"Almighty God Hath Created the Mind Free"

There's been a whirlwind of discussion the past few days, surrounding Tuesday's oral arguments at the Supreme Court in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Sebelius v. Conestoga Wood.  Well, more like a whirlwind the past 3 years as dozens of similar cases have been going through the courts.

I braved the freezing temps and snow to speak up for religious freedom while the cases were being argued! 

While Hobby Lobby's Green Family has been much more outspoken, I think this quote from Conestoga Wood's CEO Steve Hahn sums it up perfectly.  He begins, "We didn't pick this fight."

As I've been reading through commentary on the cases and the issue, I came across this article from a recently discovered website called, "Think Christian" - "Hobby Lobby's High Horse."

This particular statement prompted me to respond:

"By seeking to deny its employees the opportunity to exercise their own religious freedom, Hobby Lobby’s owners are elevating their personal beliefs (Scripturally tenuous ones, I might add) above a “moral good” for society at large. In a pluralistic setting, that’s sitting on an awfully high horse."

I've cut and paste my comments below:

Josh, I appreciate that your being thoughtful about this and willing to dialogue but I am getting frustrated by the Christian voices who are essentially making fun of Hobby Lobby and accusing them of being on a "high horse" You in fact, call their views "Scripturally tenuous ones". Look, I am a 20 something female, and I don't oppose most types of contraception. However, I cannot ignore science - that life begins at conception (check out the Endowment for Human Development) and that certain drugs and devices (the 4 that the Hahns and Greens object to) can cause early abortions: (Side note - less and less late term abortions are happening (praise God) and the real debate on abortion will be with chemical abortions that are happening at earlier and early stages, so this dialogue is going to continue.)

I would LOVE to start my own business one day - so do you really mean to tell me that if I'm able to do that, I should participate in/pay for/encourage something that I believe absolutely contradicts my conscience (murder of unborn babies)?  I think everyone keeps missing the point too, that the government has to show "compelling interest" that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood must comply with this mandate. For instance, if they were making claims of religious liberty to not provide health care at all, or not hire women, or insert another ridiculous example, of course that wouldn't fly and would violate various anti-discrimination laws. However, when these drugs can be picked up at Wal Mart, CVS, Walgreen, etc it doesn't quite seem as much like a "violation of women's rights" for the company to not provide it, does it?

I also was going to point out that Hobby Lobby pays much more than the minimum wage, but I see someone else did.  Now maybe we can continue to disagree on this particular issue, but can't we agree that believers, and people in general, must answer to their own conscience?

One other thing I'd like to add - while this case has the specifics of an Evangelical and Mennonite family and their religious faith - it is about conscience.  Do not all CEO's have some sort of belief system or conscience?

What if the government in the future amended the ACA, that every health plan must include a diet of red meat because the population needs more protein.  Would not a Vegan-owned business object to that? (I just googled Vegan businesses, and apparently there are many! ) Would not those employees be able to get their meat intake elsewhere, easily? So why can't the Vegan business owner be allowed to "obey his conscience."  He or she should be able to! 

That's why the Pilgrims came to the "new world!"  I recently visited the Jefferson Memorial and was struck by one the author of the Declaration of Independence's quotes: "Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens...are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion...No man...shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively."

Everything about these families faith has informed how they started their business - if I am blessed with that opportunity in the future, it will be the same for me.  You say, "By seeking to deny its employees the opportunity to exercise their own religious freedom, Hobby Lobby’s owners are elevating their personal beliefs above a “moral good” for society at large."  Hobby Lobby has given their employees jobs!  God bless them for creating jobs and giving men and women the ability to work, have dignity, and provide for their families!  A job is not a divine right, nor is a health plan that covers a drug that will kill a baby.

Now all we can do is pray as the judges decide and deliberate.  For a good summary, check out the wise words from the ladies at Women Speak for Themselves.

West Coast Trek

Psalm 90:2—"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."


America is FILLEd with works of creation that sing of the creativity and beauty of our great God.  While I'm partial to life on the East Coast, the...3?...times I've been to the West Coast, I have LOVED soaking in the scenery.  On a quick trip to Oregon for a dear friend's wedding, I visited Multnomah Falls - 611 feet of cascading water with the most precious viewing bridge.  And oh yeah, we hiked to the top - let's just say my glutes have been sore for days!

What is AWESOME to think about - that water has been falling for ages - LONG before I walked this earth.  And yet, even before that, our incredible God knew me, and had orchestrated His plans for my life.  The good and the bad - it's all in His hands. 



Photo by B.G, 8/6/12

In Praise of Podcasts

The combination of getting out of work "early" (6:00!), my new PINK exercise shirt, and beautiful evening for a run, made my night just lovely!  My workouts have been transformed by the discovery of the podcast.  I've downloaded tons of sermons from R.C. Sproul and our very own Lon Solomon and I can be infused with God's word and the wisdom of great leaders while I get my body in shape...LOVE technology in this case!

