Absolutely Not

Absolutely not ... is any form of abortion okay for any certain reason.

Absolutely not... is extramarital affairs justified.

Absolutely not... is dishonesty acceptable, regardless of its size.

Absolutely not... is impurity satisfactory before a Pure and Holy God.

Absolutely not ... is everything permissable and beneficial.

Absolutely not ... is faithfulness impossible.

Absolutely not... is government worthy of entry into every part of our lives.

Absolutely not... shall we take the shed blood of others for granted as we throw away our freedom.

Absolutely not... will we be a people enjoying God's blessings if we misuse and blashpheme His name.

Absolutely not ... does our own happiness qualify for higher importance than anything else it affects.

Absolutely not... is our complaining and whining defend-able due to someone else's action (or lack thereof).

Absolutely not... is it okay for parents to fill the role primarily as friends and not principals in children's lives who train, discipline, mentor and love.

Absolutely not ... is it okay for us to deflect our individual responsibilities on someone else.

Absolutely not ... is it okay to disregard the consequences when contemplating a serious decision. And absolutely not is it okay to assume our decisions and actions do not affect others.

Absolutely not... is stealing acceptable because we are "worthy" in our own minds.

Absolutely not ... is truth relative.

Absolutely not... is it okay for instructors, professors and teachers to take advantage of their profession and not teach students how to be objective thinkers.

Absolutely not... shall we expect the blessings of Providence, Divine wisdom and help by His hand if we continue to mock, ignore and shun His guidelines.

We can do better than this, America. The journey to excellence as a nation and as individuals is not easy. But the place of true freedom, happiness and blessing starts with absolutes, absolutely defined by an un-compromising, forgiving and very good God.

Our Words are Backwards

"But I didn't actually mean what I said!!!"

Not only have I heard this general phrase too often, I am sure I've voiced it myself one too many times.

The general category of "words" has fascinated me for a long time. Things like what a name really means, that God created the world with words, that the root of their meaning has substance greater than our own perception, and that our words cause life and they cause death are examples of what has captured my attention. The coining of words is like art; their relationship like a dance; their rhythm like a bubbling brook. The author can pen them how they please, create images and understandings in powerful ways, and potentially influence with lasting impact.

Words are meant to mean something. The art of language was not designed  by God to be used to blaspheme His name, to curse one another with slander, complaints or disdain. They were designed to deliver truth.

But what happens if these tools have been completely morphed from their original intent and design? If they have little value among us anymore, can we fully appreciate and utilize them for the use they are meant to provide us in our own journey? If their poignancy is irrelevant both from our lips and to our ears, why do we even bother seeking wisdom, asking questions, or listening or speaking at all? If the thing you ask for means something only when you want it to do so, is it really operating in its intended use?

There are people in the world, even outside of our own American culture, who say what they mean and mean what they say. But if in our own personal lives, the value of words has been so diluted, how are we to be properly aware of the intention of these voices of danger?

My hope is that my words will be honoring to The Creator of The Word. If we are going to have the full quality of life God intended for us, and part of that includes appreciating His tool by valuing it appropriately, we must change our standards.

And please, fellow Americans, wake up. Pay attention to the words that are being used with the hope of destroying us before it's too late. May we utilize words intentionally and awaken to the intentional meanings from others. May we not be like the people laced through history who  had they only spoken up, had they only listened, had they only heeded the warning their destiny would have been a different story.

And may our words count for more than an depiction of debase humanity but instead, may they accurately reflect a honest, trustworthy, truth-loving and very good God.

An Old Poem Worth Sharing

IF.....by Rudyard Kipling

"IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

"If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

"If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!"