Thinking Out Loud

God is challenging me to think more and more. He wakes me up in the early morning, or is it the middle of the night(?) and I crawl out of bed and make my way to my Quiet Place to read my Bible, pray of people who come to my mind or who are on my prayer list, read daily devotionals and study whatever in-depth Bible study I am persuing at the time. Sometimes I have an "ah-ha" moment and other times, I just sit in the stillness and try to let the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, mind, and soul.

Writing is not one of my gifts, but I often do it to organize my thoughts by putting them on paper or some techy device. Reading other friends blogs is a passion of mine. I enjoy the words they share about themselves, their families, and their journeys and experiences in life. "The Bridges of Madison County" inspired me to keep a diary by journaling my experiences and prayer requests. My son says he is looking forward to reading all my volumes of writing to see just what I was thinking and praying about during his life. Beth Moore also encourages journaling conversations with God and for more years than I know, I've been writing my life story through my notebook journals.

Today, I was catching up on "Living Proof Ministry" http://blog.lproof.org and was reading Melissa Moore Curtis's decision to take a leave of absence from LPM to devote more time to her husband and children. I remember being torn between motherhood and family finances. I thought I was "Super Woman" and could do it all. With the grace of God everyone survived and I won't let my choices haunt me. Even after retirement and empty-nest syndrome, I continue to see change in my life. God is changing me in so many ways. Let me quote Melissa and the scripture reference she gave: "Please know that when you cry out to the Lored, He hears you! He knows what you are going through. He is your Shepherd and He cares for you. Pray, pray, pray." First Peter 5:7-8 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift yo up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (NIV) Ask God to show you His love, power, and care right now.

Pledges in Life

Pledges are common in many facets of our life. The most familiar is the Pledge to the United States flag:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Texans learn the pledge to the Texas flag in 4th and 7th grade social studies:
"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."

As a young child, I added two other pledges to my memory:
1) Pledge to the Christian flag: "I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior to whose Kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all mankind in service and love."
2)Pledge to the Bible: "I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word; and will make it a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and hide it's words in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

Those same Christian pledges are still recited in many fundamental Vacation Bible Schools although, many churches have replaced those "Opening Ceremonies" with trendier activities and formats. As an adult working in VBS, those pledges brought back wonderful memories of my childhood and those pledges take on a deeper meaning in my life today.

This week, one of my friends posted the following pledge on their wall and I copied it to mine:

“I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ, And to God’s kingdom for which he died— One Spirit-led people the world over, indivisible, With love and justice for all.”

I had never heard it before, but I like it and think it is something I need to pledge daily. Jesus is the most important thing in my life and I need to share it not only in my words but in my day to day living and the witness I present through my actions and speech.

As the world tries to hush the name of God and Jesus Christ, we as Christians need to shout all the louder. We are "one nation under God", and "God bless America" should remain on our currency and our lips. Why do we continue to let a few offended people justify "political correctness" by taking away our religious freedom to be Christians? Wake up American Christians! Pledge your allegiance to God!