Like many other noble things, freedom has been obscured and redefined to bring people into slavery. Freedom is needed in our personal lives as much as it is in our society in general. If more people can find true freedom in their own lives we will see more freedom spreading to all aspects of our society. God is the author of liberty, and it is only by Him we can know true freedom.
There are many freedoms to learn about, but ranking near the top must be the freedom from death. Death is the common denominator for man. The good, bad, rich, poor, big and small must face death. Many of us have been shielded from it by our culture as it is not pleasant to think about. From the Bible we see it as an enemy and intruder, but not the victor. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
Something that comes to my attention again and again lately is the thought of the need to evaluate my life in the light of eternity. Scripture says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). These thoughts change how we act in everyday decisions and change our values from the earthy to the heavenly. It makes the saying, "The best things in life aren't things," have a richer meaning.
Isaac Watts, a master hymn writer, shared how the more educated and less educated people have the same promises when facing death. He shared these words with a friend just before he died:
"I remember an aged minister used to observe, that 'the most knowing and learned Christians, when they come to die, have only the same plain promises of the gospel for their support as the common unlearned;' and so I find it. It is the plain promises of the gospel that are my support; and I bless God, they are plain promises, that do not require much labor and pains to understand them."
The following is a video that gives some of the last words of a large number of people. The emptiness of those that scorned Christ is seen. You can also hear the messages of hope from those that took Christ at His word.
These are just a few of the potatoes that came up voluntarily.
Last year was a great year weather-wise in our area. The garden did quite well even without the attention it needed. Our family had lots of red potatoes that came up voluntary from the year before. They produced bushels of potatoes. Dad called them Shemita Potatoes. The name does not completely fit because the ground was plowed, but was a fun reminder of a Jewish practice that was popularized last year. The Shemita is an agricultural practice to let the land rest for a year in a cycle of seven years. The Shemita would be the seventh of the seven years. By letting the land go fallow for a year it was a reminder of needed rest, and it benefited the land. It is the opposite concept of a lot of modern farming where there seems to be little rest for the land. Minerals are taken out of the soil and not returned. What is added back is often just three necessary nutrients, but trace minerals are left out. The plants we eat can only provide the nutrition that they find, and if it is not available, people suffer a deficiency of important nutrients.
A number of these pole beans came up from last year.
Potatoes were not the only things our family was able to enjoy that came up voluntarily last year. I had some pole beans that planted themselves and came up in the spring. This is the first time that this happened for me. I sheltered them from frost and they did very well. Not much more was done with them as I found myself busy with farmers markets and other work throughout the growing season. For weeks on end, despite much neglect, I was able to eat these beans. Often, after coming back home from farmers markets, I would take a walk up to the fence and just snack on the voluntary beans.
This wild apple tree was so full of apples that it pruned itself.
Another free food for us was some wild apple trees on our property. We have a number of cultivated apple trees that did not do much of anything last year, but the wild trees did great with little pest trouble. We made lots of cider with the wild apples. My sisters made apple sauce and dried apples for snacking. One wild tree was so full of apples that it had a large branch break off causing the tree to essentially prune itself.
These free foods are a small reminder to me of God's grace that comes without merit. There are so many object lessons found in nature if we take the time to look.
For a number of weeks last year (2015), there were a number of undercover videos that were released that exposed Planned Parenthood. It was evident from the videos that a number of Planned Parenthood's top employees would be willing to sell unborn baby body parts which remains illegal in the United States. The Center for Medical Progress released the unedited versions of their videos around the same time as the edited. They have been falsely charged of heavily editing the videos to distort the meaning of the Planned Parenthood employees. The full videos are available to anyone to see on You Tube. Editing is necessary for any videos like this to see the important segments. They were not edited to take people out of context. Planned Parenthood would not let its reputation be damaged without a fight, and they announced that they would file a lawsuit. When I learned this, I sent the following letter to our local newspaper:
In an effort to squelch public outcry to its barbaric acts and stop future disclosure, Planned Parenthood just announced that it will sue the group that released videos that indicated that Planned Parenthood sold baby parts illegally. A couple of young men decided to reveal the true nature of Planned Parenthood. They formed a group called the Center for Medical Progress. The Center for Medical Progress released a number of videos where they did undercover interviews with some of Planned Parenthood's top employees that expressed a willingness to sell human body parts. The videos became very popular on You Tube. Many people became aware that their tax money goes to this national abortion provider and have asked that this end immediately.
