In the first part of this series, I discovered that both my local Lutheran church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) advocate for full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in “Pride” events and church leadership. In part two, I discussed the current trend for churches to declare abortion as a “religious freedom” – even going so far as to bring lawsuits against states that are now banning the practice. What’s next? A pentagram placed next to the cross?  

For one Texas church, that concept came close to becoming a reality.  

The First Christian Church (FCC-Disciples of Christ) in Katy, TX, recently promoted their “Drag Bingo” night as a family-friendly event – with an adults-only show occurring at 8:00 pm on September 24. While such an event was already controversial, media outlets soon revealed further details that made the offering all the more disturbing. One of the performers hired by the church, Jaysen Kettl, was convicted in 2004 of planning a school shooting.  

At age 17, Kettl pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder at Vidor High School. Legal records evidence Kettl’s violent tendencies as he and another student planned to enact torture by “nailing people’s hands to a table, chaining them to trees – before they killed certain people.”  

A recent review of Kettl’s social media accounts shows his continued penchant for evil practices. In one photo, Kettl is pictured holding a red skull, wearing pentagram earrings and a t-shirt with a Baphomet image surrounded by a pentagram. Baphomet is a created deity allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templar and later used in occult practices.   

Rather than cancel the event when word of Kettl’s background spread nationwide, FCC Katy simply replaced Kettyl and continued their affair without missing a beat. Drag Bingo was sold-out, after all, and the “show must go on!”  

By selling $20 Bingo cards and $400 tables, Drag Bingo was not just a social event meant to bring community members together. FCC Katy is not shy in promoting their “intentionally progressive” church agenda – and this event was no exception. Proceeds from the show will be used to sponsor FCC’s “TRANSparent Closet” as part of their LGBTQ+ ministry. FCC describes the TRANSparent Closet as a “FREE clothing boutique designed for trans and exploring teens, youth, and young adults to have a safe place for clothing needs and beyond.”  

Rather than support impressionable youth in further developing their Christian faith, FCC Katy wants to provide “undergarments, style accessories, makeup, and more.” Per the church website, “We would love to host you and have one of our stylist help select just the right things for you. ” 

Make no mistake. This “boutique” is not a thrift shop for the impoverished but rather a church-sponsored gateway to confuse and misguide innocent youth into practices that take them further away from God.  

I can’t help but ask, whatever happened to bowling nights and youth group meetings for young people to learn more about how to become true “disciples of Christ”? Instead of potluck suppers, this so-called “Christian” church features photos from their booth sponsorship at the “Pride Festival.”

Lest anyone suspect that this ministry exists to save lost souls, one need only gaze at their tent – adorned in rainbow flags, pencils, and a “Love is love” banner – to know that talking about Christ is the farthest thing from this so-called religious intuition’s agenda. One might never suspect the booth belonged to a church were it not for the FCC sign, which proclaims it to be “Radically welcoming. Intentionally progressive” – with not a cross in sight.  

Further investigation reveals that FCC’s “Minister of LGBTQ+ Ministries and Social Media” is openly gay. He even writes a blog entitled “Gay by the grace of God” about being – you guessed it – a “gay seminarian.” If I could ask this leader one question, it would be for him to show me where the Bible says that God gives grace for someone to follow an unGodly lifestyle. Our Creator provides us with grace to cover our sins – even though we don’t deserve it – not continue them. I think this statement alone disavows the title and “calling” of this would-be seminarian.

Knowing where to begin to unpack all the above information is difficult. As a devout Christian who believes in the unerring word of God, I find it hard to stomach all the ways that today’s churches have descended into the sins of pride, perversion, and popularity.  

While I understand the penchant to be inclusive and accepting, Christians should never give up the unique attributes that separate us from the rest of our culture. The Apostle Paul provided this admonition to the Ephesians: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Chapter 4: 19-24)

How then, one must ask, can it be acceptable for a church leader to be living a lifestyle that affirms sensuality and impurity? Scripture clearly tells us that it’s impossible to follow both fleshly and spiritual desires. How can a church affirm, endorse, and – worse yet – bring impurity into its own halls as a form of entertainment and still call itself a church? More so, how can a church claim to be Christian while promoting an ideology that corrupts children by removing their innocence?

Paul takes this further: “But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place but rather thanksgiving. For of this, you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.”

Christians are not called to “embrace diversity” to earn acceptance by the masses. Nor should our purpose on earth be to simply “enjoy life.” And yet, these principles are featured prominently as part of the mission of FCC Katy – as I suspect they are at many other “Woke” churches. The concept of serving God in faithfulness and purity seems to be gone from these religious institutions. If they want to become “Do-gooder” clubs where everything is acceptable, they should call themselves that to end the confusion and degradation of the gospel. Such concepts are not what Christianity is all about.

Christians are admonished to preach the gospel of Christ – which teaches that we must first accept that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) If we don’t believe ourselves to be sinners in need of a Savior, we are then free to elevate ourselves, our “good deeds,” and yes, even our acceptance of anything and everything in the world as more desirable than following the will of God. If there is no sin and everything is acceptable, why would we need Jesus? Does the sacrificial blood of Christ mean nothing to these churches? How can they call themselves “Christian” without understanding the purpose of Christ?  

Scripture tells us to come out of the world – not become part of it. Matthew 5:13 tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”  

I go into great detail about how Christians are told to leave their sinful nature behind in my blog about the church’s blanket acceptance of LGBTQ+ principles. In short, God does welcome everyone into His family – if we will acknowledge our sins, accept Christ as our Savior, and ask Him to make us a new creation. 

Furthermore, Jesus did not tell everyone to keep sinning. As Christ admonished the woman caught in adultery, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11) 

Both the Old and New Testaments warn against homosexuality and sexual perversion.  

• “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22) 
• “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.” (Leviticus 20:13) 
• “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10) 
• “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4) 

For a church to speak differently is to blaspheme the word of God. For a church to call itself Christian while refusing to call sin “sin” must break the heart of our Creator.  

