Monday, May 25, 2009

Train a child...

I ran across an article talking about an award for reciting the 10 Commandments within 20 seconds. This speaks to two areas. One, we have allowed ourselves to do too little study (I am guilty, I am sure we all are...) on what it is we believe, and what it is God expects of us. This last bit is what causes us to seek Him and the mercy within the sacrifice of Jesus.

The other area is how true it is that you must teach your children well. Mine have been memorizing verses and the commandments for a while. We made it part of the evening "bed time" routine. They listen to hymns on CD in the van (they request them vice a radio station!). And they are learning them! We don't have any excuse for avoiding doing this with our children, or ourselves. So quit watching TV or reading the online news (the world doesn't change that fast...), and start reading the Word.

A child should be able to do this challenge easily, and it is sad that the person even felt this was a necessary step. Do you really need $20 grand to start reading the Bible?

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Coming Home

After a long wait, my son is on his way home. He should arrive tomorrow. It has been a long road, but thanks to the vocations of the nurses, the technology we are blessed with, God has taken care of him and we get to take him home. God is good!

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Life is Precious

Most people realize life has infinite value, and respond in different ways to that understanding. However, people are also agile in rationalizing anything. My experiences over the past 6 weeks has revealed, in new ways, what abortion really means. There is no claim to a "woman's body"- the DNA is different between the two and such an argument is entirely bogus without using much logic. If the DNA is unique, then the real question is when is a life initiated. Christians understand this to be conception. (I am suggesting those who do ascribe to Christianity and yet support abortion are at the least misinformed, with very little distance to hypocrisy and disbelief.) The world is having issues drawing the line, as in keeping with a sinful world. I have seen my son at 11 weeks premature, still abortable in some of the late-term abortion regions. He is definitely an individual, unique and loved by his LORD.

So what is the separation? If you were to look at a person's time-line from conception to death some years 70 years later, for example. The only difference between the two is the time and experiences that life would imbue to them. But experience can't discriminate because it is possible to have fewer, if any, experiences, and still constitute value. So the difference is time, but that still cannot imbue value, lest the 60 year old has more value than a 15 year old. This leaves value being a quality of the life, which would be accurate as God used the Breath of Life to cause life to generate, a gift. The use of time in this case is a nefarious version of "allowed murder." Eugenics, infanticide, and racial purity approaches throughout the globe and history all utilize these arguments. Not a single movement dedicated to life has ever based it on time. It just doesn't withstand basic consideration and logic. May this curse be lifted soon.

As for those worried about the minor issues of "ability" or "rape/incest", murder is not allowed if you are unable to make payments on your house, car, or anything else. That is for you to to trust God and deal with. Not one person has ever lived perfectly able to raise children. It is a growing experience, one God blesses you with, and disciplines you sometimes through it. Rape is a crime, but you must trust God brings good from the worst of the earth (see salvation, just about anytime God uses someone to do something to His and other's benefit). Murder would only compound the crime. In the end, there is always adoption in both cases, which preserves life.

Sorry for the long post, but I am learning the concept of fully hating sin with a passion. I am not perfect and sin everyday. But until you understand the evil and corruption (worse than a horror flick) of a single sin, I don't think you can totally understand the evil of the unrighteous and the necessity of the sacrifice of Christ. Praise God for his mercy! SDG