MEMORIAL TO DEAD FISH? Not!

Now, I can tolerate a lot, but there are times when people borderline on stupidity. This is one of them.

Dina Kourda, a local volunteer with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Irvine, CA), wrote the head of street maintenance requesting a sign at the intersection to honor the fish.

 A container truck was in a crash - about 1600 salt water fish died.    She says while roadside memorials traditionally honor human beings, she hopes an exception will be made to remind drivers that all animals -- in her words -- "value their lives and feel pain."

 ..."value their lives and feel pain"...... let me type that again,  "value their lives and feel pain"......
I'm still thinking about this.

Why is it that a woman wants to erect a memorial in honor of fish - but babies who lose their lives every day in abortion clinics go unnoticed?  

I'm sorry about the fish...but I  grieve deeply over abortions.  They are innocent babies who are murdered and can't defend themselves.  Murdered because they are an inconvenience. 

Tell me who writes the head of 'anybody' wanting to erect a memorial to aborted babies??  Nobody!

Fish?  I don't think so. 

Babies?  Stop murdering them.  Let them live.  Cherish them and hold them close. 

End of story.
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SHE BEAT THE FOOL OUT OF AN INTRUDER

It pays to be trained and active -- Physically and Spiritually. You never know when you will be required to exert strength against an intruder.  Especially when you find a strange guy in your bathroom.

Jannine Ramirez had just won a karate competition when she arrived at her Fresno apartment early Sunday and heard someone in the bathroom. Ramirez, 20, kicked down her bathroom door, then kicked the intruder through a shower door.

A drunk 18 year old thought he was in his own apartment...he wasn't.  And he will never be the same.  Jannine has been a karate and Muay Thai kick-boxing student for a year.  Upon discovering him in her bathroom, she beat the fool out of him. He didn't know what hit him.

She lives there with her mom and no man should have been there!  She kicked the door down and then aggressively kicked the young man to kingdom come....no, really she kicked him through the shower door and continued with an onslaught of kicks and punches until Wilberto Zapata was outside her apartment.

She stated that competition makes her nervous but she felt no anxiety while banging this 18 year old around until he was out of her domain. 

Why do I find this rather funny?  He was drunk.  He went into the wrong house.  But, yet I find it funny that he got his rear-end whipped by a trained and daring gal. 

I compare this, spiritually speaking, to moments when our adversary is guilty of wrongful entry into our space - our life - our domain!  We are told that we have legal jurisdiction (given by Jesus Christ) to walk all over the devil. 

Luke 10:19  Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.

"Crush them" -- That's what we have legal authority to do to the enemy when we find him in our territory.  He may not be drunk, but he sure is forward.  He has no right to bother us. He has no claim on us.  He has no hold on us.  Take your liberty in the spirit and beat the fool out of him by and through the authority given you by Jesus Christ.  It is with the Word, the Truth of God, that we stand firm and resist him.   

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

I have a feeling Wilberto will run when he sees Jannine Ramirez anywhere in the apartment building.

Resist and flee.  Two great words.  I like them.

Oh yeah,  she has no regrets.  He shouldn't have been there. 
:)   I agree.
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WHY PEOPLE DON'T EVACUATE

Why do people put their lives at risk?  Why do they not listen to warnings?  Why do they pay such a price when they are warned of the oncoming storm?    

                                                         Why?  

 

 

 

Why do they grieve the hearts of those who love them?   Why are people ignoring your warning about Jesus' return (the rapture)?  Why do they pass it off as something that will never happen?  Why do they think it will never happen to them? 

 

Dr. Keith Ablow wrote an article which appeared on today's Fox News web site.  I will list a few of the "whys"  and this will help to understand the "Why" as to other warnings given...and then ignored.

 

QUESTION:

Looking at the bigger picture, why do many people stay in vulnerable, storm-ravaged areas when they are told to evacuate? What is going on inside their minds? Feelings of invulnerability? Death wishes? Narcissism?

No. There is always a “why” to every seemingly inexplicable act. All human behavior can be understood when the life stories of the actors are known and the social context for their acts understood.

The reasons are many.  Rather than read one large paragraph of all the reasons, I will number the main points listed by Dr. Ablow.

