Is There Another Civil War Brewing Now in the US?

I've been reading the posts lately about President Trump and the attacks that the media have orchestrated. I've known for a long time that there is an extreme bias against those that still hold to the old fashioned ideas that our country was founded on. This extreme bias has been growing exponentially over the past nine years. Some would have you believe that the extreme bias has only reared its ugly head lately.

It isn't that hard to see anymore what's currently happening in our country. There are strong factions that want to rip out our history and wipe it off the face of the earth. They long to deny the Christian foundation that our country had. They don't understand that there are forces out there that want us to join in the global union and attack Christians.

I'm not sure as yet if there is another civil war brewing here in the US. The signs of polarity are there though. You can see the hate between those who would deny Jesus and the moral high ground and those who are trying desperately to hold onto that moral high ground. If there is another civil war it will be the Islamic base that will trigger it. I do sense that. Ishmael and Isaac's people have been fighting for millennia. They hate Christians. They want to usher in their Messiah.

Am I scared? No. I know that God has everything under his control. I know that he will strengthen me for the days ahead. I just need to be grounded in his word.

Remembering the Fallen and those who Served in the "Great War"

As we approach Memorial Day, I can't help thinking about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. This year is the hundredth anniversary of America's entry into WWI. World War I was known as the "Great War" until the start of WWII. It is interesting to note how different the world was before the Great War. Many towns and boroughs were still agriculturally based and not manufacture driven. There were still pockets of society that worked at tasks by hand.

When I contemplate the atmosphere that many lived in before the war, I realize that there are many similarities to today. We are going through a massive change in how work is seen. The rapidity of the changes and the pressure many are under to conform and accept those changes is somewhat overwhelming. I read that many of the pressures people were facing during the early 1900s were similar to the changes that are happening now. No one really wants to believe this. There is some denial that things really are changing that much.

Yet as we remember the fallen and those who served in the Great War, we can discover that the media influence was the same. The media dictates what is important. You only have to study the colorful posters of the era to see the persuasive factors. The media is good at drawing people in and confusing the issue. I do wonder how many signed up because of the media campaign. It would be very interesting to say the least to see what effects the media has on the general population.

I can't help thinking about how the world has changed. It is no longer the world in which soldiers, sailors and airmen fought for in the early days. Nowadays many of the jobs are run by machines leaving the human element out all together. I know that many of the soldiers during the first World War would have loved sending the machines out instead of exposing themselves to lethal toxins. It is remarkable that so many survived. The Great War showed us the true ugliness of mankind.

In A Holding Pattern

Tuesday evenings are usually my time to write in this blog. Some weeks are busier than others so I put it off until Thursday evening. Other times I just don't have anything to say, so I neglect the blog entirely. I am in a holding pattern in many aspects of my life right now. I am processing so much information that it is difficult to process it all.

I do feel that I have been stuck in this now 5 year rut that doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact it is hard to think that I've been in this precarious financial situation for as long as I have been. It is only by the grace of God that I still have what I have today. I'm positive that without some intervention I may have been out on the street or deceased. I still sometimes worry about the possibility of not being able to have a place to live. My financial situation hasn't improved any but there are some glimmers of hope.

Thinking about all the pressure and stress I've been under which has caused the now physical problems I'm experiencing has left me in this holding pattern. I wonder what is going to happen to me. I get depressed because I am no longer young. I look in the eyes of the people around me and see their pain. I want to help but feel like I'm in this holding pattern waiting for something to happen. Should I take the risks and step forward? I know I do need to move forward and release the paralysis that is dragging me down.

It is hard to know whether this time of waiting is a good thing or not. Some days I do feel helpless and alone even when others say they will be there. I want to believe that what's happening to me is a good thing. I want to trust that God has my back because I know he does. Sometimes though it is difficult to comprehend how he would even care for someone like me. Yet he does. He loved me so much that he sacrificed his only son for me. That's special....

So I wait in this holding pattern and pray for God's guidance...

Reflecting on God's Name

I went the the National Day of Prayer event this morning over at Rose Tree Park in Media. I arrived late but was there for most of the program. I thought about this year's theme "For Your Great Names Sake!" I realized that he is far bigger than we can ever imagine. I felt his presence today.

