Ever Let Us Pray...

My Michael is a psalmist. He loves Jesus and because of his deep love, his prayers are like love songs. For me, it hasn't come so easily. There have been times in the past where I found prayer to be boring, and even strenuous and scary. Real prayer is serious business.
When I pray, I do not often pray out of worry because I honestly trust in the Lord and His plan for my life. I also know that He knows what I need before I can even ask for it. Please don't misunderstand me, I do pray and I do it fervently, I just don't often bring to Him my "greeds". And during those times when I can't find the words, I know that my heart is heard just as loud as my words could be. Prayer is very evident in our lives and the lives of those around us on a daily basis. When we meet people that are not involved in church, or even when we spend time with our own families, we often find ourselves praying them through certain situations in their lives. This has helped me a great deal in learning just how powerful prayer can be in the lives of believers and non-believers alike, and in doing so, I continue to rediscover it's importance.
Mike has been involved with ministry nearly all of his life, in one way or another. It comes very naturally and easy for him to pray publicly amidst a large assembly of people, where I am usually the introverted one that prays silently. I have often admired those who are called to be intercessors because they can pray for hours and hours on end and have no knowledge of time passed, watchmen pounding on the doors of heaven for answers on behalf of God's children. The truth is, we often think of prayer as preparation for battle, but Christ showed us that it is the battle itself. Prayer is the heart of His work.

The Lion King

This past weekend, Mike and I went to Pittsburgh to see the Broadway production of The Lion King. The play was at the Benedum Center, which is downtown in the cultural arts district. The city is bustling with activity, and we both found it to be a rather refreshing experience. The cultural arts district reminds me of an upscale Short North or Arena District, only with less traffic and narrower streets. From everything to visual arts, or the ballet, to a gallery crawl or cabaret and the symphony; the city seems to have something for everyone.
As we entered the theatre, the sweet aroma of candied almonds made our mouths water. Needless to say, we splurged on some of those during the intermission. The play was wonderful and the depth of talent that was displayed was unmatched to anything I've seen in a long time. The thing that impressed me most was the music. Not only did the singers showcase their beautiful african songs, their voices were incredibly controlled. I have always liked the the theatre and the ballet, and now that we have moved so close to a city that is thriving in cultural arts, I hope that we can be patrons of this kind of entertainment more often.

The Least Among Us

Is it profoundly unrealistic to expect people to exercise compassion outside of the communities in which they live? Is compassion segregated, and if so, why is there a fundamental disconnect between the reservoirs of compassion and the communities that need it? It sometimes seems as though many people only have compassion for those who are most like themselves.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. The He said to His disciples, "the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Luke 10:2,3.
The fact is, very few inner-city residents experience the benefits of programs run by suburbanites who abandon their cushy pads to live beside "the least among us." For the last five years, I have worked with homeless people and children in youth ministries, only to find that it is just as much emotionally draining as it is rewarding. One cold night when our ministry was handing out coats on the streets downtown, someone asked me how I knew who to give to and who to refuse. I guess I had never thought to have an answer to a question like that. It has never been my mission to judge who is more in need, this one or the next. As far as I knew, we were all in need of something, including myself. Aren't we all in a place of need at sometime or another? Who am I to judge the drug addicted, the single unmarried mothers, or the absentee fathers? I do know one thing, or should I say from my experience, I have never seen judgment lead a person to the Savior. However, I have seen prayer, support, genuine love, and let's not forget compassion, lead them there and onward. Some might say my optimism lacks a basis in reality when it comes to these matters. I'll never win them all, but I'll keep trying.

In The Vine

Think of some things that Jesus did not put in His hand to make His point that night in the garden. He didn't have any money, nor did he have a map for a military (or angelic) invasion of Jerusalem. He didn't have a letter to His wife back home explaining what the last three years were supposed to be about. No, Jesus was thinking about grapes. As He held the grapevine in His hand, he said: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit." John 15:1-2,5,8.
Jesus loved to convey the truth with simple earthly examples. In His last message before His death on the cross, He wanted us to comprehend that we have been left on this earth for one compelling reason...to bear fruit. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Notice, they are not fruits of the spirit (plural) because you must have all of them to possess any of them. How important is fruit then? So important, that our baskets should be overflowing.

