It's obvious that this blog has been dormant for a while now. And it will remain that way until I am once again inspired to write on here.
But I didn't want you to take that for the death of this blog. No, I feel that much of the content of this blog, especially the content about the falsehood of the LDS church is as relevant today as it was when I was writing it. I want to leave it here for others to find. I still get messages when comments are made, so I want to be able to respond to those with questions. I want those who are seeking and/or questioning to have somewhere to come where they are welcome to read and decide for themselves. There is sufficient evidence here to realize what the Mormon church is and is not. I don't want to lose that by removing this blog.
And there are other topics that were inspired to be written. I want that information available as well.
So the blog stays.
And I'm not saying that I won't be back to write. It's just that the season of this blog has temporarily passed. When it returns, this blog will be here for me to write again!
Until then, please read all you'd like. Ask questions...even argue if you'd like. I will still be here to respond. But for now, I am content to let this blog just exist.
Showing posts with label Unlabeled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Unlabeled. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday, November 23, 2008
God Holds Us Together
I received this as an email forward and wanted to share it with all of you who might not have received it. How awesome God truly is!
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I wish. I will share it anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc.. Then he went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know..) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking...."How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???"
Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running on my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin.
I knew about laminin. Wikipedia describes them: "Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue." You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what binds one cell of our bodies to the next cell, forming sheets or membranes of tissue. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE. But now I do.
The Ebola virus, which causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever (discovered in Africa only in 1976) literally dissolves the membranes and connective tissue of the human body, causing the organs to literally disintegrate. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a "Christian portrayal" of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...
(Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=cooper.figgrp.2055)
Amazing. Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!
The glue that holds us together, ALL of us ---is in the shape of the cross.
Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.
“ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER.” Colossians 1:15-17
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin "glue" would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!
We praise YOU, Lord!
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I wish. I will share it anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc.. Then he went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know..) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking...."How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???"
Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running on my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin.
I knew about laminin. Wikipedia describes them: "Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue." You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what binds one cell of our bodies to the next cell, forming sheets or membranes of tissue. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE. But now I do.
The Ebola virus, which causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever (discovered in Africa only in 1976) literally dissolves the membranes and connective tissue of the human body, causing the organs to literally disintegrate. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a "Christian portrayal" of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...
(Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=cooper.figgrp.2055)Amazing. Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!
The glue that holds us together, ALL of us ---is in the shape of the cross.
Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.
“ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER.” Colossians 1:15-17
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin "glue" would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!
We praise YOU, Lord!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Exercise Your Right
I voted early today. My duty as an American is completed for that task.
You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate this video.
Thanks for Moms in the Right for sharing this!
You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate this video.
Thanks for Moms in the Right for sharing this!
A Must Read
I have tried to keep the current election out of all of my blogs. There is so much coverage that it is kinda' a place for me to getawa from it all and pretend it doesn't exist (I know, that's not realistic, but it helps sometimes).
I personally know that this election will be decided for me based mainly on moral issues. I will be voting for McCain (gasp...I never discuss my personal vote, but there it is). I will stand up immediately and tell you that there are things about McCain's proposed plans that I don't like. There are things about his policies that I don't like. However, I would personally rather choose to (possibly) damage our economy more than to compromise on some serious moral issues I have with Obama. It's the lesser of two evils (okay, evils is a strong word). But I will stand by my beliefs over my well being any day.
That's my personal take on this election. You can agree. You can disagree. I'm not forcing you to vote as I am. I am just outing myself. I really don't think if you've been around this blog that the decision would surprise you. However, this is one of the reasons why Obama will never get my vote.
Sigh. Back to non-political blissdom...
I personally know that this election will be decided for me based mainly on moral issues. I will be voting for McCain (gasp...I never discuss my personal vote, but there it is). I will stand up immediately and tell you that there are things about McCain's proposed plans that I don't like. There are things about his policies that I don't like. However, I would personally rather choose to (possibly) damage our economy more than to compromise on some serious moral issues I have with Obama. It's the lesser of two evils (okay, evils is a strong word). But I will stand by my beliefs over my well being any day.
That's my personal take on this election. You can agree. You can disagree. I'm not forcing you to vote as I am. I am just outing myself. I really don't think if you've been around this blog that the decision would surprise you. However, this is one of the reasons why Obama will never get my vote.
Sigh. Back to non-political blissdom...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Blogging Hiatus
I know that this is still a new blog and you may not have high expectations for it yet, but I wanted you to know that I will be sparsely visible over the next few days on the Blogosphere because my mom is coming into town for a week (arriving today). You will most likely see any updated posts on her visit over at Riding Bicycles, so feel free to browse about if you'd like.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Who Am I?
I guess you want to know who is behind this blog if you have found yourself on this page.
Well, here I am:
I was raised in small town Alabama by a Christian family who attended a southern Baptist church. We were at church ALMOST every time the doors were open. Dad was a choir soloist, one sister was the full-time pianist, Mom was active in the women’s ministry, and I and my other siblings were active in children’s choir, youth choirs and ensembles, youth drama, RAs, GAs, music, Bible study, discipleship training (once known as Training Union), and a plethora of other activities.
