Jesus
From Beauty Beyond Bones blog
Joe Biden: HOW DARE YOU
Hey friends – I apologize for the lack of posts on Thursday and Monday. I’m not going to go into detail, but I had a bit of a family health situation, but nothing to worry about. Everyone is fine, the baby is fine. And now I’m back to my regularly scheduled programming. Just wanted to say thank you for your patience with my absence.
This Easter was probably one of the most meaningful, powerful Easters I have ever experienced. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it’s Steven and my first Easter together as a married couple, or if it’s the fact the I’m pregnant with our daughter right now. Or just the fact that our church is so reverend and beautiful in its celebration of Holy Week.
But this Easter, my husband and I were so incredibly moved. From Wednesday going to the Office of Tenebrae, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. It was a week where we truly felt the weight of Jesus’ sacrifice for us personally.
Anyway – it was such a profoundly faithful, beautiful weekend. So you can imagine how big of a gut punch it was to hear the news on Monday about Joe Biden’s declaration that Easter Sunday was International Transgender Day of Visibility — it made me absolutely sick.
How DARE he call himself a “Catholic” when he is literally spitting in Jesus’ face with that public declaration.
The Day of Jesus’ Resurrection — the holiest day on the Christian calendar. The day when we recognize the immense sacrifice Jesus made on the Cross out of love for you and I. Jesus: blameless, yet bearing the price of OUR SINS in the nails in His hands and feet, DYING so that we could live eternally with Him in Heaven.
Biden completely disregards that, and “celebrates” the new “religion” of transgenderism and its wicked ideology that completely contradicts what Jesus stood for. Transgender ideology advocates for the mutilation of children. It claims that God’s magnificent handiwork — creating us in the womb as male or female — is wrong. Transgenderism is the sin of pride personified. And Joe Biden glorified that instead of the day when Jesus beat death, rose from the dead, and saved us from eternal damnation.
It makes me so angry, I can’t see straight.
And just to really put the icing on the cake, children were prohibited from decorating Easter eggs with religious symbols at the White House Easter Egg Roll.
Let me remind you of Matthew 18, where Jesus makes absolutely crystal clear his stance on the protection of children: “‘If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’”
Puberty blockers and genital mutilation for children, drag queen story hours, filthy children’s books being put in school libraries that celebrate the queer agenda, children’s television programming that glorifies the queer agenda….that is what Biden was extolling through that declaration.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is calling for his excommunication from the Church.
People argue that Trans Day of Visibility has always fallen on March 31.
They argue that Jesus would have advocated for the marginalized, including transgender individuals.
They argue that Biden did, in fact, give a statement about Easter, albeit later.
And for that last one, I’ll just say that Biden pays lip service to a lot of things that serve him. And touting his so called, “Catholic faith” is one of them, even though he actively fights for things that the Church vehemently denounces.
The truth of the matter is this: Jesus would have loved transgender individuals. Just as I do, and just as all people should. BUT, He would have, in love, told them to turn from their lifestyle and go and sin no more. Just like Jesus told the woman caught in adultery in John 8: “‘Then neither do I condemn you,’”Jesus declared. “’Go now and leave your life of sin.’”
Look, I don’t know Joe Biden’s heart. I want to believe that his mental faculties are in such decline that he’s not even really aware of what he’s saying or doing anymore. And that he’s some puppet being controlled by his radical, godless cabinet.
But the truth of the matter is that one day he — as well as me, and you, and all of us — will have to stand before the throne of God and account for our actions — and inactions. And I just pray for him, when that day comes.
All that to say, my heart deeply hurts for Jesus today. Thinking today about the weight of the Cross He carried to Calvary; thinking about the lashings and whips He received when He was scourged; thinking about the nails that pierced His hands and feet; thinking about the public humiliation and mockery He endured during His Passion; thinking about Him breathing His last breath and handing over His Spirit….my heart aches, thinking about how He must feel, watching down from Heaven: being pushed aside to glorify transgender ideology that has yet again made a mockery of the Father.
That is what hurts my heart the most. It is so incredibly devastating.
And it’s a wake up call that this is the reality of the world we live in. And it’s a wake up call that silence is complacency. Which is exactly why I needed to make this post tonight. Because I will not stand by as my Savior is mocked and discarded for the glorification of wickedness.
I will not. And neither should you.
I’m curious: what are your thoughts on this? Is it not a big deal in your eyes? Do you feel similarly? And if so, what – if anything – can we do about it?
St John Presbyterian Church
Back in the day I remember a group of men hanging around outside on a walk way and Manual Beiro Said to my father, Henry you are a cracker and I am a Cuban – and we are going to be friends.