1.  Personal: there is the intensely personal factor of one’s own history. People who take extraordinary risks can be, for example, people who have been traumatized in the past by events beyond their control (like the sudden loss of a loved one or by abuse they could not ward off) and who have not processed their feelings of extreme vulnerability. Using the psychological defense called “reaction formation,” they turn feelings of powerlessness into their opposites—irrational feelings of invulnerability. They can venture into peril, because they have denied all their fear, because it is simply too frightening to acknowledge.

Consider the fact that plucking people from rooftops often means rescuing people who needed to be rescued a long time ago—but from very different storms, and from other houses.

2. Cultural: We are living in technological times that deluge us with high-impact drama, while at the same time sterilizing the range of real human experience and, thereby, removing us from reality.

3. Interpersonal: Instant messaging passes for interpersonal contact, and fake Facebook profiles pass for real autobiographies. It is a time when special effects can make us respond emotionally to scenes and situations that don’t even exist.

4. Removed from ourselves: Being rescued from a rooftop may now be more of a gripping social media event, than a harrowing life event. 

We are living in times removed from ourselves, one another and reality. In these times, even big storms (whether, by the way of wind and rain, or of ominous economic data, or news that our sworn enemies are developing nuclear arms) may not pierce our ability to fend off the facts, nor motivate us to find higher ground and keep ourselves safe and strong.

Dr. Ablow's article helps me to understand why people don't heed the warning of  their need of salvation and the nearness of the return of Jesus Christ and .....why they don't grasp the dynamics of Islam intent in our nation.

Are people so removed from reality that truth doesn't sink in?  Big storms are coming.  And we are not ready.

Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

My Prayer:

"God, give us the ability to face reality.  Help us to see that we are not invincible...that we are in a need of a Savior.  Jesus, please reveal our issues which need to be resolved at the foot of the cross.  Cleanse our hearts...renew our minds.  We pray for a personal relationship with our creator.  Motivate us, Father, to seek 'Higher Ground'.

Lyrics to the old hymn, Higher Ground, says it best:

 My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground. 

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Chorus
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
..........
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Never Stop Praying

I Thessalonians 5:17  "Pray without ceasing."
Or:  pray all the time.
Or: Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]

Prayer is one of God's valuable gifts to us. Yet, it's the most neglected gift.  "I don't know what else to do, but pray" is a commonly used phrase when in a time of trouble.  We treat prayer as a last resort.  The inference here is that we have arrived at the point where there is no other alternative, but to pray. 

We are told to pray without ceasing and pray perseveringly because prayer is our lifeline to God.  Prayer expresses the belief that there is a God and that we believe He answers prayer. Prayer keeps me in line!  If I am praying, I will certainly take notice of my behavior and my attitude.  When Robert Louis Stevenson was a boy he once remarked to his mother, "Momma, you can't be good without praying." "How do you know, Robert?" she asked. "Because I've tried!" he answered.

Prayer brings the presence of the Holy Spirit into my life and into my situation.  The really awesome thing about prayer is that we can pray anywhere, anytime, in any situation, and about anything that is on our mind.  We can talk freely to God.  His Son, Jesus, is also praying for us...scripture tells us that He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.  (Romans 8:34)

This story is from Robert Morris' article (Pg 2 Gateway Life magazine, Sept/Oct. 12):

"A good friend of mine, Pastor Jim Marocco pastors a large church in Hawaii.  A few years ago, Pastor Jim founded a satellite campus on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, but after three years, they had not reached as many people as they expected.  God told Pastor Jim to take his prayer team and prayer walk across the entire island.  After days of this, they came across a forest the locals believed had "poisonous trees" because, for no explainable reason, birds would fly over the trees and die.  They entered the forest and found it to be full of pagan idols.  They later learned this location had been used in the past for child sacrifice.  Pastor Jim and his team stood firm on that ground, prayed and claimed that land for Jesus.  After that, the church grew from 40 to 400 in a year and started making a tremendous difference in the community.  Prayer works!

Another article on page 11 - Pastor Jim had a word for Gateway...in essence, he explained that problems were not because they had released the power of the Devil...but because the church hadn't released enough of the power of God. You've been coasting on a flat area for a while, but now you've hit a hill.  It's time to accelerate."

Prayer releases more of the power of God in your life. 

We are all guilty of saying...."God hasn't answered my prayer" - "He doesn't know I'm alive" and the list goes on. 

We forget (or have not been told) that all we need to do is release more of the power of God.  That can only be done by prayer.  Not by wishing, complaing, nor by talking to another person....it can only be done by talking to God....petitioning  Him in the Name of His Precious Son, Jesus Christ, via the avenue of the Gracious Holy Spirit.

