A Message of Hope to the Christians of America

I woke up yesterday morning to the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage.


Yeah, maybe I should have just stayed in bed.


I was so incredibly discouraged. It feels like we, as Christians in America, seem to be taking hits left and righ.... well, hits from the left anyways.


Sometimes I want to just throw in the towel and say, "Enough of this, let's go somewhere else and do our own thing." I also hear other Christians who say, "It'll only get worse from here."


All of this is what I, and many others feel. And I don't blame (me/us), this stinks, like all sin and darkness stink. But I feel called to point out some things that I know to be true, despite what I feel.


Just Because Things Are Bad, Doesn't Mean They Won't Get Better.

Yes, I have read Revelation, and no, I don't pretend to be any kind of an expert on it. I know that at some point in the earth, there will be widespread suffering in the end of days. Whether we Christians will be taken up before or after that time, I don't really know. Sure, it is possible these could be the end days, again, I don't know. None of us really know for sure, we are just going to have to wait and see.


But something that I would like to point out is this: history repeats itself.


What do I mean by that?


Take a good look at your history book, or at the Bible. What do you see? I see periods of great darkness and suffering, but I also see periods of righteousness and prosperity where nations were honoring the Lord and flourishing.


Conclusion: It probably felt like the end of the world was happening when Sennacharib had Jerusalem surrounded and was threatening King Hezekiah and the people of Judah. But you know what? God took care of it, He actually sent an army of angels to go kill nearly 200,000 Assyrians in their own camp.


It probably felt like the end of days when Christians in Rome were being hunted down and murdered in horrific ways. We still have Christian brothers and sisters who are even now being hunted down and martyred for their faith in Jesus. But even that horrible fact doesn't mean that we are in the end times and nothing will get better.


It probably felt like the end when Hitler's horrific blitzkrieg was sweeping across Europe at the same time that the Japanese were gulping up islands in the Pacific and entire nations in Asia. But guess what? We're still here and I am writing this post in English, not German or Japanese.

There Are Giants In the Land, But Our God Is Bigger

Yes, we have our work cut out for us, we have the frighteningly huge task of taking back America. The Church has grown lax, it has grown lukewarm, and the Enemy has created massive breaches in our walls. He is prowling around our towns, our cities, our homes, and our government offices, seeking to kill and destroy. And today, he is crowing over the fact that he just messed with the most sacred covenant in human life, marriage.

There are giants in the land called The Media, The Supreme Court, The Oval Office, Congress. There are giants in the land called Liberal Education, Lies, Lust, Deceit, Fear, Intimidation, and Immorality.

Whew, do you feel nervous? BecauseI sure do. But you know what, my God is bigger than all of those things put together. My God holds this world in the palm of His massive hand.

I start to worry that we (the Church) won't be able to take back our country for the Lord. That our land is too far gone. I start thinking about how much time, effort, spiritual warfare, and how many people it will take in order to bring the country back to God.

But that's not my job. My job is to follow God and with His help, spread the light of Jesus in my land. I don't have to have a master plan in mind, I don't have to have a blueprint. He can see everyone and everything, from the beginning of time until the end. And I know I haven't been on this earth for very long, but I have been around long enough to learn a very important fact about God.

He's surprisingly good at what He does.

"For My ways are not your ways, nor are your thoughts my thoughts, says the LORD, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

That's His way of saying "Chill out, I got this."

It May Take Years, But It Will Be Worth It

Change rarely happens overnight. Building, or redeeming anything takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But just like the godly men and women who built this nation on a foundation of godly principles, I know that it will be worth it. And we will all be stronger in our faith because of the journey.

My Hope Is Not In The USA, My Hope Is In Jesus

The only constant in the universe is God. Everything else in this world will change or let me down. My ultimate allegiance is to God, not to my country. I can rest in the fact that the One, Unchanging Being in the universe is my King, and I can trust in Him.

As Long As God Exists, There Is Always Hope

"I would have lost heart, if I had not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 (NKJV)

This, coming from a man who's own son turned against him in a coup, and drove the king away from his capital city. I do believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. This is the same God who has been here for us from day one, and God is hope.

What We Need To Be Doing As The Church

It's getting harder to straddle a fence post about what you believe. Lines are definitely being drawn. And there are going to be people who are forced to ask themselves the question, "What do I believe is true?"

We (the Church) need to stand firm right now. We cannot back down from what is true, even if that means ridicule, intimidation, and harassment. Even if you feel like no other human being is standing in your corner, know that you are not alone.

I and my peers need to step up to the plate as the next generation and begin the difficult job of transforming our culture. We need to enter every arena, business, politics, law, media, the arts, education, and most importantly, we need to create and raise families that will love and honor the Lord.

We (the Church) need to be going forward constantly on our knees. We need to be praying for redemption and mercy for our nation, which has strayed so far from God. We need to be praying for revival in the United States of America. And we need to be praying for wisdom and guidance to know how to proceed.