We serve a divine Father who sees all and has infinite patience with us. John 3:17 tells us, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” 

Nevertheless, salvation is not a cloak we can place over ourselves on Sunday and take off while sinning on Monday. We must follow our Savior every day and put God above ourselves. Proclaiming that we are Christians while clinging to our sins is the ultimate hypocrisy. Refusing to give up our worldly ways exemplifies our lack of understanding of God’s gift of eternal life.

“You who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel – but not in truth or righteousness – you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel – the Lord Almighty is His name. You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open.” (Isaiah 48:1-2)  

While God is patient with our sinful ways, there will come a day when His patience will end. Ultimately, each of us will have to stand in judgment before our Creator. Either we will claim the blood of Christ that covers all our sins, or we will learn that our refusal to accept Jesus as our Savior will separate us from Him for all eternity.  

“For My own name’s sake, I delay my wrath; for the sake of My praise, I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. For My own sake, for My own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 49: 9,11) 

We forget the sovereignty of God when we worry about the praise of man. We serve a holy and just Creator. He gave us the Bible as the guidebook for our lives. To skip over the parts of the Bible that we don’t like is to forget that we are made by and must one day answer to Him.  

“I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:6-7) 

Today’s Woke church needs to wake up. Churches that lead people astray, gloss over sin, destroy the innocence of children, teach affirmation rather than sacrifice, idolatry over divinity, and pleasure over piety will one day learn how very wrong they were.  

I am no saint, nor do I fault anyone else for their sins. Rather, I thank God daily for my forgiveness while asking Him to help me to do better, to serve Him more fully – with my entire being. I can’t do that by elevating my wishes over His.  

I pray that today’s churches will see their folly in seeking the popularity of people rather than the sovereignty of our Savior.  

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. (Romans 1:16) 

In early August, I participated in a virtual department meeting that changed my mindset in an irrevocable manner – not for what was shared but for an image that was seared into my head during this extraordinary session.   

As a remote employee, I enjoy scrolling through live connections with my fellow team members to see who participates in the Zoom calls and what types of backgrounds they may use. Most people blur their environments, some show their home offices, and still others – like me – use favorite landscape photos as their backdrops. You can tell a lot about a person from what type of background they utilize in such an environment.   

In this particular instance, what started as usual soon altered to become one of the bravest acts of faith I’ve ever seen in the workplace.   

While waiting for the last few stragglers to join our meeting, one of my team members pointedly stated that he had forgotten to add his new background. His screen blipped for a minute while he uploaded the image – and then the world tilted on its access.   

An illustration of a cross stood boldly illuminated behind my team member’s headphoned profile. I was stunned. Without saying a word, this unspoken profession of faith in Jesus Christ spoke volumes in a company where liberal policy abounds and alternate lifestyles are celebrated at every opportunity. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. I took a photo with my phone to remember forever and celebrate this public declaration of faith.   

While the meeting proceeded without missing a beat, the moment that image took shape will forever change how I feel in the workplace.  

I’ve been indoctrinated for many years now – steadily watching the propaganda machine tell me that I should laud ideals in opposition to my faith. While I will never do so, like many other Christians, I have learned to watch what I say and do in the workplace to avoid offending and being sent to HR. I’ve been subjected to training asking me how I would react to men using the women’s bathroom. I’ve been asked to choose the correct multiple-choice answer on how I would treat a male co-worker who has decided to dress in women’s clothing. And I’ve been asked to celebrate images of team members marching in Pride events with their rainbow-clad children. All of this has led to increasing discomfort.  

All of this has led to increasing discomfort. And yet, I know I can never speak out against these offenses and still retain my job. Not in today’s world. Not in a “woke” organization. 

In one moment, all that fell away. Seeing that cross gave me hope that taking a stand for one’s faith might be allowed. With an HR member on the call, I wondered how long this cross-backed image would remain. It stayed up throughout the meeting. A month later, this same team member not only retained his chosen clipart but also used it while speaking and sharing a presentation with our group. I could no longer remain silent.   

At the session’s end, I sent a message to my team member to advise him of how much his background choice meant to me.   

“Please allow me to thank you, personally, for having the great fortitude to use a cross as your virtual backdrop,” I began. “My faith governs everything I do and I’m not ashamed to say so. But using the cross in such a highly visible place really stirred my soul. I want you to know that your imagery has made a difference – not just to me but to who knows how many others. Thank you for your faith. I’m incredibly proud of you.”  

My teammate’s response verified his beliefs. “I’m honored and blessed to meet a fellow believer,” he began. “We need Christ in these desperate times that our world is facing. He is the answer, and it gives me great comfort that nothing takes him by surprise.”   

Not content to put the cross by his head to broadcast to all his co-workers, my Christian brother also provided written testimony in response to me. My follow-up did the same in return.   

“Amen,” I replied. “I couldn’t agree more. We need our Savior more than ever right now. I would be nothing without Him.”   

As a result of this experience, I’ve recommitted to standing for my faith – not just here in this blog and to those I speak to outside my work environment. I now purposely show my dining room wall art while on camera in meetings. My framed message attests to 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18: “Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That is my new unspoken yet intrepid stance.  

If someone is offended, that’s on them. I won’t be afraid to give a voice to my faith in the workplace any longer. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

As I affirmed to my team member in our chat, I now proclaim to all of us. “Remember. God put you here for a reason. I’m excited to see what He has in store for you next!”   

We are Jesus people. Stand up. Let it be known! 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)  

It’s no secret that I love nature. God created the world we live in to be full of light, color, and beauty. Creation didn’t have to be paradisaical – and yet it is. Whether it’s the iridescent wings of a hummingbird, the lime green of a tree frog, or the flaming orange and pink of a brilliant sunset, the world’s magnificence often takes my breath away.   

I especially love the sky. I’ve often told friends who feel overwhelmed to go outside and look up at the heavens. Something about the grandeur of the sky makes my problems feel small and insignificant.   

I’m often awe-struck by sunsets or cloud formations while driving and have struggled with capturing these images without wrecking. While the moving photos never do the reality justice, I feel compelled to try to share what I see with others to remind them of God’s presence in our world.   

