HAPPY EASTER!

Time for Peeps!

The Real War on Women

EVERYBODY WELCOME

(BUT NOT YOU)

Recently there has been a big flap about a woman, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a crusader for women’s rights in the religion of Islam, who was invited to speak at Brandeis University, but then was uninvited, because of complaints by Muslim students and CAIR, Council On American-Islamic Relations.  I watched 2 interviews of Ali and was impressed with how much she loves the United States and wants Muslim women to be free.  She lives with constant death threats because of her beliefs and speaking out about them.  She is the author of the movie "Submission."  The Dutch filmmaker was murdered because of his involvement in making the movie.

In this short interview you can tell how much Ali loves the United States and how much she wants to get the word out to Muslim women about freedom.  The host comes across as hating the United States:

In this brief interview on Fox News Megyn Kelly talks with Ali about her invitation to speak at Brandeis, and then being uninvited to speak there.  Ali also appears in the movie "Honor Diaries."

Many Americans are ungrateful for the freedoms that we have here in the United States.  Our nation bases its laws on Judea/Christian values.  We are guaranteed freedom of speech, religion, and many other freedoms by our Constitution.  In many countries controlled by Communism or Sharia Law the people live in fear and many times live in poverty.  Women are especially downtrodden.

As a young adult I didn’t appreciate the freedom we have here in the U.S. and almost bought in to the idea that we were trying to force our values on countries that didn’t believe the same way that we do.  As I’ve grown older I began to understand that we did interfere in other countries where people were being killed and abused by their governments because of our values.  In the Jewish and Christian religions we are taught to live according to the 10 Commandments given by God to Moses.  We are to love God and love our neighbor. That is what our country is founded on.

I can now understand why the “Greatest Generation” was so proud and thankful for how God has blessed our country.  Both men and women have great opportunities here. 

PS Here is an article which includes a comment on the "War on Women."
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/375544/thought-police-patrol-charles-krauthammer

Oso Strong

To see the pictures click on the  link below and then click on the arrows to see 37 pictures.
http://firsttoknow.com/mudslide-washington-oso-photos/

A great tragedy befell a town 40 miles north of us, in Oso, WA.  After many days of steady rain a huge landslide of mud, rock, and trees along the Stillaguamish River, suddenly let loose, and covered a neighborhood, including slicing the road, route 530, in half.   Over 30 people were killed or are still missing.   Search and rescue, the National Guard, dogs, and many volunteers supporting the searchers have been working around the clock for over a week.  Donations have piled up and hundreds of dollars in gas cards have been donated.  Many have to drive an extra 50 miles to get to work, as the road they usually commute on is gone. 

In the New York Times Timothy Egan complains that this slide could have been predicted here--http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/opinion/sunday/egan-at-home-when-the-earth-moves.html?action=click&module=Search&region

I can’t imagine how it would feel to abruptly loose your loved ones and everything you own.  I expect most to be in shock for some time before reality sinks in.  Right now the homeless are only concerned about having a roof over their heads, clothes to wear, food to eat, and for the missing to be found.  The funerals haven’t started yet.  That will be another hurdle they will need strength for.

Please pray that they all will turn to our Heavenly Father.  He is the only One who can truly comfort us in such a time of loss.  It will be a long road back but the people of Oso and surroundlug areas will have help from many people and the government.  Alderwood Community Church has a motor home that teams will take to the area for the searchers to have coffee, sandwiches, and hugs, when they take breaks.  Many other Christians are involved in volunteering for search and rescue teams including our son-in-law.  I hope hearts will be touched and that many will be comforted with the knowledge of Jesus.  He can help if we ask.

Noah-- Not the Russell Crowe Movie

Ray Comfort interviews people about Noah's story in the Bible.  In this 30 minute presentation he answers questions like, "How did Noah get all of those animals in the ark?"  Worth your time to watch.

Please Lord Send Me To Africa Don't Make Me A Housewife

Wayne many years after he got back from Africa.

Our prayer group has been praying to know God’s heart for the lostness in our community and the world.  Sometimes a movie will be used by God to show what that would be like.  Today I watched a movie called “33 Postcards.” It had a happy ending but it could have been much happier throughout the movie if someone had called out to God for help.  No one ever did.  I could see the protagonist's need for Jesus so clearly.  She didn’t have anyone to help her.  As an orphan no one understood her need to locate the man who had been her sponsor and pen pal for years, and who she thought of as her father.   She had help in the end but God did not receive any credit for His care.

Then there was another movie; I can’t remember the name for it, which I watched several years ago.  The plot showed the evilness of a godless society imprisoned by communism.  There was a chance for freedom for the protagonist but he chose to stay captive.  He was much like a bird that will not fly out of a confined space because it knows nothing but its cage.

So this may or may not relate, but when I was young, I told the Lord I’d rather go to Africa than become a housewife.  Maybe it was a selfish wish.  I really didn’t have that much of a heart for the lost. When I was a teen I thought bringing boys to youth group and singing in the choir was a good attempt at evangelism. 

You probably won’t share my sentiment because 80% of women and probably 50% of men want to get married, own a house, and have children.  Unfortunately, I was in the 20% of women who didn’t want to get married, or have a house.  I especially didn’t want to be a housewife.

