I've had two interesting experiences in the past few weeks, and both concerned my car. The first occurred after Thanksgiving but before the Christmas rush really got started. It needs a little explaining...
I often wake up very early, particularly on weekends and sometimes when I do I just head over to the grocery store to get my shopping done before they're busy. Well on a Saturday morning recently this happened, I was awake around 4 a.m. so I decided to get my shopping done while Rick and the boys were still asleep. Because I had some non-grocery items on my list I went to Wal-Mart rather than Krogers (which is my normal place to shop). After I had finished getting my groceries I headed out to the parking lot, talking to Rick on the phone. (He had awakened and was wondering where I was) I approached my car and next to it was a middle-aged black man loading his own car. He gave me a very odd look but since I don't normally talk with strangers in parking lots I nodded at him and proceeded to load my things into the trunk of my car, still talking to Rick on the phone. The man got into his own car and drove off while I was loading. As I approached the driver's side of my car I saw something all over the driver's side door. I told Rick "I think someone threw up on my car" but as I looked closer I realized it was egg. Someone had egged my car! Quite recently too, as the egg was still running down the door and was completely wet. I came to the obvious conclusion, the man who I had just seen had apparently thrown at least two eggs at my car door. He wasn't a kid! I'm 46 years old and he was probably my age or a few years older! But, something you need to know is I still have my McCain/Palin stickers on the bumper of my car. It's pretty obvious that this man was somehow offended by my bumper stickers. That was number one, it continues!
Last week I was driving on FM 1960 and a large Suburban-type vehicle forced it's way in front of me and into the next lane of traffic. The traffic was atrocious as we were in a construction zone, near a busy intersection, just a day or two before Christmas and I didn't really think much of it. Anyway, my own lane moved forward more quickly but was about to disappear and I needed to move over into the next lane. The car that had just cut me off was slightly behind me and I tried to move into the lane in front of it. This woman (a black woman) gunned her engine, refusing to let me over and then looked over at me and with a HUGE smile on her face proceeded to give me the finger! Now, I did not get upset when she cut me off before, hadn't made any gestures or faces at her or been rude in any way so I was momentarily at a loss. Then....I remembered my bumper stickers. Oops! Someone else who belongs among the always ready to be offended!
What I find very interesting about these two incidents is the apparent belief on the part of some who voted for Obama that others don't have the same rights of free speech as they do. I'm not sure exactly WHERE they are coming from? Do they honestly believe that anyone who doesn't agree with them is automatically racist? Are they offended by free speech in the form of bumper stickers? Do they really think that not supporting a candidate is the same as not supporting a president or do they just not bother to think at all??? Is this an example of Obama supporters? I'm aware that Obama hung out with thugs in the Chicago machine, I just didn't realize how many thugs were part of his support base among ordinary people? I've heard of sore losers...but sore winners?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Things I know!
This morning I was praying for some friends in Singapore. Kelly was a member of my Breaking Free Bible study last year and one of those people who are so bright and enthusiastic that I would often find myself thinking “maybe she should be leading this study instead of me”. In March of this year Kelly’s little girl Jillian was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney and she found herself in the position of being the mother of a terribly ill child. Jillian went in for further testing and before we knew it she had undergone an eleven hour surgery to remove the tumor and her kidney. Then the slow and painful process of chemotherapy started. Kelly of course couldn’t continue in Bible study but we stayed in touch through e-mails and an incredible website called Caring Bridge that allows people going through crisis illness/loss to keep friends and family posted on the situation without having to address everyone individually. (My friend Martha told me about it and I passed the information on to Kelly) Anyway, today is November 17, 2008 and Jillian and her family have been living with cancer now for eight months. Jillian’s condition is progressively worsening. She’s been in the ICU for more than a week now and a few days ago, with her blood pressure dropping and her remaining kidney having failed the doctor’s took Kelly and her husband Jon aside to let them know the end was probably near and they needed to make some decisions about what to do for Jillian. Jillian is three.
That’s the background information.
This morning I was praying and I found myself telling God “I know you have a purpose but I just don’t get you”. Why would it be so hard? How can this little girl and her family’s intense suffering end in good? It brought me back to a time in my own life when the suffering of someone else made a profound impact on me. In December of 1998 I was pregnant and so was a good friend, Jody. I had a miscarriage about 8 weeks into my pregnancy but Jody was doing well and I was a little depressed. Since I’d already had two children I was not as affected by miscarriage as many women are and as a nurse I knew that pregnancies that end that early often do so because of a major malformation.
