This is an interesting article about 'courtship'.  By 'interesting', I'm not saying I agree with it, nor that I disagree with it... it is simply 'interesting' for now...

http://www.thomasumstattd.com/2014/08/courtship-fundamentally-flawed/

Several good articles for today:

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=27-03-035-f (Lunatic, Liar, Lord.. or Legend)

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2014/05/of-leprechauns-mermaids-and-loving.html (Leprechauns, Mermaids, and Loving Homosexual Couples)

http://hipandthigh.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/evaluating-old-earth-responses-to-young-earth-arguments-1/ and http://hipandthigh.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/evaluating-old-earth-responses-to-young-earth-arguments-2/

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thoughtlife/2014/04/david-platt-dont-squander-your-singleness/ 

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/hope-for-the-despairing-heart

Regarding this CNN article, "Why young Christians aren't waiting anymore", which linked to a Relevant article reporting that 8 out of 10 unmarried "evangelical Christians" between 18-29 have had sex (only slightly less than the national average of 9 out of 10 for the same age bracket), I have a couple thoughts.

First, as I mentioned in my previous post, many people who call themselves "Christians" are not true believers in Jesus.   They are merely 'culturally' Christian, with no real understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.  Many of them have not even read the Bible, and are perhaps only vaguely aware that the Bible explicitly forbids sex outside of marriage (in more than 40 places, e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4, Hebrews 13, and many others).

Second, here's an interesting excerpt from the article:

The article highlights what challenges abstinence movements face. Movements such as “True Love Waits,” encourage teens to wear purity rings, sign virginity pledges and pledge chastity during public ceremonies. Yet many of these Christian youths eventually abandon their purity pledges....

This is sad and unsurprising, that such outward, public, visibility-focused, man-centric, pledges and covenants and rings and tokens are ultimately failing to help keep (at least 8 out of 10) young men and women pure until marriage.

What is really needed is a true heart-understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ... knowledge of God's awesome, magnificent, heartwrenching, self-sacrificing, pure, unconditional, LOVE for us.   As Tim Keller says, all sin in the life of a Christian comes from a temporary disbelief in the Gospel.   The Gospel is the good news of how God loved us so much that He Himself paid the penalty of sin that would have cost us eternal death/torment/destruction...  and how He calls those of us who are enabled to understand and believe this to repent of our sins, "turn around", and walk in "newness of life", following Him in new paths of purity and love.

If we really understand God's love for us... if we really consider how much suffering Jesus Christ endured for us because of His love for us... if we really understood how much glory is waiting for us on the other side of death...  then temptation would lose its power.

When temptation strikes, e.g. late at night between a young man and a young woman alone with their feelings and their hormones, a "virginity pledge" or "purity ring" is not going to have any real power.  What is needed instead is a generation who truly knows God, who is truly astounded and deeply satisfied by His love for us... so that we can respond to the temptation as Joseph did - "How could I do this great evil and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:22-23

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
But it is you, a man my equal,
My companion and my familiar friend;
We who had sweet fellowship together
Walked in the house of God in the throng.
Let death come deceitfully upon them;
Let them go down alive to Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
Psalm 55:12-15

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
Philippians 3:18-19

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
1 John 2:18-19

One thing I have very slowly been learning in life is that not all of my friends who claim to be Christians are truly believers in Christ / followers of Christ.   It is something we all know theoretically.  But typically whenever I saw a person attending a Christian event and talking about God, I would immediately assume that they belong to Him.  Then, over time, questions begin to arise, and it gradually becomes apparent with some people that they do not truly believe in Christ, even though they claim to believe.

God, please keep me from this fate; please protect me from falling away from You.

Regarding this news item - http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/09/16/thrown-over-the-fence-infanticide-canadian-style/

Once a society says it's ok to kill innocent human persons (whether unborn or born), there is no limit...

I once came across this thought-provoking question:  "What evidence do you have for God in your life that couldn't be explained as God being your 'imaginary friend'?

For example, some people say "I used to be sad and depressed and my life didn't have meaning, but now that I have God and talk to Him every day, my life is full of meaning and joy and peace."  There's nothing wrong with that, for them (and indeed I've experienced God's joy and peace and love in my own life), but it's not very convincing in an objective way to other people who don't already believe in God... it can easily be explained as God being one's 'imaginary friend' or 'imaginary confidante', who helps one to get through the emotional hurdles of life, while actually being a figment of one's own imagination.

