The Race

I've been playing with my photo editing software and thought that this one came out pretty cool!

Homesick

This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop on the way To where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this is
My temporary home.

~Carrie Underwood

Dead

I saw Iron Man 2 tonight, and not of my own choice but that's a different story.  Needless to say, it was NOT on my list of "have to see" movies.  I did not enjoy the first one, and from previews I read, I did not expect this one to be any better.  Well, my suspicions were correct.  The movie opens with a 1/2 hour of sex dance scenes and while it doesn't get much worse, it definitely does not get any better.  However, this brings me to my question of the night.

What has happened to Christians, that we are so DEAD to the sin and evil in this world?  Why do we ALLOW (yes, allow) these worldly things into our homes to influence us?  Last time I checked, none of us were required to watch the latest trashy films or read the latest books. 

Romans 12:2~"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD."

We are called to be different in this world: a witness to those that do not know God.  However, if we are allowing these worldly films/books/etc. into our minds to influence our thoughts and behaviors, we are no different than the world and people around us that do not know Christ as their Savior.

So, to my fellow Christians and believers in the One True GOD, I urge you to take a stand in your communities and homes.  Read God's word and allow Him to teach and show you the difference between conforming to the world and keeping yourselves set apart to do His will.  Be strong and of good courage, for God is always with you and will help you through the tough decisions.

Do not be a dead Christian!  Take a stand for God's truth.  Learn to differentiate between trash and treasure and let the treasure in, but leave the trash on the street.

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1.03.01

Beautiful

Don't know how it is you looked at me

And saw the person that i could be

Awakening my heart

Breaking through the dark

Suddenly Your grace

 

Now there's a joy inside i can't contain

But even perfect days can end in rain

And though it's pourin' down

I see You through the clouds

Shining on my face

 

I have come undone  
But i have just begun  
Changing by Your grace

 

Like sunlight burning at midnight  
Making my life something so

Beautiful, Beautiful

Mercy reaching to save me

All that I need

You are so

Beautiful, Beautiful

Beautiful, Beautiful

~Francesca Battistelli~

Some (emphasis on the some) of the leafs here are finally changing colors.  Most of the leaves here in TX turn brown and stay on the tree until next spring when the new leaves finally push them off the branches.  (It doesn't get cold enough for all of the trees to change colors or for the leaves to fall off.)  However, a very few trees do turn colors.  I think that there are about 5 very small trees between here and school that are a brilliant red.  God truly did a wonder when he created leaves and their colors...even though I would much rather be in the middle of the plains without a tree in sight.  I'm looking forward to the next time we go to OK when I finally get to see a good sunset without all of these trees in the way.  I miss those.

It was a good day today. It seems to me that when I can feel God with me everything is sooo much more vibrant and beautiful.  Maybe it's just that I need an attitude adjustment and need to stop thinking about me so much!!  Whichever.  This song just reminded me of that tonight.  Some days I feel like I could just explode with the joy and wonder of God and His creation!!!

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.    

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.  
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,  
And His truth endures to all generations.

~Psalm 100~

He's still there for me....

Once again I said my goodbyes
To those who I love most
My heart feels that familiar pain
As I long for home
'Cause this road is hard
When I feel so far
 
On the day that You called my name
All that I knew changed
I found when I said yes that I'd never be the same
Though the call is hard
You are worth it all

Even when the tears are falling
When I find I fear the calling
You remind me
Words You've spoken over my life
Promises I've yet to see
You comfort me

God I'm crying out tonight
'Cause I've given You my life
But I'm tired and I'm missing what's behind
So once more, here's my life
~Barlow Girl~

Even though I can't always feel God right next to me.  He's still there with me.  It doesn't matter what's happening in my life or whether or not I feel good.  He is always there with me.  This song popped up on my itunes tonight.  I found out that one of my tests that I took last week didn't go as well as I wanted it to.  I've really been missing all of my friends and family back home this week.  It's kind of discouraging knowing that I won't get to see most of them until Christmas break.  I'm exhausted and don't really know how I'm going to get through this week right now, but I do know that He will give me strength to keep going even when I don't feel like it.

On the up side...I do know how to study for this prof's tests for next time. :-)  Eventually, school will slow down a little bit and I'll be able to quit worrying about it so much....and I get to see my family in three months!!! :-)  For now though, I'm going to keep going where God has placed me.  He has brought me to this point for a reason.  I just don't always know what it is.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31~

Meat Buns (Otherwise known as Meat Perishky)

So I decided to try something new tonight and it turned out really well!!! I made bread and half went into a cinnamon-sugar loaf and the other half I made into buns filled with a precooked hamburger, onion, cream of mushroom soup, dry onion mix, and sour cream mixture. The sour cream wasn't in the original recipe, but I thought that the dry onion soup mix made it too salty so I added the sour cream to tone it down a little.  I ate mine with additional sour cream. They were GOOD!!! :-)

The Pill....Abortive??

