Swaddling Clothes

I saw this online yesterday and was blown away. How many times have I read Luke 2 and not caught on to the significance. Luke 2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” The baby wrapped in cloths is/was a sign.

Mary wrapped Jesus in at the time of his birth? Specifically, "WHERE" did she get the swaddling? Have you ever wondered about "swaddling clothes"? Thought this was interesting.....

Everyone knows that Jesus was born in a manger, and the 2nd chapter of the gospel of Luke says that he was wrapped in "swaddling clothes" and laid in a manger. Even today, hospitals use a cloth that they call a "swaddling" cloth. Unfortunately, it's a misnomer that will soon be over 2,000 years old, because "swaddling clothes" have nothing to do with a child being born!

In the Middle East, people traveling long distances were often met with many hardships and trials on their journeys. In the event of a death in travel, the body could not continue to be transported for many days. For that reason, travelers wrapped a thin, gauzelike cloth around their waist many times. If someone died on the journey, the others would use this cloth, referred to as "swaddling clothes" to wrap the body in before burying them.

When Jesus was born, there was no room in the Inn, and so Mary and Joseph used a nearby stable for Jesus' birth. With no other cloth to use, Jesus was wrapped in Joseph's "swaddling clothes" - the cloth normally reserved for a person's death.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords came into this world in a lowly manger and was wrapped with burial clothes - in truth, He was born to die. To die for the sins of all mankind.

When you celebrate Christ's birth this Christmas season, keep in mind that even in birth, He was preparing for death - his ultimate reason for coming to earth....

To save us from our sins.

The end of the book...

Every story has some basic components that are universally agreed on.

• A beginning
• A midpoint
• An ending
• Setting
• Plot
• Characters
• Conflict
• Theme

Your story, my story, our story - this does not differ. When/how/where these components are laid out - that can very. One component that is universally the same: we all have the same author.

Hebrews 12:2  (NASB)

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are not an accident. We have a purpose. God has known us since before our birth. I remember hearing recently that the word "formed" doesn't give the right context - we miss what is being conveyed. Several translations imply knit (as with 2 knitting needles), but actually it is more along the lines of crochet.

Neither of which is exactly easy, both require a great deal of focus and attention.

Did you get that? When God made you, made me, in our mother's womb - it wasn't just cells bumping together by chance. God crocheted our form together with great focus and detail - making us a unique individual.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB)

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Where am I going with all of this?

Our story will one day end: by death or Jesus returns.

If you have not read the Bible, you might be confused about what I means when I say Jesus returns. There is rich book of the Bible that is filled with description of a vision the Apostle John had. It is at the end of the book. It is the last book of the books of the Bible.

The Book of Revelation.

Yes, singular. The Apostle John saw many things, but it was a single revelation, a single event occurrence. 

I came to salvation through the preaching and teaching of the Book of Revelation at a revival when i was 13. Since then, I have read it numerous times individually, had it preached through (all 22 chapters) once, done the Precept study on it (took 2 years), and am again listening to it preached from the pulpit. 

The Book of Revelation outlines events yet to come (prophecy). God has outlined His plan to redeem Israel and the events that must occur for that to happen. What kicks off this redemption of the apple of God's eye, is the church being raptured - where Jesus meets believers in the air before the wrath of God is poured out in order of seals, trumpets and bowls. 

Zechariah 2  (NASB)

God’s Favor to Zion

2 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide it is and how long it is.” 3 And behold, the angel who was speaking with me was going out, and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 and said to him, “Run, speak to that young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls because of the multitude of men and cattle within it. 5 For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

6 “Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord. 7 “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. 9 For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. 10 Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. 11 “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 The Lord will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

13 “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”

All believers in this current age, The Age of Grace, The Church Age need to reconcile with is the fact that yes God set about to redeem all of mankind - Jew and Gentile, but Israel is the apple of His eye. And though we gentiles have been adopted into the family, and receive all the richness and glory and blessings of salvation - Israel is set apart. Israel has been sanctified apart from all the other nations. And even though they have repeatedly turned their back and fist towards God, He has never, not once given up or stopped pursuing them. And the end of the book tells us how He plans to redeem them, bring them back to them. 

In the next few days and weeks I will share my notes on the Book of Revelation from the sermon series we are going through.I do have notes that I will share from other sources that enriches the notes I have from my pastor. I do not currently have sermon notes on the letter to the churches - our pastor plans to do those at the end of the sermon series. But, I do have notes from the precept study I did, and will share those. We believers need to be familiar with all parts of scripture, even the end of the book because we have a duty as watchmen to warn others about what is coming. 

Ezekiel 3:16-21 (NASB)

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. 20 Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”

Thoughts...

