Wake UP Call!



I’m sure you’ve all heard by now about the earth quake yesterday that “struck near Mineral, Va., more than three miles below sea level, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Mineral is town 83 miles from D.C. and has been known for its seismic activity, but seldom produces a substantial earthquake.” {Source: Fox News}



One of the spires, left, of the National Cathedral is seen missing following an earthquake in the Washington, D.C., area Aug., 23, 2011. (AP Photo)




A U.S. Park Service helicopter flies between the Washington Monument and the Capitol over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Aug. 23, 2011, following an earthquake in the Washington area. (AP Photo)

A few moments after it occurred, I received a text from my SIL. She asked me what I thought about it”.  Side Note: {Those of you who know me or have been following this blog, I used to live in DC while working in the White House and am very familiar with the area.}

I didn’t really know how to answer her, but I finally said “I think it’s a Wakeup Call to the Government and the People”. Washington is essentially the center of the world, and they need a wakeup call because currently things are spinning out of control.  Which leads me to share this.

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

 ⁵ Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. {Source: Bible Gateway}

Jesus tells us in Mark 13 these are the beginnings of the birth pains before Christ Return. In other words these things must occur for Christ to return to fulfill his prophesy.
So today I leave you with a thought….

If these are the signs, and Christ came tomorrow, are you ready? Would you go to Heaven? Do you even know?

5 Things you should do if you’re not 100% SURE….

1.       Recognize {Confess} you’re a sinner.

2.       Realize no human works can provide salvation.

3.       Relay completely and solely on your faith alone for salvation

4.       Follow in believer’s baptism.

5.       Email me at politicsandpolkadots {at} gmail {dot} com

He is coming! Are you ready?

lucy

Grace

Grace: “God’s unmerited favor and love that lead Him to grant salvation to believers through the exercise of their faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation cannot be earned; it's a gift of God’s Mercy “

I’ve been meaning to have a post like this for a while. I have so many questions as to “Why”?   Why God’s Grace? Why in my life? How am I so blessed to have received it? My intentions with this blog was to focus on life, politics, health, and whatever came about that I thought I should share with the world! Ha! But today! Today is different. Today Grace has been heavy on my heart.   Today I realize how lucky I am to have received his Grace, and that it is my duty here on earth to help others understand it.

I think of all the people in foreign countries who may have never had the opportunity to receive Christ. I think about orphans in countries that don’t have a Mommy or Daddy to influence their life or to share the gospel with them. I think of all walks of life. From every country, nation, village and town. I think of the other “religions” who worship everything other than God. This truly breaks my heart.



This picture is special for 2 reasons. Those who know, keep praying, those who don't stay tuned.



“For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8 {Bible Gateway}

How did I get to be so lucky? I was born and raised in America {the greatest Nation of all}. I was raised in a church that’s Mission is: “God intended for the Church to be the primary instrument to reach the world and to make disciples....and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.  Acts 1:8b”

I sometimes have a hard time believing that God loves me so much, no matter what. He knows the deepest pain, hurt, sin in my life. And... And he still loves me!  He picked me to live with him for eternity.

Forever I am grateful. Forever I am blessed.

lucy

National Day of Prayer

“A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law!” Proverbs 29:18

What is the NDoP? The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of ALL FAITHS to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

Why should we Pray? 1. We pray because we love God. We spend time with God in prayer and communion because we love him. Just as a man and woman in love desire to be together and communicate, so we – if we love God – will desire to be with Him and to fellowship with Him in proportion to our love for Him.
2. We pray because we depend on God. God is our source. He is our life (Colossians 3:4). Through prayer we receive the comfort, the strength and all the other resources that we need in life – both naturally and spiritually. Prayer – relationship to God – is as necessary to the spiritual life as air to the natural life.
3. We need to pray in order to resist temptation. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Mt. 26:41). Much sin is the result of the sin of prayerlessness. Through lack of prayer, we are weak, others are weaker and Satan gains the advantage in our lives.
4. We need to pray because it is necessary for men to invite God to act in salvation. God gave the earth to Adam and his descendants. We must invite God to work here. If no-one invites God to work here, Satan (the god of this world through man’s universal rebellion – 2 Corinthians 4:4) will dominate the affairs of men and eventually the judgment of God will come. By inviting God often and specifically, multitudes can be saved that would otherwise be lost.
5. We need to pray because God commands us to pray. “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2). “Then he [Jesus] spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). The need to pray is as great as the authority of God which commands us: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is so vital to all that God wants to do on the earth, and so essential to us, that God commands us to do it all the time. We should even deny ourselves sleep and food at times in order to pray more and with greater power. (Matthew 6:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 21:36; Colossians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 11:27).
{Source: National Day of Prayer}

