Treasure

I didn't say she didn't have the right to wear it.

The Associated Press

Amen!

God has blessed me by allowing me to grow old with my best friend (on earth that is). I don't call him my soul mate as others have said before, but he is the man that God has given me to spend my life with and I thank Him. If I may be so bold Zoe and please don't think I'm being ugly in saying this, but instead of being concerned with having a "soul mate" it seems to me that your desire needs to be in allowing God to be your husband and being the mother that He has called you to be to your children. If God intends for you to share your life with someone in addition to Himself, He will bring that person to you in His time.

I really don't have the words to express what the Bible is to me. The Bible as a book is the most precious thing that I own. I've been a Christian most of my life and am still amazed that no matter what I'm feeling, thinking, dealing with, etc....I open my Bible and more often than not I find something that I know I've read before but it comes alive to me in a way that I'd never noticed before. It is supernatural but I guess the one word that I would use to describe what it is to me personally would be "life". It is life to me.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This verse from Proverbs 22:6 is the desire of most of the parents to whom I have ever talked. The question I am usually asked is, "How is it done? How can we train our children to love God and live for Him?" I'm sorry to say, the majority of Christian parents that I have encountered believe this verse means that we should lecture our children about Jesus and that we should send them to church and Sunday school. "Here's my child, Mr. Sunday school teacher/youth leader. Fix my kid and teach him about Jesus." I have talked to literally hundreds of parents who have tried this and they don't understand why their children have no desire to live for Jesus. The majority of children raised by Christian parents will not live for Jesus as adults. In fact, research has shown that as many as 70-75 percent of children raised by Christian parents will NOT live for Jesus as adults. How can this be? Either we don't have the Truth of Jesus or we are conveying this Truth improperly. I believe the latter is the case. Deuteronomy 6:7 indicates how God would have us teach our children to love Him. The previous two verses (6:5-6) are commands that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and that the commandments of God should be in our heart. Then in 6:7 we are told to "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." This verse is a COMMAND for us to teach our children at four specific times: (1) when we sit down as a family, (2) when we are walking together, (3) when we lie down, and (4) when we rise up. Is that what is happening in your home? If you are like most Christians, you are probably doing just the opposite! Think about it. When your family is sitting at home, what is usually taking place? You are probably watching television/DVDs, playing video games, or eating; or doing all three -- often at the same time. That's right, when we are sitting at home, the television or video games are probably doing most of the teaching, not Mom and Dad. And the worst part, research has shown that these sources of entertainment are also very effective teaching tools that are probably teaching values that are against the commands of God. How about when we "walk along the road?" In today's society, we usually don't use walking as a means of family transportation. We drive our car. What is usually happening when our family is in the car? Besides arguing, we are listening to music or watching videos. And what is the teaching that is taking place? For the most part, the entertainment of today is teaching a philosophy that is against biblical values. Another missed opportunity! How about "when you lie down and when you get up?" In other words, when you go to bed at night and get up in the morning. The majority of us are watching the news, Leno, or Letterman when we go to bed. And when we get up in the morning it's usually the local talk or rock radio station. Think about it. Even if the television/DVDs, games, and radio programs weren't spewing out philosophies that are against biblical values, God says these are prime opportunities for teaching our children to love him. Are we? When you are eating, driving, going to bed, and waking up, are you using that time to impress the values of God on your children -- or are you allowing the enemy to impress his values? It's your choice. onenewsnow