This is not going to as well thought out as I like to usually post. But so many revelations, ideas, and scriptures have to come to me lately, and I feel that I must share.

I feel I give this "disclaimer" often, but I want you to know where my heart is. I have looked at current world events through the lens of scripture (Joel, Isaiah, Daniel, Revelation, James, John, 1/2/3 John), and what I see is God's word fulfilled. I see that the only thing left is for the trumpet to sound.

Now think on this:

Matthew 24:37-39 (KJV)

37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be

I live on the Gulf Coast and currently we are experiencing Tropical Depression Imelda. This system is worse than Hurricane Harvey from two years ago, and that is saying something. The images in my news feed are just heart breaking. But it has me thinking. What if the trumpet sounded now?

The trumpet is going to sound as we all go about life. But these days life includes all these weather issues and mayhem. So in the middle of chaos, which we are all be acclimated to, a major portion of the earth's population disappears.Right now, cars are stranded, buildings flood, stores have feet of water in them - and then the trumpet.

It is not going to be easy when the Church is gone. It's going to be devastating, and if it comes on the heels of a hurricane, tropical depression, fire, earthquake, or tornado (or a combo of these)....try and wrap your mind around that. People will be in mourning, confused, but knowing that they need supplies, but they might not be available. The world that will be is going to be ugly.

Just some thoughts as I work at a school, and parents have been calling all day checking on if we are closing, early dismissal, etc. It's a private Christian school. When the trumpet sounds, most to a majority of our school will be gone. But as an evangelical school, church membership is not required, and we know many of the parents are not believers. They are going to be calling to find out how their child is, and no one is going to answer the phone.

Chaos. Heartbreak. Devastation.

Generation Innocence Taken

Being a parent in this day and age is a challenge that I don't think any of us are prepared for. And if you are a Believer, a Christian, it is even harder. I do remember a time in my life when I said I would not have children; that the world was crazy insane and it wasn't worth it. 

Now, that being said, being a parent is 100% worth it! I love my children. And you can call me a mama bear, you can call me a tiger mom, I would like to think I'm somewhere in between.

I'm going to go with a lion mom who is protecting her cubs. In my connection group we've recently read "In the Middle of the Mess" by Sheila Walsh. Near the end of the book, Sheila talks about how somebody described her as a lioness, with the loyalty the, fierceness, the passion. And she couldn't handle that for a long while. That description, it was too strong to describe her Christian walk/life.

But that is what we need to be as mothers and if you're a guy who's reading this, you need to be a lion, be in charge of your pride: protect them, fight for them. There is a battle going on and our children are in the middle of it. The battle is for them, for their hearts, their minds, their bodies, but oh so more crucially it's for their souls. Jesus said the kingdom of God will be the children's, you have to have a childlike Faith to be in heaven and therefore Satan is going after our children.

Matthew 18 (NASB)

Rank in the Kingdom

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Stumbling Blocks

7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the [h]fiery hell.

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.]

I have a hard time understanding how those that are not believers do not see the attacks that are happening to our children. Now there are actual literal attacks. In the Houston area there have been numerous children who have been murdered. Straight up, no question about it: a little girl was cut apart by her mother's boyfriend and that entire situation, while it united the city, the details though they are heartbreaking. Then another little boy was gunned down in the middle of a home invasion robbery. From there there's the drag queen story time issue (I have previously written about it: The Battle Line Has Been Drawn) that is going on nationwide and many of these individuals are sexual predators. And within the past few weeks there was a teenage sponsored drag queen event and a parent tried to remove their child and the parent was arrested.

And then there's the TV shows and movies pushing the LGBTQ "lifestyle".

• My Little Pony:
• My Little Pony Introduces Its First Lesbian Charters with Same-Sex Couple Making Cartoon Debut
• My Little Pony brings lesbians to Equestria - just in time for pride week
• Arthur
• 'Arthur' Creator Defends Gay Marriage episode Following Backlash
• 'Arthur' Opens Season With a Same-Sex Wedding and a Cake
• Toy Story 4
• There's an LGBTQ Moment Lurking in "Toy Story 4"
• Toy story 4 Promotes LGBTQ Agenda
• One Million Moms Protest 'Toy STory 4' Over 'Dangerous' Lesbian Scene

The entertainment industry is doing everything it can to make it seem normal. In regards to Toy Story 4, I took my kids to see the movie; I never heard a peep about the scene. I will say it was very discreet, nothing flashy or over the top, but that is how they're doing it. They're not always dressing up as demonic drag queens with glitter and paint. They're just making it look so normal as a couple dropping their child off for kindergarten and then picking that child up.