I will always remember where I was when I heard the news about Jody’s baby. Our small fellowship group was having a little Christmas get together and someone asked me if I’d heard about Jody’s baby. I of course had no idea what they were talking about and that’s when I discovered that Jody’s baby had been diagnosed as anencephalic. For those unfamiliar with anencephaly it is a condition where the brain above the brain stem does not develop in the fetus and in fact sometimes the top of the head itself doesn’t develop at all. In medical lingo it is “incompatible with life”. Jody and her husband David made the incredibly difficult decision to carry their baby, who they named Emily, to term. They felt strongly that abortion is always wrong and decided that they would leave the situation in God’s hands.
I admired them for being so strong but I thought they were wrong. I had not been pro-life for very long but I believed that there are situations where abortion is an appropriate choice and I felt like anencephaly was one of them. I was talking about David and Jody’s situation with my friend Martha who had actually been the one to change my position on the abortion issue (I’ll tell that story another time). I was going on about how I felt like David and Jody were putting themselves through unnecessary grief and Martha said something I’ll always remember. She said “but Lorri, don’t you think to have an abortion would rob God of the opportunity of performing a miracle?” It was an interesting perspective and one I would never have thought of. The more I considered what Martha said the more I thought that she might actually be right. She went on to say that she wasn’t saying God would perform a miracle merely that it is not our job to interfere, that he has a purpose. After talking to Martha my entire attitude to Jody’s pregnancy changed. Rick and I talked about all that they were going through and it had an incredible impact on our lives. We got closer to Jody and David, spent time with them and in many ways learned from them. Emily died within a few minutes of her birth and even through their heartbreak you could tell that Jody and David just hung on to God and his promises to them. Emily was buried in a special cemetery for babies, it is situated under a GIANT live oak tree and the limbs of the tree are full of wind chimes. Whenever you go to her grave you can hear the tinkling of wind chimes all around you. It’s a beautiful place. Emily was born in January of 1999 and a little while later Jody got pregnant again. So did I. Eighteen weeks into my pregnancy I discovered that my baby had a congenital heart defect and Down syndrome, at twenty-eight weeks they told us about his pulmonary hypoplasia and gave us the news that he probably wouldn’t survive more than 24 hours. We were offered an abortion repeatedly but I have to tell you that one of the reasons I refused, and the main reason Rick refused, was the example we’d been set by Jody and David. Rick has often said that he could never have found the strength to endure those months if he hadn’t watched Jody and David go through what they’d been through. Their faith and courage meant so much more than they can ever know and I firmly believe that if it hadn’t been for Emily, Paul may not ever have been born!
This morning I was praying for Kelly, Jon and Jillian and I found myself telling God “I know you have a purpose but I don’t see it”. I wonder if Jody prayed that same prayer? I don’t believe that God let Emily die so Paul could live, I don’t want there to be any confusion on that issue. EVERY life is precious to God. But I do believe that God took the suffering of Jody and David and used it for good. I believe that one of the purposes of Emily’s short life was to save Paul from his own parents. Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble but I have overcome the world”. I know that is true just like I know that once you’ve given your life to God you’ve given him the authority and right to do what he likes with it; to achieve his purposes through you. I know from reading Caring Bridge that Kelly and Jon have been a light pointing people to God right there in the ICU of NUS hospital in Singapore. I know that they trust God with Jillian and I know that as hard as this time is to endure they will look back at it (irregardless of the outcome and don’t get me wrong, I’m still praying for a miracle) and recognize God’s hand. They will see that He had a plan all along and they will have been a light to someone else the way Jody and David were a light to us.
Praise God!
That’s the background information.
This morning I was praying and I found myself telling God “I know you have a purpose but I just don’t get you”. Why would it be so hard? How can this little girl and her family’s intense suffering end in good? It brought me back to a time in my own life when the suffering of someone else made a profound impact on me. In December of 1998 I was pregnant and so was a good friend, Jody. I had a miscarriage about 8 weeks into my pregnancy but Jody was doing well and I was a little depressed. Since I’d already had two children I was not as affected by miscarriage as many women are and as a nurse I knew that pregnancies that end that early often do so because of a major malformation.
