Culture Club

Bless me, for it has been 27 days since my last confession.


Two statements come to mind today.

1. "You can't handle the truth!"
2. "Bacteria is all the culture some people have."

When I was growing up, Culture was something that set people apart from the everyday guy. A cultured person was a chic dresser, has a polished way of speaking, knew all there was to know about manners and mannerisms. It was something a person developed over time, and it made them desirable.

Today, culture means pretty much the same thing. It defines a group of human created groups, organizations, races or ethnic backgrounds that either LOOK similar, SPEAK similar, BELIEVE similar or PRACTICE similar actions.

I was going to use small words so most people could understand me, but I believe in educational equality. Get a dictionary.

Here is a distinct truth: Nearly every "cultural" organization that pleads for equality is a dynamic SEPARATIST group. 
If you believe that your "race" should be equal to any other "race", why are you making it separate?  Why do you want/need special consideration for housing, food, utilities, or education?  Do you have colleges or vocational programs that have a racial name or focus? Why is it making anyone equal? Does your organization invite people other than your "culture" to play?
Of course not. That would be accepting of another type of culture.

Does your culture receive special attention by the news or social media, just because it's old or different than the mainstream (whatever that is!)? 
Do people of other cultures jump on your bandwagon and try to "identify" with you? Is that the way of equality?

Are you special because in the past, other cultures (and actually your own) were mean, horrible, awful people to yours? 
Because no other culture group EVER had bad stuff happen to them, it was only YOU!? Does the World own you a living? 
Are you excused for being a horrible person because of it?

Just thought I would ask.

Here is a distinct truth: If you are a Christian, and you are as excited about your culture as you as God, you are wrong.
If you are a Christian, spending time defending your culture that has you breaking the Law, you are wrong.
If you, a Christian, proudly share that your culture is ganging up and making your voices heard by other crappy cultures, you are wrong.
If you, saying that you are a Christian, are demanding recompense for you ancestors bad times, you are wrong.

Your/My CULTURE, what ever it is you/I  IDENTIFY with, if it does not further the cause of Jesus Christ, is bullshit.

There are two distinct and true cultures, by definition, on this planet.

Those who are obedient to The Most High God of Heaven, and those who do not.

That's it. That's all there is, or was, or will be.

He chose a bunch of people, not a culture, and told them He was going to preserve the earth through them. What separated them from everyone else was following Him.

Not culture, not unless you're going to define obedience to the Creator of all that exists as a Culture.

He accepted each person "outside" the group that wanted to follow Him. It was leadership within their own group that kept making up crap for people to do so they  would remain exclusive.

It was the Culture Clods that tried to keep others out, not God. It was human-made rules and regulations that made it nearly impossible to stay righteous.

Christianity, the REAL stuff, is the only completely inclusive culture in existence. Everyone is invited, and no one is rejected. It is a culture of ultimate power, integrity, cohesiveness, individuality, and peace.

And because of that, it will always be trashed by its opponents, and mangled from within by those members who just will not read the Manual.

 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.     John 14:16-17

 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.   

 John 17:14-16

 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.    Romans 12:2

IF you ever read the Bible, you will see that the even Chosen People got caught up in their culture. 

That was Jesus came to save them from, not save them for. 

It was their human designs that nailed it. 

Literally.

How badly do you need your culture?

 How badly do you need His?

Can you handle the Truth? 

The Mess at Standing Rock

Like I said; no more pictures and cute stuff.

This is the first time in 150 years that so many nations have come together.
They are demanding the land back. Fine by me.
They have joined together to fight a pipeline that could pollute the water system, dig up graves, hurt artifacts.
Fine. Peaceful protest is our right.
When you break the laws of any nation though, peaceful is not going to happen. I understand it, but don't think repercussions aren't going to happen.

If someone wants to get all het-up about being "first" in America, I belong to the Choctaw nation. Well, some of me does. They were the first to be moved by the Indian Removal Act. That's a different post.
Anyway...

Here's what I really want to talk about.

Why haven't they gotten together before to fight against the rampaging alcohol use among us?
Why haven't you gotten together, crushed the old fights and traditions of anger, to promote educational resources within the nations?
Why do you fight so vigorously for nature, but seem unable to fight for nurture?
Why do you continually choose to dirty the land with casinos, adding more crime and useless attitudes?
Instead of ways to get into debt, why not a college, trade schools, and vocational schools?
Why is every newsworthy action involving any tribe always about a piece of land, and not about the people?

