Posted by: the warrioress | March 30, 2013

Easter Weekend

Window at Parish Church of St Peter, Frampton ...

(Photo credit: DanieVDM)

At our place, it’s pretty quiet as we ready ourselves for Easter Sunday at a relatively new church that we discovered on Christmas Eve. We attended the Christmas Eve service there and loved it, so we’re looking forward to attending the Easter Sunday service and if we like it, we’ll be attending there regularly in the future.

I’m escorting teenagers, including my own, to the Sunday service, and then we’re going out to lunch afterwards to discuss the service. These teens will all be coming over to our place after that to hang out for awhile. So my Easter Sunday will be spent doing what I always seem to end up doing… spending time with youth. This is probably a good thing as I’m youthful in mind and heart and always have been, no matter my earthly years. I seem to relate well to kids. Anyway, we’re cleaning the house and trying to find our Easter dresses.

Last night we stayed up until midnight watching a really great movie called “Jesus,” which was about four hours long. My daughter just loved it and every time I can get her to watch something like this, she seems to come away with more clarity about the death of Jesus Christ, and the Resurrection. Again, this is a good thing. I want her to be able to empathize with and understand the meaning of these two events as they relate to her specifically, and to all of us.

Tonight, I expect we’ll try and get to bed early because we have to be up really early. I think we’ll try and watch another show about the Resurrection, but it depends on what’s going on and how successful we are with getting ready for bed at a reasonable hour.

I hope everyone else here at WordPress is planning a wonderful holiday with friends and family, and may God bless and keep each one of you, and bring you new intimacy with Him and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Have a blessed Easter.  (hugs to all of you)

Adrienne

Life of a female bible warrior @biblewarrioress@aol.com

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 28, 2013

The Servant

Pasen

 

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29, 36)

“Who believes what we’ve heard and seen?
Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away.
 We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.

We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed. We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him.

He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off—and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he’d never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn’t true.

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him. Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.

Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many “righteous ones,” as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,  he took up the cause of all the black sheep.” (Isaiah 53 — the message)

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 25, 2013

God

Sometimes I just cringe when I read commentary and postings from various conservative Christians about God. To read their blogs, and listen to their interpretations of the Old and New Testament, there is the image of a vicious, brutal dictator as God. He is holy and dangerous to aggravate.  And love? I see no sign of a loving god in what they write, in their descriptions of Him.

This isn’t the god I know! This isn’t the god I love.

How can we all be so wrong? Someone has made a terrible mistake. Is it me? Or are they completely backward and deluded in what they believe? All I have to go on is my relationship with God, my prayer life, the feelings I have about Him when I feel that I’m in His presence and the daily “being” with Him and the feelings that this evokes.

Storm from an Angry God

Storm from an Angry God (Photo credit: vladdythephotogeek)

In my personal experience, God is not the harsh & hateful creature that they make Him out to be. I hate what they write and how they portray my Father who art in Heaven. He is not the angry, legalistic, old monster they make Him sound like. Now I’m not saying that He’s not stern at times or even strict — but He’s loving and knows me better than I know myself. He makes allowances for my weaknesses, for my HUMAN-NESS.

I’m not sure I could love a god who scared the dickens out of me, who seemed more evil than loving, whom I could not even trust. A god who was out to get me, who was secretly watching for every moment I sinned or screwed up, would be a horrific beast that I would want to hide from. I wouldn’t worship a god like that; that’s an abusive alien monster.

I wish we Christians could all get together on exactly who God is in our various interpretations and descriptions; it makes for a very confusing testimony when we’re all envisioning something completely different — what’s up with that? Is the bible really that confusing that we’re getting such different images of God?

 

Edit:

I edited this post after the fact because it was offensive to a fellow Christian sister in my use of a descriptive adjective “bastard” to try and describe God from the point of view of those who view Him in punitive, angry fashion.  I didn’t mean to offend anyone by the use of this word and apologize if I did so.

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 21, 2013

Apology

Dear Mr. President, (Barack Obama)

Please allow me to apologize for the terrific disrespect and negativity so often tossed your way. No matter what you do, there are people whom you cannot please.

Some of these people are actually Christians! I would have expected better from them, sir.  They aren’t praying for you, like they were instructed within the bible. No, instead they bitch, whine, vent, and complain about everything you do — even going so far as to call you the “antichrist” just because they are virtually ate up with fear and anger that you won the election. They have to make you the enemy and the scapegoat for their angst, instead of just trusting God, whom they are supposed to be serving.

Dillon Burroughs explains it best, sir.

1 Timothy 2: Pray for Your Leaders

This blog posting explains his take on it so perfectly. Bravo!