Or, consider the popular Christian hymn "He Lives" by Alfred Ackley, which ends: "...you ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!"  Basically this hymn is saying that one's main reason for believing that Jesus rose from the dead is a subjective, personal, emotional experience or feeling.  While Alfred may have felt this way (at least sometimes), and that to him this may have seemed quite convincing, to other people it is not  convincing. 

Likewise I have had missionaries from other religious groups tell me fervently that the reason they know their doctrines are correct are that they felt a 'burning in their bosom', a psychological/emotional feeling of certainty.  Unfortunately, since I have reason to believe that these missionary friends were mistaken in their beliefs, their emotional feelings do not carry much objective weight for me (or other people).   I have also heard people saying that when talking about God to other people, it is best to "tell your story", because "people can argue with facts, but they can't argue with your own personal experience or testimony."  The same problem arises - sure, maybe people won't argue with you about your personal experience, but neither do they have any solid objective reason to believe either.

So I think there are much better ways to answer the question "What evidence do you have for God in your life that couldn't be explained as God being your 'imaginary friend'?

The three strongest pieces of evidence that God exists, in my opinion are:

1. Creation
2. Jesus' Resurrection
3. Morality

1. Creation - where did we come from?  There seem to be three main questions here: (1) Where did matter/energy come from originally?  (2) How did life start?  (3) Where did the genetic information comprising the diverse myriads of living animal kinds/species come from? 

Interestingly enough, there seem to be only two major contenders for the answer to this question: either (A) God created the world and all life, or (B) (B1) matter/energy spontaneously popped into existence out of nothing, (B2) life somehow arose from nonliving chemicals in a warm muddy prebiotic puddle somewhere billions of years ago, and (B3) random mutations coupled with natural selection and associated mechanisms (gene duplication, endosymbiosis, etc) produced all the life forms we now see.

Unfortunately, both of these contenders are difficult to accept.  (A) is difficult for many people to accept because it involves a 'miracle', or an unpredictable/unique event which is not currently observed or describable using natural laws, and thus it makes people nervous.  Also, if such a God exists and created us, He might very well be in a position of authority over us, which is galling.

Richard Lewontin describes the fear regarding (A):  "Either the world of phenomena is a consequence of the regular operation of repeatable causes and their repeatable effects, operating roughly along the lines of known physical law, or else at every instant all physical regularities may be ruptured and a totally unforeseeable set of events may occur.... We can not live simultaneously in a world of natural causation and of miracles, for if one miracle can occur, there is no limit."
Richard Lewontin, Scientists Confront Creationism [New York: Norton, 1983], p. xxvi

On the other hand, (B) is difficult for many people (including me) to accept because scientific evidence strongly implies that these things (B1, B2, and B3) are impossible or have vanishingly small probability of having occurred.  Regarding (B1), we do not see matter/energy spontaneously popping into or out of existence in our daily lives or in laboratory experiments, thus it is problematic to handwave and say it occurred in the beginning.  (Some people point to the 'spontaneous appearance' of subatomic particles in particle accelerator 'quantum vacuums', but a high-energy 'quantum vacuum' of particles and anti-particles is quite different than the literally "nothing" that supposedly existed before the Big Bang.)   And if we really believed (B1), then Lewontin's fear would be even more applicable - at any instant all physical regularities would be expected to suddenly change; we would live in a completely unpredictable world.  We can not live simultaneously in a world of spontaneously-appearing universes and of normal, predictable, everyday life, for if one spontaneous uncaused Big Bang can suddenly occur for no reason, there is no limit.

Regarding B2, there is still no explanation (much less demonstration!) of how life could arise from nonliving chemicals.  "We're working on it," the evolutionary theorists say, "just give us a few more years, and we'll eventually figure out how it could have happened."  (See my previous post at http://tim223.xanga.com/743479966/dont-tell-the-creationists/ )  Another quote from Lewontin -
"Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to an understanding of the real struggle between science and the supernatural.  We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated.  Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door."
Lewontin, Richard, "Billions and Billions of Demons", New York Review, 1/9/1997, p31
Why can't you, Richard?  Rather arbitrary and problematic.

Regarding B3, the problem is that mutations can readily be shown in the lab to 'break' the genetic code, but not to add more functional information to it.  Just as splattering ink onto a newspaper page has a tiny chance of adding readable, coherent, and accurate news information (but a larger chance of making the newsprint unreadable), random mutations have been shown to degrade the working of cells, but not to add genetic code for new functional proteins.

Thus the consideration of origins is a strong piece of objective data pointing to the fact that God is very real, and that He created us.

