This is "THE DAY"

Most of the people that read this blog know that I have children that were and are in the military.  They also would know that at various times between the years of 2005 and 2010 there were three deployments.  There was one  that deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and the other has been in Iraq.  It was their choice to join the military and though I am so very proud of them I would not have chosen the military for them.

I am a proud citizen of the United States and willing to defend if needed but the thought of my children going into danger seemed almost impossible to bear.  I knew there would be a chance of injury or death and if I could have kept them from deploying I would have.  I did not want my children sacrificed!!!  There were sad, anxious tears and moments during each deployment but what tears of joy with each return!!!

I may not have been willing for a child of mine to be sacrificed but I know of One who was.  I don't know how this Father could stand to see His Son tortured and beaten.  How could He watch as His Son walked the road to a certain death.  The crowds yelled, mocked and spit on Him during that long walk that ended at a cross.

This Father and Son were willing even though they knew that "THE DAY" would come when the Son would walk the path to the cross.  They were willing because of YOU and ME.  Without the cross we would be nothing because it didn't end there.  The Son rose again!!!!  He is alive and because of His sacrifice we can experience eternal life.

The Death of Jesus: Matthew 27

 ⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[d]
 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”
 ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
 ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
 ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
 ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

 ¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
 ² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
 ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
 ⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Jesus did sacrifice for us but HE is ALIVE!!! 


   

Who's Your Daddy??

Do you know who you are?  Where did you come from and where are you going?  In other words, who's your daddy?  I have seen this question alot lately and it has my mind buzzing.  Most people know who their daddy is, so to me it seemed like a silly question at first but who is your daddy and where did he come from?  What about your mother?

I would venture to say that most of the people reading this blog are citizens of the United States as are most of our parents but is that what makes us who we are?  Are we who we are because of our parents, our experiences or a mixture?  Does if have to do with our ancestry?  What defines who you are?

I was born the fourth of five children to parents of mixed ancestries.  This probably helped define who they became and in that sense who I have become.  My dad's heritage is Hungarian and also from other various parts of Europe.  I have a copy of the citizenship paper where his grandparents and his then two year old father became citizens of the United States in 1892.  My mother was born with a mixture of Irish, Dutch and Indian.  I grew up to stories of how her dad was almost full blood Indian but there is nothing to prove it.  There are stories but nothing on a roll.  My son has found on ancestry.com where my mom's great grandfather married a cousin of President Jackson.  Proof will be when documentation is found.  Does a document define who we are?

My parents may have came from mixed bloodlines and these lines may help define them but their biggest influence on me was taking me to church.  It was there that I learned of a heavenly citizenship and that there is right and wrong.   Their taking me to church is where I learned of the One who took my place and sins to the Cross and His name is Jesus. They pointed me to the perfect bloodline.  My hope is that people realize that my biggest defining point is Jesus.

My name may not be on an Indian roll BUT when the roll is called up yonder I will be there.  My name is on that roll!! Is yours???


                       In memory of my daddy, 1927-1995, and in honor of my mommy!!

Throwing up in Church

Throw up or vomit according to the dictionary means to eject matter from the stomach through the mouth.  If you have ever thrown up then you know it can be much more than that.  Throwing up can be a vile, toxic stench that comes spewing from your mouth and nose with such force it shatters the calm of life.  It can accompany sickness, pregnancy or children.

My first experience with throwing up in church was when I was a young child.  It was close to Christmas and we were practicing for the Christmas program.  My brother kept pointing behind me and of course I had to twirl around to look.  I remember we were singing 'Away in the Manager' holding song books pretending that we could read the song.  I am not sure if I made it to the second verse because after about three twirls of looking behind me a foul, disgusting stream of chunks expelled from my mouth and onto the song book.  I was very mortified and put the book on the altar and ran to the bathroom.  Several minutes passed and I went back toward the sanctuary and peeked through the door.  The room was empty, the song book and throw up gone.  Someone had cleaned up my mess.  There was no sign that I had left something so noxious at the altar.

Another 'adventure' with throwing up in church involved my first born son.  He looked so clean and sweet on that Sunday morning.  I had him in on my lap during worship service.  I was cuddling him close when he made an awful noise that brought forth a small river of ill smelling, slimy looking yuck.  I gathered him close and tried to sneak from the service but left a few puddles of vomit on the pew.  I wiped at it with the edge of my dress and slunk out to clean my son up.  I ran to the nursery and took care of him then tried to sneak back into the service with a wet rag to clean the pew.  I got to the pew but someone had cleaned up the vomit.  It was gone.


Both times I felt embarrassed but God's family wiped away the mess and left it clean.  I know you might feel ashamed at the thought of throwing up in church but God  wants our throw up.  He wants us to bring our vile, depraved, toxic selves to His altar.  You might think that nobody can cleanse your vomit but God can.  He paved the way, with His Son, for us to bring our vomit and throw it up to Him. 

John 3:16-17 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.