From September 10th, 2021

Was America founded on Christian principles? Is the United States a Christian nation? (warning: LONG post/semi-rant)

Before I answer, a couple of notes. I am a Christian. I am blessed to be married to a pastor, and I am regularly exposed to many different pastors’ teachings, allowing me to form what I hope is a well-rounded and grounded opinion. I am not afraid to question what doesn’t line up with what I have previously learned. That’s my loquacious way of saying I do not blindly accept any doctrine or idea presented before me. I haven’t always been a Christian, though, and have studied many different spiritual paths. I studied college level history and I read historical accounts now, so I’m certain my historical references are sound. I’ve been known to split a few hairs and over-analyze, so take what I say in the context of these notes. I am *always* open to being educated.

I believe very firmly in the separation of church and state. I’ve long said, “Never trust a preacher who tells you how to vote or a politician who tells you how to pray.”

So, knowing all this about me, my answer to the questions above are yes and no. Are we founded on Christian principles? Yes. While many of the founding fathers identified themselves as Deists, 98% of the original colonists were protestant. (Kosmin & Lachman, ‘One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary America.’) Those ideals are woven into our Constitution. It is commonly accepted, however, that because the founding fathers had experienced religious persecution and came to the new world to escape it, therefore a majority insisted in a separation of church and state for the newly minted United States. Is the United States a Christian nation? No. We were founded on a principle of separation of church and state. And while a majority of America identify as Christian, there are many other religions practiced openly and freely here as well.

What prompted me to write this…and something that I have been debating with myself for days about…is the following post which is currently making its way around Facebook:

"I don't want any confrontation on this post. Just getting my feelings out. If you don't agree just pass this by.

I'm going to vent here. I believe we all have the right to worship as we please, but I also know that our country, the United States of America, was founded on Christian principles. I believe we should be proud of our country. A quote is a quote. It should not be amended or watered down. The news should not be afraid to use the "Love of Christ" part. Why? Because using the word Christ might upset someone! Well now, it's my turn to be upset! I'm upset that they would edit it out. Upset that Christians are asked to tread lightly so as not to upset someone of another religion. Many a man loved his country and loved God and gave his life for both.

This Founding Principle is actually embedded in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I hope every Christian or every person that believes in God who is offended will copy this and paste it to their status.

“If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.” ~Ronald Reagan

*Before you say it, I already know that a lot of you don't copy & paste.* it's easy... hold your finger on this post, when the word “copy” appears just touch it then go to your home page and where it says "what's on your mind" touch it and hold your finger where you would start writing your comment and "paste”.

If you read to the end, can I get an "Amen!"?"

The author and the re-posters don’t want to be confronted about this, so I am taking to my page to express my opinion. The author’s anger/frustration, as well of the persons who are re-posting it, is misdirected, and based on flawed assertions.

1. The news is supposed to be unbiased. The phrase “The Love of Christ” while important to all Christians, does not carry the same importance to a non-Christian. And just as we Christians don’t wish to be persecuted for our faith and/or expressing our faith in our own spaces, we should not expect our faith and beliefs to dictate to everyone else how they should think or behave. You want your newscaster to use the phrase "The Love of Christ"? Watch the 700 Club, or maybe Fox News. (For the record, some of the news stories on the 700 Club are interesting because they aren't topics normally covered on the secular networks.)

2. The Declaration of Independence specifically uses the generic term “Creator” and not God/Christ/Jesus. Thomas Jefferson chose the word “creator” so as not to narrow it down to just one religion, as many of the religious states in Europe were doing at the time. The author of this rant has concluded that creator = God, but that is not the case.

Not specific to the above post, but along the same train of thought....I see a lot of Christians trying to enforce our beliefs and moral ethics on secular law. (Yeah, I’m looking at you Gov. Abbott, and the rest of your far rightwing, Christians in name only, cronies.) I think we are doing ourselves a big disservice. My understanding is that as Christians we are to be separate from the world. We’re pushing away people, many of whom might otherwise see the wonderful love of Jesus in our actions and want to join us. Take for example, reading the Bible and prayer in schools; the law states children cannot be forced to read passages from the Bible or say prayers, not that they can’t do it at all. I carried many different religious texts with me all throughout school, including the Bible, and no one ever told me I couldn’t read them. Nor was I ever discouraged from praying during the daily moment of silence. Or before I took a particularly tough exam. If we keep claiming we’re being persecuted simply because believers in other religions are given equal time and access, when the day comes, and it will, that we are truly being persecuted, no one is going to listen to us.

I forgot where I was ultimately going with this post. I think I made my point early on and just kept going because, well, I’ve never been any good at knowing when to shut up. And though I feel very strongly about my assertions, I am always open to being educated.

 From September 7th, 2021

Another therapy milestone reached…put weight on both feet flat on floor. Almost a stand but Chuck & PT were nervous I couldn’t get back into my hospital bed. Not gonna lie, bearing weight on my hip hurt a great deal. Going to try again once Chuck builds me a raised platform. (Even with the bed at its lowest setting, my stumpy legs just barely reach the carpet.)

I gotta say, home therapy is so much more productive than the rehab center was. Rehab center therapists wanted me to do it their way and they ignored the fact that I’m low to the ground and very bottom heavy. Yep, I’m basically a weeble, except I unfortunately DO fall down.

Home therapists are the opposite from rehab. I may not be doing this the way I’m “supposed” to, but I am doing it. Slowly. Not all miracles happen overnight and everything happens according to the Lord’s schedule.

 From August  14th, 2021

It’s been a week, and it’s only Thursday.

