Category Archives: Essays

Living in Monet

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Claude Monet was the founder of French Impressionist painting, also known as Impressionism, in the late 1800s to early 1900s. With a grocery-store owner father and a mother who was a trained singer, I imagine he had a little bit of practicality mixed in with his artistic abilities. Although . . . and maybe this is just me . . . oh who are we kidding? Rembrandt, Vermeer, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Wagner, Sibelius, Debussy, Puccini . . . let’s stop now before we join them in their depression. Have you ever noticed that the artistic temperament in such a person usually wins out? C’est la vie. Actually, someone called Monet’s painting style “Impression” with the intention of disparaging it. Little did the critic know that name would become a badge of honor. By the 1920’s, cataracts affected his vision, but he continued to paint. They say cataracts affected how he perceived colors. Although he was no stranger to poverty, today his paintings hang in museums the world over.

Compare his artistry with that of more defined and deeply colored art by Michael Wagner or Georgia O’Keeffe. We certainly don’t have to guess what their paintings are; that is to say, the lines are more sharply delineated and colors clear. And, as I’m writing, I’m thinking of yet unknown but very talented artists such as Stacy Andrews Inglorian, who is skilled in various mediums, and maybe even Tricia Schield, who shows great promise.

I don’t know much about art, but we all know a thing or two about impressions. It used to be that when we read something, we could be fairly certain of its veracity. Except we couldn’t. We just thought we could. We were under the impression that news-bearers were truthful. Now we can read or listen to any number of information sources and at the end of the seemingly reasonable item or news still ask ourselves whether it was true. Or, at least, what parts of it were true.

For instance, when I first heard that “they” (who I guessed was the medical establishment, perhaps big pharma; and some of you will think deep state) had been keeping treatments and cures from the population, it seemed believable. Hold back the cure, and reap continual drug profits. If you have no moral standard, it makes sense. I hoped such cures would be revealed soon. Who doesn’t want a cure for diabetes, Parkinsons, or cancer? Bring on the wonder drugs! Then I started hearing more curious things about suppression of treatment. I unfollowed a podcast that talked about medbeds (not the medbeds that alert the nursing station to a patient’s need, but medbeds that can provide cell-regeneration and healing without surgery or drugs) because it seemed to me to be the stuff of sci-fi. But information continued. And one day last week, a fellow who works in the pharmaceutical industry and who I’ve found to be level-headed and trustworthy talked about them. He went on to say there are other, smaller devices, too. Imagine your doctor scanning you with a hand-held device and receiving healing then and there! Oh I know what you’re thinking. I thought it, too. But I’m going to keep watching and listening.
In the matter of the 2020 election, there is all sorts of information and impressions to form. Who won? Who really won? Why is a prominent news network so upset about an audit in Arizona? Who wouldn’t want to make certain a vote was true and sure and not finagled? Why in the world is the federal government trying to insert themselves into a state’s authority? And yet information about it is flying fast and furious. No, not that fast and furious. Well, maybe that, too.
What about the latest virus? Or masks? Or treatment? Or immunization? What about the New World Order, the Bilderbergers, the Trilateral Commission, or the Committee of 300? What about the Rapture? Or Great Tribulation? Or mark of the beast? Or thousand year reign of Christ? What are we to believe?
         

 

We find ourselves in more of a Monet painting than that of O’Keeffe. While I like both artists, I’d rather have the lines I live in well-delineated and colors clear. The truth will set us free, after all. But we are not free, and we are not living in those times. We are living in Monet. And it is our responsibility to keep searching for truth regardless of disparaging critics.

