Fear

     Happy New Year, friends. We’re starting the new year at our house with a bout with Covid. It started last week with Nathan, and then Ray and Kristina. Nathan is almost through with his quarantine, and will be able to go back to work tomorrow. Ray’s also pretty much back to normal, and Kristina just has a bad cough, but she never has actually stopped working since she can work from home easily. It was honestly no big deal for any of them. CJ tested negative. I had just gotten a test while I was in Virginia the weekend before Christmas, and it was negative too, but that was before I came home to find it waiting for me here. I tried to stay away from everybody, but that’s practically impossible when you’re living in the same house. I hadn’t had any symptoms at all though until night before last when I got a bit of a headache and a scratchy throat. It’s pretty much gone, and I’m feeling fine, at least for now. I’m just continuing to pound my vitamins, and hoping for the best. I haven’t gone to be tested again. I’m just acting on the assumption I could have it, and keeping my butt at home!  

     To be honest, I really don’t understand why the world has to shut down because of this. I’ve lived through polio, tuberculosis, whooping cough, and many other dreadful diseases in my life. They were much more horrible for most of their victims than Covid. Yet, no one would have dreamed of shutting down the country for them. I even got a severe case of strep as a teen, and they didn’t know if I would live or die for over a week, because my temperature was so high. It didn’t cause a blip on anyone’s radar. I know Covid is more dangerous for older people with health issues. I’m in that category myself. Many of my friends haven’t been out their door since March. I worry so much about them. That isolation is much more dangerous to them than Covid.

     We cannot, and must not, live in fear. I’m not saying to go out in huge crowds and purposely put ourselves in danger. I’m also not saying I don’t have a responsibility, knowing it’s all around me, and I have slight symptoms, to stay home to protect others from exposure. I do. But people were doing that for generations before we ever heard of the word Covid. It’s called responsibility, an almost forgotten concept in our victim culture. I don’t want to use the more common idiom, but we just have to accept that terrible things happen. That cannot mean we don’t live our lives to the fullest extent possible.

     Fear is the most fatal danger we face. The Bible warns about it over and over. And it’s a completely useless emotion. “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt.6:27) God has a plan for our lives. He’s not going to take us until that plan is complete, and when it is, there’s not a mask in the world that can stop it. So, stop living in fear, and get about the tasks He has set for you. That’s the only answer to this. But the good news is we’re not alone in the battle. If God is for us, who can be against us? Keep faith.

God bless you!      

NaNoWriMo

     It’s NaNoWriMo, and writers all over the world are typing their little hearts out. For those of you who may not know what NaNoWriMo is, in November each year, writers are challenged to write an entire, or at least 50,000 words of, a new novel in these thirty days. Good luck to my fellow writers. I’m a bit behind, but I have written 5,000 words so far.

     It occurs to me that writing is a rather unique gift we’ve been given by God. I say rather because actors and singers share it in a way, although even they must have first had a writer to put the words into their mouth, but they share it in that they bring those words to life and touch people’s soul in an intimacy that is almost godlike.

     Please don’t misunderstand. We’re definitely not gods. We’re, as Paul would say, the “chiefest of sinners.” But this gift of words has the power to reach into people’s minds and help them to see truth in a way we cannot begin to understand. When I write a story, I create a world that is as real to me as my next door neighbor. If I’ve done my job well, that world becomes just as real to the reader, and it may affect him or her for the rest of their life whether or not they realize it. This is the reason writing has the power to bring change.

     Think of your favorite novel (or story) of all time. What was it? How did it affect you? My favorite book, although I can’t call it a novel, is The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. That work brought the Holocaust to life to me in such a way that I’ve never forgotten it, even though I probably read the book almost fifty years ago. I still remember and tell people we have to be thankful for the fleas. If you don’t understand that reference, you must read this book.

     I think this is the reason Jesus identified Himself as The Word. In John 1:1, it says, “In the beginning was The Word, and The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Jesus was the ultimate storyteller. People followed Him for His miracles. But they listened to His stories. He wove together word pictures that could help them visualize the kingdom of God like no prophet before Him had ever been able to do. Those who accepted Christ were able to endure things we can’t begin to imagine to bring the good news to the rest of us. Their lives were forever changed.

