It is becoming more and more difficult these days to identify the difference between the real and the fake.  Our televisions broadcast “reality” TV programs that are not really reality but staged events made to look like they are living documentaries.  A number of recent authors, who wrote and published personal autobiographies, are found out to have fabricated their stories, fooling their readers, not to mention the red-faced editors, publishers and enthusiastic promoters.

Prominent businesses and universities have hired individuals because of their stellar résumés, only to find out later degrees and experiences were fabricated to bolster the candidate’s image. Professional athletes who broke national records are discovered afterwards to not have reached those hallmarks on their own terms but with the help of performance enhancement drugs that made them stronger and faster.

The television news from major news organizations is acceptable to the public even when it is “staged news” or even fabricated.  Political candidates stretch and fabricate their past experiences to appeal to the desires of voters who willingly go along with the charade just to defeat the other party.

Is it any wonder that the generation coming after us is so skeptical and cynical towards our world?  Is it any wonder that the number one thing they crave is “authentic relationships”?  Is it any wonder that the next generation is more comfortable in the virtual world than the real world?

Unfortunately, the Church in the United States has not faired much better.  It seems that we have turned out a “plastic” faith.  A new Pew Forum survey on religion revealed that most people in the United States identify themselves as Christians – 78% in fact!  Protestants (51%) are still the majority of those.  If these Pew Forum findings are true of our American culture, then one has to wonder why these “Christians” do not have a more significant impact upon their culture.

One has to wonder how Pew Forum identified those who were “Christian” versus those who were not.  Incidentally, 25% of young adults (18 – 29) identify with no religion.  On the other hand, could it be that identification with Christianity for most religious people is more of an idea than a lifestyle?  We like the idea of being a Christian; we just don’t want it to cramp how we live.  We like how it looks on our “résumé”.

The Lord knows the real from the fake, however.  We know that Jesus, when he returns, will identify those who belong to him and separate them from those who do not (see Matthew 7:18 – 23; 25:31 – 46; Luke 13:24 – 29).  Interestingly, there will be those who claim to identify with him, but he will not lay any claim that they are his.  He will deny knowing them.  Some are even Pentecostals who cast out demons and do many miracles in Jesus’ name!  Still, he says, “Depart from me.  I don’t know you.”

The troublesome problem is how to identify real followers of Christ.  The question for the Church should be, “How do we make genuine, authentic followers of the Lord Jesus Christ?”  Jesus seemed to make it pretty clear in the above parables just what he would be looking for in those he identifies as “true” or “real” disciples.

• They do “the will of my heavenly Father.”
• They put into practice Jesus’ teachings and lifestyle.
• They feed the hungry and thirsty.
• They clothe the naked.
• They care for the sick and the prisoner.
• They “enter the narrow door” by discarding all of life’s baggage to follow Jesus.

This list suddenly makes following Jesus hard!  It is easier for me to say, “I believe in you, Jesus!”  It is much harder to do the work of Jesus here on earth.  Yet, that is how he will identify his own in the last day.  They will be the ones doing his work.  In other words, the Kingdom of God is made up of individuals who do not just believe but who do the work of the Kingdom.

The Protestant Reformation recaptured this idea when it proposed the idea that there is a “visible church” and “invisible church.” Simply put, everyone who is a part of the visible church may not be part of the true Church of Christ – the invisible church that only Christ knows.  Not everyone in the visible church hears the Shepherd’s voice and follows it.  However, the true Bride of Christ – the invisible church – hears her Master’s voice and does his work.  In other words, the actually number of true followers of Christ is much smaller than those measured by the Pew Forum or Barna Research.

Turtle River, Turtle River State Park, North Dakota, Fall 2004 ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2010)

Unfortunately, many church people are like the story of a man and his wife who were sitting in their living room watching a drama about a man who lost consciousness and went into a coma.  The husband says to her, “Just so you know, I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine.  If that ever happens to me, just pull the plug.”  So, his wife gets up and unplugs the TV!

Jesus set the example for us, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me.  Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4).  There is a day coming when it will be too late to try to do anything for the Lord so you can be identified as one of his when he returns.  May the heart-cry prayer of the Church become, “Lord, shake us out of “a vegetative state” and awaken us to the work we need to do in this generation!”