Creation vs. Evolution

Romans 1:25 declares, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen."
A key factor that we all must recognize is that the vast majority of scientists who believe in evolution are also atheists or agnostics. Some believe that God exists, but is not involved in the world...everything proceeds along a natural course. There are some who genuinely and honestly look at the data and arrive at the conclusion that evolution betters fits with the data. Again, though, these represent an insignificant portion of scientists who advocate evolution. The vast majority of evolutionary scientists hold that life evolved entirely without ANY intervention of a higher Being. Evolution is by definition a naturalistic science. For atheism to be true, there must be an alternate explanation for how the universe and life came into existence. At least, one would think so. I believe Charles Darwin was the first to develop the model for how evolution could have occurred, which is called natural selection. Darwin once identified himself as a Christian, but later renounced the Christian faith and the existence of God as a result of some tragedies that took place in his life. Evolution was "invented" by an atheist. Darwin's goal was not to disprove God's existence, but that is one of the end results of the theory of evolution. Evolution is an enabler of atheism. Evolutionary scientists today likely would not admit that their goal is to give an alternate explanation of the origins of life, and thereby to give a foundation for atheism. However, according to the Bible, that is exactly why the theory of evolution exists.The Bible tells us, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). According to the Bible, anyone who denies the existence of God is a fool. Why, then, are so many people, including some Christians, willing to accept that evolutionary scientists are unbiased interpreters of scientific data? According to the Bible, they are all fools! Foolishness does not imply a lack of intelligence. Most evolutionary scientists are brilliant intellectually. Foolishness indicates an inability to properly apply knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 tells us, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."Evolutionary scientists mock Creation and/or Intelligent Design as unscientific and not worthy of scientific examination. In order for something to be considered a "science," they argue, it must be able to be observed and tested, it must be "naturalistic."
Creation is by definition "supernatural." God, and the supernatural, cannot be observed or tested (so the argument goes), therefore Creation and/or Intelligent Design cannot be considered a science. As a result, all data is filtered through the preconceived, presupposed, and preaccepted theory of evolution, without alternate explanations being considered. However, the origin of the universe and the origin of life cannot be tested or observed. Both Creation and evolution are faith-based systems when they speak of origins. Neither can be tested because we cannot go back billions (or thousands) of years to observe the origin of the universe and life in the universe. Evolutionary scientists reject Creation on grounds that would logically force them to also reject evolution as a "scientific" explanation of origins. Evolution, at least in regards to origins, does not fit the definition of “science” any more than Creation does. Evolution is supposedly the only explanation of origins that can be tested; therefore, it is the only theory of origins that can be considered "scientific." If Creation is true, then there is a Creator to Whom we are accountable. Evolution gives atheists a basis for explaining how life exists apart from a Creator God. According to the Bible, the choice is clear. We can believe the Word of our omnipotent and omniscient God, or we can believe the illogically biased, "scientific" explanations of fools. I prefer the aforementioned myself.

What is the Immutability of God?

