning and yet complimentary in his article, Brad Hirschfield found Hume's remarks about Buddhism "shallow" and that Jesus being the only way to a better life "ridiculous."

Yet, many had positive reactions:

Lisa Miller suggested Hume was "using his platform and airtime to offer Tiger some free advice."
Stuart Roy on the Hill's Pundits Blog educated readers that Hume not only was doing his job as an analyst offering his insight, opinion and views on the topic (Tiger Woods) at hand but also that with Christianity, one seeks forgiveness from God which isn't offered in Buddhism. Therefore, his analysis was correct.
Speaker Dan Calabrese wrote about the hypocrisy, "If a celebrity’s life goes into a spiral, and we kick back and watch while munching popcorn, that’s acceptable. But if someone suggests an actual path to changing that person’s life – particularly a path that leads that person to God’s redemption – well then, mister, you’ve crossed the line."
Demi Bardsley of Concerned Women for America, put the issue into perspective. "Brit Hume would not be viciously criticized if he had claimed the benefits of any other religion or non-religion. It's only when a Christian speaks of the advantages of Christianity that the modern secularist goes into orbit. No Christian should silence himself from a truth known deep in his soul. Brit Hume is to be commended for his courage to speak up and take the heat. All for a very simple idea -- that God loves us and can turn our broken lives into something better, something we could never have imagined."

No one wants to be wrong. You either believe the same as Brit Hume - that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the light and that no one comes to the Father but through Him...and Tiger needs to ask forgiveness for his sins to receive Christ's forgiveness and love - or you believe there are other ways to do this. Forget whether or not Hume should've shared the advice at that time, on that program, or in his role. You either believe what he said is correct or wrong.

Talking religion can travel down many side-streets but ultimately the foundational question to be answered is do you believe the Bible? From there, one can debate the depth and maturity of their belief, what's shaken or strengthened their faith, and more. But, again, no one wants to be wrong.

While some restraint may be used in disagreements with religion, discussions of politics can simply turn ugly. Without spending time collecting links and sharing stories on this topic, one could simply return to the 2000 Presidential Election to highlight the division of the country's opinions with the narrow victory and all the voting issues. One could examine the erosion of bipartisan and American solidarity that had been so rampant in President George W. Bush's first term to it's decline in the 2004 elections to the vicious, evil, and hateful venom spewed at the Bush Administration through much of its second term.

Flash-forward to today with topics such as health care reform, T.E.A. parties, stimulus bills, bailouts, czars, and so much more. The political landscape seems maddening.

But beyond not wanting to be wrong, people know little about the politics and religious subjects of which they fume so passionately. We want to be on the winning team and to have our beliefs and opinions validated.Yet, we don't spending enough time in Scripture and prayer or accepting a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Or we listen to only one political source of information without researching the topic or aligning it with our moral beliefs.

America has lost something.

Instead of being about to debate or discuss, we readily argue like little spoiled, selfish, undisciplined children. Everything is drama. Everything is an argument. Emotions and tempers flare and nothing is resolved. At least with a debate or discussion, two parties can walk away possibly learning something new. At the very least, the two sides agree to disagree. But little is learned from arguments. The goal is to hurt and see which side can not listen to the other and shout the loudest.

We don't want to be wrong. We don't want to learn enough to realize if we're right or wrong. Politics, politicians, and Presidents won't save us. But faith in Christ will. In Him, you won't be wrong and you'll always know little...but He'll keep growing you...if you're willing to be willing.

Reverse Discrimination of Christmas

2010-01-02T01:51:00.006-05:00

With Christmas slowly fading from your memory, did you find yourself this year taking a stand for Christmas? I'm not talking about stealing the stand beneath the Christmas tree. Perhaps you missed it but 2009 was the year of sticking it to retailers who refused to display or say "Merry Christmas!" Boycotting secular businesses because they aren't promoting Christmas: righteous or ridiculous?

I'll vote for both.

American Family Assocation instructed supporters to boycott Gap and its sister stores due to their lack of Christmas spirit. Shortly thereafter, Gap revealed their releasing of a new Christmas-themed commercial. The ban is lifted. But isn't it conceivable Gap already had this Christmas-themed commercial ready to roll-out and slapping a ban on them was a bit premature?