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2010)

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear about the Catholic church requiring Congresspersons to amend legislation so that people that were already born weren’t killed by U.S. military action?  They keep saying they’re against wars, invasions and occupations – on the pretense of preferring people stay alive.  But there was no strong-arming Representatives to hold up legislation to invade Afghanistan or Iraq.

This particular exercise was futile for additional reasons: private insurers are already barred from using federal funds to pay for abortions.  That’s been the law for years.  This amendment is simply political grand-standing by a group of people who love to proclaim how victimized they are.  The amendment would prevent women who buy private insurance from being able to us that insurance to pay for an abortion in the unlikely event they need one.

This is encouraging:

Female Democrats on the Rules Committee, including Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, left the room during consideration of the Stupak amendment and didn’t cast a vote.

They should do more than this.  They should vote against the bill in its entirety if the amendment hangs on to the end.  Why?

“This amendment would violate the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all, by creating a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and modest incomes,” said Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America in a late-night release.

What procedures do Catholics object to men having?  None?  Gee, I wonder why that is.  The Catholic church wants to set up a health care system where women continue to be treated as second-class persons.  In the 21st century.  That’s immoral.

[Update]: As another blogger reminded me, this is why I don’t donate to NARAL or Planned Parenthood anymore.  They know this amendment was likely to be introduced and they chose to do nothing to prevent that.  They both have millions of dollars at their disposal that they could use to pressure Democrats with, but they choose not to.  The people donating to these organizations and using their services are the ones who will suffer the most because of the political decisions the groups have made.  Hope that works out well for them.

Yes, it’s my last post about India, where we spent 10 days recently. You may recall I mentioned in previous posts the architecture was remarkable and romantic. Yes, romantic architecture in India. How could something like the Taj Mahal built as a memorial for a queen not be romantic? Or how could the massive and ornate Amber Fort, built for a king and his queen on the top of a mountain, not simply stir something in you?

After 29 years of marriage, I found myself falling in love all over again. We were walking hand in hand even if the Indians were staring us down a bit. You just don’t show public affection there you know.

We were hand in hand until the continuous rice and curry meals began to get to me. After eight days of it, my longing for some simple American food became uncontrollable. Out of nowhere we

found a McDonald’s in the middle of the Indian chaos. That McDonalds had me aching for a large diet coke with ice and something familiar to eat. Oh, did I mention it was 105 degrees every day?

We ordered and settled into our seats as they brought it to our table. That’s when I, well both of us, lost all sense of reason. That’s when I learned I’d do anything for love……..but?

Check out the video here to get an idea of what happened and to add a big smile to your day!

Just kidding of course. I thought you may enjoy some comic relief. But I did have a pretty protective attitude about familiar food at the moment. And as I typed this post, initially intended to share a smile, I thought to myself, Hummm…..

We say we’ll do anything for our love of Christ. We’re all warm and fuzzy as we attend worship, small groups, or go on those mission trips together. Yet we all seem to have those things we protect aggressively, those things in our lives that we’ve convinced ourselves are ours to keep. We just won’t do that!

Last year Barna research showed a majority of the 16-29 year old age group in the US see us Christians as shallow, judgmental and hypocritical. Could their reality be a version of this video played over and over again when they observe us? What do you think?

By Kiera Rich – KRich13@bellsouth.net

On any given day, there is a whole lot of hissing and snarling going on at our house.  Once in a while the HissFest has human participants; but usually our cats are the responsible parties.

Our cat story began with Scooter and Kacey.  They were Jeff’s cats for four years before I came on the scene.  When I met them for the first time, I did what any potential step-mother would do.  I attempted to bribe them by bringing gifts of treats and cat-nip infused toys.  Scooter was not impressed.  Kacey wasn’t either — at least that was the vibe she sent out from her hiding place under the bed.

Thankfully, Jeff did not listen to the opinions of his cats and decided to marry me anyway.  Three months before the wedding, I moved to Atlanta.  As we moved furniture and combined our two households, Scooter supervised from a perch in the corner of the dining room.  I am quite certain that the only thing keeping her from toting a picket sign was the fact that she lacks a prehensile thumb.  And Kacey?  She was absolutely terrified of my presence and demonstrated this fear by hiding under large pieces of furniture for weeks at a time. 

