Secession?

Constitution of the Confederate States of America states in section 9:

"Section 9 - Limits on Congress, Bill of Rights

1. The importation of negroes of the African race from any foreign country other than the slaveholding States or Territories of the United States of America, is hereby forbidden; and Congress is required to pass such laws as shall effectually prevent the same." (http://www.usconstitution.net/csa.html#A1Sec9)

The Union did not tell the general public this fact.
When explaining to the general public about the issue of slavery, went for the 'emotional vein' in order to influence abolitionists. They used emotions rather than straight facts to ensure that the common american would vote in their favor.
As if the average american is too stupid to understand straight facts and formulate their own opinion.

Also in the document that the South wrote about their secession was completely 'right'.

"On the 4th day of March next, this party will take possession of the Government. It has announced that the South shall be excluded from the common territory, that the judicial tribunals shall be made sectional, and that a war must be waged against slavery until it shall cease throughout the United States.

The guaranties of the Constitution will then no longer exist; the equal rights of the States will be lost. The slaveholding States will no longer have the power of self-government, or self-protection, and the Federal Government will have become their enemy.

Sectional interest and animosity will deepen the irritation, and all hope of remedy is rendered vain, by the fact that public opinion at the North has invested a great political error with the sanction of more erroneous religious belief." (http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/secession_causes.htm)

They believed that the government was being unconstitutional, therefore any agreement that they had with the union based upon the constitution (which they believed the government had violated) was completely null.
Which... they were completely right. Even if I don't think they should have done what they did to the slaves.

Yup random ramblings about what I found in history today :D

Fingerprints of God

A Letter From God

Dear Child,
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. (Ps 139:1)
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. (Psalm 139:2)
I am familiar with all your ways. (Psalm 139:3)
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-30)
For you were made in my image. (Genesis 1:27)
In me you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. (Acts 17:28)
I knew you even before you were conceived. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
I chose you when I planned creation. (Ephesians 1:11-12)
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. (Psalm 139:15-16)
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. (Acts 17:26)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
I knit you together in your mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)
And brought you forth on the day you were born. (Psalm 71:6)
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. (John 8:41-44)
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. (I John 4:16)
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. (I John 3:1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. (I John 3:7)
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. (Matthew 7:11)
For I am the perfect Father. (Matthew 5:48)
Every good gift you receive comes from my hand. (James 1:17)
For I am your provider and I meet your needs. (Matthew 6:31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. (Psalm 139:17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
I will never stop doing good to you. (Jeremiah 32:40)
For you are my treasured possession. (Exodus 19:5)
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. (Jeremiah 32:41)
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. (Jeremiah 33:3)
For if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. (Deuteronomy 4:29)
So, Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
For it is I who gave you those desires. (Philippians 2:13)
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
For I am your greatest encourager. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. (Psalm 34:18)
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. (Isaiah 40:11)
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. (Revelation 21:3-4)
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. (John 17:23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. (John 17:26)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5; 18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. (I John 4:10)
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. (Romans 8:31-32)
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. (I John 2:23)
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. (Romans 8:38-29)
When it's time for you to come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. (Luke 15:7)
I have always been your Father, and will always be your Father. (Ephesians 3:14-15)
My question is.... Will you be my child? (John 1:12-13)
I am waiting for you. (Luke 15:11-32)
With everlasting love:
God

(Used by permission from Matt Gilman)

Bite My Tongue

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise. "

(Proverbs 10:19)

Random Ramblings of an Overly Active Mind

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars." - Jack Kerouac

Why?

"Because of who He is
If I'm worth dying for, yes this God's worth living for
Because of who He is He makes me want to give Him more and more
Because of who He is
So I take my body and use it for the glory of God
That's why I pray every day, gotta pick up my cross
Search for the lost, no matter the cost" -Trip Lee (Who He Is)

Therefore:
"If we've only got one try
If we've only got one life
If time was never on our side
Then before I die
I want to burn out bright" -Switchfoot (Burn out Bright)

Joy Comes In the Morning!

Today in my devotions I read this:
Phillipians 1:21

"Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose!!!"

(The Message)

I found this so encouraging!
Through this move I have learned that it doesn't mean you are 'less spiritual' if you are not feeling upbeat and chipper. Christ gives us Joy. But I don't believe 'Joy' is the same thing as 'Happiness'. Although this does NOT mean God desires bitter, unhappy Christians. James 3:14-15 says

"But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don't brag. Don't say that you are wise when it isn't true. That kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. (God's Word Translation)"

Rather we are to be full of love, and joy!(Galatians 5:22)

Joy is this.. knowing that we can't lose, knowing to what we are destined, a life of eternity with our Lord and Savior! What a thing to be joyful about!!!