I will always remember where I was when I heard the news about Jody’s baby. Our small fellowship group was having a little Christmas get together and someone asked me if I’d heard about Jody’s baby. I of course had no idea what they were talking about and that’s when I discovered that Jody’s baby had been diagnosed as anencephalic. For those unfamiliar with anencephaly it is a condition where the brain above the brain stem does not develop in the fetus and in fact sometimes the top of the head itself doesn’t develop at all. In medical lingo it is “incompatible with life”. Jody and her husband David made the incredibly difficult decision to carry their baby, who they named Emily, to term. They felt strongly that abortion is always wrong and decided that they would leave the situation in God’s hands.
I admired them for being so strong but I thought they were wrong. I had not been pro-life for very long but I believed that there are situations where abortion is an appropriate choice and I felt like anencephaly was one of them. I was talking about David and Jody’s situation with my friend Martha who had actually been the one to change my position on the abortion issue (I’ll tell that story another time). I was going on about how I felt like David and Jody were putting themselves through unnecessary grief and Martha said something I’ll always remember. She said “but Lorri, don’t you think to have an abortion would rob God of the opportunity of performing a miracle?” It was an interesting perspective and one I would never have thought of. The more I considered what Martha said the more I thought that she might actually be right. She went on to say that she wasn’t saying God would perform a miracle merely that it is not our job to interfere, that he has a purpose. After talking to Martha my entire attitude to Jody’s pregnancy changed. Rick and I talked about all that they were going through and it had an incredible impact on our lives. We got closer to Jody and David, spent time with them and in many ways learned from them. Emily died within a few minutes of her birth and even through their heartbreak you could tell that Jody and David just hung on to God and his promises to them. Emily was buried in a special cemetery for babies, it is situated under a GIANT live oak tree and the limbs of the tree are full of wind chimes. Whenever you go to her grave you can hear the tinkling of wind chimes all around you. It’s a beautiful place. Emily was born in January of 1999 and a little while later Jody got pregnant again. So did I. Eighteen weeks into my pregnancy I discovered that my baby had a congenital heart defect and Down syndrome, at twenty-eight weeks they told us about his pulmonary hypoplasia and gave us the news that he probably wouldn’t survive more than 24 hours. We were offered an abortion repeatedly but I have to tell you that one of the reasons I refused, and the main reason Rick refused, was the example we’d been set by Jody and David. Rick has often said that he could never have found the strength to endure those months if he hadn’t watched Jody and David go through what they’d been through. Their faith and courage meant so much more than they can ever know and I firmly believe that if it hadn’t been for Emily, Paul may not ever have been born!
This morning I was praying for Kelly, Jon and Jillian and I found myself telling God “I know you have a purpose but I don’t see it”. I wonder if Jody prayed that same prayer? I don’t believe that God let Emily die so Paul could live, I don’t want there to be any confusion on that issue. EVERY life is precious to God. But I do believe that God took the suffering of Jody and David and used it for good. I believe that one of the purposes of Emily’s short life was to save Paul from his own parents. Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble but I have overcome the world”. I know that is true just like I know that once you’ve given your life to God you’ve given him the authority and right to do what he likes with it; to achieve his purposes through you. I know from reading Caring Bridge that Kelly and Jon have been a light pointing people to God right there in the ICU of NUS hospital in Singapore. I know that they trust God with Jillian and I know that as hard as this time is to endure they will look back at it (irregardless of the outcome and don’t get me wrong, I’m still praying for a miracle) and recognize God’s hand. They will see that He had a plan all along and they will have been a light to someone else the way Jody and David were a light to us.
Praise God!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Always learning...
I've spent the time since the election alternating between feelings of hopelessness and fatalism. Last night and this morning I've begun to recognize an opportunity to (in the words of Beth Moore) "show" Christian character.
For years I've been frustrated and irritated at people who spend all their time abusing and criticizing President Bush. I've decided I am not going to be one of those people during the term of President Obama. Don't get me wrong...I am going to actively work on getting a pro-life, pro-family president into the White House in 2012 because that is my right as a citizen of the United States. What I'm not going to do is be constantly down on our new president.
