Dana's Corner

Mean Moms

2008-05-13T15:55:00.003-04:00

Someday when my children are old enough tounderstand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean ole Mom told me:
I loved you enough...to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home. I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep. I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect. I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. But most of all, I loved you enough...to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them. Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world!

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. Shehad to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on our telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other'sproperty or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean moms! --Borrowed

Irony of the Irish Holy Day?

2008-03-16T15:39:00.005-04:00

As I have commented before in this column, Sunday mornings are one, if not the only time, the streets are "dead" here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As we travel to go and worship on Sunday mornings, we NEVER have to worry about the traffic...there is none. Even when we get out of worship services and go to lunch, we are usually one of the first people at the restaurant around 1:00 pm. But that was not the case this morning.

I noticed on my way to worship that there seemed to be more people out than usual and when I left services to go to our favorite restaurant, I hit a major traffic jam. It wasn't long before I passed a float and realized I had come upon the ending of the "St. Patrick's Day" parade in, coincidentally, San Patricio, the shopping area I was headed for. The crowd was enormous and it took me a while to make my way through to the parking garage.

As I sat in the traffic, I thought how ironic; here are all of these people celebrating the life of a deeply religious man who devoted himself to worshipping and serving God (though I disagree with his theology, he did devote himself to what he believed was worship to God) and yet the only time you will see them up and out on the "Lord's Day" is if they can have a party. What would Patrick think? Would he be pleased to know that the legacy he has left behind has become nothing more than green tinsel and shamrocks, green beer and parades with leprechauns?

But, then again, isn't that what so many have done with the life of Christ as well. They have reduced His legacy to nothing more than hiding Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies in Spring and Christmas trees with packages in Winter and this was not a man we celebrate, but the very Son of Jehovah God--Creator of the universe! What must He think????

Humans have a way, through their arrogance, of trivializing greatness. We have a way of making common that which is extraordinary. We have done it with everything from the honor that should be given to the office of the presidency to respect for (or lack of respect for) the American flag, from disrespect for motherhood to calling the miracle of conception of human life nothing more than unwanted "tissue". We have even reduced the awesomeness of a Divine Creator into nothing more than a "Big Bang". Aren't we amazing! or is it that we are just plain foolish?

The irony of the parade today, the fact that we CAN all get up early on Sunday morning, points to our total disrespect for Greatness; our disrespect for our Great, Loving, Patient and always Merciful Father who loves us despite our utter disregard for Him and His commandments to assemble with the saints on the Lord's Day.

Dana Burk

A Tribute to "Real" MOMS

2008-03-13T16:58:00.004-04:00

(Another great article for you mothers who often feel you are unappreciated. I have felt that way myself. I do not know the author...isn't that ironic.) --Dana Burk

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not. No one can see if I am on the phone, or cooking, or> sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa $%^ laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.

She's going - she's going - she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.

My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He w as puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self- centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the> morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're going to love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Starbuck's Wisdom

2008-02-25T16:43:00.004-05:00

While indulging in a cup of my favorite mocha concoction from Starbuck's, I was reading a quote on the cup from their "The Way I See It" collection. I found it quite profound and thought provoking. Let me share it with you.

"Our greatest prejudice is against death. It spans age, gender and race. We spend immeasurable amounts of energy fighting an event that will eventually triumph. Though it is noble not to give in easily, the most alive people I've ever met are those who embrace their death. They love, laugh and live more fully." --Andy Webster(Hospice chaplain in Plymouth, MI)

Isn't that a very Biblical view. Certainly we don't "rush" to die, but death is not something we should fear if we are right with God. Certainly some food for thought.

Dana Burk

Homade Brownies

2008-02-20T08:54:00.003-05:00

(I commend the following story to your conscience. Someone sent me a copy of this...I have no idea who the author is, but I don't think I could ever had made the point so eloquently. Indeed it is something each of us needs to seriously consider.

--Dana Burk)

Last week, I walked into my office to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing three chewy,
tasty, homemade chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and anonymous person who knew my love for tasty homemade brownies
had placed them there, along with a hand written short story. I immediately sat down and began eating the first chewy, tasty, homemade brownie as I read the following story: Two teenagers asked their father if they could go the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had seen.
After reading some reviews about the movie on the Internet, he denied their request. "Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!" Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity and portrays immorality as being normal and acceptable behavior. "But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie!
That's what our friends who've seen it have told us.
The movie is two hours long and those scenes are just a few minutes of the total film!
It's based on a true story and good triumphs over evil, and there are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice.
Even the movie review websites say that!" "My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer
You are welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your friends over,
and watch one of the good videos we have in our home collection.
But you will not go and watch that film.
End of discussion." The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family room and slumped down on the couch.
As they sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their Father preparing something in the kitchen.
They soon recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other,
"Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies.
Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he brings them out to us and persuade him to let us go to that movie after all." About that time I began eating the second brownie from the sandwich bag and wondered if there was some connection
to the brownies I was eating and the brownies in the story.
I kept reading.. The teens were not disappointed.
Soon their father appeared with a plate of warm brownies, which he offered to his kids.
They each took one. Then their father said,
"Before you eat, I want to tell you something: I love you both so much. "The teenagers smiled at each other with knowing glances.
Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very best ingredients. I've made them from scratch.
Most of the ingredients are even organic.
The best organic flour.
The best free-range eggs.
The best organic sugar.
Premium Vanilla and chocolate." The brownies looked mouthwatering, and the teens began to become a little impatient with their dad's long speech. "But I want to be perfectly honest with you.
There is one ingredient I added that is not usually found in brownies.
I got that ingredient from our own back yard.
But you needn't worry, because I only added the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies.
The amount of the portion is practically insignificant.
So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you think." "Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery ingredient is before we eat?" "Why? The portion I added was so small.
Just a teaspoonful. You won't even taste it." "Come on, dad; just tell us what that ingredient is." "Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients. " "Dad!" "Well, OK, if you insist.
That secret ingredient is fresh organic...dog poop." I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie and I spit it out into the wastebasket by my desk.
I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that still remained. Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror. "DAD! Why did you do that?
You've tortured us by making us smell those brownies cooking for the last half hour,
and now you tell us that you added dog poop!
We can't eat these brownies!" "Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small compared to the rest of the ingredients.
It won't hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other ingredients.
You won't even taste it. It has the same consistency as the brownies.
Go ahead and eat!" "No, Dad...NEVER! " "And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go watch that movie.
You won't tolerate a little dog poop in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little immorality in your movies?
We pray that God will not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good conscience entertain ourselves with
something that will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will lead us into temptation long after we first see it? I discarded what remained of the second brownie as well as the entire untouched third brownie.
What had been irresistible a minute go had become detestable!
And only because of the very slim chance that what I was eating was slightly polluted.
(Surely it wasn't . . . but I couldn't convince myself.) What a good lesson about purity!
Why do we tolerate any sin?
On the day of the Passover, the Israelites were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from their homes.
Sin is like leaven - a little bit leavens the whole lump; faith and sin, don't mix.
(1Corinthians 5:6, 7)

Connecting with Grandchildren

2008-02-18T17:50:00.002-05:00

We just spent a few days with three of our grandchildren in Florida. I have promised myself that I am going to do better this year at keeping connected with them. We have so much fun with them when we are there, but we never get to stay long enough nor do we get to go often enough--two or three times a year.

I ran across a web site that had some really good ideas on how to maintain long-distance relationships with grandkids as well as a lot of other ideas for grandparents. www.grandparents.com. Check it out. When I viewed it, it had a calendar for the next six months of some unusual ways to celebrate with the kids. And, you know, the more I wondered around the internet, the more cool things I found for kids that I could share with them. Give it a try.

Keeping an open and close relationship with our children and grandchildren who live far from us is easier now than ever with all the technology available to us. It is worth learning how to navigate through this computer age. Remeber that we as grandparents can have a powerful impact on these young lives as we see Paul address in his words to Timothy.
Tim 1:55 "when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice , and I am persuaded is in you
also."

Dana Burk

Life Sized Visual Aids

2008-01-31T08:28:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of making a life sized Goliath for Bible class Sunday morning when we are going to do a lesson on David and Goliath. The 6 or so children who have begun to attend with us have never been to church or studied the Bible before. They are excited and eager each week to hear the thrilling, action packed stories from God's word. Trying to make these "real" to them, as you teachers know, can be challenging.

I have made life sized poster like Bible characters before on the computor and people have queried me as to how I have done it so I thought I would share with you how simple it is to blow an image up.

I use Print Master or Print Shop when making Bible class visual aids because of the ease of the programs and thousands of graphics available. They also are easy to import graphics from the web or your own files onto your page. Once you have the image or character that you want to "blow up", select the print feature and then select your "out put" size; ex. 200%, 300%, etc. This sets up the tiling feature where the image will now be enlarged proportionately. If you select 200% then the image will print out on four sheets of paper or cardstock--2 across and 2 down thus producing your image twice as large as normal. For Goliath, I composed the image on legal size paper and then printed it 800% thus printing Goliath on 64 (8x8) sheets of legal sized paper. Now the not so easy part comes in putting Goliath together. I now will have to piece these 64 sheets and glue them together to produce an approximately 9 ft. Goliath. (This is an ambitious project I must admit) but typically you can make poster size images by printing 200% or even 300% sized images or visual aids. Remember that your pixels may skew some when enlarging your images, but ussually this is not too much of a problem.

Try making some of your visuals life sized and watch the impact it can have on the children you teach. It can truly bring the stories to life.

If you have any questions I can help you with, please contact me by leaving a comment and your contact info and I will get back to you.

Dana Burk

From the Mouth of Babes

2008-01-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

WOW!!!!

2008-01-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very exciting Lord's day down here. We had a visitor from NJ at our English services which is always nice when you are as small as we are. She brought our number up to 13. But, during the middle of our Bible class people began arriving for the Spanish service. By the time the Spanish service was to begin we had 32 people in attendance. We normally have 5-7. One of the English speaking brethren (who is bi-lingual) had invited each of these people and I'm not sure how, but was able to get them all to show up at once. Two of the ladies from the English congregation who also are bi-lingual took the 5-6 children and had a Bible class with them on the spur of the moment. Everyone in both congregations was excited. What a buzz.

They all seemed genuinely glad to be there and receptive to our encouragements and the word preached. We have been praying for months for contacts, opportunities and prospects and now we have about 25 dropped in our lap including about 5 or 6 children. Please remember us in your prayers as we now follow up with these souls and pray that we may be able to teach them the gospel and bring them to Christ. As one brother said, not only do we have opportunity to teach them, but they also have friends and family.

Thank You our Great God for answered prayers.

Dana Burk

Grasping At Every Straw

2008-01-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

We have been in Puerto Rico for almost 8 months now and teaching the gospel here has been quite a challenge. Ed, our friend, has been here about 4 months. We have had two different on-going studies with two sets of our neighbors and been able to get the English congregation that we meet with to begin meeting on Wed. evenings and start having Bible class on Sun. mornings. Lots of teaching is being done in both of these efforts, but it does seem that things are very slow.

I was talking with Ed last night and we were brainstorming about how we could make some contacts. (Tol is in Dominica preaching there for 9 days.) Today Ed told me he had had a study at Starbucks with a guy he bought his cell phone from. I shot an email off to the girlfriend of one of the sons (who is not a Christian) of one of our Spanish brethren to see if we could get together sometime next week. Truly we are grasping at every straw to try and get some things going in this very worldly environment.

As I thought about this today, I thought about how we often get so comfortable with our big churches, comfortable buildings and fellowship with "strong" brethren that we cease grasping at every straw to try and reach others for Christ. After all, we don't "need" them as desperately as we do down here in Puerto Rico. I say that tongue in cheek but I fear there is some truth in it. We must never forget that whether WE "need" them or not, THEY need God and we have the responsibility to find them.

Keep grasping at every straw to bring them in.

Dana Burk

The Old Paths

2008-01-14T16:34:00.000-05:00

I wish the old paths were before us instead of behind us.

I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!
Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.
Moms cou ld cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.
Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.
Women wore the jewelry; (now I do like my pants)
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.
People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.
Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.
The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!
A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.
God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected.
Church was where you found Christians
On the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,
On the creek bank, on the golf course,
Or being entertained somewhere else.
I still like the old paths the best!

"The Old Paths" was written by a retired minister who lives in Tennessee.

Another Matted Puppy

2008-01-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

I recently started grooming dogs part-time to make a little extra income. I do it from my home on a side porch and it has been fantastic. Nobody loves animals more than me so this is quite my cup of tea.

I frequently have brought to me dogs that have been let go and their hair is so matted that the only thing left to do is to strip all the hair off and start over. Today was the worst I have ever seen. A very nervous, adult Shih Tzu was brought to me that was so matted you couldn't even find it's skin. On it's left side were two hairless places, each about the size of a half dollar, that were exposed and looked tender. The lady quickly dropped it off with instructions to "just shave it". I asked if she had had it to the vet about the sores and she said no, she would do that. I hesitantly took the dog anyway and after she left removed it from the carrier it came in and placed it on my grooming table. As I began removing the matted areas I worked very carefully around the sores. To my horror, under the matted area surrounding the sores was a huge area of raw flesh. The dog was scared and obviously in pain. I cut away what mats I could without any further clipping and called the dogs owner to tell her she needed to come and pick the dog up and take it to the vet. That was over an hour and a half ago and I am still waiting for her to return.

