School - God - Prayer = teenage immorality & sex

Tyra Banks is shocked at what our teenagers are telling us. Why? Why is this such a surprise when we take God and prayer out of school? Why is this such a surprise when we put condoms in school and teach birth control vs. abstinence? Why is this such a surprise when we fawn over Jamie Spears for having a child out of wedlock, and are constantly exposed to sex in everything from gym socks to cigarettes during prime time t.v.?

Yeah- its a real mystery to me too! Some startling facts:

• On average, girls are losing their virginity at 15 years of age.
• 14 percent of teens who are having sex say they’re doing it at school.
• 52 percent of survey respondents say they do not use protection when having sex.
• One in three says she fears having a sexually transmitted disease.
• 24 percent of teens with STDs say they still have unprotected sex.
• One in five girls says she wants to be a teen mom.
• About 50 percent acknowledge that they’ve hit someone.
• One out of three teens has tried drugs.

What say you? Are you tired of our children being exploited and exposed to the worst we have to offer? Is it any wonder the Muslims find us and our entertainment habits reprehensible? We pipe this garbage onto the airwaves make celebrities out of people who were not able to finish their education because they were called to acting or whatever lame excuse they use for not finishing their education.

One in 5 girls wants to be a mom. Wow. If they had any clue how much it takes to be a MOTHER, they would run for the hills. But again, we are lauding Jamie Spears for her pregnancy and showing it CAN work. Yeah- if you are wealthy and can afford a nanny! But that isn't real life! Most of us know how difficult it is when someone is TOTALLY dependent on you for survival. I think if we were to take away the mobile phones of these wanna be mommies and ensure they stay home Friday and Saturday nights for a while, the novelty would wear off. Perhaps we should look at it as at least 1 in 5 is not wanting to get pregnant to have an abortion.

I am all for freedom. In fact, if I think might want to watch something of poor moral character, I should have the right to make that decision. But I should also have the right to ensure my children are exposed to the proper influences while they are at school, and in my opinion, there is no better influence than that of God, and for making people accountable for their decisions.

Life's Lessons

"Experience is the hardest teacher. It first gives the test, then the lesson." - Anonymous

Perhaps no other time in our history short of a world war and the Great Depression, has such a challenging time faced us. Perhaps the challenges are even greater today than previously. With the proliferation of the Internet and information sharing, more and more people are connected and yet disconnected at the same time. More information is shared and forgotten more quickly than ever

Ken McCown photograph: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenmccown

before. Workers and managers alike are faced with an ever-increasing complexity of information sources and media outlets that we are approaching information overload. Kids today are not happy unless they are playing a game online with their XBox, listening to music or a video on their iPod while texting a friend with the t.v. on in the background. Their minds are constantly engaged with information they process. Perhaps they will never know or appreciate the tranquility my parents' generation knows. Our lives progressively grow more complicated and stressful, yet we want more technology to help us DO MORE (keep up) so we can stay on top of everything.

I digress in an attempt to paint a brief scenario of what our generation has been raised on. They have not faced the challenges or sacrifices our parents and grand parents did during the huge personal crises that were raised from the conflicts of man or the collapse of an economy. But their challenges are just as real. When the stock market collapsed in 1929, there was not awidespread loss around the world as we recently saw with the "financial crisis" on Wall Street in October. Militarily, we are in more theaters of conflict than WWII, and face more enemies than at any time in our history. The enemy is faceless, the battlefield is not readily defined with neat lines drawn on a map in a general's office. The threat can be virtual in an assault on servers or even our financial network as we experienced recently with 9/11 and now the credit crisis.

The point is, in all these instances, there are many lessons, and it is frustratingly apparent we may learn from our lessons, but we don't seem to REMEMBER them! Right after 9-11, Senators sang God Bless America, and with righteous indignation demanded the parties responsible be brought to justice. Within a few short weeks, it was partisan politics as usual. Sniping the President about the war on terror after many of the snipers voted for military action. And now that we are in it, they are wanting to cut and run for political expediency crying "We can't win. There is no hope. The extra troops won't make a difference. They are wanting to come home." Remember some of those comments? They seem pathetic with what has transpired in the last few months.
Iraqis now control most of Iraq, oil is flowing, their budget is bursting at the seams, the infrastructure is gaining strength every day. The surge did work. Senator McCain and the others supporting the surge now look like geniuses. They will simply tell you they listened to the experts- the guys on the ground.
Why is this so hard? We took the test and passed it, however painful it may have been. We have since gathered our lessons, and have tried to learn from them. I just hope we don't forget those lessons, but every day, I fear we grow more and more complacent.