 I don’t know when it began but I never had any interest in playing house or having dolls as a child.  If I was given a present it must be something that a boy would like.  I received a Hopalong Cassidy wristwatch from my parents one Christmas when I was in 4^th or 5^th grade. It is the one present I never forgot and I have it to this day.

I was the self-centered type who thought children were too much work.  As the oldest girl of 5 siblings the babysitting always seemed to be left to me.  Maybe that is because my older brother tended to fight with the second to the youngest brother, while I let him do whatever he wanted.  When this brother was 6 he asked me to read him the World Book Encyclopedia.  I think we got to volume B or C before I went off to college.

So in the end it was my youngest brother, Wayne, who went to Africa as a missionary.  I became a housewife.  Through the pain and joy of having a husband, and children, I have developed a heart for the lost.  I weep when no one will tell a man or woman or child, who are God’s beloved,  about Jesus, and how much He loves him or her. 

Count It All Joy!

 

  Frank Luntz, the word master, is depressed.  He can’t believe that Barack Obama was elected again in spite of the poor economy, lack of jobs, weak foreign policy, moral degradation in the United States, class warfare, etc. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-agony-of-frank-luntz/282766/

What Frank needs is Jesus.  What we need is Jesus.  If we talk about Jesus to everyone and let go of our arguments for saving babies lives in the womb (It’s my baby and I’ll kill it if I want to,) for marriage between a man and a woman, (people must be tolerant if men lust after men and women lust after women,) we will keep focused on the Lord and not on our circumstances.  God wants us to grow in the knowledge of Him.  If Frank Luntz crafted arguments, slogans, and words to convince us of our need to know God, he would be doing something that needs to be done.  He would know that he is on the winning side-- that is God’s side.  And he wouldn’t be depressed.

We may be galloping toward the goal of Communism in this country but God can, with one mighty shout, stop it in its tracks.  This is nothing in the sight of God:

Psalm 29: 3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters ; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars ; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness ; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare ; And in His temple everything says, "Glory !" 10 The LORD sat as King at the flood ; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. 11 The LORD will give strength to His people ; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

The United States isn't mentioned in the Bible so we may be wiped off the map in some way before long.  But we don't have anything to worry about.  We are commanded not to worry so we won't.  God is soverign and His perfect will will be done.  I’m excited to see what the Lord will do!

God Will Provide

Chris with the fruit and vegetable man who came to Marina De La Paz.

Our church is going through a tough time financially.  We only have a part time pastor and administrative assistant.  We really need full time people.  The church chairman says that we will keep going until we run out of money.  It has been suggested that we borrow money from our denomination to hire a full time pastor.  But doesn’t the Lord provide what we need when we need it?

Our family’s story shows that God does provide what we need.  When our family was  going through some hard economic times I told the Lord that if He wanted us to live in our car—it was paid for—I would be willing to do that.  Chris was working in San Jose, CA, but not making enough to pay for an expensive apartment in the Bay area.  So I had it all planned out how to live in our car.  Our daughter was 11 and living with my parents and attending 6^th grade.  Our son was 4 and not in school yet.  I figured I could drive Chris to work and then use the bathrooms there to shower and clean up.  The little guy and I would eat at McDonalds and then spend the day at the library.  But we never had to do that.  Suddenly, through several coincidences, Chris was offered a job with a higher salary in Santa Rosa, CA.  We were able to move farther north where the housing wasn’t so expensive. 

But now I’m spoiled.  Would I be able to give up our life style if the Lord wanted me to?  When I go to the store to buy some shampoo I have the choice of large numbers of different brands.  When I go to the grocery store I have bins of fresh fruits, shelves of canned food, and dozens of different kinds of frozen pizza or anything frozen I want.  But recently I’ve noticed that some of the choices have been declining. 

It has happened a few times now.  I went to the area where I usually get the brand of shampoo I like.  They had every other kind for problem hair but none for normal hair.  Strange.  Then another time I wanted some Nature Made vitamins and they were all out.  I checked back several times and the product still hadn’t been restocked.  Maybe vitamin companies phase out vitamins that don’t sell well.  Or maybe the transportation of some items has been held up because of weather.  Or maybe America is turning into a third world country.  Maybe we will no longer have a choice of anything we want.  It could happen.

When we lived on our boat in La Paz, Mexico on the Baja we were amazed at the lack of products in the stores.  In the main department store downtown there were wide spaces between washers, dryers, and refrigerators on the appliance floor.  There were only about 2 or 3 different brands.   The clothing department racks were not very full and widely spaced.  (It is a lot different there now 20 years later.) One day I went shopping with a friend from church and she discovered Jockey underpants in stock.  She said, "I need to buy these now as it will be a long time before any more come in."  Then she said, “I love living in La Paz because there is nothing to buy!”  I guess that includes underwear. 

When we came back to the states I was overwhelmed at all the stuff in the stores.  It was like a land of milk and honey—a promised land of sorts.  So if the United States is devastated by some disaster or attacked in some way, will we be content with what God provides?  If the Lord asks us to give up our church building will we be willing to do that?  I hope so.  There are always “House Churches.”  Our church pianist has offered her home if this should happen!