I Will Look to the Lord and His Strength

The last few days I have been frantically writing parts 3, 4 and 5 of my research paper.  In fact, I wrote all three pages of part 5 today and plan to revise and add to it tomorrow.  I also did the practice critical reading sections today too, and that took white a while.  I really wasn't sure if I could get everything done before Friday night.  Now it looks like things are going to work out fine.


At first, I had no idea what to put in part 4 and had no clue where to start with part five.  I felt like giving up.  I knew I just couldn't do it.  But God is amazing and He always comes through.  He gave me a mother who was able to give me advice and help me with part 4; I really couldn't have done it without her.  And today He gave me the words to put in part 5 and led me to the right sources for the information.  It still needs a lot of work, but now I have enough time to get it done.  And God has provided me a great friend who I can go and hang out with tomorrow so I can have a break and get out of the house.


I asked God for strength and to help me with this paper and He really did.  Prayer works and prayer is powerful.  I've really been seeing that recently.  If you need strength, ask Him and He will give it to you.

Up To Date Bibliography

Bohlin, Sue. “Same Sex Marriage: A Façade of Normalcy.” Probe Ministries. Probe Ministries. 2005. Web. 29 Oct. 2009. .

Edmison, John. “What Does The Bible Say About Same Sex Marriage?” Christian Answers. Christian Answers Network. 2002. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. .

Eldredge, John and Stasi. Captivating. Tennessee: Nashville, 2005. Print.

Fitzpatrick, Laura. “Same-Sex Marriage.” Time Jan. 12 2010: 20. Print.

“Gay Marriage.” Catholic Answers. Catholic Answers, Inc. 2004. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. .

Goodstein, Laurie. “Episcopal Bishops Give Ground on Gay Marriage.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 2009. Web. 26 Jan. 2010. .

The Holy Bible. Michigan: Grand Rapids, 1984. Print. New International Version.

“Homosexuality: From Declassification to Decriminalization. Where Do We Go From Here?” Host Gilbert Herdt. Palm Center. Palm Center. 1 Sep. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2009. .

Mahoney, Kelli. “What is the Episcopalian/Anglican Church's Position on Homosexuality.” About.com. About.com. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2010. .

Mahoney, Kelli. “What is the United Church of Christ’s Position on Homosexuality?” About.com. About.com. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2010. .

“Marriage.” BibleGateway. BibleGateway.com. 2009. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. .

Meezan, William and Jonathan Rauch. “Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Parenting and America’s Children.” Future of Children 15.2 (2005): 97-115. Web. .

Pawelski, James G, et al. “The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children.” Pediatrics 118.1 (2006): 349-364. Web. .

Pilote, Alain. “Vatican Says ‘No’ to Same Sex Marriage.” Michael Journal. The Pilgrims of St. Michael. Aug. 2003. Web. 29 Oct. 2009. .

“Presbyterian Gender and Sexuality.” Patheos. Patheos, Inc. 2009. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. .

“Sexuality.” sbc.net. Southern Baptist Convention. 2009. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. .

“US Bishops Urge Constitutional Amendment to Protect Marriage.” American Catholic.org. American Catholic.org. 2010. Web. 18 Jan. 2010. .

“What Does the Bible Say About Gay Marriage/Same Sex Marriage?” Got Questions?. Got Questions Ministries. n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. .

“What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality?” Christian Bible Reference Site. Christian Bible Reference Site. 2010. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. .

Strength

Garr!  I am so sick of school!  I can't wait til I'm done!  70 offical days left, that should put me somewhere in April but then I'll still have AP exams to do.  I take the SAT tomorrow and I've been studying for it for months.  Still, I don't feel quite ready.  At least by this time tomorrow it will be over and I won't have to do anymore studying for it. 

My classes this year are so much harder than any other year; at least, that's certainly how it feels.  And I thought senior year would be easy.... and there are some days I'm just not motivated.  Like today, right now.  I should be working on my research paper but I have no clue what to do with it.  So instead of racking my brain or revising or completely rewriting, I blog.

I just can't handle everything that's going on.  I just can't do it.  Not on my own at least.  John 15:5 says, "apart from me you can do nothing," and Psalms is filled with cries for God to come and rescue or to strengthen.  Life is not easy.  Jesus says that in this world you will have trouble.  He doesn't say you might have trouble, or there will be a bit of trouble.  He say you will have trouble.  But.....  but I leave you my peace.  Anytime I struggle, anytime I feel like giving up, anytime I feel that life is beyond me, anytime I recognize my own weakness I can go to God and He will give me strength.  He will sustain me.  He will help we through my troubles.  He is my refuge, my shield, my strong tower, my strength, my savior, my all in all.  God will never let me down and He won't let me go through life alone.  He holds me up when I'm about to fall.  That doesn't mean everything is going to be a breeze, but when things start to get tough instead of trying to do it all my myself, I can turn to Him and He will save me.

