Our family just rolled in to our drive way late last night from our week long Kentucky Red River Gorge vacation, with one of one of Joel's brothers and his family. This is our second year in a row taking a vacation with them and we just have the best time! Last year, we went to the Outer Banks with them and another one of Joel's brothers as well! (He has 3 brothers and 3 sisters.) There were 18 of us, ( 6 adults and 12 kids) last year in a beautiful beach front home that my sister in law Abby found. This year, it was 13 of us in a large cabin in the winding Kentucky mountains, with once again, the hard work of our same sister in law finding us all a place. She is definitely the "planner" in these vacations and we are ever so grateful for it! We hiked many trails, one of them being the Natural Bridge, and another being Creation Falls. If I could encourage you to go to only two places if you were on a stay in that area, I would hands down recommend those two! What WONDERS our God has made! Creation Falls is like something out of a fairytale. We said we felt like we were in the Garden of Eden, and I suppose the name "Creation Falls" maybe had something to do with that? And! Bonus! Out of the four deadly snakes we were told about in these woods of America, we saw ZERO snakes (mom). :) My brother in law did however see a newt. We saw a few turtles and of course bugs the size of small birds and enough lonestar ticks for a lifetime. We ate pizza at a place called Miguel's (highly recommend), jumped off LOTS of cliffs (and when I say "we" on that, I don't mean myself), played lots of cards, had fires and schmos, and sweated.....a lot. It was another "success" in the book of vacations. Sawyer also got to celebrate his "Sweet 16" on vacation and as of today, is now an OFFICIAL driver! I don't know how to put in to words all the feelings that come each time a child becomes an independant driver, but it's definitely all sorts of feels, that's for sure.
Today, we celebrate the birth of this nation's freedom. Being the history nerd I am, let me give you a little "recap" about what this day is about. Oddly, the world as it distances itself more and more from history, morals, and overall common sense, seem to have forgotten what this day is actually about. Let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we?
In Congress, July 4, 1776
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
So, as we can clearly see, when we are individuals in America , we have every right to uphold the foundation of which WE THE PEOPLE were founded upon. Often I hear Christians say, "But God has commanded us to obey the government..." which is actually not entirely true. God did command us to submit to our authorities, yes. Yet, when your authorities are telling you to do things that go against God's Word, OR are telling you to go against things that your country's LAWS ARE FOUNDED ON, it is time to turn away. We are not rebelling, we are UPHOLDING what has been established. We have been blessed to not live in a Marxist,socialist or communist government. If that were the case, things would sadly be different. I can guarantee you, my Ugandan family who lives under this kind of socialism is not enjoying their current (for no reason except tyranny) six- week lockdown. They are not allowed to leave their house and travel anywhere for any reason. They have 16 orphans currently, no water hole, so they need to walk a mile to get their water. Well, guess what? Under this current lockdown, they can't. They are afraid they will die of hunger and thirst. It's a helpless feeling, knowing I sit in my air conditioned house with every freedom still to go get water and snacks and head out to the fireworks this evening, yet Abel and Daniel aren't sure where to get their next minimal amount of water to survive.
Humble yet? Mad yet? Willing to do anything about yet?
This isn't meant to be guilt laden. None of us deserve anything in this life but eternal suffering in hell. Sin separated us from holiness. Christ made us whole again. We owe our EVERYHING to Him. So, it's important to always remember that trials on earth, although real and heavy, are still just a vapor of what lies ahead for us. Yet, God also knew that this world would bring troubles and those troubles would be a huge part of our life, and reminded us that it's not because of US that the world hates us, but rather, because of Him.
So, what do do? Give up? Not care? Let it "sort itself out?" Spend every waking minute of our day consumed with fixing the world's problems?