2. Jesus' Resurrection - This is the most powerful piece of real-world, tangible, evidence that the God of the Bible truly exists.  If Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion as he predicted he would, his teachings about the God of the Bible would be fully confirmed.  And the accounts of his resurrection are so early and historically corroborated that it becomes difficult to believe any other conclusion, after examining the evidence.  Paul considered the Resurrection so crucial to Christianity that he said "if Christ has not been raised from the dead, ... your faith is in vain... [and] we are above all men most to be pitied"!

For a quick intro to why the New Testament accounts of Jesus are accurate, see http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/rediscover2.html .  The key is that the accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) about Jesus were written and distributed within the lifetimes of people who knew Jesus, so they would not have been believed if they contained falsehoods or exaggerations.  Also, the news of Jesus' resurrection was being widely proclaimed in Jerusalem within just a few days and months after the event, which was why the Christian church started in Jerusalem even under heavy persecution.  The question is worth considering: "Would someone be willing to die for something they knew to be a lie?"  The eleven (and hundreds more) disciples of Jesus were all thrown in jail, beaten, and eventually killed in various locations for their insistence that they had seen Jesus after he had died and then risen from the dead, proving that He was indeed the divine Son of God that He claimed to be.  Many people have been willing to die for their faith, but that is not the same as asking whether someone would be willing to die for something they knew to be a lie. 

Thus the historical evidence that Jesus lived, taught about God, died, and came back from the dead is extremely strong, and shows that God is very real, and has provided tangible, physical, real-world evidence to help those of us who are naturally skeptical to believe in Him.

3. Morality - As developed well by C.S.Lewis in "Mere Christianity" and Tim Keller in "The Reason For God", the fact that we all tend to live as if we believed in a real objective moral standard is evidence that such a standard does exist, and that a divine transcendent Moral Lawgiver (God) indeed exists.

For example, if you're in line at the checkout counter and someone suddenly jumps in front of you in line, you naturally feel a twinge of moral outrage.  "That's not right!"  This outrage is much larger for worse crimes, such as murder, rape, or genocide.  We all have moral impulses - we believe instinctively that some things are right and other things are wrong.  Furthermore, we do not treat these as mere "preferences", but as objective standards.

The most popular explanation by naturalists is to simply deny that morality objectively exists (cf. Michael Shermer in his debate last year with Greg Koukl, and Michael Ruse and others), and say that they are merely biological/neurological impulses that have evolved evolutionarily to help the human race survive.  That is to say, objective morality does not exist; moral statements are simply statements of personal preference, at which individuals have been genetically predisposed to arrive.  There is no transcendent "ought", there is only "is", although that "is" might take different forms.  It might take the form of "morality means you are programmed to perform acts of altruism to enhance the survival of your genes/species" (Richard Dawkins), or "morality entails the optimal 'flourishing' of mankind and can be 'discovered' by scientific observation" (Sam Harris), or "morality is simply an illusion" (Michael Ruse, Edward Wilson, etc).  See this excellent review for details - http://www.equip.org/articles/atheists-and-the-quest-for-objective-morality

The problem is that all people live as if morality is objective, transcendent, and cross-personal.  But in order to coherently justify this belief, a transcendent objective Moral Lawgiver must exist.  Not simply because "He will punish you if you do wrong" (though that is true), but in order to have a basis for WHY one OUGHT to do what is right.  Some object (cf Plato's "Euthyphro") that in order to say that "God is good", there must either exist some standard of goodness outside of God to measure Him by, or else one must adopt "divine command theory" and claim that "whatever God says/does is right by definition."  But there is another view which avoids those two positions - namely that God's character defines what is good.  He IS good; His character defines goodness, and He also naturally always acts and speaks in accordance with His good character, so that we can say his actions and words are also good.

Thus, if you believe that some things are truly objectively "right" and other things are truly objectively "wrong", your belief only makes sense if God exists (and is not simply an "imaginary friend").

Your thoughts are welcome as always...

Here is an interesting article called "The War Against Girls", a good book review of "Unnatural Selection" by Mara Hvistendahl.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576361691165631366.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read#printMode

Here's an excerpt:

"Despite the author's intentions, "Unnatural Selection" might be one of the most
consequential books ever written in the campaign against abortion. It is aimed,
like a heat-seeking missile, against the entire intellectual framework of
"choice." For if "choice" is the moral imperative guiding abortion, then there
is no way to take a stand against "gendercide." Aborting a baby because she is a
girl is no different from aborting a baby because she has Down syndrome or
because the mother's "mental health" requires it. Choice is choice."

Here is another interesting article called "The Search for the Historical Adam".