I want to say not everybody who is lesbian or gay is demonic or deranged. I've read the studies, a lot of people who fall into the LGBTQ lifestyle/movement have had a trauma or an abuse and my heart breaks for them it really does. And what I will also say is Jesus loves everyone, salvation is for everyone and Jesus does not want anyone to sin and He doesn't want anyone to perish. 

Now back to the children. Moms and dads we have got to stand up, enough is enough! We are the parents, we have a say in what our children are exposed to. My Little Pony is not a cartoon that will be allowed in my house anymore and I will not spend my money on the items. Now we already have items in the house: toys, books and pajamas but we are not going to buy more. And because My Little Pony decided to introduce a lesbian couple getting married I had to explain it to my six and a half year old what is same-sex marriages. I will say having a child whose as is as inquisitive as my six and a half year old is has definitely taught me how to have conversations about the deep spiritual things at a childlike level. 

So say a prayer for your preschool and Elementary ministers right now because kudos to them. They do this on a semi-regular basis and wow. 

I'm dubbing my children's generation as innocence taken because that is what the enemy is trying to do. If he can steel their innocence, in a sense he's gotten them. If our children are no longer innocent at a young age they become hard, they they grow up too fast. 

And I am so grateful that this summer that I have been able to keep my children at home. They are spending one to two hours a day outside in the sunshine: playing with chalk, trucks, bubbles; collecting lizards, flowers, snails, and frogs. It's beautiful and they're watching way too many movies, eating way too many snacks, taking naps. I love it. They are getting to have a childhood, one that is reminiscent of mine which is fabulous, but also they are getting to spend time with your grandmother and that is time, that is precious. And not only have they been at home, they went to Vacation Bible School (now called Kids Camp). They've had swim lessons, we had a family reunion. And next week my Nugget is going to spend time with his dad for a few days: swimming, fishing going to  the movies. And then my daughter is going to go to an amazing week-long camp at our church. She will have the time of her life and I'm so excited she gets to experience it and then before you know it schools going to start and back to life like that but I really am grateful that I have been able to give my children an innocent childhood summer experience. 

Here is what we need to do to ensure that this summer of innocence carries over into the school year. 

• We need to be praying.
• We need to be not spending money on items, toys, movies that promote ideas/beliefs that go against God's word.
• We need to explain to our children why will not be spending money on such things. It's okay to let them know that while the show might be funny, pretty, awesome (pick your adjective,), anything that goes against God's word is not okay.
• We need to make sure that our children understand God's word, that they know God's word.
• It needs to go beyond just the simple Bible story knowledge. They need to know what Jesus tells his Believers, how they're supposed to live, who the apostles were and how they spread the gospel
• Don't put it past your children, they can learn scripture. Plant those seeds. I am so grateful that my husband and I have managed to send our children to a Christian private school. It has been a sacrifice, but it is one that is well worth it. Last year our daughter (in kindergarten) learned 26 versus, one for each letter of the alphabet, additionally Psalm 100 and 23 along with John 3:16 and 17. She is working on her scripture memory for this upcoming school year: she has ten sets of scriptures to learn about 6-8 versus long each. She is already memorized month 1 and has month 2 about 45% of the way done. She is 6.5 and her 4.5 year old brother, he's picking up pieces of it. And the other great thing about it, since I'm working with her to get her to memorize the scriptures, I'm learning the scriptures also.

Investing in God's word planting the seeds in your mind will not return void and it's a great way to help keep your children innocent. Friends be mindful of the movies, the music, the games, the books. Be mindful of everything. We have to be super vigilant, we cannot be lazy. God put the word "intentional" on my heart this year.

I need to be intentional in:

• my marriage 
• my parenting 
• my friendships
• my relationships.

And when it comes to parenting it's knowing what my children are being exposed to if we want to keep our children innocent and not have their innocence stolen. It is time to step up.

Homemaking

Homemaking. It has been on my mind a good deal here lately. Most people when they think of homemaking , they think of June Cleaver from "Leave it to Beaver."

And you know what, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Being a mom to three children, wife to a husband who is working three jobs, being employed outside of the home myself, my home needs to be a sanctuary. My home needs to be more than just a house.

And God has put it on my heart here lately that yes, I need to be good employee, I need to be at your daughter, daughter-in-law sister; but most importantly my main mission field right now is my home. I need to focus my energies on my husband ,my marriage, and my children.

The past few weeks have been a struggle realigning our home with God's will. Focusing on those things that make our home a sanctuary. I am trying to keep up with laundry which is never ending. And I want to have a joyful spirit about it. The dishwasher daily needs to be loaded and reloaded. Groceries always need to be purchased and it's hard to take three kids to the grocery store. It is doable though as I am learning.

