Hi friends...I'm blessed to have the day off work today and I just turned the TV on to catch the proceedings in Washington. This is a very influential day in the history of our country. I enjoy all the historical commentary as well as the interesting 'human interest' aspects of the proceedings. The coverage of this inauguration is a great venue for "people watching". I enjoy that too! Wow....it's incredible to see the 'age' that appears on the faces of many of the dignitaries of the past years.
As a Christian, though, it grieves my heart to watch our country head 'downhill'. I am saddened that God has been (is being) taken out of the foundational values and policies of our country. The leadership certainly does not personally acknowledge God nor seems to credit or trust in Him for his own life and salvation nor for the peace and prosperity of our country. Nonetheless, nothing occurs that has not first passed through the hands of our Lord. I continue to pray for our country, for our new leadership and especially for our service men and women who are serving our country.
I'm including a few words that I shared with a friend earlier today in an email. May we all "Seek first the kingdom of God". “i just turned on the tv and am keeping my eye on the events in washington. incredible...the 'fuss' and hoopla that is occurring for this event. i find it curious that though the power of the Holy Spirit is WAY more than man's efforts could ever be......still man puts forth so much energy for the "things of man". if these same people would be surrendered to our Lord....imagine what the Holy Spirit would do in their lives and for His Kingdom! May God be glorified in our lives......in even the smallest way. THAT power (Holy Spirit power) will bring forth far more 'fruit' than even all this hoopla of today in DC. i just pray i can surrender daily to HIM.
Enjoy this Inauguration Day!
5 comments:
Lindy,
I will politely disagree with you regarding God's absence in yesterday's ceremony. I saw people reach across lines that have been drawn for over 40 years. I saw people reach out to people from different races and cultures, spreading love. God is the essence of love. He is love. Love comes from God, who created all of us. Maybe we should focus on that.
Dang, Lindy. What inauguration were you watching?? How can you possibly say "The leadership certainly does not personally acknowledge God nor seems to credit or trust in Him for his own life and salvation nor for the peace and prosperity of our country." The ceremony itself started and ended with a prayer. Not to mention Obama’s inaugural speech which calls for “…the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate…” It calls for all of us to sacrifice and work for a better America. Please find a written copy of Obama’s inaugural speech and read it. It's time for all of us to listen to one another, actually HEAR what the other is saying and be willing to work and uplift the "least of these my brethren," as Christ would have us do and as Obama’s plan for the future would have us do.
Lindy,
I am not one to write comments. I belong to Facebook and hardly ever go there. I'm still old fashioned and like face to face conversation. But, I do read friends blogs etc. now and again. And, I too have to disagree with you regarding God's absence at this historical event. I'm not quite sure if you are referring to the absence of God at the event itself (Rick Warren and others were present who are spirit filled Christians), or in President Obama's life? How does one know what is in the heart of anyone, President, neighbor, co-worker, stranger without having a personal relationship with that person? I have heard Obama talk about his faith and what it personally means to him (i.e.one incident was the townhall meeting with McCain at Warren's church). I've also heard Bush speak about his faith over the years. How do we know if he is telling the truth? You spoke about our country going downhill. That's been happening over the last eight years prior to the new administration of 1/20/09. I agree with Kris...I saw lots of God's love going around yesterday. No arrests, people of all nations and religions were as one. How proud our founding fathers must be. So, cousin, I'm just not agreeing with you on this one...
whoa.... hold your horses girls! :)My comments weren't about the ceremony..... I mean the staement about "God being absent"... that statement was about our country and the downhill slide we are in. For sure....that definitely has been occuring over years and years in our country. In my statement I was addressing the policies and path of america....not the people who attended the inauguration (kris) or obama's speech even (adie). my concern for the day was simply, as stated from my heart, the sadness that i feel when i see (what I determine to be) Godly values and principles that are ignored and dismissed. Values that promote life, family, marriage, truth and honesty, as defined by God. I hold these values so dear and valuable that I can't help but feel a sense of concern for the country....as it moves away from God's values. We all have definitions and an understanding that varies from one to another... I love your comments.... but as a blogger once told me..."it is my blog" hehe i was offended when she said that to me.....since she ASKED for comments, but a blog is our own space to share our thoughts and ramblings. Ramble I do....I don't INTEND to offend anyone but with differences that happens. Keep reading....we can disagree and still love. :)
Perhaps the following statement that I made in yesterday's blog was harsh.... "The leadership certainly does not personally acknowledge God nor seems to credit or trust in Him for his own life and salvation nor for the peace and prosperity of our country." I should have clarified that I wasn't simply talking about giving 'lip service' to God....but to me, writing "acknowledge God and trust in Him for His life and salvation and peace and prosperity of the country" means far more than simply giving a nod or a 'hats off' to God. What I define as 'asknowledging God' is backing up the words with a life that puts God first and that lives surrendered to Christ's Lordship. There is a big difference and I should have written that differently. ~Just trying to clarify.
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