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... comes from contentment. This blog has reminded me of being content. Without God's saving grace, I would not be able to be truly thankful for anything right now. We are not entitled to anything but God has graciously provided a way for us to have abundant life. I cannot express how much I thank God for my new life and family. I am so grateful I can fall prostrate at His feet and weep. I am so thankful I am willing to lay down everything I want to be everything He wants. With His help, we will teach our kids to give it all and keep none. We will follow Him. Whatever it takes. Lord give us the wisdom. We can do nothing without You. Help us to continue growing our family and hearts towards You. AMEN.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Take over
I have been so stressed out! I need God to take over and let me rest. I admit I have a very moody personality. I can be really happy and outgoing, and I can be really depressed and hide like a hermit. I am not sure why, but I am still trying to find a balance. Right now I am suffering from some kind of stomach cramps and it's been hurting since last night. I sure hope it's not my appendix. There is a chance it's totally stress related cuz when the baby cries too much, I'd start hurting a lot. And when she got hold of a pair of scissors in the living room while I was in the bedroom, I heard Phill say to my 4 year old, take that scissors away from her, and I cramped up really bad too. I am trying so hard to balance our lives and find a good schedule for all the kids and at the same time trying to do things right with Phill. It has not been easy. I need so much help.
God, help! Give me the wisdom and strength. Alleviate my stress and take over. Have mercy and grace on my children. Continue to teach me, humble me, and search my heart. AMEN.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ABIGAIL!
God, help! Give me the wisdom and strength. Alleviate my stress and take over. Have mercy and grace on my children. Continue to teach me, humble me, and search my heart. AMEN.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ABIGAIL!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
POLARITY in worship
EXodus 24 1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."
Psalm 100 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
The Rationing Commission: Meet the unelected body that will dictate future medical decisions.
Wall Street Journal
As usual, the most dangerous parts of ObamaCare aren't receiving the scrutiny they deserve—and one of the least examined is a new commission to tell Congress how to control health spending. Democrats are quietly attempting to impose a "global budget" on Medicare, with radical implications for U.S. medicine.
Like most of Europe, the various health bills stipulate that Congress will arbitrarily decide how much to spend on health care for seniors every year—and then invest an unelected board with extraordinary powers to dictate what is covered and how it will be paid for. White House budget director Peter Orszag calls this Medicare commission "critical to our fiscal future" and "one of the most potent reforms."
On that last score, he's right. Prominent health economist Alain Enthoven has likened a global budget to "bombing from 35,000 feet, where you don't see the faces of the people you kill."
As envisioned by the Senate Finance Committee, the commission—all 15 members appointed by the President—would have to meet certain budget targets each year. Starting in 2015, Medicare could not grow more rapidly on a per capita basis than by a measure of inflation. After 2019, it could only grow at the same rate as GDP, plus one percentage point.
The theory is to let technocrats set Medicare payments free from political pressure, as with the military base closing commissions. But that process presented recommendations to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Here, the commission's decisions would go into effect automatically if Congress couldn't agree within six months on different cuts that met the same target. The board's decisions would not be subject to ordinary notice-and-comment rule-making, or even judicial review.
Yet if the goal really is political insulation, then the Medicare Commission is off to a bad start. To avoid a senior revolt, Finance Chairman Max Baucus decided to bar his creation from reducing benefits or raising the eligibility age, which meant that it could only cut costs by tightening Medicare price controls on doctors and hospitals. Doctors and hospitals, naturally, were furious.
So the Montana Democrat bowed and carved out exemptions for such providers, along with hospices and suppliers of medical equipment. Until 2019 the commission will thus only be allowed to attack Medicare Advantage, the program that gives 10 million seniors private insurance choices, and to raise premiums for Medicare prescription drug coverage, which is run by private contractors. Notice a political pattern?
But a decade from now, such limits are off—which also happens to be roughly the time when ObamaCare's spending explodes. The hard budget cap means there is only so much money to be divvied up for care, with no account for demographic changes, such as longer life spans, or for the increasing incidence of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Worse, it makes little room for medical innovations. The commission is mandated to go after "sources of excess cost growth," meaning treatments that are too expensive or whose coverage will boost spending. If researchers find a pricey treatment for Alzheimer's in 2020, that might be banned because it would add new costs and bust the global budget. Or it might decide that "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller," as President Obama put it in June.
In other words, the Medicare commission would come to function much like the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which rations care in England. Or a similar Washington state board created in 2003 to control costs. Its handiwork isn't pretty.
The Washington commission, called the Health Technology Assessment, is manned by 11 bureaucrats, including a chiropractor and a "naturopath" who focuses on alternative, er, remedies like herbs and massage therapy. They consider the clinical effectiveness but above all the cost of medical procedures and technologies. If they decide something isn't worth the money, then Olympia won't cover it for some 750,000 Medicaid patients, public employees and prisoners.
So far, the commission has banned knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, discography for chronic back pain, and implantable infusion pumps for pain not related to cancer. This year, it is targeting such frivolous luxuries as knee replacements, spinal cord stimulation, a specialized autism therapy and MRIs of the abdomen, pelvis or breasts for cancer. It will also rule on routine ultrasounds for pregnancy, which have a "high" efficacy but also a "high" cost.
Currently, the commission is pushing through the most restrictive payment policy in the nation for drug-eluting cardiac stents—simply because bare metal stents are cheaper, even as they result in worse outcomes. If a patient is wheeled into the operating room with chest pains in an emergency, doctors will first have to determine if he's covered by a state plan, then the diameter of his blood vessels and his diabetic condition to decide on the appropriate stent. If they don't, Washington will not reimburse them for "inappropriate care."
If Democrats impose such a commission nationwide, it would constitute a radical change in U.S. health care. The reason that physician discretion—not Washington's cost-minded judgments—is at the core of medicine is that usually there are no "right" answers. The data from large clinical trials produce generic conclusions that rarely apply to individual patients, who have vastly different biologies, response rates to treatments, and often multiple conditions. A breakthrough drug like Herceptin, which is designed for a certain genetic subset of breast-cancer patients, might well be ruled out under such a standardized approach.
It's possible this global budget could become an accounting fiction, like the automatic Medicare cuts Congress currently pretends it will impose on doctors. But health care's fiscal pressures will be even stronger than they are today if ObamaCare passes in anything like its current form. And that is when politicians will want this remote, impersonal and unaccountable central committee to do the inevitable dirty work of denying care.
The only way to take the politics out of health care is to give individuals more power to control medical dollars. And the first step should be not to create even more government spending commitments. The core problem with government-run health care is that it doesn't make decisions in the best interests of patients, but in the best interests of government.