And they were close friends forever. I always wished I could haave a friend like Manual. Even when I was able to get to church I never met anyone like Manual,. I hope it is not to late,.
Love, Two Ways Posted on January 9, 2020 by beautybeyondbones
Another great post from the author of Beauty Beyond Bones.
This is a must read ! ! ! I wish I could express my thoughts as clearly as this young lady.
Love, Two Ways
Don’t you just love it when God hits you over the head with a message?
haha – That came out a little strange, let me rephrase.
I love it when God not-so-inconspicuously sends you a message, through incredibly obvious coincidences, or reoccurrences, or what have you.
That happened this week.
If you haven’t heard, The Bachelor season premiere was this week. Yes, Pilot Pete met the 30 young women who will be vying to win his heart this winter/spring.
And of course, as your basic millennial, I was glued to my screen, snacks and wine in hand, to watch every glorious second of it.
Now, I know, I know — it’s not really the most altruistic or morally uplifting program I could be watching — but hey, it’s my guilty pleasure, and I love love.
Here’s the thing — typically, after watching the show, I think to myself, how outrageous it is that a man would be “dating” 30 women at once.
But sadly, this time around, — perhaps I’ve become a little jaded from my dating adventures in NYC — but this thought literally crossed my mind: “Well at least the other girls know that he’s dating other women.”
Yeah…welcome to dating in 2020.
But I digress. Table that for a hot second, because the very next day, I went to the Catholic Young Adult’s Mass. It’s this huge gathering of 500+ young people in NYC, and they rent out a bar afterwards for a party. It’s fun, but also, you feel like you’re in this giant fishbowl of men and women desperately looking for their spouse…name tags and all.
Again…I digress.
Anywho, the priest obviously had some homiletic training, because he knew his audience: his sermon was about dating.
And side note — it was not at all awkward for me to be listening to this, while sitting next to a guy I used to date and broke things off with…
AGAIN! I digress!! What is in the water this morning?!
Sorry — back to the story.
The homily was really powerful, and left a huge impression on my heart, especially given the fact that not 24 hours earlier, I was getting a full blown education on secular society’s idea of love and marriage, evidenced on the Bachelor. So this was just the juxtaposition I deeply needed.
So allow me to just share with you the beautiful take away that I’ve been thinking about ever since.
In a relationship, one of your most important purposes in the partnership, is to challenge your significant other to grow in holiness, and be the best version of themselves that they can be.
And I just thought to myself, Wow – isn’t that a beautiful thing.
And to be honest, that is the message I’ve grown up hearing. My mother — powerhouse wisdom giver — has always instilled in me, that the number one job of a spouse in a marriage, is to get the other person to Heaven.
(Like I said — she’s full of wisdom and knockout one liners!)
But I was struck with how much of a juxtaposition that is compared to say, what we see on The Bachelor. I can’t tell you how many women came out of the limos throwing condoms at him, or inappropriate jokes, or references to things that would make a sailor blush. And I mean, sure – go for that first impression, girl. No judgement here. But like…
Challenging the other to grow in holiness…
What a profound concept.
To be honest, “holiness” is a scary word. It’s so antiquated that you hear it, and your mind instantly goes to like, a cloistered nun, or a monk swinging incense while singing Gregorian chants with his eyes closed.
And in some extreme cases, “holiness” is equated with self-righteousness…we can thank the phrase “holier than thou” for that connotation.
So I’d like to offer another definition:
Holiness is simply pursuing Jesus.
Seeking Him. His heart. His will. Chasing after a deeper relationship. And pursuing His love with all your heart.
Because in doing so, it will inevitably effect your decisions, your words, your thoughts, your behaviors.
Challenging your partner to do that — not only will be eternally beneficial for them and their salvation, but it will keep Christ at the center of your relationship — which as we all know, is the key to a healthy and life long marriage.
And sure – I’m just a single gal, so what do I know. But having witnessed my parents’ beautiful 40+ years of marriage, I can at least say this with the authority of a second hand observer.
All I know is that: I want that. I deeply desire that love. And I do trust that God has it in store for me. He’s preparing my heart, and will let it come to be in His perfect time.
I just have to have patience, and in the meantime, challenge myself to grow in holiness, and fall more deeply in love with Jesus every day.
Which — might not be as flashy as The Bachelor, but when it comes to God, He plays the long game.
What is YOUR best dating or relationship advice? I’d love to hear!!
“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5
Thoughts on Church
This is a lot of miscellaneous memories of church and miscellaneous thoughts on the differences between church as I remember it and todays church.