This incident has really disturbed me. I have often said to my husband that if people are going to have these kinds of dogs, Shih Tzus, Yorkies, Maltese, (you know the really cute fuzzy ones) then they need to take care of them and brush them occasionally. They bring them to me once every six months (or longer) and then wonder why I can't comb out all the mess. You know, isn't that what we do with our lives sometimes. We become Christians and are so zealous and excited about the new beginning, the clean slate--like that cute, clean puppy with pink skin that we bring home--and we have the best of intentions about tending to our spiritual needs on a regular basis just like we promised ourselves we would take care of that new puppy. But, as all too often happens, we get busy with things of this world: work, school, the house, kids, you fill in the blank, and we neglect our relationship with God and the mess can't be just combed out.

If we are not careful, what I saw today can happen to us as well. We can become so matted and dirty, tangled up with this world, that under all the mess that is created in our lives because of spiritual neglect are festering, putrefied sores that require emergency care and if further neglected, they can result in an infection so severe that it can kill us. Jesus is that emergency care that we all need so desperately from time to time.

Today has been a tough day in the grooming business--I also had a young Maltese puppy, 11 months old, brought to me who also was going to have to be stripped because of the mats (thankfully she was not in the same condition as the first) but the first thing this puppy did was bite as we removed it from the cage. The adult owners could not even get it out and had their 10 yr. daughter remove it. We tried to muzzle the puppy and it was much too viscous for that. Again, another case of severe neglect and lack of socialization. I had to send the puppy back home because it refused to allow me to help it. Jesus is our Good Shepherd that wants to daily tend to our needs and keep us in tip top condition if we will only submit to Him. But sometimes we are like that little Maltese that refuses to be helped.

God allows us to completely strip ourselves of the sins and entanglements of this world if we will let Him groom us each day through His Word. Don't neglect your spiritual self.

Dana Burk

Put it Into Perspective!

2007-12-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?' 'It was great, Dad.' 'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked. 'Oh yeah,' said the son. 'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father.

The son answered: 'I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

--Borrowed

I don't know about you, but this brought tears to my eyes.

Dana Burk

It Hurts So Much!

2007-10-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

I have just spent a week with one of my sons and his family which includes two of my young grandchildren. I have not seen them in 5 months and how wonderful it has been to be with them. The two girls are 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 and needless to say are never still. My husband and I are exhausted, but it is certainly a good kind of exhaustion.

We had to say goodbye to them this morning and I have no idea how long it will be before I get to see them again. My heart aches! After the tears dried and we began our drive to our next destination (my husband and I are in the states for a three week visit), I began to think about how much I love my children and grandchildren and how painful it is to be separated from them. Our move to Puerto Rico has made our visiting with one another on any frequent basis impossible because of the cost of transportation. Once or twice a year is probably all we can hope for.

I know I am not the only parent or grandparent in that situation. But I also began to think about how it must feel to our Heavenly Father when He is separated, or should I say, when we separate ourselves from Him. How must His heart ache. What separates me from my children is only miles and time and sooner or later we'll be together again if the Lord wills, but what can separate our Father from His children can be forever, eternal. How He must hurt from the sorrow He feels when one of His children turns away from Him and ceases to have fellowship with Him.

As a parent, I know of nothing as important to me than spending time with my children and their families. It is no surprise to read in God's word that that is also what our Heavenly Father longs for as well...to have us spend eternity with Him--in His very presence.

I know of parents who have very poor relationships with their children or who have ceased to have any relationship with them and it can wreck their lives. Have you ever thought about what it does to our Father when we sin and separate ourselves from Him. Does He feel what we as earthly parents feel? Or is it even a deeper pain for Him since He knows where we are headed.

Being a parent of adult children who have the choice to make their own decisions has helped me, in a limited way, understand some of the emotions our Heavenly Father must feel for the millions of children He so deeply loves on this earth. I know his heart frequently aches as mine did today.

Dana Burk

An Open Letter to Young Ladies

2007-10-08T18:46:00.000-04:00

The following is a letter published in the Lost River Church of Christ bulletin from a young Christian man. It is certainly worthy of our attention.

Dear girls,

I know this is something you may not be comfortable with, but I hope you will pay attention to what I have to say from a guy's point of view. I know that you all love God with all of your hearts and that you are willing to do whatever is necessary to please Him and live eternally in heaven, so I know you will understand what i will write.

As a guy, it seems like girls are always on my mind. The thing is, as a Christian, I am commanded not to even look upon a woman to lust after her, and let me tell you, that is something that is very hard not to do. I remember sitting in class and not being able to concentrate on my work at all because of what the girl in front of me was wearing! Regular old jeans and a T-shirt. God made us with a desire for the opposite sex, and I tell you the truth when I say that it's possible for a guy to lust after a girl even if she is wearing modest clothes. On top of that, the styles these days are getting more and more indecent. If you go to a high school you will find girls wearing clothes that scream out "LOOK AT THIS!" and you can see what kind of underwear they are wearing, its color, and pretty much whatever else you want to know. Then all the girls walk up to her and say, "Oh, aren't you just adorable?" Tight pants, tube tops, low-cut shirts, belly shirts and backless shirts are all acceptable to the world, but are designed to get guys to look and lust and many girls think that is how to get a guy to like them. Some girls just wear these clothes because they are in style without caring about its effect on guys. But I ask you, how can a girl expect to set an example as a Christian if the only thing a guy can think about is what's underneath her clothes? So you See, society doesn't look at modesty the way a godly woman should, and because of this the Christian girl is constantly told that immodesty is good.

But there is an enormous difference here. Society thinks that it's only natural to lust. Society encourages lust. I encourage You to test what society says and compare it to the truth of God's word. Realize the fact that if you wear immodest clothes, not only are you conforming to the world, but you make it easy for a fellow brother in Christ to stumble and sin before God.

Let me say one more thing. This may be the most important of all. What do you see in your future? I hope you envision yourself married to a man who places God at the center of his life and doesn't let anything get in his way. I hope you envision yourself married to a man that doesn't take stock in the things of the world, but stores his treasure in heaven so that as you and he grow old, he won't look at you and wonder where your beauty went, he will look at you and wonder how you keep getting more beautiful as you age. I hope you envision yourself married to a man who keeps God in your marriage and loves you all the more because of it. And I hope you envision a man who will help you get to heaven. The advice I give you now is, if you really want a man of this caliber, now is the time to prepare yourself for him. If you do not dress as a moral, godly, Christian woman, a strong Christian man will not be impressed by your lewd appearance.

There is a warning addressed to men in Proverbs 5:3 that says: "The lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood...her feet go down to hell." I hope you read this passage and see a reason to be a godly woman, because a Christian man reads this and realizes not to enter the path of the immoral woman. a godly man should do his best to resist a woman such as this, so I ask the question, why in the world would you want a truly godly man to resist you? A godly man is attracted to a girl's purity and zeal for God, not simply for her physical features that are passing away.

Thank you for listening to me and I hope you understand that males have such an infatuation with females that you don't have to show off your body to get their attention. Show off your inside, not your outside. And I hope you realize that being immodest can have a serious effect on a guy that may be struggling already. Finally, I want you to know I pray for you. May you all someday be the "virtuous wife: described in Proverbs 31.

What Are We Showing?

2007-10-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

A young man was telling me this morning about a conversation he had with a woman yesterday whom he had met hoping to have a Bible study with. She and her male friend had contacted him and agreed to meet for that purpose, but when he arrived at the meeting place they tried to sign him up in a multi-level marketing business (you know the one).

When this young man had first made contact with them several days ago at a nearby mall, she was dressed in the typical Puerto Rican dress of tight, short and lots of cleavage showing. Yesterday when he met with them and they were attempting to sell him on a new business, she was dressed very modestly in a sharp, clean suit.

The two assured my friend that they were on the "up and up" and that all they were presenting to him was real--nothing bogus about it. The young man boldly then addressed her appearance and asked her why she was dressed so differently. She queried him about what he meant and he told her that today she was dressed very modestly and the other day she was very immodest. He told her it seemed "phony" for her to dress one way one time and another way the other time and made him question whether the whole business was "phony". The interesting thing about the conversation is that he had to explain to her why her dress had been immodest. She told him that she had never thought about the way she was dressed.

I have never lived in a culture where so many women expose themselves on a daily basis in immodest apparel. I do not think of myself as a prude or someone coming out of the dark ages and yet I am daily shocked at what I see revealed everyday from the grocery store to the gas station, from the mall to Home Depot. And I am convinced that the vast majority of these women have never thought about the fact that they are immodest. They have just never thought!!!! They are simply wearing what everyone else around them is wearing. From the 60 year old woman to the 2 year old child. It is their fashion and part of their culture.

Do you think about what you are wearing and how you appear to others, especially to the opposite sex? Do you think about how you appear to God? Does God consider what you put on, or for that matter, don't put on as becoming of His child? It is way too easy to get caught up in being and looking like those around us. As Christians we are to be a peculiar people, a light among darkness, a city set upon a hill. What are you showing by the way you dress?

(Tomorrow I am going to post a letter written by a young Christian man to young ladies in the church about how they dress. It is interesting to see how we sometimes appear to someone else.)

Dana Burk

"I Am Not Afraid of Tomorrow"

2007-10-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

The T.G.I. Friday's I recently ate at had this saying wall papered around the room: "I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today." What a great attitude! How often we fear the future only to find out later there was nothing to fear or we were able to work through it. Winston Churchill once said, "When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened." I know that has been true in my life. Most of which have worried over, never even happened.

Reflecting (not dwelling) on the past and looking at today can be a great bolster for facing tomorrow, whatever it may bring. Jesus told us in Matthew 6:31-33 not to worry about tomorrow--tomorrow will take care of itself. But if that is not enough security, He promises that if we are seeking after Him and His kingdom, HE will take care of us. So exactly what do we have to be worried or anxious about?

"I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today."

Dana Burk

Details, Details, Details

2007-10-05T19:00:00.000-04:00

Ever thought about how important details are in this life? How many things must be done precisely and perfectly in order to work. Just type in a web site address and be off by one small letter or symbol and who knows where you will end up on the World Wide Web. Today I dialed a phone number and had only one digit off out of 10 and couldn't reach the person I was calling. Try and order something with your credit card over the computer and type in one number wrong and you won't be receiving your merchandise.

I'm doing some Spanish lessons on the computer and must speak into the microphone to be tested. If I place an "e" at the end of a word instead of an "a" or say "el" instead of "la" it is marked as wrong. Everything else I say may be exactly right in a phrase of ten or twelve words, but it will all be counted wrong because of that one little detail. I used to be a head teller for a bank and had to put my part of the combination in along with another teller in order to open the massive safe door. If either one of us missed the tiny marks on the wheel by even a fraction, the door wouldn't budge. Even if I want to go visit my friend across town, I must have detailed directions along with the exact address in order to arrive at his/her house and not the neighbors.

Details, details, details--we all recognize that they are so important in every aspect of our lives. Why is it then, when it comes to religion and obedience to God's word, that so many balk at having to precisely obey its commands? Why do we think that details are so important except in the most important area of our lives? God has mercifully left us a detailed and precise road map by which we can get home, but we must follow the directions exactly if we want to make sure we end up at our mansion and not somewhere else.

Turning South at one point instead of turning North will send us in the total opposite direction from where we intend to be. It is the same with following God's word. When He says one thing and we do the opposite, how can we possibly believe we will end up in the right place? When He tells us to assemble with the saints and we do not assemble with the saints, will we end up in the same place? When He says we must be baptized and we say we must not be baptized, are we on the same road? When He says do not lie and we lie, are we heading the same direction?

I've heard the expression used "the devil is in the details". I'm not totally sure what is meant by that, however, the devil is certainly present cheering us on when we are not following the details of God's word.

Dana Burk

The Power of Gratitude

2007-10-04T20:05:00.000-04:00

There was an article today on MSN by Newsweek reviewing a book by Deborah Norville titled Thank You Power. She asserts and scientifically defends that people who are thankful can not only live longer, but are smarter, better negotiators and faster learners as well as suffer from fewer allergies, headaches and even exercise more. In general, the thankful person is a happier person.

As I read the article I thought of Romans 1:21 where the apostle Paul discusses the vile condition of the Gentiles who forgot God. He states that, "although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (NKJV) In passages like 1 Thess. 5:18, Heb. 13:15 and Phil. 4:6 we have been commanded to give thanks or be thankful, but who knew we would live longer and be smarter for doing so.

Once again, I am reminded of how the commandments of God are for our own good. How easy it would be to think that God wanted our thankfulness and gratitude for His own glory and honor which He certainly deserves, but here we learn this too is for our own benefit.

I took the time today to look up in a concordance "thanks", "thanked", "thankful", "thanksgiving" and the many other forms of the word and was amazed at how many times they were used and found it interesting to see who used them. Paul was an avid user of the words. Isn't it interesting, that the man we know suffered so much persecution in this life, found so much to be thankful for. Truly a lesson is there in his life.

How thankful are you? How much do you express that thankfulness and gratitude? Want to be happier and live longer? Let God know you are thankful for all the blessing He gives you each day.

Dana Burk

Cool Indeed

2007-06-22T16:26:00.000-04:00

There are some very cool things about living here in the Caribbean. (At least I think they are cool.) As I was sitting at my desk today working, I looked out the window and there sat an iguana about 5-6 feet long grazing on some tiny flowers in my backyard. I hollered at my husband to find the camera as the iguana was making his way to the fence between me and the next door neighbors. I got one shot of him just before he climbed the fence only to be spotted by the neighbor's two dogs who began to bark incessantly at him.

I walked out onto the porch, now only about 10 ft. from him and he spotted me. The poor thing sat teetering on the top of the chain-link trying to figure out what to do. The harassing dogs were on one side and I was on the other. Several times he almost slipped and fell over with the dogs. My husband tried to coax the dogs away with a piece of cheese, but it just was not as tempting as that whole iguana. They were going nowhere. We watched the poor thing struggle for a few minutes and debated what to do. We have seen those things whip their long tails and have heard they can give you a good thrashing.

