If Jesus could vote

Ok this has been building up for some time and I hope you my brothers and sisters find it a worthwhile read.

I am not a biblical scholar but using the fact that the Bible does not contradict itself and knowing God's character I have an argument against voting based on single issues. I urge anyone if you find this is not the biblical way please comment or let me know.

What I know is this, Jesus wouldn't vote for a candidate because they promise to make abortion ilegal.

God gave us free will, so why would he want leaders that pass more and more laws against extremely personal choices. I know he uses our missteps as much as our obedience to teach us about Him and strengthen us to be the people He created us to be. Taking choices away from people is the opposite of what God intended. He doesn't want someone forced or scared into any kind of obedience or righteousness. he only cares about our hearts and peoples actions may change when faced with coercion but never their hearts!

Jesus did not win souls by forcing them to act the way he did, so I don't know where the devout right wingers get off thinking that voting for candidates that promise to pass laws against things warned about in the bible is the way to go, it certainly isn't biblical. Jesus used prostitues for good things by treating them with love and respect like everyone else, by allowing them to make their own choices, he didn't spare Rahab's life by gathering a mob outside her house and yelling at her to close her legs until she listened! People I sincerely believe this is a stronghold for the devil. He's using these issues to divide us and he knows full well God does not want decisions of marriage and childbirth left to our political leaders or state law books  Oh and just a quick point on their inconsistency and we know God is not inconsistent, lest not forget also that greed is also a spelled out sin in the bible so why aren't the right wing candidates quick to bring up laws that would dispel that sin from our society? It is this self righteous, charade of religiosity that has so many people thinking Christians are hypocritical idiots, driving our friends father from us and farther from God.

Think about what your voting for, if your voting for someone because of their religion then the first thing you should be looking at is how much do they use it for their advantage (getting votes they otherwise wouldn't get) instead of God's glory, are the things in their campaign in line with God's view or their own personal feelings on issues? In my humble opinion liberal leaders have a better grasp of Christianity, and yes I do want a Christian leader but its not to push my personal beliefs on anyone or a selfish agenda its because I believe anyone truly trying to imitate Jesus is not going to be steer the country wrongly. They won't pass laws that alienate groups of my friends or make me think I'm no good because I have a past with seriously bad choices.

The bottom line is this, if you're a Christian it should be obvious that banning things we believe are sin is not how we should govern our country, its just not. It's not the example Christ gave us when he was here on earth, forbidding someone from doing things, forcing your opinion on them is not love! Loving one another was His primary command concerning community. 

Recovery

Although strong and independent she needs you
she needs to know she can be weak sometimes
allow her to bath her skin in the softness of your caressing arms
be her earthly comfort, let her cry, and be raw without any armor on
letting you know she is nothing without her Maker
If you can make her feel secure in those times, then she won't go far

What is more intimate than someone inhaling your burden as you exhale it out
as you sigh they see a cross to take up, not a problem to solve but a role to fill
in their biblical position as one who deserves a helper
He must also help when she needs, always giving, always understanding, one day it will be your turn
or will you chose the other one, the next one, the younger one, the red one.

I'll chose the one who can see beauty in the despair, make laughter follow the tears, and show love under the blackest night.

Feeling like a Failure

Is it true that some of us are stronger than others?

some of us can run longer or faster
some of us can carry more weight, take on more burdens
some of us dont feel like giving up as quickly some of us have more stamina
some of us have more perseverance

Is it true that some of us don't get defeated as easily? There are those who don't break down emotionally as often as others.

Their bodies can withstand more punishment and their mind has the endurance to, not just finish the race, but win it with honors.
But you might say their struggles are not the same.
After-all how do u compare first world problems to third? It's like crude oil and bottled water isn't it?

But these problems are only different on the outside, inside we face the same pain. heartbreak is heartbreak all over the world. failure is failure. rejection is rejection in each society there are those left on the outside. depression is depression. and suicide is a persons inability to win his internal struggle.

When we experience difficult times i'm convinced there is not much difference in our internal processing, the difference only lies in what our bodies see.

