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That was a question I read in today's devotional from a wonderful book, The Illustrated Words of Jesus for Wisdom. It talked about the persecution of Christians and martyrdom. How much would you be willing to risk for your faith in Christ? It's a powerful question, one I've asked myself before. My faith means everything to me. I couldn't imagine life without it. To have nothing to believe in, to me, would be suffocating. I don't believe in God and Jesus because I don't have another choice. I believe because I can't imagine not believing. 
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If you don't believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, that is your choice, but it should never be okay to make light of what millions of people believe around the world. Meet the Press' Chuck Todd decided to share a tweet that set off a firestorm and rightfully so. Thousands of others responded in a similar manner as I did.
Good Friday is a holy day for Christians as is Easter. There is no "religious aspect" to the day. The day itself is about Christianity. The day itself is about Jesus. It's not about how good any of us can be. I believe in kindness and paying it forward, but I don't believe in taking something that is so personal to millions of people and trivializing it.
This song will always be my favorite Christmas song, although Mary, Did You Know runs a close second. What's yours?  I've been following country music duo, Joey and Rory Feek, for quite some time, and today, Rory posted that Joey's time her on earth was almost at an end. She gave her daughter one last kiss and has slipped into what is being termed "her final sleep". That breaks my heart. Here is a Godly woman who has dedicated her life to her family and God, and her life is winding down at forty years of age. That's not a lot of time to live, but she's made the most out of it. Rory has chronicled his life with his wife and two-year-old daughter, Indy, on his blog: This Life I Live.  Joey kissed the daughter she loves so much, said goodbye to all her family and friends, and is now waiting for God to take her home. I pray for peace for her and her family, for grace in the coming days, and for memories to replace the pain.
And I wonder how much better we would all be if we focused on journeys such as these rather than the negativity that surrounds us every day. How are we making the most out of our lives?  Today, I'm writing about something for which I feel strongly. That's my belief in God. I've had a lot of challenges in my life, but none of them have ever caused me to doubt my belief. In fact, I think if I didn't have faith, I might not have been able to fight as hard or stand as long.
My faith in God isn't just this idle notion that He exists. It's an overwhelming belief that HE is. I am a child of God, and I'm not ashamed to say it. That's why I can honestly say my faith is unchangeable no matter the circumstance.  Earlier today, I was reading an article about a woman who’d been stabbed thirty-two times by an ex-boyfriend. The paramedic who helped save her life just proposed to her at a Tampa Rays baseball game. The comments, of course, were littered with differences of opinion as usual, but one comment almost made my head explode. The commenter said that “Christians can only justify their morality based on a figment of their imagination. Throw reality into the mix, and they become murderous sociopaths”.
While I have no intention of getting into a Facebook war, I considered replying to him. However, the article wasn’t about Christianity, and therefore, the comment section wasn’t the place to discuss it. My blog, however, is the perfect place to discuss it because it’s mine. As most of my readers know, I’m a Christian. I believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and I make no apologies for my belief. No one will ever convince me God doesn’t exist, and I don’t try to convince others that He does. That is a personal choice, and I am not anyone’s Holy Spirit or conscience. In addition, I don’t criticize atheists or agnostics or berate their choice not to believe. I don’t think it’s asking too much to be treated the same. I don’t need to justify my morality, my choices, or my beliefs. That is between me and God. He is my reality, and I can honestly say I have never murdered anyone nor am I sociopathic. My reality doesn’t have to be yours, but your lack of belief doesn’t make my reality a myth. |
AuthorMy thoughts, experiences, challenges, and goals. Right here. At least once a week or so. Oh, and opinions, too. Those will definitely come in. Join me! Archives
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