On April 25, adult homosexual activists with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) held their annual "Day of Silence" (DOS) propaganda push. During DOS, teachers and students in roughly 3,000 middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country are cynically used as culture war pawns in an effort to legitimize conventionally immoral, objectively deviant and demonstrably high-risk sexual behaviors. Kids and teachers are encouraged on DOS to disrupt the school day by refusing to speak in class as a show of support to students who self-identify as "GLBT" (No, GLBT has nothing to do with bacon, lettuce and tomato; it's liberalese for "gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender"). DOS purports to confront the alleged systematic harassment and bullying of sexually confused students who consider themselves "GLBT." Naturally, where there is actual bullying, anywhere, anytime, for any reason, those responsible should be firmly disciplined. However, the reality is that DOS has very little to do with "bullying" and has everything to do with pro-homosexual, anti-Christian indoctrination. Consider that during DOS, many kids who hold time-honored traditional values relative to sexual morality (i.e., that human sexuality is a gift from God to be shared between husband and wife within the bonds of marriage) are frequently and ironically tagged as "hateful," "bigoted," and "homophobic." (Who's doing the bullying?) But this year, something extraordinary happened on the way to the brainwashing. Kids at schools all over the country stood tall and said, "Enough is enough!" Untold thousands of students participated in a peaceful, pro-family counter effort called the "Day of Silence Walkout." In unyielding defense of God's design for natural human sexuality, marriage and family, these gutsy kids stayed home from school on DOS (with their parents' permission) and let school officials know why. Some of them even participated in peaceful prayer rallies outside school in support of sexual morality and purity. The DOS Walkout was an overwhelming success and far exceeded the expectations of the dozens of participating pro-family organizations, such as Concerned Women for America (CWA). Take the Seattle area's Mount Si High School for instance. Out of 1,410 students, nearly half (638) reportedly walked out of school on DOS with a unified voice saying, "No! We're here to learn. We refuse to be subject to radical homosexual indoctrination at school or anywhere else!" The Rev. Ken Hutcherson, a former pro-football player, current pro-family champion and pastor of Antioch Bible Church, led the charge in defense of God's moral standard at Mount Si. He organized a prayer rally outside the school -- which his daughter attends -- and was joined by hundreds of parents, children and community members. This year's DOS Walkout was an amazing triumph for righteousness and is terrific news indeed. But better news is yet to come. God has a wonderful way of taking that which is intended for evil -- such as the upside-down promotion of sexual sin through DOS -- and turning it right-side up for good. Christians, and others who value light over darkness, are often deeply discouraged to watch, with a feeling of helplessness, as moral gangrene sets in to our nation's cultural fabric. We're overwhelmed as standards of decency and morality seem to rot away around us. Well, take heart. With kids like those at Mount Si High School -- and elsewhere around the country -- taking such a bold stand for truth, we should all be encouraged. The next generation of leaders is clearly not as completely lost as many believe. We're witnessing a shift in the tide, and I submit that this great nation is ripe for redemption. Over the next few years, don't be surprised when, as people hear mention of the so-called "Day of Silence," they immediately think, "Oh, yeah, isn't that the day when tens of thousands of freethinking kids come together in defense of that which is good, and stand firm against the promotion of evil?" Don't be surprised when the "Day of Silence" is no longer considered a day which mocks God's standard of sexual morality, but rather, is deemed a day which wholeheartedly glorifies it. Yes, take heart. God's truth will fill the silent void. His children will take back America for Christ. What an encouraging testimony!! Praise God for these awesome young men and women of God!! onenewsnow

A federal appeals court is upholding a student's right to wear a T-shirt that promotes a Christian viewpoint on the issue of homosexuality. One day after the pro-homosexual "Day of Silence" in 2007, administrators at Neuqua Valley, Illinois, High School ordered senior Heidi Zamecnik to cover the message "Be Happy, Not Gay" on her T-shirt -- although students had been allowed to wear T-shirts with messages celebrating homosexuality the previous day. But Attorney Nate Kellum with the Alliance Defense Fund says Heidi and another plaintiff, Alex Nuxoll, are pleased with the decision from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow such shirts. "He's able to use the T-shirt stating, 'Be Happy, Not Gay,' as a way of communicating his firm Christian belief that homosexual behavior does not lead to happiness," says Kellum. Kellum notes public school officials have to understand that if they allow some students to publicly express their viewpoint on an issue, they must allow other students to voice differing opinions on the same topic. "Up and until this relief that we received from the court, Alex was not able to share the Christian viewpoint on this very important issue," he clarifies, "even though you had a whole day set aside -- called the 'Day of Silence' -- in which the school would actually support a message promoting homosexual behavior," Kellum admonishes. The case is important, says Kellum, because a similar lawsuit is working its way back through the federal courts in California. In that case, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled that a student did not have the right to wear a T-shirt opposing homosexual behavior on religious grounds. But the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the 9th Circuit decision. The victory in the 7th Circuit could establish the legal controversy needed to obtain a favorable ruling in the California case from the nation's highest court. onenewsnow.com

ABC News about a website. Is this a good idea or cyber snooping?

