Taking A Stand

Every electronic devise is currently lit up with the heated news over Duck Dynasty’s beloved Phil Robertson making a very bold and blunt Biblical statement on the subject of homosexuality. Fans are enraged that his constitutional right to state his free opinion on the matter has been infringed on by A&E, and that GLAAD and other media sources have crucified him for his profound statements.

I have already taken my part in the growing demonstration to support Phil and his family, and also for the fact that I believe it was his American right to state his belief without being criticized or punished for doing so.

But that is not what I wish to discuss now. Sadly there has been a painful situation that I have noticed for some time. And until last night, I shamefully discovered the issue’s depth. The issue is not on homosexuality or sin, but on the lack of Christians having been bold enough – until now – to take a stand. Far too long Christians have sat idle allowing – without a fight – others to strip us of our freedom to pronounce our belief, values, and faith. The fact that the media and citizens have been squashing our civil liberty to voice our faith and opinion has gone on for quite some time and has only continued to get worse. What I find to be sad is that it took the threat of losing a favorite Christian celebrity and even possibly tv show, for people to wake up and say, “Hey, this has gone on long enough.”

Personally, I can’t recollect a time where Jesus put off and put off before telling people that sin is wrong and that their personal opinion on the matter doesn’t change it from being a sin. Why have Christians remained lazy? Why have we even allowed ourselves to conform to the world so much that we even have agreed that, “Hey, everyone deserves what they want,” or “That’s their choice,” or whatever the issue is. Why do we no longer stand up for the right side of homosexuality, divorce, debauchery, language, modesty, and abortion? It’s not just the one sin that we have not stood up against….It’s all of them. We ourselves have even fallen prey to this world and morphed our values to be like minded of this world rather than that of Christ’s.

We are called to be alien to this planet. To be different. The outcast. How are we doing that when we remain sitting quietly or go along with the demoralization of our country and the world?

If we choose to take a stand, it should not be of one that reflects hate like those who are against us. We are not to fight hate with hate. You fight hate with love and goodness, purity and righteousness.

 Christ calls us to love the sinner, but to hate the sin. We are not to condemn others because of their actions. We are to love them despite their misdeeds. Remember, we ourselves are sinners who have only found the grace of God. We are to show that same grace and mercy to those who have not yet found it in Christ.

It is a hard task that is assured. One that we must tread carefully if we are to do it right. Rather than lashing back with spiteful words that condemn those who oppose us, we are to quote scripture in kindness and without using a tone or language that reflects animosity. Our deeds should a mirror image of Christ not of one that is of the persecutor down the street or in the media.

How is anyone to see Christ reflected in us if we are acting just as wrong as the enemy?

“You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” - Matthew 5:43-44

It is time that we as Christians take a stand like that of Phil Robertson. It is time that we use our constitutional right to voice our faith with LOVE. It is time that we follow the command to be salt of this Earth.

What will you decide to do? Will you take a stand out of love, goodness, and faith? Or will you continue to sit idle or even provoke your enemy with just as hateful words as he?

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16

Chocolate Pie - Yum!

My first job was working at a small diner/cafe, A Taste of Home, opened by one of best friend's mother. I've had a few different jobs since, including teaching; but to this day working at the lunch cafe is one of my favorite places to have worked. I later would work in the food chain world and come to hate  the food industry. However, there is just something about the quaint small town diners that makes working in the food service enjoyable.

We were opened only for lunch and I think there was a total of only five employees. The cafe was located inside a small white cottage style home near the local college campus and downtown. Big single paned windows gave a view of the porch and passing vehicles on the street. Old wooden floors creaked with every step. The kitchen door swung open and close and we cooked the special meal of the day on an older stove inside a tiny kitchen. We served a variety of sandwiches, a different home cooked meal for each day of the week, and our desserts were amazing. Oh, and the fruit tea was a favorite among our patrons.

I think one of the reasons why I loved working there was the patrons themselves. We had new customers of course, but what kept us going were our regulars. They were friendly, becoming family after the daily conversations and jesting. They'd show up at the same time everyday and through the big windows I could see them pull up. By the time they came in and sauntered up to the counter I'd already have their sandwich or lunch plate ready - they never changed their order. Of course one of the best compliments a waitress could get when you repeatedly surprised them with their already prepared lunch would be, "Where have you been all my life?" followed by a wink.