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)

Praise be to God!! Or in the words of one of my favorite songs; "Oh! Happiness!!!"



For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30:5,11-12)(Word English Bible)

Colors!!

(image by Jennifer R. )Today I felt like putting some different colors on my blog... sooooo here I am going to post a video with lots of color!

Don't forget that God used the rainbow as a promise never to flood the whole earth ever again! God has been faithful in keeping that promise, he always fulfills his promises. Today we have the promise that he's coming back for us, and that he will never leave us.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"

-Matthew 28:20

Pianoness and Patience

Patience is a hard lesson to learn. We're supposed to have moved by now, but unfortunately we haven't yet. I'm dying to get into our new house. It has it's very own piano room!! The house we live in now has the piano in the 'sun room' open, so that anyone can hear. Not a huge problem, until you are trying to practice scales! Then you get on your family's nerves!

This is the piano in the house we are living in now.

In the new house this is where it will be (the little door next to the stairs):


I'm so excited!!! It has a door on it, so I can shut the door and practice without driving my family bonkers!!

But like I said at the beginning of the post... I'm having a *little* trouble being patient! We've had our house packed for about 4 weeks now, and I'm getting tired of not having my 'stuff'.

The whole ordeal has kinda made me think about the way we're supposed to live while we're here on earth, waiting for Jesus to take us to heaven.
See, we're to have our 'boxes packed' and learn to live on only the bare necessities . But after waiting 2,000 years for God to fulfill his promise, I think we get tired of waiting... and want our 'stuff' back. Instead of waiting "Ready" for the day we live "Comfortably waiting". Not saying that God intended for us to suffer, but I think that we need to learn that's it's okay to do without.
This is not our home, and we need to live waiting to move. We need to watch the sky, waiting to go to our real house, our daddy's house!!

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

-Robert Frost-

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

The took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leavs no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somwhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Anxiety, a sin? (part two)

Well! I am so surprised how many answers I got from posting this question! I posted it on my facebook and recieved answers via facebook. I wanted to share some of what I found :)

"Although Jesus was agonizing in the garden over the pain that He knew was coming and the separation He would experience from the Father, He still obeyed God's will for His life. It showed His human side, one that is able to relate to the struggles that we go through. Anxiety in itself is not a sin, it is something we in our human flesh will experience perhaps a lot of over the course of a lifetime. However, it's what we DO with that anxiety. Do we ask for God's help in dealing with it, or do we allow it to take over our lives to the point that it eats us up and affects others around us? Temptation will always be in front of us as humans, but even temptation in itself is not a sin-giving birth to it is. Although Christ agonized over God's upcoming plan for Him, He ultimately obeyed God and followed His will. it is a great example showing us, as believers, how to go before the Lord and present our requests, yet reminding ourselves to follow His example of obedience. God gives us different emotions that we will experience-(Thank goodness or we'd all be a bunch of robots!), but we need to get REAL with Him and allow Him to work through each one so they do not cause us to stumble."

-Kristen Graham

"Anxiety, fear, love, hate, and all the other emotions are part of God's design of the human. They are neither good or bad, They are intended to cause you to do someting in response to relieve the stress. This can save your life, or kill you, depending on your choices. The worse thing is to get paralyzed by the emotions so that you don't do anything. A soldier in combat has to do his job well even though he is terrified. God wants us to take all of our feelings to him and say, "Please fix it, Daddy," Then he will give us the power to make wise choices and the faith to trust his judgment."

-Paul Amos

Anxiety, a sin?

Okay so I have a question I'd like to start a discussion on because I don't really have an answer and would like to reach the most logical, and biblical conclusion.

"Peace" is a fruit of the spirit right?
Well everyone would agree that the opposite of peace would be anxiety. (correct me if I'm wrong here.)

Ok, so here's where I'm confused....

Jesus never sinned right?
Well in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus was experiencing anxiety, so much so that he sweat drops of blood. I would venture that it's safe to say that he didn't have 'peace'. (But I may be wrong.)

So my question is, if Jesus never sinned, but yet felt anxiety... where's the line?
When are you just being human, and when are you sinning?

More Relient K

Taxes?