     This power to bring change is a gift, but it’s also a responsibility. We must be careful in our words, and seek His wisdom. Most Christian writers are definitely not in it for the money. Few ever actually make a living at it. Yet, as I said in the beginning, thousands across the country are pounding their keyboards this month. God has gifted them, and they are using this gift for His glory. Please pray for them as they write.       

God bless.

Teresa       

The King is Coming!

     Today I’d like to focus on something wonderful instead of doom and gloom.

     Back in the eighty’s, I was attending a little church outside Vinton, Virginia called Mineral Springs. Our choir director at the time was Mrs. Joy Wright. Joy had one of the most amazing soprano voices I’ve ever heard. Every few months, the congregation would request/demand that she sing the new Gaither song, The King is Coming. Her voice would fill the sanctuary, and by the end everyone in the room would jump to their feet in thunderous worship and applause. To date, I’ve never heard a better rendition of the song, even though I’ve heard a few by the Gaither’s themselves.

     We were convinced Jesus’ return could happen any day. It’s been over forty years. Actually, it’s been over two thousand years since Jesus first made that promise. He said, “I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, there you may be also. And if I go to prepare a place, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, you may be also…” (John 14:3) This quote and many others like it are the hope that gave early Christians strength to face lions and all the other forms of severe persecution the Romans put them through. It has allowed men and women of God to cross oceans with the good news of the gospel throughout history. And it will get us through the days ahead as well.  

     I still believe it could happen any day. On His way into Jerusalem, Jesus did a most curious thing. He cursed a fig tree that had no fruit. He said the generation that sees the fig tree bloom again would see His return. The fig tree has always been known as a symbol of Israel. Israel became a nation again in 1948, two years before I was born. That generation is still alive and kicking, but we’re getting pretty “long in the tooth”, or more likely, toothless. The time is here, and we need to urge everyone we know to be ready; to have their “lamps filled” because the day is near when the bridegroom appears for His bride, the church.

     In the meantime, I just love to be reminded of those words, “Oh, the King is coming. The King is coming. I just heard the trumpet sounding, and now His face I see. Oh, the King is coming. The King is coming. Oh, praise God, He is coming for me!”   

Thankful

  Well, I voted two weeks ago, so all we can do now is wait and see what will happen next. God is still on His throne and either way, we must continue to pray for our leaders.

      Thanksgiving and Christmas season is soon upon us. What are you thankful for? First, we can be thankful for a country where we have the freedom to go to the polls and elect our leaders, and at the same time, be thankful it’s over and no more commercials or continual pleas for money from them! Even the ones I love were driving me absolutely crazy with their constant bombardment of demands. I just wanted to shout at them, “Please leave me alone!” Surely, I’m not the only one who felt that way! Someone needed to tell their campaign managers that strong arm and intimidation tactics don’t work well with most donors, or at least not with this one.

     But on to other things. Don’t you love fall weather? The temperature has been so lovely lately. I love to ride around with my windows down and a gentle breeze blowing on my unmasked face. I feel like I can breathe again. I see other people driving around alone in their car with a mask on and their windows rolled up, and wonder what in the world they’re thinking? I tend to rip mine off the second I come out of the store and gulp in all the air I can. I can’t wait to get that thing off! Why would anybody ride around in a car alone with one on? I’m thankful for fresh air and fall weather.

     I’m thankful for my friends and family. The Lord has so blessed me in my old age. I feel like I have more friends I can truly count on than I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’ve had several minor surgeries in the last few years. They weren’t anything at all life threatening; just nuisances. But all I’ve had to do was mention a need, and my friends have immediately stepped up to meet it. I didn’t even have to ask. I’d just say I had a surgery coming up for whatever and they’d ask if I needed a ride or whatever they could do to help. In the same way, when she knew I was struggling financially, Kristina offered me a home so I could sell mine and ease that burden. There was never any question of me being homeless. I knew that as soon as I was ready, I had a home waiting for me. That’s a beautiful blessing. My son has offered to do the same for my ex-husband, which also makes me happy. We raised our kids well. My grandkids are my joy. My only desire is to see each and every one of them come to know, love, and serve my Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Then they will truly know the peace and joy that passes all understanding.

     I’m thankful for my church. I have been a part of some amazing churches throughout my life. God has really blessed me in that regard. My pastors have been such strong men of God who have faithfully preached the Word of God. But they’ve not only preached it; they’ve modeled it in every facet of their lives. They’ve set the example for all of us. Evangelism and missions have been the hallmarks of these churches with the emphasis on reaching the world with the gospel message.             