But, have no fear, the very courageous four year old twin girls from next door rushed out with their toy broom and pitch-fork and knocked the huge dragon off the fence away from the dogs. It quickly scurried down the hill toward the creek and all the excitement was over for the day.

Oh, the life and excitement in the tropics.

Dana Burk

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

2007-06-14T23:28:00.001-04:00

As the temperature outside rises and the mugginess of summer settles in I am reminded of a comment a close friend made to me several years ago. We both were living in the Caribbean at the time (niether of us had air conditioning) and were discussing salvation and the Bible. She paused a moment and then said through her tears, "Dana, I CAN'T go to Hell. It is so hot here and I can't imagine what an eternity of this would be like." You might find her statement amusing if she hadn't been so completely sincere. It was HOT! It was miserably hot that evening as we talked about what God expected from each of us. But I know it was nothing like what Hell will be like--she understood that too--that was her point.

Most of us despise being really hot. We reach for fans, grab cold drinks, take dips in the pool or just hibernate in the air conditioning. We wait for the heat to subside and long for the cool of evening or even the advent of fall. Hell, however will be eternal heat. There will be no fans, no cold drinks, no cool pool of water and certainly no air conditioning and fall will NEVER come.

Later this summer when you think about how hot it is and long for cooler weather, remember, this heat is no comparison to those who reject God and His word.

Dana Burk

Me First!

2007-06-14T22:30:00.000-04:00

Puerto Rico is a beautiful island with incredibly friendly and gracious people and yet there is a quality about the people here I find repulsive. They are aggressive, selfish, me-first drivers, when in the car, with absolutely NO consideration for anyone but themselves. When it comes to who goes first it will always be them, if it is within their power, even at the risk of certain wrecks. Our house backs up to a small creek that runs along a very busy road and in the short three weeks or so that we have lived here, we have heard numerous wrecks just beyond the trees. It doesn't stop on the roads however, today we were literally run over by a guy pushing his way to the front of the line with his cart, making sure he was first to check out at the grocery. He never apologized or even acknowledge his behavior. Truly "road rage" is alive and well in Puerto Rico.

What causes people to behave so rudely? My husband said the other day that life is just not that short that you would need to kill yourself to get there first. So what is the problem? I really believe it is a total lack of respect for God and thus authority that causes such behavior. When you meet people personally here, they are polite and kind and treat you with respect, but when they don't know you--they have nothing to lose in the relationship--they are rude, crude and hateful. It is all about them!

There are religious people here on the island, but they are few and far between. On Sundays it is so glaring how few are out and about "worshiping God". The malls are packed, the beaches are full and the restaurants are busy, but it is obvious they have not just left "church". Traffic here is unbelievable from early morning until late at night except on Sunday mornings on our way to worship. No one is out; the streets are deserted and the driveways are full of parked cars. But, have no fear, just after lunchtime, the masses return to the road at a fever pitch and the chaos begins again. It is ironic, but the time that you would think many would be out worshiping God, most here are at home resting (worshiping themselves).

Have you ever thought about how your respect for God determines how you drive your vehicle, not to mention your grocery cart? If you have respect for God--the author of law and order, of peace, then you respect the rights of others and consider others before yourself. However, if you do not acknowledge Him as Lord and ruler of your life, then chaos and confusion reign and that is certainly true of the vast majority of the drivers on this beautiful island God created for them. Paradoxical!

The lack of God in the lives of the people here is seen in many other aspects of their lives: the way they dress (or maybe I should say don't dress), the way they spend their time and the things that are so important to them. Does your life reflect who is most important in your life? It does! The question is, does it reflect that God is most important in your life?

Dana Burk

It's Official!

2007-05-30T21:10:00.000-04:00

It is official now--I know for sure I am back in the Caribbean. As I struggled to make out Tol's lesson in Spanish tonight about Hell and eternal fire my ankle began to burn. About two inches from my foot lay a dead beetle that the ants were devouring--they began devouring my ankle as well. I kicked the beetle away and began trying to quietly stomp the ants that surrounded my foot. I thought to myself, "This would not be happening in Columbia, TN in the air-conditioned, carpeted pew I would have been sitting in."

I have been re-introduced to all the various types of ants, roaches and lizards that are so much a part of life here. Yesterday I attempted, without success, to follow the trail of ants along the cabinet doors in my kitchen to the source of their attraction. Finally, I just took a wet paper towel and wiped them all away only to do it about 5 more times over the next hour before they got the point. Truly life abounds here. People, bugs and the Coqui (the famous tree frogs of Puerto Rico) are everywhere, busy and thriving.

On a more serious note--I am overwhelmed by the endless number of people that clamor for space in just the few square miles surrounding my home--none of whom are Christians. Daily, Tol and I pray that God will help us find a way to reach some with the Gospel. It is truly a daunting task and we covet your prays.

"Befriending the Lost"

2007-04-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to speak at a women's retreat this past weekend near Nashville on the subject of befriending the lost. I did two sessions on the subject and was overwhelmed with the favorable responses I received. It was very exciting to see so many interested in reaching out to others and choosing to attend the class, but even more so, it was exciting to here the comments and have so many share their experiences with me.

The New Testament tells us and makes it abundantly clear that Jesus' sole purpose for coming to this earth was to seek and save those who were lost. If we are to be disciples, truly followers of Him, then we too must be about the business of seeking and saving the lost and that must start with befriending them.

If a friend knows that we love them, then we can tell them most anything, even that they are lost and headed to an eternal hell. They may not like "what" we say, but they know we love them and hopefully will listen.

I think we often forget this simple truth. We somehow think that we can go out and start "preaching" to everyone that they are headed straight to hell without Jesus when we have made no effort to become their friend, no effort to show them we personally care about their souls and then we are shocked when they reject "the truth". Jesus went to great pains to befriend people. He showed them over and over that He loved them and that He cared about them personally. Think about the Samaritan woman at the well, the sinful woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears, the woman caught in the act of adultery and even Zacchaeus. They each knew that He cared personally about them and then He made it clear they needed repentance.

We must be like Jesus, love people, let them know we love them (befreind them), then seek out those who want to be saved. May God richly bless your efforts as you seek to save the lost.

Dana Burk

Here I Go Again!

2007-04-12T10:47:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been two months plus since I plugged in here and boy have I gotten lazy. Let me fill you in on what's going on in my life.

We have feverishly been preparing for our move back to the Caribbean--the island of Puerto Rico--since January. In mid Feb. I had abdominal surgery and around the 10th of March we listed our house with the realtor. That same afternoon people came to see it and three days later we accepted their contract for it. We closed on the 27th of March. We had to have everything moved into storage and out of the house in 17 days, start to finish. Tol and I left for Puerto Rico on the 29th hoping to be able to look at some houses and see what was available to live in. We were so amazed that we not only looked at a lot of houses, but found one to purchase (see the picture at top), put a contract on it, got the mortgage process well on its way, opened a bank account and even got a P. O. Box all in 5 days. In the land where everything moves at a snail's pace we felt we accomplished the impossible.

It has been very apparent that the Lord has worked constantly on our behalf, lining up the support that Tol will need to do his work in the Caribbean, selling our home, finding us another home and even providing temporary housing for us in the meantime. Lord willing, our last Sunday here will be May 6th, at which time we will be going to Texas for a week or so then on to Florida where we will be shipping our vehicle. We should arrive in PR around the 18th or 19th of May.

I am ready to make this move and get settled once again. When we were in PR a couple of weeks ago, we met with the brethren there and they were very excited about our coming. They seem ready to work and help us reach out to the lost in their area. We already have a hectic schedule planned for the summer with two vacation Bible schools and trips to at least two other islands for gospel meetings. We will hit the ground running once we move.

I'll be speaking at a women's retreat near Nashville this weekend on the subject of "Befriending the Lost" and as I have prepared for this lecture it has reminded me why we are making this move. It truly is all about Him and His glory. I have struggled for months over having to move back to the Caribbean. After having lived there for 8 years in the nineties, I thought I was back home to stay (home in the states), but I know this is what God has set before us and know that He will help me adjust once again.

Remember us in your prayers and if you would ever like to come and help in any way with the work there, you would be welcome.

God Bless, Dana Burk

Cancer Is So Limited

2007-02-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

I was reading an excerpt from a memorial service of someone who had succumbed to cancer recently and I think it worth sharing with you.

Cancer is limited:

It cannot cripple love,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the Spirit,
It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

How truly powerless this and other deadly diseases are. The things that are of real value are totally unaffected. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

We may fear the unknown and the suffering we may face, but we can, at the same time, confidently face all that troubles us knowing that He waits to take us home with Him for eternity. Cancer is so limited. This world is so limited. Satan is soooo limited. Praise God for His power over ALL things.

Dana Burk

Grandparent Humor

2007-02-04T23:48:00.000-05:00

A grandmother was surprised by her 7-year-old grandson one morning. He had made her coffee. She drank what was the worst cup of coffee in her life. When she got to the bottom, there were three of those little green Army men in the cup. She said, "Honey, what are these army men doing in my coffee?" Her grandson said, "Grandma, it says on TV, 'The best part of waking up is soliers in your cup!'" --via housetohouse.com

Making Members Out of Visitors

2007-02-04T23:30:00.000-05:00

I was reading an article today that only reconfirms what I already knew--hospitality is essential to church growth. The writer of the article began to notice the correlation between those who had visited at "his church" and those who had become members of his congregation in the past six months. What he found was that of the visitors that had been invited to other member's homes and had "socially" connected with them, had become friends with the members, these ALL eventually became members of that congregation, however, of the ones who had visited and been greeted by a friendly congregation, but never been in member's homes and never connected socially, none of them had become members there.

He stated that George Barna's research indicates that 33% of people who are not in church are open to attending services and that the thing that is most likely to attract them is an invitation by a friend. He further indicates that if hospitality is extended to those visitors, 90% of them will stay with that church! Those are impressive statistics.

It has been said that "People are not interested in a friendly church; they are looking for friends." There is a big difference in the two. The Bible repeatedly commands us to pursue hospitality--do you suppose God knows the connection between hospitality and evangelism?

Dana Burk

The Value Of...

2007-01-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

To realize The value of a sister/brother:
Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realize The value of ten years:
Ask a newly Divorced couple.

To realize The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize The value of one year:
Ask a student who Has failed a final exam!

To realize The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize The value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize The value of one minute:
Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize The value of one-second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.
(unknown)

This is worth pondering over.
Dana

What Was He Thinking?

2007-01-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

I am not at all opposed to capital punishment: indeed, I believe it is God's vengeance on the unrighteous. (Romans 13:4) But, I was quite moved the other day as I saw the noose being place around Sadam's neck on a video clip on MSN.

The expression on his face made me wonder, "What was he thinking? What must have been going through his mind? Did he even realize he was about to meet his maker? Was he sorry for his crimes to humanity? Was he scared?"

Sadam has had weeks, even months to prepare for the day of his death. Did he? Did he talk to his God and beg for forgiveness? Did he repent? I heard someone say that afternoon that he had been quite defiant even minutes before they executed him. I did not see that part. What I saw was a seemingly nervous, scared, little man.

Sadam is in the hands of a merciful and yet righteous judge. I pity him if he was not in a right relationship with God. I fear for him. The horror of a certain hell I would not wish on even my worst enemy which Sadam was certainly one of.

At times like these, I think it does me good to see the reality of death we must all face someday. It especially did me good to see that wickedness will be punished. If not here, certainly in the hereafter.

Dana Burk

Most Treasured

2006-12-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

I took down all the vestiges of Christmas yesterday and cleaned the house thoroughly. While putting away the decorations and cleaning the guest bedrooms, I found left behind toys of the grand kids, cookie crumbs their parents had dropped and pieces of torn wrapping paper and bows scattered here and there. Sweet memories of a festive holiday enjoyed.

Reflecting over the past year is something I always find myself doing after the holidays. Someone has said, "Remember that when you take inventory of the things you treasure most, none will have been purchased with money." Isn't that the truth! We had an additional member this year at our Christmas celebration--our youngest grandchild is only 9 months so this was her first Christmas with us. Her three year old sister and 6 year old cousin will have you hurting from laughter with their country accents and hilarious anectdotes. What a joy each of the grandchildren are.

Our daughter, not yet married, came and spent five days with us -- some much coveted time -- she and I are very close and yet have little time together. One of our sons helped his father finish a small project on the shed--time they enjoyed together.

All the things that I enjoyed this holiday season were not bought with money. Yeah, we purchased gifts for everyone and it was fun watching them each open them, but that isn't what I treasure most. As I reflect back on the past year, none of the things I treasure can be bought with money. I have learned that the material things of this life are temporary and can be gone in a moment, but relationships and memories will last a lifetime and no one or nothing can take them from you. Take time this coming year to put your effort and time into things that are truley meaningful.

"Remeber that when you take inventory of the things you treasure most, none will have been purchased with money."

Dana Burk

Sacrificing?

2006-12-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

Trying to teach Kindergartners from affluent families about sacrificing for God can be quite a challenge. I'm afraid I didn't do too well with that assignment tonight in the Bible class I taught. I think the closest I came was establishing the fact that we should share what we have with God and give Him back a portion of what He has given us, but even that brought up some really interesting comments and questions from the little ones.

After Bible class, I saw two friends that were visiting; one, a preacher that I have known for over 25 years, the other is a young woman who's husband is a young preacher looking for a place to preach. As the preacher friend and I were reminiscing and talking about my husband's and my impending move to Puerto Rico the young preacher's wife came up to me to talk about a post I had on the blog a week or so ago. I had stated it seemed harder for women to make some of the sacrifices for living for God than it was for men. Particularly I was talking about the sacrifices a preacher makes in moving around. The preacher and I continued our conversation after she left and he talked about how he had "drug" his wife for two years over to Hungary to preach sometime back and some of the frustrations with that difficult move.

