aliens

this is kinda a continuance of the previous post. after i wrote the post i rec'd a few emails disagreeing with me and a thought struck me. i started to compare the mexican or hispanic influx to our arrival or the anglo arrival to the americas. we were uninvited and definitely invaded and took over. we certainly didn't adopt or learn the native language or their ways. don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-america...on the contrary. I'm very proud of my country and love it very much but i am also not a close minded, blind person either. we have done our share of wrong things to other cultures and peoples. we came here at the expense of others to search for a better life....sound familiar?

facebook stupidity

This blog is a response pertaining to a few updates I viewed lately on face book bitching about the “illegal aliens” that have come to America. The first was concerning a picture on a gas pump showing where the gas nozzle is placed into the gas inlet. The next that stuck out to me was concerning the nations policy concerning free health care for these “aliens”. If you’re going to whine about these illegal aliens at least have the stones to call them Hispanics or Mexicans or Latinos. I usually don’t hear anyone complaining about the illegal entrance of Canadians or Russians, etc…
First, lets look at the secular side of this.
In my experience with the Hispanic community, they are hard working, family oriented and friendly. They work twice as hard as most “Americans” I have employed many Hispanics and more than not, these men will work very hard. Not only will they work harder but are very appreciative of the opportunities that are offered to them. For the most part I don’t see may Hispanics that come here to suck on the gov’t teat. They are more productive than a lot of Americans, especially our spoiled young people. They are willing to take on the tough jobs we don’t seem to want any more.
If the roles were reversed and we were oppressed and had no chance of a good life for our families here, I would damn sure do the same thing. To a degree I admire their willingness to leave what they know and travel to a place, sometimes at their own peril to take part in this land of opportunity. Are they here illegally? Yes, but as I stated, I would do the same for my family.
As far as health care, I have never heard any Hispanics demanding health care. Maybe they have and I missed it. Still, it is our gov’t that has provided this. If you are going to berate somebody for these free services, blame Washington. Once again, if I had to sneak into Mexico to pursue a better life and the gov’t of Mexico decided to provide free health care for me and my family….I’d take it.
Are these aliens tax exempt? Yes. Are they the only ones here tax exempt? No. if we are going to slam the Hispanics for not paying taxes we had better include the poor who pay no taxes, receive free health care, etc…
I have been to countries and places where I didn’t speak the language and some pictures like the one on the gas pump would have been helpful. Going back to our illustrious young people, maybe the pictures are for them since the illiteracy rate for white American teens is around 17%.
Lastly, they have damn good restaurants and make the best margaritas.

Now. From a biblical stand point. This is a little easier.
We are supposed to love everyone. You might want to re-read the story of the good Samaritan.
God is clearly a very social oriented Deity. Time and time again in the OT, God talks of taking care of the poor and the alien, going as far to say in Leviticus 19 that we are to treat aliens as one of our native born and to love them as ourselves. The Bible tells us repeatedly not to oppress the aliens but to care for them.
As a quick side note, God is very concerned over social equality. I’m not saying God is a communist but from the command of the festival of jubilee to the instructions of loving others as ourselves God shows a concern for equality. If our roles were reversed with these aliens, how would you like yourself and your family to be treated.
Lastly, these remarks were made by a christian who is employed by a church that concentrates heavily on foreign missions. The way I see it, this influx of foreigners may be God’s way of bringing the mission field to us. I have always found it somewhat amusing that we will raise millions of dollars for the SBC to send missionaries to Africa but we won’t cross the tracks to the other side of town to help our black brothers here at home. We raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to send groups of people to Mexico and other south American countries but bitch when they come here.

There, I got that off my chest.

i am perfect...