We need to be praying for those who are in a gay/lesbian lifestyle. My own humanity strikes me in the face on a regular basis, and I know that temptation is strong. But I also know that love and grace are stronger. My prayer is that thousands of individuals who are living this lifestyle will discover the same thing.

The hashtag sweeping the Internet right now is #LoveWins 

I looked at that last night and smiled. Yes, yes it does. The person who came up with that hashtag had absolutely no idea of the profound statement they had just made. The stale, moldy bread that they think is love doesn't even begin to compare to the rich, and delicious pastry that is God's love. But before many lives have ended on earth, I have a feeling that quite a few will discover that indeed, LOVE WINS.

God is love, and God will win. He is I AM, and because of that simple and yet earth-shattering fact, I have hope.

Movie Review- Beyond the Mask

A British East India Trading Company assassin seeks to redeem his past by thwarting a plot against a young nation's hope for freedom

Thanks to the efforts of many incredible volunteers, this wonderful movie has made it to hundreds of theaters across the country, making it possible for me to have the privilege of attending a showing last night.


Truly friends, this is a breakthrough in Christian films. It is "revolutionary"! This is unlike any movie I have seen that has come forth from this sub-culture of movie making (I have more to say on the subject of the Christian film industry and what it produces, but that is for another day). I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I couldn't be prouder of the people who made it. I wish I could convince them to make a sequel (hint, hint).


Ok, enough gushing, about the movie itself.


What I Liked


The Setting- I adore films that are in historical settings, they excite me in a way that no other movie genre ever can. This is the history nerd in me coming out, but it is the truth. I was not at all disappointed with the setting of this movie. The writers did a brilliant job of weaving their fictional story into true life events in such a way that you entirely believed that this story could well have happened. I was particularly delighted with the way the writers used a real life invention made by Benjamin Franklin to be a key point in the plotline, it definitely added some "sparks" to this movie. Honestly it made me think, and shiver a little bit, wondering if perhaps this story wasn't actually fiction, but maybe elements of it did actually happen. Creepy.


I also have a particular affection for this particular period in history, not only was it the birth of America, but when I was little one of my favorite shows was Liberty's Kids, an animated series on PBS that told the story of Revolution. My older brother and I were obsessed with the Revolution when we were younger, and so this movie felt like coming home to me.


The Costumes- What can I say? I'm a girl and I adore clothes, one of the reasons I love historical films is because of the clothes. I love Colonial fashion, and I was so proud of the costume department for this film. The ruffled blouses and coats that the men wore, the beautiful gowns for the ladies. And my chief delight, the tri-cornered hats! I adore tri-cornered hats, my absolute favorite costume that the leading lady, Charlotte Holloway, wore was one with a tri-cornered hat.


The Sets/Props- *Applause*, folks, the wonderful people who made this movie literally built a good chunk of these sets. They had a completely authentic feel, and were simply beautiful. Props are a huge part of making a movie feel legit, and this is even more vital when your movie is set in a specific historical time. Not only did the props department of Beyond the Mask nail the historical props, but they had to come up with some pretty specific, and shall we say, "special" props that were unique to this movie. I can't imagine how long it took them to make all of the props, but they did it, beautifully.


The Music- I am just waiting until the music comes out on Spotify. The soundtrack was a stunning mix of soft/heartfelt, adventure, and that spirited sound that is distinct to Colonial times. I loved it.


The Special Effects- You read that correctly, I said SPECIAL EFFECTS, and good ones too. Special effects are what made this movie possible. I was so proud, the shots were clear, beautifully colored, and not grainy with a weird lighting effect. I said breakthrough film didn't I?


Cinematography- It was beautiful, very natural, and yet, colorful. The fight scenes while moving quickly, weren't blurred. Well, my view was actually blurred, but the movie screen was terrible and the theater was having technical difficulties, but I could tell it wasn't the fault of the movie itself. I can't wait to get it on DVD and watch the movie again on a decent screen.


The Characters- Now to my favorite part of my movie reviews!


William Reynolds (Andrew Cheney)- I believe my 12 year old sister summed up her/my feelings very well as we walked out of the theater. "That guy, was CUTE!" Ha, yes, he was a perfect fit for the part. Cheney did a delightful job in bringing to life the character of Reynolds, an ex-assassin who wants to change. I loved watching him struggle with his identity and his desperate attempts at redemption in order to be worthy of Charlotte. You could read what he was thinking and feeling very easily. And I loved the fact that he was an ex-assassin, meaning that while he was trying to be good guy, he still had some pretty awesome skills that came in handy. I love a good fight scene.


Charlotte Holloway (Kara Killmer)- She was a pure delight, soft, gentle, beautiful,  and intelligent, a worthy balance to William Reynolds. She was the reason that he was desperately searching for redemption, and their romance was so sweet and earnest, the chemistry between them was obvious. She took on the mantle of a well-to-do lady in England/Colonial America like she was born to it. My favorite moments in the movie were the ones between her and Reynolds. They are the reason I want a sequel to this movie, there is so much more of their story yet to be told.