     I’ve been on seven mission trips myself. But I’ve been blessed to see much more of the world than many people just on family trips. We, in this country, have no real idea of how blessed we are. So many people live in one room huts with no running water or electricity. In other places, they may have those things, but the infrastructure is terrible, and they may have raw sewage floating in a stream behind their home. It’s unbelievable. Yet, these same people may have a cell phone or a laptop! This may be because the government gave them that cell phone or laptop to keep them from complaining about the sewage or bad roads. I don’t know. I just know it doesn’t make sense. And, I know I’m thankful for my country.

     Most of all, I’m thankful that God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life, die on a cruel cross, and be raised on the third day to pay the penalty for my sins. I’m thankful He loves me and chose me for His own. He’s promised to never leave me or forsake me, and He’s a God Who always keeps His promises. What a mighty God we serve!

     What are you thankful for today?

VOTE!

     Have you ever thought about what a privilege it is to vote for our leaders? For most of history, such a thing was unheard of. Kings and emperors ruled with an iron fist. Dictators came to power as they overthrew reigning kings in bloody coups, but still never thought about giving back that power to their citizens. We could easily have had the same situation here in America.

     After the Revolution, the colonists badly wanted to make George Washington the king. Praise the Lord, he refused! But what if he hadn’t? Where would we be now? Probably just like every other nation in the world.

     But we probably wouldn’t be the only ones whose lives would be different. Democracy changed even the countries that still had kings. England is now a constitutional monarchy. It still has a king, or at the moment, a Queen, but her role is largely ceremonial. Unlike Henry VIII, she can’t have anyone’s head chopped off.  Other monarchs have a bit more power, but very few have unlimited power.

     Only in communist countries, is the country ruled by a small elitist group led by a single person. The odd thing is most of those countries were at some point on their way to freedom. Yet, they voluntarily gave it all up. Why would anyone do that? We may be about to find out! But, like those countries, it will be too late as the trap shuts on liberty!

     Think it could never happen? Would you have thought it possible a year ago for a presidential candidate to talk about a National Mask Mandate and forced vaccinations and have any chance of being elected? Or that he could threaten to take away your first and second amendment rights, and people would be cheering about it? Freedom itself is at stake in this election. It’s so weird to me that the worst thing people seem to come up with against Donald Trump is that they don’t like his personality. So What?!!! What’s that against your freedom, people?!!!

     The unbelievable thing is they constantly compare Trump to Hitler, but he hasn’t tried to take anything from anybody. On the contrary, it’s the Democratic Party, that wants to mask your face, kill your jobs, take away your right to own a gun or protect yourself, your freedom to worship, and they’re even admitting they’re going to take all your money in order to do it! It makes no sense at all that anyone would vote for them! But they’re doing it by the millions! Why?

     Actually, the answer’s simple. Greed. Free stuff. It’s a lot easier to have someone give me something than to work for it myself. A free college education? Gosh, I paid about thirty thousand dollars and worked at the college for five years to get mine. It would have been far easier to let the government pay for it. Free health care for all. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Somebody’s got to pay for it somehow. Ask Venezuelans how it’s worked out for them.

     There’s only one solution, and we have it in our hands. God gave us a good brain, and He means for us to use it wisely. Like Esau, we can trade the future for a bowl of stew, or we can save it, at least for now, with our vote. 

God bless you.   

Pray! Vote! Pray!

     Get Well wishes and God bless you to our President and First Lady, as well as to the members of their staff and others who’ve contracted the virus recently.

     Polls will be opening soon in Georgia for early voting. I will be casting my ballot as soon as possible thereafter. I have no reason to do a mail-in ballot, and therefore I won’t. I had them send me one back in the spring since no one knew at the time how bad the pandemic was going to be, and I didn’t want to miss out. But I missed out anyway by my own stupidity.

     I took the ballot with me, and went to vote at my local precinct. I was honest and tried to give them back the absentee ballot, which was halfway filled out but not completed or signed. They couldn’t take it and let me vote. They had to call somewhere for authorization. They couldn’t get through. I would have had to go downtown in 4:30 traffic to take the absentee ballot to the designated mailbox for absentee ballots. Sorry, but there’s no way I drive anywhere in 4:30 traffic, much less downtown. Like I said, it’s my stupidity for forgetting it was primary day until 4:00! However, had it been the regular election, I would have found a way. But I doubt I would have forgotten in the first place. I truly believe this election means the difference between freedom and an eventual communist takeover!

