Goodbye

After a long and prayerful time of decision, I will no longer be posting to this blog. I will, however, continue to keep the blog active minus new posts. I believe there are some very insightful entries to The Unlikely Christian, but I have decided that a new, more anonymous blog will work best for me. Thank you for all of your comments. I hope that I have offered some good insight, and that it has done some good in educating you about what kind of things are happening in our world.

Please continue to seek out websites and blogs that offer a nonbiased view of the situations happening in our world. We are at war with an enemy that has no respect for us, or our religious views. It is an enemy that thrives on massacring Christians, and you should be VERY concerned about that.

Signing off,
The Unlikely Christian

Savin' Me

I have about 3,000 songs on my iPod. I could go 9 days continuously listening to it and never hear the same song twice. Every now and again I hear a song that speaks to my heart.

Christians, like me, enjoy songs that praise God, and are uplifting. But life is not always uplifting and enjoyable. There are many things which happen that are downright hard, and test your faith. Death, despair, searching, sin--Christians are not immune to the perils of this world, although, if you tune into a mainstream Christian radio station you would never know that.

Tonight my iPod found a song for me that made me feel like someone understood my angst and my anguish. I turned it up loud. No surprise it was from a band not known for its "Christian" music.

The song is "Savin' Me" by Nickelback, and I have included below the lyrics and a link to the video. The video is worth pondering and interpretation, but the song itself is what speaks to me.

http://www.gotuit.com/player.html?c=Music&p=79136&s=1396860

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for You
Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul in
All I need is You
Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for You
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show You what I can be
And say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me

Heaven's gates won't open up for me
With these broken wings I'm fallin'
And all I see is You
These city walls ain't got no love for me
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for You
Come please
I'm callin'
And all I need from You
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show You what I can be
And say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me
(Hurry I'm fallin')

And all I need is You
Come please I'm callin'
And oh, I scream for You
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show You what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me
Hurry I'm Fallin'
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me

Amish Forgiveness

In light of the recent killings of female students at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, you would expect outrage and anger directed to the killer. That would be the normal reaction. As a father of two children, I cannot say I would be as godly and composed as the families of the slain girls, and the Amish community as a whole, have been.

In a society where we are quick to judgment, and more quick to place blame, the Amish community is not reacting with outrage, but with peace. They insist that the girls are in Heaven--better off than those left behind.

To top it off, the Amish community has been in full support of the family of the man who did this horrendous act. Even more bizarre, the Amish community has offered forgiveness to that family, even going as far as to say that they wished the family would be able to stay in the community and that they would find the support and friendship from the Amish.

Gertrude Huntington, a Michigan researcher and expert on children in Amish society, predicted the Amish will be very forgiving of the killer and his family, noting that "judgment is in God's hands: 'Judge not, that ye be not judged."

The grandfather of two of the dead girls was asked if he had forgiven the gunman, in which he responded "In my heart, yes," he said, explaining it was "through God's help."

I do not know about you, but I am in awe of the reaction of the Amish. While some may taunt them for being behind the times by having no telephones or automobiles, this is a group who truly emulates Christ in their actions in the face of peril and deep sadness. How many of us could lose a child, under any circumstances, and rest in the fact that everything happens for good to those who obey and believe in Christ Jesus.

How many of us could forgive?

A House Divided

Fatah and Hamas have been fighting each other as Fatah has been critical of Hamas' political rule.

Fatah militants have been attacking Hamas local offices in response to the the government control of Hamas interests in many parts of Paletstine. The picture featured (above) shows an armed member of Fatah shooting at a local Hamas office.

8 people are confirmed dead.

From all accounts, this is a civil war. Islamic leaders pressed for the fighting to end, and suggested that each party continue their efforts to protect the Gaza Strip from Israel; however, the interviewing within Islamic sects promises to weaken the team as a whole.

Fatah, the predominate political party until Hamas took control in the past months, has been active in attacking their opposition, and, hoped to reduce Hamas to impotent.

So, the Gaza Strip erupts in a civil war, while Israel watches.

It seems that there is much animosity between some Islamic radical groups.

Hot

Baghdad is under curfew because of a supposed threat from, who else?, al-Qaida. Apparently, the terrorists were in the final stages of planning a series of suicide bombs.

Meanwhile, as the US enjoys unseasonably cooler weather, the troops in Iraq are serving you in above 100 degree weather. They deserve our support. It will be 106 degrees there today.