We Can Be Heroes...

People are always idolizing those whom they feel are heroic. They watch superhero shows, they listen to great tales of bravery in battle. In Les Miserables, soldier Thenardier carried Colonel Pontmercy to safety. Pontmercy implored his son Marius to find Thernardier and reward him. At the very moment that Marius found his father's rescuer, the man was in the act of doing evil to a very good man, and the adopted father of Marius' beloved. Because the man performed valiant acts in battle did not begin to make him a good man.
People can be heroic even if special circumstances do not come their way. Perhaps you think, if I were in battle, I could do something so heroic! Or perhaps you think, if there were no obstacles, then I could do something heroic!
A real hero is one who is guided by principle rather than circumstance. It is easy to sit on your couch and say you believe in right and good, when there are no obstacles to overcome. The true test of heroism comes in opposition. A true hero, a real superhero, is one with the courage to stand up for him or herself despite opposition.
Heroism takes many forms. It is simply to do what is right whenever the time comes to do it. Cassie Bernall was a hero when she looked straight at a boy with a gun and said, "Yes, I believe in God." Each of us can be a hero when a boss might say, "Hey, I want you to work on this (something compromising)" and we make the choice to say, "No." A woman has a chance to be a hero by staying faithful and supportive to her husband. A man has a chance to be a hero by loving his wife as Christ loved the church. A child has a chance to be a hero by obeying his or her parents. And a parent has a chance to be a hero by raising their children well. Every day, in some way or another, we each have our own chance to be a hero. Some days, it is a very small way, other days, it is something large and monumental.
I like the song, "Hero," by Enrique Inglesias. It speaks of a man who will do whatever he has to in order to be a hero to his true love.
Jesus was the ultimate hero in that he, perfect, blameless Son of God, suffered and died for us. Paul says, "For scarcely for a good man will someone die, though perhaps, for a righteous man, one would dare to die. But Christ demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." I once heard someone say that if each of us had to go through what Christ went through in order to save ourselves, probably almost no one would do it. Yet Jesus did it, not for Himself, but for us!

Circle of Honor

     There was a time when a man's word meant everything.  Even unbelievers could be trusted to uphold their word because their honor and reputation were everything.  We know that Jesus told us not to swear by anything, but to let our "yes" be "yes" and "no" also be "no".  If you say you will do something, you should consider yourself as much obliged to perform it as if you had sworn it and written in blood.

     Today, through a degeneration of society, even Christians often do not uphold things they swear to do.  A man might promise to help a family with work on their home.  But circumstances may change and he breaks his agreement.  A man might propose marriage to a woman and assure her that he believes, as she does, that it is God's will, promise her that his commitment is a solid covenant.  But when things make it tough to follow through with that promise, he might run the other way.

     I really like the book, "Circle of Honor" by Carol Umberger (a must read).  It's character, Adam Mackintosh, again and again proves himself worthy to be the laird and chief of his clan.  He makes painful sacrifices for the sake of a woman he does not even know.  The woman tells him that, "truth be told, there cannot be a more honorable man in all of Scotland."  This sort of honor is not impossible.  It was common a long time ago.  Especially among those who knew they had to uphold the reputation of their family.  

     Is that sort of honor possible?

     The Bible tells women to submit to their husbands.  But men are told to love their wives as Christ loves the church that He gave Himself for her.  A man who has the kind of honor and principle demonstrated here would be the kind of man that a woman would want to follow and even obey.  I often wonder if there are any honorable men left.  If I will find a man who will give me his love, nourish and cherish me as he does his own flesh.  

     The only man I could ever give my heart and my life to is one whose life is not dictated by circumstance or situation, but by principle.  One who can demonstrate to me that he loves me more than any other person in his life.  Especially his own parents, siblings and grandparents.

I Love 2 Sew, But...

     As I have established already, I love to sew.  On Monday, February 25th, I was not so sure of this.  I was working on an incredible patch work quilt for my Mom's birthday when I had an accident.

     I am not really sure how it happened.  Maybe I was going to fast (I was trying to get it done in time...) or maybe I just wasn't watching.  Maybe I was thinking about something else.

     However it was, it happened.  I ran over my pointer finger of my left hand with that needle.  It went in twice and then got stuck.  My Dad took me to the emergency room.  It hurt, but not nearly as bad as I might have thought beforehand.  All the way to the hospital (In my pajamas, with no shower, no make-up, my hair a wreck) I held my bloody finger and tried to think about something else.  NO, I thought, I would not be scared to use the machine again.  

