Friday, October 24, 2008

Letter to a Friend on the Election

Dear _______,

When surrounded by logical well-meaning people - it is easy to be influenced by their thinking. After all, these are people who are intelligent and very nice. Their arguments are convincing.

I was astonished when your dad told me that you were for Obama. Mostly because I have always considered you to be an independent thinker that was willing to stand up against the rest of the crowd. You are the woman who is willing to dance to a different drum.

I am not going to try to convince you to change your mind. For you - that would be like declaring war! :-)

No, rather I would like to challenge you to spend one 24 hour period listening to the other side, reading from the other side - and prayerfully considering their position. (Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Fox News, http://townhall.com, Focus on the Family, etc.)

In addition, I want you to know this. Concerning this or any other election - there is a spiritual perspective as well, and it is this. God's people are in a position before God with great and massive sin. The statistics of our participation in abortion, divorce, abuse, and pornography is NO DIFFERENT than the secular world. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO GETS THE PRESIDENCY if Christians do not take 2 Chronicles 7:14 VERY SERIOUSLY.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The point? If Obama wins - and God's people are repentant and turn humbly to God - He will heal our land. If McCain wins - and God's people are repentant and turn humbly to God - He will heal our land.


If we don't. HE WON'T! All the major Christian leaders of our nation and the world see God's judgment weighing heavily over us. Very soon we will be getting what we deserve if God's people don't turn to him and repent.

Am I saying that it doesn't matter who gets the presidency? No. I believe voting for Obama puts our nation at great risk. What I am saying is that without repentance, with Obama - destruction is sooner. with McCain - destruction is postponed. That is all.

God bless you. I am very proud of you for your major in engineering. I know that represents incredible hard work and determination. You go girl!! Marti McCraw

Friday, October 10, 2008

Cut the cost of butter in 1/2!

I occassionally buy butter with canola oil so it spreads easier. Then it dawned on me that I could mix butter with my OWN canola oil. I've been doing this for a couple of months now - and the butter is delicious (but I do have to add some salt).

For the second tub I blend in a freshly grated garlic clove. Oh my! It is really good on sour dough toast - and SO MUCH EASIER than wrapping it in foil with garlic salt and butter.

All you need is one cube of butter. Let it get to room temperature. Add the 1/2 C oil and blend. I just keep re-using the butter tubs I already had.

Prayer for 2500 H Street

(Abortion Clinic)

Lord, when you brooded over the earth – and spoke light into the darkness – and separated the water from the land—you had a good and wondrous plan for this piece of land we now call 2500 H Street. Holy Father – we love you – and know that you reign supreme over all. Satan has claimed this land for his kingdom of destruction and death - but Lord, today, in the name of Jesus, we reclaim this land for life and the glory of God. Circle this property Lord, and all the people in it. Establish truth and righteousness on this land.

Holy Father, we consecrate this land to holiness and righteousness. We anoint this land in the name of Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit to belong to the one true God and no one else. Lord we dedicate this property you – the Truth, the Life, and the Light. O Lord, my Lord, how majestic is your name on 2500 H Street. May this building be transformed by you into a house of life. Cleanse this property Oh Lord. Wash it with the blood of your Son Jesus Christ and banish every evil spirit that dwells here. May every curse and hex placed on this building boomerang on its author. Banish Satan and his demons from all abortion in our city and send them where they belong into the lake of fire.

Lord, bring out your plans for this land. Replace the sounds of sobs and tears into sounds of joy and laughter. May it become a place of worship inside and out. Already Lord the circumference of this land has been established as a place of worship. Already Lord your saints have washed the sidewalks with their tears. Honor the prayers of your saints. Honor the words of scripture and love that have already made their home on this land. Pour your blessings on the songs of worship that have been sung celebrating and honoring you as Our Holy Father.