Although I don’t remember a time not knowing and believing in Jesus as the Savior of the world, I made my belief public during a revival in 1990…the summer between my 5th and 6th grade years of elementary school. I was baptized soon thereafter.
I lived a good life during my teenage years. Yes, I did things I should not do and got into some sticky situations, but all-in-all I kept out of trouble. I was strong-willed so I didn’t succumb to peer pressure easily. My biggest sin was (and probably still is) pride.
During my senior year in high school I did what is known in many evangelical churches as “rededicating my life” to Jesus. I knew I was saved and forgiven, but it was a public admission that I realized that I wasn’t living to be the person I should be for Christ.
College was fine. I didn’t get into any trouble there either. I finished quickly, graduated with honors, and married the man of my dreams just 4 months later. We moved to southwest Mississippi to follow a career.
While in MS, we attended another southern Baptist church where we met a lot of great people and had many opportunities to serve God. During the 6 years we were in Mississippi, I encountered a number of trials and periods of personal and spiritual growth that I never want to revisit, but that I can confess have made me into a better servant for Christ.
While there I was rebaptized. Why? Did it not take the first time? Was I not really saved? Did I doubt the sincerity of my prior profession or the power of Jesus’ redemption? The answer to all of those questions is a loud resounding “NO.” I really can’t explain why I was baptized again. I just knew that God was dealing with me and telling me to do it. I explained to my pastor that it was not a matter or question of salvation, but more of a matter of obedience. My walk of faith was growing and although baptism is often a symbol of one’s profession of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, it was my act of service and obedience. I think that it was more of a commitment to really give it all to Him and proclaim that my life was now His to minister through. I will witness to you that from that time onward, my life has been exploding for Him—sometimes through depth and sometimes through breadth, but it is ever-growing.
After 6 years in Mississippi, we packed up and moved to Savannah, GA. After looking for a few months in the standard southern Baptist churches that were familiar, we couldn’t find the right fit. We were invited by several people to attend Savannah Christian Church, an exploding so-called “mega church” in Savannah that is known all around. It was a bit intimidating, but we went. All I can say is WOW. Not a lot of mulling over this one was needed. This is what Christianity is all about. The people are warm, welcoming, and on fire for God. Servitude is stressed, all are invited, and their focus is completely on spot. I have no doubts why this church is growing so fast that it needs to almost constantly adjust to accommodate growing congregations. We are among a congregation of ministers now. We are home (well…almost =)).
Well, here I am:
I was raised in small town Alabama by a Christian family who attended a southern Baptist church. We were at church ALMOST every time the doors were open. Dad was a choir soloist, one sister was the full-time pianist, Mom was active in the women’s ministry, and I and my other siblings were active in children’s choir, youth choirs and ensembles, youth drama, RAs, GAs, music, Bible study, discipleship training (once known as Training Union), and a plethora of other activities.
Although I don’t remember a time not knowing and believing in Jesus as the Savior of the world, I made my belief public during a revival in 1990…the summer between my 5th and 6th grade years of elementary school. I was baptized soon thereafter.
I lived a good life during my teenage years. Yes, I did things I should not do and got into some sticky situations, but all-in-all I kept out of trouble. I was strong-willed so I didn’t succumb to peer pressure easily. My biggest sin was (and probably still is) pride.
During my senior year in high school I did what is known in many evangelical churches as “rededicating my life” to Jesus. I knew I was saved and forgiven, but it was a public admission that I realized that I wasn’t living to be the person I should be for Christ.
College was fine. I didn’t get into any trouble there either. I finished quickly, graduated with honors, and married the man of my dreams just 4 months later. We moved to southwest Mississippi to follow a career.
While in MS, we attended another southern Baptist church where we met a lot of great people and had many opportunities to serve God. During the 6 years we were in Mississippi, I encountered a number of trials and periods of personal and spiritual growth that I never want to revisit, but that I can confess have made me into a better servant for Christ.
While there I was rebaptized. Why? Did it not take the first time? Was I not really saved? Did I doubt the sincerity of my prior profession or the power of Jesus’ redemption? The answer to all of those questions is a loud resounding “NO.” I really can’t explain why I was baptized again. I just knew that God was dealing with me and telling me to do it. I explained to my pastor that it was not a matter or question of salvation, but more of a matter of obedience. My walk of faith was growing and although baptism is often a symbol of one’s profession of faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, it was my act of service and obedience. I think that it was more of a commitment to really give it all to Him and proclaim that my life was now His to minister through. I will witness to you that from that time onward, my life has been exploding for Him—sometimes through depth and sometimes through breadth, but it is ever-growing.
After 6 years in Mississippi, we packed up and moved to Savannah, GA. After looking for a few months in the standard southern Baptist churches that were familiar, we couldn’t find the right fit. We were invited by several people to attend Savannah Christian Church, an exploding so-called “mega church” in Savannah that is known all around. It was a bit intimidating, but we went. All I can say is WOW. Not a lot of mulling over this one was needed. This is what Christianity is all about. The people are warm, welcoming, and on fire for God. Servitude is stressed, all are invited, and their focus is completely on spot. I have no doubts why this church is growing so fast that it needs to almost constantly adjust to accommodate growing congregations. We are among a congregation of ministers now. We are home (well…almost =)).
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