Reformation Celebration

It was Martin Luther (1483-1546) who sparked the Reformation when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church. He did this on October 31, 1517...489 years ago. The 95 Theses were a call to discuss how to reform the church and was an attack on papal abuses and the sale of indulgences. This act changed the landscape of the church from that day on.

Other Reformers of note were Martin Bucer (1491-1551), Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560), Ulrich Zwingli (1484 - 1531), William Tyndale (1496 - 1561), John Knox (1505 - 1572), John Calvin (1509-1564) and Theodore Beza (1519-1605).

As Christians, we have something significant to celebrate and focus on when October 31 rolls around. God in His sovereignty gave Christians something real to celebrate on that day...not just a Fall Festival or Havest Party...but the Reformation! We should not be caught up in Halloween and all the evil that is associated with it. No matter how innocent you think your participation is, it is still associated with something that is the antithesis of the Christian life. If there was a day that celebrated something evil like abortion, would we as Christians associate ourselves with that in *any* way. The answer is a resounding NO. So why on earth, would we every choose to dress our children up and send them out to gather candy from strangers, on a high holy night for Satan's followers?

A couple of places to read up a little about Halloween that might change the way you think if it is just *innocent* in your mind....

To read one article Click Here

To read another article Click Here

Enjoy your evening. Just remember what you are celebrating tonight when you choose to participate in Halloween activities or Reformation activities!

Body Piercing

Don't worry, I didn't go out and get my body pierced. At this stage of the game, after three children and 17 years of marriage, I have doubts that I could even find my belly button! I won't even begin to mention the other areas that people are getting pierced these days!

When I think of the trend amongst the young people today of mutilating themselves, it just sickens me. I think it is so unattractive, unsanitary, unnecessary and it seems to just be another form of rebellion. I find it a very strange thing to go into a store and be served by someone with a piece of metal sticking out of their eyebrow, nose, cheek or lip. Regardless of what that person looks like, all I see is that piece of metal. I stare at it and do not make eye contact with them. It is an eery fascination of looking upon something you find repulsive yet continues to draw you in. Almost like when someone says, "Want to see something gross?" To which you catch yourself responding, "Sure!"

I was reading an article about an 18 year old girl who went to get her nipple pierced. Why anyone would want to get their nipple pierced, I honestly do not know. Especially if you ever want to nurse your children when you have a family. Something tells me though, that the kind of person who goes to get their nipple pierced, is not thinking about future childbearing years at that time! In any case, it is a very sad story of that girl getting an infection and subsequently having to have her entire breast removed due to infection. So, instead of being an 18 year old girl with a pierced nipple, she now is an 18 year old girl with one breast. It is a very sad scenario that will no doubt bring many troubles into her life as she deals with the results of her choice.

Read the article HERE

The most amazing story of body piercing that I know of is found in the Scriptures. It is in Exodus 21:5-7. It is a passage about Hebrew slaves and it paints a beautiful picture for one who is in Christ. It says:

"But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."

I want to be like that slave. A slave who loves his master so much that he will take me to the doorpost so I might place my ear upon the wood. My master would then drive that awl through my earlobe as a sign of his ownership. My pierced ear would be like a badge declaring to everyone who sees me, that I am a slave of Christ. For being a slave of Christ, is to be truly free. Just as the Scriptures say in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

I praise God today that I am
a slave to Christ
a servant of the King
a co-heir with Jesus
a sheep in the sheepfold
a priest in the priesthood
a lost coin which was found
a prodigal returned
a sinner saved by grace.

Personality Test

Someone on the homeschool board I hang out on had posted a link to this site:

Personality Test

I was very excited about taking that test!

Just reading the descriptions, I could already tell you that I am, without a doubt:

A Sanguine Choleric.

Now for the test.....**insert elevator music here**

Oh my goodness....I was just about right on the money.

Official word:

Your personality is Choleric Sanguine.

Melancholy Strength:2 Weakness:0 5%
Phlegmatic Strength:0 Weakness:0 0%
Sanguine Strength:9 Weakness:10 48%
Choleric Strength:9 Weakness:10 48%

I have always wanted to take one of those tests!

I am thinking a Pastor's Wife would do well to have a little Phlegmatic in her....oh well! lol

Take the test and let me know what YOU are!!

Is Nothing Sacred?!

This is scary. So called *Transgender* Men can use the Women's washroom anywhere on the New York Transit System. As a parent, that just makes my skin crawl. We cannot even have the freedom to take our children into the washrooms without them being faced with a man dressed in drag. We are left to explain that oddity to children who should not yet even be entertaining the thought. Just picture it, George dressed as Georgina freshing up his make-up beside you as your brush your hair. **shiver**


Girls' room his, too

Transgender men free to use ALL of MTA's loos

BY PETE DONOHUE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER


Helena Stone, formerly Henry McGuinness, stands her ground yesterday outside Grand Central Terminal's ladies' room, which can now be used by transgender men.