I want my home to be a place where my children know comfort,love and peace. When the world outside is going crazy, I want them when they are within these walls to breathe easy, to sleep peacefully, to be happy.

"So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander."

1 Timothy 5:14 ESV

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." 

Titus 2: 3-5 ESV

And these two verses will be my guiding verses. Homemaking is biblical. And it is what God is calling me to focus on.

The Battle Line Has Been Drawn

If you still watch/read the news, and are a believer waiting for the trumpet call....you know that the battle line has been drawn in the sand. My news feed contains the following stories these days:

Day Care Provider Who Hanged Toddler Sentenced
Is Israel Headed for Another War
81 Year Old Man Wearing MAGA Hat Assaulted
Dems Block Born Alive Bill to Provide Medical Care to Infants Who Survive Failed Abortions
Theybies: Some Parents Raising Their Babies Gender Neutral
Anti-Abortion Movie Gets R Rating: MPAA claims decision isn't politically motivated
Couple Sues Planned Parenthood for Child Support after Failed Abortion
Measles Outbreak

With these eight headlines we have the following:

• People killing children
• War
• Hatred/violence towards an individual for their political beliefs
• Healthcare being denied to babies who survive abortion
• Parent's denying God's ordained gender
• An Anti-abortion movie being rated R - a 15 y/o can get an abortion w/o consent of a parent but cannot watch a movie against abortion unless a parent watches with them
• A toddler's parents are suing for child support because the child survived an abortion, and now the parents want money to help raise the child they did not want.
• Measles - basically eliminated now it has made a comeback. 

And honestly, even more and more stories just as horrific have popped up in my feed since I started typing this post. Mother's throwing their children off balconies, drunk drivers plowing into a grocery cart with a toddler (who died from the injuries), infanticide, LGBTQ movement pushed, transgender drag queens reading to kids in libraries.

Friends, the hour is near. The time is approaching, soon the trumpet will sound. But until then, the world is going to get uglier, more depraved, and horrific. Nothing is "off-limits" anymore, except speaking out against the depravity of sin that is being paraded about in the news, the court houses, and dare I say the churches.

The past few weeks have been so disheartening to my faith and my heart. The stories above...the fact that humanity is so depraved is not new. There is nothing new under the sun. I think what is shocking to myself and so many others is how brazenly sin/debauchery/pure evil is being promoted, displayed, paraded, and applauded. The fact that people are openly and publicly mocking God, not even shaking their fist at Him...its so much more. It is as if people are living and doing all they can to deny Him, punish those who serve Him, and...I can't put it into words. But what they are doing....its bad friends, it is bad.

But not bad enough. Because if it were enough, the trumpet would have already sounded. Which means in the weeks and months (I can't dare to think it could go on for years) to come, our world is going to fall further into this pit of brokenness and lawlessness. As horrified as we are with the news stories these days...they will get worse.

Satan is in his heyday currently. He is unrestrained. There is no other answer simply put. He has touched everything. He is in our churches. Let that sink in! If you do not believe me lets consider the following two stories that have been in the news:

Pope Sex Abuse Summit

Purity Ring Vagina Sculpture

For years, bit by bit news stories have come out about priest abusing children within the Catholic church. But here recently, it came out that even nun's were being abused by priest. The Pope was silent for a good long while, but he did finally speak out. Many parishioners within the Catholic faith are still not happy with the new proposals to fix this issue, or the fact that it took so long for information to come out. Woe unto these priests, the day of accountability before the LORD is a day they need to fear.

This second story....I use the word "church" lightly because well, lets be honest, if this "lady" truly was leading a biblical church...well that is part of the problem. there are many groups claiming them and their groups are churches, that they are representing Jesus. Friends, be careful! This lady is not promoting the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ or His teachings. That sculpture is an idol. Have we forgotten the 10 commandments? Have we forgotten what happened to Israel in the wilderness when they made the golden calf? (And don't get me started on the awards show The Oscars!).

But I want to get to the "bottom" of these stories, and the rest. Satan is going after our children. That is the final battlefield my friends. He has us adults arguing about border walls, immigration, we are distracted by gay marriage, and bakers/accountants being sued for not wanting to violate their beliefs, we are distracted by outrageous property taxes, and the national debt. We are also distracted by our TV shows and our cell phones. And our children...they are being left alone. And so the world is teaching them, is giving them attention. Satan is going after our children, and not many of us are standing up against him. We are not praying hard enough.

You ask what proof do I have of this? Look at the stories I listed above.

Infanticide - if a mother chooses to abort her child, and the child survives, that baby has no protections. The mother and doctor can decide to kill it even though the first attempt failed.