As usual, the most dangerous parts of ObamaCare aren't receiving the scrutiny they deserve—and one of the least examined is a new commission to tell Congress how to control health spending. Democrats are quietly attempting to impose a "global budget" on Medicare, with radical implications for U.S. medicine.
Like most of Europe, the various health bills stipulate that Congress will arbitrarily decide how much to spend on health care for seniors every year—and then invest an unelected board with extraordinary powers to dictate what is covered and how it will be paid for. White House budget director Peter Orszag calls this Medicare commission "critical to our fiscal future" and "one of the most potent reforms."
On that last score, he's right. Prominent health economist Alain Enthoven has likened a global budget to "bombing from 35,000 feet, where you don't see the faces of the people you kill."
As envisioned by the Senate Finance Committee, the commission—all 15 members appointed by the President—would have to meet certain budget targets each year. Starting in 2015, Medicare could not grow more rapidly on a per capita basis than by a measure of inflation. After 2019, it could only grow at the same rate as GDP, plus one percentage point.
The theory is to let technocrats set Medicare payments free from political pressure, as with the military base closing commissions. But that process presented recommendations to Congress for an up-or-down vote. Here, the commission's decisions would go into effect automatically if Congress couldn't agree within six months on different cuts that met the same target. The board's decisions would not be subject to ordinary notice-and-comment rule-making, or even judicial review.
Yet if the goal really is political insulation, then the Medicare Commission is off to a bad start. To avoid a senior revolt, Finance Chairman Max Baucus decided to bar his creation from reducing benefits or raising the eligibility age, which meant that it could only cut costs by tightening Medicare price controls on doctors and hospitals. Doctors and hospitals, naturally, were furious.
So the Montana Democrat bowed and carved out exemptions for such providers, along with hospices and suppliers of medical equipment. Until 2019 the commission will thus only be allowed to attack Medicare Advantage, the program that gives 10 million seniors private insurance choices, and to raise premiums for Medicare prescription drug coverage, which is run by private contractors. Notice a political pattern?
But a decade from now, such limits are off—which also happens to be roughly the time when ObamaCare's spending explodes. The hard budget cap means there is only so much money to be divvied up for care, with no account for demographic changes, such as longer life spans, or for the increasing incidence of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Worse, it makes little room for medical innovations. The commission is mandated to go after "sources of excess cost growth," meaning treatments that are too expensive or whose coverage will boost spending. If researchers find a pricey treatment for Alzheimer's in 2020, that might be banned because it would add new costs and bust the global budget. Or it might decide that "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller," as President Obama put it in June.
In other words, the Medicare commission would come to function much like the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which rations care in England. Or a similar Washington state board created in 2003 to control costs. Its handiwork isn't pretty.
The Washington commission, called the Health Technology Assessment, is manned by 11 bureaucrats, including a chiropractor and a "naturopath" who focuses on alternative, er, remedies like herbs and massage therapy. They consider the clinical effectiveness but above all the cost of medical procedures and technologies. If they decide something isn't worth the money, then Olympia won't cover it for some 750,000 Medicaid patients, public employees and prisoners.
So far, the commission has banned knee arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, discography for chronic back pain, and implantable infusion pumps for pain not related to cancer. This year, it is targeting such frivolous luxuries as knee replacements, spinal cord stimulation, a specialized autism therapy and MRIs of the abdomen, pelvis or breasts for cancer. It will also rule on routine ultrasounds for pregnancy, which have a "high" efficacy but also a "high" cost.
Currently, the commission is pushing through the most restrictive payment policy in the nation for drug-eluting cardiac stents—simply because bare metal stents are cheaper, even as they result in worse outcomes. If a patient is wheeled into the operating room with chest pains in an emergency, doctors will first have to determine if he's covered by a state plan, then the diameter of his blood vessels and his diabetic condition to decide on the appropriate stent. If they don't, Washington will not reimburse them for "inappropriate care."
If Democrats impose such a commission nationwide, it would constitute a radical change in U.S. health care. The reason that physician discretion—not Washington's cost-minded judgments—is at the core of medicine is that usually there are no "right" answers. The data from large clinical trials produce generic conclusions that rarely apply to individual patients, who have vastly different biologies, response rates to treatments, and often multiple conditions. A breakthrough drug like Herceptin, which is designed for a certain genetic subset of breast-cancer patients, might well be ruled out under such a standardized approach.
It's possible this global budget could become an accounting fiction, like the automatic Medicare cuts Congress currently pretends it will impose on doctors. But health care's fiscal pressures will be even stronger than they are today if ObamaCare passes in anything like its current form. And that is when politicians will want this remote, impersonal and unaccountable central committee to do the inevitable dirty work of denying care.
The only way to take the politics out of health care is to give individuals more power to control medical dollars. And the first step should be not to create even more government spending commitments. The core problem with government-run health care is that it doesn't make decisions in the best interests of patients, but in the best interests of government.
"Obamacare is not 'reform' -- given what it would do to spending, it's more like malpractice."
Obamacare: Buy now, pay later By Robert J. Samuelson (The Washington Post)
Monday, November 16, 2009
There is an air of absurdity to what is mistakenly called "health-care reform." Everyone knows that the United States faces massive governmental budget deficits as far as calculators can project, driven heavily by an aging population and uncontrolled health costs. As we recover slowly from a devastating recession, it's widely agreed that, though deficits should not be cut abruptly (lest the economy resume its slump), a prudent society would embark on long-term policies to control health costs, reduce government spending and curb massive future deficits. The administration estimates these at $9 trillion from 2010 to 2019. The president and all his top economic advisers proclaim the same cautionary message.
This Story
* Obamacare: Buy now, pay later
* ROTC for civilian service
* Gambling with the dollar
So what do they do? Just the opposite. Their far-reaching overhaul of the health-care system -- which Congress is halfway toward enacting -- would almost certainly make matters worse. It would create new, open-ended medical entitlements that threaten higher deficits and would do little to suppress surging health costs. The disconnect between what President Obama says and what he's doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. The president, his advisers and allies have no trouble. But reconciling blatantly contradictory objectives requires them to engage in willful self-deception, public dishonesty, or both.
The campaign to pass Obama's health-care plan has assumed a false, though understandable, cloak of moral superiority. It's understandable because almost everyone thinks that people in need of essential medical care should get it; ideally, everyone would have health insurance. The pursuit of these worthy goals can easily be projected as a high-minded exercise for the public good.
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It's false for two reasons. First, the country has other goals -- including preventing financial crises and minimizing the crushing effects of high deficits or taxes on the economy and younger Americans -- that "health-care reform" would jeopardize. And second, the benefits of "reform" are exaggerated. Sure, many Americans would feel less fearful about losing insurance; but there are cheaper ways to limit insecurity. Meanwhile, improvements in health for today's uninsured would be modest. They already receive substantial medical care. Insurance would help some individuals enormously, but studies find that, on average, gains are moderate. Despite using more health services, people don't automatically become healthier.