In 2019, a resident of San Salvador did just that. Mónica Aramayo photographed a cloud formation that she hoped would “bless” anyone who saw it. Many who viewed her image attest to it showing the outline of a standing Jesus – complete with outstretched arms, blessing the earth. While skeptics were quick to say that her portrait was photoshopped, others compared it to that of the famous mountaintop statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro.   

We serve an image-less Savior, and there’s a reason for that. We tend to praise what we can see with our eyes. In contrast, the essence of faith is that we believe without seeing.   

God went to great lengths to remind us not to create idols to worship – yet many still do. For this purpose, the altar of Mary and created saints grace the churches of many large and small cathedrals worldwide. Statues of saints are sometimes carried during feast days, and many devout parishioners have prayed before the same, lighting candles and reciting prayers to what they see and believe.   

While scripture tells us that Moses spoke face-to-face with God (Exodus 33;11), we know that this passage refers to a direct conversation rather than a visual one – “as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11) This understanding is confirmed in a later passage when Moses asked God, “Please show me your glory.” (Exodus 33:18)  

God responded to Moses by explaining, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)   

Instead, God agreed to allow Moses to experience his Creator in a controlled encounter.   

“And the Lord said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.'” (Exodus 33:19–23).  

Imagine the thrill of that phenomenon. Remember, there will come a day when all who believe in the gospel will spend eternity with our Creator. What a magnificent future Christians have to look forward to!  

We don’t need a photographer to show us that God lives among us. Just look around, and you’ll see Him. Our Father demonstrates His power in mighty thunder – His gentleness in a cool breeze. We see His majesty in the mountains and His grandeur in the sea. God’s fingerprints dwell in all creation, from the tiniest molecules to our unquantifiable galaxy.   

We need only open our eyes to see our Creator – in everything. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)  

I never thought I’d say this, but Joe Biden is right – we are in a battle for the soul of our nation. His administration’s anti-Godly, anti-nuclear family, pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ+ policies stand directly opposed to the Christian values that I and many other conservatives hold dear. We can’t be afraid to denounce them.

I recently witnessed a friend’s meme come to life. On one side of the meme, Biden stands above his 2020 campaign slogan, “Battle for the Soul of the Nation.” The other side of the design depicts the devil. Both stand above the query, “Who won?”

On September 1, 2022, Biden’s answer to that question rang out loud and clear during a televised speech. His red and black backdrop, dark lighting, and dehumanizing rhetoric stood as not just the embodiment of this meme but also a reminder of the anti-Christian agenda this administration has enacted against our country.

President Biden is the most pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ+ president in American history. Despite his claim to be Catholic, the Biden administration has consistently pushed radical policies that oppose Christian principles. Here are just a few of the legislative enactments and priorities he’s championed during his tenure:   

1. Rescission of the transgender military ban   

2. Revocation of the Mexico City Policy that prevents U.S. monies from providing support to foreign agencies that fund abortions   

3. Formation of an LGBTQ+ Gender Policy Council in the White House  

4. Revocation of the Hyde Amendment, which prevented taxpayer monies from being used to fund abortions 

5.  A continued push to pass the Global Respect Act, which “gives the U.S. President power to impose visa sanctions on foreigners he judges ‘complicit’ in human rights violations against individuals who identify as homosexual or trans.” As Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) stated, this bill could easily be used to target social conservatives and Christians. 

6. Repeated drive to pass the Equality Act, which would allow LGBTQ+ rights to transcend religious protections, effectively criminalizing any objections to these practices by charities, doctors, churches, or parents   

7. The signing of an executive order which allows transgendered men – biological males identifying as women – to compete in women’s sports  

8. State Department funding of a program (DRL FY20 IRF) to provide up to half a million dollars to organizations that are “committed to the practice and spread of atheism.”   

9. Avowed fight to maintain abortion – despite the Supreme Court’s legal decision to overthrow Roe v. Wade

10. Endorsement of gender sex-change operations for minors 

As Representative Glen Grothman (R-Wis.) explains, “I would say that the activity of the Biden administration is not ‘kind of;’ it’s all the way, what I would call anti-God, anti-Christian.”  

In further evidence of the same, the president’s speech on September 1 served not just to vilify a potential contender in the 2024 election but to demonize all conservatives who stand in opposition to his radical policies. While speaking at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, Biden used his prime-time broadcast to call all those who support President Trump – the Make America Great Again (MAGA) Republicans – white supremacists and violent extremists who pose a “direct threat to our democracy.”

Not content with that despicable characterization alone, Biden continued by saying that anyone standing opposed to his policies represents an “extremism that threatens the very foundation of our republic.”  

In the face of public condemnation following his heated rhetoric, the president attempted to walk back his comments by saying, “I don’t consider any Trump supporter to be a threat to the country.” Biden’s statement directly contradicts his speech in which he declared, “MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth, but in the shadow of lies.”   

In a follow-up speech in Massachusetts on Labor Day, the president repeated his original accusations, affirming his strong stance against those who oppose his provisions. “Extreme MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and our economic security. They embrace political violence,” Biden said.  

In opposition to Biden’s mischaracterization, MAGA Republicans do not “embrace political violence,” nor do we live in “the shadow of lies.” Quite the opposite.

We believe in Judeo-Christian values and celebrate the rich heritage of our nation, founded on principles of limited government and freedom of religion. We believe in the sanctity of all human lives – and that our Creator formed all of us as equals. We affirm that each of us has God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe that no one – least of which our government – can take away these rights that were endowed upon us by our Creator.   

And so Christian conservatives are faced with a choice. Do we stand intimidated by the hateful rhetoric emanating from the highest office in our land, or do we continue to stand opposed to the anti-Godly, anti-Christian policies that are becoming bolder and more brazen every day?   

Jesus once warned His disciples against the forces of the world that threaten to consume us. Matthew 10:16 says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We are never to back down in the face of opposition to either our faith or our values.   

Proverbs 6: 16-19 reminds us that “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”  

I, like the Psalmist, believe the following: “I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes, they flatter too much to detect or hate their sin. The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. Even on their beds, they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.” (Psalms 36:1-4)   

That being said, “As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)  

Joshua’s statement is more than a Bible verse to me. It represents everything I stand for. I will serve the Lord with every fiber of my being in opposition to anything I perceive as evil and anti-Godly. I’m a defender, protector, and fighter for God’s truth. I will retain my dove-like innocence while staying as cunning as a serpent. I pray that more Christians will do the same. 