During those months before the wedding, I spent a lot of time at Jeff’s unpacking and getting things situated; but, I spent nights at the home of a friend of ours.  Scooter and Kacey eventually got used to having me around during the day and every night they would breathe a collective feline sigh of relief when “that woman” disappeared for several hours.  They had their Daddy and the warm water-bed all to themselves and life was as it should be.

And then it happened.  Daddy disappeared for a week.  Scooter and Kacey hissed and spit at my aunt who stayed at our place while Jeff and I honeymooned.  Although we had tried to prepare the girls for the inevitable, they were still shocked when Daddy returned home with “that woman” in tow.  And when it got dark, I didn’t leave.  And when they went to snuggle with Daddy at night, there was someone in their water-bed.  No wonder they hated me.

And it was about to get worse.  Enter Tucker.  Jeff had promised me that after the wedding we would “get a cat that likes you.”   Tucker not only liked me, Tucker liked everyone.  He was a 12-week old ball of grey and black fuzz when we adopted him.  He had a sore under his nose that the shelter workers didn’t know the origin of.  After we got home, it was apparent.  Tucker was a kamikaze who knew no fear.  We quickly nicknamed him “Deathwish”.  He would hurl himself off of any surface at a high rate of speed.  He ran into walls and other inanimate objects, climbed everywhere, and did it all with speed that would have made the Tasmanian Devil look like a snail.  

Much to their horror, Tuck repeatedly asked his adopted sisters to play with him.  His requests were very vocally denied.  But that didn’t stop Tucker.  He would just wait 5 minutes and then ask again.  And when all else failed, he would simply knock them over.  What he was lacking in gentleness and tact he made up for in persistence.

Time passed and Tucker got bigger and smarter.  Like any little brother, he enjoyed annoying his sisters.  He loved to hear them scream and he would not be denied a good chase, even if he had to spend hours provoking his sisters in preparation.  Needless to say, Tuck spent many an afternoon in time out because he simply would not leave Scooter and Kacey alone and we were tired of listening to them screech.

We didn’t blame Tucker much.  He was bored and frustrated.  He just wanted someone to play with and try as he might, he simply could not convince any one of us to spend hours chasing him down the hall.

Last fall, we went to Colorado to visit my family.  My nephews proudly introduced me to the newest member of their family.  Max was fluffy and cute and so very sweet.  He was also a very playful little kitten.  Although we tried to resist, Jeff and I soon had visions of a playmate for Tucker dancing in our heads.  So after we came home, we ignored the little voices of reason that told us 4 cats in one family was insanity on the paw; and, we adopted Wyatt.

Tucker may have been a failure as a little brother but he was an outstanding big brother.  He was very patient and gentle with Wyatt for the most part and they became fast friends.  Tucker was in heaven.  He had someone to wrestle with and chase.  He had someone who would chase him and who shared his fascination with tin foil balls and ice cubes.   They play together until they’re exhausted and then they snuggle up together and sleep it off.  They truly are best friends.

Meanwhile, we still have Scooter and Kacey too.  Scooter hates her life and everyone in it — with the exception of Jeff.  Sometimes when she sits on his lap, her soulful yellow eyes seem to be saying, “Just you and me, Dad.  That’s all I need!  Let’s get rid of everyone else — especially that ‘mom’ person.”

Kacey has elevated herself to “Daddy’s little girl” status and enjoys all the privileges thereof; but, thankfully she also seems to like me now.   She checks on me when I get up at night.  We also have private brushing sessions and she seems to enjoy sitting with me when I scrapbook.   Her human relationships are pretty well defined.  However, her feline relationships are a confusing mess.

I think she’s honestly hurt that Tucker isn’t asking her to play every 5 minutes.   But the fact is, he doesn’t need Kacey anymore.  He has Wyatt.  Occasionally, I see Kacey watching wistfully as Tucker and Wyatt play tag and wrestle.  I can see her little cat brain saying, “Gee, that looks fun.  I wanna play.”  But her little stunted social skills don’t seem to allow her to ask nicely.  She tends to break into the boys games with a whole lot of hissing and spitting.  And the boys tend to ignore her — which makes Kacey furious.  At least that’s the story she gives us.