My fear of people is getting better. I handled visits from my occupational therapist, physical therapist, home health nurse and phlebotomist without blinking an eye. Our friend, the beautiful Cathy, came to visit and gave me a much needed haircut and pedicure. But it gets better…

Tuesday: I sat up on side of bed unsupported for nearly five minutes, to the amazement of both my PT and hubby. Wednesday: sat up without assistance, no back support, for over ten minutes. Today: sat up without assistance, no back support, for almost twenty minutes and put my feet on the floor with partial weight.

Annnnd…I’ve been trying to wean off the O2 for a couple of weeks. Turned down to level two day before yesterday, and fixing to go down to one or one & a half soon because I checked my O2 when I was sitting up just now and it was 100%! Power went out while Chuck was out yesterday and I can’t reach the back-up by myself, so I was without supplemental O2 for at least ninety minutes. My stat when I checked it was 96%.

Now if I could just get my glucose down below two hundred, I’d be gold. But you gotta take the bad with the good, right?

I do believe I’ve made more progress this past week than I did in nearly two months at rehab last year. My goal isn’t to run a marathon, but to be less dependent on Chuck. I couldn’t have gotten to where I’m at now without Chuck and God. I’m living, breathing proof that prayer works.

Awww, does that little piece of cloth across your nose and mouth irritate you? Well, in the words of one my favorite preacher, "suck it up, buttercup."

Oh and for those of you moaning about freedom, let me tell you the process of being intubated completely negates the whole concept of body autonomy. Because it is natural for us to not want a tube stuck down our throat, we try to fight the nurses and respiratory therapists when they try to insert the breathing tube (which, by the way, you feel every movement as it snakes down your airway.) Despite being sedated, I also had to be physically restrained to keep from fighting my caregivers and pulling at he tubing once it was in.

So yeah...you're way past discomfort and freedom when you are strapped down and a machine is breathing for you. You can't move. You feel like you can't breathe while at the same time you feel the machine pushing air into your damaged lungs. You can't call for help. You are terrified.

Wear your mask and get vaccinated. Trust me, you never, ever want to be intubated.

 and a couple of Father's Day posts from earlier in 2021

Thinking about Father’s Day tomorrow and remembering my Dad. He’s been gone 42 years this past April and as time marches on, it becomes more difficult. I inherited some traits from Daddy…his hair (color and texture) and eyes, his temperament (much to my Mother’s chagrin,) and his habit of absentmindedly twirling a lock of his hair around his finger while concentrating.

I thought about him today and realized that I was twirling my hair as I contemplated tomorrow’s holiday. Happy Father’s Day to Dads of all types. Enjoy your day!

What traits and/or habits have you inherited from your father???

One more Father’s Day post and I’m done…lol. Last night while doing some family genealogy research with Chuck, we both dug out some old photos of his Dad and Grandfathers. It was amazing to see the faces of our grand babies in the faces of his grand and great-grand Fathers. I always “see” Chuck when I look at little Colton, but we were both amazed at how much Sophia looks like Chuck’s Grandfather.

I really shouldn’t be that amazed, though. I’ve heard all my life just how much I look like my Dad. I see it. I’m proud of it. I don’t have many pictures of Daddy, and I have even fewer of my Grandfathers. Below is what I do have. The first picture is my Father, the second is my Papaw Hall (fraternal Grandfather,) and finally Grandaddy Robinson (maternal Grandfather.)

Happy Father’s Day in heaven gentlemen. I hope you are looking down on me with affection. Thank you for passing on your genes; I love you.

 A Facebook post I want to preserve from Mother's Day 2021...

Mother’s Day is still on my mind. It snuck up on me this year (been busy working on stuff for WOTG,) so I didn’t have time to process my complicated feelings regarding the holiday. So, a few days after, I am still stuck in that dark place, struggling to put the complicated feelings back on the shelf. Yes, it’s not the healthy way to deal with the emotions, but as I said, it’s complicated.

Complicated. My relationship with my Mom was complicated. When I was growing up, she never overtly said it, but I always had more than a vague impression I was a disappointment to her; she would have been far happier had I been a boy or if I must be a girl, I would be tall, thin, and a lot less opinionated. Before her death, when Alzheimer’s started changing her personality, she was more overt and confirmed my long held suspicions. I don’t think she realized she treated me differently. She loved me in her own way, and I loved her. I just tried harder to make her like me more. So yeah, complicated.

Add to this my own complex emotions regarding my inability to have a child of my own. My 2001 hysterectomy saved my life, but to be honest I couldn’t see that at the time. It’s been twenty years and I still cry over what I thought should have been. So yeah, complicated.

Mix in the emotions of being a step-parent and well, I go from complicated to convoluted. When Chuck proposed, I made a vow that I would not become the stereotypical wicked step mother. I decided I would be a caregiver, but all major decisions and any necessary discipline would be Chuck’s purview. In hindsight, I should have maybe tried to be less neutral. But you know, whatever way I approached it, it wouldn’t have made it any less complicated. And perhaps my failings as a step mother show that I would’ve made a horrible mother. So yeah, complicated.

Now that the kids have their own families, I’m confused. I call myself a grandma, but deep down I feel like a fraud. I love the kids and their babies as much as I love my husband. But I am still just the odd woman who lives with their Papaw. So yeah, complicated.

I’m not really sure why I’m sharing this. I’m not really looking for sympathy or advice. I prayed about my feelings earlier today and God laid it on my heart to share. I asked Him for forgiveness and part of that process is forgiving myself. As complicated as this sounds, I don’t feel like I’m in the dark place I was earlier today.