Motivated by LOVE... How to vote in an Election...

Voting that is "Motivated by LOVE."  That is what the Holy Spirit brought to mind as we were praying for the US elections last night.  This presidential race is strategic in the scheme of  things.  This president will be in a place to choose the next Two to  Five Supreme Court Justices in America.  This president has his finger on the pulse... or heartbeat of millions of babies with the choice to stand for Pro-life or abortion.  

Forgiveness comes through the cross for those who have had abortions in the past, but Life comes from the Resurrection and through Godly people who will stand for truth and the sanctity of life for all people... In the words of Dr. Seuss and "Horton" from the children's book HORTON HEARS A WHO..." A person's a person, no matter how small."

As Canadians, we can't vote in the American elections, but we can pray, we can discuss these issues,  and we can pray some more!  We can seek those within our own government who have the power to set policy in Canada, and we can make a personal choice to Choose Life.... and life everlasting.

The Choice IS yours.

Check out this interview with Sarah Palin, John McCain's Running Mate

Just for fun... Check out this Movie Trailer for "Horton Hears a Who."

His ways are NOT our ways...

I was just wondering about the processes that God allows us to go through to become "More like Him." He easily could prevent every hardship in our lives if He wanted to. The fact that He chooses not to is important in His perfect plans for us... His plans "to prosper us and not to harm us." We can grow closer to Him (and ultimately more like Him) by understanding His reasons for allowing our trials and tribulations.

One story that I want to share with you happened to me over the summer. Things were NOT going the way I had planned. A job that I had really enjoyed had ended suddenly, my children and I were going through custody and access struggles with my husband's ex-girlfriend, finances were being stretched, bills were piling up, and I still had to take a trip across B.C. to go pick up one of my daughters at our Grandparent's Cabin.

On the way, our vehicle started to act up. It is a long and winding story, but suffice it to say, that the cost of the repair was going to be more than the car was worth... So, basically we were now tired, broke and without transportation! Fortunately, God got us where we were heading, thanks to several "God-incidences" and a Greyhound bus, but we also found out shortly after that the place was 15 km away from a forest fire!! (see July's "Summer's Journey - Through the Fire "Blog for that story) .

Anyway, we had been out at the cabin for several days, when everything that was happening started to hit me hard. I was in "pity-party heaven." Oh, whoa is me... I was so hard done by and nothing was going right... blah... blah... blah... Cry... Cry... Cry.... etc. etc. etc. The sky had been sunny, but then the clouds were sure starting to roll in bringing on the rain. It was the type of sky that you could still see some sunny patches, but the rain was coming down. It was the type of sky that usually brought rainbows... BUT this time, there wasn't even a rainbow.

I actually started to complain to God that at LEAST in the midst of everything I was going through, He could have given me a rainbow, give me some promise of good in the midst of everything that was going wrong... BUT THE RAINBOW WASN'T THERE....

Can you just picture Him shaking His head and chuckling. I wonder what He thinks about when He sees his kids going through this type of whimpering. Here we have an Almighty, All Loving, All Powerful God, Sovereign God, but we still think we know better than He does.

I had cried well into the night, and was still in "a mood" the next day and the weather was about the same as well... still raining. Things in my life hadn't changed, but this time, when I went out onto the patio, He greeted me with not one, but TWO Rainbows! It was beautiful! And then I remembered my whining from the day before.... I could almost see His eyes twinkling as He looked upon me with just a touch of mischief in His eyes. "Surprise!"

When I listened closely in the midst of that incredible view, I recognized His voice... "Yes, child... My promises are always true." I may not know all that God purposes for my life when I go through these trials, but I have to believe in Him and remember, 1) God is Always Good, and 2) I can Always Trust Him... because I've come to know this is the Character of God.... He Loves me, and I know that anything I go through will ALWAYS be a part of His perfect plan....

Darling of Heaven Crucified... More like Jesus...

Darling of Heaven Crucified... This was a line from one of the songs (Worthy is the Lamb... see below) that we were worshipping to tonight. Can you imagine the pain that The Father must have felt as He watched Jesus go through everything that led Him to the Cross... then to have Him take the burden of ALL of our sins upon Himself. The final assault being to deliberately turn away from His Son while He hung on that Cross. CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE THE FATHER'S PAIN TO WATCH HIM GO THROUGH THAT ALONE? The DARLING of Heaven crucified. Jesus was the Father's Darling....

That line from the song hit me particularly hard as I started to think about my own two "darlings." There are days when I feel that THEY are being ripped from MY presence. There are days when I see the enemy trying to rob, kill and destroy. There are days when I see the enemy trying to draw the girls into the world and into the world's disfunctional idea of the family...

But then I remember... Each moment that Jesus was separated from the Father... God's heart must have ached too. He shares in my sorrows... and now, I see that I can have a small sense of His.

The LORD gave me a revealation of this tonight. God doesn't want His children being distracted by the things of the world... but He watches us, His children, make wrong turns all the time. It breaks His heart. I know how I feel when my girls go astray sometimes, and I only have two children. How must it be for our Heavenly Father to watch ALL of His children get drawn away?

Fortunately, Jesus had a relationship with the Father.... Even though Jesus couldn't feel His Father's presence when He was hanging on the cross... Jesus trusted in Who His Father was. He trusted that God is ALWAYS Good and He knew that He was in the Father's Will. I have to believe that my girls know my LOVE for them, and that nothing they ever do can ever change that. With God's help, and His LOVE in my heart for them, we can pull through this fire.

That is what He revealed. What the girls and I have been going through this past year is actually an answer to a prayer that I started the year with. My New Year's Resolution was to be "More Like Jesus."

Tonight He revealed that for ME to be "more like Him", I had to have His heart for His children. As I struggle with watching my children make bad choices, I can now understand some of how He feels when we make bad choices. As I watch my children get led astray by the world, I can understand how He feels when His children are led astray by the enemy. As I watch someone or something else draw my children away from me and from God, I can understand how He watches each one of us as we face similar distractions. He sees the temptations and sin that turns our focus from Him to something else.

Now, I know some of what He feels....

Am I thankful for answered prayer... I think I am. I do have a different perspective now, but I pray that this lesson is almost over! All I have to remember was two things... 1) Because I have a relationship with the Father, I know Who God is, and 2) I know that He is ALWAYS good. He wouldn't be allowing this to happen, if it wasn't GOOD.

Praise God for answered prayer and for any revelation that make's me "more like Jesus..." Caution: I am finding that this is a dangerous prayer!

Worthy is the Lamb - Hillsong

Thank you for the cross, Lord

Thank you for the price You paid

Bearing all my sin and shame

In love You came

And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love, Lord

Thank you for the nail pierced hands

Washed me in Your cleansing flow

Now all I know

Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb

Seated on the throne

Crown You now with many crowns

You reign victorious

High and lifted up

Jesus Son of God

The Darling of Heaven crucified

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb