74% of Americans believe in heaven. 59% of Americans believe in hell. Yet, the majority of Americans are sure Osama Bin Laden is in hell today. Newspapers are making that their headline. Facebook is off the charts with this declarative statement. It makes me wonder if in fact, we don’t believe in hell, or if we think we are safe from it?
Category: In The News
Teen Pregnancy
Gaby Rodriguez did a experiment at her school. She pretended to be pregnant for six months to see the response. She got to feel first hand the reaction of her peers and her teachers. A good student who had never had trouble in school before, hers was a story everyone had an opinion about. I believe she taught us all something about ourselves. How we view others, how we really don’t know what it’s like to walk it out in their shoes and how gossip never helps anyone.
This seems to be a hot topic among the high school crowd. MTV has a reality show about teen moms and according to news reports some girls are trying to get pregnant to be on the show. Sadly, being famous at any cost is the reality of our day. So the question becomes are the shows there to deter pregnancy or to glorify them and the answer probably is both. While I don’t think the show’s creator set out to glorify a teen getting pregnant because honestly, who would do that? I believe the show’s creators probably set out to make an informative show on what not to do with your life. The mere presence of a television show using real people makes real people do some pretty crazy things to get on the show.
As a woman who was a teen mom, there isn’t any glory in it. Your life is forever changed. The dreams you once had for your life are changed permanently. Poverty is higher, joblessness is higher, children of teen parents suffer the consequences of what happens when a home is not prepared in advance. Grandmothers get put into the role of mother and then resented because of it. It’s a mess.
Maybe the real reality show should be to follow moms who were teen moms and see how their lives unfolded. If we’re looking for a deterrent then maybe that is the way to go! Watching a 32 year-old mom handle her 16 year-old child puts things a little bit more in perspective of what it will be like. To see the challenge of living your life out in spite of circumstances may be the real key here.
Hmmm maybe I should stop writing this blog and go pitch a new show!
Washington Teen Gaby Rodriguez
This was an interesting experiment in an age where teen pregnancies are becoming the focus of reality television. Be sure to watch the videos that follow the story. I’ll write about what I think about it all in my next post!
Dressing Your Daughter From A Dad’s Perspective!
I love when a father takes his rightful place in a family. Hallelujah! May the Lord bless LZ Granderson immensely for speaking the truth! Maybe Mr. Granderson can teach some men how to be a dad! Here is a story from CNN.com Opinion. The story highlights are as follows:
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
LZ Granderson: Some parents dress their young girls in provocative outfits
Retailers have encouraged this behavior by marketing inappropriate clothing
He says it’s OK to blame retailers, but it’s parents who are ultimately responsible
Children need parents who will set rules, not be their friends, he says
Equality For Women Doesn’t Measure Up
Growing up I was raised by a feminist woman. I was told I could be whatever I wanted to be. Limits were not placed on my achievement in education or career just because I was born female. Once in the corporate world, I was given classes on how to speak, voice inflection and command, in order to be taken seriously in a boardroom. I was taught to dress professionally, not denying the fact that I was a woman but not flaunting my sexuality because I wanted to be taken seriously. This was the legacy of the women who fought hard for their equality in the workplace.
I look around at the toddler and and tiara set of females we are raising today and am left wondering what happened? On the one hand we scream for equality and on the other hand we dress our daughters like pole dancers. Padded bras for 8 year-olds, sexually suggestive clothing and wording, and makeup way too soon, is this the legacy for the next generation? What happened?
I read this article in the Patriot Post and I am not the only one shaking her head. Suzanne Fields makes a great point and this is a great read!
For Those Who Love Coffee
I drink tea most days but right now, there is a new drink at Starbucks that I am lovin’! It’s called a Cocoa Cappuccino and it’s delish at 200 calories per grande serving. Get an add shot (of espresso) and it will keep you amped up during the transition of the time change, and yes, if you are wondering or even care, I am having a hard time with this. I’m wide awake at 12:30 in the morning and then fast asleep at 7 when the alarm goes off. Aging has its drawbacks.
So here was an article, by Reader’s Digest Magazine on Friday March 11, 2011, that was informative about ordering your coffee out. I SOOOO agree with the writer about how the wait is prolonged by procrastinators who don’t know what they want when they get to the register. C’mon people help a tired girl out!
Click here to read the article and prepare to be enlightened!
Life
Sitting here this morning drinking a cup of coffee and praying over situations in my life. Japan has had a devastating earthquake and the pictures shook me. I woke up just after midnight California time and watched the reports off and on the entire night. The effect of the earthquake will be years in the making. The immediate result is a tsunami which is about to hit our coast, just miles from my home. Fortunately, we are safely far enough away and over a hill but what about those who live near the coast? What about them Lord?