However, like any good story, there is another side.  This other side happens after dark.  After Jeff and I close the bedroom door for the night and the house is quiet.   For several months we have suspected that when the lights go off, Kacey plays.  Many times Jeff or I have gotten up unexpectedly in the middle of the night only to catch Kacey, Wyatt and Tucker tearing up and down the hallway together or sharing a toy.  Kacey seems absolutely horrified that she was caught in the act and immediately slinks off, leaving the two boys to wonder what happened.

Last night, I again caught Kacey in the act.  I got up to take some aspirin and noticed a commotion in the office.  Turning on the hall light, I saw Tucker and Wyatt crouched around a cardboard box.  Upon further investigation, I discovered Kacey underneath the box.  I could see one of her paws happily reaching out from under the box as she tempted her brothers to play with her.  It made my little heart very happy to see Kacey playing with abandon.  She was having such fun that she didn’t seem to care that I was watching.

As I went back to bed, I thought of Kacey and her split personality.  And I thought about how much Kacey I have in me.  I know I behave differently in the privacy of my own home than I do when the world is watching.  I know my conversation topics are different at church than they are everywhere else.  I know that I act differently around close friends and family than I do in public.  Does that make me a hypocritical Christian?  Yeah, it probably does.  I don’t think it really matters that I don’t mean to do it.   At least it doesn’t matter to God. 

Nearly four decades into my life and I’m still trying to figure out who I am.  It’s kind of embarrassing, really.  On the other hand, it’s also reassuring to me that I’m still growing.  I’m still wondering and still questioning and still reaching to discover who God made me to be. 

I’m a lot like Kacey.  When things scare me, I want to hide under large pieces of furniture.  I’m very timid at times and that sometimes keeps me from doing things I want to do.  I want to be a part of the close friendships that I observe; but I don’t know how.  But mostly, I just want to work and play and love and laugh and cry and grieve and live with abandon — no matter who is watching. 

Get a load out of this!

NOT GOP? You’re Excommunicated!!

Following the report that nine members of the East Waynesville Baptist Church in western North Carolina were excommunicated because they did not support President Bush in the election, Ralph G. Neas, President of People For the American Way Foundation, had the following statement:

“What have we come to when the doors of a church are closed to longtime members because of their political beliefs? When a pastor equates political support for the ‘wrong’ candidate with a sin before God?

“I would say to Senator Frist and Karl Rove that this is what comes of attempts to manipulate religion for political gain. Americans simply will not accept the claim that ‘unless you accept my political beliefs, you cannot be a good Christian.’

“This nation was founded on respect for religious belief, and tolerance for religious diversity. Men and women of faith have every right to advocate for their political beliefs. While churches, of course, can set their own membership standards, no one should punish people of faith for their political beliefs.

“This is terribly sad. I urge the President to express his opposition to all attempts to manipulate faith for political gain.”

And yet, this is just another example of our self-proclaimed, “Christians” at their best.

If you don’t emulate my thoughts, opinions, way of life, you get the boot, Charlie Brown!

The sad part about this – is that the hypocritical, Neo-Nazi, extreme right-winged, God Fearing, intolerant haters will read this and not realize that they’re one of them.

For all you mental midgets out there: Do you all really think God approves of your evil ways? I think he’s planning to burn you guys extra slowly in Hell!

WARNING: YOU WILL BE OFFENDED BY THE BELOW IF YOU ARE EITHER MOURNING OVER THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL II OR HAVE LIKED HIM. PLEASE DON’T CONTINUE TO READ THIS IF THAT IS THE CASE.

While the rest of you are mourning the death of Pope John Paul II, I’ll be mourning for Pope John Paul I.

I’m sorry, I just cannot feel saddened by the death of Pope John Paul II nor was I ever moved by his words or actions. Even when he forgave the man that shot him doesn’t move me because he was a Pope and that’s what they’re expected to do. I would have done the same if I had a reputation to uphold. I’m sure it would have been a lot harder for him to have “forgiven” if it were a woman that shot him.

Please don’t expect me to be fair, balanced, or understanding of the pope. I can’t. I can’t be objective or rational because the two things that anger me the most are non-consensual sex with children and
chauvinism.

The fact that he looked the other way while all these problems were happening in churches all over is criminal. He is no better than the priests guilty of destroying the innocence and trust in the souls of little boys.