A toddler was hung by his care provider. HUNG!

Parents are raising their children as gender neutral - letting the child decide what gender they want to identify as - totally disregarding God's design, plan, and intention. 

Parents are suing Planned Parenthood for child support because the abortion they received failed. Can you imagine what that poor child will one day experience? Hearing about the case, googling his family name and seeing that his parents did not want him? I can only imagine the life that the child is living currently. Speaking of Planned Parenthood, did you see this article:

Progressive Church Plans to Open a Brewery and Donate Proceeds to Planned Parenthood

Again, I use the word church lightly in this scenario. Because a church teaching the Jesus of the Bible would not be doing this.

If you need further proof that Satan is running amok and going after our children, let me introduce you to Annie Christ.

That is not a typo, this gentleman's name is Annie Christ. Does he think he is being cute with his play on words? This man, dresses as a woman, and apparently has put on some vulgar shows for other adults, but also reads stories to little children. And not secretly! The parents willingly allowed their children to participate. 

Drag Queen Story Hour

I watched a video recently suggesting the Transgender Movement is demonically based. Looking at these pictures.....I cannot find an argument against this assessment. What I also see is an individual doing all they can to denounce God.

Okay, so you are thinking, "Well, I would never allow my child to go to such an event, we attend a church that teaches God word, we are good. Satan can't get to my children." If your children are in public school, or if you live in Minnesota - wrong. 

Abraham Lincoln

16th President

“The philosophy of the school

room in one generation will be

the philosophy of the

government in the next.”

I recently attended a convention and heard a session on the LGBTQ Movement and how it is being pushed in public schools. Here are some of the notes:

Where Did this Battle Unfold?

•Nova Classical Academy, St. Paul Minnesota

• K-12 Charter school – high academic and spiritual standards

• Excellent partnership with parents

• Parents on school board

• Fall, 2015 New Kindergarten Student Enrolled

• Gender nonconforming student – liked girl things

• To prepare students, ALL were read the book, My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

• About her son, Dyson who loved 

Response from Parents

•Pushed back

• Exposing children to these strange gender concepts

• School Board indicated book not approved for use

Results

• Parents, Dave and Hannah Edwards - accused school of failing to protect their child’s “choices”

• Lawyers for Edwards soon involved

• Next school board meeting

• Packed with LGBT advocacy group,

Transforming Families and Gender Justice

• Transgender kids talked about “bullying”

• Protesting parents called “bigots” 

Results

• February, 2016, father demanded gender inclusion policy

• School board delayed

• Edward’s boy pulled from school

• Discrimination complaint submitted to Department of Human Rights

• Result: June 2017, Edwards family won lawsuit

• Required ‘gender inclusion policy’ for school

**FYI, Dave Edwards represents and is a trainer for Welcoming Schools, a LGBT Human Rights Campaign group

Ask yourself, "Was this a test case?"

Outcome for ALL Minnesota Schools

• Implementation through Minnesota’s Department of Education Gender Toolkit for staff training

• Nondiscriminatory dialogue and activities

• Choose own name AND clothes

• He and she removed from classroom

• Called students and scholars

• No boys basketball, No boy scouts

• No girl scouts, No girls volleyball

• Staff training required for gender inclusion

• Families could not opt out of policy

What’s missing in all of this?

• Forces everyone else to change

**Your beliefs/rights and opinions as parents don’t count

**Your choice doesn’t matter

• Where’s the inclusiveness for opposing beliefs?

• 0.6% controlling 99.4%

Want to see what they are using in classrooms to appeal to our children?

Unicorns. Usually seen as an image/idea of purity and innocence, being corrupted by Satan to confuse our children. Folks, this hits home for me. For Valentine's I worked with my 6 year old to make a unicorn box. We had so much fun, even though we argued about flower placement. I even had a shirt made to match! Then the very next day I learned about the Gender Unicorn. I am not going to get rid of the box or the shirt. But, in our household we will stay away from unicorns. If this is going to be the accepted image of the gender issue, we are going to get away from it.

Not too long ago an article came out, that in California they are gong to start teaching children about the 15 genders there now are. Did you know there were 15 genders? My Bible says there are two:

Genesis 1:27 (NASB)

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

California Wants to Teach Kindergartners There are 15 Genders

Folks...our children are under attack. No where is safe. We cannot live in fear, but we need to pray. We need to cover our children in prayer. We need to know who their friends are, who we are leaving them with (church/sports groups), what they are watching/listening to, we need to be involved. Put your cell phone downs, turn the TV off, and get praying! Jesus has warned us:

Matthew 18:6  (NASB)

6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

2019: It's about Relationships

February is already coming to an end. Hard to believe that the first two months of the year are done. I remember as a child, it seemed like every day took forever. Now as an adult, I blink and the day is done.