https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/biography.html; https://www.biography.com/artist/claude-monet; https://www.therichest.com/poorest-list/10-famous-artists-that-died-penniless/; https://www.classical-music.com/ https://fineartamerica.com/art/bright+colors; stacylynnandrewsfineart on Instagram; pexels-harrison-macourt-6599771.jpg; https://americaoutloud.com/the-quantum-healing-technologies-of-med-beds/; pexels-photo-356056.jpeg; https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/01/fast-furious-obama-first-scandal/; AZAudit.org; DominoesFalling-medium.gif; pexels-pixabay-221164.jpg; pexels-download-a-pic-donate-a-buck-^-54379.jpg; Iron Mountain Report; Revelation 13:16-17; Revelation 20; Micah 4:1-7, 5:4-5; John 8:31-32; The painting on this blog post is not Monet, but it reminded me of him. It is by: nick-fewings-FRM8_MzE_YQ-unsplash.jpg 

Think Again

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There is a desperation in the darkness; a kind of hopeless sadness. We – many of us – have experienced that place where our breath stops temporarily without our notice and gladness is far from our grasp. Where heartache melts into emptiness. Where questions have no answers and no words can express what hurt cannot speak. Happy memories are muted. Dreams dashed.

It is, perhaps, the place the disciples found themselves on that very dark day we call Good Friday. It had been a few glorious years of soaking in more wisdom and understanding than they had thought possible in a lifetime! Witnessing the delightful unbelievable! Hoping and planning for a revisitation – no, better – of the kingdom of David, Israel’s greatest king! And they were living it!

It all fell to pieces in a weekend. And here they were – together, because they couldn’t bear it alone and because he had taught them well. They were carrying on, but they were afraid and they were hiding. Jesus was crucified. What if they were next? And then.

Mary burst through the door talking so fast, they had trouble understanding her. But Peter and John were out the door like a shot. They were out of breath as they reached the tomb, the tomb with the heavy boulder rolled from the entrance. Mary couldn’t have done that. They, themselves, weren’t strong enough to do it. They peered inside, then stepped through the opening and their breath caught at the sight of folded grave clothes. And something more: no doubt it was an angel. He is not here. He is risen as He said. They heard the angel’s voice, but . . . expectations are funny things. They can blind you, if you let them. Mary’s claims rang in their minds as they fought back with logic. It couldn’t be.

But it was. Oh it was!

The world spins on its axis. Seasons arrive on a fixed schedule as do day and night. We know that when someone is very, very ill, there is little chance of recovery. When someone dies, there is none.

And yet. And yet, the God who set planets, moons, and stars in the heavens is the same God who is present with us. You think miracles are for children’s stories? Think again.

Image: zac-durant-_6HzPU9Hyfg-unsplash.jpg

 

In the Middle of the Muddle

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If you’ve ever moved, you know the indecision of having a lot to do and not knowing where to begin. Some of you feel this on a regular basis as you stare into space over your morning cup of coffee. We sympathize, but this isn’t that.

We’re moving, alright. The direction just isn’t terribly clear. Over the space of a year, we’ve been confronted with, well, with one confusing decision after another. Among family, friend, or foe we land on the same or opposing sides of these questions, with some of us standing in the middle, our hands over our mouths, turning one way, then another. It’s a nightmare for people who break into hives at even the thought of confrontation. We’re a motley crew, to be sure, and we don’t harmonize that well just now.

We experienced an explosive reaction about the death of a man who was detained in Minneapolis. Everyone has their own opinions about what happened, but we can agree that it started countrywide protests and destruction by two notable groups that continues to this day.

We then experienced what some said was an accident and some say was a bioweapon. Whatever it was, the narrative and reaction generated fear world-wide. Depending on a state’s governing bodies, too many lost their lives through sickness, suicide, or lack of human contact. Many small businesses – businesses run by everyday people who worked hard, sacrificed their money and time, and pursued their dreams – were driven to closure. States and nations encountered economic troubles as people lost jobs and a way to provide for themselves.

We faced an unusual Presidential election in which the frontrunner had a seemingly landslide-like lead, some states stopped counting votes late at night and the nation found that in the morning election results had flipped to opposite of what they had been. This last and most recent trouble has led many to believe our free country has fallen to communism through a color revolution.