     I got to the ER and they start the sign-in process, having me rate my pain, which at that point was a 5.  For insurance purposes, they asked if I did this at work.  Had I not been in so much pain, I would have laughed.  At work?  I thought.  No, I don't really go to work looking like this.  I know she was supposed to ask.  The worst part of the whole experience was having my blood pressure checked.  That is one thing I do not like.  It hurts.  Surprise, surprise, my blood pressure was high.

     They got me settled into a corner, where I waited on a doctor.  Dr. Hold came around soon and asked me about my injury, how it happened, so forth.  The main concern was that it might be stuck in the bone.  He gave me a digit block, and went to deal with other patients.

     Next to me was a Mexican woman who could not speak a word of English.  A translator came in for her.  She has been suffering chest pains for over a month, and they could come up with no explanation or reason for her pain.  her husband wanted to know what could be wrong with her.  I felt bad for them.  That would be really hard.

     The nurses came along to do an X-ray for me.  One said, "Ooh, is that a staple?"  I set her straight.  She was frightened.  She got a sewing machine for Christmas and had only set it up on the previous day.  If I had felt any better, I could have told her that I had been sewing for some time and that it was just an accident - an avoidable one.  They did the X-ray, which did not show the needle in the bone.

     Another nurse gave me a Tetanus shot, which I think I really needed.

     The Doctor removed the offending object with a pair of pliers.  I was very quick and I did not feel it at all.  He offered to let me keep the thing, but I refused.  In the trash in went.  He prescribed a mild antibiotic and a pain killer.

     I went home, and a couple of days later, I had something I needed to sew.  I was not too excited about sticking my finger near that scary needle again.  I did not want to sew.  For weeks, I was either unable or unwilling to sew.  But, despite the difficulties, I am back in ring, sewing several bags a day over the past few days.  At present I am working on a country blue toile bag.  I even have a lady in Spain interested in my "Bolsa de Pañales" (diaper bag) on eBay.

     It's frustrating, especially since the nail is so torn up.  It's not so easy to live with, but it is not going to keep me from sewing....

I Love 2 Sew

Just like the woman of Proverbs 31, I would like to be industrious and sell the work of my hands to bring in money.
I love to sew. Someone very dear to me once bought me a necklace charm that said the same. I make purses, totes of many kinds, clothes, etc. I recently made a pair of gauchos in about a size 4x. I was proud of my handiwork. I made a toile dress coat for a three year old girl. I made a king sized duvet for a lady's down blanket. I am ever and anon making bags that so far have not sold. I hope to have a little shop of my own, maybe in the Smokies or something like that, selling my work and repairing clothes for people who either do not know how or just do not have the time.
From time to time, you can view some of my work for sale on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESEX:IT&item=110237092791&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI
(Click on this and then click, "view sellers other items".) This particular piece uses clay roses handmade by my 14 year old brother, who had made these for my wedding (which was called off.) I hope to soon list some really nice vintage totes for sale.

A Real Life Prince

I once read a medieval tale of three millers' daughters. At their birth, an angel came and gave each of the girls' parents a golden ruler and the materials to make a cloak, with the promise that three princes would someday come to ask for the hands of the maidens. The cloaks were required to be the measure of a prince - any less and they would not receive the love they had been promised.

In time, the three miller's wives all died. The millers each gave their respective daughters their gifts. One miller told his daughter the entire story and advised her to be wise and patient. The other two millers allowed their daughters to squander the precious materials. The dreaming young women cut short cloaks for pages, peasants and other handsome men, wasting their love on some who were unworthy. Yet, the first daughter worked very hard, not being tempted by the attractive men on the street. Even after her father died and was no longer there to help her make wise choices, she stayed the course and kept herself reserved for one prince.

When the girls had become women, three princes came to visit. Two of these princes scorned at what their prospective brides had to offer. One had a short, pitiful cloak, the other had nothing left at all. They had squandered their love, and yet had no man to love them or marry them. The remaining woman had a beautiful cloak, perfectly fit for a prince. They were married, and very happy. His love made her forget all of her time waiting for him.

I liked this story. It is not the typical fairy tale where unreachable goals are attained. It is very much like real life. We each are given life and the capability to marry God's best for us. Yet, so many people grow tired on waiting for love to come (it can be hard to be lonely!) that they waste their love and purity on mates unworthy of them. So many people today give in to desire and have sex, maybe with many people, before finding someone they truly wish to marry. Many others marry the wrong person in an effort to find happiness, a decision they rue for the rest of their lives, having either a bad marriage or a divorce.