The real tragedy is not that unborn baby parts are sold illegally, but that unborn babies are being killed legally. The young men that exposed Planned Parenthood had the purpose of sharing truth, and their voices should not be stifled. These men do not have much money, but they have a heart for the unborn and those that don't have an ability to speak for themselves. Planned Parenthood receives millions of dollars in taxpayer money every year. Planned Parenthood, which is suppose to be a non-profit organization, has a CEO that has a salary of over $400 thousand. Planned Parenthood does not need millions of dollars of our tax money to promote their ideal of death on demand. Let's give the money back to the taxpayers, or at least give it to those that would receive unwanted children into their homes.
I knew when I wrote this letter that some have claimed that taxpayer money that goes to Planned Parenthood does not go toward abortion, but other expenses of Planned Parenthood. This is smoke and mirrors. If money goes toward paying Planned Parenthood's light bills they have more money to apply towards abortion. If someone sent money to support a terrorist group, but specified that the money was not to go toward the direct killing of civilians, the benefactor would still be supporting the killing of civilians.
Shortly after I wrote this letter, the Center for Medical Progress and Planned Parenthood were in the news again. I was listening to the news on a local Christian radio station when I heard that Planned Parenthood was found innocent of selling fetal tissue by a grand jury in Texas, but two people from the Center for Medical Progress were found guilty for wrongdoing. I questioned what I heard, and wondered if they had really done something wrong, but that sense of disbelief of what I heard remained with me. When I was able to dig deeper into the issue it was obvious that they were falsely charged. One thing that shows the complete incongruity of these charges is that they were charged with buying and selling fetal tissue which is the very thing they were trying to expose! They were also charged with producing artificial driver's licenses, or false IDs. This would be necessary to produce the undercover videos as Planned Parenthood would not freely give this information to them. While some may find fault with their method, it is obvious that their intention was to save unborn babies from wholesale slaughter. Those that indicted these young people follow the same mindset as those that sent the people who saved the Jews in World War II to prison and death camps. Killing people and harvesting their property was legal, but those that produced false IDs to save a few innocent people were considered lawbreakers to be punished.
A couple of Cornell law professors, Sherry F. Colb and Michael Dorf wrote an editorial for CNN and expressed that even though they support the work of Planned Parenthood that they found "the prosecution of these citizen journalists, however self-styled, deeply disturbing." They recognized that the prosecution of these young journalist could chill undercover journalists everywhere.
Why do I write this? It was a concern that others will unjustly question the integrity of the journalists from the Center of Medical Progress and discount the value of their hard work. Their work is not in vain, and neither is the work of anyone who makes their voices heard. We will not be silent till we see the unborn granted the right to life.
Wow. I was hoping to write more this winter as the winter is quieter for me than other times of year because of my vocation. The days have turned into weeks and the weeks into months and no posts have been made. Starting this week, I hope to put a break to the break and start posting at least once a week. Any more than once a week will be a bonus from my standpoint. This is just a goal, but it helps to make goals, or things might not happen at all. It also helps to let others know what you are planning as it leaves you with some accountability and sometimes encouragement or counsel in fulfilling your goals. This is the time of year when writing is more possible, and I plan to make it happen. If there is a take away from this short post, it would be the value of setting goals. It has been said, "If you don't know where you are going, any train will get you there." I'm starting to see the value of a calendar. At the same time I don't want to get so goal oriented that I'm not available for those that need help.
Some of you have been long-time subscribers to this blog, and I want to thank you for reading my thoughts, and finding these posts to be of value. I want you know that your readership is appreciated. Keep me in your prayers. The issues covered here are sometimes heavy, but I believe they are necessary for understanding the times we live in. The purpose of this blog is to promote freedom that is not to be repented of, but leads to real joy here and in the life to come.