Tolerance

When I think of tolerance, I often think of a mother bear or lion with her cubs as they gnaw on her while she is trying to rest. I also think of my mom when she tolerated all the idiotic things I did as a kid (or my wife tolerating the stupid things I do NOW!). I also think of this great country, one of great tolerance for the so many different cultures that has made us great. This is why so many people defect to the U.S. seeking political asylum, because WE ARE tolerant. Where else can you say you think the President is a liar and should be impeached, or if you want, you can gather a group of people in a park and talk about a religion freely, or even burn a U.S. flag without fear of persecution.

Tolerance is a bantied-about term these days, and I fear our younger generations do not adequately understand what the word truly means. According thefreedictionary.com, tolerance is defined as:

1. The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.
a. Leeway for variation from a standard.
b. The permissible deviation from a specified value of a structural dimension, often expressed as a percent.
2. The capacity to endure hardship or pain.
3. Medicine
a. Physiological resistance to a poison.
b. The capacity to absorb a drug continuously or in large doses without adverse effect; diminution in the response to a drug after prolonged use.
4.
a. Acceptance of a tissue graft or transplant without immunological rejection.
b. Unresponsiveness to an antigen that normally produces an immunological reaction.
5. The ability of an organism to resist or survive infection by a parasitic or pathogenic organism.

- source- http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

It seems today another definition is being used, and that is for endorsement or support. It is widely established if you have a particular viewpoint, and you are not "open" to another point of view, (i.e., you are convicted in your own beliefs and cannot be swayed to support another viewpoint) you are labeled intolerant.

Christians are the best example of this. "Fundamental" Christians are those who believe in the Bible- that what it reads is what God intends. Fundamental too is thrown around a little haphazardly as derogatory remark (consider fundamental Muslims, for example). At any rate, Christians have particularly predictable viewpoints (for the most part) on certain aspects of life and culture.

Not surprisingly, some of the more controversial viewpoints Christians are intolerant of are a woman's choice, gay marriage, other religions, particularly Islam, and indecency on the airwaves. It strikes me as odd how ANYONE can label an American Christian as intolerant. America, after all, is the nation of tolerance. We were founded by religious people looking for freedom, and consequently created a nation (under God), which permits EVERYONE to practice the religion of their choice, as long as no one is harmed. In the military, provisions are made for all denominations, including Druids, Satanists, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Catholics just to name a few.

Wait a minute- Satanists? That's right. As an American service man or woman, you can pursue your spirituality with Satanism if you so choose. How is that intolerant? Because we don't believe in Satanism or Islam, we are intolerant. Hmmmm. Judgmental? Perhaps. Intolerant? Absolutely not.

Don't get me wrong- I wish they would find the same joy in Christ that I know, but I will not lobby for cessation of their right to practice freedom of religion.

And what about gay marriage? Are you for it? Against it? I am 100% against it! Not to be mean, but rather because it is Holy Matrimony (before God) and His instructions are marriage is between a man and a woman. Period, end of story. Do I feel gay people should be afforded similar institutions to facilitate health care, survivorship benefits, etc? Absolutely! Just don't call it marriage. Marriage is an institution which has been severely damaged over the last few years as divorces spiral out of control (it seems they have stopped growing for now), and any more assaults on an institutions I revere so highly is very problematic me. To allow just anyone to be "married" denigrates the vows I took in front of God, to my wife, and I have held fast to them. Do not destroy my institution- I love it, I want it to stay the way it is.

And for a woman's right to choose, I say absolutely! A woman SHOULD have the right to choose. She has the right to choose to have a relationship. She has the right to choose to have an intimate relationship. She has the right to have premarital intercourse. She has the right to choose to use contraception or not. She has the right to choose to keep a baby or give it up for adoption. See? Choices abound in a pro-life environment! What is so bad about that? I speak from personal experience- my biological mother was in her teens in th 60's in an affluent neighborhood outside Seattle. You think there wasn't some talk about abortion to ease any familial embarrassment? I bet there was, and I am thankful it did not come to that. Did you know there 40,000,000 fewer people alive today because of abortions? That is incredible. If there was a political force responsible for less than 1% of that figure, the U.N. would be screaming for sanctions, the U.S. would probably be stepping in, nations would be wringing their hands for the genocide, it would be a mess.

Why then are our defenseless infants euthanized for convenience, then? Why is that okay? When is it NOT okay to abort a baby? 2nd trimester? 2 weeks premature? 3-4 years post-partum? Where can we as human beings draw the line for God's work?

We can't, and any attempts to do so will be answered to some day, and that is a frightening thought.

Did you know a woman in her 20's who has an abortion is only 150% more likely to have breast cancer? That's not bad! Pretty good odds if you don't like living. Perhaps that is God giving back to the person capable of have her own flesh and blood torn out of her body. We may never know. All I want to know is why Planned Parenthood, NARAL and the other feminist activists won't let this and other dread secrets about abortions' health impacts on women. (I DO know why- its big business).