When I was teen, I was fortunate enough to be in a Christian home where, even though all the "Christian" girls my age were dating around and many of them, sleeping around, I was not allowed to date guys. I was taught that going out is not a sport to have fun with and break hearts - especially my own. I was taught that God will show me the right man, and until then, I was not going to go out for the sake of going out.

I was determined to have a prince. I once wrote that I was not just looking for a "great" guy, not even a "great and godly" guy. I am looking for exactly who God wants for me, with all the attributes and beliefs I thought necessary for myself to have a good marriage with. I wrote up my "measure of a prince". My measure might seem hard to some, but I wanted to find someone who would exactly suit me. I had many requirements about appearance. Not about what someone cannot help, like having some not-so-attractive features, but about how he would dress himself, do his hair, that kind of thing. Even more requirements were about beliefs. Beliefs that not many people, even Christians in the church, today believe. And I wanted a guy who would want lots of kids. Like 8 or 10. I had several pages of these requirements for my prince.

I met a man who fulfilled all of these requirements and even more, beyond what I could even have asked for. As for the next part of the story, whether we will be married, that remains unanswered. Some people like to meddle, and have meddled with our love. But I know, in my heart, he is my prince.

What's in Your Heart?

I was recently reading a magazine article by a New York stylist on beauty products for women. She recommended full beauty regimen sure to make any plain woman the image of her dreams - at a cost. I added up the costs of her recommended products - $46 foundation, $40 shampoo, etc, and determined that in order to follow her suggestions, a woman would spend approximately $360 a month on beauty products. Let's be honest, a majority of women just do not have $360 a month for beauty products. Some of us do not have $360 a month, period. For many women, $360 is an electric bill, or rent, a car payment, or even the sum total of all bills for a month. For mothers, the budget can be even tighter. This article is not alone. The majority of magazines I have read or simply perused have had similar articles.

So, what are we to conclude? That only wealthy New York stylists like herself can afford real beauty? Or that only celebrities who can afford phony surgeries that make them into something they are not can uphold a standard of beauty today? Only women who can pay obscene prices for modern "beauty" matter? That the average woman cannot be beautiful, cannot gain her husband's attention, cannot be accepted as a lovely person?

I think not.

First of all, may I suggest that beauty does not start with the outside. Yeah, you've heard that one before. Many times. But it really is true. No matter how beautiful a woman may appear physically, if her inner character does not reflect beauty, it is nothing. I once read a quote that says, "Face powder can catch a man, but it takes baking powder to keep him.". In a way, that quote is true. A man might see a lovely young woman, and he might ask her out because she is so gorgeous. But if she is shallow, is she has no substance to her, the relationship cannot last. Beauty alone cannot sustain love. There are celebrities whom are thought very beautiful by many people today. But their lives are such shambles because they try to make it through life on their beauty and their names. And to be honest, many of them I do not find beautiful. (Not to mention, the photos you see are very touched-up to make them look more lovely than they really are!) A woman of good character and integrity can sustain love even without beauty.

I know that inexpensive beauty products work well. I pay $1.50 - $2.00 for my Suave shampoo and conditioner each, about once a month. I buy from an excellent line of professional shampoo that works just as well as the expensive brand. I look for bargains and sales at such stores as Target, Wal-Mart and Kroger. I pay very little for hair styling products, makeup and all of my hygiene products. And I do not think I would be any more beautiful with the salon brands.

I think more magazines should have articles for women with little money to spare on such things. And just because you spend little or shop at those places does not make you a red-neck, or trashy. As I said, it's what's in the heart.

And speaking of what's in the heart, what's in your heart? Do you know the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, though you were to be executed for your own unrighteous deeds, took your conviction upon Himself and died in your place? He wants to be in your heart. Believe in Jesus.

Why Do Today's Ministers Feel They Deserve Better Than Paul the Apostle?

Today, I was looking at my e-mail when a banner ad came up for a certain website dealing with forgiveness. Curious, I clicked on it, wondering what it was all about. I found that you can e-mail anonymous forgiveness, which I guess some people might want to do, but I would outright tell the person I forgive them. Anyway, I saw a section appealing to those who desperately need to have God's work in their lives. It promised to print your prayers out and take them to the Holy Land, to the Western Wall - "the closest place on Earth to God" ! (For $6.99) What trickery! The Bible teaches us that God hears our prayers! Jesus said that even the unjust judge will hear the widow's case because she knocks so persistently! The Bible also teaches that Jesus is in your heart if you believe in Him, and that the Holy Spirit is in you as well. How can a wall of stone, significant as it may be in history and in the religious scheme of things, be closer to God than the heart of a believer, wherein is Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?