Fact and rumor are being tossed around like the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz and they’re just as scary. We face a flood of information the truthfulness of which is difficult to determine. Some people say Q was a psyop to lull people into complacency, others believe it was a military op to wake people up. More recently, some people are claiming our nation’s history includes the Act of 1871 which should peel the skin off your teeth if you believe it. If you’ve read Agenda 2021 from those darling people who meet at Davos, you’ve already found a cave in the middle of nowhere and measured it for drapes.

And in the middle of all this are the people who say we’re so close to the rapture, you’d better have the “What to do if you miss the rapture” letter sitting out where some unfortunate soul can see it if you twinkling of an eye out of here. You think I’m kidding? You’ll find it in the citations below.

I am hopeful that things are not what they seem just now. I am hopeful that righteous people are doing everything possible to oust communism from our dear country. I have planted my flag and I stand. Even so, should my fervent hope materialize, it is only a matter of time until the unspoken horrors we have been exposed to will come to pass. When they do, the world might not call it The Great Tribulation, but that’s what it will be.

I’ve learned that what I thought was the world being sifted a few years ago was nothing compared to the overdrive sifting we’re witnessing now. Seriously. It’s like being in a food processor where you’d like to stay your happy carrot self, but the cook thinks you’ll be more useful shredded. It’s the kind of sifting that asks not only, “Do you have faith?” but “Do you have faith absent physical proof? In the face of seeming physical proof to the contrary?” This sifting seeks to examine whether we live out our Christian declarations in the face of much controversy and trouble. We can no longer read the Bible and chuckle at the people who couldn’t see prophecy happening right in front of their noses. We no longer have the luxury of taking anything we’ve enjoyed all our lives for granted. We cannot afford to stand in the middle of this mess (especially where our relationship with Jesus is concerned). We have to research and we have to pray and we have to choose.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mötley_Crüe ; election fraud:https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/11/03/us-election-fraud-is-real-and-its-impact-is-being-ignored/; https://cnsnews.com/commentary/hans-von-spakovsky/heres-what-election-fraud-deniers-dont-want-you-know; color revolution: https://www.conservativedailynews.com/2020/09/what-is-a-color-revolution/ ; O,: qanon.pub ; Act of 1871: https://americannationalmilitia.com/the-organic-act-of-1871-with-notes/ ; annavonreitz.com/actof1871pdf ; Agenda 2021: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/12/21/world-economic-forum-digital-davos-2021-to-reveal-great-reset-initiative/ ; https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/64002-what-to-do-if-you-miss-the-rapture; Revelation 6: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%206&version=KJV

The Salt and Light Perspective

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Salt can make things taste good, but it can also make your dog throw up. And, frankly, any kind of meat doesn’t taste that great (to me) without seasoning of some sort. Maybe that’s why some people don’t like vegetables. They don’t put salt on them. I confess I put garlic salt, tumeric, and olive oil on my salad. Though salting a salad seems counterproductive, it’s not against the law. Yet.

Living in an area where snow and ice aren’t uncommon, I don’t rejoice like people in Texas did this week when I see those little flakes falling. But I am grateful if I see sand or salt being scattered on the roads and sidewalks, because I know then that I’m less likely to slip and fall, crash, or end up in the ditch.

If you’ve ever had a bright light shined smack in your face, you know that it doesn’t help you see. It blinds you. If the person holding the light is a police officer, that blinding light helps you understand that you’re not in charge just then. But if you’re walking somewhere dark, you are very grateful for even a little bit of light. You don’t feel as vulnerable as you did before it appeared. Unless, I suppose, you believe in UFOs.

Salt has a lot of uses. Some people are glad for salt, but maybe, for some, it makes them want to throw up. Light is usually welcome, but not always. And I’m thinking just now that it doesn’t matter how it’s received; only that it’s there. It isn’t meant to be restricted to one thing or area, but every single area. The world, in fact.