With discussions on the air like the right to kill a baby and have extramarital affairs and any other form of debauchery our society is starting to lower itself to, it is no wonder our enemies like the Islamic terrorists CAN hate us. We are apparently not convicted of our spiritual beliefs (we woul fight more fervently if we were), we allow our women to parade around in sexy clothing (their argument, not mine), we drink and eat excessively, and many other almost hedonistic acts give them plenty of reason to dislike us.

Yet we permit them to live here as they please, looking down on us for our lifestyle, putting their proverbial thumb in the eye of our great nation, burning our flag, blowing things up, etc. And WE are intolerant. We are intolerant of illegal aliens in our country, but every sovereign nation I can think of would lock someone up for being in the country illegally, but if we do it, it is racist, a hate crime, and we are intolerant.

If that is your definition, so be it! I'll be intolerant until the day I die if it means I stick to my scruples and not lose my convictions. They are who I am. If I was to abandon them, how would I explain it to my children that what I believed in all my life really doesn't mean anything. The things I have stood for and fought for are meaningless?

Teaching tolerance is the aim of http://www.tolerance.org. It all seems innocuous enough- who can say no to educating children about right and wrong when it comes to harrassing people or using labels? Funny, labels are being put on more people than I can recall in many years- ADHD, dyslexic, ADD, PTSD, I mean there are so many syndromes and conditions, who or WHAT is normal any more? This is how it all starts, and one lesson leads to another, and the next thing you know, your child thinks you are innensitive or intolerant of other people and you are wondering where this came from.

I remember having a discussion with my father when I was in 3rd grade in the 70's. In a VERY small town, one of our teachers was pregnant out of wedlock. Mom and dad and several other parents were vocally opposed to her teaching. I couldn't understand why, and naturally asked why it was so wrong. "Because you don't understand what is wrong with it."

What? That's circular reasoning, kind of like pigs don't know pigs stink. I of course now do understand the maxim he was trying to illustrate to me without illustrating it to me, and I am glad he did. Would I fight the same fight for my children? I hope so, children out of wedlock is so readily accepted, I am not sure it would do any good.

What is your definition of tolerance? Is it like mine where everyone is invited to be themselves as long as they do not attempt to foist their beliefs/lifestyles upon you? Or, is is it more vogue in that if you are of differing opinion you are intolerant?

Let's hear from you!

Why do we face trials?

The economy has been hard on all of us- some more than others. Well, let me rephrase that: The public's perception of the economy has been hard on us. I say that because really, our economy WAS doing fine, even though gas has shot through the roof. But now, we have a pandemic of banks failing after they backed shaky loans on A.R.M. loans people should not have bought into. This and other factors has caused a ripple effect which has now had a dramatic impact in nearly all aspects of our (and the world's) economy. These factors have impacted everyone in the United States for the most part in a negative way. People stressed to their limits from budgetary concerns were exacerbated by the compounding effects of the recent (non) crisis.

Our problems pale in comparison to these facts and the current situation with so many of our neighbors from Houston are just recently returned to their homes 10 days after Hurricane Ike hit SE Texas, taking everything from some people.

When we do face a trial, we are quick to ask "Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Why has God forsaken me?"

Well, the real question might better be "Why NOT me?" Sometimes we bring things upon ourselves, and other times we are being tested. How can you tell the difference? Sometimes, you can't. Only with prayer and meditation can some of these answers be had. One day a few years ago, as I was driving 1 1/2 hours to an account, it suddenly hit me: We all have a cross to bear in our lives; some are bigger than others. For some it is financial, for others it is health, fidelity, or maybe job security, or any combination thereof. During these times, we may think we are the only ones experiencing what we are going through at the time, but truth be told, many others have been there before, and many more will be there after, but most importantly, many are going through the same thing you are at the same time.

You have not been singled out. Remember Job was tested for his faith in God, and lost EVERYTHING because of a wager made by Satan. Job, like the rest of us, asked why many times, and still proved his faith by not losing sight of what was first in his life- his realtionship and communion with God.