"We’re in this fight because we are disturbed by the increasing secularization of our culture in general and Christmas in particular," said AFA president Tim Wildmon in a statement. "We're gratified that Gap has responded to the thousands of phone calls, emails and petitions from Americans who share our concerns."

"Because of the importance of Christ’s influence on the world in general and America in particular, celebrating His birth should be in a class all by itself," said Buddy Smith, executive assistant to AFA president Tim Wildmon. "We are pleased that Gap is apparently beginning to agree." The conservative pro-family group warned, however, that the boycott could resume if the new ad is not “respectful” to Christmas and Christian shoppers.

"Every consumer should make a list and check it twice, stop patronizing retailers which are naughty and shop at those which are nice," commented Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law.

AFA, Liberty Counsel, and Focus on the Family - you each do great work and have many great Kingdom-building campaigns. However, this one was absolutely silly! Having a "Merry Christmas" banner in a store doesn't make that store any more supportive of Christmas or Christ than someone going to church makes them a Christian!

But I get it. This is war after all. You feel that if more and more stores say "Happy Holidays" then that will become the norm and Christmas being banned from stores will become commonplace. And if employees can only say "Happy Holidays" then they won't be exposed to the real reason of Christmas, right?

Learning the real meaning of Christmas in a store? With Christ, nothing is impossible, however, I question the human allocation of attention and energy on this one. Instead of pressuring stores to say Merry Christmas, why not be an advocate for songs that some person or group tries to remove the word "Christmas," encourage schools and other public places not to ban Christmas decorations or celebrations, and promote Christian-owned businesses as alternative shopping destinations?

By not properly focusing our efforts, websites such as Stand For Christmas

generate comments such as this: "I'm a manager at a Gap store. As a Christian I feel condemned by reading some of your comments. We're allowed to say Merry Christmas. Please understand that Gap is a business not a church and we have Jews, Muslims, Atheists, and Christians who come into our store. I cannot assume everyone are Christians. The Sunday "church crowd" that comes in is so much more rude and mean than any other time of the week. Please use courtesy and know that you are a representation of Christ even when you shop. Please be nice, retail workers need Christ too!"

How revealing is this paragraph. By boycotting Gap (or other stores that are "offensive" by not saying Merry Christmas), some Christians working at those stores feel judged. And lest anyone states a Christian shouldn't work in such stores, I challenge not only do they have the right to work there but retail stores are places with people needing the love of Jesus Christ. Besides the seemingly mean-spirits of this campaign, the comment above reflects how some Christians act in public.

The "church crowd" is more rude and mean than any other time of the week.

That should be a slap in the face.

Please use courtesy and know that you are a representation of Christ even when you shop.

Slap! Reality check: is all of this really about shopping? After all, Christmas isn't about shopping. As Christians, we should know this better than most. No, it's not about shopping. I think we're feeling a bit "cornered" when it comes to Christmas.

Most of us from this generation and the previous, grew up with Christmas being a wonderful, magical time of the year where family, food, and frolicking were always the focus. Anyone who didn't celebrate Christmas had their reasons but were often viewed as in mourning or just a sour-puss, a Scrooge of some sort, who needed to be shown the magic of Christmas.

But that's changed over the past decade or so.

Americans seem increasingly pressed to avoid anything relating to Christmas in public. Corporations and government officials bend over backwards to not offend those who do not celebrate the holiday. Yet, in the process, they're ignorant of their trampling of the First Amendment.

Teachers at a Connecticut school changed the words of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to "Twas the Night Before a Holiday." The same school went from Christmas Parties to Winter Parties to banning parties all together in fear of anything resembling Christmas.
A West Virginia's town manger scene included shepherds, camels and a guiding star, however, Jesus, Mary and Joseph were removed over concerns about the separation of church and state.
In Chicago, organizers of a German Christkindlmarket were informed that the public Christmas festival was no place for the Christmas story. Officials were concerned that clips of the film "The Nativity Story," which were to be played at the festival, might offend someone.
In Delaware, a Girl Scout troop was prohibited from carrying signs reading "Merry Christmas" in their town's annual holiday parade.
A Virginia high school principal was uncertain whether his school could mention Santa or distribute candy canes after a Muslim family objected to them as symbols of Christmas.
A public school principal in Minnesota won't even allow "Season's Greetings" to be used in school publications.