This last paragraph is directed to Christians. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking our faith needs to be present in some places, but stay away from certain areas: Like pornography or trafficking or politics. The world is the world and everything in it. God put us in charge. He uses us in the world and everything in it because that is His intention. He intervenes sometimes, but He doesn’t expect us to stay out of the fray. And if we do and pat ourselves on the back for it, I believe He’ll be shining a blinding light in our faces very soon.

Images: pexels-kaboompics-com-6401-scaled.jpg; pexels-emre-kuzu-4820763.jpg;  Matthew 5:13-18  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Strip Search of 2020

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I was originally going to entitle this post “The Gifts of 2020”, but then I just – didn’t. I would’ve, mind you, twenty years ago. Or ten. Or maybe even five. But not now. Speaking gratefulness into dark times is the right thing to do, but it’s not the only thing.

I was thinking of lessons learned over the past nine or so months (strangely the amount of time it takes from the little blue line to birth pangs). Even five years ago we were praying II Chronicles 7:14, keeping our eyes open for forgiven sin and healed land. By now we have that thing memorized forwards and backwards, and have moved from uncertain voices decreeing and declaring for evil to be crushed and righteousness to rise, to fasting and praying and calling for demonic strongholds to be broken. We have begun to understand the intense spiritual battle we are unwittingly a part of and the pervasive deception Satan spreads.

Some people got mad and said they were tired of “thoughts and prayers”. Maybe God is, too. Maybe He’s looking for something more. Not in place of, but more.

This year has been akin to a strip search. The onion has been peeled. First we repented for our nation of its many and varied sins, but it wasn’t enough. So we looked at our churches and were dismayed to more deeply realize our careless leadership and undisciplined holiness. But it wasn’t enough. And it was there that we began to see our true nature, a nature that needed an amazing amount of renovation. CH Spurgeon said, If any man could see his own heart as it is by nature, he would be driven mad: the sight of our disease is not to be borne unless we also see the remedy. We began to open our eyes.

We discovered Proverbs was right. Our speech really can kill or give life, and the consequences of either lie at our doorstep. If you don’t believe me, have a gander at social media. Better yet, consider the lives lost from governors’ orders and big pharma and medical organizations’ changing claims.

We found, to our surprise and demise, that fear is a national epidemic. It wasn’t just you worrying about one thing or another. (Are you just a little relieved you’re not the only one rehearsing catastrophes in your imagination?) It was everyone! We couldn’t seem to get past worrying about our health or someone else’s health. Fear was the heavy chain we wore night and day.

During times of introspection, we realized the toxic blend of selfishness, self-centeredness, arrogance, laziness, cowardice (is seeking anonymity a form of cowardice?), immobilized faith – oh I could go on all day, but you get my drift – that we’ve allowed to fester in who we actually thought was a pretty good person. Ourselves!

God was waiting for us to get there. Well here we are. Stripped bare. We’ve got nothing. Not one thing to show for our blessed lives. Laodicea has nothing on us.

And here is the place, yes, this is the part where we look around our diseased existence and discover the way out. Our true power begins with faith in Jesus. Not the little stuff of small prayers uttered while we’re distracted with something else, but the big stuff of struggle and tears and crying out to God. We manifest what we say and believe. If fear, well, we’ve seen how that’s worked out. But if faith, my friends, oh, if faith there’s a glorious ending to all of this! Not right away. But through. Take courage! Maybe terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2020 really was a gift.

“If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14; Many and varied sins of the USA: abortion, unfaithful relationships, fornication and adultery, sexual perversions, gossip, lies, pornography, pedophilia, corrupt dealings, etc. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:32; “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Prov. 18:21; “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17 Images: NathanDumlaoforUnsplash; AaronBurdenforUnsplash; ZacDurantforUnsplash; ToaHeftibaforUnsplash; Phrase: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, 1972.