     You probably think I’m being overly dramatic. I don’t think so. My Venezuelan ESL student from a year ago so pierced my heart when she told me to please pray for her country. She said when she was a little girl, it was the wealthiest country in South America, but that now people scrounged in garbage cans for enough food to live. She didn’t want to go back, but her visa was up, so she had to. I think about her so often.

     You may not know I’ve always had a love of languages. I studied Spanish for four years in high school, and German and Biblical Hebrew in college. As part of my German classes, I’ve studied a lot about German literature, history and culture. But I could never understand how the German people could so easily fall for Hitler’s lies and evil schemes. Now I think I’m beginning to. It’s happening right here in America!

     The truly weird thing is the left thinks we’re the “fascists” who’re trying to destroy America! Nobody in the general public seems to have a clue what’s really going on. I’ll bet Hitler did, and I’ll bet Antifa and BLM leadership, and others in this attempted coup do too. They know exactly what they’re doing! The chaos is too organized and well-funded to be otherwise.

    Have you read much about how Israel became a divided nation? During David’s reign and the early part of Solomon’s when he was faithfully following God, God had richly blessed their kingdom, making it a land of abundance and great wealth. Sound familiar? But Solomon turned away from God, influenced by foreign wives and foreign gods. (Seems he’d warned his sons about this very thing in Proverbs and Song of Solomon.) Then some fellas led by a man named Hadad and Jeroboam began to conspire against Solomon. Guess what? The Bible says God Himself took most of the kingdom away from Solomon’s descendants and gave it to Jeroboam. We cannot believe God would do any less to America for our apostasy. We’ve taken Him out of our schools, our courts, our government. Why should we expect Him to continue to bless us? He is not a puppet at our command! He admits He’s a jealous God, and He commands the wind and the waves and calls the stars by name. He alone raises up and puts down leaders, and they’re not always who we’d expect, but they’re to accomplish His purposes, even when we don’t understand those purposes at all. Would He let America fall? He let Israel fall and be carried away into captivity for 400 years. We certainly can’t believe He wouldn’t!

     I know. I’ve drifted way away from my original topic which was voting. Or have I? Maybe it depends on who or what you believe in. I believe in Jesus Christ and His Lordship alone. President Trump is just a man. He’s the one who gets my vote, not because he’s perfect. He’s not by a long shot. But he does recognize my right to attend church to worship Christ, to proclaim the gospel without governmental restraint, the sanctity of life, and the ability of the people to dictate their own conscience. These are all freedoms at stake in this election. God only gives us one prescription for success in our endeavors.

     “…And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Pray!…Vote!…Pray!

God bless you!

Abortion

    President Trump has kept his campaign promise, and nominated another conservative judge, Judge Amy Barrett, to the Supreme Court. Thank you, President Trump! God bless you! Democrats are furious. Most of all they are afraid! Why? They believe she will vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade. I certainly hope they’re right about that! But even if they are, and she does, the fight won’t be over. Not by a long shot!

     It would be wonderful if overturning Roe vs. Wade would immediately stop all abortions, but it won’t. The problem then goes back to the states, and yes, some conservative states will abolish it. But some won’t. For that to happen, we need to make abortion unthinkable. We need to find a way to help women see the child as a real person, someone with the same rights as they have: the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Most of these women would never consider killing any of their children who are already born, but they’ve been brainwashed into believing the unborn child is a piece of tissue or clump of cells, not a real child. It’s only as they see the truth of the reality of personhood, they are able to break that cycle and see the value of the baby they’re carrying.

     This is one reason sonograms are so important. It’s the reason Planned Parenthood doesn’t want their clients to see the sonogram. Statistics say that women are far less likely to choose abortion if they’ve seen a sonogram. They would lose most of their clients!

     Personally, after having had three children, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone seeing their own baby as anything less than a baby, even without a sonogram. I’ve never had one. But my son’s swift kicks to the groin were more than enough evidence for me. He could double me over in pain. Kristina’s didn’t have quite that oomph, but she wasn’t any slouch in that department either. Kara was the only one who wasn’t that strong a kicker, but by that time, it was a worry that there might be something wrong rather than even a shadow of a doubt she was human. I find it hard to fathom women going through an entire pregnancy without even knowing they were pregnant. Yet I know it happens.