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” Psalm 91.2

What do I pray for?

1.    Our Nation.

2.    Our President.

3.    Leaders {i.e. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ambassadors} around the World.

4.    Military. {Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard}

5.    Different nations would see Christ is the only way.

ONE Nation, UNDER God!  God Bless YOU and God Bless the United States of America.

Lucy

HE HAS RISEN!

他复活了!

!הוא קם לתחייה

Il est ressuscité!

Er ist auferstanden!

Ông là Đấng Phục Sinh!

เขาฟื้นขึ้นมา!

वह बढ़ी है!

彼は復活さ!

Он Воскрес!

Él ha resucitado!

He is Risen!

Matthew 28

Lucy

IT IS Finished!

IT IS Finished!

Friday is the day MY King was Beaten.

Friday is the day MY King was Mocked.

Friday is the Day MY King was Made Fun Of.

Friday is the Day MY King Carried His Own Cross.

Friday is the Day MY King was Nailed To The CROSS.

Friday is the day MY King Died for My Sins.

Friday is the day My King Saved the World.

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. ²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.  They all answered, “Crucify him!” ²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

 ²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

 ³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  ³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

 ⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b] 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” ⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

 ⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

Lucy

Wednesday....

Wednesday…

Betrayal- To give aid or information to an enemy of. To commit treason or aguish; to deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of trust or allegiance. To divulge in a breach of confidence.

Wednesday… Judas Betrayed Jesus

·         Judas went secretly to the chief priests to let them know when it would be safe for them to take Jesus into custody.

·         The priests gave Judas 30 Silver Coins for his information.

·         The high priests were looking for an excuse to have Jesus arrested and crucified because they were afraid of his influence and leadership amongst the people.

Wednesday… the day Jesus was anointed with an expensive jar of alabaster by the women of Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper {Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-19}

Wednesday...14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Wednesday… Christ is preparing to be Crucified on the Cross.

Lucy

The day after Palm Sunday

First off, I must apologize for not posting in like a week.  I have been quite busy at work, and at night I have been occupied with a Husband, a cat and a house to clean! Oh the joys of being a wife! J  I wouldn’t change anything.

So today is Monday, the day after Palm Sunday. So I’ve been in church my whole life, and after thinking about what to write for this last week of lent, I’ve decided to highlight the week before Christ died for you and I. So you might be thinking, “What did Christ do his last week on Earth”. Thanks to my FIL {Father in Law} and the Bible I researched a little about it.

Could you imagine what was going through Christ’s mind? He was both Man and God, and knew what was coming before him, but what did he do? HE PRAYED for God’s WILL! Ok so let me bring this down to our level. If I knew I would be tortured, beaten, nailed to a cross, and hung half naked on a cross, between two criminals, in 5 days, I’m pretty sure I would be saying my good byes, eating a multitude of “Last Meals” and I would probably be scared out of my mind, but CHRIST, He prayed, He thanked God for what was about to happen, and he accepted it.  

So what did Christ do the day after Palm Sunday? The bible says he ‘’Cleansed the Temple” “and He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers”. And He was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. {Luke 20:45-48}”

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

I am reminded of a quote from Johnny Hunt {FBC Woodstock, GA} “The next time you think you’re a good person, remember that God had to kill His Son to keep you out of Hell!

Lucy

 

What do you Fear?

Today, I’m not feeling the creativeness nor engaging in writing about the happenings in the political realm that I usually write about... It’s rainy and cold outside, and honestly I would love to me at home cuddled up with L and Cotton {our Kitten} with a movie and some Chick-Fil-A! J

I will drink my tea and push on though because today I feel a need to discuss my fears. We all know how obsessed I am with Politics and World Affairs, and after reading Drudge Report today. Man this world is becoming a DISASTER! So today’s topic: What do you fear?  Let's first begin with the worst...