The immutability of God (that He does not change) is clearly taught throughout Scripture in countless passages. For example, in Malachi 3:6 God affirms, "I, the Lord, do not change." (See also Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 46:9-11; Ezekiel 24:14.)
James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.” The shadow of turning refers to the sun which eclipses, and turns, and casts its shadow. It rises and sets, appears and disappears every day; and it comes out of one tropic, and enters into another at certain seasons of the year. But with God, who is light, there is no darkness at all, there is no change, nor anything like it. He is unchangeable in His nature, perfections, purposes, promises, and gifts. He being Holy, cannot turn to that which is evil; nor can He, who is the fountain of light, be the cause of darkness, and since every good and perfect gift comes from Him, evil cannot proceed from Him, nor does He tempt anyone to evil. The Bible is very clear that God does not change, neither His mind, His will, nor His nature.
Seen from a logical viewpoint, there are several reasons why it is impossible for God to change. First, if anything changes it must do so in some chronological order. There must be a point in time before the change and a point in time after the change. Therefore, for change to take place it must happen within the constraints of time; however, God is eternal and exists outside of the constraints of time (Psalm 33:11; Psalm 41:13; Psalm 90:2-4; John 17:5; 2 Timothy 1:9).
Second, if anything changes it must change for the better or the worse, because a change that makes no difference is not a change. For change to take place, either something that is needed is added, which is a change for the better, or something that is needed is lost, which is a change for the worse. But since God is perfect, He does not need anything. Therefore, He cannot change for the better. If God were to lose something, He would not be perfect; therefore, He cannot change for the worse.
Third, when someone changes his/her mind, it is often because new information has come to light that was not previously known, or the circumstances have changed that require a different kind of attitude or action. Because God is omniscient, He cannot learn something new that He did not already know. So, when the Bible speaks of God changing His mind, it must be understood that the circumstance or situation has changed, not God. So when Exodus 32:14 and 1 Samuel 15:11-29 talk about God changing His mind, it is simply describing a change of dispensation, and outward dealings, toward man.
Numbers 23:19 is very clear, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” No, God does not change His mind. These verses affirm the doctrine of God’s immutability: He is unchanging and unchangeable.

LIFE

Do you have children? I do. I have a beautiful seven month old daughter who loves to laugh. She is fragile, but brave at the same time. Her name is Abigail Lauren. She is feminine, fiesty, and fearless to say the least. My husband and I have been initiated into the realm of parenting and it is for certain, the most wonderful blessing that we have been given. Sometimes I stare at her and think about LIFE. I think of how she is completely dependent on Mike and I for everything that she needs and she is not a bit worried about it. I learn a lot from her. She is the most honest person that I have ever met. I don't have to remind myself that she is only going to be this little for a short period of time, and I should cherish it while the time is here. Everyday, I do my best to do just that, even when it gets tiring. She is starting to crawl. One thing is for sure, she is persistent. She tries and tries, and when she falls down, she tries again. She also knows how to get what she wants. When she is hungry, she sticks everything in sight in her mouth until I get the hint, but she doesn't often cry about it; a great sign of maturity at such a young age. When she's tired, she nuzzles up to us as if to say,"could you cuddle me to sleep now?" and we gladly do. She gets excited and her eyes grow three times their normal size, I think as a point to emphasize that when she's happy, we all should be. She likes to carry on conversations by herself too, and even though we have no idea what she's saying, she does and thats all that matters to her. I was nervous at first, to take her to church, only to discover that she was born to be an evangelist. People are drawn to her and she likes it. She greets everyone with a smile and it can brighten your whole day. To have a child is to be given the world to hold in your hands, and the entire universe to try to fit inside your heart. Sometimes, when I get frustrated, I try to remember that it must be harder for her than it is for me. It's at those times when I am most thankful for God's willingness to teach me constant mending and repairing, to guide Michael and I through. He is our source of LIFE. We are all in this together. The smiling face of our child, and the LORD's goodness and grace beyond measure, keeps us.

What Do You Think?

My husband Michael, is the pastor of a non-denominational church. When our family was invited to come to Wintersville to shepherd this congregation, I was excited because of that. I grew up in a Baptist church, and chose to worship the Lord at a Nazarene church as an adult, all the while, not really concerned with what either one of those terms meant. I have wondered for a long time whether it really mattered what denomination you were affiliated with, after all, doesn't separating the body of Christ coerce us into remaining divided? Is this really a betterment for edification? From my understanding, denominations started with disagreements among people who argued about right and wrong and it's relationship to scripture. Excuse my assumption, but to me, that in itself means that practices have the tendency to be based on human standards, though I am sure it's not that way in all cases.

In Christianity, the term non-denominational refers to those churches which have not formally aligned themselves with an established denomination, or remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations. Non-denominational congregations may establish a functional denomination by means of mutual recognition of or accountability to other congregations and leaders with commonly held doctrine, policy and worship, without formalizing external direction or oversight in such matters. Some non-denominational churches explicitly reject the idea of a formalized denominational structure as a matter of principle, holding that each congregation must be autonomous.
Members of non-denominational churches often consider themselves simply "Christians", yet the acceptance of any particular stance on a doctrine or practice for which there is not general unanimity among churches or professing Christians, establishes a de facto credal identity. In essence, it can be said that each non-denominational church forms its own unofficial "denomination" with a specific set of tenets as defined by the beliefs and practices of their own congregation.