We are in a battle for the soul of our nation. That much is abundantly true. May God humble, preserve and protect us in our spiritual campaign. 

And may we all be prepared to stand for our faith, no matter how the world and anyone in it may try to demonize it. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

On August 11, 2021, I moved to my new home and began a yearlong undertaking to transform my yard. As someone who craves time in God’s majestic creation, I knew I wanted a place where I could sit, worship, and feel close to my Creator. While I loved the house I bought, the yard lacked the beauty and design I craved. I knew it would take a lot of work, but the potential was there. I saw the space as a blank canvas in need of artistic development. 

Several of the changes to my property required professional assistance. I had the vision, but I also knew my limits. An old rusted shed with a decayed floor needed to go. A dilapidated and poorly constructed fence required replacement. Large bushes and palms needed to be moved, and a screen porch needed to be built. I could see the end product in my head, but I couldn’t bring it into existence without contractual help. 

But above and beyond the skilled labor I hired, one project I planned to undertake was removing all the accumulated yard waste that the previous owner had dumped behind my fence. A roughly 15-by-6-foot space was piled high with hewn logs, palmetto fronds, and various assorted plant debris. I saw the section as an eyesore and snake haven. Neither could exist in my world. 

Further, my placid treescape was overrun with wicked, thorny vines that obscured the area’s natural beauty. While I had several contractors willing to help me remove the rubbish, their exorbitant fees were more than what I was willing to pay for a job I could do myself. 

And so I began my quest. Like a knight hacking his way through a thorny forest to reach his fairy tale princess, I started cutting, heaving and hauling my way through the jungle that was this space. Vines stretching 10 feet in circumference and 40 feet up into the trees slowly surrendered their hold beneath my dedicated labor. Each time I found a tree trunk, I’d rejoice. Every 15-foot pile of debris removed made me happier. 

It wasn’t enough just to cut and discard the ugly growth. After clearing enough of a section to get a foothold, I used all my strength to pull down the vines wrapped around upper branches. Not content with what I could pull down, I climbed an extension ladder to reach over my head to prune the growth as far up as possible – praying that I wouldn’t fall off the ladder. Hour by hour, pile by pile, one weekend at a time, it took months to reclaim the natural beauty of this terrain. At the end of every weekend, I was exhausted but happy to see the progress I’d made. 

When the area was finally clear, I was stunned at the results. Previously invisible tree trunks now stretch skyward in majestic glory. A view I didn’t know I had now graces my yard with its beauty. 

Nevertheless, the work is far from done. The thorny growth continues to push forth from its below-ground tubers. While I’ve cut off the heads, the bodies are very much alive, underground – so deeply embedded in each other that I can’t fully dig them out. 

Since completing my clearing project, I’ve now made it my mission to hack away at whatever protrudes forth. Beginning next winter, I will continue chopping the bulbs to try to uproot and kill them. For now, if I want to maintain my unencumbered view, I must commit to keeping it this way through dedicated, repeated labor. 

While cutting a path through the vines to unmask my trees, I considered how the devil works to plant, cultivate, and grow barriers to keep us from enjoying our salvation. We may not always appreciate the evil seeking to grab hold of our hearts and minds, but Satan does. Seeds of discontent, dishonesty, and despair can cripple our testimony and prevent us from growing in service to our Savior. We may not even be aware of the strength that roots of anger and anxiety are establishing in our soil until they have taken over, pulling us down and obscuring our ability to impact the world around us. 

It’s not easy to break through sin’s hold on our lives, but we can’t allow it to get a stronghold. Every one of us has the potential to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Our mission should always be to stay rooted in Christ, grow in God’s goodness, and flourish in faith. If we’re not doing so, it may be time to look at what we’re allowing to grow around and in us. Cutting away whatever is holding us down is hard work – but the results are always worth the labor. 

We must equip ourselves with the armor of God to do so. Ephesians 6 tells us, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (V. 13-17)

As Christians, the transforming power of God’s grace should be evident to everyone we encounter. If it’s not, we should examine our lives to determine what is keeping it hidden. It’s a continual job to keep the devil’s vines from growing and overpowering us, but one that each of us is capable of committing to, in Christ. 

If we are devoted to God’s labor, the results He will produce will be more beautiful than any of us can ever imagine. 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139: 13)

In part one of this series, I wrote about discovering that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) “advocates for the acceptance, full participation and liberation of all sexual orientations, gender identies and gender expressions.” Bibliotado News calls this stance “blasphemy,” and for good reason. Refuting the Biblical view of two genders – male and female – and allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community to hold leadership positions in the Church smacks of “woke” ideology rather than Biblical theology. 

As a former pastor of the ELCA, Tom Brock has seen the denomination embrace concepts far outside scriptural teaching. “‘Liberal’ is no longer the word for the ELCA; it has become radical,” said Brock. 

In an op-ed published by The Christian Post, Brock detailed what he saw evidenced in the ELCA before he moved to a doctrinally conservative branch of the Lutheran denomination. In just one example, Brock described the indoctrination of 31,000 ELCA youth at a 2018 gathering. During the event, the young participants were asked to publicly repeat an ELCA pastor’s statement, bolstering acceptance of secular genderism. 

“[Pastor] Nadia Bolz-Webber led the students to say after her, ‘I renounce the lie that queerness is anything other than beauty,'” Brock explained. 

In furtherance of their woke agenda, it’s not enough for the ELCA to ordain transgender or homosexual pastors. They actively support abortion – in both parishioner offerings and public sentiments. Brock explains, “The ELCA pays for abortion for any reason in the denomination’s healthcare plan, which is funded by offering dollars. That’s right, ‘your offering dollars at work’ can go to kill unborn children.”