Yesterday, some ladies and I were discussing the sacrifices for God that Christians must make. One sister said she didn't feel that we really had to make sacrifices as Christians. After a few minutes of discussing how different ones did sacrifice as Christians, one lady said to her, "You have grown to the point in your life that serving God is not a sacrifice to you because you have seen the fruits that come from serving Him."

I was thinking about all of these conversations about sacrificing...and it is obvious that none of us "ENJOY" making them. We look at the word SACRIFICE as ugly and demanding--obtrusive, interfering with our "want to's". Something that forces us to do what God wants. Yet Paul tells us in Romans 12 that, because of all that God had done for us in providing salvation through sacrificing His own Son, we are to present ourselves as "living sacrifices".

Sacrificing for God should be something I gladly do, something I consider an honor or privilege knowing I can never repay all He has done for and continues to do for me each day. And seeing the fruit that comes from living for God will cause us to grow to the point in our lives that my sister expressed--I want feel that I am sacrificing anything by serving Him. It will be my pleasure.

Dana Burk

The Church is Decorated for Christmas!

2006-12-08T12:54:00.000-05:00

I live in a small, middle Tennessee town in a county of about 65,000 people. There are over 50 "churches of Christ" in our small county, it being the dominant faith here. These congregations span the gamut from ultra conservative to ultra liberal in their thinking.

One of the congregations that is in the center of downtown, one of the oldest, is in my way of thinking somewhat liberal and yet they have a number of older members who have resisted the full blown liberalism that so many around here practice and teach. (My 87 year old neighbor is a member there.) I have had a number of discussion about the liberalism creeping into the Lord's church with my neighbor and she has expressed concern for the congregation of which I am speaking.

Yesterday, as I passed through town, I was a little taken back by what I saw--Christmas wreaths decked out with holly and bright red velvet bows streaming down on each of the eight doors leading into the church auditorium. The church is decorated for Christmas!

Don't misunderstand me...I love to decorate for Christmas--my home is decked out with poinsettias, Christmas lights inside and out and stockings hanging from the mantel. But I have a difficult time seeing how it is the place of the Lord's church to participate in the secular things of the world. Neither do I see how the Lord's church should involve itself in things we have no authority for such as celebrating a special holiday for the birth of Christ when the Bible is silent about such celebrations.

It was quite noteworthy that the wreaths and bows on the doors of the church of Christ looked just like the ones on the Methodist's and Presbyterian's buildings just down the block. I was reminded of the verses in 1Samuel 8:6-20 where the people of God said give us a king that we might be like the nations around us. Even in this town dominated by believers, the church is being influenced by the denominations around it.

I love this time of year and the spirit that pervades it, but I fear when the Lord's church leaves its God given purpose and role and involves itself in things secular or unauthorized. I will go worship our Lord and King on Christmas Eve, but not because we will be having a special Christmas service or pageant, but because it will be on a Sunday this year and I always go to worship on Sundays...that is what the Lord has commanded. And I will continue to worship Him throughout the year, not just during the month of December.

What do you think??

Dana Burk

Spirit of the Season

2006-12-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

This was written by a Hospice physician of Metro Denver.

I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends: I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over.

Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her ! Eyes. Sh e dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me."

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City . Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?" This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings. Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
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Whether we believe in miracles or not, whether we celebrate Christmas or not, you have to admit there is something about the sweet spirit of people this time of year. I often wish we could hang on to the generous attitudes and the caring for one another that prevails in the month of December thoughout the year. But, I am thankful for it if only for the short season.

Look around you and see who you can help this holiday season...or for that matter, this coming year.

Dana Burk

Why Is it Harder For Women?

2006-12-05T17:30:00.001-05:00

We have a preacher from Puerto Rico (where we will be moving Lord willing in May) visiting us this week and so my husband invited a couple of other men who have an interest in Spanish work over for lunch today. As I was cleaning the kitchen and overhearing their conversations I began to think about how for each of them going on "mission trips" and working in foreign cultures seems to be no big deal. The sacrifices that it requires for each of them doesn't appear to be a sacrifice in their minds.

In our ladies Bible class this morning we were discussing in Romans 12 where Paul encourages us to be "living sacrifices" in our service to Him. I don't know about you, but I struggle with that. And it seems to me that it is harder for women than for men (or maybe we just wear our feelings on our sleeves and it is much more obvious). The move we are about to make is very, very difficult for me, but not to the same degree for my husband. I suppose that is a good thing or we would not be going. You think God knew what he was doing when he made man different than woman?

I do envy at times the "toughness" of my beloved husband.

Dana Burk

All Human Knowledge on an IPod?

2006-12-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

I was reading an article that was talking about the amount of human knowledge that has been recorded over the millenniums. It stated; "at least 32 million books, 750 million articles and essays, 25 million songs, 500 million images, 500,000 movies, 3 million videos, TV shows and short films and 100 billion public web pages. All this material is currently in all the libraries and archives of the world." (Michael Duduit)

The article went on to say that when all of this material is fully digitized, at the current technological rates, it could be compressed onto a 50 petabyte hard disk. According to the author, you would need a building about the size of a small-town library to house 50 petabytes. It is almost unimaginable to me that all of the world's knowledge can be housed in my local library and yet, that is what technology has done for us. The article went on to make the point that with tomorrow's technology, it will all fit on your personal iPod. Do we live in a great time or what?

God has granted us with the greatest knowledge of all times and the means with which to spread that knowledge literally all over the world. We live in a day when we all enjoy sharing that knowledge with one another. We each have TV's and radios. Almost all of us have e-mail accounts that we check multiple times a day (even my 78 year old father checks his regularly). We surf the web with ease and many of us share our opinions and "knowledge" on blogs and at personal web-sites. We are so free to tell others what we think and how we feel and to espouse the knowledge that we possess.

Francis Bacon said, "For knowledge itself is power". We are a nation and people of knowledge thus a nation of power. How are we using that knowledge and power for God?

In Col 1:23, Paul says the Gospel had been preached to every creature under heaven in his time; "if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister." How was it possible for these early Christians to preach the Gospel to everyone without the Internet and pod casting? If they could do that, why haven't we? We are, as a church, without excuse?

What are you personally doing to spread the gospel?

Cell Phone vs. Bible

2006-11-28T17:41:00.000-05:00

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive text messages?
what if we treated it like we could not live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in cases of emergency?

This is something to make you go hmmmm...where is my Bible? (borrowed)

Did this make you think as much as me? I am not as cell phone conscience as many and yet I never leave home without it. I often leave home without my Bible and I often wish I had my Bible with me. Think I'll get myself a small one to keep in my purse.

Dana Burk

Food for Thought

2006-11-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

I'm going out of town for the holidays to visit friends and family so the blog will not be blogged til after next Saturday. But, here are some things that are worthy of thinking on during this next week.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all.
He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses much more; He who loses faith, loses all!

Have a great Thanksgiving and may God bless you and yours.

Dana Burk

One More Thought...Or maybe more!

2006-11-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

The point was made that there are two different types of marriage (marriage by law and marriage by the church [I assume by the church is meant to be by God]). I'm not sure I agree with that. I understand that the government allows many to marry who have no right in the eyes of the Lord, however, I do not believe that we as Christians should "recognize" those marriages anymore than God does.

You remember when Jesus was talking with the woman at the well in John 4 what He said:
17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband."
Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." NKJV

Jesus understood that the "Samaritan government" had allowed this woman to be married six times and yet, He did not recognize that she was married (not even civilly). In Matt. 19:9, He says, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." NKJV

I don't say all of this to say that we are to be hateful or ugly to those in "adulterous marriages", but accepting and condoning such does nothing to help convict them of their sin. And, just because the government has now begun to recognize divorce and remarriage for any cause does not make it OK. (Even in the 1940's and 50's divorce for any cause was looked upon as shameful in our society and by our government.) As a Christian, I cannot condone that which is wrong. Again, I would say, as we begin to go back to the point of this discussion, I am all for the government standing against the gay marriage issue. In so doing, the government, at least in this one area, stands with God and that is where I shall stand.

As for depriving a citizen of privileges that go along with marriage.....Isn't the whole point to encourage that which is right--to reward those "who do good" and punish those "who do evil", Rom. 13:4. I guess that is "forcing" people to do what is right. But, once again, what is the purpose of government if not to encourage us to "be good" and punish us when we are not? This may not seem "fair" but, as your mother probably told you, "Life isn't fair!"

We, as Americans, have come to believe that we should have NO rules or regulations. Nonsense! God's book is one long list of rules and regulations..."His ways are not our ways" and His salvation is conditional upon obedience. He set up government, so, it only makes sense that it will have restrictions, rules and regulations which we are to abide by. The further our government ventures from adherence to God's laws, the more corrupt and perverted our society will become. Prov 14:34 says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. NKJV

Dana Burk

My Thoughts

2006-11-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

One of the big "issues" in our recent discussions has been: Does or should government legislate morality? My answer is a resounding YES! Government always has, and to a great extent, currently does regulate morality. Murder is a matter of morality. Incest is a matter of morality. Stealing is a matter of morality. Drunkeness in public is a matter of morality. Indecency (not being allowed to walk around in the nude) is a matter of morality. Isn't lying to a Grand Jury (a "white collar" crime many are sitting in jail for right now) a matter of morality? Government still, granted to a very limited extent, legislates our television and radio airwaves against indecent language, lewdness and sexual content (remember Janet Jackson's Super Bowl exposure?) Isn't that all about morality, limited though it may be?

Can you picture a world where government does not legislate morality in any way? In fact, I would propose that that is one of the primary purposes of government. In Rom 13:1-4, Paul tells us that we have nothing to fear if we "do what is good". But, if we "do evil", then we should be afraid. This certainly cannot be talking about road building and traffic lights, but rather, morality issues. And Paul is not talking about the Jewish Law of Moses, but rather the secular Roman Government. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." (NKJV)

A society that has NO moral legislation would be a society in total chaos--anarchy! God has ordained government for the purpose of legislating morality knowing that man will not voluntarily choose to "be moral". I recognize that our government has strayed far from the laws of God and yet, what laws of God they will adhere to and legislate, I welcome. The nearer we, as a nation, stand to God the easier it is for me, as a Christian, to practice my religion.

The idea that the government legislating moral issues makes it restrictive; prevents the persuit of life, liberty and happiness is just plain nonesense!!! Living in a free society comes with a price. Restrictions! We must all be willing to obey the laws of the land in order to not live in a chaotic mess. Not to be redundant, but....do you want to do away with the laws preventing murder, incest, stealing, lying, cheating, etc. If not why not? They restrict your freedoms don't they? Pursuing life, liberty and happiness has NOTHING to do with the lack of restrictions.

Legalizing anything that God has forbidden only allows it to grow in its acceptance and propagate. That includes gay marriages and homosexuality. Eventually, this acceptance WILL filter even into the church. It is being incredibly naive to think otherwise. Look around you at the denominations who staunchly opposed the gay agenda 15 to 20 years ago and today are ordaining gays to everything infinitum. Brethren in the Lord's church have followed the lead of denominations in their liberal thinking on everything else...if brethren fail to follow the pursuit of the acceptance of homosexuality it will be the first thing they have not tried to immitate.

Satan's incredibley subtle methods of legalizing and accepting sin have convinced so many (even within the church) that these issues have nothing to do with me--they do not REALLY affect my life and beliefs. If you believe that lie you are decieved already. It is Satan's lie about "freedom of choice" that has allowed millions of babies to be murdered. A woman DOES NOT have the right to choose the death of her child. Only God has that right. God's laws are very restrictive and we would live in a far better society if our government chose to obey them.

Dana Burk

WOW!! I Asked You What You Thought!

2006-11-13T17:45:00.000-05:00

These are some of the comments I have recieved concerning the article posted last Thursday.

Ed Rangel's comment:
It seems like some Christians think that the government should outlaw all kinds of immoral things and to some extent I agree with that ideology. However, a people that is forced to be moral will not have a change of heart, the law will be obeyed because of the fear of retribution. King Hezekiah failed miserably when he forced the people to do away with idolatry. He left us the lesson that a people as a whole can only be changed one person at a time and not by force. Although, a preemptive attack on moral issues might not be such a bad idea, but what would it accomplish? Several years ago a Texas law on sodomy was challenged yet sodomy still takes place in that very place wherein it is outlawed. Obviously, as you can perceive, my feelings are mixed towards this ideology.

This type of thinking might also bleed into the church, as you already pointed out. Nonetheless, in this holy realm we cannot legislate only abide and comply.

Tracy's comment:
My fiancée and I have debated this very issue a few times. Here are a few points to consider:

1. Should government legislate morality? I agree with Ed Rangel when he says that this can have disastrous consequences, not only because one cannot force a change of heart on someone, but also because I believe it is the Church who should primarily be doing this work. Often, we as Christians hide behind government, asking it to witness for us, instead of doing it ourselves.

2. There are two types of marriage: I see a distinction between marriage by law and marriage by the church. The first we do to follow governmental protocol (giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s), whereas the second is a union before God, designed by Him, one which no man is to break (Matt 19:6). If these are two separate things, then should we dictate what secular marriage is to be?

3. What is government’s purpose in defining marriage? Since the government is secular and for the people, there must be a secular, beneficial purpose to marriage. If there is such a reason for not allowing non-heterosexual marriage, then this amendment is valid. By faith I know that God does not make mistakes; He designed marriage to be between a man and a woman because He knew it was best. Hence, I can trust that marriage between a man and a woman is beneficial to society, whereas homosexual marriage is not.