Thanks for Nothing

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I would like a simple large sign to lean against my house just outside my door. I want it to say something like “Thanksgiving” or “Give Thanks” or something similar. I don’t feel like I’m asking too much. Apparently I am.

Michaels? JoAnne Fabrics? JC Penney? Kohls? Von Maur? Macy’s? HOBBY LOBBY? Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. And, yes, I looked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, too. I just didn’t want to admit it. There are still markdowns from Halloween, mind you. And Christmas decor is exhibiting some splendor this year if you can ignore the black and white buffalo check (black and white?) and red trucks. Okay. The red pickup trucks can stay, but they don’t get top billing.

For those of you who quietly think to yourselves that this year is honestly a battle between heaven and hell, the Halloween decorations next to Christmas decorations might just send you running out the door in search of a pumpkin latte to calm your nerves. I’ll be right behind you.

If life has taught me anything, though, it’s taught me when the going gets tough, the tough . . . well you know the rest. I’m oh so well aware my cheerleader outfit would not fit me now and I’ll leave that cheer for your to finish – if you can talk yourself into it after the year from – nope. Not gonna say it. I would have to make my own sign. Who needs a rustic artisan? (Well, okay, actually I’m someone who does.) Who needs shiplap? Who needs to spend money?

I went outdoors to scout around. Near our fire pit wood stack, I found something that might work. I grabbed it. Then I stepped back to assess a pallet we’d saved, thinking it could be used for a rustic wedding picture thingy. My husband and I (really just me) were the only ones with that idea, however, and there it still rested against the garage. It’s a bit larger than I’d imagined using for my thanks sign, but there were possibilities. I hauled them both into the kitchen. Then I went back out and grabbed a block of wood we use for a back door doorstop, and stopped in the storage room for some Sharpie Paint pens. Who cares that they’re not my chosen colors? I wouldn’t have to spend a dime!

Then some icy snowflakes started falling, which led to plenty of time raking and bagging our maple leaves (the tree always dilly dallys about letting the leaves go until the very last minute). But it was fortuitous. For as I was looking for something in the garage, I stumbled on the answer to my situation. Yes, I really did stumble. Sometimes the Lord has to do that with me. Or maybe it’s my long-suffering guardian angel with a sense of humor. It’s fine. I’m actually kind of used to it by now.

And that’s the story behind the pallet in my kitchen, a doorstop on my counter, and a dear little signpost by my front door, a beacon of direction to us all.

                                       

 

Appeal to Heaven

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In the early stages of the Revolutionary War – a war fought by American colonists in response to England stripping away their rights and following not a few peaceful petitions to the throne, the fledgling nation was without a flag. They knew a war with their mother country, a leading global power, was a David and Goliath contest.

During that tumultuous and history-changing time, the writings of John Locke peppered the discussion and direction of our young country. Those writings included an explanation of the right to just revolution, and asserted that when all appeals were exhausted, men could appeal to Heaven, itself, in order to reclaim their unalienable rights.

“When the early militiamen and naval officers flew the Pinetree Flag emblazoned with its motto “An Appeal for Heaven,” it was not some random act with little significance or meaning. Instead, they sought to march into battle with a recognition of God’s Providence and their reliance on the King of Kings to right the wrongs which they had suffered. The Pinetree Flag represents a vital part of America’s history and an important step on the journey to reaching a national flag during the early days of the War for Independence.”

“The Americans’ thinking and philosophy was so grounded on a Biblical perspective that even a British parliamentary report in 1774 acknowledged that, “If you ask an American, ‘Who is his master?’ He will tell you he has none—nor any governor but Jesus Christ.””

Faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, after “months of intense fighting with several significant defeats and no major victories”, George Washington was “compelled to appeal to Heaven and rest the defense of our liberties and privileges upon the favor and protection of Divine Providence.” The Appeal to Heaven flag was the flag he raised.