For many, January first is a day of resolutions, new starts, new chapters. I get it, it is an almost tangible to start something new. But what I am reminded of in God's word is this:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)

22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

New every morning! Everyday is a gift from God. So, I am not big on resolutions on January first. I strive to better myself, and draw closer to God through out the year. If I feeling my heart come August I need to pray more, or read more, or fast more, I do it then. I don't wait.

Now, what I do on January first is this. I review the past year. It is a good pivot point to reflect on the past and future. I look back to thank the LORD for what He guided is through in the past 365 days. Then I pray about the direction He will take us in the next 365 days (should we be given that many). At the start of the year I do have friends who pick a verse or a word to guide their year ahead. These concepts I understand, and I like them. For 2019, the Holy Spirit laid on my heart two words to be my guiding principals in life.

trust

intentional

Both of these are relational in how I need to apply them to my life.  I love how trust is defined:

trust.
.
[trəst]
NOUN
1.firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
"relations have to be built on trust" ·
synonyms:
confidence · belief · faith · freedom from suspicion/doubt · sureness ·
safe keeping · keeping · protection · charge · care · custody ·

VERB
1.believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of.
synonyms:
have faith in · put/place one's trust in · have (every) confidence in ·

For 2019, my relationship with God is to be guided by me trusting Him. I am to trust Him in everything I do and with everything I am and have. The hardships of the past few years have brought me to a point in my walk where I will take one of two paths. I will either trust God completely and follow Him, or I will not trust Him. It is as simple as that. Just because I follow Him, because I trust Him - it does not mean things will be easy, pleasant or enjoyable. Walking with Him, is doing it no matter what circumstances I am in.

John 16:33  (NASB)

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

We must remember who it is we are following. God loves us. He created us to bring glory to Him. So while we may not understand why are going though what we are going through, we can trust that in the end it is for His glory.

I am studying Psalm 23 in my connection group. We are doing the study by Jennifer Rothschild. It is soo amazing! Six verses of scripture, but so complex. If you have time/opportunity to do her study on Psalm 23, do it! But until then, read Psalm 23, read it a few times, slowly:

 

Psalm 23  (NASB)

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

2
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

3
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

6
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Our Shepherd loves us, has laid His life down for us, He wants what is best for us. We can TRUST Him friend.

The other word to guide my 2019 is intentional, and this is in regard to my earthly relationships: family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, everyone.

in·ten·tion·al.
.
[inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l]
ADJECTIVE
done on purpose; deliberate.
synonyms:
deliberate · calculated · conscious · done on purpose · intended · planned · meant · considered · studied · knowing · willful · wanton · purposeful · purposive · purposed ·

When it comes to my interactions with those I am around, I want to be deliberate, focused, purposeful. By being intentional I want people to know I care. I am making eye contact when talking to someone. I am saying their name when I say hello, so they know I see/recognize them. I am putting my phone away so they know they have my attention. I feel these need to be done even more so with my husband and children, but not just them. They are my priority mission field in my obedience, but I need to take these steps of action in the work place, in public settings, and in my everyday interactions.

Technology is wonderful, but it is isolating. By being purposeful and intentional, I am hoping to strengthen the relationships I already have, and hopefully cultivate some new ones.

1 Corinthians 10:31  (NASB)

31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Life

When you are told at age 14 that the likelihood of you having a child of your own would more than likely be impossible, and somehow you manage to give birth to three beautiful children, you thank the LORD - daily! I believe my children are a gift from God. I love them, I discipline them, I cherish them.

Psalm 127:3  (NASB)

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

I have been blessed with three beautiful children. 

Abigail is my mini-me, my mother hen, my helper, my sister. This past December she accepted Jesus as her LORD and Savior and was baptized 6 years to the day of her dedication. 

My middle child, Stone, is my nugget (his self appointed nickname). He is my cuddler, my stubborn one, my momma's boy. He is a go-getter, full of energy and has the world's mots amazing imagination. 

My newest, my 4 month old, is Ari. He is the happiest baby on earth. He smiles so big, he laughs, and is such an easy baby. He is our baby we did not know that we needed, and our life is now complete with him in it.

My husband and I have had our children in church almost from the first Sunday they were able to attend after their birth. Regular church attendance is the routine of our life, Sunday's and Wednesday's. Not only that, but we have made the sacrifice to put our children in a Christian school where they are taught the Bible everyday, and attend chapel once a week. Now our youngest is in a daycare, but Christian principals are apart of the curriculum there, so he too is being poured into. We want our children growing up on the foundation of Christ's word. It is the only way to endure through this fallen and broken world. 