I recently sent a letter to our local newspaper about the Supreme Court's decision to redefine marriage. It was similar to the post about marriage I posted on this blog. There were a number of comments posted on the online edition of the paper. One man made the argument that the Supreme Court made the final decision and the debate is ended. This man's thoughts represent the thoughts of many people. I mentioned this to a number of friends and their response was similar to what I thought. If the decision had gone the other way, we know that it would not be the end of the debate. If the Supreme Court had voted one vote differently we would have heard lots of debating from those that oppose genuine marriage.
There were no winners in this court decision. Why do I say this? There was a lot of celebrating outside of the court building when the decision was made, but the celebrating was for something that will bring the celebrators their own destruction and the destruction of the country. The White House was made a mockery before the world by projecting a symbol of deviant diversity on it. In a figurative way, they celebrated the chains that bind them are made to appear more fashionable. Making this distortion to appear fashionable makes their chains all the more formidable. Those that are making these new laws are destroying the very fabric of our society. They are ripping away the very foundation of the freedoms they experience today. Marriage is one of the foundational institutions of a country. By counterfeiting marriage it weakens the country. When anything is counterfeited the counterfeit fights against the value of the genuine.
The main point I would like to share here is that the debate has not ended. One deciding vote by nine unelected judges does not change the importance of sharing the truth of genuine marriage. In fact, it should goad us on in sharing why the reasoning behind this unprecedented change is not founded on good logic. This is a very sensitive topic because it effects people we care about. The importance of this topic is such that I believe the cost of ignoring it is greater than any ostracism that would come from sharing the truth. It might be hard to think on serious things, but it is the right thing to do. I like this quote from John W. Gardner: "Moral seriousness does not resolve complex problems; it only impels us to face the problems rather than run away. Clearheadedness does not slay dragons; it only spares us the indignity of fighting paper dragons while the real ones are breathing down our necks. But those are not trivial advantages." The real decisions do not come from nine unelected judges, but start from the dinner time conversations that take place all across America. It has been said "Freedom rings where opinions clash." There is a real effort to stop the freedom of speech. A newspaper in Pennsylvania said it would not publish letters endorsing traditional marriage. They received a barrage of protests and slightly changed their policy saying they would still publish letters for a short time after the Supreme Court's decision to redefine marriage. I would encourage those who want to see freedom ring to write to your local paper or a blog that covers serious things, and let them know that there are people who believe that marriage is still one man and one woman. There are a lot of paper dragons out there taking the attention off from the matters that are really important.
All four dissenting judges gave written dissent opinions which is highly unusual. These men gave solid reasons for their dissent. Justice Scalia, the longest serving justice on the Supreme Court, gave a logical and impassioned dissent. Justice Kennedy gave the majority opinion and his reasons are widely recognized as being weak and based on emotion. His arguments largely were based on the idea that marriage is just about love which was addressed on this blog. There is a lot of information available which confirms the value of genuine marriage which is a big plus for those that want to weigh in on this landmark decision. History and biological fact are on the side of proponents of genuine marriage. The debate is far from over.
Why Defend Marriage?
At the time of this writing, the Supreme Court of the United States of America will be deciding whether to change the definition of marriage. I believe an outcome in favor of changing the nature of this age old institution will cause great confusion and spell great ruin to our country. This writing is an attempt to share why I believe marriage can only be defined as the union of one man and one woman. There is a sense in my mind that the things shared here are self-evident and that it is only because of a mass campaign to distort truth that this subject would even become a serious debate in our country.
Marriage According to the First American Dictionary
The first thing I'd like to share is the traditional meaning of marriage. Noah Webster, who wrote our first dictionary, gave a straight forward definition of marriage:
Marriage: The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them.
Marriage According to an Old Bible Dictionary and a Warning
I have an old Union Bible dictionary from 1837. I looked up marriage to see the definition they had. After carefully opening the old brittle book this is what I found:
Marriage (Matt. xxii.2) is a divine institution. (Gen. ii.21-25). It is also a civil contract, uniting one man and one woman together in the relation of husband and wife."
