Tag Archives: freedom

In A Land of Freedom

08 Friday Jan 2016

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America, land of the free, home of the brave.

Unless you own guns.  Or want to assert Christian values in who you hire, rent property to or speak out publicly in many places.

Our President went on TV last night to explain how his new gun related ruling would make us safer.  He’s trying to put a band-aid on a festering wound.  He isn’t treating the problem, just the symptom.

I can agree that background checks are a good thing, I just don’t think many criminals visit Cabela’s to get their guns.  Maybe a pawn shop but more likely on the streets.  I doubt anyone dealing guns or dope or prostitutes spend a lot of time on government websites.

The problem with a lunatic who walks into a school, theater, hospital or church and starts shooting people isn’t the gun.  No, it is the crazed thinking that started the episode.  Until we make it OK to treat mental health instead of making it a stigma, the real problem will continue to fester.  We can put band-aids on it all we want but all those band-aids just start to put burdens on law abiding citizens at some point.

Mr. President, I want you to do everything in your power to keep us safe.  I would simply prefer you do it by addressing the real problem, not the political one.

Grace and peace.

Fifty Shades of Pride

12 Thursday Feb 2015

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My wife makes me want to stand on the top of a mountain and shout “I am the most blessed, most fortunate man alive!”  I have and will continue to refer to her as my VSW (Very Special Woman/Wife) and each day I seem to find new nuggets that reinforce that designation.  She is special in so many ways and I am so proud to be her husband.

Some of our recent conversations are about the book/movie, Fifty Shades of Grey.  She is an opponent of the movie at a spiritual and emotional level and her conviction is what really got me on another high about being married to her.  She believes the movie is a danger, both to the spiritual condition and the emotional condition and how they intersect and affect people’s lives, especially women.  The movie deals with some sexual activity that is not healthy for either party and my VSW has experience dealing with women who have been subjected to this kind of activity.  She has seen the damage it does and, at it’s extremes, what it can lead to.

From all that I am hearing, I question how anyone can condone the movie and condemn Ray Rice.  Abuse is abuse and “consensual sex” doesn’t mean one party isn’t putting themselves in a position of power and manipulation over the other.  And, as we all know, sometimes “no” or the “safe word” doesn’t work like it should.

I am proud of my VSW’s conviction and desire to do what she believes is right.  I admit I have not read the book or seen the movie and do not plan to do either.  I can simply listen to my VSW and believe that it is not a good thing.  I won’t picket or protest or tell anyone they are wrong for reading/seeing Fifty Shades but I will hope and pray that they will all hear the voice of love and condemn anything that causes one to be controlled or abused emotionally and/or physically.  So, #50dollarsnot50shades is something I will support by giving $50 to the organization my VSW thinks best to support the spiritual and emotional health of women.

Grace and peace.

FREEDOM!!!!!!

03 Thursday Jul 2014

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This weekend for Americans is a time of celebrating freedom.  It is one of our holidays where we celebrate the freedoms we have had (albeit changing all the time) and remembering those who have given so much for our freedom.  I know few people who don’t want freedom.  As a kid I couldn’t wait until I could drive so I could have freedom.  As a college student, I couldn’t wait until I could get a job and live on my own and enjoy my freedom.  As an adult, I hope for a financial windfall so I can get out of debt and do whatever I want to do with my financial freedom.

One of my favorite movies is Braveheart starring Mel Gibson as William Wallace.  Wallace was a brave man fighting for freedom for his country and his life.  In the end he is captured and killed.  Right before he is executed, he shouts “FREEDOM!!!!”  so those all around could hear his dying word was the hope he had given his life for.

Freedom isn’t free.

Today, i was greeted with an email with the following prayer…

“Father, today I come boldly to You. Thank You for giving me life through Your Son, Jesus.  I surrender every area of my heart to You and ask that You make me whole and complete. Set me free and show me the keys to every blessing You have for me in Jesus’ name.  Amen.” – Joel and Victoria Osteen

A price has been paid for my freedom in eternity but I still seek freedom in this life.  Freedom from worry.  Freedom from fear.  Freedom from insecurity.  Freedom from financial pain.  Freedom from emotional strife.  Freedom to live with expectation and excitement.  Freedom to live seeing the world from a lens of hope and compassion.  Freedom to be able to live in a way I can minister to the hurting and the hungry and the poor and the lost.  Oh God, I cry out for the freedom you can provide me.

I have to remember that freedom isn’t free.  As the prayer says, I need to surrender some things that I hold on to.  I need to surrender my security blankets and my ways of how things should be and open myself to what God wants but it’s not easy.  The freedom I want comes with a price.

Lord, today I recognize I want things my way instead of yours.  Today I want to renounce the insecurities of opening my heart to you and others.  Lord, I am making a decision to remove those insecurities from my mind, to let go and throw them out into the cold.  Today, I replace those thoughts with these; that you love me and that you want to provide me a full and joy-filled life, that you have my best interests at heart today and forever and that I can trust in you to provide all I need.  Father, I call on you to deliver me from what holds me down and give me a life of freedom.  I ask for that right now, this day Father.  I believe in your power.  Amen.

Grace and peace.