The pretense of moral superiority further erodes before all the expedient deceptions used to sell Obama's health-care agenda. The president says that he won't sign legislation that adds to the deficit. One way to accomplish this is to put costs outside the legislation. So: Doctors have long complained that their Medicare reimbursements are too low; the fix for replacing the present formula would cost $210 billion over a decade, estimates the Congressional Budget Office. That cost was originally in the "health reform" legislation. Now, it's been moved to another bill but, because there's no means to pay for it (higher taxes or spending cuts), deficits would increase.
Another way to disguise the costs is to count savings that, though they exist on paper, will probably never be realized in practice. So: The House bill is credited with reductions in Medicare reimbursements for hospitals and other providers of $228 billion over a decade. But Congress has often prescribed reimbursement cuts that, under pressure from squeezed providers, it has later rescinded. Claims of "fiscal responsibility" for the health-care proposals reflect "assumptions that are totally unrealistic based on past history," says David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general and now head of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Equally misleading, Obama's top economic advisers assert that the present proposals would slow the growth of overall national health spending. Outside studies disagree. Three studies (two by the consulting firm the Lewin Group for the Peterson Foundation and one by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency) conclude that various congressional plans would increase national health spending compared with the effect of no legislation. The studies variously estimate that the extra spending, over the next decade, would be $750 billion, $525 billion and $114 billion. The reasoning: Greater use of the health-care system by the newly insured would overwhelm cost-saving measures (bundled payments, comparative effectiveness research, tort reform), which are either weak or experimental.
Though these estimates could prove wrong, they are more plausible than the administration's self-serving claims. Its health-care plan is not "comprehensive," as Obama and the New York Times (in its news columns) assert, because it slights cost control. Obama chose to emphasize the politically appealing path of expanding benefits rather than first attending to the harder and more urgent task of controlling spending. If new spending commitments worsen some future budget or financial crisis, Obama's proposal certainly won't qualify as "reform," as the president and The Post (also in its news columns) call it. It's more like malpractice: a self-inflicted wound.
Monday, November 16, 2009
There is an air of absurdity to what is mistakenly called "health-care reform." Everyone knows that the United States faces massive governmental budget deficits as far as calculators can project, driven heavily by an aging population and uncontrolled health costs. As we recover slowly from a devastating recession, it's widely agreed that, though deficits should not be cut abruptly (lest the economy resume its slump), a prudent society would embark on long-term policies to control health costs, reduce government spending and curb massive future deficits. The administration estimates these at $9 trillion from 2010 to 2019. The president and all his top economic advisers proclaim the same cautionary message.
This Story
* Obamacare: Buy now, pay later
* ROTC for civilian service
* Gambling with the dollar
So what do they do? Just the opposite. Their far-reaching overhaul of the health-care system -- which Congress is halfway toward enacting -- would almost certainly make matters worse. It would create new, open-ended medical entitlements that threaten higher deficits and would do little to suppress surging health costs. The disconnect between what President Obama says and what he's doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. The president, his advisers and allies have no trouble. But reconciling blatantly contradictory objectives requires them to engage in willful self-deception, public dishonesty, or both.
The campaign to pass Obama's health-care plan has assumed a false, though understandable, cloak of moral superiority. It's understandable because almost everyone thinks that people in need of essential medical care should get it; ideally, everyone would have health insurance. The pursuit of these worthy goals can easily be projected as a high-minded exercise for the public good.
ad_icon
It's false for two reasons. First, the country has other goals -- including preventing financial crises and minimizing the crushing effects of high deficits or taxes on the economy and younger Americans -- that "health-care reform" would jeopardize. And second, the benefits of "reform" are exaggerated. Sure, many Americans would feel less fearful about losing insurance; but there are cheaper ways to limit insecurity. Meanwhile, improvements in health for today's uninsured would be modest. They already receive substantial medical care. Insurance would help some individuals enormously, but studies find that, on average, gains are moderate. Despite using more health services, people don't automatically become healthier.
The pretense of moral superiority further erodes before all the expedient deceptions used to sell Obama's health-care agenda. The president says that he won't sign legislation that adds to the deficit. One way to accomplish this is to put costs outside the legislation. So: Doctors have long complained that their Medicare reimbursements are too low; the fix for replacing the present formula would cost $210 billion over a decade, estimates the Congressional Budget Office. That cost was originally in the "health reform" legislation. Now, it's been moved to another bill but, because there's no means to pay for it (higher taxes or spending cuts), deficits would increase.
Another way to disguise the costs is to count savings that, though they exist on paper, will probably never be realized in practice. So: The House bill is credited with reductions in Medicare reimbursements for hospitals and other providers of $228 billion over a decade. But Congress has often prescribed reimbursement cuts that, under pressure from squeezed providers, it has later rescinded. Claims of "fiscal responsibility" for the health-care proposals reflect "assumptions that are totally unrealistic based on past history," says David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general and now head of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Equally misleading, Obama's top economic advisers assert that the present proposals would slow the growth of overall national health spending. Outside studies disagree. Three studies (two by the consulting firm the Lewin Group for the Peterson Foundation and one by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency) conclude that various congressional plans would increase national health spending compared with the effect of no legislation. The studies variously estimate that the extra spending, over the next decade, would be $750 billion, $525 billion and $114 billion. The reasoning: Greater use of the health-care system by the newly insured would overwhelm cost-saving measures (bundled payments, comparative effectiveness research, tort reform), which are either weak or experimental.
Though these estimates could prove wrong, they are more plausible than the administration's self-serving claims. Its health-care plan is not "comprehensive," as Obama and the New York Times (in its news columns) assert, because it slights cost control. Obama chose to emphasize the politically appealing path of expanding benefits rather than first attending to the harder and more urgent task of controlling spending. If new spending commitments worsen some future budget or financial crisis, Obama's proposal certainly won't qualify as "reform," as the president and The Post (also in its news columns) call it. It's more like malpractice: a self-inflicted wound.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
From frc,org - assisted suicide in health care
Health Care to Die for
Today's fact of the day is a fitting one for Friday the 13th, since H.R. 3962 promises to deliver the grim reaper to any patient signed up for the government health plan. Under Section 240 of the bill, insurance companies are required to provide information on "end-of-life planning" to people who are looking to enroll in coverage offered by the health insurance exchange. In the final bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) decided to strip the broader protective language that was adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which means that H.R. 3962 will mandate the distribution of end-of-life materials about assisted suicide options in Oregon and Washington. At the request of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the pro-euthanasia organization Compassion and Choices also added "advance care planning consultations" as a new optional Medicare-covered benefit. This would open the door for Medicare to pay for end-of-life consultations that include assisted suicide options in states where it is legal. Both provisions include language that claims these sections don't encourage the promotion of "suicide or assisted suicide." But in crafting their state laws, Oregon and Washington redefined the act of assisting in a suicide as "death with dignity," explicitly stating that such action is not legally considered assisted suicide-even though by medical definition that is exactly what it is. Think such rationing of care could never happen? It already has in Oregon, where patients were told their state provided insurance would not cover treatment but would gladly pick up the cost if they went the assisted suicide route. Just don't call them death panels...
