Tag: thekedgeanchor

encouragement, hope

Guidance on Voting: Moral Choices in Politics

The Kedge Anchor

For the past few weeks, I have been struggling with the phrase- “choose the lesser evil.” No one wants to choose evil. Oftentimes we are caught between a rock and a hard place. There are times we are faced with dilemmas and there doesn’t to appear to be a good choice. What are we to do?

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com

Hearing the quote, “choose the lesser evil” leaves me feeling hopeless and discouraged. I don’t want to choose evil especially in this political climate…it’s enough to make me shut down. Though we have choices, Republican, Democrat, other or don’t vote. To some the choice is clear, to others the choice may seem murky. If choosing the lesser of evils is still evil, we’re in one of those tight spots.  

  Many feel politics doesn’t belong in the church. Perhaps, but if we can’t turn to our pastors or our churches who can we turn to when we have questions especially sensitive ones such as how do we vote? Who else can help guide us when we are between a rock and hard place? And that’s not to say a church or a pastor can tell you how to vote, but they should be a resource for those times when you are faced with a tough decision. When it comes to making a moral decision, the Ten Commandments are a perfect way help make those decisions. And I do believe the Ten Commandments can help us with how to vote. I am not telling you how to vote. But if you are on the fence I hope this blog post can help you maybe help you with another tough decision.

I wish more pastors and churches would speak about those sensitive subjects such as voting, abortion, suing, politics and current issues. These may not have a place in our churches and pastors can’t tell you how to choose, that is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. However, these topics do exist in our society that we interact with daily and we as Christians should know how to respond. Turning to scripture should be the our first line of defense against these tough choices. We should also be able to go to our pastors for guidance, not to justify our thinking or not but to help us with reading scripture. God gives us the Ten Commandments, it’s His moral law. And I believe when we are in a tight spot, when we are confronted with a dilemma we can turn to God’s word for direction and conviction.

            We are all sinners and there is not a perfect politician on the planet and if they are all evil, who are we supposed to vote for? “Choose the lesser evil” is not Biblical. I found a few articles that helped me understand this more. One article I found; “Is the Lesser of Two Evils a Biblical Principle” makes some great points. In Daniel 2:21-22 “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him” (NIV). God is sovereign. We can see this in Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people“ (NIV). Joseph’s brothers meant to kill him but God used that so Joseph could save his family from the famine.

              The article goes on to say that God will use and control even the most wicked rulers for his purpose as we see in the book of Daniel. David was a man after God’s own heart even though David was an adulterer and a murderer, but yet God used him, he even used Pharaoh.

             As I was initially pondering, this, I heard God say; “Evil is not in the eye of the beholder.“ Sin is sin in God’s kingdom. There is no lesser evil in God’s eyes. The article sheds some light on our dilemmas in life by looking at what evil might look in the eyes of God, 

 Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (ESV)
Micha 6:8 -“No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (NLT)
Matthew 9:12-13 – ”Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (ESV)

“Meaning, I would rather you do good than offer your sacrifices. This, during the time when sacrifices, was the law of the day. God says, “I would rather you do right — to show mercy, and act justly.” (quote article)

  “Jesus taught us that healing people or allowing them to eat were acts of love and clearly overruled the written law — and so, on his terms, not sin, since Jesus never sinned.”

    When we are faced with tough choices, there is no level of evil. We must choose what is good, the right thing. “To not act in love may be the true evil in the eyes of God.” This gave me hope and helped me to change my mindset when I need to make a tough choice.

References:

The Lesser of Two Evils Principles – Myth or Biblical

Should Christians Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils

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The Meaning of Ohana: God’s Design for Community and Family

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Tru1ea7n Long on Pexels.com

I may be dating myself a bit, but every time I think of luaus or Hawaii, I think the Brady Bunch episodes where the Brady’s tag along with their dad to Hawaii on a business trip. At the time, the Brady’s weren’t recognized as a blended family. But, that is indeed what they were. A widow with three girls and a widower with three boys that’s how “we became the Brady Bunch.” If you know, you know.