We don’t have to take Brock’s word that this is true. Prior to the Supreme Court’s recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, this mainline division of the Lutheran Church, which represents approximately 3 million parishioners, spoke out against the leaked court document. In a May 17th tweet, the ELCA said that “abortion must be legal and accessible.” `

Contrary to Biblical teaching, while the ELCA acknowledges that a fetus is a human being, it calls this life a “neighbor” to the “pregnant person” and allows the ownness of fetal termination to rest on the mother alone – in conjunction with her community of “God, family, friends, doctors, and pastors.” Undoubtedly, considering God’s say in this decision is not to be taken literally. 

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, who leads the ELCA, explains the Church’s stance by referring individuals to their denomination’s 1991 social teachings document regarding abortion.  

“In the social statement, this church holds both women and ‘developing life in the womb’ as neighbors. This Church declares that any person who has become unexpectedly pregnant has moral agency to discern what to do, and this decision-making usually happens in a community – not only the person who is pregnant but with God, family, partners, friends, doctors and pastors. While this Church longs for a future with fewer abortions every year, the social statement points out that outlawing all or nearly all abortions is not the way to do this. The ELCA opposes both ‘the total lack of regulation of abortion’ and ‘legislation that would outlaw abortion in all circumstances.”

Such a position could never be deemed Biblical as the Sixth Commandment tells us, “Thou shalt not kill.” God created life; in His creation, all life is sacred. 

• “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” (Genesis 9:6)
• “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)
• “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.” (Exodus 21:12)
• “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” (Proverbs 6:16)
• “They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters.” (Psalm 106:38)
• “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:18-19)

Considering the Christian tenet that the Ten Commandments were given to the world by God, how can the ELCA unilaterally replace such laws with their social statement? Was such a document created simply for their Church to become more palatable to the masses? Is social acceptance, then, more important than divine authority? One must, therefore, question all teachings by this Church if that is the case. 

Moreover, if a fetus is a “neighbor” to a “pregnant person,” does the denomination feel it’s okay to kill my next-door neighbor, as well? Did the ELCA forget that doing so disavows yet another of God’s commandments – the Second, to be precise? This divine law, after all, instructs me to love my neighbor as I would myself.

And what of Galatians 5:14, which says, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” If the ELCA supports a mother killing her unborn “neighbor,” how can the denomination disavow the murder of anyone else? Am I the only one who questions the logic of this concept? Is an unborn neighbor any less valuable than one who has been born?

Sadly, as appalling as this heresy is, woke ideology is not contained within the Lutheran Church. It seems it took the Supreme Court’s decision to end federally-funded abortions to find out just how radical some church ideals are. While the deaths of over 63 million innocent babies were deemed necessary over the past 49 years in America, representatives of five different religions don’t feel this is enough – at least not in the Sunshine State. 

In early August, a reverend from the United Church of Christ, three Jewish rabbis, an Episcopal priest, a minister from the Unitarian Universalist church, and a Buddhist lama all filed lawsuits against the state of Florida. Their legal actions all allege the same thing – that the new state law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy violates their religious freedom. While I’m still contemplating this action, I have to ask – what kind of message about the Church is this sending to secular society if our activities are no different than anyone else’s?

One must wonder, at this point, what the universal Church’s purpose is. For those members of the Christian faith, the Church used to exist to glorify God by spreading Christ’s gospel, following His example, and learning to serve our Creator with one’s whole being – at least that’s what I always believed. 

In today’s world, the Church has become little more than a social club – allowing congregants a chance to gather, reflect, perform “good deeds,” and punch their “God-clocks” by attending services. Following Biblical teaching has become taboo – not just in schools, the workplace, or the government. Somehow, somewhere, at some point along the great expanse of time, believing scriptural truth has become unacceptable, narrow-minded, bigoted, and misogynistic – even within the Church. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

And so I must caution anyone who cares more about societal acceptance than our Creator’s – including the woke Church. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” We can’t pick and choose what we want to believe and disavow, sue over, and ignore because we want to be accepted by the general public. That’s just not how God’s law works. 

Christians are called to be the salt and light of the world. Matthew 5:13 reminds us, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

There is no purpose in the Church’s existence if it prefers popularity over instruction. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” 

Modern theology should be no different than that in Christ’s time. As Christians, we must be different. We must follow God’s guidance and live for His purpose, not public acceptance.

I prefer to be salty by following God than flavorless by chasing the world. Anything else is too “woke” and far gone for me.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Today, I am happier than a seagull with a french fry. That’s my new mantra. I don’t care what the day brings. I’m going to make a conscious effort to always find the good in it. Will that be easy? No chance. Will I do it anyway? You betcha.

Sometimes, the worst things happen to me and those I love. But contentment doesn’t have to depend on my circumstances. Happiness is more than a feeling. It’s a mindset. 

Just a little over a year ago, I was interviewing for the job I have today. I had recently changed jobs only to be moved to a new position that I had no experience in or felt comfortable with. The environment, role, and even the organization were completely different from what I had envisioned. In short, it was not the right place to call my work home. 

And so, I began praying that God would guide me to a new role. After months of steadfast application submissions and a determination to follow God’s divine guidance, a potential employer called me to interview. Perhaps the most significant component of this job, in particular, was that it would allow me to work from home, full-time – thus allowing me to reside anywhere. 

My first interview came when I was with my mom and brother, staying on the island that is my happy place. The evening after the interview, I went out into the ocean to float on the waves – purposely choosing this location to thank God for the job opportunity. It was while I was bobbing up and down in the waves, worshipping my Creator with my entire existence, when it hit me. If I got the job, I could potentially live at the seashore permanently. Such an idea was almost incomprehensible.

And yet, eleven months later, I now live 23 miles from the vacation spot where I interviewed for the job I have today. God turned my dream into reality. 

The achievement of such a goal did not happen overnight, nor did it materialize without a massive commitment to prayer, submission, and a boat-load of hard work. What started as an idea, bouncing on the waves, became my mission. Allowing myself three weeks, I found, made an offer, and secured my new home. A few days later, I listed my former home, which sold in six days. Reaching out to my new employer, I asked for a two-week extension on my start date to allow time to finalize paperwork on the two homes – both of which settled within two days of one another. 