Proverbs 22:6  (NASB) 

Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Dec. 16, 2018 - Baby dedication of Ari Matthew Shuman

Children are a gift and a responsibility, God's word tells us that. Brock and I take both concepts seriously. We know that everyone parents differently, and sees to life in their own ways. But thankfully the friends in our lives all hold true to the same core concepts of faith and life. So we are surrounded by people who are like minded. 

I share all this because heavy on my heart is the legislation that was passed in New York a few weeks back. The most horrific anti-life bill was passed, allowing abortion up to the moment of birth. And since then, the true depravity of many of our nations leaders has come to light. Some legislators want to give a mother the option to murder their child after the child has been born.

My little loves on
Valentine's Day 2019

Folks, our country, our world is in trouble. Women want the right to kill their own children at any point. Or at least that is what the legislators have said. My heart shakes at the idea that there are women out there who truly want this. But....the legislators are men and women, fathers and mothers, grandparents...The condition of their hearts....it is so heartbreaking. And I know that there really are women who want this "right." Every year, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade women march for the right to kill their unborn child. The depravity of that shakes me to the core. 

Luckily, women and men are standing up for life. There is always a counter march that is pro-life. And the numbers for this grow each year. There is hope, but we believers must get on our knees and pray. That is what keeps coming to mind when the news comes out with more laws being proposed to kill babies, or stories about planned parenthood and their horrible practices. 

PRAY

We must pray. Men and women. Life is not a woman issue, it is a human issue. Men need to stand up and speak up - it's their children too that are being murdered. I remember the night I heard about what New York had done. I held my baby boy and just looked at him, and I held him a bit longer before I placed him to sleep in his crib.

I remember giving birth to all three of my children, and to think people want to make it okay to murder a baby up until (and possibly after) birth. The first time I held all my children is a moment I cherish. That feeling, the adrenaline, the rush! Oh the emotions that rush over you. Just typing that up, I can recall the surge of love and emotions.

There needs to be a change. The fact of the matter is, America is going to be called to judgement for the number of innocent lives we have allowed to be slaughtered in the name of "progress" and "women's rights." The land of our country is stained by the blood of the millions of babies who have been murdered in the womb. Blood must be atoned for by blood.

Psalm 106:38 (NASB)

And shed innocent blood,

The blood of their sons and their daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

And the land was polluted with the blood.

God takes serious the shedding of innocent blood, His word is filled with references:

•  Deuteronomy 19:10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.
• Deuteronomy 19:13 You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.
• Deuteronomy 21:8 Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.
• Deuteronomy 21:9 So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 19:5 For he took his life in his hand and struck the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great deliverance for all Israel; you saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by putting David to death without a cause?”
• 2 Samuel 3:28 Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
• 2 Kings 21:16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
• 2 Kings 24:4 and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive.
• Proverbs 1:11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;
• Proverbs 6:17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
• Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.
• Jeremiah 7:6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin,
• Jeremiah 19:4 Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent
• Jeremiah 22:3 Thus says the Lord, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
• Jeremiah 22:17 “But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.”
• Jeremiah 26:15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”
• Joel 3:19 Egypt will become a waste, And Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
• Jonah 1:14 Then they called on the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, O Lord, have done as You have pleased.”
• Matthew 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!”
• Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

Shedding innocent blood is a sin, it separates us from the blessings and full life God has for us. Can God forgive us, as a nation, for the millions of babies who have died? Yes. We as a nation though must turn the laws around, make it a crime again in this country to kill a baby. Then and only then can we start to see God's forgiveness.

2019 WORDS: Trust & Intentional

Ahhh, the new year! Goals, plans, new focus.

Many people make resolutions to improve their lives, some claim a Bible verse to live by, and others focus on a word to be the lighthouse of their year.

Through my 33 years I have done all of these, but never consistently. This year God put on my heart a word, well, actually two. One word is for my  vertical realtionship (heavenly), the other is for my horizontal relationships (earthly).

When it comes to my relationship with the LORD, He is continuing to tell me to TRUST Him. Trust His plan for my life, Trust Him with our finances, Trust Him with my children, Trust Him and His word. The Holy Spirit is guiding me with this by continually putting the old hymn in my mind:

Trust and Obey

John H. Sammis, 1887

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

I grew up with this old hymn, and it speaks to my heart. Trust and Obey - Trust God, Obey His commands. This is how we are to live our life. How to live the Christian life.

Then there are my earthly relationships. I am working on being more intentional.

• Looking people in the eye when I speak to them
• Saying a person's name when I am talking to them
• putting my phone away when someone is talking to me
• Praying immediately when someone tells me a need
• Reaching out to my friends
• Writing down what people say to me, and following up on events they attend, or projects they complete.