The Hawaiian word for family is Ohana, it can also mean community. God created us for community, we weren’t meant to do life alone. God gave Adam, Eve, In Genesis 2:18, said “it’s not good for a man to be alone.” Jesus had a blended family, having step brothers and sisters, His disciples are a another example. They traveled together, they shared meals together, they did ministry together. Just as the Brady’s were a blended family, there are other versions of blended families today, some have step parents and step siblings like the Brady’s, some have half siblings, there are foster families, our co-workers can be like a family and our church is definitely a family.

There are several other examples of families in the Bible. Naomi and Ruth is a good example that comes to mind. If you’re not familiar with their story I encourage you to read the book of Ruth and see how God brought them together and provided for them. It’s not that long and if you’re up to it read a commentary.

A little background, Naomi had a husband and two sons and lived in Bethleham, until a famine hit when they traveled to the foreign land of Moab. Only for Naomi to lose her husband. Her sons both both married Moab women, Ruth and Orpah. About ten years later Naomi’s die.

These three woman are now without husbands and are childless. These are good circumstances for these women. Back in their day, Naomi, Ruth and Orpha would have returned to their hometowns, their own people. Orpha remained with her people in Moab, but Ruth remained loyal to her mother in law and went back to Bethlehem with her. Ruth 1:16 – “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Naomi and Ruth were once connected by Naomi’s sons, now they were connected by God and His people. We may come from different parts of the country, of the world, we may come from a different culture but as a followers of Jesus it’s His blood that connects us and makes us family, makes us Ohana.

I want to be sensitive to the fact that not everyone has a family, for whatever reason. Many experience loneliness on a daily basis. They don’t have anyone to connect with or to. But, when we become a part of God’s family we have the opportunity to build genuine, loving, lasting relationships through Jesus, He connects us, He connects us with and to God, our Heavenly Father, who forgives us and gives us eternal life.

When we have family and friends we have one of God’s blessed and precious gifts, because we were meant to live in community. Having God’s people as our people, we can have a support system we can count on when we need prayer, encouragement on hard days and the opportunity to be blessed by serving God’s people. One way we can connect with God’s people is by attending a local Bible believing church, getting involved and sharing our faith with each other and unbelievers.

The best connection is with God Himself who promises eternal life when we repent of our sins and promises to never leave us or forsake us. Being a part of God’s people we will always have family.

Leave a comment below how you have been blessed by God’s people.

hope

He Is Risen! – Free Coloring Page

The Kedge Anchor

Happy Easter Sunday! Jesus is risen, He is alive!!!

March 30, 2024Download
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Free Coloring Page – Good Friday 2024

The Kedge Anchor

Happy Friday and Good Friday. Although it wasn’t so happy or good for Jesus. So why is it called Good Friday? Jesus was innocent, yet He was crucified for the sins of the world. He endured pain for us. We are the ones who deserve what Jesus went through. But the cross gives us Hope. Sunday is coming!!

If you haven’t seen today’s blog post please take a few minutes to watch.

Here is another free coloring page to help remind and reflect why today is called Good Friday.

Good Friday 3/29/24Download
art

April – National Greeting Card Month

The Kedge Anchor

Like “video killed the radio star” the digital age killed hand written letters and cards. Sending greeting cards is becoming such an old way of communicating. It’s a shame because it’s such a personal way to show someone how much you care. The only real downside of sending a greeting card or letter is the fact it has to be mailed. Texting, messaging and emailing are quicker, more real time it can lack personality. Ok sure you can apply an emoji or a “sticker” (and I loved stickers growing up) to give your digital message more personality, but then again everyone is using them, the same ones.