Today's fact of the day is a fitting one for Friday the 13th, since H.R. 3962 promises to deliver the grim reaper to any patient signed up for the government health plan. Under Section 240 of the bill, insurance companies are required to provide information on "end-of-life planning" to people who are looking to enroll in coverage offered by the health insurance exchange. In the final bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) decided to strip the broader protective language that was adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which means that H.R. 3962 will mandate the distribution of end-of-life materials about assisted suicide options in Oregon and Washington. At the request of Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the pro-euthanasia organization Compassion and Choices also added "advance care planning consultations" as a new optional Medicare-covered benefit. This would open the door for Medicare to pay for end-of-life consultations that include assisted suicide options in states where it is legal. Both provisions include language that claims these sections don't encourage the promotion of "suicide or assisted suicide." But in crafting their state laws, Oregon and Washington redefined the act of assisting in a suicide as "death with dignity," explicitly stating that such action is not legally considered assisted suicide-even though by medical definition that is exactly what it is. Think such rationing of care could never happen? It already has in Oregon, where patients were told their state provided insurance would not cover treatment but would gladly pick up the cost if they went the assisted suicide route. Just don't call them death panels...
Abigail - first day on bike with no training wheels!
We are sooooo proud of her. She was so excited and surprised. Daddy prayed for her to learn before he went to work and we prayed and gave thanks to the Lord for her success afterward. I truly pray she will learn to give God all glory to all she does.
Thank you Father for Your faithfulness. Grow my children unto You and set them apart for Your Kingdom and work. AMEN.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
"halloween" - It's just not our holiday
Last year, I blogged about halloween too and had a strong view against it and I still do. So before reading on, here's the post from last halloween. "And WHAT occasion is THIS?"
My feelings of halloween has been from a parenting spiritual battle point of view and there are several different views of halloween from the ministry angle here at the seminary. I totally understand the alternate festivals to halloween and believe there are some who are called to reach out during the events. There's "harvest festival", "cow town", "trunk or treat" etc etc. I still don't get why kids are allowed tons of candies but I can see the whole building relationships during these events and having an alternative for believers who want to have fun but without the gory side of it. So, in short, I don't condemn believers who celebrate it because we all have different convictions, backgrounds and cultures.
I was a little bothered on halloween this year because the ones who chose not to celebrate halloween were labeled the "legalistic". I felt bad so I talked to an older and trusted friend to see if they did it too. Cuz if they did, I think I'd really feel bad about not "participating" in the ministry side of it all. But guess what, they don't!!!! They had handed out candy and tracts one year, but they've been in Arizona where they were exposed to what halloween was all about and so they know it's a spiritual battle. I am so glad I got to talk to my good friend. And I love gathering reasons for not celebrating halloween, this year, I get to add a quote.
"We don't celebrate halloween the same reason we don't celebrate Hanukkah. It's just not our holiday!" - Gayle Veitenheimer
God continuing to grow us and set us apart from this world. Help us to love one another and to win souls for Your kingdom. AMEN.
My feelings of halloween has been from a parenting spiritual battle point of view and there are several different views of halloween from the ministry angle here at the seminary. I totally understand the alternate festivals to halloween and believe there are some who are called to reach out during the events. There's "harvest festival", "cow town", "trunk or treat" etc etc. I still don't get why kids are allowed tons of candies but I can see the whole building relationships during these events and having an alternative for believers who want to have fun but without the gory side of it. So, in short, I don't condemn believers who celebrate it because we all have different convictions, backgrounds and cultures.
I was a little bothered on halloween this year because the ones who chose not to celebrate halloween were labeled the "legalistic". I felt bad so I talked to an older and trusted friend to see if they did it too. Cuz if they did, I think I'd really feel bad about not "participating" in the ministry side of it all. But guess what, they don't!!!! They had handed out candy and tracts one year, but they've been in Arizona where they were exposed to what halloween was all about and so they know it's a spiritual battle. I am so glad I got to talk to my good friend. And I love gathering reasons for not celebrating halloween, this year, I get to add a quote.
"We don't celebrate halloween the same reason we don't celebrate Hanukkah. It's just not our holiday!" - Gayle Veitenheimer
God continuing to grow us and set us apart from this world. Help us to love one another and to win souls for Your kingdom. AMEN.
November - Adoption Awareness Month!
Help care for orphans
Lord guide us to the child you have already chosen for us to take into our home. Prepare us to love this child as our own. We will trust you in this process. AMEN.
"Adoption is the new pregnant!" - Sharon
Lord guide us to the child you have already chosen for us to take into our home. Prepare us to love this child as our own. We will trust you in this process. AMEN.
"Adoption is the new pregnant!" - Sharon
Monday, October 19, 2009
Those who have imperfect wives love more than those who have perfect wives
I deeply believe God gave me Phill to remind me of His love and grace daily. Phill is not a perfect husband at all yet I have been amazed by his persistent love and grace towards me. I knew he loved me, but I am discovering more than ever the ways he loves me, as if I had only known the "tip of the iceberg" before we were married. The more grace Phill pours out on me, and the more love he gives me, the more I want to give back to him.
Just yesterday, I looked at myself (I literally imagined to be someone else looking at myself) and thought, "Man, I am a big mess. I have a terrible attitude, I am rude, I am mean, I am stubborn, and I am disorganzied." Then, just before I got fearful, depressed, and discouraged, my husband came to my mind. "Well, if I am such a big mess, Phill should have yelled at me, tried to divorce me, mocked me or something a while ago now... but I have never ever heard anything but affirmation, praises, and love from him...." And that's when this dawned on me. Those who have imperfect wives love more than those who have perfect wives! Phill loves me with a supernatural love that never dies!