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/article_print.html?id=92509

It summarizes the state of the continuing controversy about whether God created the human race directly in the persons of Adam and Eve, or whether God "used evolution" over millions of years to bring us to where we are today.  The same compromises and arguments are occurring, with the theistic evolutionists / progressive creationists / old-earthers saying "it really doesn't matter" and the rest of us Bible-believers saying "it really does matter."

The article is unfortunately biased toward the theistic evolution point of view, but it does spotlight the incredible pressures in the intellectual spheres in the creation/evolution discussion these days.

Great quote from Tim Keller -

"[Paul] most definitely wanted to teach us that Adam and Eve were real historical figures. When you refuse to take a biblical author literally when he clearly wants you to do so, you have moved away from the traditional understanding of the biblical authority.  If Adam doesn't exist, Paul's whole argument - that both sin and grace work 'covenantally' - falls apart. You can't say that 'Paul was a man of his time' but we can accept his basic teaching about Adam. If you don't believe what he believes about Adam, you are denying the core of Paul's teaching."

And finally, a closing quote from the most awesome book of all, the Bible... Ephesians 1:3-12.   I see so many of my nonChristian friends inwardly hungry for significance (especially men) or for love (especially women), all day long... vainly seeking in this or that activity or place.  If only they could know and experience our great God!  ...the God who loves us fiercely, beyond measure, and will never stop loving us, and Who has called us to true, eternal, significance through being adopted by Him:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory."

Here is an interesting perspective written by a politician from Alaska, especially regarding what humans consider "perfect", and regarding how eager humans who do not understand God's plans are to kill / 'abort' any person who does not match their idea of "perfect".

Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2008 14:17:11
To:gov.sarah@yahoo.com
Cc:gov.palin@yahoo.com
Subject: Baby

To the Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends of Trig Paxson Van Palin (or whatever you end up naming him!) :

I am blessing you with this surprise baby because I only want the best for you. I've heard your prayers that this baby will be happy and healthy, and I've answered them because I only want the best for you!

I heard your heart when you hinted that another boy would fit best in the Palin family, to round it out and complete that starting five line-up. Though another girl would be so nice, you didn't think you could ask for what you REALLY wanted, but I knew, so I gave you a boy because I only want the best for you!

Then, I put the idea in your hearts that his name should be "Trig", because it's so fitting, with two Norse meanings: "True" and "Brave Victory". You also have a Bristol Bay relative with that name, so I knew it would be best for you!

Then, I let Trig's mom have an exceptionally comfortable pregnancy so she could enjoy every minute of it, and I even seemed to rush it along so she could wait until near the end to surprise you with the news – that way Piper wouldn't have so long to wait and count down so many days – just like Christmastime when you have to wait, impatiently, for that special day to finally open your gift? (Or the way the Palins look forward to birthday celebrations that go on for three, four days... you all really like cake.) I know you, I knew you'd be better off with just a short time to wait!

Then, finally, I let Trig's mom and dad find out before he was born that this little boy will truly be a GIFT. They were told in early tests that Trig may provide more challenges, and more joy, than what they ever may have imagined or ever asked for. At first the news seemed unreal and sad and confusing. But I gave Trig's mom and dad lots of time to think about it because they needed lots of time to understand that everything will be OK, in fact, everything will be great, because I only want the best for you!

I've given Trig's mom and dad peace and joy as they wait to meet their new son. I gave them a happy anticipation because they asked me for that. I'll give all of you the same happy anticipation and strength to deal with Trig's challenges, but I won't impose on you...

I just need to know you want to receive my offer to be with all of you and help you everyday to make Trig's life a great one.

This new person in your life can help everyone put things in perspective and bind us together and get everyone focused on what really matters.

The baby will expand your world and let you see and feel things you haven't experienced yet. He'll show you what "true, brave victory" really means as those who love him will think less about self and focus less on what the world tells you is "normal" or "perfect". You will grow and be blessed with greater understanding that will be born along with Trig.

Trig will be his dad's little buddy and he'll wear Carhartts while he learns to tinker in the garage. He'll love to be read to, he'll want to play goalie, and he'll steal his mom's heart just like Track, Bristol, Willow and Piper did. And Trig will be the cuddly, innocent, mischievous, dependent little brother that his siblings have been waiting for...in fact Trig will – in some diagnostic ways – always be a mischievous, dependent little brother, because I created him a bit different than a lot of babies born into this world today.

Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome. Doctors call it "Down's Syndrome", and Downs kids have challenges, but can bring you much delight and more love than you can ever imagine! Just wait and see, let me prove this, because I only want the best for you!

Some of the rest of the world may not want him, but take comfort in that because the world will not compete for him. Take care of him and he will always be yours!