Charles Kemp (John Rhys-Davies)- A perfectly delicious villain! He plays the deceptive and scheming evil uncle perfectly. Much of this movie was about masks of deception, and he wore his fittingly. A perfect villain in my opinion. And his demise? Well, that was a treat, a very dramatic ending for a perfectly dramatic villain.


My Favorite Moments


The dock scene. All I can say is if you have seen it, then you know what I am talking about. I so called that one.


Any fight scene. William Reynolds has got skills ya'll, and I love watching anyone with skills use them.


The prison ship scene. If I could capture the exact moment when Charlotte does something nutty and William's reaction to it I would. His face was priceless!


This movie is so worth it, folks, I know there is so much to be said for Christian films, some good, and some bad. But without a doubt, progress is being made, Hollywood is hearing the rumblings of our media revolution, they can't ignore us anymore.

Please check out the website for Beyond the Mask and learn more about this magnificent movie and the people behind it.

Fighting For Our Christian Brothers

This is a post to ladies, about guys, so really, it's a post for anyone.


No, this is not another post on modesty, the internet is overrun with those, and I don't feel the need to add to the dog pile.


This post is about how we as Christian ladies can help protect the Christian guys in our lives.


I am blessed to be surrounded by godly men. My father, brothers, and male friends do so much to make me feel safe in a pretty dangerous world. But even beyond that, they are gentlemen. They go out of their way to open doors for me, serve me, and just be pleasant to be around. Someday I will marry a man who will continue to be the strong person in my life, the husband, provider, and father to our children.


It's really hard to be a godly young man with a pure heart in today's world. Everywhere our fellas go they are bombarded with images intent upon stealing their hearts and minds and entrapping them in all kinds of darkness.


Men are wired to be visual, and once an image is seen, it cannot be unseen. They will have that image burned on their brain forever. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that must be for a guy who is working overtime to keep his heart and mind pure.


I have however, spent some time thinking about what I and other ladies can do to aid them in their walk and help "bear their burdens". And I have come up five simple ways that we Christian ladies can aid our men in their struggle for righteousness.


1. Think Before You Post or Repost- This covers all kinds of social media, Twitter, Facebook, etc. There are a million and one posts, quizzes, and funny memes out there, and if we could, we would share them all. But I want to encourage you ladies to look, and think before you repost something. I have often read articles and or quizzes that I really enjoyed, and would have loved to repost, but upon reflection, I realized that either the images in the particular article, or the ads on the side could easily be a stumbling block to my male followers. I don't want to be responsible for putting that in front of them, and I doubt you do either. So LOOK, and THINK before you post or repost.


2. Only Recommend Something If You Have Given All of the Facts- I'll be honest, there are a few TV shows that I watch that the rest of my family does not, simply because of the modesty issue. And while the plot, characters, and graphics of the show may be INCREDIBLE, I still wouldn't recommend them to the guys in my life. And if I did happen to mention this show to a guy who hasn't seen it already, then I would warn him about the potential problems. This may sound like you are doing his job for him, or telling him what he can or can't watch. That is not the truth at all. This is the same as if I told a friend of mine about an alternate route to take to reach a destination, but also warned him about the dangerous S-curve or potholes in the road. He can then take that information and make his own decision, but I can rest with a clear conscience that I have given him everything he needs to know.


3. Create a Safe Environment- This is likely going to apply more to the guys in your family, but it could apply to guy friends too. If you know there is a guy around, make a quick visual sweep of the room. If I am looking at articles online that could potentially have some less than decent photos on the side, I always make sure I have my back to the wall where none of my brothers can see over my shoulder. If you have fashion magazines around, just go ahead and tuck those somewhere out of sight when guys are around. And if you own a priceless Greek statue collection, well, my suggestion would be to go fabric shopping and experiment with drapery. ;)


4. Engage in a Danger Zone- Sometimes a godly guy can't help avoiding potential danger zones. Beaches full of bikinis, magazine racks at stores, billboards, etc. What you can do in this situation is give him a safe place to light visually, and engage him mentally. Point out things that are in the opposite direction, keep his eye contact, or engage him in a stimulating conversation that gives his brain something else to focus on other than the distractions surrounding him.


5. Stand in the Gap- This really is a culmination of all of the above. Standing in the gap ladies means stepping between the world and our guys and saying "NO" on their behalf. Throwing away junk mail, offering to take the remote when watching TV, or even just doing a quick screening on Netflix so that they don't get a nasty surprise. I have done all of these before, and I know my brothers appreciate it.


It isn't easy to do this ladies, I have been doing it my entire life. My mom taught me how at a very young age. I am an official spotter of potential problems in our family, I am the only sibling who knows our Netflix password, and I am the only one other than Dad who knows our cable code. I have spent countless hours previewing movies so that we wouldn't be caught off guard. I know, it's exhausting, but it's worth it.


Each man will have to make millions of choices in his life of whether or not to say no, or yes to what he will put in front of his eyes. You can't change the choices he makes, that is between him and the Lord. But for those guys who have chosen to say "YES" to purity and "NO" to darkness, we can make their job a whole lot easier.


This is a way we can bear our brothers' burdens, so step up ladies, let's engage in the battle.