I learned a lot working there. However, one of the best things I did learn was how to cook. To this day my mother swears that I learned my cooking skills from Rachel. She taught me fried chicken, chili, cornbread, banana pudding, and a long list. But the best recipe I learned was Chocolate Pie.

My husband will deny it, but to this day I still believe I won him over with my awesome cooking skills. It wasn't until after I made him chocolate pie that he asked me out on a date. Honestly, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

For Thanksgiving I made another chocolate pie. I haven't shared a recipe on here before, but I thought no time would be better than now since the holidays are here.

Chocolate Pie
5 eggs                                            1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar                                       1 stick of butter
4 Tbsp. flour                                  1 c. milk
2-3 Tbsp. baking cocoa                  pie crust (I usually make my own, but for the sake of time frozen  
cream of tarter                                                always works great)

Bake pie crust for a few minutes at 350 degrees so it will be partially done.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Yolks go in a pot while the whites go in a bowl. Add sugar, flour, cocoa, vanilla, butter, and milk to the pot of yolks. With a whisk constantly stir over medium/high heat. Remove from heat. Eventually it will boil and will thicken. In the bowl of egg whites, add a dash of cream of tarter and sprinkle a tsp of sugar. Using a hand mixer, fluff the egg whites until thick and fluffy. Remove pie crust, pour in the chocolate mix and cover with meringue (if you get it right, the meringue will be tall - mile high). Bake in oven until meringue has a pretty golden hue. Remove and let cool.

Enjoy!

Being Grateful

I try really hard not to post my life on facebook. In fact, I do my very best to keep the status updates to a bare minimum. Only the really exciting facts and Biblical inspiration do I put on my wall. So even though it’s November and everyone – and I mean everyone, because you are probably included in this – is posting something they are thankful for every day, I have not. Now, I probably look like the Thanksgiving Scrooge (I couldn’t think of a Thanksgiving character that was a grouch). I haven’t posted a single thing about what I’m thankful for. But I am. I mean I am thankful for a lot. Who isn’t? Everyone has something to be thankful for, even those who we think don’t. For instance, everyone has air to breath. Everyone who is on this earth woke up this morning. Those are two things to be thankful for.

Even though I haven’t been posting on the World Wide Web what I am thankful for each day, I have been keeping a mental account of each thing I am grateful for. Originally I was going to create a new family tradition: write something you are thankful each day on a paper leaf to be added to a Thanksgiving banner. Cute idea right? I thought so too. Unfortunately, my husband thought it to be a great idea but didn’t intended to do it. The idea is a bit childish...Parents do things like that…And that is one thing I am not. So Thanksgiving-thankful banner will on my future checklist for when I do have kids.

Since I didn’t do the banner thing I decided to write down things I am thankful on here. After all, there are people I would like to express my gratitude towards and why not post it for the whole world to see.

We are on Day 19 so I will tell you 19 things:

19. To be surrounded by God’s beauty. My home is nestled in the countryside on the outskirts of a city. Instead of hearing the sirens wailing, the traffic speeding by and seeing into my neighbor’s window, I get to enjoy the wonders of colors, rolling hills and farmland.

18. My home. I’m so grateful to be able to have a roof over my head. There are many people without one and I am blessed enough to not just have a roof, but several spacious rooms that can be filled with family and friends.

17. My in-laws. A lot of people have strained relationships with their spouse’s family, but I love mine. They have accepted me flaws and all with open arms. I love them dearly and am grateful to have such wonderful parents who raised a wonderful man.

16. My job teaching. Even though it’s just part time, I am so thrilled to be able to get up every morning, drive to a school I love, and work with the students I’ve grown to care about as if they were my own.

15. To be a member of a church that is passionate helping others come to know the Lord and then mentoring them so that they too can grow in a deeper relationship with Him. Not only that, but that it is filled with friends that I consider to more than family just in Christ.

14. For our military. I’m beyond grateful to have men and women willing to sacrifice their time and lives for strangers. Not just them, but also their families who have given up more than most people can understand.

13. To have the ability to prepare a meal every morning and night. Many go without food in their bellies for days, but I have been blessed to enjoy a hearty meal three times a day and snack in between.