On the day we first agreed to court each other towards marriage, he said to me, (and this is in front of a Dairy Queen in Miami) I promise to show you more of God in this relationship. My heart melted like ice cream and I wanted to marry this man knowing that I was willing to submit to him just as he had submitted himself to Christ. The more imperfect I am, the more I know he loves me. For when I fall short in being a mommy, a wife, a follower of Christ, or a friend, he is always here to pray with me and for me, love me, speak life unto me, encourage me, make me laugh, and hear me cry. Not that I will fall short more just to get more of his love, but that I will also love him back. The way Phill loves me, makes me want to love him more, pray for him more, love his children more, take care of this home more, and be a more Christ centered wife each day! I want to trust him, submit to him, serve him, and yet challenge him, stretch him, and "intense fellowship" (fight with a point) with him.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because [God] first loved us." 1John4:18-19
Heavenly Father, You are the perfect love that drives us to love each other with sacrifice, selflessness, affirmation, and till eternity. Continue to pour Your love into us so we may overflow and in turn pour Your love to everyone around us. I pray that You will continue to mature us in our faith, teach us to season our words with grace and sprinkle them with love, and have mercy on our children and children's children. Help us to be Christ centered spouses, parents, and friends. AMEN.
Just yesterday, I looked at myself (I literally imagined to be someone else looking at myself) and thought, "Man, I am a big mess. I have a terrible attitude, I am rude, I am mean, I am stubborn, and I am disorganzied." Then, just before I got fearful, depressed, and discouraged, my husband came to my mind. "Well, if I am such a big mess, Phill should have yelled at me, tried to divorce me, mocked me or something a while ago now... but I have never ever heard anything but affirmation, praises, and love from him...." And that's when this dawned on me. Those who have imperfect wives love more than those who have perfect wives! Phill loves me with a supernatural love that never dies!
On the day we first agreed to court each other towards marriage, he said to me, (and this is in front of a Dairy Queen in Miami) I promise to show you more of God in this relationship. My heart melted like ice cream and I wanted to marry this man knowing that I was willing to submit to him just as he had submitted himself to Christ. The more imperfect I am, the more I know he loves me. For when I fall short in being a mommy, a wife, a follower of Christ, or a friend, he is always here to pray with me and for me, love me, speak life unto me, encourage me, make me laugh, and hear me cry. Not that I will fall short more just to get more of his love, but that I will also love him back. The way Phill loves me, makes me want to love him more, pray for him more, love his children more, take care of this home more, and be a more Christ centered wife each day! I want to trust him, submit to him, serve him, and yet challenge him, stretch him, and "intense fellowship" (fight with a point) with him.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because [God] first loved us." 1John4:18-19
Heavenly Father, You are the perfect love that drives us to love each other with sacrifice, selflessness, affirmation, and till eternity. Continue to pour Your love into us so we may overflow and in turn pour Your love to everyone around us. I pray that You will continue to mature us in our faith, teach us to season our words with grace and sprinkle them with love, and have mercy on our children and children's children. Help us to be Christ centered spouses, parents, and friends. AMEN.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hosanna in the highest
Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom's cause......
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
Matthew 3: 31-34 So don't worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
God renew my patience and my soul. Pour Your love in me so I may do so for my children, husband and others. I need Your help to raise the children. I need Your grace for I am not perfect at all. Lead me in Your peaceful path. Bless me with Your wisdom and Your words. Help me focus on seeking You and Your Kingdom and not mine. I lay down myself and desire to drink up Your living water. You are my rock and my salvation. Teach me to rest in You and give You my burdens. Continue to work in me and make me holy. Set me apart for Your works. AMEN.
God renew my patience and my soul. Pour Your love in me so I may do so for my children, husband and others. I need Your help to raise the children. I need Your grace for I am not perfect at all. Lead me in Your peaceful path. Bless me with Your wisdom and Your words. Help me focus on seeking You and Your Kingdom and not mine. I lay down myself and desire to drink up Your living water. You are my rock and my salvation. Teach me to rest in You and give You my burdens. Continue to work in me and make me holy. Set me apart for Your works. AMEN.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
new world order = globalization = end times???
I don't completely agree with everything in this video but I know it bears lots of truth to it. Ephesians 6 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Lord, help us to put on the full Armor of God so we can stand against the Devil's schemes. Deliver us as you delivered Daniel from the den of lions. Direct us and give us peace. Equip and train us so we can in turn equip our children and train them in Your word and truth. AMEN.
Lord, help us to put on the full Armor of God so we can stand against the Devil's schemes. Deliver us as you delivered Daniel from the den of lions. Direct us and give us peace. Equip and train us so we can in turn equip our children and train them in Your word and truth. AMEN.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
lazy
i love journaling but right now i'm lazy and preferring to just type. i'm trying to improve in leading worship for the pre teens... notes from last night:
1. pray like a 5th grade boy
2. mind the flow of the whole set eg fast fast slow prayer vs fast prayer fast talk slow prayer
3. know the structure of all songs verse chorus verse chorus chorus instr bridge chorus etc
4. write down what to pray or say
5. crack the whip and start on time no chit chatting
6. don't worry too much about instr details when players are good
7. start sound checking right away to get everyone into practice mode
8. send song keys with the song list
9. think of something funny that'll break the ice
10. don't pray with long pauses or pray too long kids start elbowing each other
11. energetic prayers during the intro of songs not just at the beginning or end with solemn prayers
12. have fun
13. know my lyrics
14. ask drummer to click it off
15. feed off of the kids' energy
16. ask band to vamp while kids come in from game time
17. ask kids to do motions at front if songs are familiar
18. develop my own leading style
God help me.
1. pray like a 5th grade boy
2. mind the flow of the whole set eg fast fast slow prayer vs fast prayer fast talk slow prayer
3. know the structure of all songs verse chorus verse chorus chorus instr bridge chorus etc
4. write down what to pray or say
5. crack the whip and start on time no chit chatting
6. don't worry too much about instr details when players are good
7. start sound checking right away to get everyone into practice mode
8. send song keys with the song list
9. think of something funny that'll break the ice
10. don't pray with long pauses or pray too long kids start elbowing each other
11. energetic prayers during the intro of songs not just at the beginning or end with solemn prayers
12. have fun
13. know my lyrics
14. ask drummer to click it off
15. feed off of the kids' energy
16. ask band to vamp while kids come in from game time
17. ask kids to do motions at front if songs are familiar
18. develop my own leading style
God help me.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Oath of allegiance
You would've thought I'd blog on becoming a citizen last Thursday. LOL Well, I am an American citizen now. woohoo! I first drove all the way from the seminary to Irving, thinking that the ceremony was there. Then when I got all 3 kids down to the building and checking the diaper bag through security, an officer came up to me and said, "Ma'am, it is not here." "You are KIDDING me!" So I looked on the paper, and realized it was in a court house in downtown Fort Worth. Wow. I wasn't mad, I had a peace and calmness about it that only God could explain. I buckled all 3 kids back into the car, drove down to dowtown Fort Worth and tried to park. Parking was expensive and guess what? I did not bring my wallet. HA. HA. Well, I drove around till I found a meter and I prayed and prayed that it was one with leftover minutes in it. Lo and behold, the Lord provides 39 minutes on the meter! So, I used the 2 dimes and a nickel that I found on the carpet in my car and prayed that the ceremony will not be longer than an hour. My kids must have thought I was losing my mind watching me mumbling these prayers.