I couldn't help but reflect on how far we have sunk in the morass that society has brought us to today. I heard again the cry that nationalism is a good thing. I am beginning to understand a little bit about the unseen fight going on with the increasing use of electronic currency. It seems like a losing battle against shadowy forces. I was struck by Anne Lotz's prayer about American money having "In God We Trust" on it. I realized this is the main reason why this increasing push for everyone to use electronic currency. It did "blow" my mind to discover this.

Yes, we have sinned. We have turned our collective backs from God. Yet we expect him to rescue us from danger. There will come a day in the not so distant future when we will look back and realize that this was only the beginning of the end. I reflected on God's name and realized the promises he has for us.

Moving Higher and Going Deeper into My Soul

This week was a soul searching week. I discovered that I can move on from the sting of rejection and defeat. I know that my financial situation is getting more precarious by the day, but I still have hope. I am learning to reach out and use my resources. It won't be easy to get out of this pit that I've found myself in.

Yet even in this pit I know that the Lord is with me. I am moving higher now out of the despair that I allowed to seep into my soul. I am stronger than I was last week at this time. I can handle the pressure more now than I could then.

I am learning to step out of the pit and go deeper into my soul. It is scary. The Lord knows me. He knows my fears and doubts. I can remain secure in him.

I don't want to go back to what I was before I lost my job in 2012. I don't want to be someone that ignores the pain and walks away. I want to be what God has created me to be, a compassionate and loving person. I want to hear the Lord say to me; "Well Done Good and Faithful Servant."

So I work diligently and press forward to find my calling and ministry. God knows how much I need to feel needed. Thank you for loving me, Lord God.

Another obstacle in the Road-Choices to Be Made

As much as I'm thankful for all the support I'm receiving I still feel a bit lost. I received a blow to my ego today and felt the ground fall beneath my feet. A income source suddenly dried up. It was my only income source. I am crushed but not forsaken. I know that the Lord has something better for me. Yet at this moment I am in a panic mode. There are some choices to be made. Choices that I'm struggling to make.

It is a huge obstacle in the road. I'm not sure where to turn or what to do. Lord knows that I need income. My heart aches now that this income stream has dried up. I know I have to pick myself up and do the hard things that I've been putting off hoping to continue this income stream indefinitely. Yes, you may call me a fool for hoping that it would continue. Yes, you may say that I should have seen this coming and prepared for it.

How do you prepare for yet another bruising of confidence and the feeling that things have fallen all apart? I relate to the recent Oh My Soul song by Casting Crowns. Right now it is so hard to lay it down and not worry about how I am going to recover from this loss. I know that I am not alone, yet I fear that I'm just not strong enough to handle all the stresses that are weighing me down. I am admittedly scared and it's not a good feeling. I have to trust that God's got this and he will open up a revenue stream for me.

Reflecting on Christ's Sacrifice for me

In the Christian world the period known as "Holy Week" is actually only four days from Thursday evening until Sunday morning. If you take the time to really reflect on those four (actually three days) you do come out with a better and richer understanding of the Lord's sacrifice. I have been reflecting a lot on the passages in Matthew that describe the afternoon before the Lord's supper. It is necessary to reflect on the meaning of Passover whenever you read these passages.

It is only when you take time to reflect on what happened and get a good context in history that you really can comprehend the meaning of the Lord's sacrifice. I find tiny nuggets of gold every time I read the Easter passages in Matthew and Mark. I become overwhelmed by the extreme sacrifice fully knowing that I couldn't take his place. He is strong when I am weak.

It still boggles my mind a bit when I concentrate on these passages. I can't help but stand in awe of his unfailing love for me. I admittedly have some times questioned why the Lord had to sacrifice himself for my sins. It just seemed too inhumane. Yet I read again that without the shedding of blood there can be no redemption. It was his blood that redeemed me.

I am not special. I am a sinner saved by God's grace. I understand all too well that he didn't have to sacrifice himself. He could have walked away, yet he chose to suffer that horrible death. He chose to break the power of sin over my life.

He is now my advocate and the Lord of my soul. In him do I put my trust.