Prayerlessness is our problem.  And it is our greatest problem.  Once we conquer it....other issues will be solved.  

Get on your knees...bind some things - loose some things -  control your day.  

And remember:

The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer fetched the angel. -Thomas Watson

....

God, make me good, but not yet.

This is Benjamin now.  Adorable. Precious.
He will be "one" in just a few days.  Many will
remember his birth - remembering the photos I
posted as he spent his first week in Children's
Hospital, Little Rock, AR - with tubes and more
tubes....and then his speedy recovery happened.
It was a special blessing from God.  

This past year of helping with Ben, rocking more hours than I can count, feeding a bottomless pit, and kissing that little head till it's a wonder he has much sandy colored hair on his head, was priceless.  His grins, giggles, and every move was precious.  How could it be anything else? 

BUT: This week I returned from a two week visit with another grand...who is just as precious, but far from being a baby.  She's grown...and knows more than I will ever know.  I'm proud of her.  Her achievements are numerous.  And she made it all happen with determination and hard work.  That's Brooke.  But, let's get back to Benjamin...

I was only gone two weeks!  Yet in that time frame, my sweet, perfect, adorable little guy changed!
How could that happen?  He never did anything wrong in his entire life!  Sweet...described him, totally. 

But now!  Now, that little guy is revealing a carnal side that was completely hidden!  I'm shocked.  How can sweetness turn into a smidge of naughtiness?  In two weeks?

I'll admit that having a big sister who holds you still in a grip, when you don't want her to do that, did contribute to the outburst of defense.  While I was away, there were a few instances of his defense strategy popping out - and it was simply by his own design - no one taught him to do this.  When you can't move physically and another force has you trapped...when you cannot tolerate it one more second there's only one thing to do,  BITE.    It works.  The big sister lets go quickly.  And the sounds coming from her are familiar. 

How did my perfect Benjamin learn to do this?  I'm amazed.  No one taught him to bite!  He didn't see it as a behavior model.  How could this be?  Here's the answer:  It's called our carnal nature.  Yes, I have to admit it, he has a carnal nature.  It just took a long time to manifest.  :) 

So, I also found that he added another carnal nature trait during this time.  It is a scream/cry that sounds just like one used by a member of a swat team when they are about to take you out...well, at least he gives a warning. 

I'm still amazed.  How did this happen?  And in such a short period of time?  Does one carnal trait have the power to bring on other expressions of naughtiness?  Evidently, yes!

Carnality is a disposition we are born with...a disposition to be naughty.  As we age, carnality is characterized by works that include lusts and passions. 

Galatians 5:19-24 lists those traits: 

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these:  Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:  of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The real problem is this:  if left undisciplined or ignored it can and will eventually enslave a human into ugly, out of control behavior.   There is nothing good about carnality:  Romans 7:18  And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.

Biting, yelling, and all the other sounds, are a baby's way of expressing his disapproval of the world around him...but when it goes beyond that - and aggression sets in - it's time for training!  We are born with this nature.  But we can't remain on this immature level of behavior!

The flesh is a built-in law of failure, making it impossible for the natural man to please or serve God. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man's fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and His righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Mark Bubeck, The Adversary, Moody Press, p. 28.)

 Many pray:  God, make me good, but not yet.

And some say: It is easier to cry against one-thousand sins of others than to kill one of your own.


The Australian coat of arms pictures two creatures--the emu, a flightless bird, and the kangaroo. The animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to the Australian citizens. Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu's three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail. Those who truly choose to follow Jesus become like the emu and kangaroo, moving only forward, never back (Luke 9:62).  As we age, it is imperative that we move forward in our maturity and behavior.  We cannot retreat to the baby stage of carnality.

Benjamin has a lot to learn.  His parents will teach/train him that naughty behavior is not okay.  Most of us as adults are still in training.  Our Heavenly Father continues to correct our carnal behavior and He has ways to let us know that what we are doing is not okay. 

Beware,  carnality is a natural ability.  We can all do it well.  And it can come on us suddenly.  Squeeze a paper cup filled with water and it spills...that's us.  Maturity is obvious whenever life squeezes you and water doesn't spill over. 

It takes time.  Don't beat yourself up.  We'll all get there....about the time we are ready to depart this life... :)    Maybe. 

In the meantime use this prayer by John Newton:

I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, "By the grace of God I am what I am.  

....