Was he my choice? No. Does he believe what I believe? No. Does he deserve my prayers, support and allegiance? Yes.
BTW, I didn't write more of what Beth Moore wrote because it's so much better to read it in her own words. Here's the link to her blog...check out House United
For years I've been frustrated and irritated at people who spend all their time abusing and criticizing President Bush. I've decided I am not going to be one of those people during the term of President Obama. Don't get me wrong...I am going to actively work on getting a pro-life, pro-family president into the White House in 2012 because that is my right as a citizen of the United States. What I'm not going to do is be constantly down on our new president.
Was he my choice? No. Does he believe what I believe? No. Does he deserve my prayers, support and allegiance? Yes.
BTW, I didn't write more of what Beth Moore wrote because it's so much better to read it in her own words. Here's the link to her blog...check out House United
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Question for Christian Democrats
This is a request for information, it is meant in total and perfect honesty and I would really like to know what some people have to say. Believe it or not I do have some Christian friends who are Democrats. (Please note that I did not put the word Christian in quotation marks) Their Christianity is not in question. I know that they know Jesus as their savior. Here's my question...How can a Christian support the political party that is in favor of the murder of unborn children, gay marriage and the "redistribution of wealth"? Above and beyond anything else, the Democratic party has been the party that has done more to support the things that harm our culture (particularly our families) than any other organization.
If a Christian says he chose to vote Democrat because of the economy, is he/she saying that having enough money in their own wallet is more important to them than the lives of the unborn??? Proverbs 6:16-19 lists the things that God hates as "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brother." A bad economy doesn't make it onto the list.
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because of the war in Iraq is he/she saying that the freedom of other people in the world is not as important as that of Americans?
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because he believes in the redistribution of wealth is he/she saying that he disagrees with the Apostle Paul who said "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all" 2 Thes. 3:10-11 and instead supports socialism?
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because he believes that homosexual partners should have the same right to marry as heterosexuals, is he/she saying that he does not believe in the Biblical definition of marriage from Genesis "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24.
I am honestly interested in how Christians can bring themselves to support the Democratic party.
If a Christian says he chose to vote Democrat because of the economy, is he/she saying that having enough money in their own wallet is more important to them than the lives of the unborn??? Proverbs 6:16-19 lists the things that God hates as "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brother." A bad economy doesn't make it onto the list.
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because of the war in Iraq is he/she saying that the freedom of other people in the world is not as important as that of Americans?
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because he believes in the redistribution of wealth is he/she saying that he disagrees with the Apostle Paul who said "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all" 2 Thes. 3:10-11 and instead supports socialism?
If a Christian says he voted Democrat because he believes that homosexual partners should have the same right to marry as heterosexuals, is he/she saying that he does not believe in the Biblical definition of marriage from Genesis "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24.
I am honestly interested in how Christians can bring themselves to support the Democratic party.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Halloween 2008
This is Paul's second year to really 'get' Halloween! He went trick-or-treating last year as a clown with Hannah Moore (who was dressed as a flapper but he was convinced she was actually a princess).
This year he got big sister Chelsea to take him. He was Captain Hook and she was Wendy! Hope you like the photos.
Friday, October 31, 2008
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet!
Today's Drudge Report leads with an interesting story entitled "Skeptical Reporters Tossed Off Obama Plane" and one of the articles starts with the line "Al Queda wants Bush, Republicans humiliated...". This month's Reader's Digest has a cover story about the '08 Election titled "The World is Watching" and it goes into some detail about global polls that overwhelmingly show that the rest of the world think we should elect Barack Obama. Doesn't this say anything to ANYONE!!! If the rest of the world wants Obama elected that is because he is NOT the best choice for America! Trust me on this, I just recently came back to the U.S.A. after 4 1/2 years in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world does NOT have the best interests of America at heart. They want to live here, they want our business, they want our freedom but those desires are rooted in envy. We should be terribly alarmed about the blatant way Obama is willing to punish the members of the press that don't agree with him. All the reporters that were kicked off Obama's campaign plane were from papers that endorsed John McCain, The NY Post, Dallas Morning News, and Washington Times. I think we need to recognize what a truly dangerous person Barack Obama is. If you thought the Clinton's used the power of the White House in inappropriate ways...you ain't seen nothin' yet!