I would be more impressed by this gathering of nations if I thought it meant something good. It should! But, I see only more anger, violence and lost lives. I say that because the leadership does not have control of this 'standoff'.

You watch. Black Lives Matter will instigate the younger people. There will be bloodshed. And it will all be aimed at whites. You watch and listen.

There is war coming on this soil. It SHOULD be a holy war against evil, but it will be perceived as something entirely different. People will have to decide, am I going to stand for what is righteous, or what I was raised to do?

The nitty-gritty of all of this is, do you stand with God, or do you stand with religion?
We are so endued with what is "ours" and "theirs" that we constantly strive and divide ourselves. God made ALL nations from two people. That is what the Word of God says. We ARE all one people.
We have got to stop finding ways to divide and destroy each other.

I will pray for safety at Standing Rock. I will pray for mercy.

I  will pray for the spirits of deception, lies, and division to be silenced.

I will pray for our nation, under one God, indivisible.

Shalom.

Why are Christians reading John Pavlovitz?

I'm changing my blog format today. I guess it's time to quit trying to entertain you so you'll read my blog. No cute pictures. No tongue in cheek dialogue.

I read a blog post by John Pavlovitz tonight. It was posted on Facebook.

 In this post, he explained why I was not pro-life, only anti-abortion.

Now I understand his thinking, because he's not uncommon. 

He is a leader at North Raleigh Community Church, where the Scripture and what God says doesn't really mean anything.

In other words, he's full of crap.

The title of the post is "White, Conservative, Christian Friends - I Wish You Really Were Pro-Life."

He states if I were really pro-life I would... 

1.  Want to prevent racism, and bigotry, and homophobia.

   I don't know about you, but telling me I'm not really "blahblah" because of my lack of melanin, is flat out racist. And bigotry.

2. I'd want kids in the 'bad neighborhood' to have as good an education as MY kids in the 'good neighborhood.

   How the hell does he know where my kids live? Or go to school? 
   And who is he to decide what a good or bad neighborhood is?!

3. I don't care about the mentally ill, the terminally ill, or single parents. (Because I'm white. Don't forget that part.)

   PLEASE, PLEASE ask my daughter, and her friends, how I ignore all of them because they were single parents. Do not get me started on not caring about the mentally ill. I will ruin you. I don't get the terminally ill part, but since John thinks anything goes, is he for assisted suicide?

4. I don't want religious freedom for non-Christians. 
   
   As long as you're not trying to kill others, through shooting, stabbing, machetes, bombs, abortion, poison, Satanic sacrifice, strangling, etc; and don't mind going to Hell, knock yerself out.
   Oh, and I get to witness to you. Because He told me to do so. AND, I get to live my Christianity without your interference. 

5. I would be okie-dokie with people living in homosexual lifestyles.

  Any so-called Christian who supports that, really, really, REALLY isn't pro-life. They're just too damn lazy and sanctimonious to care about people. Homosexuality destroys people. How can I not want them free?

6.  I would see that law enforcement is racist.

   I guess cops should keep a daily tally of what color, not who, they arrest in a day. Make sure you have an equal number of brown, white, black, yel... oops. If you arrest three African-American men, two Latin-American men, three Asian-American men, and three privileged white boys, you must arrest at least three more snotty white guys to make it even. 
It doesn't matter whom is robbing, looting, shooting, who.
And why don't whities get a better name? British-Americans. Dutch-Americans. 

7. Gun control.

   How does my gun ownership have anything to do with the Bonannos selling weapons?

Okay, there's more, but I'm getting weary.

NRCC is NOT really a part of the Church. It is like every other group that wants to play christian without the sacrifice and commitment He asks for. The Father will never force you to be obedient. That's why gutter slugs like Pavlovitz get away with their drivel. 

I say drivel, but it's not. It's lies from the Pit. And if that offends you, dear Christian, maybe you better examine your self and what you think the Bible says.
 Remember; disobedience, though available, comes with an eternity long penalty. 

1 Corinthians 6:12,13
12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both [i]of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.


One thing that Pavlovitz said that actually made me surprised, was (and I quote) "I don't celebrate when a woman terminates a pregnancy (I honestly don't know anyone who does)..."