As we went into the court house, I explained to the officer at the front that I went to Irving. Without another word, he said, "go upstairs to the 4th floor and look for Maria." "okay... thanks" "don't dwadle, you don't have much time. go go go!" So with 3 children under the age of 4, we went to the 4th floor. Well, it was real quiet and real solemn. There were people outside the courthouse waiting for the people who were in the ceremony. So I started asking everyone where Maria is. No one knew. I prayed again. Suddenly the door opens, and out comes Maria. NO KIDDING! "MARIA, MARIA!" She was very surprised and said to go with her. As she opened the door, she asked, "You didn't bring anyone with you?" I shook my head. "Do you have to bring your kids?" "Well, Yes! I am not leaving them outside" So with thousands of apologies, I walked through the court house where people had to move their chairs and legs out of the way for my kids and stroller. Finally, I reached the immigration officers who just checked me in and asked me to sit... There was no room. So, one of the officers stood up and orchestrated for a whole row of strangers to move down one seat. That was my most most most embarrassing moment of my life. We waited and waited for the judge to come out. Someone sang the star spangled banner and then all 63 countries represented were mentioned, ranging from Iran to Vietnam. Then we got to the oath of allegiance. This is the part where I thought was interesting. The oath really reminded me of a covenant I made with the Lord my God when I first surrended my life to Him! Read this:
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
When we declare our faith in Christ, we renounce our allegiance to the world, Satan and our sinful nature. That we will read His word, support and defend the Truth which is in Christ Jesus. That we will put on the armor of God and stand firm against the Devil's schemes. Ephesians 6. That we quoting the oath, take the obligation freely without nay mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help us Lord! We are to renounce our own lives and die to ourselves and gain new lives in Christ! When we "jump kingdoms", we must understand that we will no longer serve the Prince of the World but pledge our lives to the Prince of Peace.
Well anyway, then judge Bleil had to give the keynote address because there was no keynote speaker. He was so funny. He kept apologizing for America and speaking of the responsibilities of the judicial branch. That sometimes the executive and legislative branch tells the judicial branch to shut up and that's wrong because the judicial branch keeps the other branches in line. Then he went on to tell people to vote.
Then someone sang God bless America. I personally preferred God bless the USA but I'll take God bless America. Then we did the pledge of allegiance and that was it! I was glad we went to Irving because if we showed up at 9:30, I would not have had enough coins for 3 hours, and I would have been in terrible traffic, upset, stressed out and grouchy. And the kids would not have behaved so well at the courthouse. The Lord turned my carelessness into a huge blessing. The first thing I did to celebrate my new found citizenship was to fill out a form to register as a voter!!! =)
Lord thank You that I am a citizen in Heaven. That You have allowed me to become part of Your Kingdom. AMEN.
As we went into the court house, I explained to the officer at the front that I went to Irving. Without another word, he said, "go upstairs to the 4th floor and look for Maria." "okay... thanks" "don't dwadle, you don't have much time. go go go!" So with 3 children under the age of 4, we went to the 4th floor. Well, it was real quiet and real solemn. There were people outside the courthouse waiting for the people who were in the ceremony. So I started asking everyone where Maria is. No one knew. I prayed again. Suddenly the door opens, and out comes Maria. NO KIDDING! "MARIA, MARIA!" She was very surprised and said to go with her. As she opened the door, she asked, "You didn't bring anyone with you?" I shook my head. "Do you have to bring your kids?" "Well, Yes! I am not leaving them outside" So with thousands of apologies, I walked through the court house where people had to move their chairs and legs out of the way for my kids and stroller. Finally, I reached the immigration officers who just checked me in and asked me to sit... There was no room. So, one of the officers stood up and orchestrated for a whole row of strangers to move down one seat. That was my most most most embarrassing moment of my life. We waited and waited for the judge to come out. Someone sang the star spangled banner and then all 63 countries represented were mentioned, ranging from Iran to Vietnam. Then we got to the oath of allegiance. This is the part where I thought was interesting. The oath really reminded me of a covenant I made with the Lord my God when I first surrended my life to Him! Read this:
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
When we declare our faith in Christ, we renounce our allegiance to the world, Satan and our sinful nature. That we will read His word, support and defend the Truth which is in Christ Jesus. That we will put on the armor of God and stand firm against the Devil's schemes. Ephesians 6. That we quoting the oath, take the obligation freely without nay mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help us Lord! We are to renounce our own lives and die to ourselves and gain new lives in Christ! When we "jump kingdoms", we must understand that we will no longer serve the Prince of the World but pledge our lives to the Prince of Peace.
Well anyway, then judge Bleil had to give the keynote address because there was no keynote speaker. He was so funny. He kept apologizing for America and speaking of the responsibilities of the judicial branch. That sometimes the executive and legislative branch tells the judicial branch to shut up and that's wrong because the judicial branch keeps the other branches in line. Then he went on to tell people to vote.
Then someone sang God bless America. I personally preferred God bless the USA but I'll take God bless America. Then we did the pledge of allegiance and that was it! I was glad we went to Irving because if we showed up at 9:30, I would not have had enough coins for 3 hours, and I would have been in terrible traffic, upset, stressed out and grouchy. And the kids would not have behaved so well at the courthouse. The Lord turned my carelessness into a huge blessing. The first thing I did to celebrate my new found citizenship was to fill out a form to register as a voter!!! =)
Lord thank You that I am a citizen in Heaven. That You have allowed me to become part of Your Kingdom. AMEN.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Who's your security blanket?
I have been mourning over certain sins in my life and learning to die to myself and gaining new life in Christ. Once in a while, I still get series of dreams of abandonment, insecurity, and heartache all over again. My sinful nature keeps going backwards, looking at life with a hindsight, and wanting to gain some kind of security through my past. During these times, I feel shame and guilt, and I always turn to my God, my godly friends, and my husband for help. I confess, I mourn, I repent, I forgive, I let go.... it is terribly difficult. I seek for wise counsel, I read and meditate upon His words, and I pray for His miraculous healing upon my soul. I asked Phill to tell me what to do today and he asked me to stop clinging onto my past as a security blanket. I felt terrible. At first, because I feel like I have betrayed him. As if I have not clung onto him as a security blanket. Then, I felt convicted, because it means I have not clung onto Christ as my security blanket either! Yes, this is going to be a long, hard road. But I know I have a God who will never leave me or forsake me, and I know I have a husband who continues to lay down his life for me daily. I will continue to die to myself and align my life with Christ who saved me from the darkness.
