parental rights at stake – please read and pray

 

Please consider supporting and praying fervently that the Rights of the Child laws will not pass in the US. The right to raise up a godly generation for Christ’s honor and glory are at stake. Please consider contacting your representatives to let them know your position. With God on our side, we can defeat this attack of the adversary to wipe out a godly heritage of the Lord.


A Letter from Michael Farris,
President of ParentalRights.org.

    

Dear Friend of Parental Rights,

I was in the United States Senate this past week meeting with lawyers for a Senate office.  They told me directly what I have been hearing indirectly on a regular basis ever since the election.

Those who want to change family policy in America to comply with international law are preparing a full-scale effort to seek ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child during this next Congress.  Barbara Boxer recently told a planning group that they intend to use children’s health care as leverage to seek ratification of this UN children’s rights treaty.

Please link to our website to see a succinct summary of the problems with this UN treaty. 

The strength of their forces has been greatly increased with the addition of Hillary Clinton as the nominee for Secretary of State.  She will have direct control over the submission of this treaty to the Senate and will acquire the authority under international law to sign any other treaty on any subject. 

Hillary Clinton was the person who made the announcement for the Convention on the Rights of the Child when her husband’s administration signed the treaty.  Seeking its ratification is a lifelong dream for her.

Our situation is grim if we were to look only at the position of the elected officials.

However, recent post-election polling demonstrates that almost 70% of Americans do not believe that the use of international law in American courts on such matters is appropriate.  Less than 20% favor the use of international law. (The rest are undecided).   Virtually every sub-group in America opposes this kind of use of international law. 

America is on our side. However, we have to be able to get the word out to help people hear the truth about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Our proposed Parental Rights Amendment will permanently stop this treaty.  So we have a one-two punch planned for the internationalists.

First, we must build a huge grassroots movement of patriotic Americans who believe that good families should be able to raise their children without worrying about compliance with international law.  

Second, these same grassroots forces need to convince our elected officials that we are not content with defeating this treaty for today alone.  We insist on a permanent solution.  We need the Parental Rights Amendment.  

I need you to do two things to help this become a reality.  First, please send a copy of this letter to everyone you know who believes in parental rights and American patriotism.  

Second, we need to raise a war chest to get prepared to launch a massive grassroots campaign.  The other side has millions of dollars left in their campaign coffers, and they have the President of the United States, the Secretary of State and all the media waiting to carry their message.  

We can win the debate because we have the truth on our side.  And we have public opinion.  But we won’t win if we can’t reach people. 

Will you please make as big a gift as you can to support Parentalrights.org? 

Here is what they are saying about us.  At the hearing which featured Barbara Boxer, one of the speakers said that the people who will oppose this treaty are the “narcissistic sovereignty crowd.”  In other words, those who love America first are so guilty of excessive self-love that he describes us as having the mental illness of narcissism. 

This is their real heart.  Not only do they want international law to control our families.  They think that we are mentally ill for loving America. 

It is time for those of us who believe in loving our families and loving America to rise up!  We will not surrender this country or our children to such people.

Get involved today!  The battle is about to begin.

For God, family, and America,

Michael Farris

the promise of life

The following was written by my sister-in-love, Autumn.  It is a tribute, written in honor of her baby sister, through whose death her family found…the promise of life. 

 

The Promise of Life 

 

             Everyday I am reminded of my life.  As I wake in the morning, I thank God overall for that one thing.  I don’t understand why I have it and others have it taken away, but 16 years ago I was promised this gift.  And that is exactly what it is, a gift from God.  He can choose to give it or take it away at anytime He wishes.  This is the greatness of Him.

 

            When I was just fourteen months old, my parents discovered another miracle growing inside of my mother’s womb.  As we all prepared for this birth, the excitement of a new life grew as well.  But as the pregnancy endured, complications that we were unaware of at the time occurred.

 

            My mom delivered me as a caesarean section and was scheduled to do the same with my sister.  On March 1, 1988, “Girl Linder” was born into this world.  She was my parents’ smallest baby, yet appeared to be healthy and ready to go home, despite my mom’s constant, distressing, uneasiness that her new baby girl’s complexion seemed to be blue.  She saw it in her lips, and told others what she observed, only to be labeled as foolish.  This baby was perfectly normal according to the rest of the family and also the doctors.