Where has this guy been?

Obviously nowhere near a Planned Parenthood facility. 
Or listened to a political platform.
Or spent time with anyone with NOW. 
Or explored interviews with Girl Scout leadership

Or been to Poland.

1 Timothy 1:8-11
8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Exodus 20:1-6

 Then God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

1 Samuel 17:50, 51

50 Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51 Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

You may not think this is a scripture in favor of gun ownership, but dang it, I'm no good with a rock and a sling!)

Want to know how many times I've been told I have "white privilege"? 

No; because I don't have that much time.

Want to know how many jobs I got for being white? None.

How many scholarships did I get for being white?  None.

Times I didn't get sucked up by a tornado, because I'm white?  None.

Guess how many times being white got me a front row seat in a concert?  None.

By the way. I'm not actually "white".

But I am a Christian.

I don't Understand Christians and Race

There sure is a lot of racial stuff going on.

Black Lives Matter.
Blue Lives Matter.
All Lives Matter.

I was raised thinking all colors were good.

We sang about it in Sunday School: "Red and yellow, black and white....".

In school choir: "Everybody's beautiful, in their own way....".

Girl's night out: "Ebony and Ivory...".

Aaaaall good!

But. (There's always a BUT.)

Everyone is DIFFERENT.

"White boys can't dance."

"Black guys play sports better."

"Asian kids are better at math."

Shall I go on?   No.

Okay, so my title has to do with Christians and race, so here it is.

Ready?

Are you sure?

There are no races.

I said, There. are. NO. races.

We, the collective WE, are one.

If you must, ONE RACE.

We are not dogs, or cats, or chimps, or elephants. 
(sorry BeFairBeVegan.com. Truth.)

We are men and women. Created beings.

We produce our own kind.

Babies.

Boy or girl babies.

Our growth, no matter the levels of melanin in our skin, can be charted to the point that we know if a child is below, above, or in-between in normal (usual) growth rates.

Pigmentation has no effect on brain development.

Or height.

Weight.

Gender.

Personality.

Culture.

Intelligence.


That is mostly determined by about the past 15 generations of your particular family.

Or closer.
                                                           Yes. All four are sisters

The rest is diet, education availability, and contaminants.

If you are a Bible believing, Bible Belt, Bible Thumping, BlessedBelovedBeliever in Jesus Christ, how in the world can you think there are different kinds of people?

WE, (that collective we again)  have created a culture of separation.

WE have assigned attributes to pigmentation.

WE have assigned so much to cultural identity that WE have forgotten Who created us in the first place.

WE are ONE.

                      Let's change the way we think about US.

shalom!

I always win

A man came into the jewelry store, pointed the gun at the owner and said "This is a robbery. Give me your money." She pointed to the man and said In the name of Jesus, I tell you to get out of my store. I bind you by the power of the Holy Spirit and tell you to leave."

And he left.

Do you have that kind of authority? 

                                                                    Yes! Yes! Yes!


In these times there are many frightened of losing their legal rights of worshiping God, praying, etc.

But the government doesn't make our rules.
Our expression of faith for Christ is not dependent on any government.
Being an American and being a Christian have nothing to do with each other.

Read the book.  We win! 

                                       We always win!

Are you going to pin your lifestyle, the way you run your business, your clubs, your family, on the words and decrees of a worldly government?

Be obedient; until it challenges the Most High God. Then STAND!! And let His light shine!

Into a broken, desperate world we are placed like landmines.

We only need a nudge to explode into releasing the glory of the God of Creation.

To speak Truth! 
To live Truth! To worship fully and completely!!
To fight!
To persevere! To Triumph!


We've got to know Him more; closer; deeper.

READ READ READ! 

Not books about God; not books about "How to..." but the Scriptures!

PRAY PRAY PRAY!

Praise God.
Ask for Him.
Ask for blessing.

                         Demand your place in the Kingdom!!

                                (I know; angels don't have wings, but these pictures ROCK!!!)

shalom!

WHile I was waiting........

My morning bike ride is not getting easier. Hoeing up the ever present weeds in the yard isn't getting easier, either. Getting the swamp cooler ready isn't AS hard, but wasn't easy either. I hurt in the same places every day. I have a shoulder that's really paining me. My bke seat was designed in some hell-hole where the employees all look like Igor and giggle under their putrid breath.