Lord, reveal your heart to me and pull me away from evil. Help me find security, identity, and sovereignty in You alone. AMEN.
Lord, reveal your heart to me and pull me away from evil. Help me find security, identity, and sovereignty in You alone. AMEN.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
"Propaganda is propaganda no matter how you paint it"... shame shame shame
God help us. Show your sovereignty and give us hope. Help us to guide people around us to find hope in You and You only. Use us to glorify Your name. Send us into the fields of harvest and teach us to be fishers of men. You alone are God and You will deliver these souls. AMEN
Friday, September 18, 2009
YouTube Evangelism part 2
Unexpected turn of events I believe. Pray pray pray for the person I have been reaching out to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78kGJCPYRkM&NR=1
"Hey everybody! we are going on vacation for the very first time as a family! do you what vacation is?" Abigail: "Yeah! The baaaad apple." "No!!! THat's temptation!!!" LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78kGJCPYRkM&NR=1
"Hey everybody! we are going on vacation for the very first time as a family! do you what vacation is?" Abigail: "Yeah! The baaaad apple." "No!!! THat's temptation!!!" LOL!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
NAPO
I have always been troubled about not being able to organize and decorate any space around me. I went online and typed in organization tips, and clicked on NAPO, National Association of Professional Organizers!!! You can apparently pay someone who is certified through this association about 50 dollars an hour to come to your house and help you organize your house. I think I should just read tips and learn how to do it myself. So, the journey has begun. I have been getting boxes and bins and just putting everything in them. Supposedly that's how it works. The next step is to learn how to decorate. Here are the "Ten comments in decorating your room".
http://www.rentaldecorating.com/Interiordesign101-7/interior_design_ten_commandments.htm
God, continue to help me in becoming a godly woman, wife, and mother who can pass down great skills and knowledge to the next generations. AMEN.
http://www.rentaldecorating.com/Interiordesign101-7/interior_design_ten_commandments.htm
God, continue to help me in becoming a godly woman, wife, and mother who can pass down great skills and knowledge to the next generations. AMEN.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
YouTube Evangelism
I love being on youtube. Not just because I get to watch movie clips, free comedy shows, bring up worship songs etc etc. But because I feel heart broken for those who comment on these sites! A lot of them are seeking for the truth and asking really good questions but seldom do they get the answers they need. Some are just there to debate and tear others' shakable faith down and that's not right. So, I've been at this for about 6 months now. I read the comments, find a target, pray pray pray for what and how to say, and give it a shot. It is simple. Shy Christians should definitely give it a try! Here's a recent example:
Lord, continue to use us for Your glory and to become more efficient fishers of men. AMEN.
SHADOW10621 (3 months ago)
I didn't get this story when I was in bible school and I still don't get it 38 years later. What did God sacrifice if he could bring anything back ? I mean he sideth on the right hand of God the father almighty. I am bad I should not question things God knows everything and I am stupid.
ndyt (2 months ago)
SHADOW10621, yeah, I feel the same way. If Jesus came back and still lives, then what was sacrificed? Doesn't Jesus need to stay dead for it to be a sacrifice?
mommykoo (1 day ago)
He was dead. Jesus died for 3 days! The resurrection was important for He proved that one day He CAN in fact plead for our lives in front of the Father and get us in Heaven with Him. That's HUGE and glorious!
mommykoo (1 day ago)
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:1-4
lepgray (3 weeks ago)
So the excrutiating pain and torture, the humiliation, the injustice, the betrayal by His own disciple and His own people, that's not sacrifice enough for you? He was completely and utterly deserted by His father and He didn't KNOW if He would be resurrected. He was sinless and He suffered anyway, so that each of us can take His gift and live eternally with Him. I have to say I'm pretty awe struck and deeply humbled. By the way, it's okay to question, just be open to His answer.
mommykoo (1 day ago)
The most awesome thing about God is that He wants you to ask the questions because then it means you are still seeking for the truth and have not given up.
Jesus did not have to die but because God wants His creation to be saved so one day we can still be with Him, Jesus had to die for our sins. He was resurrected to prove that He was indeed the Son of God and that He can one day fulfill His promise to bring us to Heaven.
mommykoo (1 day ago)
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. John 3:34-36
TheThechosen0ne (2 months ago)
wat happen about the earthquake
mommykoo (1 day ago)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew 27
mommykoo (1 day ago)
i think the earth shook to open the tombs. the sequence of events was not exactly 100%. also the sky was supposed to be dark.
mommykoo (1 day ago)
oh and there was no storm recorded
mommykoo (1 day ago)
nevertheless, it's a great video.
ndyt (1 day ago)
mommykoo, your religion is a based on a fairytale and its practice is a cult.
mommykoo (1 day ago)
what if you are wrong?
ndyt (1 day ago)
mommykoo, if am wrong then my chance of getting into heaven is the same about the same as yours because there are thousands of religions out there so the chance of picking the right one is small. There are over 38,000 different denominations of christianity alone! Those are long odds to get it right. Also, I feel I have not done anything to warrant being tortured for eternity. Have you? What was it you did?
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
Those were bible verses just in case you'd give Him a chance and read it thoroughly.
But look, easy example. If I handed you a cup of water with a teaspoon of poison in there, would you take it? I wouldn't, because it's not pure. Well, God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. Just as water and poison wouldn't go together and light and darkness wouldn't either, neither do sinful people and God. That answers the question whether we have ever done anything to deserve hell.
ndyt (21 hours ago)
mommykoo, so you are saying that even though god is all powerful, he he accepts someone that is not pure good then he will become tainted and no longer pure good? If that is the case then he is not all powerful.
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
I have read richard dawkins' books. he tells me that i am an organic meatbag while my Creator tells me He had made a way for us to be in heaven with Him one day. All He ever did was love me.
ndyt (20 hours ago)
mommykoo, too bad your creator is a fairytale.
mommykoo (20 hours ago)
I have nothing to lose. He'll be my knight in shining armor and I will be His bride.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels. Mark 8:36-38
ndyt (11 hours ago)
mommykoo, how do you know you have the right religion and the right denomination? There are thousands.
mommykoo (4 hours ago)
religion and denomination are man made. all i know if my God is the living God that made me and that He provided a way for me to be with Him in the end of time. I know i am covered for eternity.
ndyt (2 hours ago)
mommykoo, the bible is man made too. It was constructed by the catholic church to control people. You have nothing that isn't man made to tell you about god.
mommykoo (1 minute ago)
you're incorrect. the whole world was created by God. He created the sun and the moon, He set the stars in the sky and rainbow in clouds. He created the trees and the fish, the birds and the beasts. He created the ants and the dirt. Cont......
mommykoo (1 minute ago)
He also created my conscience and made me in His image so when I do wrong, I feel guilt and shame. even if the bible was man made, the words were inspired by God. His words convicts a soul to fear death and desire Heaven. Nothing wrong w/ being in a better place after a person dies. is there?
mommykoo (3 seconds ago)
everything that He has made is more than enough evidence for my eyes.
