Bill Nye/Ken Ham Debate: Tonight at 7 PM ET!!!

Evangelicals & Catholics Together? DAVY JONES (with THE MONKEES) a little bit me, a little bit you

This song is how I'm feeling right now about debates between Catholics and protestants. :) In the past on this blog I have had many conversations with Catholics and protestants and I learned over time that it isn't my 'job' or 'ministry' to call out Catholics, or any other believer, on their beliefs and practices. It finally occurred to me that I really don't know what is going on in other people's hearts, AND that I myself have beliefs and practices, or lack thereof, that are not correct. Also, at the same time I became more and more aware that the denominations I have been a member of also have some beliefs, traditions, and practices that are partly or completely in error. I believe now that the enemy, Satan, has been busy dividing God's people on countless fronts; keeping us busy arguing and accusing one another, when we should together be light and salt IN LOVE to the world around us. It breaks my heart that I contributed to this. God bless you.

Endtime Pilgrim: The Deliverer is Coming!

I really enjoy the perspective of Dr. Gavin Finley of endtimepilgrim.org. His article The Deliverer is Coming!, as with many of his writings, expresses the idea that God is a storyteller, and that He is playing out an epic tale over the ages, which will culminate in the return of the Deliverer to bring to fruition a long laid plan of redemption for His beloved Creation. I hope you enjoy Dr. Finley's article, and that you click the links at the bottom of the article to read his many other writings.

Re-post: Pilgrims' Daughter: "He waters the hills from His upper rooms"

Pilgrims' Daughter: "He waters the hills from His upper rooms" 

Here is a post I wrote three years ago at Christmas time. I think the truths in it are worth sharing again. Merry Christmas. :)

Voice of the Persecuted: 'Largest Massacre of Christians in Syria' ignored

Here is a new post on voiceofthepersecuted.wordpress.com relating recent massacres of Christians in Syria that are being largely ignored by the media and our own government. In fact the present administration is supporting the factions that are perpetrating these atrocities. Please pray for the Christians in Syria and across the world, that are facing daily persecution, terror, and hardship.

Update: SaveSaeed.org

Please pray for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, an American citizen that was detained, arrested, and put in the worst prison in Iran after going there to open orphanages. It has been a year since he was detained. This video tells his story. Please contact your legislators and any government officials you can think of to pressure the Iranian government for Saeed's quick release. Thank you!

Happy Epiphany: The Light of the World has come to the Gentiles!

Isaiah 60: 1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My glory.

Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island: Beautiful Impossibilities

I've been reading Lori Roeleveld's blog for a while now. Her latest blog is very challenging and action-provoking, hopefully (rather than just thought-provoking). :) 

Fly! Be Free!

It's been a long time since I posted anything, and even longer since I've been motivated to really write anything. This has been an eventful spring and summer; with the biggest event being my sweet daughter Emily's graduation from high school. Emily is our oldest child, so this was our first experience with a real graduation. We are home-schoolers, and belong to a home-school co-op, in which classes are taught two days a week by parents or others. They do an amazing graduation ceremony every year. Emily's class was very small, with only 23, but the ceremony took 3 hours, because the parents personally presented their child's diploma along with a short speech, and the students performed music and dance. There was quite a bit of preparation involved for parents, students, teachers, and administrators. It is a very emotional and stressful time, as well as joyful, because parents have to get used to the idea of their child getting ready for a more independent life, college, career, etc.. The ceremony was wonderful, and it really got my emotions on a roller coaster when right at the beginning they played a clip from 'The Andy Griffith Show' in which Andy talks to Opie about setting free some little birds he has been taking care of, keeping them safe in a cage. Of course Andy is talking about baby birds needing to fly and be free, but all our minds were on our own 'baby birds' and we knew exactly what Andy was really thinking about: his own little bird, Opie, needed to learn to fly and to make good decisions on his own. I was almost sobbing, and trying not to show it. There were many people also using kleenex, however. Once I get the 'waterworks' started, it's hard for me to stop; so this did not bode well, as I had uncharacteristically decided to go ahead and give a short speech when my husband and I presented Emily's diploma. This was a brave turn-around for me, as I had originally planned to indulge my shyness and leave the speaking to Eddie alone. But this year has been one of taking new steps for me anyway, or rather of spreading my wings. Earlier this year I sang my first solo in front of an audience, and next week I'm going to a master portrait painting workshop in Raleigh, NC to try and develop the gifts God has given me. The funny thing is, I wasn't really afraid any more. Having the courage to sing earlier this year had knocked my habitual paralyzing fear for a loop. It was gone. I was nervous, but actually looking forward to sharing what I had to say to and about Emily. We got in line by the stage to prepare to give diplomas, and our youngest daughter Abigail, who was sitting with my parents, started crying for me; I motioned for Mom to let her come to us. When it was our turn, I got up there with Eddie and Emily and Abigail, and Eddie spoke first. He did beautifully, but lo and behold, right at the end, he choked up, and then joked his way through the tears. It was my turn, and I grabbed the mike and started talking. I had a bit of trouble remembering to speak into the mike, but I got through my speech with a few tears; and was able to talk through them, instead of letting the tears silence me as I used to do. Here is the text of my speech to Emily.