Trig's mom and dad don't want people to focus on the baby's extra chromosome. They're human, so they haven't known how to explain this to people who are so caring and are interested in this new little Alaskan. Sarah and Todd want people to share in the joy of this gift I'm giving to the Palin family, and the greater Alaska family. Many people won't understand... and I understand that. Some will think Trig should not be allowed to be born because they fear a Downs child won't be considered "perfect" in your world. (But tell me, what do you earthlings consider "perfect" or even "normal" anyway? Have you peeked down any grocery store isle, or school hallway, or into your office lunchroom lately? Or considered the odd celebrities you celebrate as "perfect" on t.v.? Have you noticed I make 'em all shapes and sizes? Believe me, there is no "perfect"!)

Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this.

I know it will take time to grasp this and come to accept that I only want the best for you, and I only give my best. Remember though: "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, my ways are higher than yours!"

I wrote that all down for you in the Good Book! Look it up! You claim that you believe me – now it's time to live out that belief!

Please look to me as this new challenge and chapter of life unfolds in front of you. I promise to equip you. I won't give you anything you can't handle. I am answering your prayers. Trig can't wait to meet you. I'm giving you ONLY THE BEST!

Love,
Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father

Memorial Day greetings!  May we remember what is truly important.

Here are two topics which some may find interesting.

- World Magazine's multipart issue on the state of 'courtship', dating, marriage, etc among contemporary young American men and women, both Christian and NonChristian - http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18064  and  http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18065   and  http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18060

- Nicholas Carr on "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"  and  "Switch off and think"  (I am now going to switch off my computer.  Goodbye!)

Two and a Half Topics Tonight...  Economics, Forgiveness, and the Connection between them...

1.  Here is a nifty graph showing the income and expenses of the current United States federal budget, at a glance.  It comes from this link, of a financial consulting group's analysis of the USA as if it were a corporation: http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meeker-usa-inc-february-24-2011-2

That huge entitlement load, and huge $1.3 trillion deficit (the difference between spending and income) does not even take into account the fact that tens of millions of Baby Boomers are about to retire and start tapping into Medicare.

Consider how difficult it is to withdraw "entitlements" once they're given.  Look at Greece's protests about its 'austerity measures', and Wisconsin's public sector union protesting governor Walker's budget cuts and collective bargaining limits.  It takes a VERY bold politician to cut entitlements for the sake of being fiscally responsible, knowing that millions of people will be outraged at the loss of their handout money.

Pennsylvania governor Corbett recently announced $850 million in budget cuts, trying to balance the PA state budget.  Rather than being hailed as a bold politician trying to put PA back on a financially sound footing, he is being widely castigated.  Penn State president Spanier said "Abraham Lincoln is weeping today", trying to lay the blame for Abe's tears upon the cuts, rather than upon the previous tragic escalation of yearly deficits and ballooning debt which inevitably always causes weeping when the debts come due.

2. Here's a quote from Mary Poplin about unforgiveness and how it is harmful to your own health:  Holding a grudge against someone is "like drinking poison and hoping that the other person dies."   How unfortunately true!

And how fortunately true the opposite!  God gives us the grace to freely forgive those who hurt us (who believe in Jesus), knowing how much we have been forgiven.   It seems like I have encountered a lot of nonChristian friends lately who have been talking about how angry and full of hate they are toward someone who has hurt them.   Not only do they see no need to forgive and "love their enemies", but they DON'T WANT to forgive them.

For us, though, who have been forgiven completely by God through Jesus Christ for all the sin and evil and corruption in our lives, how can we not forgive those who insult us and hurt us?   We have caused God SO much pain; we have messed up our and others' lives SO much, yet He forgave us fully and completely - forever.   He himself paid the penalty for our sins.   In light of this, how fitting and natural it is for us to forgive those people who hurt us.

3. What's the connection between the struggling economy (national debt, unemployment, gas prices, layoffs, job pressures) and the love and forgiveness that we followers of Jesus Christ are free to dispense in all directions because of the love with which He has loved us?

Simply this - in times of darkness the light shines more brightly.

Everyone is starting to 'feel the pressure' more and more these days, because of the bad deficit-growing entitlement-expanding financial decisions made by certain political leaders.  The pressure 'trickles down' into all jobs, into family interactions, into classrooms, into sidewalk interactions, etc.   In times when the veneers of civility and niceness are stripped away and people scrabble to survive, those of us into whom God has poured His lavish, rich, indescribably awesome love and approval through Jesus Christ can be beacons of joy and love and hope to others who are still stumbling around outside in the darkness.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
-- Jesus Christ, Matthew 5:14-16