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
JEsus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
John 3:34-36
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
I think the more valid question is, why do you think you deserve to be in Heaven? Let's go down the list of 10 commandments. 1. Worship God only. Have you loved something more than God? 3. don't misuse His name. Have you ever said OMG? 5. Honor your parents. Have you ever disobeyed them? 9. Do not lie. Have you ever tweaked the truth?
ndyt (21 hours ago)
mommykoo, no, the more important question is: why do you think the god of the bible is real when there is only evidence agaisnt it and none for it?
mommykoo (21 hours ago)
what evidence do you have against a living God? I'd like to know. and i think you are avoiding my valid question of why you think you deserve to be in Heaven with a Holy God.
ndyt (21 hours ago)
The earthquake would be in roman records, it is not.
mommykoo (15 minutes ago)
i think you are saying that to take people's hearts away from God. why? why don't you want others to reconcile with their Creator? it's one thing if you don't believe and it's another to bring others with you... =(
Lord, continue to use us for Your glory and to become more efficient fishers of men. AMEN.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My hubby
I just wanted to take note here on my blog that Phill has stepped up like never before to lead this family spiritually! We have always done the basics just to get by. Like the before bed bible time, prayers at each meal and bed time, bible verse each week... real basic. For the past few days, Phill has added a simple devotion at dinner time too! He's been more patient, kind, and gentle lately. And I am not supposed to have found out, but he has been doing the love dare!!! (I found out on day 4, hehehe) I have just been so amazed, surprised and flattered that my husband has been making such huge efforts to love me and our children. God is so faithful and full of grace.
God, thank You for Your faithfulness. We marvel at Your plans. Continue Your work in us. Continue to mold us and transform us. Help me to be Phill's helper. To uplift him and to love him. Help me to be a Christ centered wife and mother. I will continue to surrender to You every morning. Your will be done. AMEN.
(Oh, and Esther crawled two steps this morning.)
Coming back from the pool, ABigail asked, "mommy can I go play with my friends?" "I thought you were hungry. Don't you wanna come inside to eat?" "ummm, you can go inside to cook and I can play outside!!!" LOL!!!
God, thank You for Your faithfulness. We marvel at Your plans. Continue Your work in us. Continue to mold us and transform us. Help me to be Phill's helper. To uplift him and to love him. Help me to be a Christ centered wife and mother. I will continue to surrender to You every morning. Your will be done. AMEN.
(Oh, and Esther crawled two steps this morning.)
Coming back from the pool, ABigail asked, "mommy can I go play with my friends?" "I thought you were hungry. Don't you wanna come inside to eat?" "ummm, you can go inside to cook and I can play outside!!!" LOL!!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Senator Cornyn's reply
Dear Mrs. Koo:
Thank you for contacting me about President Obama’s new initiative to monitor American citizens’ speech about his health care policies. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
As you know, on August 5, 2009, I sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing my concerns about a new program that requested American citizens to forward to the White House emails and “casual conversations” of their fellow citizens who oppose the President’s health care policies. As I stated in my letter to the President, I believe that this program is inconsistent with America’s tradition of free speech and public discourse. I urged the President to cease the program, to purge personally identifiable information gathered by the program from White House records, and to detail how the White House intended to use the information gathered.
Though I am still awaiting a response to my letter from the President, I was pleased to see that on August 17, 2009, the White House shut down the program. While I am glad the site has been shut down, Americans still deserve to know what the White House intends to do with information that was collected during the 13 days the program was in effect. On August 19, 2009, I sent another letter to the President, reiterating my belief that the White House should fully disclose how they are using this information, and seeking the President’s commitment that no similar programs will be instituted in the future.
Health care affects every American and I believe we need to take the time to listen to the patients, providers, families, and small businesses that will be significantly impacted by reform. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.
I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our First Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
GOD I PRAY FOR SENATOR CORNYN AS HE MAKES DECISIONS FOR US EACH DAY. WE PRAY THAT YOUR WISDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY WILL RULE AND THAT YOU WILL BE IN EVERYTHING AND EVERY DECISION HE MAKES. I ALSO PRAY FOR OUR NATION. FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS AGAINST YOU. MAKE US SET APART. HELP US MOVE FORWARD. YOU ARE SOVEREIGN AND WE TRUST IN YOU. GUIDE US WITH YOUR WORDS AND WE PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL HONOR YOU AND YOUR WORD. AMEN
Thank you for contacting me about President Obama’s new initiative to monitor American citizens’ speech about his health care policies. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
As you know, on August 5, 2009, I sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing my concerns about a new program that requested American citizens to forward to the White House emails and “casual conversations” of their fellow citizens who oppose the President’s health care policies. As I stated in my letter to the President, I believe that this program is inconsistent with America’s tradition of free speech and public discourse. I urged the President to cease the program, to purge personally identifiable information gathered by the program from White House records, and to detail how the White House intended to use the information gathered.
Though I am still awaiting a response to my letter from the President, I was pleased to see that on August 17, 2009, the White House shut down the program. While I am glad the site has been shut down, Americans still deserve to know what the White House intends to do with information that was collected during the 13 days the program was in effect. On August 19, 2009, I sent another letter to the President, reiterating my belief that the White House should fully disclose how they are using this information, and seeking the President’s commitment that no similar programs will be instituted in the future.
Health care affects every American and I believe we need to take the time to listen to the patients, providers, families, and small businesses that will be significantly impacted by reform. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.
I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to protect our First Amendment rights. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
GOD I PRAY FOR SENATOR CORNYN AS HE MAKES DECISIONS FOR US EACH DAY. WE PRAY THAT YOUR WISDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY WILL RULE AND THAT YOU WILL BE IN EVERYTHING AND EVERY DECISION HE MAKES. I ALSO PRAY FOR OUR NATION. FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS AGAINST YOU. MAKE US SET APART. HELP US MOVE FORWARD. YOU ARE SOVEREIGN AND WE TRUST IN YOU. GUIDE US WITH YOUR WORDS AND WE PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL HONOR YOU AND YOUR WORD. AMEN
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