Greeting cards are getting expensive. It is far less costly to send an email or a text or post a birthday greeting on a Facebook page. Hand crafting a greeting card can be much more rewarding. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, it can be simple. How many times have you poured over the greeting cards at a store looking for the right one with the right sentiment? By crafting your own card it you can write exactly what you want to say. I can hear you saying “that’s hard” “I’m not a writer.” You don’t have to be.

I have been making greeting cards since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I can remember making birthday cards for my mom and dad, their birthdays were pretty close together. My mom used to sew on occasion, so I took some fabric scraps and construction paper and cut out an apron with a little pocket and added a bow. For my dad I cut out a shirt with a tie. I glued the fabric to the construction paper and voila I had a greeting card. Genius, lol. My greeting cards have advanced a little since then.

Journey with me the month of April with learning the history of greeting cards, hand writing, and greeting card tutorials.

Wisdom

Is It Possible to Seek God Diligently and Not Find Him?

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com

Happy Friday!! We made it to the end of the week. It’s almost the weekend!!! First, I just want to say this blog post today is inspired by the Bible Cafe on Instagram hosted by Pastor Dave Therrien @therrien6034, New Hope Christian Church. He has been taking us through Proverbs 1 this week talking about wisdom. Whilst Pastor Dave has been talking about wisdom in verses 32 and 33 (I encourage you to listen to the past week, they are five short videos). Pastor Dave goes on to say we need to be intentional about doing what God says to “be at ease from the dread of evil.” It’s a promise if we are intentional about doing what God says? (which made me think, “am I setting out each day to intentionally do what God says?”, that’s a discussion for another day)

After reading verses 32 and 33, verse 28 caught my eye;

28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.” (NKJV).

(seriously, listen today’s video and what Pastor Dave says the Bible says about complacency)

So this reminded me of last week’s post and the one before that about seeking God wholeheartedly, diligently. The Bible says we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). But, verse 28 – “… They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. That just smacked me between the eyes. Proverbs 9:10 came to mind – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” We need to have fear, a reverent fear of God, THAT is the beginning of wisdom. We must CHOOSE to fear God. My fear of God isn’t one that makes me run from Him. It’s not a fear if I mess up He’s gonna be mad me and punish me. He’ll correct me and get me back on track with love, grace and mercy. My fear is fear one that is in awe of Him. He is in control, He died for me, for us, God rose Jesus from the dead for me, for us, so that we could have eternity with Him. God is sovereign, there is no other like Him, He has NO equal! Choosing to fear the Lord, the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 2:4-6

4 “If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”

We can be diligent and intentional in our search but with out fear of the Lord, we ain’t gonna find Him. We ain’t gonna find wisdom and understanding without a reverent fear of the Lord. It comes down to choosing. Choosing to fear the Lord. Choosing to be intentional about seeking Him and doing what He says. There are only good things that come from choosing to fear the Lord. Diligent, intentional, wholeheartedly, seek, choose, we will gain wisdom and understanding.

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Seeking God Wholeheartedly

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

In the last post, Seek and You Will Find, I questioned myself. Do I seek God wholeheartedly? Am I just phoning it in? Am I desperately and urgently seeking him, like I was looking for my four misplaced (not lost) objects?

What is wholeheartedly? What does seeking God wholeheartedly look like? Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (The Shema) 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength…” We are to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. I am gonna guess that I need to seek God the same way. I needed to know more so I set out to find more.

First we need the right attitude, mindset, posture. We need to seek diligently, intentionally, continually and humbly. Let’s break that down a little more. Intentionally, 1 Chronicles 22:19 – “Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God. …” Sometimes I don’t have a plan when I sit down to read my Bible, usually because I finished a devotional or a study and don’t have another lined up. So I kinda just aimlessly wander through my Bible, maybe old sermon notes, or the biggest trap; scrolling the internet for a devotional. I gotta change that. I need to have something lined up, be more intentional about how I am seeking God.