By being intentional, I am investing in my relationships. I am making them more personal. I am getting to know those in my life better. I am proving that I care.

To Gather: why?

Every August the church I attend has a "Promotion" Sunday. The students move up to the next grade, just as the new school year begins. Most adults stay in the same class, but it is generally a time to make a change to a new class if one were to do it.

My class leader did a lesson that day this past August on why we gather. She prepared us ahead of time that we would be discussing why we gather, so we had "answers" prepared.

• fellowship
• accountability
• Bible lessons
• child free time

A good mix of "church" answers and open hearts. And my teacher agreed with all of these, but, she said the main reason we SHOULD gather as a class is because God's word tells us to.

Hebrews 10:25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Let's break this down:

1. Believers must not forsake gathering together. Those who are focused on walking in faith will not let themselves be isolated. We must be with those whose focus is the spreading of the Gospel and Kingdom work.
2. Our gathering together is to be an encouragement. How can we encourage each other:
1. Prayer
2. A listening ear
3. Sometimes just by faithfully showing up.
3. URGENCY
1. The last part, "all the more as you see the day drawing near" tells us that the closer we get to the end of the Church Age we need to gather more.We need to gather so we can stay strong, we can pray for each other, we can affirm God's will. 

As we were discussing this last part of the verse, a lady asked if the word gather (assembling) is the same as what is talked about in 1 Thessalonians 4:17:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

My class leader was not sure, so I looked into it. Strongs Concordance says that caught (G726) is Greek, harpazo: to seize, catch away, pluck.  

The assembly from Hebrews is Greek (G1997), episynagoge: a complete collection, a meeting for worship.

So no, they are not the same. But this study has kept me thinking of the day that is to come. And the gathering that will occur soon. Friends, if you have watched the news you know things are getting bad. 

• abortion up to birth in NY (many other states trying to follow suit)
• Little boys becoming "queens" and posing with grown "queens" who are basically nude, and it being applauded
• 5 year old boys being "allowed" to to transition to female, encouraged by their transgender dad (identifies as a woman) and mom
• diseases almost eradicated in the United States making a comeback (measles and mumps)
• investigations into abuses by the Catholic church of children
• The Pope admitting that clergy abused nun's in the Catholic church
• The Southern Baptist Convention being investigated/called out for letting those accused (and sometimes found) of abuse to remain in positions of authority
• so many stories of mothers killing their children (and I am not talking about abortion)

And these stories are just in the past 2-3 weeks. Its appalling how bad things are getting, and more and more of believers are looking up. The depravity of this broken world is making our hearts call out to our Father.We are longing to be gathered up at the trumpet call. But until then, lets gather together here on earth. Let's share the Gospel, encourage each other, and continue to pray.

Reflecting on Those Who Have Gone Before

In the past few weeks many people I know have lost loved ones, friends and family. And for a few that I know it has been several people. And it makes me sad. We are to mourn when others mourn (Romans 12:5), so it is fitting that I am saddened by those around me in mourning.

But there is a hope in all this. Many who have passed were known to be believers. So while their bodies died, their souls are with Jesus. One scenario in particular is that of someone I know wanting to attend the funerals of two people close to them, but the funerals are/were on the same day, one in Texas, the other in Florida, at the same time So an impossible situation. But he honored the one who could not attend by honoring a request of the family. And this had me thinking about the few funerals I have missed the past few years.

Mrs. Schnieder...a feisty 80+ woman in the church. Oh she was a spitfire. She lamented that women no longer wore gloves and hats to church, but confessed that she knew it was more important that people came to church, no matter what they wore. I remember sitting beside her on Wednesday nights and hearing the stories of her and her husband moving from Nebraska, their camping trips, the time when her daughter(and family) lived in Hawaii, to searching for geode's. And she would share scriptures that she felt I needed to know. I don't even recall why I could not attend her funeral, but I look forward to seeing her beyond the pearly gates when the time comes.

My cousin Jesse. This one was hard, he died so young, in his 30's. I loved him dearly, was close to him when I was younger. In fact, for a while I lived with him and his wife while they were pregnant with their first daughter.

And thinking on this, has me recalling Hebrew 11 through 12:1. The genealogy of faith, those who hoped for a day to come, who has righteousness counted unto them. I am looking at the world around me right now, the chaos, disorder, hatred, and wondering how much more has to go wrong before God calls us here on earth home. How much longer until we are reunited with all who have already gone home? There is no answer, we do not know, but we need to live in anticipation. We need to look forward to the day that is to yet come like Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Israel and some many others did before us.