Lord where there has been fear – establish your peace. Where there has been anger – establish your love. We praise your name for the transformation that has already begun on this land. We sing great hallelujahs for the lives that have been saved on this property. I am amazed Holy Father at your amazing love that draws your people to this place as a place of prayer. Thank you for establishing this place as yours. Thank you Lord for bringing your people here and establishing your holy church by their prayers and their presence. Thank you Lord. Your goodness and your power is more than I can comprehend.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

40 DAYS

Forgive me if this message comes from out of the blue. For me it doesn't. I was asked to write the prayers on the blog for the local 40 Days for Life. These 40 days are a time of fasting and praying for our nation and for the victims and perpetrators of abortion - for God to bring an end to abortion in our nation. It is interesting and not a mistake that these 40 days coincide with the 40 Days to Pray the Vote that ends in the election of our new president. God's people are praying for our nation. If you are already praying THANK YOU!. If not, please join us for the next 25 days.

After listening to the news last night - perhaps because of the accumulation of news over the past weeks - it finally became clear to me that these 40 days are critical. Then I remembered the story of Jonah and their response of fasting. I didn't realize until I re-read the passage - that Jonah warned them of 40 days before judgment. Really! Oh my!

Jonah 3:3-5 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city—a visit required three days. (It takes three days to drive across the United States) 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "FORTY MORE DAYS and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Lord, we are not yet through your 40 days until the election. The Ninevites only needed ONE announcement! Lord God almighty – you have established your 40 day warning throughout the land. You have called your people to 40 days of prayer and fasting through 40 Days For Life and the Presidential Prayer Team’s 40 Days to Pray the Vote. You have sent your Jonahs. They are HERE.

Lord as your judgment wheels continue to roll through our nation. HELP us to hear your warning. We think a mere 5 minute prayer in the morning will assuage your wrath? We think one or two days of fasting will stop your judgement?

Lord let the terror of your truth descend upon your holy ones and bring them in desperate remorse to your heavenly throne. Give them voice and let their message be heard throughout the land. Let us respond as Ninevah Lord. “The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”

Too long we have believed - you will give America another chance. Too long we have depended on you to extend your grace one more year. Too long have we grown comfortable with the detestable practices around us.

Finally, Lord, the warning signs are noticed even by the ungodly. Finally, Lord there is a sense of impending doom for the godly and the ungodly. Don’t let up until your holy ones are on their knees calling out to you for the Spirit of Repentance to fall on our nations. Don’t let up until WE BELIEVE YOU and declare a fast from the greatest to the least. It isn’t a game anymore – we can’t pretend anymore that things are OK.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Over enthusiastic beginnings

Fall is my new year. It is when things start over gain. Maybe it is a layover from my school days. Maybe it is because my husband is a high school teacher for 30 years. But mostly, I think it is because summer is a time to take a break from schedules and deadlines and events - and just bar-b-que, or swim, or go to the mountains, or sit in your back ground and watch the trees grow. Beautiful. Evenings last forever. Dinners start later. Summer is more laid back

But FALL. Now it is time to schedule new things, make new commitments, reconstruct those dreams and get moving! I love it! The sky is the limit. I can do anything!...until October....and then NOVEMBER...and Oh my gosh DECEMBER! Which makes me eager for a little pull away in January. A little MORE pull away in February - a retreat in March - A frenetic April and May (finishing all those deadlines, dreams, and events that I committed to) and finally SUMMER! An excuse to set all those terribly demanding items in my life down and concentrate on blue skies, swimming pools and barbecues.

Mind you that woven throughout all of these laid back and frenetic days - is woven all the regular every day stuff that must be attended; grocery shopping, bills, taxes, birthday and xmas shopping, etc.

Well - I think I have been overenthusiastic this fall. I have led with my heart and over-committed and now I want out! I even had a dream about a guy that was so obsessed with his work that he had to take a one week vacation and let someone else take over. That would be ME. Why is it that perfectionism is often paired with procrastination? Isn't that a mean trick?

So now I am asking God to show me how to cut back, shorten up, crop, and simplify. "My burden is light, my yoke is easy." So what the heck am I doing with this huge unwieldly yoke on my shoulders? I'm taking this thing off for awhile so I can walk with Jesus and let him show me how to do it. Wish me luck!