 

            At midnight, 48 hours after the delivery, the baby was taken in an ambulance to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.  The medical personnel knew that the problem involved a defect of the heart, yet did not know the degree of the dilemma.  My dad followed the hastening vehicle, leaving my mom behind to recover from the surgery.  The unfortunate circumstances made my parents realize that “the baby” needed a name and needed one before she died.  As my dad drove, he observed the trees covered with ice from the ice storm that March.  Everything sparkled like diamonds, and could almost be mistaken for lace hanging from each limb.  It was breathtaking.  For this reason, she was to be named Lacey.

 

When the staff admitted Lacey into the specialized hospital and after a heart cauterization, the doctors discovered that Lacey had five heart defects.  The next day, only the third day of her existence, she was taken into the operating room for open-heart surgery, which extended her life for only a short time.

 

            After seven long weeks in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, day after day, my parents decided to come home to see me with the intensions of returning the next day.  But that morning at five o’ clock, a day that will never be forgotten, a frantic phone call interrupted their much-needed sleep.  It was the hospital calling to declare that Lacey was approaching death.  I was abruptly awakened, scooped from my sound sleep, wrapped in blankets, and thrown into the car.  My mom then dumped me out of the window of the moving vehicle to my aunt, as they raced an hour away to the hospital.

 

They ran to the third floor of the massive building, my mom passing up the hand washing station and flinging open the doors to the Intensive Care to find an empty bed.  My dad stayed behind to wash his hands and gown up with the perception of knowing that his daughter was already gone.  Lacey Mishell Linder had already passed away when my parents arrived; however, they were given the privilege to hold her one last time.  My dad, with the help of one of the very caring nurses, helped pick my mom up, who was then a puddle on the ground, escorting her to the room to see Lacey.  My mother was given another opportunity to kiss those same small lips that she had perceived to be blue within the first hour of her life.

 

            On April 25 1988, we buried Lacey.  Following the funeral, close family and friends joined at our home to show their support and concern.  However, the multitude was soon called outside to see something that could never be lost from memory.  A circular rainbow, subsequent to the drought that year, came into sight above our house, contrasting the usual bow shape that it portrays.  The reaction bestowed that of amazement and disbelief. It reminded my uncle of the rainbow in the days of Noah, which symbolized a promise of God.  My dad took this as his symbol, his promise from God to never take anymore of his children, and my mom was given the astonishing and mind-boggling peace that has stayed with her until this day.

 

            A year later, my sister, Harmony, was born and passed all of my mom’s suspicions and fears.  She was healthy and not blue in the slightest, the thing that seemed to bring harmony back into our lives.  She outdid all of my attempts to get my mom out of her depression, and I am thankful for her ability to do so.  Two years after that, Caley was born; again, another healthy baby, and again another fulfilled promise of God.

 

            Rainbows.  Promises.  These two words are interchangeable to my family.  But, did God have to take away one for three to remain?  I don’t know, but one thing that will always remain in our hearts is the memories that we have of Lacey.  We often make a point to talk about her, and all that she went through and endured.  She was the strongest person I’ve known, even though she was just an infant.  My parents tell me that she looked at them in a way that gave them the feeling of strength.  She acted as if she knew what was going to happen to her and seemed to be concerned with us.

 

            Although I was young and do not remember a lot about Lacey, she remains a big part in my life.  She is brought alive through the stories that are told, which we tend to talk about often.  However, this incident is much more than just a story.  After Lacey died, memories of her that had regressed were gradually brought back over years of time.  As these recollections were remembered, my parents discussed them from when I was little, until this present day.

 

            I often wonder, why not me?  Why did God choose to take Lacey instead of me?  This question can never be answered or even comprehended in the human mind.  There is a purpose for everything God brings our way that makes us willing to do His will.  We just have to pray and be ready, in our trials stand steady and know that there is a purpose for God bringing us this way.  My family has lived on this promise to continue living. 

Written by Autumn (Linder) Hunt

 

 

broken…to manifest HIS power

What I read over at Sarah’s blog (Flowers Family) today really impacted me.  Here it is in her words.  I would just direct you to her blog but I want it saved in my records, too, it was so good.