As one of my friends said, it’s difficult enough to find a new job, let alone a career, a new home, and successfully sell a former dwelling. None of these things were easy – in fact, they were tremendously challenging and stressful. I could have never accomplished any of these goals without God’s help. 

And yet, here I am – more blessed than I deserve. 

Today, as I sit on the beach, marveling at the ebb and crest of each new crashing wave, I’m reminded anew of how God’s hand rests on every facet of my life. God knew the waves He would allow to crash over me, even before I had seen a seashore. Before my world began, my heavenly Father knew when He would bring me up and when He would crash me down – all to bring me closer to His side. 

Life’s turbulent waves often hit me when I least expect them, smashing my face to the bottom of the ocean floor, filling my mouth with sea salt, and causing me to cough and sputter without any idea of which way is up. The experience is often frightening and disorienting. 

And yet, at other times, like today, God fills me with a euphoric experience as I sit with my toes in the sand, filling my lungs with the salty sea spray, lulled into peaceful contentment by the placid lullaby that is the seashore. 

Whether God chooses to let me rise or fall, triumph or tumble, win or lose, I will strive to maintain my joy. After all, I am His child, and I know that there is a purpose in everything that touches me. 

So for today, tomorrow, and every day remaining that God sees fit to grant me, I choose joy. 

As for today, I am happier than a seagull with a french fry.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

In the next few blog posts, I’m going to focus on the Church – a term I’ll use irrespective of any and all Christian denominations – and the propensity of some to separate from Biblical theology. This week, I will concentrate on the Church’s embrace of all manner of sexual proclivities outside the sanctity of traditional marriage between men and women. 

While researching information about a local Lutheran church for my mom to visit, I was surprised to see a picture of the new pastor at one of the assemblies. To begin, seeing a female pastor was a bit of a surprise to me – but what gave me true pause was the unique clerical collar Pastor Esthel Marie Kane had chosen to wear in her profile photo. 

Rather than the traditional white clerical collar – all I’ve ever seen church leadership wear – Kane’s ornamentation featured both the rainbow flag and black, brown, blue, pink, and white arrows pointing right. Since we all know how the LGBTQ+ community has hijacked God’s precious rainbow, I had a bad feeling about this particular symbolism, which prompted me to research the design further.

According to LGBTQnation.com, the “Progress Pride” flag was created in 2018 by Daniel Quasar. Daniel, it’s important to note, prefers the pronouns “xe/xem/xry” and identifies as a “queer non-binary demiguy.” While the flag uses the traditional rainbow colors of the LGBTQ community, Quasar explains that the additional colors are meant to incorporate those in the transgender flag while also representing “people of color as well as those living with AIDS, those no longer living, and the stigma surrounding them.” 

The flag’s arrow depiction is purposely chosen to indicate “forward movement.”

So why is a pastor wearing a Progress Pride flag on her collar? I wondered. 

After glancing through St. James’s church blog, the reasons for this particular display became readily apparent. Even in my small coastal town, the Church has apparently gone “woke.” 

For those unfamiliar with the term “woke,” the Oxford-American dictionary defines it as being “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice.” One might wonder why Christian churches are more concerned with social justice than salvation, but I digress. 

On June 26, 2022, St James church celebrated “PRIDE Sunday” on the third Sunday after Pentecost. Imagine, while God’s Word tells us that pride is considered to be one of the greatest of all sins, this “church” is embracing it. As the Holy Scripture tells us: 

• “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
• “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” (Proverbs 16:5)
• “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
• “Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.” (Proverbs 21:4)

Further perusal of St. James’s website led me to discover their membership with the Reconciling Works program, promoted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). Per the program’s “About” page, “Since 1974, ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community.”

As if that’s not enough, the ELCA also endorses the use of preferred pronouns – going so far as to create a guide for how Lutherans should utilize the same in welcoming all persons to the denomination. 

Per EvangelicalFocus.com, the guide advises members of the Church to use the “SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression) spectrum,” while “avoid[ing] using gendered terms.” 

I wonder how they can read the Bible without referring to traditional male and female genders? Do they also superimpose all those new pronouns in the Holy Scripture? Is there a Bible version for everyone based on their preferred pronouns? That could get confusing. Imagine asking each visitor which Bible version he/she/ze/xe favored using during the Sunday scripture reading.  

The 2020 ELCA document also defines such terms as “genderqueer,” “pansexual,” “gender non-conforming,” and “androgynous,” just in case any parishioners were wondering. 

Let me pause here to make a distinction. Everyone is welcome to join the kingdom of God, no matter who they are. That much is true. Christ demonstrated love and delivered His message of reconciliation to everyone who would listen – Pharisees and prostitutes alike. 

That being said, Christ did not tell sinners to keep sinning. 

And make no mistake, the Bible clearly defines two genders – male and female – while also stating that any sexual activity outside of traditional marriage is sinful. 

• “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
• “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Romans 1:26-27)
• “‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22)
• “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.” (Leviticus 20:13)
• “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10)
• “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Corinthians 1: 8-11)
• “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Hebrews 13:4) 

Note that many other sins are included in the above lists of items condemned by God – including lying. Without question, every one of us has sinned in some way, shape, or form. 

And one sin is the same as any sin in God’s eyes. It separates us from a Holy God. 

Nevertheless, we are called as Christians to separate ourselves from immorality – not embrace it. As Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8:11: “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Is it easy to lead a life without transgressions? No way! We must each face our sinful natures every day for the rest of our lives – including me. 

But as the Apostle Paul – perhaps the most learned of all the apostles – told us, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to do so. 

“For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:18-20)

So if we must constantly battle iniquity and know it’s impossible on our own to defeat it, is it okay to embrace it? Isn’t that what this new Church ideology is teaching? That we should accept and welcome everyone into all positions of the Church – including Church leadership? After all, we know that we are all sinners. 

The answer is a resounding “No!” All are welcome to believe and accept Christ as their personal Savior. But doing so means we must commit to stepping away from sin by seeking God’s help every day of our lives. 

Paul explains it this way: 

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6: 1-4) 

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” (Romans 6: 11-14) 

But how do we do so? How do we walk away from ungodliness to live in a manner that exalts rather than debases our Creator?  

“Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” (Romans 6:19-23)

The answer is clearly written in the above passages. As Christians, we must separate ourselves from immorality and live for God, not ourselves. Perpetuating an impious lifestyle is discounting the price Christ paid on the cross to save us from damnation and provide us with the gift of eternal life. Christ’s sacrifice – His blood – paid the penalty for my sin and yours. If we truly believe the gospel message that Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, surrendered His life to provide the means for all who believe in Him to be able to go to Heaven, we will want to please Him and live our lives for Him – not ourselves. 

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This brings me back to the Church’s acceptance of the gay and lesbian lifestyle. It’s one thing to welcome everyone to learn about God and explain how His forgiving grace can save them. It is entirely different never telling those involved in this lifestyle that they are leading lives of sin that will eventually separate them from Christ’s kingdom forever. 

Let me explain it this way. If I was to see a group of people on a raft heading down a river that led to a 500-foot waterfall that would spell certain death to all passengers, should I wave to them from the shore, tell them that I love them, and never warn them of the impending danger? Would that be the loving thing to do? Isn’t that precisely what the Church is doing today? 

Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

As a Christian, I shouldn’t want to keep sinning as I know sin brings death and eternal separation from my Heavenly Father. If I want to sin, I must never have been made new in Christ. If I’m living for myself, Christ is not living in me. It’s as simple as that. 

To put it bluntly, churches that condone these lifestyles are utterly wrong on this topic. The loving thing to do is never to embrace someone without warning them of the danger that lies ahead. And, trust me. There is no greater danger than spending eternity in hell, separated from God. Talking about and explaining the same is the most loving thing I can ever do. It is not bigoted, homophobic, narrow-minded, or hateful. It’s quite the opposite, actually. Warning someone away from eternal death is the only loving thing one can and should do. It’s what Christ directed us to do in the Great Commission. 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19)

And let’s not forget that Church leaders are held to an even higher standard than others. Matthew 18:6 tells us, “As leaders, you are responsible for those you lead. These people are looking to you for guidance, like little children. We have a responsibility to lead and to lead well.”

Elevating LGBTQ+ community members to become partners in the Church – including raising them up to leadership positions – is not saving their souls. It’s making them feel good about their sin.

Church leaders should not be living in or affirming an immoral lifestyle – not because they aren’t perfect, but because they can’t be true believers and continue to live or endorse this way of life. Teaching anything different is nothing but a big lie perpetrated by the devil. 

Today’s Church needs to focus less on political correctness and more on pleasing God. Anything less is too “woke” by divine standards. 

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

This Tuesday, July 19th, my mother will turn 86 years young. That’s no small event. While I frequently say that every day is a gift, everything I can do for her, every activity we can perform together, and every act I can enjoy with my mom are doubly special. 

On Cinco de Mayo, my mother and brother bought the house next door to me. After years of considering the purchase of a vacation home, the opportunity to buy this adjacent property was too compelling. We both now live just 30-minutes from the beach – our happy place. I can watch over their house, tend their yard, and orchestrate repairs as needed while they reside in their primary Colorado home. 

When they’re here, as they are now, we enjoy being neighbors – frequently dining together, watching the sunset over the trees behind our houses, or just hanging out. It’s the shared simple everyday occurrences that are so special. When I found a little box turtle visiting my front porch, I was excited to carry it next door, so the three of us could delight in the unexpected visit. We named the little tree frog that sings near my mom’s back porch each evening “Beauregard,” and we look forward to hearing him serenade us with his beautiful night music.

I’ve been busy between their home purchase, the trip back to Colorado, and their subsequent summer visit. As I told them upon their return, “You bought a house. I’m giving you a home.”

Over the two months that they’ve been gone, I dug up, edged, planted, weeded, and mulched seven new flower beds. I planted three trees, raked rocks out of the existing back beds, added landscape fabric and plants, then returned the stones. In two 18-by-20-foot beds, I raked pebbles, weeded, added landscape fabric, and returned the pebbles to clean up the area. I then treated the front and back yards with weed-killer, cut, edged, and weed-eated the yard weekly. 

I treated rusted porch furniture in their backyard to a fresh coat of paint and restored a patio set I bought second-hand. The formerly faded-white chairs and table are now refreshed with turquoise-blue paint, cushions, and flamingo pillows resting beneath a green patio umbrella – all of which add to the beach theme. 

After weeding the patio’s stone slabs, I leveled the surface and added fresh concrete to join the sections together. Doing so will alleviate future weed growth permanently.  

Inside, I moved bedroom suites, decorated rooms with coastal-themed curtains and quilts, provided wall art, and added every bit of flair I could think of to turn the house into a beach home. The pantry is stocked with dry goods. The refrigerator and freezer are filled with perishables and frozen items.  

During the past 8-week interval, I fell and cracked a rib. As painful as it was to rake rocks, push a lawn mower, and dig plants, I felt compelled to do so. While my mom and brother told me to “take it easy” during their absence, I spent every evening and weekend covered with sweat and dirt in my efforts to complete all these projects. I never told them what I was doing as I wanted it to be a surprise. When they asked if I was “resting,” I told them I was “working my rib muscles to enhance the healing process.”

When they finally arrived, the resulting “reveal” brought me as much joy as it did to my mother and brother. My work was hard, yes, but it yielded many benefits. The toil was great, but it produced outstanding results. The exertion was profound, but I knew it would be appreciated. This project – which I presented as my mom’s birthday gift – was an immense labor of love. 

Each of us is given an average of about 29,200 days in our lifetime. How many of those days do we spend doing things for others versus ourselves? More importantly, how many days do we consciously strive to live for Christ? 

Psalm 139:16 tells us, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 

God gave us His Son so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. What are we doing to thank Him for HIs glorious gift? Do we live to satisfy ourselves or bring praise and glory to His kingdom? 

I feel privileged to be able to give something back to my mom for all the things she’s done for me in my lifetime. 

How much more do I long to give back to my heavenly Father for the grace and forgiveness He so freely gave me? As 1 Chronicles 29:14 reminds me, “Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.”