I personally believe that belonging to a Christian denomination can pull focus off Christ and onto certain principles of that particular denomination. Like I said before, it is not that way in all cases. I have found that in our church, growth occurs because of the people who want to focus on Christ Jesus, rather than denominational principles. Sometimes people get hung up on their own viewpoints and certain principles that they may have been taught in the past or are being taught in the present, but isn't the point of Christ's church for the benefit of the glory of God and not to showcase our differences? If I grew up in a Baptist church and you yourself are a Nazarene, does that give you a preconceived notion about me?

Because they do not look to any human organization for doctrine, non-denominational churches generally claim that the Bible alone is the source of doctrinal authority. The Bible tells us of many of those who were so religious in their mindsets, that their hearts were far from Him. If we become trapped by our dispensational mindsets, how will we allow room for the Holy Spirit to move in us?

Thought Provoking...

While studying the Book of Daniel, I started thinking about "doing great things."
Word Biblical Commentary offers wisdom worthy of our meditation: "there is nothing inherently wrong about 'doing great things', but the expression is only used in an unequivocally good sense of God; of human beings it tends to suggest arrogance, or at least achievement at someone else's expense-mostly achievement that presages calamity."
My thought: the point of our being here is for God to use us for His greatness.
My suggestion: Pray for God to do great things. Our lives are meant to bear much fruit, but asking God to bear much fruit in us to His glory differs from asking God to make us do great things.
Think about this: when you pass an orchard that is bearing fruit, you shouldn't say,"behold, what great things these trees have done!" They are doing what they are created to do. Your life as well as mine will be lived greater and be more influential if we simply ask God to empower us to do that which we were created for.

Love Them Like Jesus

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines character as the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. It is also considered a moral or ethical strength or public estimation of ones reputation. When we refer to Jesus, and his reputation, we can see how the public viewed His character. Many people followed Jesus for many different reasons. Some of them had selfish motives and were following out of their own accord, while others were hungry to see miracles unfold. Who was this mere man that distinguished Himself apart from all the others? When Jesus challenged the people to throw the first stone at the adulteress, He showed us forgiveness. When He commanded her to go and sin no more, he showed us patience. When He saw the multitude and prayed for laborers, He showed us compassion. By His countless teachings, He shows us the way to true rest. By His death on the cross, He showed us strength, love, and most of all...sacrifice.
Publicly, Jesus was a nuisance to many. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says," Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." He also healed on the Sabbath, which was not lawful and He spoke in parables that most people could not even understand. He spoke with the authority that many thought was not His and became known to the Pharisees as a blasphemer.
As Christians, we are called to like Christ in every aspect. Yet, our society is teaching our future generations tolerance in place of Biblical truth. The private issues of peoples lives that were not openly discussed twenty years ago, are now public issues discussed on the forefront of American Politics. One issue that comes to mind, is gay marriage. Some people skip over the scripture in the Bible that warns us that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. That only leads me to one other assumption...that the only other option is to spend eternity in a lake of fire. In fact, it is that way with all sin, not just homosexuality. Is homosexuality worse than murder? Or is smoking cigarettes worse than gluttony? Are we not all required to confess our sins DAILY? This brings about the question of winning souls. How are we to win the souls of those who are living life in the midst of every type of indecency, if we are not equipped with the Truth? The answer is Jesus. If we use the tools that we are given to develop a like minded attitude of Christ, then we can win souls. I do believe the number one reason that people do not want to become Christians is because they see other Christians talk the talk, but not walk the walk. You will find that when the blind are leading the blind, they both fall into a ditch. Are you learning to love like Jesus did?

