Enough madness already!

See Sophzilla for great words from Rabbi Lerner on consumerism, fear and hope around Christmas and Chanukah.

Quote machine

Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.
William Newton Clarke

Oh, Henry

Little Henry died yesterday. His parents and sister need your prayers. Thanks!

What?

I found this on the Web by accident. I'm livid. Right now Katie and Jim's little Henry is fighting for his life. I am outraged that this site says that it takes a relationship with God in order to have their prayers answered. God isn't a genie. And God isn't a bully boy. Whether or not Henry's parents, or the multitudes praying for him, are 'right with God' or not does not make a difference. Oh, and by the way, his parents and many of those praying for him are people of faith.

Why would someone spread this information?

So, Why Doesn't God Answer Everyone's Prayers? It may be because they don't have a relationship with God. They may know that God exists, and they might even worship God from time to time. But those who never seem to have their prayers answered probably don't have a relationship with him. Further, they have never received from God complete forgiveness for their sin. What does that have to do with it you ask? Here is an explanation. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."³

Prayers and good thoughts

If you're a praying person please pray. If you're not, please send lots of good thoughts. Thank you!

• Katie's twins who are joining the chub club at over 2 lbs. each!
• Rolf. His cancer is back. One of the most sarcastic people I know. If you know any good jokes, send them over the thought waves!
• Keats. EclectChick's pup isn't doing well. Mr. Tigerstripe needs good thoughts. Thankfully, he's getting much, much TLC.
  

What love is

Heidi's pastor recently preached on love. Not the romantic kind, but the love of Christ and what it means to followers of Christ.

• Love is a verb. Love is not love without action.
  
• Jesus' examples of love were action packed -- healing, preaching and teaching.
• If God is love, then God, too, is always in action.
  

Yesterday my pastor shared similar words in his sermon. Although I've heard them thousands of times, they really hit me.

• For God so loved the world -- the world, not a particular group, people that we like, etc. If God so loved the world, God loves creation and all people even if we find them or their actions to be despicable.
  

There's a bumper sticker that I love: "God bless the world. No exceptions."

More questions than answers

This blog will be musings on the questions I have about faith. I'm not expecting asnwers. Unlike Pat Robertson, I do not know the mind of God. ;) Writing can be quite cathartic. I'm hoping these posts will lead me a little farther down the questioning road.

I liken this blog to this particular Bizarro cartoon. The picture is of God at the entrance to heaven. There's a guy in front of him waiting to get in. God says something like "You were a believer, yes, but you forgot the 'not being a jerk about it' part."