Preacher's Daughter: September 2008

IN GOD WE TRUST

I received some comments on http://www.redroom.com/blog/jamie-carie/the-sarah-palins-are-back-in-vogue#comment-11319 about my Sarah Palin post which made me question why I like her so much. Is it just that she's a breath of fresh air in the stagnant Republican party and pretty and I look a little like her? Am I that shallow?? LOL! Possibly. But as I began writing my rebuttal, I was pleasantly surprised by what God has placed in my heart for her. I thought I would share it here too:

Well . . . Sarah Palin says she never tried to ban a book, but even if she did, I've been guilty of making some pretty boneheaded decisions in the name of religion. (Evil, evil Santa Claus!) And yes, like all the candidates, she probably made some mistakes during her shooting-star political rise. The reason I am for Sarah Palin is that I believe she will be lead by the Holy Spirit should she be elected Vice President.

When Jesus was "taken up into heaven" he told his disciples to wait for a gift. "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:5 NIV) They thought he was referring to restoring Israel, but once again God's plan is so much bigger than our thinking. Jesus then told them, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV) They were about to get the promise that Jesus spoke to them earlier about in John 14: 16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--17.the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

When I am allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me I find myself doing God-ordained things instead of self-ordained things (I don't do this as well as I should - all of the time:). It's like the fishes and the loaves that Jesus increased. When I'm allowing to the Holy Spirit to lead the direction of my days, I am able to do more, be more, say more and love more. He increases my efforts to follow His leading according to His plan for my life. Give this a try! Pray and ask him into your life to lead you and guide you. If Sarah Palin is doing that (which my convictions about her tell me she is) then she will lead this country into God's provision for it. God has great plans for America. We all just need to get out the Bible and seek Him.
Here are more scriptures on the Holy Spirit: http://beta.biblestudytools.com/search/?keyword=holy%20spirit&type=bible&translation=niv

Oh and separation of church and state? Ha! What a joke! We, all of us, in any position of leadership bring our values, morals, prejudices, hopes, fears, faith, etc. to the table when we lead. We're all a mess to one degree or another. No one is qualified to lead. No one is wise enough, good enough, able enough to be President of the United States. So my hope lies in the person who will be lead by the Holy Spirit. God is so much bigger than any of creation has ever grasped. We use words to describe him like omniscient but we really can't wrap our minds around what that means. He (God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit) are the only One who can rescue us and our country. It may look like everything is falling apart around us, but His master plan is the same as when He created us. He has everything fully under His control. We can only succeed when we align ourselves with His plan. And to do that we need the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 3:10-31
10.As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11.there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12.All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
13."Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14."Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15."Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16.ruin and misery mark their ways,
17.and the way of peace they do not know."
18."There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19.Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20.Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
21.But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22.This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23.for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24.and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25.God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
26.he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27.Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
28.For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
29.Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30.since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31.Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

So, Holy Spirit for President!! Or the person who is willing to follow Him.

Aren't you glad I put in my two cents worth?

Blessing to you all!!! Blessings to America!!!

TWENTY YEARS!!! Whoo-Hooo!

Yesterday, Tony and I celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary! We went out for a lovely dinner at Maggianos. The waiter found out it was our twentieth and surprised us with a HUGE plate of dessert (a serving of every dessert they offer) with curly candles sticking out of it. I wish I had taken a picture. We ate so much we could hardly walk out of there!

When we got home we popped in our wedding video into an old VHS player. I don't think we've watched it in about ten years. It was hilarious to look back on my Madonnaesque, fingerless lace gloves and bubble hem wedding gown - (Why didn't someone (MOTHER!) try to stop me from wearing that!?!). We look so young - just babies! And at 21 and 23 we were young.

Tony and I have been through a lot and I have to admit to a feeling of accomplishment and "pride" for sticking it out and loving each other through the good times and bad. We got married young, had children young, and were both pretty immature. We've grown up together. But as much as people insist waiting until you have yourself and your life in order to get married is the best route, I don't think it would have been for us. It's been hard, we've been broke and desperate at times, but the Lord has always been at the center of our relationship. And with Him on our side, we've made it this far more in love than the day we got married.

God is faithful to complete the work that He begins! PTL!!

Love you, honey!!! Here's to twenty more years!!