Thursday, April 09, 2009

EOW Miscellaneous Thoughts

I've tried to hold the line on Obama-alarmism but this bill floating through the house seems a bit scary. Mandatory voluntary service? Seems odd. Something else I read said that religious-based service will not count. Hmmmm. Check it out. I've got more research to do myself.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92288
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Pirates have captured the captain of an American freighter. I want to avoid bloodshed and have tried to tone down my rhetoric over the past few years but I'm thinking a team or two of Navy Seals visiting the pirates (not a social call, mind you, but an all-out assault) might help slow down their desire to be involved in thievery and kidnapping.
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Tragic news about the Angels pitcher who just finished a great game and was killed after the game in a hit-and-run crash. 22 years old.
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I hope to watch the Passion of the Christ again this weekend. Each time I have watched it, it has become more personal to me and, while graphic, I appreciate the reminder of the pain Christ suffered for me. I talk about the sacrifice but it's easy to forget how much He suffered.
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I wonder how our faith would change if we knew we might be killed at any moment for being a Christian. Just a few days ago I was thinking it would be cool to have a bigger TV while at the same time, I bet someone was worried about being identified for professing Christ because they might be imprisoned or killed.
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God is love (1 John 4). Using that verse, I paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13 this way. God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10). Using that verse, I paraphrase 1 Corinthians 13 this way. I will be patient, I will be kind. I will not envy, I will not boast, I will not be proud. I will not be rude, I will not be self-seeking, I will not be easily angered, I will not keep record of wrongs. I will not delight in evil but will rejoice in the truth. I will always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. Today, that is what I will strive to do if I want to live in the image of God.

In Christ alone, my hope is found. God is so good. He offers me peace in times of storms, He offers me hope in times of despair, He offers me joy in times of sadness. He will carry my burden, He will mourn for me. I love God today like I have never loved God before. I pray that love grows, it prospers and spreads through me and fills me up.

I hope your Easter weekend is filled with the peace, love and joy that only comes from our Creator and Savior, the Lord God.

1 comment:

Rick Ross said...

I've got a feeling the mandatory voluntary service thing won't fly. Anyone can introduce a bill.

Isn't that an oxymoron? mandatory voluntary?