The ESV in Proverbs 8:17 says – “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. That sounds like a promise. : )

1 Chronicles 16:11 ” Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! (ESV) Some translations say “seek his face continually.” And most importantly, we need to have a humble and repentant heart.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “if 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 and will forgive their sin and heal their land. I know one way to humble myself and that is to cast my cares on him because he cares for me, for us. 1 Peter 5:5-7 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Which brings me to surrendering. Why do we hold on to our worries and anxieties? I know it’s hard to hand over, we want control as humans. For me, casting and surrendering need to happen. As I cast I need to surrender.

So the verses mentioned were more of a posture of the heart, the mind. What about physically? We all need quiet to study and pray, Matthew 6:6 – “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Maybe you do better with a little background music, worship songs, etc. that’s cool. For me it helps to have a quiet space ready to, meditate, ponder in my heart and journal and to pray. We need prayer to ask for forgiveness and align ourselves with God. Sometimes I need to change things up a bit and weather permitting I like to sit outside, which can be a bit distracting, birds, noises… squirrels. It takes a lot of focus for me outside but sometimes God uses my surroundings to speak to me.

Be patient in your pursuit. You will find Him. And in your search allow yourself to rest and absorb what you have learned. Meditate on the scriptural treasures you find. Just as it took me a few days to recover my misplaced items, God will reveal Himself and what He wants you to know in His time.

So seeking God wholeheartedly means having the right attitude, mindset, and posture towards Him. It means being intentional, diligent, continual, and humble in our pursuit of Him. We need to set our minds and hearts to seek Him, have a plan in place and a quiet spot for our time with Him, and approach Him with repentance and humility .

When we seek God with our whole hearts, He promises that we will find Him and that when we diligently seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us. And as we continually seek His presence and His face, He will hear us, forgive us. Let’s trust that as we seek Him wholeheartedly, we will find Him and experience His love, grace, and presence in our lives.

Love Languages

What Does Valentine’s Day Mean to You?

The Kedge Anchor

Thank you to all who have followed me here and on YouTube the past week where I showed ways to wrap up the Five Languages of Love as actual tangible gifts.

Over the years growing up Valentine’s Day has had different meanings. As a kid, It was those cheap boxed die cut cards that every kid in school passed out to almost everyone. I would make cards for my mom and dad. I guess I have been making greeting cards for sometime now, lol, and my mom would always say “Roses are red violets are blue aren’t you glad God loves you.” When I moved away, even after I was married she’d cut out a read heart and write that little poem on it.

As I became an adult and being single I began to dread Valentine’s Day. I thought it was because I was unattached, no steady boyfriend at times that I would dread it. But even if I happened to have a boyfriend at the time, it was still looking back, uh, unfulfilling. I thought once I was married, it would be different, I would look forward to it. Well, I have been married 30 years this coming spring and I’ll admit it’s not as dreadful but there is always that pressure to get the perfect gift, the grand gesture, the wow factor. Even if you’re single there’s still pressure, right? The traditional, expected dozen roses that are waaaay over priced this time every year, the box of chocolates. Diamond sales go up, nothing wrong with getting engaged on Valentine’s Day. But can we be a little more imaginative, unexpected, more original?

Honestly, I don’t need a calendar to tell me when to express or celebrate my love for anyone. So with that off the table, less pressure more room for originality and creativity. Singles, no matter how old you are, you don’t need a boyfriend or a girlfriend to celebrate Valentine’s Day. You have family, friends? Gather!!!! High schoolers go to proms in groups. Gather your family, invite them to dinner, do the same with your friends. Take photos and make memories.

Husband’s, wive’s can we be more imaginative? Can we think outside the chocolates and roses? Does it have to cost an arm and a leg to express your love? Does it have to be February 14th? Why not all year long? Download the coupon book, make twelve coupons for an adventure every month. Try a new recipe and cook dinner together once a month. Consider your loved one’s love language this Valentine’s Day. Get creative, be imaginative, create memories and experiences.