The first reference given in this old book is a parable that Jesus gave. Jesus begins the parable by saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son." Marriage is a picture of things heavenly. After explaining five reasons for marriage the old Union Bible dictionary gives this warning a little further in the entry:
"No sins are more frequently and pointedly condemned by the Bible, than such as violate or impair the sacredness of the marriage relation; and nothing is wanting to raise this to the highest, purest, and most sacred relation in which two human being can stand to each other, but obedience to the precepts of the Holy Scriptures on this subject."
Why Marriage?
The second issue I'd like to share is the reason why marriage was instituted. Noah Webster gives this reason within the definition of marriage by writing this:
"Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity, and for securing the maintenance and education of children."
The reasons for marriage which are described above are self evident. The first was to encourage a life long bond between the sexes as opposed to people jumping from relationship to relationship. It was naturally assumed that people would know that that men and woman were made for each other. The second is happiness within the home. When things are done in God's order there is a happiness that comes with it. The third reason is the welfare of the children . Parents are to provide children with their physical and educational needs.
Pragmatic Reasons, Including the Consequence of Judgment
There are many good reasons that the definition of marriage should not be changed from a pragmatic viewpoint. Of particular concern is that fact that promoting the union of people of the same gender will leave children without a father or mother. This is a denial of the value that a man and woman bring into the family unit. It has long been acknowledged that it is a hardship for a child to lack the role models of a father and a mother. Why would there be an encouragement to deprive a child of the protection of a father and the nurturing of a mother? Another reason to not change the definition is that it would be a huge experiment with no previous knowledge of the long term consequences. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans, who practiced all kinds of licentiousness, knew better than to play with the meaning of the age old institute of marriage. While I believe that the government should have a vested interest in keeping the traditional definition of marriage because it makes sense to not play an experiment of this magnitude on the population, the more important reason is that we should not dare to contradict God's design in this most fundamental institution. To distort the meaning of marriage is to invite judgment much like the makers of the Titanic which said, "Not even God can sink this ship." The manner in which God judges is not always immediate in all of its scope. In a poem entitled "Retribution" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes the way God often judges:
Though the mills of God grind slowly; Yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, With exactness grinds He all.
A New Idea - Reinventing the Wheel
Do you remember seeing illustrations of how carts might have had square wheels, but as man got smarter he learned that a round wheel was more efficient? I doubt man ever had square wheels, but it seems like redefining marriage would be like trying to reinvent a wheel to be square instead of round. Here in New York, there was an effort years ago to redefine marriage in our state. It was first rejected by the New York Court of Appeals before becoming law by the legislature. The reason it was rejected by the court was stated in these words:
“The idea that same-sex marriage is even possible is a relatively new one. Until a few decades ago, it was an accepted truth for almost everyone who ever lived, in any society in which marriage existed, that there could be marriages only between participants of different sex. A court should not lightly conclude that everyone who held this belief was irrational, ignorant or bigoted. We do not so conclude.”
Hernandez v. Robles, 7 N.Y.3d 338, 361 (2006).
Will Marriage Change? Marriage will remain one man and one woman united for life no matter who seeks to redefine it. William Cullen Bryant observed, "Truth, crushed to the earth, shall rise again." Like as a rose that is just as sweet by any other name, genuine marriage will shine as a testimony against counterfeit marriage because the nature of both carry their own actions and fruit. An old riddle would apply here. If you called a tail a leg on a four legged dog, how many legs would it have? Answer: It would still have four because the tail would still be a tail even if you called it a leg!
The Beauty of Authentic Marriage
Marriage as God designed it is beautiful because He does all things well. God gave the first marriage to Adam and Eve. The marriage was created before any sin entered the world. Jesus showed his power to create with his first miracle during public ministry of turning water into wine at a wedding. God chose marriage as an example of the nearness and the dearness of his relationship to the Church. The bride of Christ, which is the Church, waits with eagerness for that time of being united with Him forever.
In this video which is less than three minutes, Allen
Keys defends traditional marriage in a debate with
then Senator Obama.