4. Would legalizing homosexual marriage make homosexuality more commonplace and give people the impression that it is not displeasing to God? If God hates homosexual relations, then would it be wrong for me to “encourage” it by not voting against it? Is voting for this amendment a way that I can do God’s work, influencing society by the laws I choose to support? On the other hand, a key part of the gospel is our freedom to choose who or what to follow, a principle we can reflect by the form of government we support.

5. What are we withholding from couples by not allowing them to get married? I don’t know the answer to this question, but there are privileges marriage confers in the world, such as the right to know medical information about your spouse when he/she has been in an accident, inheritance, tax cuts, etc., that seem wrong to withhold from a couple who want to be married but legally can’t. I can go on and on in circles about this issue, but the bottom line is that I am quite confused about it and I would really like to understand what God’s will is in all of this.

Ed's comment:
I have been studying Ezekiel 22-23 and the prophet paints a frightening picture of the morality in his society. The priests were a joke and themselves liars and thieves. The political leaders were no better and thus created a corrupt citizenship. Having thought more about Dana's post I feel even stronger that the judicial system is not the place to legislate morality. What propels this thought process is the fact that most of our leaders have a warped sense of what morality really is; what they think instead of what God says. No doubt that many politicians prey on our fears and offer us what we want to hear in order to elect them (hopefully I'm just cynical). Someone once said in reference to the immoral lifestyle of Ezekiel's time: "Ezekiel 23 is a mirror reflecting what current society, including national and state leaders, does behind closed doors. A steady lifestyle of this no longer bars the path to the White House. Such men and women as these are not answers to our moral and spiritual problems; they are part of the problems themselves!"

ukce1861's comment: (These are comments posted in answer to the original blog which my daughter sent me thus explaining this first paragraph. Dana)
I have a few comments on your post and some of the responses. Quite a few actually… I’d be happy to discuss things further or leave it altogether. I would have posted on your blog, but I’m not “Gold” and didn’t feel like paying the $5 a month to do that…

1. “Anybody but a Republican”, huh? So you voted FOR the party that advocates abortion and advancing the gay agenda? You voted FOR the party that advocates for a pull-out from Iraq leading to the further destabilization of an already destabilized and dangerous region? That’s interesting. Why? I can’t believe no one has asked that question in the comments yet, so I’ll be the first. To a point, I understand your frustration with the Republican Party. I too am frustrated. On many issues, they have sold out. Immigration and Prescription Drugs come to mind. However, the Democratic Party is as bad and worse on most issues. I can’t think of an issue where my stance is closer to that of the Democrats than the Republicans. And I’ll be honest with you; this election, I was pretty close to a one-issue voter. We must “stay the course” in Iraq. Osama bin Laden and President Ahmadinejad (of Iran) have made it very clear that Iraq is central to their plan for the worldwide Islamic Caliphate. May I remind you this is the guy who prayed for Armageddon on the floor of the UN? These people are actively working to bring about the “end of the world” as they understand it. They are preparing facilities right now for the return of the Mahdi (their version of the Messiah). It doesn’t matter whether you believe in this stuff or not; they do. We ARE involved in a Holy War, even if it’s not one of our choosing. For that reason, I can’t support the Democrats.

2. Item by item on your gay marriage points.
“Government should not legislate morality.”
So you support giving children access to pornography at any age?
So you support allowing abortions at any time for any reason?
So you support allowing polygamy, marriage to the household pet, etc?
And of course you support the legalization of prostitution and “recreational” drugs, right?

Of course the government legislates morality. I don’t see how the passage from Romans that was posted previously couldn’t apply here. If God appoints government as his minister, you don’t think he’d want them to minister with morality?

“Knee-jerk constitutional amendments are a very bad idea, and are very seldom beneficial.”
Isn’t this a knee-jerk reaction to a knee-jerk amendment? Just because something is “bad” some or even most of the time, doesn’t not mean it is always bad. I don’t know about you, but if there were a constitutional amendment to ban abortion, I don’t care if it was “knee-jerk” or not, I’d vote for it in a heart beat. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

“’Same sex marriage’ is not legal in TN now. We don't need language added to the constitution that is already handled by other legislation.”The judiciary has demonstrated numerous times that it WILL legislate from the bench. The only way to keep existing laws from being struck down as unconstitutional is to add them to the constitution. It will be interesting to see how these [State Constitutional Amendments] stand up when they are appealed to the Supreme Court for conformance to the US Constitution, but it is at least an additional layer of protection. Especially with controversial and “hip” issues like gay marriage, the only protection we have is constitutional amendments. Existing laws have been demonstrated repeatedly to be inadequate.

“The amendment does nothing to "protect" existing marriage. Even if gay people were allowed to marry, it won't affect a straight marriage one bit. Over 50% of marriages end in divorce now already; its a misnomer to cast this initiative as ‘protecting families and marriage.’”
While it might be a BIT of a misnomer, I don’t really see it as inaccurate. Currently, marriage is basically defined by most common sense people as 1 man, 1 woman. There are those who would like to change that to 2 men; 2 women; 1 man, multiple women; 1 man, 1 dog; ad infinitum. So formally and legally defining the institution of marriage as 1 man, 1 woman, will protect marriage. How could it not? Do we need to strengthen marriage between 1 man and 1 woman? Yes. Does that mean we should allow further dilution in the process? Absurd. As for families, it does strengthen them. God has defined a family as 1 father, 1 mother and children. Legal marriage entitles a couple to a whole host of rights. Among those is the right to adopt children much easier. I realize this happens now, but it will become much more widespread if gay marriage is legalized. Not to mention, if you think the gay agenda in education is bad now, just wait till gay marriage is legalized and that becomes even more of an accepted lifestyle. Oh, and if you want to laugh at me for saying gay marriage opens the door for polygamy and other forms of marriage, don’t. What stops those people? Why don’t they have the same right to define marriage as they see fit? What legal standing do you have to deny them? None. The battle for cultural acceptance of polygamy has already started and will intensify in the near future. HBO started a series (http://www.hbo.com/biglove/) featuring a polygamous family and I would say within 5 years there will be at least one network show featuring such a relationship. The gay agenda was advanced in the same way. Remember all the controversy about Candice Bergen being an unwed mother on Murphy Brown? That was 1992, folks, 1992! Less than 15 years ago. Look how far we’ve come now. Gays were introduced into television shows and shown to be an “acceptable lifestyle choice”. If we cave on gay marriage now, we will have NO STANDING WHATSOEVER when polygamy and marrying nonhuman or inanimate objects comes up, and trust me, it will.

“Its restrictive legislation, and does not promote ‘life, liberty, and happiness’ for all citizens.”
I really think this is just a subset of #1. We have all kinds of “restrictive legislation” and I’m not in favor of getting rid of much of it.

Just a couple of other comments I wanted to respond to.

“I think it is equally sinful of government to deprive someone of medical benefits because they are a homosexual... or worse, because their parents are homosexuals.”
What exactly does this mean? I’m totally lost on this one. How is the government depriving someone of medical benefits? Help me understand this, please. If you’re saying it’s a right to have medical insurance and somehow that’s a function of the government, I couldn’t disagree more…

“It is not the job of government to save souls.”
I don’t see how this law has anything to do with saving souls. I see it as protecting families and our society.

“And we will not save souls by alienating them and depriving them of their needs.”
How are we alienating them? Don’t you think we should tell them that their lifestyle is wrong?

“I don't think Christ would have denied someone of health insurance”Is that really what this is all about? Wow… I always thought Christ had bigger fish to fry than health insurance…

One Flaw in Woman

2006-11-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this Creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself whenshe is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord."

"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."

"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"

"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, herpain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."

And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They Give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR OWN WORTH.
(borrowed)

What Do You Think?

2006-11-09T11:50:00.000-05:00

My daughter sent me this e-mail last night of a discussion she and one of her Christian friends had via an e-mail discussion. She asked her father and me, as well as one of her brothers, what our thoughts were and we expressed them to her. She also responded to the young man in a much longer conversation than is recorded here, but I am curious what some of my readers thoughts are concerning his views. How do you think these types of views will affect the future of the church?

Mom,
One of my Christian friends from TN wrote this on his blog:

"Voted AGAINST the "marriage amendment" to the state constitution. I figure its going to pass anyway, but I'm steadfastly against it. "

so I asked him -
"Why vote against the marriage amendment? interested in hearing your thought process...your comments about politics they are always intriguing :) "

he said:
"Well, there are several reasons.
1. Government should not legislate morality.
2. Knee-jerk constitutional amendments are a very bad idea, and are very seldom beneficial.
3. "Same sex marriage" is not legal in TN now. We don't need language added to the constitution that is already handled by other legislation.
4. The amendment does nothing to "protect" existing marriage. Even if gay people were allowed to marry, it won't affect a straight marriage one bit. Over 50% of marriages end in divorce now already; its a misnomer to cast this initiative as "protecting families and marriage"
5. Its restrictive legislation, and does not promote "life, liberty, and happiness" for all citizens. I'm not FOR gay/same-sex marriage.
It is already illegal, and amending the state constitution for a morality initiative is bad, bad, bad public policy."

Let me know your thoughts on this. I will address this more in the next few days.
Dana Burk

No Charge for Love

2006-11-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups. And set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the eyes of little boy.

"Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."

"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, "These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

"I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?"

"Sure," said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called. Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up...

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully handed it to the little boy.

"How much?" asked the little boy. "No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."

The world is full of people who need someone who understands. (borrowed)

What a beautiful story about compassion and understanding. Truly each of us needs to express these qualities more frequently. Dana

Please Vote!

2006-10-26T10:41:00.000-04:00

Elections are just around the corner and it is nearly time for each of us to go to the polls (unless you have early voting and then you can go when you please.) We are blessed to have the right each voting season to be able to go and vote without fear and to have a part in deciding who runs this country.

No one is more disgusted than I am with our Congress and yet, we cannot just sit back and do nothing because we are angry. As my husband says, we at least need to go vote for the lesser of two evils. I encourage you to be active this political season and do your duty. Go Vote!

Perhaps where you live there is an amendment on the table to clarify that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. I believe, as Christians, for us to just stay home and neglect the opportunity for our voices to be heard on this controversial subject would be a sin--Silence is consent. Jesus said if we do not confess Him, He will not confess us. How blessed we are to live in a country where we can express our convictions and stand up for the word of God.

Please, Go VOTE!

Dana Burk

Sin and Marshmallows

2006-10-22T18:05:00.000-04:00

We had 15 to 20 people over the other evening for a wiener roast and s'mores. As I watched the marshmallows being roasted over the open flames, I thought of how sin affects each of us. Some of our guests preferred their marshmallows to simply get a little warm while others shoved theirs straight into the flames until they became black.

Isn't that a good comparison of how we are in relation to sin. Some of us "play" on the edges of sin allowing it to taint us only a little. But then, there are others who just jump in head first and and before long their lives become black from it's influence.

But one thing I noticed about ALL of the marshmallows. They were ALL changed--they were no longer fresh and firm. Each of the marshmallows had begun to soften and melt to one degree or another because of the heat from the fire. There was no returning the marshmallow back to it's original form. Every marshmallow had even changed color. Not one was still snowy white. Not all were black, but each had turned dingy. Each had been tainted.

When we allow sin to come near us, we choose to become tainted--stained. And the truth is, we will never be unaffected by it again. The sin has permantly changed us. The closer and longer we play with the fire of sin, the blacker and more severely we are changed, but each of us have become stained to one degree or another.

Praise God, there is one drastic difference between us and the marshmallows in our analogy--Jesus can and will wash us so that we can be white as snow again. However, he warns us to stay away from the fire lest it consume us completely.

Dana Burk

I Know Who She Is

2006-10-12T00:09:00.000-04:00

It was approximately 8:30 a.m. on a busy morning at the doctor's office when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry to make an appointment at 9:00 a.m.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it might be an hour before he would be seen. Seeing him look at his watch, I decided since I was not busy with another patient I would evaluate his wound. On exam, I saw it was well healed, so I talked to the doctor and got the supplies to remove his sutures.

While redressing his wound, we engaged in conversation. I asked him if he was in a hurry to meet another doctor's appointment. He said no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He said that she was a long-time victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was; in fact, she had not recognized him in five years. I was surprised and asked, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled, patted my hand, and said, "She doesn't know who I am, but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left. Goose bumps covered my arm as I thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life!"

True love is neither physical nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. (via HouseToHouse.com)

The Stranger

2006-10-07T22:56:00.000-04:00

A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger He was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to her room and read her books (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home...nor for us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my Dad squirm and my Mother blush.

My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked...and NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's den today, you would still find him sitting over in the corner, waiting for someone to listen to him and talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name?...We just call him, "TV"
(Author Unknown)

Certainly, these are some things we each need to think about when listening to the guest in our homes that so freely influences our families and even ourselves.

Dana Burk

Selflessness and Appreciation

2006-10-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

Today I saw a righteous demonstration of complete selflessness and deep appreciation. One of the young fathers who recently moved to our congregation donated a kidney to another young man he had attended church with in the past.

This young father has risked his life to help save the life of a friend. "Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13. What a graphic example of practicing what you preach.

When talking with the donor's wife the other day, she confessed there was a lot more involved in this whole ordeal than they first realized and yet, her conclusion was--it is what needs to be done nonetheless and he was ready to go through with the surgery and donation. I am humbled by their sacrifice.

But I saw another side of this whole saga as well. While waiting with the families during these long and arduous surgeries this morning, I repeatedly witnessed the wife, parents, family members and friends of the criticaly ill recipient of the kidney come to the donor's family, in tears, and express their deep appreciation for what was being done for their loved one. How moving to see such love and appreciation being exchanged from friend to friend.