No, to all of the above. Instead, through prayer and God's word, find out what God has asked us to do. He asked us to be a voice for those who cannot speak. He said to never allow a little child to be hindered from His word, lest a millstone be tied around that person's neck and drowned at the bottom of the sea. He tells us to never stop preaching the life saving news of Christ's death and resurrection, at all cost. If we see our government taking away that freedom in ANY form, we need to defend it. It is our right. WE THE PEOPLE govern this country. We are not aristocrats living under kings and queens. The government, under the constitution, works for us. We are to help widows and orphans. We are to treat our bodies as temples and if something clearly goes against our conscience through prayer in regards to that, we need to listen. If we decide a vaccine that contains continually aborted baby cells and tissues are being used in research and/or ingredients, that we do not want injected into ours or our children's bodies, than we stand by that. At all cost. Have you ever asked yourself, what would God truly think of His babies being murdered to try and prevent illness? Illness that in today's time and technology would most likely be cured of. And if not? And we die and go to heaven(as a believer), why would we not embrace that? Do we actually think we can change the day our Good Father has already decided He is taking us home? The vaccine debate continues to be a heated one, and honestly, with everything we now know about vaccines, I really don't understand how. Ok, ok, I get it. Before I married my husband, I only knew the medical world of jabs and meds. I didn't know there was another way. As moms, we tend to take things personal, I get it. I wasn't all "warm and fuzzy" to a completely different perspective than I had never known either. Yet, I also never knew what was actually in a vaccine... Ever. If it were still things only like formaldehyde, chick embryo cells, monkey kidney cells, anti freeze, etc, I would still say, hey, whatever floats your boat! Those things, in and of itself, aren't morally wrong. And sometimes, we really do have to "take it for the team." An antibiotic is LIFE SAVING but it also destroys gut flora. It's a catch 22. However, if I was faced with aggressive bacterial meningitis in my child, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to take the antibiotic and worry about building the gut flora, when Lord willing , she made it through this deadly disease. What completely changes the entire game, is the fact, that it is NOT just those things. It is NOT just "one baby, one time, in the 1960's that was aborted and as sad and as wrong as that was, we now can make progress from that one sad murder."
SCRREEEEEEECH!!!!!!!!
Did you hear that? That was tires screeching. Because THAT is where the logic ends and the truth needs to be told. THAT, my friends, is a lie. You can click HERE to read Dr. Ryan McPherson's PhD research on vaccines and what Christians need to be looking for and researching before they make any choice in injecting any vaccine into their body.
When we align our thoughts, our actions, our hearts, our entire beings rooted in the Scriptures, these things become easier to decide. Of course we want to do all things in love, and we never want to sway a weak Christian into unbelief. But, if we worry incessantly about always doing the wrong thing and remain steadfast in our "paralysis analysis," we are doing more harm than if we were to say the right OR wrong thing! We have to get off the fence. There may be a time of fence sitting, sure. But that shouldn't be our home base. Lukewarm is never a place God referenced as "endearing" in His Word. We also aren't all called to be activists, speakers, keyboard warriors, door knockers or whatever you want to throw in there. Maybe you are the one who spends many, many hours in prayer. Maybe you write letters of encouragement to your fellow brothers and sisters in arms out there doing the dirty work. THANK YOU! We appreciate that! Maybe you are holding weekly prayer groups or Bible studies to encourage others in their walk during these troubling times. THANK YOU! Maybe you are paying money to organizations that continue to allow the Gospel to be spread throughout the world. THANK YOU! But also remember, we are called to submit to our authorities. God does command that. And currently, (and let's be real, it's always going to be an issue in a sin laden world) our government is not holding their end of the deal. So, WE THE PEOPLE, must act.
The Jews were told "it's for your safety" as they were loaded on to cattle cars. The pastor of a nearby church , as the congregation heard the screams and cries of the tortured souls at the local concentration camp, told his organist to, "play the music louder" instead of organizing a raid to end the massacre.
This same type of government (all those in power and wealth without faith in Christ will fall to this demise) is also telling you things like "its for your safety." Is it? Maybe it is? However, what I have seen with my own eyes and ears give me a clear answer in the other direction. Do I think your doctor is trying to hurt you? NO! NO NO NO! Your doctor probably knows as much if not less than you do about the reasons behind government control. Sometimes, its just asking yourself an obvious question. This same government, who devalues the life of the unborn, special needs and elderly, who is in matters of financial gain, are telling you they are concerned for you? Bill Gates, the computer software programmer, who for decades now has talked about overpopulation and population control, and how we need to depopulate the earth because of global warming and blah blah blah, is now all of a sudden concerned for your life? Really? I mean, don't get me wrong. If a Christian scientist, who valued life and God's creation and the lives of unborn and ALL people, had created this jab, I would 100% be whistling a different tune. 1+1= 2 folks. It really is that simple. No games. No card tricks. Just common sense.
Pray about it. Seek God in prayer for His wisdom. Lean on Him, Trust in Him, and He will answer you. His love and mercy endures....forever.
Let FREEDOM ring! :)
xoxoxox
Love, Sara
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