Pope John Paul II was guilty for aiding and abetting child molesters. In this country, we are arrested for this crime. Well, both of these crimes: for child molesting and aiding and abetting.

But I guess you really cannot blame Pope John Paul II. If he had done anything about said crimes committed against our innocent children, he would have mysteriously died of a heart attack too.

Citrus: Citrus couple arrested, face abuse charges

Finally, these two circus freaks have been arrested.

They were found here.

They fled the state driving all the way from Tampa, FL to Utah when they were required to attend a hearing regarding the torture of their adopted children.

The arrest ended a search that attracted national media attention Friday. CNN and America’s Most Wanted posted mug shots of the Dollars on Web sites and broadcasts.The children told investigators that the Dollars starved them, shocked them with electricity, pulled out their toenails with pliers, bound them with chains and strips of plastic and struck their feet with hammers.

A 16-year-old boy weighed 59 pounds. Twin boys, age 14, weighed 36 and 38 pounds, the Sheriff’s Office said.

DCF released documents that showed the Dollars adopted three children in Hillsborough County in 1995; at that time, they already had five children.

This had been going un-noticed for years because The Dollars had all the children bound to the home. They were never let outside of the home – which is also the place where they received all their schooling. Mrs. Dollar was a stay home ‘mother’ and home-schooled her children.

Now, is it just me that keeps hearing stories of child abuse where their parents are so called ‘devout Christians’? Religious? Why do I keep hearing stories of ‘religious’ parents committing the most heinous
acts? Typical.

The children were kept hidden for years while The Dollars kept moving back and forth from Tennessee and Florida. Between that and the fact that these two psychopaths fled like a bat out of hell following the unexpected accusations of said crimes, one would have to have their head up their bum to not see the obvious Consciousness of Guilt there.

One very frightening thing: One of the children was starved to death so much that it was said that this boy who looked as if he were six years old was really sixteen!

What else is new? Who do you think you REALLY KNOW? Isn’t it becoming a cliché now that every time a crime is committed, the neighbors are surprised? I don’t blame the neighbors. But people would have to be really stupid not to realize that what YOU see is not always what is really there! Do you actually think if one of your Bible Thumping, friendly and loving neighbors were to be doing illegal stunts behind closed doors that they would not go out of their way to keep their little secrets hidden?

EGADS!

Uh huh.

Well, enough of that. You can read the rest of the story and the tidbits I left out here.

One more thing I’d like to add…. You know how we adults get together and discuss how today’s teens are so out of control, filled with angst, rage, and rebellion? I think from now on it is best to try to understand where they came from.

We’ve got teenagers who

• are suicidal or commit suicide,
• are overdosing on drugs,
• are suffering from extreme introversion or depression,
• kill their parents or another family member or are violent with them,
• get into trouble with the law,
• run away from home, and
• are addicted to sex.

Does anybody ever stop and wonder WHY?

Hypothetically speaking, if the children of Mr. and Mrs. Dollar were ever to be surrounded by people or have gone to school outside the home, would we not see something different about them? In any way? They
don’t necessarily have to be “mean”. Imagine how some people would criticize them and stop — right there — looking no deeper.

This happens way too often.

In most cases, children defend their parents and keep the lives that they have behind the closed doors of their own home a BIG SECRET.

“Children who are severely beaten or abused will bond with the abuser and defend the abusive behavior.“

“Many children are far too young to understand what has happened to him/her. Unable to communicate verbally what has happened. Remember sexual abuse knows no age limits. Unfortunately, it can and does happen to even the smallest of children whom are only weeks old.

Children are often threatened and or bribed by the abuser to keep the abuse a secret just between the two of them. It is a scary thing for a child to have their life or the lives of family members threatened if the tell the secret. Often they are afraid that even if they do tell no one will believe them. We must prove them wrong. It is very rare that young children lie about (word omitted) abuse. You must let them know you believe them. Assure them it is not their fault, they did nothing wrong and they are not being punished. This kind of attention can be confusing, causing them to feel ashamed and embarrassed and stirring up mixed emotions especially if it is someone they know, love and trust. They then worry about getting into trouble themselves or getting a loved one into trouble. —Children Are Worth saving…. C.A.W.S. —caws.com”

With that said, I’ve always believed that no child is born evil.