The Results Are In

Well ~ election day is over and we have a new president-elect. Wow! The intensity of this election is like nothing I remember for previous ones. I'm glad it is over. Passions were/are high, I heard we had record voter turn-out, and the process we believe in worked. But our responsibilities for this election are not complete. A couple of things spring immediately to mind.

1. Phil. 4:8 "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ~ if anything is excellent or praiseworthy ~ think about such things."

2. Our nation and this new administration need our prayers ~ now more than ever.

Our God is still on the throne. Read Daniel chapter 4. God has a plan. It is He who sets up kings and takes them down ~ for His own purposes, which we can't fully know or understand, because His ways are sooooooo high above our ways.

Daniel 4:3 says, "How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation."

Daniel 4:17b says, "The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and He gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men."

As far as God is concerned, nothing has changed. He has a plan. And nothing takes Him by surprise ~ He knows the end from the beginning. His purposes will be served. No election of man can ever change that truth. I pray we all can rest in the eternal truths of God's word, and remember Phil. 4:8. No matter what changes we see taking place all around us, remember that God's word is true, and He never changes, never slumbers, never makes mistakes, never lies, and never leaves us.

Praise be to the Name of the LORD!

By God's oh-so-amazing grace,

The Rewritten Princess

Go to this website to join thousands of others (including myself) for 77 days of prayer for the new administration which will be sworn in 77 days from now.

Sarah Palin

I have been very impressed by Sarah Palin. I must admit, I have never been in favor of a female president in the past. I still feel that the pressures of the presidency/vice presidency are such that no one in their right mind would want to be subjected to that, male or female. I have noticed in the past how quickly most presidents visibly age after taking office. Ronald Reagan was an exception ~ he never really seemed too ruffled, and he didn't seem to age any faster than the normal process. I noticed the same thing about George W. Bush during his first term in office. His second term was a different story. I have wondered whether he spent more time on his knees in prayer during his first term, thus leading to more peace of mind and slower aging. I don't know this for sure, but it also appears evident to me in his decisions and policies of his second term ~ that perhaps he spent less time asking for divine guidance, thus leading to less peace, less divine wisdom, and more rapid aging. And what about prayer cover from fellow Believers?

Sarah Palin is beautiful, isn't she? And my goodness, didn't she handle the debate well last night? She is one smart lady, with a quick wit and able to think on her feet. She has the look of one who spends much time with her Lord. Whichever team is elected p/vp, they will be in desperate need of our prayers. (Of course I have my personal preference for the job.) America is hard on her public servants. The job is wrought with decisions that require divine guidance. Earthly wisdom will not be enough. And if the stresses of the job itself weren't enough, we have the mainstream media ripping them to shreds publicly over every tiny thing they can find (oh wait, that's only if the team is Republican).

My point is ~ we as Christians have a divine, God-given assignment. We are to pray for our leaders. All of them, no matter their political party. I can't help but wonder whether during George Bush's second term, Christians became too complacent, and began to neglect lifting him in prayer. Do we really understand the critical nature of this command from the God we love? It is the enemy of us ALL who wants us to be so busy that we don't have time or we forget to pray for our leaders. Busy-ness is not "just part of life." It is part of our enemy's plan for us. I really think that, more than George Bush, any failures in this past presidency rest on OUR shoulders, as his fellow Christians. I am not pointing fingers ~ I, too, am guilty. Somehow I just forgot to keep praying for him as diligently during his second term.

We cannot make that mistake again. Perhaps a good barometer of the amount of prayer from the Christians of America on behalf of the presidency is to watch the faces of the p/vp. If they appear to be unduly aging, we ain't prayin'.

What Is Church?

I was in a conversation with someone recently, and we were talking about some folks who have left our church for various reasons. Here are some of the thoughts and opinions we came up with.

What is church? Is it a building? Is it a place we go to? Is it a denomination? I think, according to Scripture, church is the body of Christ, a community of people ~ not a building or a place or something we do. It is family ~ it is a body. And although "the body of Christ" encompasses all Christians, moving from one church to another is not to be taken lightly ~ you wouldn't want part of an arm deciding it would rather hang around with the leg. And within that body I believe God wants us to care about and for each other, to be united ~ not alike, not of the same opinion, but united. And I think that when we allow gossip, division, disunity, discord, personal likes and dislikes to come between us, we are giving the enemy the victory. I sort of view my church family almost like a marriage. Unless God Himself says very clearly to me that He wants me to be a part of a different fellowship, I need to stay right where I am and work out whatever issues I might have, just as I would in a marriage. My happiness or comfort or music preference or even whether I agree with how the board or the pastor handled a given issue (no matter how important I felt that issue was to me) are not reasons to call it quits and start attending somewhere else. You don't just walk out on family. And some issues can seem huge. And people disappoint. But what is church? If it is a club or social gathering, move on when it doesn't meet your needs. If it is just a building or something to do, by all means move on. But if it is the body of Christ? If it is family? Do we care whether we are being used as pawns for the enemy's purposes? Are our own feelings and comfort levels more important to us than what God Himself wants to say to our hearts. If we pull up stakes and run every time life gets difficult, how stable is any relationship we are in? Our marriage? Our friendships? Our family?

And I do think there are times when God does want us to move on for various reasons, but He should be the one to tell us that. What if He wants us to move on because He is doing a great work at this church and He hasn't been able to get our attention and get us on board with His plan? I think it is rarely because He has given up on one congregation and is moving you to a better one.

Are there circumstances that come up in churches that can make it extremely difficult or even painful for you to continue to attend there? Certainly. And sometimes it really might be more than you can take. But I don't think changing fellowships should ever be taken lightly, or done without many, many hours of heartfelt prayer, listening for the voice and will of God. Will He punish you if you decide to move on contrary to His will? I don't think He is sitting somewhere with a switch or a belt waiting to "spank" you for your hard heart or disobedience. But I do think it grieves Him, disappoints Him, and hinders His best in your life.

I have learned through the circumstances of my life that there is NOTHING He can't redeem. But He does not violate our free will. And we sometimes make pretty big messes. But as long as our hearts are soft toward Him, and we are repentent and trusting in Him and seeking Him, He can redeem anything.

Just some of the thoughts running around in my head today. What are yours?

Pray for America

First of all, we need to pray for the outcome of the elections, all of them. For the man of God's choosing, for God's will for America. Then after the election, whoever is elected, they need our ongoing prayers ~ and they need them desperately. With all that America is facing these days, I think it will require more wisdom than any human being, or group of human beings, can possibly have on their own. We, as Christians, are commanded by Scripture to pray for our leaders. We simply must. Click on "Pray the Vote" in the Link box on the right, and join other Christians around the country in prayer. You can also find a current, specific list of prayer requests and concerns for the president and for America.