It's been forever since I've written out my spiritual thoughts in an entry. I recently have been changing some viewpoints on certain issues. The boys are in bed so I thought I'd type this out as fast as I can (sorry if it is jumbled!)
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Basically I have felt that God's been softening my heart a lot lately. I've been around a lot of Christians these days who are just angry people who seem to be so mad at things to the point where they aren't even trying to review themselves to work on their own issues and just constantly complain about anything they can. Then the non-Christians I've tried to witness to are so angry at people who claim to be Christians that attend church but spend no time living what they believe in.
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." -James 2:26Thing is, The Christians are at the point where they are almost as lost as the non-believers. They each will just hear what their little itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3) and are so prideful that there is no room to be civil or loving. Now here's the thing, I wrote my giant entry about how important forgiveness is. . .but love is the greatest command.
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -John 15:12Now this is where my heart has suddenly softened. I know the difference between love the sinner, but hate the sin completely and know that there are Christians who understand this as well. This is not my point today though.
1. When an illegal alien/immigrant enters our country, I hear Christians who want to turn them away. They are here illegally, yes, but does that mean that we should suddenly turn our backs and be angry at them, especially since this even brings in how many are sometimes forced into our country against their wills by coercion (but of course that is another issue I've elaborated on many times)? Here's the thing. We continually look at our law, when we need to first look at the views of God. Clear as day in
Galatians 4, 5, and
Ephesians 2 and
Colossians 1 it says how Christians ARE aliens because we are to be set apart, and it says how we were once aliens before entering into whatever land we've established in. Then of course I can list dozens of references in the Old and New Testament explaining how we are to be KIND and SHOW LOVE for the alien/stranger/immigrant.
Funny thing is that when I was being softened in this area, my husband brought it up to me already completely softened in this area more than me, and I still tried to defend the outlook that I've seen others who are Christians bring up. He helped me realize a couple days after our conversation how wrong I was when I dug into the scriptures for reassurance of my side. . .to realize I already knew all these scriptures but pushed them aside. I tell others now because It's GOOD to let go of our pride and give into surrendering to truth and feel free from it. So let's show love to the alien/immigrants!
2. War & The Death Penalty. I have always hated war. true story. I also was for the ideals of war because I always believed that "good" eventually came out of it. Granted I lived many years with a Vietnam Veteran and am now even just learning new things about what he saw or did in battle, and have read plenty of war stories over my life that always fascinated me. I was wrong. I had the wrong attitude about it. Justice involving KILLING is not supposed to be in OUR hands. At the same time Jesus even said in Matthew 24 that wars WILL happen and that they MUST happen: at the same time He also tells us to love our enemies. . so we are not to be fond of war even if they are bound to occur, because no matter who bombs who - we are all people whom Jesus cares about and wants to have in His kingdom. We are to show LOVE to people no matter how hard that might be. That love is what will speak volumes to them and will help them want to share in why we love them. Why is that so hard for Christians to understand? I struggled a LOT on this one. I am always speaking on behalf of justice because it's a big passion of mine: HUGE passion. I then read
THE IRRESISTIBLE REVOLUTION by Shane Claiborne (it's an amazing book!) I read the book in about 4 days. I Then after reading all the scriptures on my own time about how vengeance is GOD'S job NOT ours and that yes we can imprison those who do awful things to another, but they should ALWAYS have that open opportunity available to learn and accept Christ so they can have that eternal reward. We all mess up and Jesus died for everyone, so we need to reach out to prisoners even, which is also scriptual! It's crazy how we just want to lock and torture and kill people just because we say how horrible they are for the really nasty things they probably did. . but NOT showing them love is going to make it harder for them to NOT accept Jesus!!!! This is what truly transformed my mind. In Shane Claiborne's book, I suddenly started to cry which I NEVER do unless I read the Bible, not even in all the detailed accounts I have read in the many human trafficking books I own, and believe me, I have known people who throw up when reading those books (this was a hearty long snot-filled cry, not a couple tears)! For the third confirmation I received on this struggle of mine, I then heard my own pastor who is a Chaplain of all things preach using the verses I had been drawn to and telling me all that I had told my husband the night before on my feelings. He looked at me and nodded at the fact that God was truly trying to soften me. I was seriously cruel in my point of view just weeks before! (this has already been about two months ago now though).
I remembered an account I learned about Ted Bundy's life when I was about 14, and how he accepted Jesus into his life after discussing so much openly with a pastor who reached out to him in prison. This man of course lured girls with his charms into giving them a date and then because he was so obsessed with pornography and living out his fantasies that he would rape and kill them and pose them like the 50s sci-fi magazines that got him into pornography when he was a kid. He said how he deserved death and how he understood why all those parents and families wanted him dead, but that even thought they were going to feel supposedly at peace with the idea of him dead, he was going to be rejoicing in heaven with Jesus very soon. This man was at peace!! He accepted death because he knew he was cleansed for his wrong doings and he did terrible things that people would never forgive him for even after the man got the electric chair death sentence. I ALWAYS think about this and still I do. I was always thinking about how people who would harm others should receive the same treatment they gave to those they oppress. NO. That's wrong!! I was wrong!! Jesus wanting us to turn the other cheek is not something we should ignore. We need to obey. There will be many things that will break our hearts and cause us to ache, but depending on Jesus and understanding that this life is short is just something that we need to hold our heads up about. I will meet Ted Bundy in heaven and any other horrible people that gave their lives up to the Lord in repentance.
I urge you all (if you have read this far of my entry) to read the Bible and dig into it and learn from it and continually renew your lives in Jesus. Continually long for growth so you won't become stagnant, bitter, or empty. Start LIVING for Jesus instead of pretending that things are fine as they are. They can ALWAYS get better. We can always learn new things and live new things. It is amazing how much I've learned in this entire year alone. I hope it continues!
P.S. if you want scriptual references to back up each of my stances, let me know (I suggest you try to look for them yourself, but if you are unsure where to look or something like that, I'll be more than happy to let you know).
Rob wanted hot wings badly. He's chewing them here. He had been craving those wings for a few days. 
Here we are! Mr. & Mrs. Tiedemann
So. . this is the other dress that Rob loved a lot and was glad that I chose to buy it for my birthday from him. haha. It's from 