Many people find stinging nettle to be a real nuisance. I did too, but have since found it to be a blessing in disguise. My first experience with stinging nettle was as a boy. My mom liked roses, and Dad had planted a miniature rose on the edge of our property. I remember the name of the rose was "Robin Hood." It was a very tiny rose bush. Being it was planted on the edge of the property, and my parents were so busy, the little rose bush had been neglected and had weeds growing all around it. The weeds were very tall and thick, and I think it was a little bit of a surprise that the little rose was even alive. Dad determined to help that little rose from its plight. It was a pretty significant undertaking because of the magnitude of the wild plants around it, but he had help. Yes, he had me to help. I tried to be a help, but soon found that the plants I was pulling stung my hands awfully. I told dad, but he didn't seem to believe the nettles stung that bad, and wanted me to continue. He was pulling the same plants, but didn't seem to feel a thing; at least nothing like I did. Dad worked at a lumber mill at one time and often used hand tools in the garden. His hands had become very callused, and he couldn't feel the nettles well at all. He urged me to continue. For me it was torture, and I started to cry. He sent me to the house. I ran to the house and washed and washed my hands with water trying to relieve them of the burning. A short time later, dad came up also. After weeding a while longer some of the nettle got between his fingers where they weren't callused and he had a little bit of an idea of what I experienced. He washed his hands also, and apologized for having me pull them without protection for my hands. This was my introduction to stinging nettle. I've since learned to like it, and because of this experience, respect it.
For years, I've studied herbs because of the many uses they have. It is my belief that there was a plant created for every common aliment of man. In fact, there was the tree of life that God made that had qualities to keep man alive indefinitely. This healing tree was taken away from man because of man's rebellion towards his Creator. We have many plants that have wonderful healing qualities, but none like the tree of life. I believe the stinging nettle is one of the best plants available to man today. While many search abroad for hidden treasure, the diamonds often lay buried in their own backyard. I believe this is the case with stinging nettle.
One of the reasons I was sold on stinging nettle is the fact that it is one of the plants that are an indicator of rich soil. Plants like different types of soil, and if you see stinging nettle growing somewhere of its own accord, you can be pretty confident that the soil under it has lots of nutrients. To me, it only made sense that if the soil is rich in minerals, the plants that grow in it must also share more nutrients. This goes against the entire medical establishment and current agricultural practices. The idea that what we eat makes a difference in our bodies health is a counter cultural idea. I'm open to a lot of counter cultural ideas because I believe a lot of what is happening in our culture is totally backwards.
Years back, after seeing the lowly nettle as a friend, my belief in its value for nutrition was confirmed more from a booklet on a magazine rack at a check out counter at a grocery store. Seeking to avoid the gaudy and sleazy publications, my eyes fell on a little booklet that gave the tip that a tea made from stinging nettle and peppermint could help those suffering with arthritis. Stinging nettle removes uric acid from the body relieving the body of arthritic pain. It also contains significant amounts of magnesium and iron. One thing you will notice when you make nettle tea is that is has a vibrant green color. This is because of the chlorophyll that it contains which makes it a commercial source of green dye. I believe the green, chlorophyll is healthful for the body.
Other Uses of Stinging Nettle:
As mentioned, stinging nettle is a source of a natural dye. The fiber in the stalk of Stinging Nettle was traditionally used for producing a linen-like cloth. Even the name "nettle" is derived from the term "textile plant." The leaves are also known to be a good fertilizer. It is used as an early spring potherb, and can be cooked like other greens. I've dried and powdered the leaves to add some nutrition to other foods. If you are looking for a good tea substitute, I think Stinging Nettle fits the bill. It is my opinion that the mineral content of the tea gives it a smooth taste, without the astringency of regular tea. It is best to harvest stinging nettle in the spring as the leaves are more tender, and it is considered better to harvest it before the inconspicuous flowers bloom.
Most the time, I harvest Stinging Nettle without gloves, but I am careful how I pick it. I make sure to not grab the plants between my fingers where the skin is more sensitive. I've found the broad part of the leaves don't seem to sting as bad as the stems. I'd recommend wearing gloves for those who are unfamiliar with it. It is a plant that requires some respect. It is also a welcome part of spring.