I always thought the office of the presidency should be respected, and even when I didn’t particularly care for a president, I always respected the office enough to give the sitting president my respect. I don’t see this happening with various religious Christians, though. I see desperate fear emanating from them instead of quiet faith in God. I see constant paranoia and an obsessive focus upon worldly events in the need to make sense of what frightens them. Why can’t they just trust God and believe He is in control? Why do they feel that they have to do something and control everything going on around us that is occurring according to God’s plan anyway?

I remember when I used to be frantic like that. Gosh, I was miserable then. I am grateful that I can just relax now, after watching my fellow brothers and sisters who don’t struggle against anything much. The Christians I really respect have a quiet, steady faith and rarely allow much to get them ruffled, and love is the primary focus they show.

What really gets me, though, and the thing I most want to apologize to you for, is when people have the audacity to say that you’re not a real Christian. And they justify this, can you believe that? They actually try and justify their hatred and fear of you. It’s ugly. It turns me off. And I don’t see Jesus Christ in their behavior. I wish that they would stop it because it makes me sick.

I do believe you love God, Mr. President; I believe God loves you too. And I don’t believe you are the antichrist, nor are you the false prophet. I think you’re really just trying to do the best you can. I hope God protects your heart, wife, and children from these haters, who claim Christianity. They are Christian, I would assume, but have lost their way — this much is certain. I pray that God will teach them as He taught me. We need to pray for them, sir.

God bless you,

Adrienne

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 20, 2013

Irritating

I’m  not sure why this man’s posting irritates me exactly– I only know that it does.

When I take the time to express myself on someone’s blog and attempt to comment not just once, but twice, I expect some response — not just deletion of my comment and nothing in my inbox bothering to tell me that the individual blogger couldn’t care less about my opinion or the time I spent bothering to offer it to him; there’s just simply nothing. I am essentially silenced and expected to go away quietly.

Hmm. Not going to happen.

Most bloggers are not this rude. I’ve also not run across too many who won’t print my comment because I disagree with them, but occasionally this does happen. When it happens between myself and a Christian brother or sister, I really get irritated.  I get irritated because I feel that I had something important to share with said brother or sister and was ignored. I was not allowed to express myself simply because my opinion did not coincide with theirs. Normally I would ignore this little glitch; then there are the times that I refuse to ignore the matter because it’s simply too important to ignore. This is one of those times.

So, I was reading HERE.  Now, I share this with you, the reader, for the purposes of background information only. Since I will be making reference to the posting in question and the poster, potentially, I think it only fair that you’re are able to read his posting in the event you’re interested in doing so. I commented the following on this gentleman’s posting:

the warrioress on March 19, 2013 at 10:56 PM said:
“I don’t care for these kind of postings. Let me show you why….
If you support the religious right of this nation, you don’t support the poor, widows, orphans, elderly, disabled, unemployed, and are not righteous. If you support the religious right of this nation, you support denying other human beings simple health care so that they too can live. Jesus healed everyone freely. He didn’t demand that we have health insurance.
If you support the religious right, you clearly support destruction of the planet and the environment in order to favor big oil and greedy corporations. If you support the religious right, you support war and revel in death, murder, and can hardly be called “pro-life;” Instead you show obvious and blatant HYPOCRISY. You support the death penalty!
You are only pro-life when it suits you, when you can rationalize killing and murdering as okay. You’re for peace as long as there’s no oil to steal from other countries, but if you can profit off of it, you’re for war. PURE HYPOCRISY.  It’s got to be difficult to be so hypocritical and to dislodge that BEAM in your own eye instead of focusing upon someone else’s splinter.
Now…I think you get my point; at least I sure hope you do. Playing around with judgment and calling it “righteous” depends upon the point of view, my brother in Christ. And how do you have the right to judge anyone’s heart for God? Maybe step back and pray about this and search for your lost humility.
the warrioress on March 19, 2013 at 11:06 PM also said:
“You might want to review the trailer on my most recent posting. It’s written to Christians just like yourself.”
Your politics have blinded you to who you are as a Christian and your role as a Christian FIRST. You are behaving like a Republican first, instead of a follower of Jesus Christ.
Re-read the bible. You are instructed there on how to treat the poor and downtrodden. Those whom you favor could care less about the poor. Pull your blinders off and recognize that both political parties are far from God’s will and plan, and are anything but Christ-like.
When you judge President Obama, you’ve negated the fact that there is no one running who was any better, who favored and lived God’s word, who was running for President.  Personally, I believe you need to take your own inventory and begin dealing with your own flaws that are keeping you from behaving in Christ-like fashion. Start being a Christian first instead of a political party cheerleader; that’s my sisterly advice in Christ. And I do say all of this in love, brother, firmly, but in love all the same…”
———

Now admittedly, I went off a little. I got a little froggy. I may have even been a little harsh. If you read through his blog posting that I have referenced here, however, perhaps you may or may not understand why. Sometimes I feel the need to exhibit the exact same hypocritical behavior in writing in order to give someone a jolt to their brain so that said individual will grasp exactly what the problem is.