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This scripture has been the one that always gets me through hard times in my life. It has for a few years now, been the scripture God uses to let me know He still cares. That He isn’t having fun with my life, mocking me, laughing at me as I stumble. But that He has a special interest in seeing the spirit of brokenness alive in my life.

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I listened to Zac Poonen this morning, needing something anything from the Lord. And of all the hundreds of messages we have of him, wouldnt you know I picked the one that started out with this scripture. He talked about being completely broken. To have no complaints. He said that we arent here to prove that we are the best at something, but we are here to have the chance for people to be drawn to the Lord through us.

He talked about thorns in our flesh. I dont think I ever realized that Paul was talking about the thorn in his flesh JUST before he said that verse. Zac P. said think about a man in a hospital bed. He is sick, cursing everyone, the nurses arent good enough, just complaining. The next day he gets weaker, then the next day, weaker still. Finally, he stops complaining, when the tubes are in his nose and he is too weak to complain. When we are strong, we have opinions about everything, we complain about everything. But when we are weak, how different our spirit is.

Then he talked about Lazarus and had an interesting thought there. When they came to Jesus, they didnt even say, Lazarus is sick. They said..

Joh 11:3  Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Jesus loved lazarus. And yet he didnt run to him. Just as he loves us but doesnt always seem to be in a hurry to answer our prayers and cries for help. Zac Poonen had a spiritual application to this. Jesus wanted to manifest resurrection power at that home in Bethany. He couldnt do this while Lazarus had strength of his own yet left in his body. In fact, Jesus waited 4 days AFTER he was dead to go to him. No strength. THEN Jesus raises him. Are you praying? Waiting? Jesus could be waiting for you to become weak. He waits until we become nothing, broken to manifest power in our lives.

Look at John 21.

Joh 21:3  Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

it says that night they caught nothing. Then the next verse, it says when morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, (but they didnt know it was him.) So, Jesus let them work all night and catch nothing. Was this mean? Or was it to teach them that they need His help to do anything. He asked them, ‘Have you caught any meat?’ and they simply answered, ‘no.’

How He fills us? He breaks us, THEN rivers can flow out of us.

I thought that last thought was so profound. Thinking of spreading the message. I thought this morning, ‘how am I ever going to do this? What do I say to people? Come, look at me, see how messed up and unequipped I am,  come along, dont you want to be like me!!?’ But after listening to this message, I feel so comforted.

He needs to break us. THEN the rivers can flow out of us.

We sing, ‘you are the potter, I am the clay.’ But the clay doesnt stay stiff and not let the potter work with it. Thinking its some great thing of its own. It yields to the potter, lets the potter have His way with it, designs it to His will.

So in ending the message Zac Poonen talks about this tremendous power God can relase in our lives. That if something is crucifying us, to glory in it! Not to complain about our circumstances. He could be allowing these things in our lives. But be comforted, that after the crucifixion, there WILL be a resurrection. Then, the power of Christ may rest upon us. If we are not glorying in our infirmities, if we are strong in our own strength, the power of God cannot rest upon us.

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

sale going on right now at Vision Forum

Vision Forum is having a 5 day sale.  Everything is 20-50 % off and shipping is a flat rate of $5.00.  But ONLY FOR 5 DAYS.  It ends the 5th.  They do have sales pretty often but this one is really good! 

Just a quick promo for two books from Vision Forum that I purchased for my parents earlier this year.  Family Man Family Leader by Philip Lancaster and Passionate Housewives Desperate for God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald. 

Some main points from Family Man Family Leader:

Industrialism changed our society SO much, drawing fathers’ lives/hearts away from the home and as result, from their relationship with their children.  Urbanization resulted, overwhelming the family unit and concentrating people in big cities where there were fewer significant relationships (away from extended family) and more evil in more people concentrated in a larger area now.  Transportation caused family ties to be severed and there was no longer a tie to the “home place”.  It also made it easier for children to leave and move away to other cities.  After the factories began producing supplies in large quantities, it pretty much destroyed the small family industries.  It also brought mass media advertising into being.  Now, rather than small villages with the whole family working together as producers, people have became consumers instead.  We are now materialistically minded and it has eaten away at the heart and soul of the family.  He said, “The consumer mentality amounts to a materialistic focus in the heart of a person, and at its worst, it becomes a continual, insatiable lust for more and more manufactured things that, he thinks, will make him feel good or boost his self-esteem.  Such a movement of the soul is contrary to the spiritual, God-centered preoccupation to which Christian parents and children are called.”  And, these family-damaging trends are accelerating and increasing their pace in the 21^st century in which we live. 