Thankfully, there are some good news blurbs such as Principal Michelle Zundel of Bellview Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon, reversing her decision banning Christmas trees and Santa Claus from her school. Principal Zundel had removed a "holiday giving tree" from the school over Thanksgiving break and replaced it with two snowmen. She said a few parents had complained about the tree, which displayed tags suggesting gifts to donate for needy children, but Principal Zundel's actions upset dozens of parents and people from around the country who called and expressed concern with the decision.

Also, an order to remove angels and stars from Christmas trees in all government buildings in one California county has been rescinded following the uproar that ensued over the decision. Acting County Administrator Chris Thomas in Sonoma County informed the heads of all 26 county departments to disregard his previous order, which was made in response to the complaint of a disabled atheist veteran, 65-year-old Irv Sutley, who claims to have been an atheist all his life and regularly files complaints about religious symbols in public places, complained to Sonoma County officials after seeing an angel on top of a six-foot Christmas tree in the lobby of the county recorder’s office and later a star ornament in the office of the county Board of Supervisors.

In all of these cases, the wishes of the few or the one out weighed the wishes of the many. Shouldn't tolerance and acceptance be shown by trying not to offend others? That's the Christian thing to do, correct? Perhaps, but many simply wish to avoid confrontation and thus Christmas has become a time of controversy over what can or cannot be done in terms of celebrating the holiday. In order to clear up much of the misunderstanding, here are 3 of the 12 rules relating to Christmas in the public arena:

Neither public nor private employers may prevent employees from decorating their offices for Christmas, playing Christmas music, or wearing clothing related to Christmas merely because of their religious content so long as these activities are not used to harass or intimidate others.
Public school students’ written or spoken personal expressions concerning the religious significance of Christmas (e.g., T-shirts with the slogan, “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season”) may not be censored by school officials absent evidence that the speech would cause a substantial disruption.
Public school teachers may send Christmas cards to the families of their students so long as they do so on their own time, outside of school hours.

How sad is it that we have to focus on such things? How sad there has to be a war on Christmas. It's hard not to view it as a war when songs, traditions, and celebrations that are decades old are threatened because someone of a differing or no faith shares their objection and rules are decreed that ban some aspect of Christmas.

The funny thing about Christmas is it's a holiday with two sides. I could have a Christmas tree with an angel on top in my den, a wreath on my door, candy canes and lights all over the place, attend Christmas Eve services, and have no clue about Jesus or the real meaning of Christmas. Or I could have all, some, or none of those things, recognize Santa or not, and celebrate my Christian faith daily.

Faithless people who call themselves Christians because they're "good people" celebrate Christmas every year through decorations, traditions, and giving gifts. Yet, many of opposing faiths feel anything relating to Christmas are offensive for religious reasons. I suppose they take issue with the risen Savior at Easter and think that the bunny and his candy should be banned too?

So, what's the solution? Simple, stop being so sensitive! Both sides!

For those of differing and no faiths, you are free to have that choice and free to not participate in activities you don't support. However, it's a bit selfish to enforce your beliefs on others who enjoy them. If something offends you, don't drive, walk, or shop there. Would you walk into a friend or coworker's home and start demanding they change decorations or the layout of their home? If so, don't count on being invited back. If not, then why make demands on a store or other public displays?

Stop wearing your feelings on your sleeve! Have a bit more patience and bite your tongue.

Someone might say, 'Oh, but how would you feel if everyone around you celebrated Christmas and said Merry Christmas but you didn't celebrate it. How would you feel?' I would put aside my selfishness. Instead of not saying anything to those celebrating Christmas or telling them, 'I don't celebrate Christmas,' I'd tell them "and peace to you" or some other warm greeting.