On a personal note, I have my own devastations. I have a friend who is sitting on pins and needles over a situation that has us both agreeing in prayer, another friend who miscarried last night, suffering her own life shaking event, a friend whose brother we buried on Monday after a bout with kidney cancer, my uncle has just been diagnosed with kidney cancer, a good friend who died two months ago of kidney cancer, a friend who is caring for his father who has kidney cancer, Lord, what is up with kidney cancer?
I began to write this blog this morning. In the middle of writing it we got a message that the evacuees who were fleeing the California coastline, were assembling in our city parks and parking lots. You see, we’re the first city over the hill, we’re the refuge. My husband and I got into our truck and went to assess the situation. Sure enough there were people everywhere and they told a story of even more people on the top of the hill that separates our city from the coast.
We moved into action. We printed a flyer, opened the church doors and called everyone who answered their phone for help. We got sandwiches made, chocolate milk for children, water for adults, and offered a refuge for refugees. Many people were weary. What did we want from them? You see, they had blankets and precious belongings in their car. They had their animals. They were scared, they were worried. What happens if a tsunami hits and your home and livelihood are destroyed? What happens if you lose the little bit you walked away from? When they didn’t arrive at the church, we went to plan B and delivered food and water to the people. Children had sunburn on their cheeks, but they waited patiently to get some food and water. So many people just thankful that we were out there.
So the day started out with a pity party. I sat with my cup of coffee asking God WHY? Then he put me to work. We had church all day long outside the walls of the church. We SERVED. It’s a blessing to serve and I thank God for his lesson to me this day. There is a saying that I hang onto when the day goes incredibly wrong. This day started out totally wrong and ended up with service, yet the saying still stands.
“When you realize that life is just life, then nothing ever goes wrong.”
Sex Trafficking Of Children In The United States
One of the things I want to blog about this year, is causes that you must be aware of that I pray you get involved in. Sex Trafficking of children is real and it happens right here in America. We always think this happens in third world countries where parents sell their children in hopes of a better life but it doesn’t. It happens right here in America at an estimated rate of 100,000 kids per year. While the picture of the life of a child should look like the one above, sadly that isn’t always the case.
Sunday, December 6, is the Super Bowl. It’s a day where people gather to watch two football teams who have worked hard to be the best in their division. It’s a day where we snack excessively, wear our team jerseys, yell at the TV and where the commericals are as good as the game we hope will be.
There is a dark side to the Super Bowl as well. There are children who will be sold as Super Bowl Specials to people who want to have a little fun at the expense of a child. Click Here to read how some are trying to circumvent this from happening. There are public service announcements and campaigns going on to make people aware of what is going on. On Sunday evening at 8 p.m. CNN will broadcast a news report called Selling The Girl Next Door which will bring even more clarity to the situation.
We, who call ourselves Christians must be aware, must be concerned and must be active in protecting children.
Moms Against Hunger
This year I am determined to point those who read this blog to things they can do to make our world a better place. Here is a ministry called Moms Against Hunger that was started by my friend Dr. Gayla Holley. She is feeding, sending medical supplies, and helping mothers worldwide. Imagine you are a mother in a country such as Haiti, an earthquake happens and suddenly your home is gone, there is no running water, there are no diapers, there is no food to speak of. As a mother myself, my first impulse would be to care for my children by whatever means I had. Now a year later, that same mother has made no headway. She hears of rumors of millions of dollars coming into the country. She speaks to many who promise help but a year later she is still in the same position. What does she do?
She has to count on people like Dr. Gayla Holley who got her friends together and the local media of Houston, Texas and asked for help. She asked for a million baby wipes and got two million, she asked for bottled water, baby food, diapers, food bars, water filters all things a mother desperately needs.
Now imagine you’re an American who has lost their job and is in need of help. Government agencies don’t always move at the same rate our hunger pains do. What do you do when the local food bank is out of food? When you need some groceries to get you through a couple of weeks? What do you do when you need to get some warm clothes for your kids and you don’t have enough money to do so? You go see people like Dr. Gayla Holley, and her team and vouchers are provided so that you can go to the local thrift store and get some help with those things.
Don’t just take my word for it. Go see her blog and watch some of her videos. You’ll want to get involved and help her. I do!
Confronting Sin
I read Jon’s blog on a regular basis. This post caught my attention and it’s worth a read for all of us. Click here to read all about it!
Pastor Susan 