Again....amazing!

IT's awesome!! Thanks for sharing it!

I'd never heard of hand, foot and mouth disease until I got it. I'm sure it's not the same thing this report is talking about though

The children at my church meet in the Sunday School room and then we go into the church service for praise and worship. After the praise and worship, we go back to the classroom where I can assure you they are being taught about a relationship with God. We have interactive activities in which they learn the practical application of Scripture, we do crafts that apply to Scripture, etc. There are typically between 15 - 17 first through third graders in my class. I'm not a baby sitter. In fact, I'd consider myself to be more of a farmer. I sew seeds

The church that I went to that had so much of Paulk's influence was like this also. My husband and I were told when we left the church that we were walking out of God's will and that nothing that we ever did would succeed. He said that God had not told HIM (the pastor) that it was time for us to go. He seriously wants people to believe that God doesn't speak directly to them but only to them through him. There is so much false teaching there but it's so subtle that someone who is a Christian but isn't exactly sure what they believe (that's where I was at that time) buys into it. There are so many "red flags" that I could share of things that my husband and I learned about Paulk and others. I've tried to share things with my friend that is completely sold out to the church but she doesn't receive it. One thing though is that my friend's husband is Catholic. I believe he does love God and has accepted Christ as his Savior, but their son attends a private Catholic School. My friend said that she looked over the curriculum and it doesn't differ much at all from the teaching of this church (that I attended and she still goes to). Her husband's parents are "grooming him" for the priesthood and she sees nothing wrong with that. The pastor's bent toward Catholicism wasn't so bold when my family and I were a part of it.

Ditto!

I'm praying for you Kitty

Clarify this please. The pastor isn't supposed to "run" the church. I have come across churches where the Elders, or a board, make the rules and the Pastor follows. Not scriptural, but it is being done around here. It's dangerous for one person or even one group of people to have control over the church. The church that I came from, the pastor had total control and his salary came right off the top of what the church brought in.

i drive a gas guzzling ford f 150. but it's paid for. will you buy me a nice little car that gets 50 miles a gal. I drive the same thing! Paid for, still runs and I'm blessed beyond measure

How can the church equip the saints if the leader of a particular congregation doesn't have the equipment himself? Clarify this please. The pastor isn't supposed to "run" the church.

I have left the church since the OP. As for my son, I had already given him over to the Lord. Since my post about him, he has come to me and told me that he made a mistake and wants to continue to go where God is leading me. As for his relationship. that also is in God's hands. All is well in God's Hands! I just have to have patience. In His Love, Alan That patience is hard to come by. You're in my prayers Alan.

I hadn't noticed this thread until just now. It's interesting that I'm reading this now after our conversation about church last night Alan. It shouldn't go without saying also to pray for your son first and then the leadership followed by the congregation of this church. Not trying to sound trite abou this, but part of the reason for this challenge in your life could be that God is calling you to let go of your son and trust him to God? The Holy Spirit can bring conviction to him no matter where he is. I would advise you to leave the church though. It took me many years to work through that "feel good" doctrine and learn to recognize and appreciate the truth.

I have some health issues that have made me gain weight. I'm still not over weight exactly but when I went from a size 3 to a size 10 in the span of just a few months...........Hard hit to the ego. My eating habits have changed but not that much. I drink a lot of water, including warm water with lemon in the morning. Marn suggested it in the Ladie's Lounge. I'd never heard of such a thing but when I did a search on it, I found a site that explained it well. It makes me go to the bathroom all the time but of course that's just getting rid of the waste that my body doesn't need. The saying "an apple a day keeps the Dr. away" is true. Again, I don't remember why, but eating an apple a day is helping me lose weight and giving me more energy. I also read on that site that almonds are great for weight loss and natural energy. They're expensive, but the ones that I LOVE are Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Almonds. My grocery store has two kinds and I get the ones with sea salt and they're delicious!!! Now if I could just give up having a snack of any kind before bed Oh and exercise of course.