First some memories of the church I grew up in (St John Presbyterian in Tampa FL). One of those memories was one day after church a group of the men were standing outside talking and Manual Beiro said to my dad “Henry you’re a cracker and I’m a Cuban and we are going to be friends; and they were. Also friends in their little mens group was Mike Casenueva.
One week mom and dad met a couple men (they may have been father and son) who were visiting our church and they were from out of town. These men were invited over to our house for a nice Sunday meal and conversation. At this point I don’t remember a lot about these fellas but I do know that their lives were enriched by attending the little church in Tampa – St John Presbyterian. In todays world most of us (yes I include myself) would not invite strangers like these over to their house. Too bad.
Once in a while the Pastor Dr Walter B. Passiglia would stop by for a chat. Pastors today do not do that anymore. You are lucky if they say good morning to you on Sunday.
There was also a choir and an organ to lead us in song and we all knew those songs and we could participate in the service by singing. Today instead of an organ or choir there is what they call the “Worship Team” and it may consist of 4 guitars, a drum set and an electric organ (which doesn’t sound anything like those marvelous old organs we used to have. Plus they sing modern songs which none of us recognize or can sing along with. If I wanted a modern entertainment venue I would just tune into HBO or such. But alas I have tried a number of churches and it is always the same -modern service & new music.
In the old services I grew up with the alter had a podium and that is where the preacher stood to give his prayers and sermons; nice and formal. In todays services there is no podium; the preacher wears a wireless microphone and wanders around looking very casual. Plus for us members things are pretty casual also as we no longer put on aour Sunday finest, people are likely to come to church dressed in Jeans and sweat shirts.
Up in my dresser I have a pocket New Testiment that was given me by one of my mom’s relatives (a Baptist Minister) when I was preparing to go overseas in the Air Force. I am not claiming to have always read it but I did keep in with me through the years everywhere I went (Thailand, Guam, Plattsburgh New York, Florida). That small gesture helped me to keep Jesus and church in my mind slowly taking root and growing. It is too bad people today don’t reach out to people to plant that seed; todays world would be a much nicer place if they did.
I’ll end this with a picture of St John Presbyterian in Tampa FL.
Devotional From BayHope Church in Tampa FL
My sister sent me the link to this current series from her church and I have been listening and reading it everyday. This one I think is particularly good so I encourage everyone to give it a read.
Read Luke 11:24-28 and 11:33-36.
Devotion by: Tyler Fukutani
Incomplete Repentance
God has given every one of us two things: a special gift unique to us and a mission. The mission is that we must spread God’s love and Word through our actions. As James says in James 2:14, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” God doesn’t want us just to say we have faith in Him and that we’ve been given special gifts. He wants us to use our gifts to help spread the love and light of God to those around us.
For example, God has gifted me with an extraordinary amount of compassion towards those in need. This spiritual gift would be useless to me and an affront to God if I just sat around doing nothing. It would be even worse to blatantly ignore someone who needs my help just because I didn’t feel up to it at the moment. Instead, God wants me to use my compassion to help those in need to give them a glimpse of how much God loves them.
Today’s Church
Yes, I am going to start whining again. I do miss the old hymns and wish they would sing them once in a while. I am getting somewhat used to the new music and the guitars and things but I look around sometimes and none of the congregation is singing along with the new music; I always thought that the hymns were interactive and it was good that the congregation sang along with the music; I sing along with the words on the screen but it just isn’t the same.
I liked the old churches like the one I grew up in that had a pulpit that the minister stood at while giving the sermon. In todays church the minister just wanders around with the wireless mic they use. Yep, the wireless mic actually is good as everyone can hear better no matter how close they sit.
The minister used to wear a robe or a collar or something so everyone would know he was the minister and being neat and formal is kind of nice.
With all of that said here is a short video I just found that I think all of us old whiners should watch or listen to:
Coal Basket Bible
| The Coal Basket Bible
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?” The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Papa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” the old man said. “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.” That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son. Take time to read a portion of God’s word each day, and remind a friend by sharing this story. “Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly, Leave the Rest to God |
Easter Is Coming Up
Easter is coming up pretty soon (couple weeks). Everyone is buying eggs to color and hide and I kind of like that also; I remember an Easter egg hunt at my Grandma Knights Methodist church in Mascotte FL. What fun, what memories. Of course as an adult I now know the real significance of Easter – a time of sadness that turns into a time of joy as Jesus sacrifices himself for us on the cross.
Waterford Weslyan Church has a huge Easter Egg hunt for children at a local park. This is a way to reach out and do something for the community much as Jesus has reached out to us in saving us. If I can get it to work I am going to try to insert here a YouTube video about Easter.
The Other Me 