Emily is our firstborn. And Abigail is our youngest. Emily was present when Abigail was born; and witnessed her birth. The umbilical cord was wrapped around Abigail's neck as she was coming out, and there was a crisis for a minute or two, but everything was alright. It's amazing, then, that after witnessing all that, Emily has decided to pursue an apprenticeship or program to learn midwifery. I'm very proud that she will be helping women and families to have a safe, dignified, and natural a birth process as possible. That is very important. Like the Israelite midwives in Egypt who were obedient to God, and so saved the children of Israel. I'm very happy for her; though it's very bittersweet seeing her grow up. She's a dear, sweet, gentle girl, who loves God, babies, praise dance, history, Snoopy, and of course... chocolate. Emily, as a child, you used to carry around a Tweety Bird toy. Then, you saw your baby sister Abigail be born, and you loved to carry her and take care of her, like a second mommy. Emily I'm proud of your conscientious heart, your responsibility, and maturity. You teach me so much without a word by your gentleness and patience. I love you dearly.God bless you in all your endeavors. As you seek Him, He will continue to reveal His will to you, step by step. This is one of the first memory verses you learned as a child. "His word will be a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path." I love you, Emily :)

Do You Believe in Evolution??? Evolution pushed in Roman Catholic Bibles for Latin America: post by Ken Ham of AIG

Ken Ham just posted this on his blog for Answers in Genesis. Creationism is a subject dear to my heart, and it has always bothered me that the official stance of the Catholic Church appears to be in support of the 'theory' of evolution. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence in support of the literal Biblical account of creation and the flood. Enough to make many scientists turn their back on evolution over the years in recent times. I wonder, how many of my Roman Catholic readers support evolution, and how many support creationism (that God created everything in 7 days, and that the flood account is literal)? '

The Violin Maker

I'm reading The Violin Maker by John Marchese. There's a quote in the book from You Can Make a Stradivarius Violin by Joseph Reid. "Violin making is one of the most noble crafts of man, being one in which the mental and artistic genius of the maker find full freedom. A man's true character and nature will be revealed by the violin that he fashions. If he is a true artist he will build his very soul into the instrument." God is a true artist, and that's what He does for us, His instruments. It's no coincidence that a violin is shaped like a woman, and the church, Christ's Bride, is a woman and the crown of His creation.

Big Daddy Weave - Listen To "Love Come To Life"

A good friend of mine danced to this while her husband sang recently. This song is my prayer lately, in the war between the pull of the world and the gentle drawing of God's Spirit in me.

Steven Curtis Chapman - Films and Music Inspired by THE STORY "This Is H...

I just saw this after someone tweeted it. I hadn't heard this song by Steven Curtis Chapman before. It's so beautiful, and helps me to focus again on the cross, and get ready to celebrate the resurrection.

Ryan Kelly ~ Were You There?

Ryan Kelly, of Celtic Thunder, shared this today on Twitter. I love hearing artists sing such heartfelt songs of love for the Savior. Especially good to hear Ryan express his faith in Christ, since their shows are much more secular.

