There is so much information being thrown at us from all kinds of people. I will be the first to admit that I find it hard to sort out, but I'm going to try. I want to make you think, maybe make you angry enough to take some action (NOTHING VIOLENT PLEASE, that gets us nowhere.) I'm going to link to others that have opinions, maybe not the same as mine, but everyone deserves the chance to be heard-that's why we were founded, for freedom, which brings me to this-our ancestors didn't come here for freedom FROM religion, but to practice the way they were called to do, and maybe some of it isn't what God wants, but that's for him to decide. Maybe the action is practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

The number one thing on my mind is the state of our nation's capital. Drive down some of its streets and you would think you're in a third world country. There are homeless families who don't have a place to go as a family (shelters, etc). I go there at least once a month with my church to bring them food, clothes, an encouraging word, prayer... There are others who do that, too, but Congress and others need to get involved. I won't judge Mayor Marion Barry, I don't know his motives. The recent killings of children by children in Kentucky, Mississippi and Arkansas aren't the result of easy access to guns as someone has said. President Clinton has directed the Attorney General to put together a task force to find out why this is happening. It's a simple answer, folks. We need strong, solid families who watch out for each other and love each other, and that starts with a father and a mother who are married to each other and that want their children to be successful. That's where it all starts. And some prayer wouldn't hurt, either.

Abortion is a controversial subject. Read this and think. It was written by my wife, who is training to become a counselor at a pregancy crisis center. The last paragraph applies in capital punishment, also. The commandment is "Thou shalt not murder", not kill. That has been misinterpreted for a long time. Abortion is murder and so is the death penalty.

Had I written this essay 25 years ago, I would have said that a woman's body is her own and she can do with it what she wants. Fifteen years ago, I would have said abortion is wrong, but many times it's the best choice a woman has, considering her circumstances. About five years ago, it would have been tempered to sometimes, but rarely, it is the only choice due to a life or death situation. Why the change? It's very simple and it's really more of a what than a why. What has changed over the years is my love for the Lord. The deeper my love grows for Him, the more I hear, "If you love me, keep my commandments," and among those commandments is, "Thou shalt not commit murder," Thankfully, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, all our sins can be forgiven, including the sin of taking the life of an unborn child. However, I'm sure that every time a baby is aborted, it grieves His heart. I think that maturing as a Christian means that more and more, his desires become our desires and it grieves our heart to grieve His. All life belongs to Him, there are no unplanned pregnancies. Sure, they may be unplanned for the man and woman, but never to God. He created sexual intimacy that we would go forth and multiply. The problem is, that society has changed that message to go forth and enjoy yourself, have a great time, and "don't worry be happy." Because God knew these unborn babies before they were even conceived, they are just as much a person as the mothers and fathers whose union made their conception possible. God created each of these babies with a purpose, which we, as His servants, can help fulfill by ensuring their continued development and birth. I love the old bumper sticker, "God don't make no junk." This certainly applies to those teeny, tiny babies nestled so helplessly in their mothers' wombs. When Jesus walked the earth, the words He spoke and His mighty touch delivered healing to the bodies, minds, and souls of countless people. But Jesus knew that His time on earth was short, because of the greater plan of the Father; so He prepared a handful of followers to continue His work. Today, we are those disciples, and we are daily asked that very familiar question, "What would Jesus do?" How would Jesus minister to women and their unborn children? We must know the answer to this question because He has commanded us to do as He would. First of all, I know He would love them and would speak only the truth to them. He would also invite them to trust in Him and to believe that all things could be redeemed through Him. Finally, He would draw them away from their sinful lives into a relationship with Him In the opening, I told you how I felt 25, 15, and 5 years ago, but how about today? Today, I not only believe in God's soverignty, I honor it. Only God has the right to say when life begins and when it ends. I thank and praise Him that He has entrusted me to minister His truth through love. GO BACK