My greatest desire is to live my life in a way that pleases my Savior, sharing His love with others in any way that I can. I could give all I own and never outgive my Creator. I am surrounded by His love, upheld by His provision, and sanctified by His grace. I will spend every day I have left on earth serving Him in any way possible.

I can only pray that my labor of love will bring glory to my Savior. Every day is a gift. May we use whatever we’ve been given for Christ’s purpose alone. 

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.” (Romans 1:24)

Edmund Burke is frequently attributed for saying, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” While the actual speaker was John Stewart Mill in 1867, this former Rector of the University of St. Andrews spoke volumes in his inaugural address. Today’s pastors and conservatives could learn much from this early scholar. 

Mill’s speech issued the following warning to his time: “Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject.” 

Flash forward to today, where evil has become the new norm, and few people dare speak out against it. In just one such example, drag queens have become the new Disney princesses of our era. Much can be said about the damaging effect that such personas have on young children today.  

Drag queen story-hours were shocking to many when they first commenced in 2015, but lately, they’ve become a near-normal occurrence at libraries and elementary schools across our nation. During June’s “Pride Month,” for example, four Colorado elementary schools sponsored these events, allowing men dressed in flamboyant women’s apparel, wigs, and make-up to sit amongst minors while reading stories to them. 

Lest anyone perceive such events as simple entertainment to promote reading, it’s important to note that most books read are chosen to groom young children into accepting transgenderism and LGBTQ principles. Per the Drag Queen Story Hour website, “We generally use a mix of surefire read-alouds and books that explore gender diversity and difference.” Books such as Feminist Baby by Loren Bran or Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah Hoffman are listed as favorites. In their own words, “DQSH captures the imagination and play of the gender fluidity of childhood and gives kids glamorous, positive, and unabashedly queer role models.” 

Is this what parents are genuinely seeking in their children’s education? Do such demonstrations enhance and affirm self-esteem or disturb and confuse impressionable young minds? 

Erika Sanzi from the Parents Defending Education believes these events are purposely created to destroy the innocence of youth. 

“There is a reason to be concerned that there is a faction … of people who are pushing a lot of this stuff … [that] just don’t buy into this idea of childlike innocence,” Sanzi said. “There’s definitely a group of people that is out there really trying to push the boundaries because they do not believe that children need to be protected or shouldn’t be protected from this kind of content.”

A recent “Drag the Kids to Pride” event at a Texas Gay Bar further demonstrates the insanity of exposing children to adult-themed entertainment. Released videos show children giving dancers money while others encouraged the young children – mainly under 10-years-of-age – to walk the runway and pose for event attendees. When protestors confronted adults escorting children to the show, one woman wearing a shirt with the statement, “Love is love,” ironically screamed profanities at the protestors while repeating, “You’re scaring the children!”

While State Rep. Bryan Slaton (R-Texas) is seeking to pass legislation that will ban such events from happening again, the loss of childhood innocence can never be recovered. Even as Slaton works to justify his proposal, it’s hard not to wonder how such a need ever became necessary.

“We have a lot of laws to protect kids in Texas,” Slaton said. We don’t let them get tattoos. They can’t go in sexually oriented businesses. They can’t go in liquor stores. And then, of course, children need to just grow up and be children. They don’t need to be sexualized. They don’t need to be presented with this where they’re putting money into men’s underwear. It’s just not appropriate for children at all.”

But when acceptance of nearly anything and everything begins at the top of our country, it’s easy to see why such protections represent an uphill battle. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), for example, seems compelled to push the envelope and make the disturbingly abnormal become mainstream. Pelosi’s June appearance on “RuPaul’s Drag Queen All-Stars” featured her thanking the male contestants – garbed in flamboyant, female apparel and make-up – for the “joy and beauty [they] bring to the world.” She then lauded the participants further, saying, “Your freedom of expression of yourselves in drag is what America is all about.”

While I disagree with Pelosi’s statement on multiple levels, what I found most offensive was the show’s questionable usage of religious expressions in a program utterly devoid of Christian values. 

First came the show’s namesake, who told the Speaker, “We have prayers in our hearts to keep you strong.”  

After thanking RuPaul for this sentiment, Pelosi curiously responded by saying, “May God bless America.” The Speaker then waved her hand while asking, “Can I get an Amen?” The contestants and judges laughingly affirmed her request with a resounding “Amen!” 

In stunned disbelief, I pondered what I’d just heard and witnessed. Apparently, as long as someone is mocking God and doesn’t believe in His existence, it’s okay to ask our Creator to bless our nation. Valedictorians are repeatedly told to leave any mention of God out of their speeches, coaches have lost their jobs for praying, and business owners have been threatened and penalized for standing for Christian values. Nevertheless, the third-highest politician in our nation can invoke the name of God and say “Amen” without issue – as long as she’s the special guest on a televised drag competition, of course.  

If a drag queen can say he has “prayers in [his heart]” for a political leader to “stand strong” against conservative values, how much more so should Christians be praying for one another in a society whose values continue to degrade? 

While lawmakers seem intent on mainstreaming such events and perverting children’s minds, parents and pastors shouldn’t be afraid to speak out against such things. To not do so further empowers the left to push the envelope further. In point of fact, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently advocated for more of these inappropriate events, saying there should be a “drag queen for every school” and “drag queens make everything better.”

Respectfully speaking, Ms. Nessel, drag queens don’t make everything better. God does. 

There is a reason why pride is considered to be one of the seven deadly sins – along with lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, and envy. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 

A proud and sinful nature leads one away from the only thing that can ever satisfy – God. To teach, condone, demonstrate, and lead children – in particular – down this path beyond our Creator’s plan for virtue, morality, and decency seem to be directing others toward a goal that can never satisfy. 

The trouble with drag queens is not the men who’ve chosen to embrace this lifestyle but their propensity to push it on others – especially young children.

God gave us instructions to guide and protect us from spiritual harm. Man’s desire to pervert and distort our heavenly Father’s guidance can only lead to further deprivation. 

May we all continue to pray that God will bless our nation and prevent any further attempts to lead impressionable children away from our Creator’s desired purity and unadulterated love. 

As Luke 17:2 reminds us, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.”