We face extremely serious threats today. Our nation has been under the authoritarian rule of smooth-talking politicians who patted our heads with one hand while stealing, killing, and destroying with the other. I do not say that lightly. Abhorrent things have gone on without our knowledge or consent. Our country has been sold to the highest bidder. We’ve been infiltrated, and those who would overthrow our nation have control of nearly every part of our society. Media we trusted has been a tool for deception. We must appeal to Heaven, making sure as we do so that such an appeal must be worth the trouble and cost, for God cannot be mocked.

On the cusp of this important election, pray God He will come to our rescue. Pray we will not be overtaken by the tyrannical plans of the NWO or CCP or any other efforts to overthrow this great nation. Plead for restoration of Godliness in every area of our society. Ask for righteous leaders. Appeal to Heaven!

Research: Wallbuilders.com; mountvernon.org

Friday Prayer Thoughts: The Battle Belongs to the Lord

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“You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.” Well there you go. Sometimes we don’t need to fight a battle. But we still need to show up.

Then again there are battles that scare the wits out of us, but God didn’t put us here to run away. When we face something we’re uncertain of, it’s a good thing to know we don’t face it alone. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

What a ragtag bunch we are, but we’re not backing down. We can see there’s a battle to be waged all around us. The battle is for truth and righteousness, souls, and freedom.

Our nation is infiltrated with communism. Our main news has become propaganda and we don’t even know when that happened. Other reporters are now censored by technology we’ve become dependent on. Our morals slid so far down, we’re now fighting for a baby not to be killed at birth rather than at conception, a battle for life that should never have been lost in the first place. Sexual promiscuity and perversion is rampant and people don’t even recognize it. Innocents are trafficked. Little is regarded as holy. The list – oh dear Lord – the list is endless! Like Hezekiah did, we lay that terrible list before you. We plead for Your intervention!

Use us however you see fit to reveal good in its beauty and to unveil evil in its horror. To not shrink back from truth-telling, but to do so with as much gentleness as we can manage. But it’s awful, isn’t it? And awful isn’t often well-handled with a gentle hand. So give us discernment as we tell the truth which sets us free.

We decree and declare by the purifying blood of Jesus and in His mighty Name that chaos in all forms will dissipate into nothing and order will prevail, that devastation will be set right, and that righteousness will spread across this one nation under God. We ask You to crush evil completely. In ourselves. In family. In church. In government. In academia. In media. In entertainment. In business. We don’t want even a corner or crumb left of what dishonors Your Name.

We call down angels from heaven to work and fight alongside us. We ask for wisdom, discernment, and insight. We thank You that in our weakness, You are our strength.

You fought the battles of Israel alongside their mighty men and their quick-thinking women. Sometimes You threw the enemy into confusion and they didn’t need to fight at all; only be still. We’d prefer that of course. Ha. But we’re here. We want to be useful. Tell us go and we’ll go. Stay and we’ll stay. Speak and we’ll speak. And we’ll talk with You and listen for You the whole time, knowing that this battle truly belongs to You.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name and for Your glory, Amen

II Chronicles 20:17; Ephesians 6:12; II Kings 19:14-15; Image: Ethan Jones from Pexels

Friday Prayer Thoughts: Forgiveness

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Someone should make a movie called Forgiveness: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. We’ve all encountered it: Having to face the ugliness of hurt, pushing through the pain, and exerting the discipline of forgiving someone who did us wrong – bad, if you will. And when we come to the place of letting go, cutting the cord, handing it all to the Lord, it really can be something very good. Jesus reminds us to forgive others so that we will be forgiven.