In this particular posting, we have immense moral judgment demonstrated by the writer because of the political party one personally chooses to support, as a Christian. In other words, this gentleman judges my Christianity and yours based upon who we voted for. Because I voted for President Barack Obama, I am judged to favor and support abortion, homosexuality, and apparently everything else that liberal Democrats support. Certainly this is a leap and illogical, and this is part of the reason that I responded to him in kind. I am hoping that through my equally judgmental and hypocritical example, he will see the error of his ways.

I want this gentleman to understand how it feels to be judged based upon the political party he is supporting, so he can grasp how unfair doing this to someone else is. Some people are so stubborn that they will not learn until they are forced to put themselves into the position of the other guy and feel what he’s feeling. Some Christians are so self righteous and arrogant that they refuse to believe that they could be wrong, biased, blind, or just narrow minded and stagnating to the point that they are no longer growing spiritually.

It’s dead wrong to judge others by their politics and condemn them based upon their vote. It’s ridiculous to assume that one can judge another’s relationship with God based upon their vote. Making this leap and leveling judgment upon another because the thought processes between us are different is ignorant and naive. It is small-minded and irritating, to say the least.

I am not accustomed to being blown off and ignored while one in my spiritual family decides to continue in blatant ignorance without even a “thank you for the bother, but I’m not going to print your comment and here’s why” flung my way. The writer of that posting having done this tells me that right and wrong do not matter to said individual and that learning has ceased.

I will no longer subscribe to such an individual’s blog or continue to read them because it’s pointless to digest further writings that are certain to contain more of the same and thus continue to irritate — but before I unsubscribe, I enjoy sharing my point of view about what so irritated me. Perhaps others may see what I’ve seen and think deeply upon the matter as I did. Even if the gentleman in question refuses to consider my point of view, maybe someone else will. I cannot simply allow what this man has written to stand without comment.

The writing is ugly, erroneous, judgmental, and typical of the religious right blinders people put on so that they can feel better than, superior, and continue in their assumptive arrogance. I cannot go quietly when I see this occurring; I think it’s important to speak out or nothing changes. It’s important to challenge our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when we can clearly see that they’ve strayed from the path we’ve been admonished to walk. So challenge I have. And thank you for reading.

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 19, 2013

American Winter

For mobile viewers, click HERE

American Winter – also watch a clip of this documentary HERE

The film above is a must see.

HBO is showing this documentary, but if you don’t have cable, maybe you can eventually find it online. I’m sharing the trailer and some clips so that we become aware of how many have been impacted by the current economy that we are living in here in America.

Too many people just don’t care about their neighbors and what is occurring in the disconnected lives behind front doors all over the country. Not only are common everyday people — (the hard-working, disabled, elderly & sick) suffering, but countless children are hurting tremendously as well. We’re living in a strange time in which some people’s politics will not allow them to empathize with or understand what is happening to these common folks.

We have people and politicians lecturing us about the deficit and the need to cut and slash the various safety net programs, but there are faces out here that need to be seen and voices that must be heard, behind the mutilation of these same programs. There are families who are being put into the street. There are children who are going to bed at night hungry in this country, and women and children who are struggling just to find shelter.

Through out the Bible, we are instructed as Christians to take care of the poor. We are to care for the widow and the orphaned. We are not to simply turn our backs and send a few dollars to charity, thinking that suffices. If we were doing what we should be, we probably wouldn’t need our government to take on this role as it has, but we are not and probably cannot at the current rate of need that is out here.

If you’re someone who rails at the “freeloaders,” and the corruption within these programs, I understand your frustration, but know that these these resources are genuinely important and necessary in this country. There has to be a way to get rid of the fraud, corruption, and crime associated with these programs without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Remember what Jesus said:

“When you did it to the least of these, you did it to me.”

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  (Matthew 25: 34-46)

https://www.facebook.com/AmericanWinterFilm

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 18, 2013

Christians and the Transgendered

Bill O'Reilly - Caricature

Bill O’Reilly Says Supporting Trans Students Is ‘Truly Madness’

I hear very little said from the Christian community of believers regarding “transexual” members of the lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender community. I’m not certain why there is so little said, but perhaps silence is golden in this regard. Judging the transgendered seems almost evil, in my personal opinion. Condemning and frowning down upon them is something Jesus Christ would not ever have engaged in.