With all things, there is a choice. I can show love or be lazy. It's more difficult to be loving and share a peaceful response than to be lazy and share the feelings on my sleeve.

Also, when I say "Merry Christmas" to someone and they reply "Happy Holidays" - that's perfectly fine. Smile and walk on. If they say "I don't celebrate Christmas" - there's no need for you to apologize. Smile and tell them they don't know what they're missing.

Some Christians spend so much time wanting to announce Jesus is the reason for the season, CHRISTmas, and keep CHRIST in Christmas...that what's forgotten is showing Him to others. It's easy to look like a bully trying to announce your message over others. It's just as easy to keep your mouth shut. The challenge is to stand firm while showing love.

AFA, Liberty Counsel, and Focus on the Family - please consider changing your approach in 2010. Take a stand for Christmas but not at the expense of bullying businesses or making employees feel condemned.

After all, Jesus is the reason. Not just for the season. It's all about Him and our challenge is to show His relentless love to others.

Die Rush Limbaugh!

2009-12-31T04:13:00.002-05:00

On the Eve of New Year's Eve, Rush Limbaugh is rushed to a Hawaii hospital with chest pains. News reports mention his condition as "serious" but little information is available. Hours later, it's reported that he's "resting comfortably" at the hospital.

The hours in between paint a pathetic picture of our country:

New York Daily News described Limbaugh as a "radio loudmouth" and a "right-wing talk show host." The article also mentions that Rush's "nemesis" President Obama and "target of Limbaugh's bile" Nancy Pelosi were also vacationing in Hawaii this week.

Gawker has comments such as:

Evie Havok: "I'll take a cue from Palin and say. Die, baby, die!! It probably won't happen. This dumb f*** probably has heartburn. But I can't help but wish he gets a massive heart attack. Just look at him. It's bound to happen sometime. If not today then hopefully someday soon."

CaptainSnarky: "The sad thing is, even if he dies (or whatever a soulless, heartless bugf*** such as Limbaugh does when the host body ceases to function), another soulless, heartless bugf*** will eventually take his place."

More comments from Twitter are equally hateful:

@kenneth212 Rush Limbaugh was rushed to the hospital in Honolulu. Maybe Santa did get my letter.

@MelechT Rush Limbaugh was rushed to the Hospital. Just when I thought Christmas was over…

@tontocorazon RT @Pumpy_Beanis DIE RUSH LIMBAUGH YOU F***ING PIG MAN JUST F***ING DIE

@phontigallo: I was scared of another death this year til I heard Rush Limbaugh was in the hospital. Come on 2009; don’t fail me now.

The Radio Equalizer has other sad examples of hate.

How far we have fallen as a society in the first decade of 2000. In the latter months of 2001, we saw the best of America. Our courage, compassion, resolve, determination, and love. Moving into 2010, however, we easily and frequently show that if we disagree with someone we can say whatever hateful things we want about them, including hoping they die.

Republicans and Democrats, Conservatives and Liberals...regardless of the label, all have made mistakes in words shared both spoken and written. What seems rather interesting is that when people disagree with gay marriage, global warming/climate change, health care reform, and many of Obama's policies...these people are labeled ignorant, rednecks, racists, and have death threats heaped upon them.

When the "bullhorn" of the Republican party, a radio entertainer who has 14 million listeners, is hospitalized with chest pains...make jokes about his weight and diet...make jokes about his drug abuse. Make jokes. But wishing, hoping, and praying he dies? Have some class!

Calling Rush un-American, racist, right-wing, and whatever else you wish is your opinion and right. However, before you are entitled to call him anything, listen at least to one full radio show. You have no opinion until you've done that. Afterwards, if you still disagree with him, you're entitled to your opinion.

Regardless of how much you disagree with his message, you have no right to wish death on him. Save that for the terrorists who want to kill you and your family. To read about them, you should visit islam: the religion of peace.

And if you still want to disagree with what Rush is talking about, perhaps you should examine Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption. They just released its 2009 list of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians."

Seek facts from multiple sources...the truth will always be revealed.

Agree to disagree with people sometimes...love them always.