Only Human

Worry is something that plagues the mind.  It's like a posion slowing infecting the whole body.  It begins with such a simple thought that might even be forgotten later.  But it returns.  Like an irritating fly buzzing around the head, it refuses to be ignored and refuses to leave.  It's like a haunting shadow, following everywhere, interfering with everything.  Soon it swells to something beyond control, no longer small enough to be dealt with alone.

My Jesus

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
The why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for rightousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus would here would you walk right by on the other side
Or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complextion
Is how you see Him as He dies for your sins
But the Words says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear my if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not rue what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
I want to be like my Jesus

God's Master Piece

This is worth watching and is something to think about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyOIBnExlrw

Thoughts on Washington D.C.

Yesterday I went to Washington D.C. with my mom and a group from her church.  We saw three churches, The Franciscan Monestary:

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception:

Which is one of the biggest churches in the world and I believe the biggest church in North America.

And St. Matthew's, a church a few blocks from the White House JFK attended:

the inside was beautiful:

We also saw some of the famillar attractions.  The Washington Monument:

The Capital:

The White House; front and back:

(And I didn't take any of these pictures, by the way).

But something I didn't really anticipate seeing was hitchhikers, beggers and homeless.

When we first got to Washington D.C., there was a man standing on the side of the road holding a sign.  I couldn't read it very well, but it said he needed a ride.  All this man had with him were the clothes on his back, a small bag and a radio.  Tons of cars were driving past him and none of the stopped.  And who knows how long he had been standing there when we drove by.  Who knows if he even got a ride that day.

After going to mass at St. Matthew's, we left the church and at the bottom of the steps were two men holding paper cups and begging for money.  That's sad, but this is even worse.  Out of all the people coming out of that church, only a few gave them money.  Most just walked right by.  That bothered me; it distressed me; it gnawed at my mind; it made me want to cry.  And it still bothers me.  It bothers my a lot.  Christians, those who profess to follow God, walked right by these two men and didn't do anything.  They didn't give money, they didn't say hello, they didn't give a word of comfort.  Now there were some that did, but the majority did not.  In the bible Jesus says that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for him.  The people in that church walked passed Jesus.  They walked passed Jesus and didn't do a thing.  What if they had really seen Jesus standing there, begging for money?  Would they have talked to Him?  Would they have given Him some money?  Would they invite Him to their home to share a hot meal?

This whole incident has been on my mind ever since it happened.  It bugs me, the scene replays over and over.  How can we call ourselves Christians and not help those in need?  If Christians can't be counted on to give freely and help the poor, who can?

When we went to dinner, we came out of the metro station and there on the street outside the resturant were two or three people seating wrapping in blankets and one in a sleeping bag asleep.  They were cold and probably hungry and had no place to go.  We went into the warm resturant, order drinks and laugh together and later I order more food than I can eat.  When we are finished, a hour or so later, we get back on the metro which takes us to our cars and we head home.  That night I slept in a bed with piles of blankets in a heated house.

I am blessed.  I have no idea just how blessed I am.  I have a heated house to live in and yet I complain that it's too cold.  My dresser and closet are full of clothes and yet I buy more.  I'm hungry, and all I have to do is walk into the kitchen to get something to eat.  We I want to go somewhere I just get into the car and drive.  My family is around me, we do things together, we laugh together.  So many people don't have all this.  Some people don't have any of this.  I complain that I want more when I already have plenty.

Something has to change.  First of all, I have to change my thinking.  I have to decide what really matters.  Secondly, what about those people I encountered yesterday?  What about them?  How can I live my life as I have been, knowing there are people out there who have to beg for money to get their next meal?  How have no place to live but have to sleep on the streets?  Who depend on strangers to get from one place to another?  And finally, what about the church?  How does the church in America need to change to that Jesus can say to us, "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and clothed me, I was sick and looked after me, I was in prison and you came and visited me," (Matt. 25:35-36) ?

Luke Skywalker

Comforting Pictures

Comfort

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"But as for me, I will always have hope."
"Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again." Psalm 71:14&20

"Praise the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits...
who satisfies your desires with good things..." Psalm 103:2&5

Bleh

I don't want to go to work tonight. But I said I would and now I have to. It's not that I really mind it, I would just rather be doing other things. It's my sister's last night at home before she goes back to college and I spent a lot of my afternoon helping my mom make a dress for my sister. I just want to sit back and relax. Read a good book, watch a movie. But, alas, duty calls. I've made a commitment and I'm sticking to it.

This week back at home and back at school has been hard and it would be nice to just have a day off. But that's not how life works. We have to keep going even when we're tired and feel like giving up. Even when life's challenges feel impossible there is always hope.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13

<3

My 7 month old cousin Maxwell.