We know all about feeling we’ve been wronged. But we need to be truthful about being on the other end of it: of having wronged someone. Somehow it often doesn’t seem as serious to us when we’re on the other side of the story; but our excuses are a security blanket. As we continue in the shaking of our nation, we need to acknowledge a shaking in ourselves, as well. We look within and wade through every single sin, small or great against another. It’s not comfortable and can even be bad and ugly. And we repent, which leads to goodness.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We hate any damage that comes between us and another. We’ve cried, we’ve carried gut sadness and anger, we’ve spent too much time reviewing something that happened or was said or done. We know the hurt. But we also know how much You have forgiven – so much more than we are faced with. Maybe they haven’t or will never ask forgiveness. Maybe they don’t care. Maybe they still intend the hurt. But we don’t want the chain that comes with unforgiveness. We’ll leave that for them to deal with, and choose to walk into the beautiful light of forgiveness. Here and now we truly and completely forgive ________ and we wipe that slate clean. And should that hurt reappear we resolve to wipe it clean again. And again. Until it dissolves. Because Satan is the great accuser, but we don’t want to be like him. We want to be like You.

And we look inside ourselves and we confess every single thing. We list them here. ____________ And we are so sorry for the sadness or hurt or harm we have done. Please forgive us. We ask for healing for the person we have offended. We ask for help and blessing for them. As far as the east is from the west please remove our sins from us. We resolve to be better.

We know that in Your justice is mercy, the mercy for which we are all so very grateful. We pray that in our intention to show mercy, we will not get in bed with the devil. We will not agree with his intentions in order to make ourselves feel open-hearted. We will not pretend wrong is okay as long as we love. We will not dismiss holiness as outdated. We will be defensive of Your honor. We don’t want to hurt You or cause offense to Your Name. And we need Your insight, discernment, and wisdom in this. We ask for Your mind in these matters so that we don’t make light of the sin You died for just to make ourselves feel generous.

Thank You, Lord, for forgiving us. You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. We love You so much. So very much.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, 1966, story by Sergio Leone and Luciano Vincenzoni. Screenwriters: Sergio Leone, Luciano Vincenzoni, Furio Scarpell, Agenore Incrocci. Movie directed by Sergio Leone; Scripture: Matthew 5; Image: Fair Use.

If You Can Keep It

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In the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Constitutional Convention, a lady asked Dr. Benjamin Franklin as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”  Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.” That was in 1787. Two hundred and thirty-three years later, Benjamin Franklin watches through heaven’s veil, his eyes blazing with intensity, as the citizens of America debate over social media.

John Locke lifts the fabric of time to watch how governors, police departments, and citizens respond to domestic terrorism of every kind in the year 2020, and says, “Where law ends, tyranny begins.” William Penn moves next to him as the terrorists, many of them citizens, act in moral aberration, and mutters, “Passion is a sort of fever in the mind, which ever leaves us weaker than it found us.“

Picking up the recent 86 page encyclical of Pope Francis, John Adams reads these words: “The right to private property can only be considered a secondary natural right, derived from the principle of the universal destination of created goods.” Adams moves closer to his fireplace, his irritated voice echoing loudly in the room, “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.” He pulls out a knife and begins cutting the paper written with the short-sighted words. James Otis sits across from him and holds out his hand to receive the bits; then throws them into the fire. He agrees, “One of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one’s house. A man’s house is his castle.”


An unknown citizen of days gone by picks up the Boston Gazette. It reads: Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.

Two university students, one from Harvard and one from Yale walk together down the road. “And it is the best part of the day, don’t you agree?” The other nods. “Our universities would be in true error if the requirement to read the Bible twice per day was stripped from our curriculum. All knowledge without God is vain. There’s a reason God was quoted more than any other in the Founding Documents.” They peer into the fog of a distant time with alarm.

George Washington pulls back time’s curtain to observe the current state of the country for which he sacrificed so much. “The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves.” Nearby, Abraham Lincoln says, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” But I hope – hope and pray – that “the government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth“.

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John Adams on Property rights: A Defence of the Constitutions of the Government of the United States of America, 1787; James Otis on Property rights: Writs of Assistance, 1761; Boston Gazette, 1781; Images: Kids Discover; Fair Use; Unsplash Kelly Sikkema; Pexels.com