Many women who use the pill as a form of birth control assume that it merely acts as a contraceptive. However, doctors have been researching the pill and are finding that it is also an abortifacient. Women who are taking this form of birth control or who are considering taking it should be fully educated on all of its effects. Obstetricians/Gynecologists need to ensure that their patients are fully informed about all of the pill’s possible consequences on their lives and possible children. Christians are beginning to be drawn to information and research about the pill possibly being abortive, and they have to decide whether they want to take the risk of possibly having an abortion by utilizing it as a contraceptive. Larimore, Stanford, and Alcorn found the pill to be abortive after setting out to prove that the pill was simply a contraceptive. Since many Christian doctors no longer find it ethical to continue to prescribe the pill to their patients, they take the time to explain the abortive effects of the medication so their patients fully understand the possible consequences (Stanley, Larimore 5).

The birth control pill, or BCP, essentially works to stop pregnancy in three different ways. Through the usage of hormones, the pill is supposed to prevent the ovulation of eggs in the uterus; it thickens the mucus layer at the cervix to prevent sperm from entering the uterus; and it thins the lining of the uterus to prevent implantation of the fertilized egg. The first two effects of the BCP are contraceptive when they work, but since life begins at fertilization the BCP causes abortions by not allowing the fertilized egg to implant in the lining of the uterus.

Although the pill usually will prevent the woman from ovulating, or releasing an egg, this mechanism does not always work. Through the research of many different doctors, Dr. Alcorn found that break-through ovulation occurred 10-25 percent of the time (91). He also stated that no one truly knows how often the thickened cervical mucus works to prevent the sperm from reaching the egg. Two doctors, Chang and Hunt, did microscopic research on rabbits by giving them the same hormones contained within the pill and artificially inseminating them. The doctors then killed the rabbits to find how many of the sperm had reached the fallopian tubes, and they found that almost 72 percent of the sperm inserted had been able to reach the tubes (93). Even though rabbits are much different than humans, the study still raises questions about the effectiveness of the second mechanism of the pill. Since the first two pill-induced changes do not always work, the third mechanism comes into effect.

BCP producers have claimed that the pill is not abortive simply because it does not actually kill the baby after it has implanted in the uterus. The producers have therefore changed the definition of conception to after the baby is implanted so they have the ability to claim that their products do not cause abortions (Alcorn 43). However, most doctors agree that life begins with the fertilization of the egg several days before it implants itself into the lining of the uterus (Colliton 2-3). Many doctors also claimed that the third effect was simply theoretical for several years, but in Alcorn’s book he recalls a conversation he had with a representative from Ortho-McNeil, a producer of the pill. The representative stated this about lining of the uterus being thinned:

Oh, no, it’s not theoretical. It’s observable. We know what an endometrium looks like when it’s rich and most receptive to the fertilized egg. When a woman is taking the Pill you can clearly see the difference, based both on gross appearance—as seen with the naked eye—and under a microscope. At the time when the endometrium would normally accept a fertilized egg, if a woman is taking the Pill it is much less likely to do so. (Alcorn, 50)

When the pill causes abortions, the abortions are on a much smaller scale than what most people think of when they hear the term. The abortion which is induced by taking the pill can only be seen on a microscopic level. A normal endometrium measures approximately 5-13 mm, but an average endometrium of a woman who has been taking the pill measures about 1.1 mm. When the egg is fertilized by the sperm, together they form a living baby. However, since the endometrium, or uterus’ lining, is thinned dramatically by women taking the pill, the baby is no longer able to implant itself into the lining and therefore dies from lack of sustenance. Even though this type of abortion occurs 5-14 days after fertilization, it still destroys a living human being.

According to Randy Alcorn’s book, Does Birth Control Cause Abortions?, over 14 million women in the United States and about 60 million women throughout the world take the pill for contraception (10). Many of these women do not know that they could be having early abortions through taking the pill for control over their fertility. Christians who know of the pill’s abortifacient capabilities should take care to inform their friends and family to prevent even more early abortions from taking place. Because of his ethical beliefs, Dr. Larimore has decided to not prescribe hormonal birth control pills and other related products, such as intrauterine devices, Depo-Provera shots, and hormone patches. He did not decide to stop prescribing the pill overnight, but he first sought council from several pastors, friends, and other religious doctors. Since other options of viable birth control exist for couples to use, Dr. Larimore did not feel as though he was leaving his patients with no other options (Stanley, Larimore, 8). During his explanation of the BCP, Larimore also presents several of the non-abortive options for birth control to his patients.

Several of the many other options that exist are: abstinence, male and female condoms, the diaphragm, cervical caps, spermicide, and natural family planning. Essentially, any birth control method that does not utilize hormones is not an abortifacient. Although these methods may not be as simple or effective as popping a pill every day, the majority of them will still prevent pregnancy most of the time when they are used correctly.

Abstinence is a method based on Biblical principles of abstaining from sexual intercourse until after marriage. This method is best directed at people who are not married, because the Bible directs people to not have intercourse with anyone they are not married to. Paul directed Timothy to be an example to the believers in every way including purity (2 Tim 4:12). People who are married are actually told to not abstain from intercourse, except for limited periods of time, and only for prayer and fasting with mutual agreement (1 Cor 7:5). Abstinence only works when people are committed to keeping themselves pure for their future spouses.