Many of you may know that such schemes are pulled every day on "Christian TV". People ask for money to "spread the gospel" i.e. Gold studios, expensive furniture, breast implants, cosmetic surgery, Rolls Royces, $700,000 houses, and the list goes on! They plead, sometimes in tears, they say, for the lost, send money, please, they say, that people can hear the name of Christ. Some more sneaky preachers, such as a famous man from Ohio, promises that your teen will stop doing drugs, your husband will stop cheating on you, everything will come together in your life, if you would just give him some money. Shameless! Even Paul the Apostle worked, earning money to live and travel to spread the gospel. Preachers claim it is their right as ministers to be wealthy. If the apostles were not even wealthy, how great are these ministers who think they deserve better?

I am not saying Christians ought to be poverty stricken. Maybe some will be, and are called of God to be. They will have their reward. But the rich already have their reward. Some true believers may be called of to be wealthy - Abraham was, Job was - but that does not mean wealth is for every Christian. These preachers are preaching an extreme which may or may not be in God's plan for a given person. There needs to be a middle ground, people wisely managing their own money and living as good stewards over whatever God has given them. (I'll admit, and probably a lot of readers will, too, that I have not been the wisest of stewards with my money. I am beginning to work on changing that.) Often times, our own lack is because we do not manage money well. I say often times, not ALL of the time.

I know that an individual makes a choice whether to give the money or not, but preachers are fooling people who have little enough money as it is into supplying their own wealth. I once heard Bono say that these preachers are stealing money from the sick and the old, and that the God he believes in isn't short of cash.

Then, you might have congregations where the people are not being taught to give at all. Giving to the church's fund is a New Testament principle, that people should come and bring money for the good of one another and the whole church. The Bible mentions that believers would sell their possessions and lay the money at the apostles feet. They must have believed in what they were giving that much money to! Giving is a biblical principle. I think there are just two extremes holding today's believers - giving nothing or giving everything to make rich men richer.

I am glad to see these super wealthy preachers under investigation. I pray that this would be an awakening for them and they would turn to the biblical Way, and walk in the plan God has for their lives. Also, that it would be an awakening for those who have been giving the money, to see how they were duped, and to begin to give their money more wisely.

I Wear a Ring of Silver...

  I wear a ring of silver, on my finger, 

  on my hand,

  I wear a ring of silver, but no longer

  a diamond band.

  It's a knot of love, a reminder of

  love that I have lost.

  It's a knot of love, a reminder of

  what was blighted by the frost.

  I wear a ring of silver, on my finger,

  on my hand,

  I wear a ring of silver, but no longer

  a diamond band.

  My true love is not truly mine,

  I doubt he'll ever be.

  And love I do not seek to find,

  except only with he.

  I wear a ring of silver, on my finger,

  on my hand,

  I wear a ring of silver, but no longer

  a diamond band.

  My eyes weep tears, and my heart, it 

  weeps blood.

  I cannot stanch the flow, nor can I

  dam the flood.

  I wear a ring of silver, on my finger, 

  on my hand,

  I wear a ring of silver, but no longer

  a diamond band.

  My hand was once encircled by a 

  larger, loving one.

  But when the battle came down,

  he only turned to run.

To believe or not to believe?

I recently saw a bumper sticker that read, "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist". I thought that made a lot of sense. Atheists believe that all of this highly complex world we are living in simply came about through sheer happenstance. That the complex and difficult to comprehend cells just magically appeared from no where. That animals and their incredible survival came about by coincidence, and that we humans evolved by mistake.

I am afraid I do not have the imagination to see how that could be.

How anyone can see the world we live in, the oceans and tides, the delicate balance of life, the seasons and cycles of Earth, and not realize that an higher mind created them is far beyond me.

Of course, atheists only want to suit themselves and their sinful lifestyles by convincing themselves and others that this life is it. It is by mistake, their is nothing afterward. They find comfort in this thought that they can do whatever they want today and never have to pay for it.

I wonder, however, how often we Christians think about the coming judgment? When we speak to someone else, do we think, "someday I am going to answer for this,"? Do we judge ourselves that we will not be judged for our deeds? Do we watch what we are doing? Do we live like we know we will be judged? We will. The Bible says that ALL men will give an account before God. Whether you believe it or not.

I find myself continually praying for judgment against some particular people who have caused me a lot of pain through their sins. But do I think about the judgment for myself?

Lord, help me to always remember your righteous judgments.