     Some women say men shouldn’t have any say about abortion since they don’t have to carry the baby. But they didn’t get pregnant without that man! It’s his child too. Why do they have the right to kill his child? “My body, my choice,” they scream. That’s the whole point! It’s not their body! My body does not have two heartbeats, two sets of brainwaves, twenty fingers or twenty toes! And neither does anyone else’s.

     Science is not on the side of abortion. Even Roe vs. Wade said that if it could be proved that a fetus was “alive”, the law could be changed. That was in 1973. It was proved a long time ago. Heartbeats can be detected as early as 18 days. Brainwaves are detectable at 42 days. Babies can suck their thumbs in the womb. Kristina’s first two fingers had extremely soft nails when she was born. The doctor told me it was because she had probably sucked them throughout the entire pregnancy. We couldn’t break her of the habit until after she was four years old! A former abortionist, now a pro-life advocate, says she had to quit performing abortions when she looked at a sonogram and saw a baby trying its best to get away from her forceps, That baby died, but even in death, he prevented thousands of other babies from suffering the same fate he did at the hands of this woman. His life mattered! The lives of all these babies matter! Please pray for an end to this horrendous evil!        

Our Identity

“Who is this then that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:41b)

At Hebron, we’ve begun working our way through the book of Mark in our Sunday morning sermons. The first question Mark addresses is “Who is Jesus?” but he actually answers the question in the first verse of the book. He writes, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He never for a moment allows the possibility that Jesus is just another rabbi. He lays out in order His authority, His power, His purpose and the proof that He is who He says He is. The entire book is dedicated to laying out that proof. In a BBC radio talk, C.S. Lewis declared that we, as Christians, have only three choices in our belief about that claim. We must either believe He’s a liar, a lunatic, or He is Lord of all.

Not everyone accepts that He even made such a claim. They say He never made any such statement. That’s nonsense! He made no secret of His identity! If He had not been the Christ, the Pharisees would have been perfectly correct to condemn Him. He would have been guilty of blasphemy! Praise God, He was exactly Who He said He was!

So then, the next question we must ask ourselves becomes, “Who am I?” How do we describe ourselves, not just to others, but to our own soul? Do we simply say, “I’m a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, or husband, father, son, brother, etc.” or maybe by a job description like teacher, electrician, author, or whatever? Or, can we honestly, like Paul call ourselves, “a bond-servant of Christ Jesus.” (Romans 1:1) Like him, as Christians, we are all called to be “set apart for the gospel of God.”

As Christians, we each have a unique identity in Christ. We are set apart for a purpose, and that purpose is to advance the kingdom of God. It’s why He left us here once He’d saved us. We each have a unique voice and a message to deliver to the world that only we can give, but we can only find that voice and discover that message as we truly begin to understand who we are in Christ. (I put emphasis on those last two words–IN CHRIST.)

In Christ, we’re to be transformed. We don’t belong to this world anymore. It’s values should not be our values, its goals not our goals. We’re His. He bought us with the price of His own blood, and we’re to be set apart for His gospel. We’re trumpeters (or heralds if you prefer) of the good news that Jesus is truly the Messiah, the Son of God Who came to save the world.

I find one of the most interesting things in our study of the book of Mark so far is that the demons, the weather and all of nature, sickness and even death and Satan, all have to immediately obey the voice of Jesus. The only ones who could choose to disobey were the people. Isn’t it amazing He would give us the choice? Fortunately or unfortunately, depending which side we’re on, such will not always be the case. “At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess Him as Lord, to the glory of the Father.” At that point though, it’ll be too late to call Him, Savior!

Who am I? In Christ, I’m the daughter of the King of all Creation. And because I love my Father, I want to boldly proclaim the good news to the world as loudly and clearly as I can. How about you? What’s your identity in Christ, and what’s your message to the world?

The Years

     September 1. Can you believe it? It sure seems like we’ve missed out on an entire year! I’d like to say it has been the worst year of my life, but I can’t honestly do that. 2007 wins that contest hands down. It doesn’t even come in second. Or third. Being stuck in a house can’t compare to tragedy and grief striking your family with a vengeance. Of course, many have suffered that also this year, and for you, I extend my sincere condolences. It turns out several in our family actually have had Covid, but it was nothing severe for them than a mild cold. They didn’t even tell anyone until afterwards.