The greatest gift of love was given to us by God Himself and it wasn’t on February 14th. We celebrate His birth, death and resurrection. God expressed His love for us by giving us His Son. He sacrificed His only Son for us. Jesus gave His life, His blood and rose from the dead three days later for us so that we could live in eternity forever with Him. God’s gift of salvation cost Him everything so it could cost us nothing. It’s free, all we have to do is accept it. The greatest gesture of love, the greatest example of love, His sacrifice. What an expression of love!!

Love Languages

Love Language – Quality Time Day 4

The Kedge Anchor
image_123650291Download

Relationships are important in our lives, both with other people and with God. We were not designed to live in isolation, but to rely on and support one another. Having a relationship with God, is the most important connection we can have. God has made a way for this relationship to be possible through the sacrifice of Jesus’s blood.

Creating a personalized calendar is a great way to commemorate moments and plan for future adventures. With the abundance of photos that we have on our phones or stored away, selecting just twelve may be a tough task. To make it easier, you can opt for themed collages, focusing on different aspects or events of your life.

In the case of a milestone anniversary, it would be fitting to include some wedding photos that hold special meaning. Alternatively, if you’re looking to spend more time with your kids, use photos of their growth and achievements over the years. To plan ahead, you could even include images that represent your monthly activities or goals.

If you’re aiming to prioritize spending time with friends, utilize candid photos of them having fun or doing silly things. The image provided above can be downloaded and used as the cover page for your calendar.

Personalizing a calendar can be fun when looking for photos to personalize it. Just type in calendars in the search to create your own. If you like you can use the image I provided for the cover or use one of your own.

To get started, visit Zazzle and upload your favorite images of your spouse, family, or friends. With this personalized calendar, you’ll not only have a wonderful memento but also a visual reminder to cherish and prioritize the important people in your life.

Perhaps you just want to be reminded to schedule some quality time. I have designed two images for clocks, one square and one round that you can purchase through my store on Zazzle, Square Clock Round Clock

Valentine’s Day or any other occasion, it is valuable to make a commitment to spend quality time with loved ones who have this love language. Extending this commitment to not only to spouses but also to family members, children, and friends. By prioritizing and dedicating time to spend together, we can build stronger bonds and deeper connections. Express your love and appreciation by investing time and attention in the relationships that matter most.

Love Languages

Love Languages – Physical Touch Day 3

The Kedge Anchor

It is important to recognize that human touch plays a significant role in our overall well-being. While some individuals may not enjoy or seek out physical touch, it is essential to understand that the lack of touch can have adverse effects on our mental health. Trauma resulting in anxiety or panic triggered by touch should not be dismissed but rather addressed with professional help to find hope and healing. Counseling can be a valuable resource in overcoming these challenges and finding a balanced approach to human touch based on individual preferences and comfort levels.

Research suggests that a blanket can provide a comforting and soothing experience, especially in situations where human touch may not be readily available. It’s thoughtful of you to have a gift that can potentially offer that sense of comfort to someone.

A blanket can a thoughtful and considerate solution to help bridge the physical distance and still cater to your partner’s love language of physical touch. The option to personalize and customize one of the blankets adds an extra touch of sentimentality, making it a special gift for your loved one.

I have designed these two blankets and you can purchase either of them in my Zazzle store.

This one above is ready to purchase with a photo of a couple walking on the beach, that could be you. Or if you prefer, I also designed one for you to customize and make more personal by adding your photo and adding more text.

If you need more personalization and customization, please contact me. There’s no extra cost to customize on Zazzle, but if there’s something you need changed, let me know we can work something out.

Human touch is indeed essential for our well-being, as it provides comfort, connection, and a sense of belonging. While everyone may have different preferences and love languages, it is important to recognize the significance of touch in our lives. However, I want to be sensitive and acknowledge that some individuals may have experienced trauma related to touch, and seeking counseling can be a helpful step towards healing and finding healthy ways to engage with touch. God created us for community, community with Him and with others. We don’t have to navigate life alone.