Monday, October 27, 2008
What can we honestly expect???
Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart. Now this isn't an occasional thing for me, I probably go to Wal-Mart at least twice a week, but yesterday I was just killing time wandering around Wal-Mart. I was actually supposed to be going to Home Depot but Paul had asked me very sweetly for a Batman toy so I decided to run into Wal-Mart first and find one. As usually happens to me when I get to Wal-Mart I ended up looking through the video section and I noticed something very interesting. While I was walking down the aisle with all the little children's videos, the Classic Disney, multiple episodes of Barney, Dora the Explorer and all the lesser offerings (you know the straight to video cartoons and rip-offs of Disney with really BAD animation), well...I glanced over to the other side of the aisle. It was filled, and I do mean FILLED, with the most grotesque and lurid videos and video covers that you can imagine. Envision the goriest scene from Friday the 13th and then picture it on the front cover of about 100 DVD cases. Right there, at EYE level, across from the DVDs created for our youngest children.
Anyway, after this dawned on me I stopped and really looked around. The video department was full of people of all ages looking at these DVDs, they're BIG sellers (and yes, I do realize it's less than a week until Halloween). At the end of the aisle was an endcap with some "classic" horror movies and a woman with her child who appeared to be in the 6-8 age range trying to decide on a DVD. She was holding two cases and he was letting her know he preferred Freddy VS Jason.
I thought seriously about talking to the manager, pointing out how inappropriate their displays are but I have to admit I heard myself thinking "what's the point?" I didn't do or say anything and I'm really very ashamed of that fact.
Actually, that's not quite true. I did do one thing...I had picked up a movie for Paul. He loves the movie Zathura and our copy is quite scratched. Wal-Mart had it for $7.50 so I was carrying it around with me and as I looked down at the movie in my hand I remembered some things Rick had said. He was talking about the children in the movie, they are unpleasant and foul-mouthed in a PG kind of way. He was pointing out that nothing they say is positive or edifying and they are full of anger, albeit in an innocuous kind of way. He concluded with "they're just such unpleasant people, I really don't want to watch them". I walked over and put it back. Do I really need to have my little boy watching things like that? I believe very strongly in the concept of the slippery slope and I've applied it to a lot of things in my life but movies and TV shows are one area where I don't always think about it. Do the rude children of Zathura eventually become the crazed killers of Scream? Does the flippant treatment of sex and sexuality in Friends and Desperate Housewives deteriorate into Sex and the City and eventually hard core pornography?
I see a connection, I see a slippery slope and it's one I intend to start dealing with in my own home...then I'll take on the rest of the country, beginning with Wal-Mart!
Anyway, after this dawned on me I stopped and really looked around. The video department was full of people of all ages looking at these DVDs, they're BIG sellers (and yes, I do realize it's less than a week until Halloween). At the end of the aisle was an endcap with some "classic" horror movies and a woman with her child who appeared to be in the 6-8 age range trying to decide on a DVD. She was holding two cases and he was letting her know he preferred Freddy VS Jason.
I thought seriously about talking to the manager, pointing out how inappropriate their displays are but I have to admit I heard myself thinking "what's the point?" I didn't do or say anything and I'm really very ashamed of that fact.
Actually, that's not quite true. I did do one thing...I had picked up a movie for Paul. He loves the movie Zathura and our copy is quite scratched. Wal-Mart had it for $7.50 so I was carrying it around with me and as I looked down at the movie in my hand I remembered some things Rick had said. He was talking about the children in the movie, they are unpleasant and foul-mouthed in a PG kind of way. He was pointing out that nothing they say is positive or edifying and they are full of anger, albeit in an innocuous kind of way. He concluded with "they're just such unpleasant people, I really don't want to watch them". I walked over and put it back. Do I really need to have my little boy watching things like that? I believe very strongly in the concept of the slippery slope and I've applied it to a lot of things in my life but movies and TV shows are one area where I don't always think about it. Do the rude children of Zathura eventually become the crazed killers of Scream? Does the flippant treatment of sex and sexuality in Friends and Desperate Housewives deteriorate into Sex and the City and eventually hard core pornography?
I see a connection, I see a slippery slope and it's one I intend to start dealing with in my own home...then I'll take on the rest of the country, beginning with Wal-Mart!
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