Material Reduction

Jesus had tough words for the wealthy. Think of his words to the rich young ruler to “sell everything you have and give to the poor . . . then come, follow me” (Luke18:22). Or consider his “woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24). The inauguration of the Lord’s ministry is framed by the words of the prophet Isaiah: “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” (Is. 61:1; Luke 4:18).
It is not surprising that the wealthiest culture in the history of the world would be uncomfortable with this aspect of the gospel. We prefer ignoring this teaching or, if we cannot ignore it, domesticating it. Yes, we say to ourselves, Jesus said these things, but we know that wealth and possessions are not the real problem. It is our attitude toward money and things that Jesus is really concerned about. After all, Abraham was a wealthy guy, etc., etc. In some circles we are even told that God wants us to be rich. Now my point is not to argue against a nuanced understanding of the biblical teaching about wealth and possessions. Nor is is to set a Christian standard for “maximum earned income” or to advise you to give away your retirement savings. Rather, my concern is that as well-off western Christians, we should not get comfortable with the Lord’s teaching about wealth.
His first hearers were shocked by his teaching (“who then can be saved?!). But we are not shocked. That we are so comfortable with his words suggests that there is some serious reductionism taking place. Our culture is driven by the “need” to spend, acquire, and consume far beyond what is healthy for any of us. The constant bombardment of slick advertising fans the flame of desire. We are consumed by consumption. But in our quest for more, we find that we have less, particularly in the realm of the Spirit. Jesus, of course, knows full well how distracted we are. We should expect that he would address these questions, expect that the gospel would lay the ax at the root of the tree of our consumption. We should also expect that as western Christians our tendency would be to avoid the cutting edge of the kingdom message at just this point. And so we do. What would happen in our churches if we were more open in speaking with each other about how we use our money, how much “stuff” is enough, or how our daily lives are structured around the pursuit of things? I suspect that much of our silence on these issues is also a reflection of the Christian narcissism which says that spirituality is about my private relationship to God but has little place for mutual accountability within the body of Christ. Written by: David Dunbar

Land of the Free...?

The other day, Mike and I watched a documentary film about the Lost Boys of Sudan. When the different parts of Africa were merged together, a civil war erupted because of conflicts between the people. Most children were orphaned or separated from their families when government troops systematically attacked villages in southern Sudan killing many of the inhabitants, most of whom were civilians. The younger boys survived in large numbers because they were away tending herds or were able to escape into the nearby jungles. Orphaned and with no support, the made epic journeys lasting years across the borders to international relief camps in Ethiopia and Kenya evading thirst, starvation, wild animals, insects, disease, and one of the most bloody wars of the 20th century. Examiners say they are the most badly war-traumatized children that have ever been examined.
When villages were attacked, girls were raped, killed, taken as slaves to the north, or became servants or adopted children for other Sudanese families. As a result, relatively few girls made it to the refugee camps. As I was watching this film, my heart broke into a million pieces. Some of the Lost Boys were invited to come live in the United States if they agreed to be filmed on this documentary. The film showed their lives here in intervals of months to years. They all lived together closely in small apartments. They were given government assistance for three months, but then were expected to get jobs and support themselves. During the one-on-one interviews, the boys showed typical signs of loneliness from what they had gone through, missing their families, and wishing they were back home in Africa. All that I could think about was what could be wrong with the United States that could make a person prefer a war stricken country over our land of freedom? Then I realized, that freedom isn't free at all. We all "pay the price" for living here. Some people work so much to afford the luxuries here, that they don't see their families. Some sacrifice their dignity in low paying jobs because of their inability to produce paperwork that says they are "qualified". These boys missed their homeland and their own people. The American people they encountered were not friendly or helpful most of the time, unless they were interacting with officials specifically paid to help them. Over time, they adjusted to a new lifestyle here. In 2001, about 3800 Lost Boys arrived in the United States, where they are now scattered in about 38 cities, averaging about 100 per city. Halted after 9/11 for security reasons, the rescue program restarted in 2004, but peace talks were underway in Sudan, and so other refugee crises in other countries took priority to theirs. As of 2006, the largest population of Sudanese refugees in the United States is in Omaha, Nebraska which hosts about 7,000 people. The stories of the lives of these boys is an incredible journey full of heartache and victory. I strongly recommend watching it. It will open your heart and give you a new mission to pray for.