Once people have been married, they will need to think about a form of birth control unless they are planning on having children soon after their marriage or want to have a large family. Male and female condoms come in various forms to appeal to people’s different tastes and preferences. They are available in latex and also in polyurethane for people who are allergic to latex. Male condoms often have a type of spermicide on them, and they are sometimes pre-lubricated. Some people prefer to use additional lubrication with their condoms, but they have to be careful to only use water-based lubricants. Oil lubricants will break down the condom and cause it to become ineffective. Male condoms will prevent pregnancy 85-98 percent of the time and female condoms are effective 80-95 percent of the time, depending on whether people use them correctly or not (Cullins).

The diaphragm and the cervical cap both work essentially the same way. They cover the cervix during intercourse and prevent sperm from entering. The diaphragm is made of latex and is a shallow cup with a flexible rim. Cervical caps are made of silicone and are a cup shape instead. Most doctors recommend that these two methods are used with spermicidal jelly of some sort to optimize effectiveness (Cullins). The diaphragm will usually prevent pregnancy 94 percent of the time with perfect use, but contraceptive effectiveness can decrease to 80 percent with typical use. Cervical caps can be effective in preventing pregnancy from 68 to 91 percent, and they are not as effective with women who have already had children.

Natural Family Planning, or NFP as it is known, can be extremely effective, but it requires both partners to be disciplined during fertile periods during the month. Women can track their basal body temperature and vagina excretions to know when they are ovulating and fertile. The couple has to ensure that they either abstain from intercourse for that period of the month, or they would have to use some other form of contraception to prevent pregnancy. This form of contraception can also be used for women to get pregnant when they decide to have children as well. When this method is used correctly, couples can work together to prevent pregnancy 98 percent of the time (Holmes). However, typical use of this method prevents pregnancy from 75 to 90 percent of the time.

Abortion is still the murder of a human being, regardless of the size the baby is when it is killed. Although doctors should take the initiative to inform women about the pill being an abortifacient, women should also know what they are putting into their bodies. They may know that it is a hormone pill that prevents pregnancy, but they do not know how it prevents pregnancy. Women need to start asking their doctors or doing their own research on how the pill and other hormonal contraceptives work, instead of just knowing that they prevent pregnancies. Even though the pill is not necessarily abortive every time people have intercourse, it still holds the power to cause an abortion. Women have to decide if they are willing to risk having an abortion by taking the pill or using other forms of hormonal contraception.

Works Cited

Alcorn, Randy. Does Birth Control Cause Abortions?. Sandy, OR: Eternal Perspective Ministries, 2007.

Bible. New King James Version, 1 Cor 7:5, 2 Tim 4:12

Colliton, Jr., M.D., FACOG, William F. "Birth Control Pill: Abortifacient and Contraceptive". Eternal Perspective Ministries. April 3, 2010 .

Cullins, M.D., "Birth Control Chart". Planned Parenthood . April 18, 2010 effectiveness-chart-22710.htm>.

Holmes, NP, Certified Menopause Clinician, Marcy. "Birth Control Method Comparison Chart". Women to Women. April 18, 2010 .

Larimore, M.D., Walter L. "The Growing Debate About the Abortifacient Effect of the Birth Control Pill and the Principle of the Double Effect". Ethics and Medicine January 2000 Issue: 16.1: 23-30.

Stanford, MD, MSPH, Joseph B.; Larimore, M.D., Walter L. "Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent". Archives of Family Medicine Vol. 9, Feb 2000: 126-133.

Psalm 139 and thoughts....

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. you know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a work on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall uphold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For you formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum of them! if I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

~God knows everything we do. He knows when we are scared to give our 'all' for His kingdom. I need to learn how to submit my will to His will for me. I need to learn to trust Him, even when I'm scared because I do not know what all the future holds for my life. I want to know my God and Father more. That is my hope and prayer for my life currently~

People and Christians....

People. They surround me with their various whims and characteristics. Girls snuggle up to their boyfriends, oblivious to the fact that they may or may not be real gentlemen. They rarely ask for their family’s opinion of the man, which could lead to sorrow for them later in life. Other people walk by sneering or laughing at various couple’s lack of propriety. To avoid the teasing and/or condemnation, other couples will sit so far apart that an elephant could sit in the middle.

Why are people so judgmental? Why do they feel like everyone has to fit their standards of living? Even Christians; no, especially Christians are the most judgmental of all of the people. If something that someone else does will not fit into their ‘box,’ that person will automatically get labeled as a sinner and a bad person. That person may not be horrible, but Christians never even take the time to get past the exterior of the person. We do not even attempt to talk to them and try to understand what they may be going through in their lives. Why is that? Why can’t we accept what is different than us, especially if it does not conflict with God's directions for our lives.

God has told us that we should love our neighbors as ourselves. Neighbors are not always those people who we identify with easily; they are not always the people that we care to spend time with even a little. They are everyone. It shouldn't matter if they measure up to our standards, we should still be able to show them God's love. This task may not always be an easy one...especially if we don't care for their habits. However, how else are they to know that we are Christians, but through our love? They may not deserve it, but neither do we deserve God's love for us.