As I thought on the things I saw today, I was reminded of the sacrifice God and Christ made to save our lives. There was no question that those I saw today knew very well what was being done for their son, husband and friend and they couldn't do enough to express their gratitude. Are we fully aware, do we realize exactly what has been done for us. If we do, then are we living our lives in such a way that shows we can't do enough to express our gratitude to Him.

Dana Burk

O'Reilly Got It Wrong

2006-10-02T20:50:00.000-04:00

I was watching Bill O'Reilly on Fox News tonight and was appalled at his reaction to a "pastor" of a Bible church who was being sued for making known to the church the sin of one of the members who was having an affair. The pastor claims that he was doing what the Bible commanded in Matthew 18:15-17 where we are told to go to the person about their sin, if they will not hear us take two or three with you and if they will not hear them then take it to the church.

O'Reilly, in his usual overly confident manner, told the pastor's lawyer that he was a good Catholic and he had never heard of that before. He really didn't think that is what the Bible said because he had never heard of it. He asked the lawyer to quote Matt. 18 and the lawyer paraphrased what it said and so O'Reilly dismissed the truth of what he said. He went on to say that in his church (the Catholic church) this would never happen. The lawyer commented that that was the beauty of our law, that we have the right to practice our religion as we see fit and that this was a matter of religious freedom not a matter for the courts.

O'Reilly went on to contend that the pastor would lose in court because he had humiliated the woman and had defamed her and that was against the law. How sad that someone with O'Reilly's influence will so openly and publicly refute God's word when he obviously doesn't even know what it says and did not bother to check and see whether the pastor was correct or not.

With this kind of display, I would question whether O'Reilly is only committed to what his church teaches and not what our Lord Jesus Christ teaches. "...let God be true but every man a liar." Romans 3:4 We must each be careful that God's word is ALWAYS our supreme authority--not "our church", not our church leaders, not our friends, not any man.

Frequently I agree with O'Reilly, but this is one time he really got it wrong. I intend on writing and telling him so and I will quote Matt. 18:15-17 to him since he obviously won't bother to look it up himself.

Dana Burk

Dana Burk

Never Heard It Put Quite This Way Before!!!

2006-09-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created HMOs. (Borrowed)

I don't know about you, but this is certainly an area in which I struggle. Truly God created the good things and we have added the bad. I have a loonnngggg ways to go in getting control. This little story just clarifies how bad the problem is. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thanks Jennifer for sending it to me.

Dana Burk

Done Enough?

2006-09-23T20:31:00.000-04:00

I read this excerpt from an article out of The Provider, a church bulletin from Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville, TN.

"A dear preacher friend said to me, "It really disturbed me when my saintly grandmother was approaching death and said to me, "I'm afraid that I haven't done enough to be saved." This made me wonder if in our preaching we have left people with the idea that they have to be "good enough" or "do enough" in order to be saved."

The article went on to talk about how we cannot do enough to earn salvation. What a good point and one I think we often forget. I do not believe we have unconditional salvation (there are things we MUST DO in order to be saved) and yet, we can NEVER do enough to earn our salvation. Were it not for the grace of our Great God none of us would be saved. Were it not for His endless mercy we would all be destined to Hell fire. Were it not for His boundless love demonstrated through the sending of His Son, we would all be without hope.

God EXPECTS us to obey Him and strive to live our very best for Him. But the key words here are "our very best". None of us will reach perfection! If it were a possibility then there would have been no reason for our Savior to have died on our behalf. God knew we were weak and He made provision for our weakness. We can live with hope and peace knowing He knows our weaknesses and has provided an advocate for us. I do not have to live frustrated and ridden with guilt if I have obeyed His commands for salvation.

Once I have been baptized into Christ, I WILL fall. But I don't have to fall into deep despair. In 1 John one Christians are told that they will sin and they must confess those sins then He is faithful and just to forgive us of those sins. Why would I EVER worry that I had not done enough to get into Heaven when God has provided all the grace and mercy I will ever need.

Christians should be the happiest and most confident of all peoples. If we have confessed our sins to Him, we ARE SAVED!!! NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTS. He who said so is faithful and cannot lie. Praise God for the confidence we can have in Him.

Dana Burk

More Fruit

2006-09-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

While visiting with someone today that we know from another congregation, who is recovering from some very serious surgeries, we were sharing the good news from our congregation of those being restored and the sister who was baptized yesterday. Well, they shared with us a baptism they just had Fri. evening.

A 102 year old woman obeyed the gospel Friday night. Now how exciting is that????? What rejoicing there must be in Heaven this week. Truly, it is NEVER too late.

Dana Burk

Bearing Fruit

2006-09-17T22:01:00.000-04:00

What a day for our congregation. Yesterday, myself and another sister went to visit a young woman in our congregation that had fallen into sin and quit attending. After a lengthy visit, tears and prayer, we left her with hopes she would come back to the Lord. This morning, to our great delight, she did return, made it a point to meet with our elders and made her life right with God and the church. What a humble, contrite spirit she displayed and what rejoicing we each experienced in our church family to have her among us again.

But that wasn't all. Another member's elderly mother, who is in a nursing home, decided she needed to be baptized this afternoon. How exciting is that. What a glorious God we have that will accept us into his fold regardless of what stage we are in our lives.

And if that was not enough, we had a young family of five who have recently moved to our area place membership with us. The young father of this family was baptized as a teen, but fell away and eventually married his young wife. They were both in the world, without God and eventually moved from up north into our area. About a month ago, they showed up in our midst. After a couple of weeks, she was baptized and today he made acknowledgement of sin in his life and they have committed their lives to Christ.

We are greatly rejoicing over the power of God's word on people's lives. Truly it is as powerful today as it has ever been. The Gospel changes lives and brings hope to broken hearts. May we all continue to take to those who are seeking Him and His promises.

Dana Burk

Aren't We All the Same?

2006-09-15T13:11:00.000-04:00

Tol and I were in Tortola a few weeks ago working with the church there and I want to share with you some thoughts. Aren't' we all the same? The church in Tortola is a small group of 30 or so. They live on a tiny, beautiful island in the middle of the Caribbean where many of us dream of going to vacation.

But, they LIVE there--not vacation there. They deal with the same struggles in life that everyone else does. They have to work to make ends meet (and the cost of living is outrageous there) just like everyone else. They have to get dinner ready each day, do laundry, clean house, deal with illnesses and they have the same concerns within the church that all congregations have. They battle with error and fight to stand for truth. They have varying personalities and work to be unified in the common bond of Christ despite their individual opinions. They are Christians living in a worldly society just like you and me.

When we left Tortola, we went to Puerto Rico where we met with a very tiny group of Christians (around 12 or so) who worship in the City of San Juan--a metropolis of 2 million people. Talk about feeling isolated. Truly they are Christians living in a worldly society.

There are brethren all over the world striving to live a life for Christ amid a world living for Satan. We may have different surroundings, different climate, different languages, but the struggles are the same and we are united in our goal--Heaven.

I am continually encouraged by the brethren I know in these small places. I see them struggle and yet persevere against seemingly insurmountable odds. They just keep hanging on. It is a testament to me that I must do the same. Paul said he do all things through Christ who strengthened him. So can we. Aren't we all the same?

Dana Burk

I'm Better

2006-09-13T22:03:00.000-04:00

Several have asked how I am doing since my recent stay in the hospital due to my asthma. Just thought I'd take a moment and give you an update.

I am better. Still have a ways to go. This asthma stuff is bad enough, but the medications to treat it are equally as bad. I have to be on high doses of steroids for weeks at a time after I have one of these bouts and they really mess with my head and body. It is very hard to think and that is exactly why I have done so little on this site. Sorry.

I think my head is clearing slowly and the fog is lifting. Hopefully, each day I will continue to gain my strength. I covet your prayers for me and the winter ahead. Typically fall and winter are the hardest time with the asthma. This has been quite a shock to be sick at the end of the summer. But, our God is good and I am confident He will see me through.

Thank you for your concern and prayers and may our Great God Bless each of you.

Dana Burk

Try God

2006-09-08T18:19:00.000-04:00

If your plans have gone wrong,
Try God's plan.
If your methods have failed,
Try God's method.
If your life is not complete,
Let God complete it.
He asks only that you Use His Power.
--borrowed

This Reminds Me...

2006-09-04T19:47:00.000-04:00

I recieved the following story from someone recently, which I have read before (and perhaps you have too), but as I once again read it I was reminded of the newspaper reporters taken hostage a few weeks ago by Palestinian terrorists. Let me share some thoughts with you that I have had. My intention is not to judge these two courageous men nor to malign their characters in any way, but rather to ask myself what I would have to do were I found in their situation or the situation in the story below.

As you may have read and heard through newspaper reports, the men were "forced" at gunpoint to convert to the Muslim religion or die. Apparently they did swear allegience to this false religion though one of them reportedly resisted for a few moments. What a difficult position to be in.

What would I "HAVE" to do as a Christian were I to find myself in their situations. Could I concede out of fear and deny Christ and accept Mohammad in order to preserve my life and stand justified in the eyes of Jesus Christ? Would it be okay if I prayed to the Lord and made a deal with Him that I would deny Him in order to save my life, but then when I "got home", where I was safe, I would recant my conversion. What an incredible perdicament.

Jesus said if we deny Him before men then He will deny us before His Father in Heaven. I don't suppose anyone knows exactly what they would do when placed in this situation, but I do know what we SHOULD do. I believe we must begin preparing our hearts and minds to deal with these types of situations. We must recognize that we live in a changing world with changing world views different from any we have personally seen before and may face challenges we never dreamed we would face. Paul tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The Hebrew writer relates horrific accounts of things suffered by early Christians by the hands of evil men. Yet, in all, they did not deny thier Lord and were given the crown of life. We must muster the courage to do the same.

But, perhaps even more disturbing, is the story retold below. How many Christians sit through situations where only their "reputation" or "ego" will be harmed and will deny Christ for that? Have we become cowards when faced with faith in Christ? Many of us have. It is just easier to deny Him than to claim Him. Revelations tells us that the cowards and unbelieving will have their place in eternal torment as well. We may never face the trauma the two reporters faced this last month, but we are daily faced with standing up for our Lord. How are you doing?

Dana Burk

(RETELLING OF STORY)
This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at USC.

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation.

At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor. He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up, no matter what the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.

Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.

The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of the room, and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them, and of His power, through Jesus.

You have 2 choices: 1. Delete this and never look at it again. 2. Pass this along to your Christian and non-Christian friends, giving them encouragement we all need every day. When you choose option 2, you have chosen to STAND UP. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking........... Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell? Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says? Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven, provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says?

Or is it scary? Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God )? Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail, and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing? Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace? Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week? Are you laughing? ! Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list, because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them? Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me? Will YOU pass this on? I did.

The Scars of Life

2006-09-03T00:34:00.000-04:00

This beautiful story was forwarded to me and I want to share it with. --Dana

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And on his arms were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead.

The swimming hole of life is filled with peril, and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Please pass this on to those you love. God has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. Never judge another person's scars, because you don't know how they got them. Right now, someone needs to know that God loves them, and you love them, too. ~~~~ enough to not let them go. (BORROWED)

What a Great Time

2006-09-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

Well, I have landed in the hospital after a week of struggling with my asthma--was admitted around 10:00 this morning. But what a great time we live in. Around 4:30 this afternoon, a computer person came to my hospital room and hooked me up to their wireless network system. Is this too cool. I can work even when I'm sick--maybe good maybe not.

We DO live in a great time though. Just last week my husband and I were across the ocean some 2500 miles away, give or take a few, and yet were able to communicate with those at home via cell phone and computer. Then we left the islands one morning and were home by lunch time. My husband communicates with brethren via the internet and phone in foreign countries on an almost daily basis. What incredible opportunities we have set right before us.

How are we using this great time for the Lord? Are we so busy using our modern conveniences and communication devices to entertain ourselves that we do not see the opportunities to spread the gospel and encourage others that lie right in front of us. There are so many opportunities to teach and admonish others via the internet and with text messaging, e-mails and blogs like this one not to mention the conveniences we all have with the advent of cell phones. In fact, it is hard to get away from them. How have you used technology to encourage someone today?

I know the frustrations with airports and the hassles of security, but look where we can go and who we can influence in just a few short hours. There are still many areas in the world that are perfectly safe to travel to and as Americans we have few restrictions. How are we using these opportunities for the Lord? I think of how Paul and others in the NT spent months and sometimes even years to travel to different countries to admonish the brethren to grow in the Lord and the hassles we face aren't even worth consideration when compared to what they suffered. We can make those same types of trips in a matter of a few hours. We all can find the money and time to travel for vacation, but few of us find time and money to travel to teach others about the Lord. Many times, we choose to stay home and stay comfortable. Can you step out of your comfort zone to reach out to others beyond our borders?

What a great time we live in. To whom much has been given, much will be required. How are you using your advantages?

Dana Burk

Where is Happiness?

2006-09-01T00:09:00.000-04:00

Not in unbelief. Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in pleasure. Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure, if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and the grief are mind alone."

Not in money. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. In dying he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

Not in position and fame. Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood, a struggle; old age, a regret."

Not in military glory. Alexander the Great conquered the known world of his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, because, he said, "there are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is HAPPINESS found?

The answer is simple: In Christ alone! He said, "I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no man taketh away."
--C.L. McCartney

Tragedy in the Sky

2006-08-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

Well, after a long trip to the Caribbean, a major systems crash on my computer (that I'm still not sure is over) and then a major "systems crash" with me and my asthma, I have been rather neglectful with this site. My apologies and I hope to do better (if I can stay out of the hospital with this asthma attack which is always somewhat questionable).