What I Miss the Most

We spent the weekend visiting our families in Columbus. It's tough to pack up a seven month old and a husband and drive them for three hours. I have learned since the birth of our daughter, to over pack no matter how long we expect to be gone. Maybe one day, when we have perfected the act of being good stewards with the Lord's financial provision, we will be able to afford for ourselves, a family vehicle. Then we won't find ourselves feeling like we are in the cockpit of an airplane every time we travel. Don't misunderstand, I am thankful for even having the means necessary to even get home to see friends and family. Abigail travels well too, and for that, we are also very thankful. She usually plays quietly or sleeps, and on the occasion, will hold her own bottle while I am driving if she gets hungry. As I was driving back, I started thinking to myself how hard it is to be away from family and friends that we love so dearly. My sister-in-law once told me that she knows that our hearts are knit together, so it makes it okay. The friends that have been such a huge part of my life, they might as well be family because I care for them just as much. Adjusting to a new home and meeting new people is hard, and I miss the comforts of being right down the street from those people who I am so familiar with. I miss having coffee with Sandy on her front porch. I miss Mike's mom and Karen stopping by to see us because they only live five minutes away. I miss going to the lake with my mom and listening to her complain about how no fish are biting, but she's content anyway because the sun is shining. I miss having the fellowship with the girls in my small group Bible study, because no matter how hard I try, I can never recreate those relationships again. I miss being near those I trust to hold our family up in prayer because they care for us. We have immersed ourselves into this new life and though I know it's the will of God, I can't help but be reminded of how much I miss where we come from. From time to time I wonder how long we will stay here in Wintersville. Sometimes I have to convince myself that it's not just a job that we are here for. Tonight, I talked to an old friend on the phone that I haven't talked to in a very long time. I enjoyed our conversation immensely, as we talked about our children and how they are changing. Our relationship had changed too. Time apart has changed our lives completely. Now, we both have husbands and babies. I guess what I miss the most is that familiar comfort that I got when I was going to see someone I loved to spend time with. When Mike and I travel home with Abigail every now and then, that feeling of comfort comes back and I want to hold onto it as long as I can. I hope one day, to have that comfort here. I know what the Bible says about what I am feeling. When the apostle Paul is writing his thank yous to the people at Phillipi, he says, "not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to be abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and hungry, both to abound and suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." What this says to me, is that I am a work in progress.

Whose Side Am I On?

I was driving down Lovers Lane today, listening to a political debate on the radio. I have no idea why I didn't change the station. Those who know me, know that I usually wish to refrain from even having conversations about politics. I guess this is because I don't possess a lot of knowledge or understanding on the subject, and rather than sound like a self-absorbed opinionated patriot, I usually don't have a comment. Something about the debate caught my attention though, as I listened to one caller describe how he thought that Hillary Clinton was the only candidate running for president that was qualified. The host asked him why he thought this, and he proceeded to tell him that it was because her husband Bill was a former president. I thought to myself, "my husband is a carpenter and a pastor, so does that qualify me to be a carpenter and a pastor?" I answered myself out loud with a "no". By the end, the whole discussion seemed ridiculous to me and I was happy to turn it off. You see, the funny thing is that even though I turned it off, it got me thinking about whose side I was on. I thought about how I have never taken a side or a stance, or felt like I have had to. Truth is, when we vote, we do take a side. I wondered what mine was. First, I asked myself the question, "do I agree with the United States military being in Iraq?" I wasn't even sure if that was the right question to ask, but my answer wavers, probably like most people in America. I do know, that I never thought it was a sound defensive move to invade Iraq on the basis of the event of September 11th, but apparently, our president did so... I also think it to be a terrorist mindset in itself to intrude and declare war on an entire country based on the actions of a few. I am not sure if that's what we did, but sometimes I feel as if it is. I got an email today from a friend of mine. I am sure that it's traveled across the internet numerous time already, but I thought I would post it to my blog because it seems to be the only thing I have read that I agree with. Here it is:

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just isn't happy and wants a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments, than Darfur has seen in the last year? Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or, possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top-notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or, if while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy. Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry, ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst-case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then, the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are FOR-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane! Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, and severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"