Casting Crowns - Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Here's the song by Casting Crowns that I mentioned in my last post. The song is reminding us that we can't be the light of the world by pointing at sinners in condemnation, as if we ourselves are not sinners too. However, what I 'heard' the other day on the radio was that the world can't see Christ in us, the church, because we are too busy pointing our fingers at each other in condemnation, when we should be showing the world how much we love each other. Condemning the world and condemning other believers are both stumbling blocks to sinners; keeping them from seeing the light of the gospel.
As I said in the first post, there is a place and time for defending the truth against falsehood. It should be done. But taking it upon myself to do this as a constant thing, mainly against one group of Christians, is not what I am called to do. My curious and often obsessive personality can draw me into things that are not my business if I don't pay attention to what I should be doing. I should be seeking Christ first and taking care of my family; and loving the believers around me as well as sharing the gospel with unbelievers I meet. I can't do any of these things by delving into 'Catholic vs. Protestant' theology.
It has been quite a while since I have had the heart to post anything about Catholicism and debate about it. My own struggles have deflated both my pride and my curiosity in that area: two of my major faults. I don't know if I'll ever want to go there again. I'm still very interested in the church and how it should and shouldn't work, but from a more personal perspective lately. I'm not 'sure' of so much as I was before. I don't know if I was right or wrong in all my facts, but I know I was often wrong in my prideful attitude.
I am truly sorry for the things I have posted in an attitude of pride, thinking that I know something when I really don't: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him(1 Corinthians 8:1b-3). To those I have offended, please forgive me.

The Criminal Who Made Joseph Kony Famous: by Geoffrey Botkin

My daughter shared an article about the Joseph Kony issue which I think is very helpful to gain perspective on what's really happening in Africa. It is written by Geoffrey Botkin, founder of the Western Conservatory of Arts and Sciences. Hearing all the hype a couple of weeks ago made me curious about what the real situation is in Africa. I am glad to have this practical information, and to know that African nations are dealing with the warlords.

Casting Crowns - Behind The Song "Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"

I heard this song today. I'm not sure if it was the first time I've heard it, but it was the first time it got through to my heart. This is a video about the song. I'll post the song next. I am getting something from this song that isn't exactly what was intended; but when I heard them singing about the world not being able to see Christ's message because of our pointing fingers, I saw how the world can't see Christ in us because we're too busy pointing our fingers at each other; at other believers. The unity and love that Christ spoke of in His church isn't there as it should be. I really don't know if what I've said in past blog posts about Catholicism is wrong. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. But I'm getting that even if I was 'right' about some or all of what I have posted about, that much of it was not my business. I had to go through what I went through to learn something, but in the end I didn't learn what I thought I was learning all along. This may make no sense unless you've been with me for a while; but when I posted about Peter cutting off the ear of the servant of the high priest, and I said this was the pope persecuting the servants of Christ the High Priest; well, after listening to this song, I realized that was me, too. There is a time and a place to defend the faith, but sometimes we take things upon ourselves that we ought not. Whether any popes persecuted Christians, do I have the right to decide who is or who isn't a Christian? What do I really know about it? Our earthly church rulers may or may not do well, but we ourselves should love other individual believers and be united with them. I have no idea how this can happen, but I pray it does. That doesn't mean I won't ever speak out if I see something wrong, but I will be much more careful about it. And I pray I'll remember to take the plank out of my own eye first. In Christ,
Jennie

My first solo

Here I am singing my first solo for our Koinonia Dinner Theater fundraiser. This is our homeschool co-op; we're raising money to help buy the property which we've been leasing for the last two years.

Our Anniversary Trip to Cozumel

My husband Eddie made this video of our recent cruise to Key West and Cozumel, so I thought I'd share it here: 

Our Anniversary Trip to Cozumel

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

For Saint Patrick's Day, here is the Confession of Saint Patrick, written in the fifth century, originally in Latin. I enjoy finding and reading things written so long ago by our elder brothers and sisters in Christ, and seeing in them the same struggles and joys, and the same love for Christ that we have as believers today.