So, I was anxious to hear his solution, right?!  How do we gain what we have lost?  Is it possible?  Are we all to become farmers – living an agrarian lifestyle?  For some I think that would be a good idea.  I would like that in some ways (but still having electricity :-)).  He said there is no inherent contradiction between technology and wealth on the one hond, and family health and solidarity on the other.  The main culprit he pinpoints is that “Christians have failed to be discerning in their response to developing technology and the social changes it has brought”. 

He said we have allowed technology and wealth to be a curse to us because we have followed them indiscriminately wherever technology and money have led, justifying the spiritual costs by the material gains.  Also, we have allowed philosophies of the times to subtly brainwash us to an extent.  I am realizing more, the value of researching history to see how our society has gotten to where we are and why we have just accepted so much of it as normal or a necessary evil.  What I read and learned connected with my soul and I felt at rest with the idea that, the reason people who are desirous of truly getting back to God’s ways do not fit in our society, is because we have gotten so far away from His ideals. 

The main thrust of the book is how husbands/fathers are to model their lives after God and His character thus demonstrating His ways to their families.

 

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God is a wonderful treatise on the beautifully designed and fulfilling role of women as helpers to their husbands and molders together with their husbands, of the next generation.  Talk about a destiny!  Forget the image of unimportant, helpless, mindless creatures feeling chained to a cookstove.  Abandon the Stepford wife vacuuming in high heels picture.  Discover what God’s design for women is.  It is rewarding, incredibly fulfilling and vital to the next generation. 

I think the primary way these books have made me feel is relaxed.  Relaxed in that God’s ways are truly most beautiful and fulfilling.  There’s a reason society is the way it is.  If we hope to do any better we’d better get back to God’s blueprint for living. 

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God is currently $8.00 at 1/2 price.  

Family Man Family Leader is $10.50 at 30% off.

6 random things

I’ve been tagged again, this time by my friend, Aimie at http://lexusinmn.blogspot.com.  If you’re reading, Hi Aimee!

1.  My 7th great-grandfather, Thomas Boaz came over from Scotland in 1749.  Four of his sons names were Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. (mother’s family)

2. I have a diary written by my great-great-great grandfather, a schoolteacher in Graves County, James Nelson Boaz.  He built Gum School for his and his neighbor’s children.  He was a farmer and nurseryman and died from blood poisoning that developed from a scratch from a briar while working with his nursery stock.  He lived during the Civil War, was not a slave owner and his sympathies lay with the North.  Some of his children’s names were George Washington Boaz (my 2nd great grandfather), Benjamin Franklin Boaz, Abraham Sherman Grant Boaz (just in case anyone’s still wondering about his loyalty to the North 🙂 ) and William Penn Boaz.  He also owned a library that was large for its time.  (mother’s family)

3.  Another several great’s grandfather was a full blooded Cherokee Indian who fought with Sam Houston in the battle of San Jacinto.  He was paid in land, located in Texas, which is now owned by Sun Oil Company, interestingly enough.  (mother’s family)

4.  A distant relative was an eminent physician in England.  He served as attendant to King Charles II and Queen Anne.  His influence with the king afforded him land in New Jersey.  He (or his family) later moved to North Carolina and some family later migrated to Kentucky.  His last name was Cokkes (later changed to Cox).  A descendant married a Riley whose descendant married a Hawkins whose descendant married a Hamilton whose descendant married a Hunt which is how I got here. (father’s family)

5.  Just a few of the people who have inspired me through their lives and/or stories…Corrie ten Boom, Elisabeth and Jim Elliot, Eric and Leslie Ludy, Jackie Pullinger, Brother Andrew, Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller, and Joseph (in the Bible).

6.  I consider myself to have five of the best jobs I could have (some of which pay and some of which pay in other ways not comparable to money )…homeschooling my cousin Kerria, teaching for Harmony Road Music School, serving my family in our home, serving as a pianist at church, and teaching the older children’s class at church.