Go Red Birds!

I am rooting for the Cardinals. I can't believe it but if I need to do it for the Cubs then so be it.

Thankful Thursday: I only have a low grade fever and I don't feel completely wretched from my cold.

Thankful Thursday

I have not written a Thankful Thursday in some time but this week is easy. Today my family welcomed Cameron, all 7lbs. 10 oz. of him. Apparently, his mama is in excellent shape and spirits. She isn't tired at all and ready to leave the hospital. I want to be like her when I grow up. She is made of tough stuff (and darn cute).

Definition of Christianity Part II- Too long to be a comment

I contacted another one of my Mormon friends.In the past we had talked about a evangelical minister and Mormon who traveled together discussing these issues. They are Robert Millet and Gregory Johnson. I told him about the discussion I was having concerning the definition of Christianity and I asked him if I could include his response here.

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,' "Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'"

"But `glory' doesn't mean `a nice knock-down argument,'" Alice objected.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's all."

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again.

"They've a temper, some of them -- particularly verbs, they're the proudest -- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -- however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That's what I say!"

That's from Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

I can see the point. Our church doesn't accept other church's baptisms as fulfilling completely the commandment, so to them it's like we're already telling them that they're not Christian enough for us. So they respond by saying, well you're not Christian, either. "

Definition of Christianity

I read a post on another blog from someone who just moved and her new neighbors are Mormons. I told my Mormon friend about the post and our discussion led us to what is the definition of Christianity. The bottom line was this: who defines what it means to be Christians. There are some people who refer to themselves as Christians but do not include Mormons. All of the Mormons that I know define themselves as Christians. My friend said that his definition of Christianity does not exclude them so why do they exclude him (I am paraphrasing and summarizing several discussions here). Who has the right to say what it means to be a Christian? Both groups believe in the Bible. Is it a matter of ignorance and exclusivity? Does it come down to the theology of the Godhead in terms of who Christ is and therefore what a relationship with Him actually means?

Collaborative 40 Day Fast

Proverbs 22:2-"Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all."

There are many organizations that share the love of Christ in so many wonderful ways to so many people both here and abroad. I encourage you to go to this site and read more about them. If you want to read more about the 40 Day Fast, volunteer for a day, or start your own then I encourage you to go here.
I've decided to write about two organizations in this post. They are Blood:Water Mission and Crisis Pregnancy Center. The reason why two organizations are being discussed in this post is because I am still learning about the first organization. Blood:Water Mission (B:WM) was started by members of Jars of Clay. Here in America we worry about whether we should be drinking tap water or bottled water and whether or not that bottled water is extra purified tap water. We take our supply of clean water for granted. Over a billion people (WHO) are without safe drinking water and even more are without proper sanitation. Many diseases are passed through the oral/fecal route and shed in both animals and humans. These pathogenic organisms (germs) enter the water supply and then can infect those who consume the water. The most susceptible populations are children and the elderly who don't have as much ability to fight the infections. Combine that with the malnutrition found in developing countries and you have millions of people suffering from diarrhea, impaired vision and cognition, and dysentery just to name a few. With all that being said, water is still essential for survival and must be consumed. B:WM has a 1000 Wells Project that is striving to provide 1000 wells and clean water to 1000 African communities. Please go check out the site and prayerfully consider how you can help. If you have more information about this organization then please comment on this post.

The second organization that I encourage you to get involved with/pray for is Crisis Pregnancy Center (CPC). There are many varieties of this organization that helps young women who find themselves dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. According to Wikipedia (I know) 46 million abortions happen every year worldwide and 26 million of them occur in countries where it is legal to do so. The world rate is 26 abortions to 100 pregnancies worldwide. Pregnancy is difficult physically, emotionally, and financially. These organizations typically provide FREE services such as pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, parent education classes, adoption counseling, supplies for after the baby is born, and support and encouragement for the scared mother. I believe that the more you learn about all the biological processes that must happen in order to have a baby, the more convinced you become that there is a God and every child is a miracle. This organization helps to share that information.

I would like to tell you about a few women who found themselves desperately in need of support, found that support, and are so very glad that they did. These stories are part of the reasons why I feel so strongly about this need.

The first woman found herself pregnant by a man who was not very honest. He was a truck driver and that allowed him to carry on a lengthy relationship with her while he was secretly married to another woman. Needless to say, that pregnancy news did not go over well. There were many people who encouraged her to terminate her pregnancy. She did not have much money and neither did the father or the rest of her family. She did find a place and people who supported her and encouraged her to keep her child. That support was vital to her and is the reason she chose life.

The next woman found herself with child in the midst of a very difficult period. Her husband had been very sick for a long time. He eventually was on life support and she had to make the choice to let him go. She looked for comfort from her grief in the wrong place and found herself pregnant. As she was deciding what to do, friends and family encouraged her to go to the local CPC. She now has a very beautiful girl who loves to give hugs and kisses to everyone she meets.

For every story like those there is an equally sad story. I have watched friends struggle with their decisions. I am not saying that going to the CPC solves all the problems but I do think they help meet the needs in the name of Christ. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this organization. If you are a local female then I encourage you to consider becoming a "Mommy Mentor". If that doesn't work for you then there are several other ways you can get involved. When I was in elementary school my church used to make blankets and quilts for our local center and they were always very welcomed.

There are so many ways that we can share the love of Christ with others. I encourage you to find a way to get involved.
1 Cor. 13:3-"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

Thankful Thursday Except for the whole week

I had a really great week. God taught me something last weekend and I am just sorry that it took me a few times to get it. Thankfully, God sees our heart and knows how to reach us. Praise Him for that. I am also thankful for His revelations to others who are willing to share those insights in conversations or even through writings. I am currently very thankful for the insights in Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis. Prayer is a sweet time of fellowship with the Lord.
I am very thankful that while my father is not currently doing very well (his atrial fibrillation is increasing) he is not in the hospital and really trying to take care of himself. He is going to his wellness classes and he is talking about the role of Christ in his life. God is using this to mature my father and show him how fleeting our time here on earth really is. The Lord is dealing mightily with my father and he is finally listening.
I am thankful for my mother who has a birthday very soon. She is beautiful and thank God for our relationship.
I am thankful that a certain soldier returned safely from Iraq. I pray that God would dwell richly in him as he readjusts to life in the States.

This has been a sweet week of fellowship with my Lord and I praise Him for His Word and how He uses it through the Spirit to both rebuke and comfort us. All glory be to God.