1.      Snakes:

I don’t just Hate, I loathe SNAKES. I fear going to Zoo’s because I know they are always represented. I fear mowing the lawn, because one might cross my path. I fear swimming in the Lake because…well that’s where they live! I have not had a real close encounter with one, though I do not EVER want to. They are gross, weird, sneaky, quiet, and mean creatures and they remind me of the devil. J (After all he was represented by a Serpent)

2.      Failing:

Yes you read that right FAILING. To fail is a fear of mine. I think this is why God did not make me a competitive sports enthusiast, because if I partook in any sport at a competitive level, and lost at what I knew I did best… I would never engage in any sport again. Even though I know they say “Failure is the best Medicine”.

3.      Fearing the Unknown : The End Times/Eternity:

Now, I know you’re probably thinking. What? Though if you really think about it, can our human minds rap our head around “ETERNITY”? I mean I start to think about it, then I get lost in thoughts like “Who made God”, “How did he have an idea to make earth” “I just want children, what happens if the rapture happens before then”? These are deep questions that I could go on and on about but really just need a 1-800-call-heaven. HA! Though I hold these verses close to my heart! I think majority of this comes from a perspective of fearing the unknown, and me wanting to KNOW everything!

1.      I will FEAR no Evil: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

2.      I will HELP you: For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

3.      Be STRONG and Courageous: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

4.      PEACE I leave with you: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

5.      Of Whom Shall I be AFRAID?: The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

I could continue with a multitude of irrational thoughts on fears, though I think I’ll stop here. It is becoming more and more of a reality that I have nothing to fear, even though I have everything to Life FOR. This life is short and we are not promised tomorrow. So quit FEARING and LIVE!

Lucy   

I can ONLY imagine!

Today, MY heart is saddened. Today, I realized WE must do more. Today, I realized HE is slowly becoming un-important. Today I realized the importance of being an EXAMPLE. Today is a NEW day. Praise Him!

Why you might ask? I read a study {read it here} that was conducted by the American Physical Society (APS) that finds religion is dying out in nine (9) Countries, which truly saddened my heart.

The findings unveiled at an APS meeting in Dallas show that religion may become extinct in Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The study, {via FoxNews} which was conducted by Richard Wiener of the University of Arizona, and Daniel Abrams and Haley Yaple of Northwestern University, took data stretching back 100 years for those nine countries."In a large number of modern secular democracies, there's been a trend that folks are identifying themselves as non-affiliated with religion; in the Netherlands the number was 40 percent, and the highest number was in the Czech Republic, where the number was 60 percent."The study also found that "Americans without affiliation comprise the only religious group growing in all 50 states.""In 2008 those claiming no religion rose to 15 percent nationwide, with a maximum in Vermont at 34 percent,” The study concludes that religion in these societies might one day disappear.

What do you think? Do you think Christianity is becoming extinct? I’m not sure if this article was directly referencing Christianity, because I know there are many different religions out there, though Christianity is THE religion, so I included it.  Since it’s my blog and I can push my own agendaJ, This IS Sad, what’s even worse is that the International Mission Board {IBM} has had some financial difficulty which has led to many missionaries being pulled from the field. FRIENDS, we must do something, not tomorrow, not next month, or even next year… BUT NOW! Don’t you want to help people experience God’s Greatness? I can only imagine what it will be like…

I can only imagine what it will be like• When I walk by your side• 

•I can only imagine what my eyes will see • When your face is before me • Surrounded by your glory• what will my heart feel?• Will I dance for you Jesus, • or in awe of you be still? • Will I stand in your presence, • or to my knees will I fall? •Will I sing Halelluja, •Will I be able to speak at all? •I can only imagine•

I can only imagine when that day comes• and I find myself standing in the Son•

• I can only imagine when all I will do• is forever, forever worship you• I can only imagine•
• I can only imagine- Mercy Me

 “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
C. S. Lewis

Lucy