What does God really feel about someone who is potentially born into the wrong body, based upon their God-given gender? Errors like this certainly don’t happen because God willed it, or do they? Is this error? Honestly, we simply do not know, do we?

Bill O’ Reilly seems to think it madness to allow a transgendered child to use the bathroom of the gender that he or she ID’s with. He complicates a relatively simple issue, making it awkward and ugly. There is little compassion within him expressed within the interview he gave regarding this topic.

If one is born a certain gender but somehow finds himself in the opposite body, how can such a person be held responsible for individual mental function that tells him internally that something is wrong, that there has been some kind of mistake? Why do we argue with this?

The transgender pride flag

The transgender pride flag (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It seems very cruel to attempt to tell a person that we know better, when we absolutely do not. All we can do is share with this individual what the bible tells him. I don’t believe the bible addresses this condition, thus I believe this is the business of the transgendered individual and God Himself, not mine. And so I leave judgment in this matter in the hands of God, thankfully.

Thus, I will love my transgendered neighbor and have compassion within my heart for his plight. I will support his endeavors to accept himself and feel a part of. I trust that God will lead my heart in how he should be treated, and God has led my heart…. I am to love my transgendered neighbor as I love myself — with all of the considerations that this implies.

http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/02/27/colorado-family-files-complaint-school-restricts-trans-six-year-olds

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 15, 2013

Tablets

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 14, 2013

Christians First

Jesus with sinners

Walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love; being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” Ephesians  4: 1-3

Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10

Whether we be Conservative Republican, Independent Moderate, or Liberal-leaning Democrat, we should all understand that we are Christians first. Have you forgotten?

Christians can get so caught up in politics that we become worldly and allow ourselves to act out of the flesh. We forget who we are. We allow this world and the concerns of the world to divide us within the body of Christ. We get tired, grumpy, angry, and stressed. We lose faith. We burn out and become a shadow of who we once were in Christ as we allow worldly and political cares to drain and anger us.

Though the world may choose not to know God, God is still on the throne and in command. We have to believe, trust, and not be overwhelmed or overcome with fear as we look at the worldly chaos all around us. Politics aside, we are brethren, sanctified by the salvation of Jesus Christ. Our differences are cast aside and unimportant.

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:17-18

We have to take care of ourselves as Christians. We are “stand-ins” for Jesus Christ. We are living representatives of Christ in these earthly bodies and when we open up our mouths, cyber or otherwise, we demonstrate Christ. Are we doing this in our daily living experience?

God said we are all part of the body of the Christ — family.  He didn’t care for division within the body. Take care of the temple of the Lord and show Christ well in your lives, today and every day. Treat all of your brothers and sisters in the Lord as the family they are.

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Posted by: the warrioress | March 7, 2013

Birthday Flu

Singapore fried rice

My birthday came and went, but I was pretty much too sick to enjoy it. Thankfully, my daughter and I had celebrated a bit over the weekend before Monday, so I didn’t feel too terribly sad about it. 🙂

Friday we went shopping and I picked up a few shirts and some sweats to work out in. Also got some new towels for the bathroom and various other little stuff we needed around the house. I also hooked up with my personal trainer via the phone and am going to be working out at least three to four times a week at his studio for only thirty bucks a month! Now this is a gift to be sure….getting back in shape again since the injury to my leg.

Anyway, my daughter and I also went and had some Chinese food, shrimp with bacon, combination fried rice, crab meat rangoons, and delicious hot tea in tiny teacups. It was wonderful! It’s our fave Chinese food restaurant, “Hung Fongs.” We brought some home.

Filmhouse at night

(Photo credit: byronv2)

Saturday night we went to the movies and saw Safe Haven and Mama at the midnight movie. Safe Haven was awesome and Mama was kind of scary, but not gore-filled or gross like so many scary movies are these days.  We had a blast.

Sunday was quiet because I woke up feeling pretty bad, sore throat hurting, etc. By Monday morning, I was down and out with full scale flu symptoms, cough, body aches, and clogged up sinus’. I’ve been miserable for the last several days but I think I’m on the downside of the thing now. This is the first time I’ve actually been on the computer in days! I’ve been sleeping pretty much constantly, when my little one would allow me to, that is. I’m feeling quite a bit better though, but I think I better take it slow for a few days.

I’m another year older now, hopefully wiser, am trying to improve my health so that I can be around for a lot more years. Hope all of you out here in blog land have been well and happy. I missed you!

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