Tonight, as I ran past the Capitol, wondering what the fate is for our beloved country, wondering how much longer I'll be working there, and even why God gave me this job in the first place, the Lord, through Pastor Lon was speaking to me - about His omniscience.  It's always a good thing to be reminded that our God is omniscient: "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things."  Taking that to heart is freeing on so many levels!  I don't have to worry about the future of America - he's got the whole world in his hands.  No need to fret about future employment - he's preparing me and my path for that.  And I can take heart in the face of a difficult situation - God had it planned before my birth and its for a purpose.  I just need to be obedient in trusting Him to show me His way.

Okay, so I may not have had the most hard core work-out b/c I was so focused on the good word I was hearing, but oh well!  Edification is good for the soul.  And at least I had my pink shirt on :)

Let's cling to Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Dealing with Sin

sIn my Sunday School glass with the 5th grade girls today, we were talking about the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. He had to have been physically exhausted after fasting for 40 days, and yet when tempted multiple times by Satan, he was equipped with Scripture to rebuke the devil. What a perfect, literally, example for us!

God has been convicting me that it is not enough to just get frustrated my by continual sins, ask for forgiveness, and think that I am done with it. Sanctification is a continual process. Jerry Bridges offers a great way to ward off complacency:
-Apply the Gospel
-Depend on the Holy Spirit
-Recongize your responsibility
-Identify specific respectable sins
-Memorize and apply appropriate Sciptures
-Cultivate the practive of prayer
-Involve one or a few other believers with you

I have been most convicted lately about relinquishing my control over my sanctification. I need to let go - I need to completely trust in Christ's power to give me victory over my sin nature. No worldy self-help book will accomplish that.

Discontentment, Worry, and Thankfulness

Our latest study centered around discontentment, worry/anxiety, and unthankfulness. I have the tendency to let worry eat me up, but I know it is sin. But God is gracious through his santification. This past we were going through an awful experience at work. It seemed devastating to my perspective, but through prayer, and the Holy Spirit constantly reasurring me that everything would be okay, I was able to have a sense of peace - praise God! I certainly had my moments of "freak-out", but overall the Lord reminded my of his promise in Proverbs - that if I trust in the Lord and don't lean on my own understanding, he will direct mine, and my fiance's path :) Below is a great devotional on this, that I just had to repost. Would love your thoughts!
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God’s desire is that our faith grow continuously as we walk with Him. He never intended belief to be a one-time event with a single purpose of ushering us into salvation. The older we get, the greater our trust should become. Yet I’ve met some Christians who have stayed at the same level of faith throughout life.

We need to realize that our willingness to trust the Lord affects every area of our lives—how we feel, what we do, the way He blesses us, and whether our prayers are answered. It all begins with our focus. When you face difficulties or heartbreak, do you notice only the impossibility of the circumstances, or do you see the greatness of our Father? To whose voice are you listening—the skeptical advice of others, the lies of Satan, or the Word of God?

Our focus in turn affects our emotions. Those who choose to believe what God says experience the peace and joy of knowing He has everything under His control. Because they trust Him, fewer situations bother them. But if our minds are filled with doubts, anxiety and fear rush in—then, we’re just not sure if the Lord is going to help us or not. Instead of resting in Christ, we fuss and fume, trying to anticipate all possible outcomes and solve every problem in our own strength.

I don’t think we realize how important faith is to God. He delights in us when we choose to believe Him; He will also move heaven and earth to act on our behalf and answer our prayers. By trusting Him, we’ll discover new excitement and adventure in life and find that He is always faithful.

Respectable Sins: Ungodliness

Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins is the anti-page turner - I hesitate turning to the next page because I know the Holy Spirit will convict me yet again through Bridges' words. But I LOVE the concept of his book - we so often tend to overlook the "seemingly less egregious sins" such as impatience, anxiety, discontentment, while pointing out the ills of society. As someone who tends to be a cultural critic, I guilty as charged. We all remember the parable Jesus tells about pointing out the speck in your neighbor's eye, while ignoring the plank in your own eye...but that's just a nice story to remind children to be nice to each other, right? NO!

Christ is teaching us that it doesn't matter if I haven't gone out and murdered someone, my sin, no matter what it is, needs to be dealt with in my life. And it all goes back to ungodliness - the mindset that things I do not need God in my life, whether through deliberate actions or a subconscious lifestyle.

One of my favorite lines from Oswald Chambers:
"Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for otheres, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind."

Nothing should go unchecked. Which means I need to rely upon the Holy Spirit to bring certain sins and behavior to light in my life. THE GOOD NEWS IS - Christ died to rescue me from those sins once and for all and we can rejoice in that gift of grace.

But, the process of sanctification continues. More thoughts on Respectable Sins forthcoming...