My daughter just called me in tears to tell me that one of the co-owners and his wife of the company she worked for 3 years ago, were killed in the airline crash on Sunday in Lexington, KY. Our daughter was very, very close to him and his wife and their one daughter (about her age). She had spent countless hours in their home and he had been instrumental in training her in her career--he had been her mentor. His wife had taken an interest in her as well and had welcomed her into their home as part of the family. Our daughter would house sit for them from time to time and even baby-sit the dog when they were away. Needless to say she is devastated.

But the thing she expressed that has torn her up the most, is knowing they had never obeyed the gospel by being baptized into Christ and becoming members of His church. They were lovely people, kind and good, but were not Christians as the Bible defines. It is so difficult to loose those we love and truly that is magnified when we know they are not ready to meet their maker. I told her all she can do now is pray for God's mercy.

It is at times like these that I am reminded how urgent the need is for us to take the gospel to ALL those that we love. It is imperative that we strive to teach any and all that we have any influence upon before it is too late. But even then it is the choice of each individual as to whether they will see that need and respond or not. Our daughter had spoken many times to this man and his wife about what she believed the Bible taught on salvation and yet they did not accept it. Now they are in the hands of a merciful and just God. How much more tragic would this be for my daughter had she never mentioned Him to her friends.

Dana Burk

What are you doing to teach your friends and loved ones about the gospel?

A Little Perspective

2006-08-17T11:12:00.000-04:00

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10minutes.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He does not get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him.
He hears the gun fire and bombs.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him. (borrowed)

WOW!!!!!! Dana

There Are Three

2006-08-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Puerto Rico and then to the tiny Island of Tortola this past weekend in the midst of all the new security regulations. We spent about 2 hours snaking our way through the long security check lines in Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon in order to make a short 25 minute flight to Tortola. During the last hour of our wait, we were close enough to the security check point that we could watch the people as they went through the metal detectors and had their bags searched for liquids and gels.

I was amazed at the sight I saw. Basically three types of people approached the security check points. There were those who had been very careful to follow exactly the instructions that were repeatedly being announced over the loud speakers and posted on every wall and pole. They proceeded quite quickly through the check points (once they reached them). There were those who had been careless and forgotten to remove a bottle of lotion, toothpaste, or some other seemingly innocent offending item. This caused delays for not only them, but all who were behind them. And then there were those who were simply rebellious. These marched right up to the security officers with soft drinks and water bottles in hand, defying and arguing every step of the way as items were removed from their bags and thrown away. I must admit I had to fight back my anger as I continually watched them cause all of us to suffer delays because of their behavior.

If you think about it, aren’t there the same three groups in the spiritual sense? There are those (hopefully you fall into this group) who are very careful to do exactly what God commands and instructs us to do through His word. They will proceed very easily through the gates of Heaven come Judgment Day.

Then there are those who mean to do well, but are careless—they are not careful to do exactly what God says. Because of their careless attitudes, they often hinder others from being obedient to God by teaching them that all they have to do is come close to His word. Maybe they teach all you have to do to be saved is believe or, they may teach that it doesn’t really matter how you worship God as long as you are sincere. But Jesus said in Matt. 7:21-23 that it is not those who believe in Him and worship Him in their own way, but rather those who “do the will of my Father who is in Heaven” that will be saved. In Matt. 15:9 Jesus said, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” We cannot be saved by being careless in our worship to God or being fooled by following others who have been careless with the commandments of God. If we are careless with His word, we will not get through the gates of Heaven and we may hinder others who follow after us.

Lastly, there are those who couldn’t care less about God or His word. In fact, they are very rebellious and defiant toward anything religious. They are actively fighting against everything He commands and instructs us to do. They have so spread their false doctrines of humanism and evolution that millions have been fooled and will never even approach the gates of Heaven.

Are you angered by these types of people as you watch them defy our God and take countless others with them to eternal torment? We are commanded to love their souls, but we should abhor their ways.
Are you being careful to follow God and His instructions exactly as He says and are you encouraging others to do the same? Your path to Heaven will be sure and the gate will be wide open for you if you heed His commands.

Dana Burk

You Can't Pray!!!

2006-08-15T10:22:00.000-04:00

I am once again on the road--well, not exactly on the road but across the ocean in the Caribbean. Today is the first chance I have had access to the internet and so my blog has suffered, but I should be able to blog for the next several days. When checking my e-mail, I came across this excellent piece that was sent to me. Many of you may have already read it and for that I apologize for the repetitions, however, I was very moved by its sentiments and want to share it with you. God Bless you, Dana Burk

BY THEIR IGNORANCE, THE SUPREME COURT HAS GIVEN US A DOUBLE STANDARD...SEX AND MURDER IS OK, BUT DON'T MENTION GOD'S NAME - THAT'S AGAINST THE LAW. THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH OUR WORLD TODAY!

This is a statement that was read over the PA system at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee, by school Principal, Jody McLeod.

"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country." Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it "an alternate lifestyle," and if someone is offended, that's OK. I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, "safe sex." If someone is offended, that's OK. I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a "viable means of birth control." If someone is offended, no problem... I can designate a school day as "Earth Day" and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess "Mother Earth" and call it "ecology." I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as "simple minded" and "ignorant" and call it "enlightenment."

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to Bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated. This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments.

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical... I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. For this reason, I shall "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and refrain from praying at this time. "However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law----yet."

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer's Box! The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America - the Seat of "Justice" in the "one nation, under GOD."

Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee Remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion. Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains! JESUS said, "If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER."

Servants of God

2006-08-09T23:40:00.000-04:00

We studied about the name "Adonai" in our Bible class tonight and I was so impressed by how we are God's servants. The name "Adonai" means Lord or Master--the one who owns the servant or slave. But it also implies the one who provides for and protects the one who is owned.

Our God purchased us--He bought us to be His servants or slaves. We do not like the thought of that and yet that is exactly what the Bible says. Furthermore, we are instructed (commanded) to obey Him in all things since He is our master and Lord. However, our Master and Lord loves us as His dear children and wants only what is best for us. He provides all good things for us including forgiveness and mercy.

He is very serious about His responsibility as Master and Provider. How serious are we about being faithful servants to Him. Do we truly understand our role as slaves to God. Do we realize that ALL of our time and resources really belong to Him, not me? He bought us to serve Him. If we want forgiveness and mercy from Him, then we must recognize that we belong to Him and so does our time, our money, our homes, our lives. What kind of servant are you?

Dana Burk

An Amazing System!

2006-08-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Have you ever stopped to think about what exactly makes your car work? You turn the key which is connected to an electrical source which allows the engine to work. You press the gas pedal which is connected to an electrical source which allows a pump to begin the circulation of gas. The engine turns, belts spin, fluids move, and tires go round and round. All of this takes place so you can go down the road. If one part of the car goes our or is not working properly, then the entire car will suffer. What an amazingly integrated system!

The Lord's church is much the same way. If we are going to be moving in the direction God wants us to move there must be different parts all functioning together. When one of us fails to work then the body suffers. What an amazingly integrated system!
(borrowed)

Do we often think about the perfect system that our Lord bled and died for--that our Lord purchased with His Own Life. Some have said that it is not important to be a part of a "church". If that is so, then why did it cost my Savior's life? Why was the price so high? "...to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28) Obviously God felt the church was necessary and its value, priceless. We should value this precious church as well.

Nothing God ever created was less than perfect or unimportant. He is the creator of His church as well as its designer. We should study this amazing system and do our best to make sure that it functions as He intended. We must also do what the word says to be a part of that system. (Acts 2:40-41) Do you value this amazing system as our God does?

Dana Burk

Simple Gospel

2006-08-03T10:56:00.006-04:00

I have been studying the Bible with someone the last few days and after two or three studies she made the observation of how simple it was to understand the Bible--she said, "It is so plain." It is not that this young woman was not religious or did not know the Bible at all, but rather that the doctrine she had been taught had so twisted the word that it made it difficult to understand.

Isa. 35:8 prophesied that in the future kingdom of God there would be a road that even though a man was a fool he could find his way. God says that we will be judged by the word. (John 12:48) If the word was so difficult that only those trained in Seminary could understand it, wouldn't it be unfair of God to judge us by it? But the word of God is not so difficult that we cannot understand it. If we will simply read it and accept it as it is, God's plan for redeeming man is quite simple as are His commands for our worship today.

A number of years ago we had a man tell us he had studied a verse (that I felt was quite clear) for 7 years day and night before he could see it the way he now believed. I had read the verse through many times and never saw the conclusion he had drawn because it was not there. He had to study many other books, written by men, to twist and convolute the meaning of the verse before he could make it say what he wanted it to say.

We can misunderstand the gospel if that is our intent. 2 Thess. 2:10-11 says, "And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie..." If we do not love truth above all things, God will allow us to believe a lie.

We must be seekers of truth and truth only if we want to be saved. The Bible says if you seek you will find. Seek truth and be saved.

Dana Burk

Egyptian Afterlife

2006-08-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

We have two of our grandchildren and our niece staying with us for a few days and so we took them to an Egyptian exhibit at the art museum today. The emphasis of the exhibit was about the Egyptian afterlife and preparation for the afterlife. There were all types of coffins and mummies as well as all of the different types of prepatory clothing, jewelry and death masks made from precious gems and gold. But the most striking thing to me were all of the many, many gods and idols that were buried with the Egyptians.

I have always heard that the Egyptians had many gods, but I never realized how many--over 700. In fact, anything they feared they would simply make it into a god and then offer sacrifices to it and worship it so that it would "protect" them from the very thing they feared. Clever--if it only worked. They then made idols of all the different gods and buried them with the body to protect it in the afterlife.

Our grandchildren are 9 and 6 and when we pointed out some miniature animal gods made of gold (about 2-4 inches tall) the six year old laughed sarcastically and said, "That's not a god, it can't protect anybody." How amazing that a mere child of 6 can so clearly see that a statue of gold has no power and yet the very intelligent Egyptians depended on these toys. I was reminded of the verse in Romans 1: 22-25 where Paul says "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things...and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..."

This Egyptian exhibit was incredibly interesting and I'm glad we were able to view such awesome artifacts from history, but as we completed our tour and exited through the gift shop (clever marketing) it was basically impossible to buy any souvenirs unless you wanted to purchase an idol. Our niece, who is 16, said as we entered the gift shop, "Well, I guess you can't buy anything here unless you want a god."

The more I see and learn about the ancient Egyptians, the more I question their intelligence. On one level they were brilliant (architecture, writing, medical knowledge, etc.), but where it counts, (spiritually) they were fools--"professing to wise, they became fools". All of the preparations they made for the afterlife and netherworld we have now got on display in our museums--how intelligent were they, really?

What Would It Be Like To Be God?

2006-07-31T18:18:00.000-04:00

During our low times, we might ignorantly express the sentiment that God can't possibly understand our struggles and disappointments. Upon reflection, do we really think that is true?

Not that any of us will ever fully know what it is like to be God (since He is unique), but would you swap your problems for His? He is the custodian for close to 6 1/2 billion people on earth, and His zoo spans the globe. Our planet is but a speck of dust in the universe.

At a given instant, He is perfectly aware of the minutest detail of each and every human being's life (that means you). How it must pain God to know that a vast majority are living far away from His will. He can see the multiplied billions of sins committed every day. The multiplied millions of good deeds likely never come close to outweighing the bad.

The Almighty's eyes and ears are treated to daily doses of physical abuse, murders, drug overdoses, adultery, vulgarity, lying, theft, and such like. Beyond these outward acts, He reads every thought and knows every motive we entertain. How it must grieve Him to see those close to salvation keep putting it off, and to witness once-faithful Christians turn their back on Him in going back to the world.

Understand that He hurts even more than we do when we or our loved ones are beset with sickness, injury, and disease. Foolishly, we might think that God causes us (or allows) many problems, when in fact WE ARE THE ONES THAT CAUSE GOD GRIEF.

Today, marvel at the power, patience, wisdom, and love of our God. One day, we will understand better why life is the way that it is. Regardless of what we face in life, heaven will surely be worth it all.
by Brian Jarrett

I Will Not Be Lukewarm

2006-07-28T20:21:00.000-04:00

I have alluded to the book I have been writing for the past several months, well, the publisher now has it and it should be out sometime this fall. As you can see by the cover, the title is I Will Not Be Lukewarm.

My purpose in writing the book is to challenge each of us to rise above the mediocrity of the world and become the zealous, on fire Christians that God intends us to be. I try to deal with some very real issues that each of us face each day such as depression, fostering relationships, being true witnesses for Christ, becoming more fervent in worship and overcoming the fear of death as well as why we should long for Heaven and fear Hell.

The book consists of 13 lessons with journal type thought questions and exercises throughout each lesson. It will be a great class book as well as excellent for personal study. A Power Point presentation for each lesson will be available on disc also. Check out the publisher at www.spiritbuilding.com for info on how to order the book and availability. I believe their will be additional info on the website next week sometime. I hope you'll check it out benefit from it.

God Almighty

2006-07-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

We plough the fields, and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's Almighty Hand.
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft refreshing rain.
by Jane Montgomery Campbell

We've been studying the different names of God in Wednesday Night Bible class and we just finished talking about El Shadiah (God Almighty). I think this brief poem so clearly describes the God that provides so abundantly--the meaning of El Shaddai. How perfectly our God amply provides all that we need to sustain life. How perfectly He controls all things. May He be praised and glorified in all things by each of us.

Dana Burk

VBS Dominica

2006-07-25T21:54:00.000-04:00

We had a great VBS in Dominica. The children were enthusiastic and came by the droves. The first day we had 55. (We were only expecting 50-60 at the most by the end of the week) Every day after that we had 68-71. The village population we were at is only about 400-500 and the school where we met has an enrollment of 65. The locals were amazed that we had basically all of the children from the village attend.