The line for the girls' room just got longer.
Men who live as women can now legally use women's rest rooms in New York's transit system under an unprecedented deal revealed yesterday.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to allow riders to use MTA rest rooms "consistent with their gender expression," the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund announced yesterday.

The group filed a complaint against the MTA on behalf of a 70-year-old telephone repair technician who was arrested for using the women's room at Grand Central Terminal.

The technician, who is assigned to the terminal by Verizon, was born Henry McGuinness but now goes by Helena Stone.

"I'm a 24-hour woman," Stone declared proudly. "I just feel like a woman and I like to wear women's clothes."

The MTA would not comment on the settlement but Stone's lawyer said it also includes mandatory transgender sensitivity training for MTA employees and a $2,000 payment to the technician for legal fees.

Michael Sullivan, Stone's lawyer, called the settlement of the complaint with the Human Rights Commission a "milestone" toward recognition of the city law that prohibits discrimination against transgender men and women.

But some Metro-North riders at Grand Central yesterday were stunned by the ruling.

"I would not like that," said Gloria David, a retiree from Connecticut. "I have nothing against gay men or drag queens, but they can use the men's room. I just don't want to go to the bathroom next to a man."

One rider feared predators might dress as women and lurk in the women's room.

But Rena Gantz, 23, a college student, shrugged off the settlement.

"It doesn't bother me because it is a reality," she said. "If they believe they are women, they should be treated as one."

The Bishop flies the Coop

Okay, the title of this post is a little deceiving. The Bishop actually left in the wee hours of the morning for the Philippines. He is teaching at a seminary and will be gone until November 1. We are going to miss him dreadfully!! Another cool thing is that he is going to be able to visit one of our Compassion children while he is there. We sent off a pile of goodies for him to bring to her and her family and it is so exciting to know that he will be meeting the little girl we pray for everyday.

Today, we are taking the day off of homeschool. I have a business meeting this evening and I have a terrible headache that won't go away. I think it may be from getting up at 3:45 am this morning to see The Bishop off. Even my beloved coffee is not curing it! lol

The Bishop will not arrive in the Philippines until Friday evening at around 11 pm. It is a long trip so please pray that it goes well. We will not hear from him this time until Saturday morning. Last year, he had time at his stopover in Hong Kong to email us, but he only has 1 hour in Hong Kong and will be busy getting to his next flight.

It is going to be a very busy trip for him. He is teaching during the day and preaching in the evening. He will be visiting the church building that our church here built. That is going to be awesome. Last year when he went that church was meeting in a bamboo lean to type of thing...now there is a full building for them to meet and worship God in! How awesome that we have the priviledge to be part of that. No matter where believers are in the world, no matter what language we speak, no matter what we look like, no matter how we live, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Acts 10:34-36

Parent Appreciation

No, this is not an article about how my children should appreciate us more as their parents....that will come in time. This is actually an appeal to all of us as adults, to appreciate *our* parents more.

My parents live about 1600 miles away from us. Actually, we live 1600 miles away from them. It was six years ago that we moved away from them and all of my family. It was a lonely experience, but at the same time, an adventure. Being married to a Pastor brings definite adventures into the life!

My parents left this morning after a 9 day visit. I bawled like a baby. I love my parents. They are good people and have been good parents my sister and to me. Growing up was a good experience in our home. We had two parents, a father who worked hard to provide for us and a mother who cared for us at home. We had a beautiful house, all the necessities of life and then some. We were loved, not hated. We were encouraged, not discouraged. We were cared for, not neglected. Humanly speaking, we had a home life to be proud of. It was not perfect, but it was a good home. Although we had all of that, we were missing something of first importance....Jesus Christ.

I was saved at the age of 19 when I went away to university. It was not until 16 years later that God opened my mother's heart and graciously saved her. Then, the following year, God mercifully saved my father....on Father's Day!! I praise God daily for the mercy He has shown our family. The dynamics of our relationship has changed so drastically since they have become Christians. Not only are they my parents, but they are my brother and sister in Christ. How awesome is that?! My husband baptized my parents, with their three grandchildren looking on. It was such a glorious moment and one of the most precious in my life...to see my parents, who I prayed for so many years, professing faith in Christ and getting baptized in our church.

I praise God for His love and grace to our family. I thank Him for giving me such good parents and for sending salvation into our home. I pray that we will have many, many more years with my parents. Family is a special gift from God. We should take the time to show others how much we appreciate them. I want to do that more.

Cancer Kills

I am so sad to write about this. My Uncle has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. He is 64 years old. One of his older brothers also died of lung cancer a few years ago, at the age of 64. He has not smoked for years, but that really doesn't matter. It is in both lungs. The oncologist told him today that he is not hopeful. He is running some more tests next week in preparation for surgery. He plans on opening him up to take a look. The doctor said that if it ends up being what he expects...that he is going to just sew him back up again. Not encouraging words.

My Uncle is not a Christian. Over the past few years he has become more open to the things of God but to my knowledge, he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Please pray for him. Pray for healing of his body but more importantly, that God will save him.