Stealing thougths from a friend....

I have to share my friend Kelly's post. The message is beautiful, tender, heartfelt and much needed.
So thankful for  her and others like her who are faithful to put the cries of their hearts in print.

Kelly O'Dell Stanley / PRAYER, UPSIDE DOWN / authenticity, controversy, current events, news, tragedy / 1 comment

All this time, we’ve been praying for the wrong people

September 9, 2015

This is a prayer for the non-controversial, invisible Christian.     For you, the one who flies under the radar. Who doesn’t cry persecution, or rejoice when another self-professed Christian trounces someone with his religion. Who doesn’t jump to conclusions or resort to petty name-calling and judgment. Who reads the Bible as a life-giving source of sustenance and not as a weapon with which to bludgeon unbelievers.     Who doesn’t even use the word “unbeliever.”     Who prays, hopes, trusts, holds her tongue, and errs on the side of love. Always love.     This is for the one who accepts those who are not like her and doesn’t let the differences threaten her own beliefs. The one whose faith is not diminished when faced with opposition. The one whose faith is, in fact, strengthened by different perspectives. The one who is never reactive, combative, hateful, or exclusionary.     The one I want to be.This is for you.

Continue Reading....

Kim Davis and the God Christians Follow

A Kentucky woman named Kim Davis has been arrested for refusing to issue marriage license to homosexual couples. It was only a matter of time before someone did this. I'm sure many others have wanted to take this stand, but were afraid to. I am totally in support of Kim Davis and her choice to stand by her beliefs. I believe that if anyone at any job is asked to do something that contradicts their belief system, they should find another job. 

 

That's human nature and common sense.

 

Kim Davis is wonderful and brave and I admire her for standing up for what she believes in. 

I do wish there was more talk of WHO she believes in. That is what will make her time in jail worthwhile.

 

As is usually the case in situations where Christians take a stand, much has been said about Kim Davis and little about the wonderful God she serves...a Lord and Savior who changes lives and has the power to forgive sin and offer eternal life in heaven.  

 

We have heard much about Kim Davis, but little about the God she loves enough to go to jail for. 

The God being depicted in the news is hateful and spiteful and uncaring but Christians do not follow an uncaring, hateful, spiteful God.We follow a LOVING God who sent His one and only son to die so that anyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. We follow a LOVING God who delivered the Israelites time and time again despite their lack of gratitude, disobedience, and grumbling against Him. We follow a LOVING God who washed the feet of the man who would turn Him over to be crucified.  We follow a LOVING God who will heal and restore and give the promise of heaven to ANYONE who believes and follows Him...no matter their life story.

 

The God we love, follow, and serve is not hateful or mean. Our God is a LOVING Father who sets rules in place to protect His children from pain and from harm.... Just as I set rules in place for My children to protect them and keep them from harm.....Just as most all parents who love their children do. (And, most children rebel against those rules because they do not understand the reasons for them.) 

Kim Davis is wonderful and brave and I admire her for standing up for what she believes in. 

I just wish there was more talk of WHO she believes in. 

THAT is what will make her time in jail worthwhile.

Brandon Ms, How Great Thou Art

 

Last Friday, Brandon’s high school band was told by the court system they could not play their halftime show. The show that the have worked all summer to perfect includes the hymn “How Great Thou Art” and they were told that if they played it, they would be fined $10,000. So…they didn’t.

Brandon is our neighbor city and the Bulldogs are our greatest rivals, but we found absolutely no joy in the situation they found themselves in. At our game a few towns over, what was going on in Brandon was the topic of conversation. How sad and frustrating for the students who’d practiced so hard for so many months to no not be able to perform. Would the same verdict have been handed down if a Christian group complained about some other type of song? Will the Brandon band be forced to change their show for competitions or are they only forbidden to play at games? Are they only forbidden to play in Brandon…or in Rankin County School District? Can they play at away games?

Shortly after Halftime, we all started to get messages on FB and via text telling us what was going on in Brandon. If you haven’t heard or seen it on the news,  it is better that you see for yourself…

 

This is what happened at Half Time... Click the link

Brandon Ms How Great Thou Art

I am so proud of the way the fans chose to take their stand. I am so proud of the Bulldogs for the way they chose to make their voices heard. I don’t know how this will play out. I hope that the other Mississippi schools make a point to showcase the Brandon Band at their games, if it will not more negatively impact Brandon.

At this point, many are standing with the Bulldogs. On the way to work I saw several cars with “How Great Thou Art” painted on their back windshields and the thought that occurred to me as I sat in traffic was simply…

“Do you realize how great He truly is?”

I pray that the citizens of Brandon Mississippi and the students of the Rankin County School District will continue to stand in a manner that reflects the God and Savior they represent. I pray that the School Boards and legal systems will see that there are still professing believers in Jesus Christ and that, while we are not as outspoken and loud as the groups that oppose our Savior, we also have a voice. I pray that it is made abundantly clear that we believe that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ and that the only alternative to belief in Christ is eternity in hell. I pray that it is made abundantly clear that our only objective is to share the message of Jesus Christ so that every person we meet has the opportunity to choose to follow Christ...or not to. We want to make sure that everyone has that choice, just as we have the choice to follow or not to follow Mohammad, Buddha, or any other god, profit, religion, or doctrine.

How like God to use a court order against Christians to spread His name and His message. How like God to use this to unite Christians and give them courage to take a stand? I hope and pray that this story will continue to  spread. I am interested to see how it all shakes out.

 

Until then, I am one of the...