The concession is that I am not a kid any more. I'm not even close to kid status. I'm looking back at my life so far, trying to figure out if I've accomplished anything at all. I think most people do at one time or other. 
Like most adults, I had big hopes and lots of dreams and plans for my life. I had a path toward a career I really wanted, that got derailed by my heart. I took another path with a time limit, at which time I could jump back on my first path. But, life happens. 

 My chosen paths got run over, blurred, and all but lost. Then suddenly, I was back on my planned path! Hooray! But, life happens. Not only was I derailed, my train wrecked. There were casualties all over the place. Along with my family, I rebuilt a rough path. And it took a long time. I wallered around enough to land on my old path for a time, this time hitting a dead end. Because, life happens.
About that time, I thought "When will it ever be MY time? When will I get to do the things I've always wanted to do? When will I ever DO anything?".
So, I decided to do something different. I left the path. All of them. I chose to be still. And, life still happens. But with a lot less stress.
I look back over my path-crashing life and realize something. While I was focusing on chosen paths, God was flooding me with life!

When I share stories about my life, people are amazed. They can't believe half of it's even true. My insanely funny, smart and wonderful family, has been a fulltime challange. I'm been in control, in hysterics, in shock, in denial, and always in love. While I was wondering when I would ever accomplish anything, MY LIFE happened.
Every day. 

I have discovered in the past ten years, that I'm having some memory loss. I have to have family members and friends replay some things I have forgotten. But everything I DO remember is shocking. I have had such a successful life, I have been priviledged with a remarkable husband, unparallelled children, and one adventure after another. 

How could one person live this much in such a short time?
God has watched and walked with me all this time. While I was designing paths and a life, He was planning the derailments. I look and see what a dull, boring, and empty story I could have had, if I had followed my own designs.
Oh! Glorious derailments! What happy stumblings! Because, when HE is the Designer, really real LIFE happens!!

Shalom!

He asked "Who is the Bravest Person You Know?"

The Sunday School teacher asked us  "What is your definition of bravery?"

To me, it is doing what must be done, even when you're scared, and in spite of the consequences.

Then he asked "Who is the bravest person you know?"

My Dad is a WWII Marine veteran. He is brave.

My son is an Army WO and has served in Iraq.  He is brave.

I know lots of law enforcement officers and fire fighters.   They are brave.

I said that the bravest people I can think of changes.

But, I want to tell you about two of the bravest women I know are.

Lisa Hauger is a good friend and a brave woman.

She and her husband, Mark, live in Kenya.

 They help widowed mamas gain the money and skills needed  to support their children.

                                                              They teach Bible classes.
             
                                     They care for orphaned children, many with special needs.

                                         They live in a compound with high walls for safety.

                           
                                                They help provide water filter systems.


They adopted their first child about 16 years ago. Their second about 14 years ago.

This year, they adopted their third, who has special needs.

                                                     
                                                             One of my favorite families!

Sounds like a lot of  "missionary" stories.

With a twist.

Lisa has Multiple Sclerosis.

MS does not define her.  Or her family.   Or her work.

In fact, I hardly ever think about it, because MS is not her.

They started years ago with a plan to start a  cottage type indusrty with donated sewing machines and materials. They were gone a few weeks a year.

It wasn't sufficient.

They started other ideas. They stayed longer.

It wasn't enough.  They moved to Kenya.

As that MS keeps creeping along,  Lisa and Mark make leaps and bounds.

Women, widowed by that scourge AIDS, are becoming business owners and at last feeding, clothing, and educating their children.

Local communities are installing sand puifiers and have clean water for their people.

Children, orphaned by AIDS and poverty, have a home, with many loving Mamas, otherwise they would be begging and stealing, and dying, in the streets.

There are many things about Lisa that make me say she is brave. I don't know how to list them.

I guess...well...bravery is doing what God called you to do.

You might look at this post and say "Oh now I feel guilty! If she can do this, I should be able to do it!"

That's not the point!

Being BRAVE is not overcoming challenges to what you think you should do.

It's just being who you are.

And that is why, when I think of Lisa, this is how I see her.

                                                                            BRAVE


To follow Lisa and Mark, and what they do, check out her blog.

tiltingbalance.blogspot.com


The second of the bravest women I know is next.


Shalom!