Confessing sins. It’s something most Christians are obsessed with. Everyday or every night we look back on our day and try to remember all the things we’ve done wrong and tell God we are sorry. Studying and reading this week I have come to realize a few things I feel like writing down. I am perfect. Sorry for those of you that really know me but it’s true….I am perfect. At least in Gods eyes. I have a hard time grasping this idea myself as I’m sure you do too. Hebrews 10:10 states we have been made holy. Not that we are going to be made holy but that we are. Verse 14 says we are forever perfect and that we are being made holy. When does forever start? Now or in some distant time? Verse 17, their sins I will remember no more. In the OT the yearly sacrifice of the goat by the high priest was a shadow of things to come through the blood sacrifice but the priest also set a goat free and drove in into the wilderness to represent that those sins would no more be remembered. I have always been a fan of Romans 7 but I have neglected 8:1...NO condemnation. As far as confession, the meaning we have is different than the NT. I feel like most Christians believe it means to apologize to God or to say I’m sorry when it actually means “to be made known“. If God does not acknowledge our sin and we have been forgiven and of course God knows everything ,why are we making known wrong doings He already knows about but doesn’t condemn us for? In the NT confess has two different meanings but the confess meaning “to make known” is only used twice. James 5:16 says to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other and we will be healed. John 1:9 says if we confess our sins He will forgive us but it doesn’t really say to whom we are to confess. In a Christian world of perfect people and fake righteousness, what if we made known our sins to each other? I have seen supposedly happily married couples out of the blue suddenly file for divorce. What if this couple had someone to confess to, to share their struggles with? I recently heard of a couple in this position with no hope of saving their marriage but upon sharing this with other Christians now see hope, not a sure thing but there are people praying for them and there is hope. Not with a pastor or a seminary trained leader but with “each other”. What if we all shared our weaknesses and struggles? Imagine the help it would be to other Christians. As in the NT we are all Priest now, right?
I am fortunate to have a priest in my journey with which to share my sins. I hope you can find one also because it is part of the freedom of being forgiven and being perfect in God’s eyes. By not seeing our perfection in our spirit are we not acknowledging or denying Christ sacrifice? Not that we are free to sin but are free to be human. Are we not, as Paul also did, have a thorn that God will not remove so that we live by grace?
I am tired of trying to be perfect and am ready to live in the freedom that God sees me perfect already. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will in my spirit make this a known fact and not a feeling. Maybe that’s just me…..

who'll stop the rain?

Rain, rain and more rain. It rained all day Friday. Friday was also the day that we buried my step father. He, being a twenty year retired veteran of the 101st Airborne had earned full military Rights at his funeral. This included the rifle salute, pall bearers, flag folding, etc… My mother wanted so badly that it not rain this day. I am sure she was constantly praying that it would not. I try to assure her that the rain would not affect any of the ceremony and that the cemetery would do everything possible to keep the flag dry. I was so tore up watching her struggle with grief that I even began praying that it wouldn’t rain.
I’m not necessarily a believer that God stops the world from turning for one person. The Bible leads me to believe that the Devil has control over this earth. When Christ was tempted with being given “all authority”, Satan states that this authority had been given him. Christ didn’t argue that point. 1 John tells us Satan is in control of the whole world. Recently when a series of tornadoes hit my hometown words and phrases began popping up such as, ”I guess God was watching over you” or “you are blessed that God spared you” and so on. If every action has a reaction these phrases and beliefs represent the idea that those who lost their home were not being watched over by God. Some would say to those who lost their house or possessions, “at least you still have your health” or “at least you weren’t home”. What about the ones that were hurt? What about the young man who lost his family? Was God not watching over him? I’ve heard tornadoes call “the finger of God”. Is that an appropriate name or is God to blame for these types of things? I sometimes cringe when I hear the “comforting” words, “God is in control“. Is He, or does He let the world spin on it own? Has He given authority to someone else and only step in when He decides to? I’m not questioning God’s power to intervene, just who is really controlling this world we live in. Who decides who’s blessed, spared, etc…
Friday morning when I woke I immediately grabbed my Blackberry, linked to Accuweather and checked the radar. All I saw was a green blob. Rain, rain and more rain was all that was in sight. When I arrived at the funeral home it was raining. When I stepped outside right before the services began it was raining. As they loaded the casket it was raining. As we followed the hearse and police escort to Roselawn Cemetery it was raining. I don’t know if I have ever seen an actual miracle, but I do know this. As I parked my vehicle and helped mom to the rain soaked ground, the rain suddenly stopped. It was still dark and gray, it still looked stormy, but there was no more rain. The service was unbelievable. William D. Bonner was laid to rest in a military fashion that would have made him proud. After the Rights, my mom couldn’t stay any longer. The week of pain, grief, no food and well-wishers had left her drained. Immediately after the ceremony we began to escort her to the car. A few people made it to her before I could get her tucked away in the front seat. Being in such a hurry, we had forgotten to cut any flowers from the spray for “pressing”. I hurried back up the hill, clipped a few buds and hurried back down to the car. I finally shooed everybody away and “hid” her in the car. As soon as I started the car it started to rain. As we neared the exit of the cemetery the rain got harder and by the time we arrived at the restaurant for lunch it was pouring.
Does God control everything that happens here on earth? Is He the master puppeteer? Does He intervene? I don’t know, however I do believe He intervenes….He stopped the rain.

funeral

we buried my step-father today. i want so badly to set down and pour my thoughts out but i am so tired. it was the week from hell. we got the call sat morning that he was going soon. after 3 days and nights of waiting for his passing, he took his last breath. i had to set back and watch as my mom sat on pins and needles going through the sheer hell of watching her husband fade away. i'm a processor. it will take me a while to put all this week's happenings into some kind of....i don't know what to put it into. a lot has happened this week. i've seen family brought together.....hell, i'm too tired to go on. i will say i had a great amount of healing this week and a better outlook for my extended family. im am going to finish my avo #2 and rest. i probably won't rest as well as....you know what? we'll cover that later. nite