12. I am thankful that my husband has a full time job. Not just a job that pays the bills, but also one that he enjoys.

11. For my education. I am grateful that I was given the privilege to have a k-12 education and then a college education. I even was able to take classes that weren’t necessary for my degree, but for my enjoyment. Also, I have the new opportunity to take classes online for my love of writing. I love learning and I’m definitely grateful that God has given us the ability to obtain knowledge.

10. My grandparents. Not only have I been able to get to know one set of grandparents, but I grew up getting to spend lots of time with both of my father’s parents and my mothers, and then both great grandmothers on my mother’s side, and finally I was able to meet my great great grandmother. 

All of my grandparents are extremely wise and strong, with rich stories to tell. I will always cherish the memories of bacon frying, the smell of maple syrup and pancakes wafting to the back bedroom before the sun has risen. Then crawling out of bed to enjoy a breakfast fit for kings prepared by Ma’s hands. Being chased around the house by my Pa as I squealed trying to keep him from getting his CAT cap back. Then cuddling up to my Gigi while watching Scooby-Doo and helping her grade 4^th grade papers. And laughing (also, collapsing) as Papa tried to make me go down the stairs to the basement to turn the lights on, just after he told me a story of Rawhead and Bloodybones who lived down there. They are wonderful memories - funny, special, emotional, and precious.

 9. For Jordan – aka practically my future sister-in-law. I think that’s okay to state online. After all she’s practically family. You’d have to agree since she moved all the way from California to the South just to put up with my pigheaded brother. I am thankful for her for multiple reasons. One, I have another best friend and sister that I have things in common with and adore. Second, because she is my brother’s anchor. I am so grateful that she not only came into my life, but first and foremost my brother’s because she is a Godsend to him (and our family).

8. My sister, Hannah. For years I prayed for God to give me a sister. First I got a second brother, then finally…FINALLY, he gave me a little sister. A real life baby doll at first, then an annoying little kid who always got into my things and made me chase her down the drive way in my p.j.’s when I was twelve while the neighborhood teenage boys stared and laughed, and now a best friend for life. I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. I am glad that she came into the world when she did. She brought some sanity to my boy filled life and nursed the frustration of living with brothers by creating some humor.

7. My brother David. When he first came into the world I did not shed happy tears. The opposite. I thought not another brother! But I soon realized that God had given me a sibling that was more like me than our mischievous Sam. I’m grateful to have such a tall shoulder to lean on, a brother who gets me, and can share a joke. Also, he is a nice distraction from Sam’s tomfoolery.

6. For Sam – the brother I’ve already spoken of. Despite all the pranks, tears, and menacing acts I truly love him and I’m so glad that I have him. I seriously couldn’t imagine growing up without him beside me. He has kept life interesting and a challenge and will continue to do as such. I am thankful to have him not only as a brother, but also as one of my heroes.

5. I am grateful to blessed with a terrific father. Say what you will, but my Dad is the best Daddy in the world – and yes, I still call him Daddy. He is a wonderful example of leadership, hardworking, God fearing, compassion, and strength. My Dad never has put his needs before others. He spent hours working to provide for our family to either come home and play with his children, see his wife, or coach our soccer teams, watch every dance recital, and intimidate every date who came calling. I’m especially grateful for his intimidation, because of his overprotective nature he warded off all the wrong guys so that God could provide the right man.

4. My mother. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have such a terrific Mom. She is completely selfless. She brought four children into the world, sacrificing her career to raise us all up in a Christian home and teaching us our education until we each graduated. She has acted as not only Mom, but nurse, teacher, chauffer, counselor, chef, banker, etc. And now she is the best friend that I can’t hardly go a day without talking to. I have learned so much from her and don’t believe any other mother could have done better with the zoo she had to deal with day in and day out. She is a miracle worker for sure.

3. I am blessed to have the Word of the Lord at my fingertips. Anytime I can open up my Bible and hear God speak. I thankful to live in a day where I own my own copy that can be read at anytime and anywhere.

2. I am thankful that God granted me with a wonderful husband. Never did I imagine to be blessed with such a great man who loves me unconditionally. Since the moment he came into my life I knew I wouldn’t have to live my life alone. I have him to grow old with and I look forward to it. He is hardworking, a man after God’s heart, sacrificing, loving, and definitely humorous. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.

1. Finally, first and foremost, I am grateful for my Savior. I am grateful that He has shown mercy on a sinner like me, that He gave up His own life so that I might spend eternity to with. He alone is someone worthy to be grateful and praiseworthy of.