So cursed is the man who finds himself failing and living among rubbish, while also is the one living in luxury with no one to share it with, surely he has failed too.

What makes us different? one stronger one fitter, who determines who lives and who withers? is it God? ourselves? the Holy Spirit?

If I feel like a failure is that enough to write myself off? If I feel I've been forsaken what do I have to live for? If I know others feel the same or worse and I don't help them.... well how many of us would pull the trigger if we had access to the gun?

Is why relevant ?

Ever since algebra the question why has been the bane of my existence, and I'm sure many of you an relate. Now i'm turning to 'why' in the subject of psychology. We tell ourselves and our friends that you can't control who you love so if that's true should the question of why you love even be relevant?

How do you even begin to explain something you can't control or understand? Is the love you can explain different from the love you can't ? Are both of them from God, and if not which one might be our own doing? Even if we can come up with a list of qualities we love about a person chances are many people have these qualities too so is that really an answer? Now what about the people that we can't find a quality to name in fact they probably have a lot of tendencies that make us question how we even got to discover them but yet we still love. Does love need a reason to exist?

More important, if it doesn't give us a reason should we go searching for one?

Hall Pass

There's been alot of talk about excuses lately in my world. People wanting to be excused for their outbursts and allowed to break the rules because well they have a logical reason. but it shouldn't matter.

Let me explain a little better what I'm talking about here. many of my friends have had their bosses disrespect them or their partner neglect them and so I've hear them make excuses for the resulting behavior, whether a barrage of insults hurled at a manager or a cheating significant other they all have their reasons, their "hall pass" for behaving inappropriately.

I feel like God has given me words to say to these friends but as I'm talking I turn inward and let the mirror stay facing me.  Then on Sunday a pastor preached the message and that is where I am borrowing the term Hall Pass from. I am more guilty than most for this epidemic, I call it this because I feel its rampant in and out of the church we want to justify our bad actions we hate being wrong and even more being held accountable when it clearly was not our fault. I'll use a family member as an example, they had a terrible day at work and on top of it they were sick so when they yelled at some of their coworkers they had a million reasons why they deserved it but then at the end they said "well maybe if I hadn't been sick" I had to laugh. I thought you built such a case against them before your sickness even came into play you had no intention of keeping your composure once you saw that their actions justified you losing it. But here's the trap, it doesn't justify it and we are all kidding ourselves if we think it does and we are kidding others if we expect they truly sympathize with us.

Think about the last time someone someone told you how they "went off" on someone regardless of the reason wouldn't you resist telling them what a fool they sounded like because 1 you might be afraid you would be their next victim and 2 its just not easy to talk to someone about something so emotional they acted a fool in front of others. I should clarify that I am talking about instances in which we show no respect for ourselves or those around us. The basic premise is this: we can only control ourselves and people are going to disrespect us and do all sorts of terrible things to us in this life, my experience tells me that people are more likely to diminish your self worth when you do it first but even if we are a well respected individual somewhere down the line life will throw a not-so-nice person in our path.

So the point is this: (particularly if you are Christian but I urge everyone to try living this way)  We should not look for a Hall Pass we should act respectfully to ourselves and others at ALL times particularly when it is difficult to do so, those times when people least deserve our respect because they just carelessly pushed our feelings aside or because your having the worst week of your life at that moment you should be ensuring that your loving those around you more than you do on your best day. Its easy then its easy to respect your husband when they are working 60 hours a week but what about after they've collected unemployment for a year? Its simple to come in work on time and greet your boss when you know they love you and are giving you a promotion but what about when they haven't paid you in 3 weeks and haven't praised you for any work in even longer? I mean can't we all find something to "get us out of jail free" all the time if we really wanted. In my opinion that attitude will only lead us to more situations we need "excused" from.

I know my most recent life lesson is this, no person or circumstance can take away my right to love and respect myself and others. I'm sure i'll have failed at this a dozen or more times before the year is over but I have Jesus' grace so I will continue trying to avoid being a victim of my past or present circumstances. Good luck friends.