During the sermon last Sunday, Pastor Ron talked about why trials happen. While I had never verbalized why, the reasons he listed I felt were dead on:

1. Suffering develops maturity of faith (like fire tempers and strengthens steel) James 1:2-4


2. Suffering helps us identify with Christ (which is why he suffered, so he could identify with US) Phillipians 1:29


3. Suffering proves we are God's children Hebrews 12:7-8


4. Suffering helps us become holy Hebrews 12:10


5. Suffering produces righteousness & peace Hebrews 12:11


6. Suffering can lead to godliness Hebrews 12:24-25


7. Suffering allows us to minister to others in a personal way 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

www.rockpointechurch.org/

When Ron was speaking about these reasons for trials, he also gave us some startling facts:

• Since Christ's death 2,000 years ago, 43 million believers have been martyred, over 50% of which have been in the last 100 years.
• 200 million Christians face persecution daily around the world.
• 300 Christians die daily for their beliefs
  
  - Source: World Evangelical Encyclopedia www.persecution.com

Now what I am facing pales in comparison to this persecution, and I would believe our neighbors in Houston would, for the most part, agree their problems are pretty trivial compared to what some of our Christian brothers and sisters are facing.

My wife and I grew up together. That is to say, we started dating when we were 16, so we have been through a lot together. From the difficulties of being a soldier deployed, the pain of the separation to the anxiety of transitioning from the military to the civilian sector, buying a home, having children and professional downturns, we have run through many trials, and our marriage has only gotten stronger. Not because we are so devout and such great Christians, but because we comfort and strengthen each other in times of need. When I am feeling weak, she bolsters my confidence when I need it most, and vice versa. The only thing I wish I could change is the hardship she and my children have experienced for it has been difficult at times. (We have gotten a lot of love,prayers and support from dear friends and the church as well!)

I look back on those periods with a certain degree of pride AND humility- we weathered the storms with our faith, but would not have been able to do it alone. Without His strength, grace and love, we would have faltered long ago; but we are stronger for it, and I think we have a lot more character because of these trials. I wouldn't trade them for anything, for I am proud to carry my cross as a child of God.

I have also noticed during the hardships, the more we take our eye off the "problem" and keep our eyes on God, the easier the hardship becomes. When I pray and commune with God, I find it much easier to deal with the storm, and thereby become more holy (if you will), more spiritual, more understanding. And because we are more understanding after a trial, we can identify with others going through their hardships, and relate more and provide greater love and support in their hour of need.

Please share with us some of your experiences in which you faced a trial and your faith saw you through it!

Helping a brother fall

Today I learned of a situation involving someone I thought a lot of who had contributed knowingly to the fall of a brother.

John, a sales manager at a dealership where I got my start in the car business, is a young, bright and energetic, and doggedly loyal man. I thought a lot of him as he trained me to become self-sufficient in a very short period of time, and helped me get promoted to increased levels of responsibility and pay.

I have had a place in my heart for that young man, but today, I am afraid that may have changed. It seems another manager at the store, we'll call him Mike, had a gambling problem- a big one. Mike would bet on baseball games, for example, not only the winner, but the over/under, just about anything you can think of. And these weren't nickel and dime bets. These were $500/bet, so think $1,000-1,500 per game. He started by texting the bets to John who would place them with his bookie. As it turned out, Mike was not very good at betting. He lost. He lost a lot.

He also had another bad habit. Drinking. I know, it is hard to imagine a car sales professional that drinks, but he does. And when he does, like most other people that drink, he loses his inhibitions, and starts placing more bets. Crazier bets.

John, being the savvy business person he is, saw an opportunity. He started to cover Mike's bets. Then, he started sending one of the guys to the liquor store in the evening to pick up some alcohol, attempting to get Mike to open up more bad bets, suckering him in, if you will. And it worked.

In no time, Mike had run up over $25,000 in lost bets to the bookie, and more to John. See the problem yet?

It apparently got to the point where Mike was cashing in bonds for the money, still pursuing the elation of the elusive win. Again, Mike was not very good at the betting thing. In fact, he would probably have been better off betting against what his inclinations were (a reverse bet, if you will) since he lost so much. Better still, he would be better off altogether to give up both drinking and gambling.

To say I was disappointed in John would be an understatement. I was deeply saddened, in fact, disgusted that he would facilitate someone's fall like he did. Perhaps it is because I am a naive optimist, hoping and seeing the best in people, when in fact, too often the dark, ugly side is shown to our fellow man. What he did is akin to drinking in front of a recovering alcoholic, eating chocolate cake in front of an obese person trying to lose weight, or, well, you get the picture. It was bad enough to carry the bets himself, but to provide the liquor to loosen up his "mark" makes this even more reprehensible.

Because of his age (mid-20's), I know exactly what he would have said had I challenged him (and I would have if we were still working together). His response would have been something like: "I might as well take his money if he is going to throw it away." I can understand that, but it certainly is not right even in that light. People rob, steal, murder, etc., all the time, but it would be no less evil for you or me to commit any of a number of egregious sins.

Mitigating circumstances aside (if there could possible be any), his best course of action, from a fellowship standpoint, would have to be to have not offered to be the facilitator.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever had an experience in which you or someone you knew entered into a moral dilemma? I would love to hear from you.