     Tomorrow is my son’s 44^th birthday, so I’d like to wish him a happy birthday! God bless you, Kevin Pollard! You were a great kid, drove us absolutely berserk as a teenager, and have turned into a sweet, kind, wonderful man as an adult. So proud of you! May your journey continue long and prosperous, but most of all, may you become all the dear Lord intends you to be! Love you, Sweetheart!

     Also have a couple of grandchildren celebrating birthdays this week. Congratulations, Raymond Insley V, Rebecca Insley, and Noah Pollard. Love you all, and I wish that same blessing on each one of you, as well as all my grandchildren. I know you guys don’t really realize it yet, but getting older is a blessing. It’s one that comes with a lot of struggles though.

     There will be great years where everything is wonderful. You may marry, find your dream job that brings you joy and satisfaction, travel to an exotic place that simply takes your breath away, or have children that make your heart sing with happiness that makes you giggle like you were a young child yourself again.

     There may be hard years that may strain your muscles with sweat, or your mind with worry, but those may be the ones you look back on with the most pleasure in your accomplishments. The lean, hard years are the ones God uses to teach us endurance and patience for the trials to come.

     Because there will be trials! It seems like the closer we try to draw to Christ, the fiercer the trials become. The years we spend in God’s refining fire are the most difficult ones we will ever experience. If your life’s too easy, you’d better question whether you even know Him! Satan doesn’t bother those who aren’t any threat to his kingdom. But this life isn’t the end! This life only serves as preparation for the next one. So, my one desire for those I love is that you’re prepared. Don’t be worried about storing up treasure on this earth. Look around you. Nothing’s safe on this earth anyway. It’s all coming to an end, and it sure looks like it’s sooner, rather than later. Rather, store up treasures in heaven. You’ll never regret those years if you pass through the fires unscathed.

God bless you, everyone! If you’re reading this, you’re also one of those I love and address this message to!      

Image Bearers

Jesus Loves the Little Children

I took CJ to Walmart yesterday to spend his gift card I gave him for his tenth birthday. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten and a half years since I moved to Georgia to help Kristina so she could have the baby she so much wanted. I was so broken and alone. Now I’m living in a large, beautiful house with six people, and because of the pandemic, seldom alone. Even then, I cherish those moments. I’m not lonely.

     I am old. But to me, that’s a good thing. My grandmother died at forty-two; my mom at sixty-two. So, the fact that I’ve already made it to seventy is nothing less than a miracle. After all, I wasn’t supposed to live to see my first birthday, much less seventy of them! But my God refuses to be dictated to by doctors as to when people should lie there and die. Evidently, so did I! (with a lot of help from my dad, who came home from Korea just in time to whisk me out of the hands of said doctors, and take me home to live all these years.)

     My granddaughter, Lexi Pollard, has just graduated from college and is now a pediatric cardiac care nurse at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. I’m so proud of Lexi. She was born at twenty-six weeks, and weighed three pounds when she was born, but she too fought all the odds against her. She let nothing stop her from becoming the beautiful woman she is today! She’s always loved children, and her zeal to help them is so wonderful to see.

     I suppose the point I’m making in my round-about fashion today is that society is trying its best to dictate our lives today. With all that’s going on, they’re telling people when and where they can or can’t go out. When you do go out, masks are required. There was a lady behind us at Walmart yesterday. I didn’t see her, but I was so proud of her. She wasn’t wearing a mask, and when the attendant asked, she just replied, “No, I can’t wear a mask for medical reasons.” He let her in. Supposedly, masks are a great help in suppressing people’s will. If they can’t see your face, you’re not an individual. You’re a nonentity.

     We can’t let that happen. We can’t be dictated into non-personhood. We are God’s image bearers. We are His people. He not only knows our name, but the number of our days, and even the ever-decreasing number of hairs on our head. I know I always tend to bring things back to abortion, but in a way, it’s the same. If we don’t see unborn babies as people, it’s too easy to brush them aside as unimportant. We are all important to our heavenly Father!

     I’m not saying don’t wear a mask (although I really don’t believe they’re necessary or efficient). I’m saying don’t let it define you. Don’t let it make you live in fear. Don’t give in to society’s message that you don’t matter. You do! God has a great plan for your life! Live each day to the fullest. Become all that He intends for you to be! Every day of your life has value! Live it for Him!