There were only 8 of us and so needless to say we had our hands full; my husband and myself and a young man from our congregation, a sister from Alabama, a teenager from Kentucky and three students from Florida College assisted us. We conducted 5 different class levels including one teen class of about 7-8 teens attending. Most of the teenagers in the village must work to help support their families by the time they are 14-15 so they are not available to attend VBS. The people in the village are very religious and therefore are insistent that their children should attend each day.

We have been doing VBS in this village for 3 years now and each year it grows exponentially. The first year we had 25, last year 42 and now a high of 71. If we continue to go each year, it is obvious we will need more help. Pray that God blesses His word and much fruit may come from this effort.

Dana Burk

Home At Last--Final word about Modesty

2006-07-24T21:20:00.000-04:00

We finally returned home from our trip to the Caribbean for VBS late last night--tired, worn and without luggage--but hey, we slept in our own bed and with air conditioning. Our luggage came this evening about 5:00 and the only mishap was a busted bottle of honey--what a sticky, gooey mess.

We had a fabulous week with the children--we averaged nearly 70 each day--we were only expecting around 50-60, but we managed just fine. I'll have some pictures up later this week.

I've had lots of e-mail to answer and stuff to catch up on today so I've been busy. I did notice a couple of e-mails and comments regarding the letter I posted about modesty and wanted to address those briefly.

The "letter" was one that was passed on to me and was "anonymous". Whether it is even "real" or not I do not know, but I did feel that it made some good points about how we as Christian women should think about how our appearance can affect the men around us. I certainly believe that men have the responsibility of controlling their own thoughts, but I also believe that we as women should not be guilty of placing a stumbling block in another's way either. I believe we can be stumbling blocks to weak, Christian men when we are guilty of dressing immodestly and we too must take responsibility for our actions. Paul says in Romans 14:21, "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." (NKJV) In verse 19 of this same chapter, he tells us to "pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."

It is very much my responsibility as a Christian woman to make sure I am not the cause of my brother lusting after me. If I am careful to dress modestly and behave appropriately around those of the opposite sex and they still continue in their lust, then certainly, I have no control over that. On the other hand, if I am guilty of dressing in such a way as to incite lust in a man, God will hold him accountable, but He will not hold me guiltless. I believe that to be the point of the letter and certainly my point in posting it.

Often times we do not "think" about how we may appear to others and yet isn't that what Paul is addressing when he tells Titus that the older women are to teach the younger women to be "chaste"? The Greek word translated "chaste" here has the idea of being "modest" according to Strong's. We are to be chaste or modest and we need to "think" about how we appear to men. But not only is our dress to be chaste, so is our conduct to be chaste. (1 Pet. 3:2) The very way that we behave must be one of modesty--how we sit, how we walk, how we bend over. Sisters, each of us has a responsibility and obligation to our brothers that we not be guilty of causing them to lust after us. We cannot control their actions, but we better not be guilty of tempting them.

Dana Burk

Off to the Caribbean

2006-07-13T09:41:00.000-04:00

I leave, along with seven others, very early in the morning for the tiny island of Dominica where we will be helping a church there with VBS. We are expecting anywhere from 40-60 children each day. I would ask for your prayers on our behalf for a safe trip as well as success in teaching and influencing others for Christ.

We will be in a remote village of about 400-500 people and, needless to say, there will be no access to a computer, much less the internet, so I won't be blogging until I return. We should be back in the states, if all goes as planned, late on the 23rd of July. So hang in there and check back here around the 24th.

God Bless, Dana Burk

Open Letter to My Christian Sisters

2006-07-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

Here is a letter passed on to me recently by a friend. It is quite lengthy, but worth the read and some thought. Dana

Dear beloved teenagers, mothers, and grandmothers:

I love you so much, and this very difficult for me to write. I am so very tired. For so many years you haven’t listened to what I’ve been trying to tell you. How many more years can I keep going? How much longer can I keep hiding things from my children and the other Christians?

I’m talking about my husband. He is looked up to by members of the church. He teaches a Bible class and attends all services and gospel meetings. He holds home Bible studies to convert people. He is hospitable and a very liberal giver. He has a respected job in the community. We have what I consider a beautiful home and fine children. He is handsome and has an outgoing personality. He is admired by many. He also commits adultery once every year or two. Wait before you pass judgment on this “hypocrite” until you finish reading my appeal.
We could be any one of perhaps 50% of the families in your congregation. I have talked with so many of these women and some of the men, and the problem is more prevalent than you may want to think. A lot of this problem – though not all of it – is kindled by something you just won’t believe.

Why won’t you believe me when I bring it up in Ladies Bible Class or in private comments? Why do you tell me I have a dirty mind or I’m a prude? I love you all, and I do as many good works as possible to show you this love, without taking precious time away from my family.
What I am getting at is this: Please, please stay away from my husband! I don’t mean you physically should stay away, for we love your company. But I mean you sensually. He has enough of a problem without you fanning the fire.

When we are at services or in each other’s home, you wouldn’t think of dressing indecently; you each teach against immodesty yourself sometimes. Yet you wear skirts above your knee, and I see his eyes move up. When he teaches a class, you sit immodestly, and he burns inside. You wear round-neck blouses that may be decent while standing up straight, but when you lean slightly, it gapes open for a fleeting moment for him to fill his eyes. You wear slacks that hug around your hips and abdomen, and his mind races.

Who are you? Sometimes I see you in Bible class. I see you when we worship our Father together. Sometimes you are even a deacon’s or minister’s wife. Once in a great while you are even an elder’s wife. It hurts me to see what you are doing to yourself in the name of style and how I cry when I see what it does to my husband. If I try to say something to you tactfully, you are filled with righteous indignation or laugh and call me old-fashioned.

So I go home and cry alone. The likelihood of his committing adultery with you is very slim, for you would be horrified at the suggestion. But you keep his mind in such a sexual turmoil because you are some of our closest friends sometimes, I know he will eventually give up trying to fight it off and will go to a woman not known to the church in order to hide his shame.
No, I am not an “old bag.” I try to make myself as nice looking as possible at home as well as in public. I fix good meals. I try to keep cheerful. I feel I have always done most of the things mentioned in such books as Fascinating Womanhood. I am a good wife and dedicated mother; I work at it.

I also know for a fact that my husband is not the only one fighting this epidemic. The church at Corinth suffered from it. I have asked other Christian men to help him, and once they see that I understand, they often admit that they have the same problem, sometimes under control, sometimes not. I’ve had preachers, elders, deacons, young men, old men admit this – and seem relieved that at least one woman understands their burden. Often they can’t tell their wives and daughters not to wear the revealing styles because they are ridiculed by them and other wives. So they keep it to themselves, and, as one preacher put it, “burn inside” because of the sinful passions they are so desperately fighting, with no sympathy from the women who bait them unwittingly.

Please, please listen to me! I have begged and pleaded in every way I know how. Our minister has, too; and every time he does, you feel like starting a movement to get rid of him, or you say, “Those terrible women!” without realizing it is you, too. You become frustrated and bitter at his false accusations that you are creating lustful thoughts in men.

Keep reading, please. Don’t cut me off. I understand why you don’t believe the men. I really do. Remember, I’m a woman too. You dress in the latest styles, with some of the characteristics mentioned earlier – maybe not all of them – simply because you like the styles. They are pretty. You enjoy the looks of approval from everyone – not just the men. Some fashion designers say that women actually dress for approval and admiration from other women. You think adultery is terrible. You think that only men with base morals would look at you lustfully.

Some of you think, “Not me! There’s nothing sexy about me – only my husband could think so. I’m overweight, I can’t ever go to the beauty salon,” and on and on. The reason you get so angry at such suggestions about you is that you know deep in your heart that you are not creating lust. You know this beyond a shadow of a doubt. You feel you are being falsely accused, and it hurts you for anyone to think of you as less than pure. I know this is the way you feel, because that is the way I feel.

But the men do not believe it! Please get it through your head that men do not think like we do. Jesus never said a woman committed adultery in her heart (mind) when she looked at a man who looked sensual. Women just don’t get aroused through the eyes. Usually we get aroused through our ears – a man opening up his heart to us, and telling us how special we are. Men are not that impressed by “sweet nothings” – in fact, they often laugh at it. Their key is in what they see, or are enticed to see by form-fitting suggestions.

Jesus said a man commits adultery every time he looks at a woman who looks sensual to him, and he can’t control those thoughts. It seems like every time I say something to you about your hemline or neckline, you don’t believe me. And every time I tell men that most women do not dress purposely to be a “tease,” they don’t believe me either. Men really do believe we women know exactly what we’re doing and exactly what we’re after. These are Christian men, too, remember. Why do you think our preachers get so hot under the collar when they preach on this subject?
These men know something women don’t know or understand. And since you don’t feel that way, you refuse to believe men feel that way. Years ago when we were first married and very young, my husband told me that the way a woman dresses tells men around her how she wants to be treated and whether she wants to be touched. If she is a tease, such as a Christian woman who lures and then shames men for having such dirty minds, he just stores those thoughts and goes to another woman eventually if he can’t overcome those natural reactions. Men want women to look like women, to look feminine; but not to entice them. The comments are not reprintable that I’ve heard from men in restaurants watching waitresses with short skirts clean tables. But here are some comments I’ve heard from Christian men:
“How can you keep your mind on your lesson when those girls sit like they do in your class?”
“My daughter has really created some problems for me when she runs around in her shortie pajamas.”
“Her dress hardly has a back in it. How could she come to church like that?”
“Did you see that woman in the fourth row?”
“Some of these women are plain vicious! They know exactly what they’re doing!”
“I have to say a silent prayer or a scripture in order to get my mind off those temptations when I see women dressed like that.”
“I look away as quickly as I can or I wouldn’t be able to get control of my thoughts before they become sinful.”

Dear sisters, obviously you are not completely at fault when you dress questionably, not any more than a bottle of liquor offered to an alcoholic is completely at fault. I have learned in choosing clothing that does not look like I am “making an offer,” “When in doubt, don’t.”
Do you understand a little better? Run a test if you like and watch the men when a woman with immodest apparel walks into a room. Watch them closely, and you’ll see what I’ve seen. We women will never understand completely how men feel, because we are not men and never will be; just as men will never really understand that most of us women don’t intentionally entice them. We have to take each other’s word for it, and take Jesus’ word for it.

My last request is that you not try to guess who I am, or who my husband is. We are any one of several couples in your own congregation. Do not embarrass me or one of the others by asking, or even guessing to someone else. It is hard enough for us to hold our heads up without others knowing of our shame. When you see me a little depressed or moody, just smile, and I won’t cry as much when I get home. If you suspect who I am, encourage me and talk to me about faith. And encourage my husband by making sure you are covered around him – be kind to him in this way. He will then think of you as a lady – a Christian lady, and we will both thank you for your godly influence.With my love to you, from a struggling sister in Christ.
(Anonymous)

Friendly Indy

2006-07-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

We drug our nephew all over Indiapolis with us yesterday--we went to Bible class and worship in the morning at a congregation where Tol is preaching in a lectureship this week--some in Spanish and some in English so we had several acquaintances there. We ate lunch with a couple of famlies after church. We then attended another congregation in the evening where we know two or three people, but have a lot of connections to a number of others because of the evangelistic work Tol does, so we met and talked with a lot of people at that congregation.

About ten minutes after the services were over, a family came in looking for Tol and me who were from Columbus, Indiana (45 minutes or so away). They were an hour late to church because they had been told they met at 6 instead of 5, but, anyway, their son is going with us to Dominica at the end of this week and they wanted to meet us since we were in the area. (I don't blame them. I would want to know who was taking my kid off to who knows where also.) We spent 30 minutes or so visiting with them. When we finally were about to leave, a couple invited us home with them for supper.

Our nephew said as we got in the car, "I believe being a preacher is more popular than playing football." (He plays for the Colts) We all had a good laugh. But you know, the people in Indiana are really friendly. We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit hear and felt extremely welcome. If you ever get a chance, visit our brethren in the Indy area. I think you'll find the same welcome we have.

Dana Burk

A Lotta' Church

2006-07-09T14:54:00.000-04:00

We got to do dinner with our nephew last night and invited him to go with us to church this morning and again this evening. He questioned us and said, "You're going in the morning and again at night? That's a lotta' church for one day!" We teased him about it, but he went with us this morning and is coming again tonight.

My nephew was not "raised" going to church and so he may go to a church here or there occasionally on Sunday morning, but that's about it. I understand how that's "a lotta' church" for him in one day. However, it's sad to me when people claim to be committed to the Lord and call themselves Christians and yet, think it too much church in one day to go to worship twice on the Lord's day. They have too many other things they feel they need to do. All too often we think it's quite acceptable that we give God one hour out of our week while we spend 50-60 hrs. a week amassing money to buy stuff and 10-20 hrs. a week pursuing entertainment. I realize we all must work and provide for the necessities of life, but many of us work overtime so we can simply have more stuff and neglect the worshipping of our God. Have we stopped to think, "Is He pleased?"

I hope and pray over time my nephew can come to know the Lord and begin to worship Him often as He has commanded. Do you really know the Lord? Are you worshipping as He has commanded or is that a lotta' church in one day?

Dana Burk

Off to Indy

2006-07-08T08:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm off to Indiana this morning. My husband is preaching at a lecturship there next week. I have a nephew that has just moved there (he has just signed with the Indianapolis Colts) so we will get to visit with him. I'm really looking forward to that--its been 3 years since we've seen him. I also plan to meet new friends. I always look forward to that.

Truly, one of the blessings of Christianity is having new friends all over the world yet to meet. Pray for us as we pray for you. Hopefully I can find an internet connection somewhere so I can blog while in Indy.

Dana Burk

Just Thinking

2006-07-06T23:39:00.000-04:00

If we put the blame where it really belongs, the other fellow sometimes gets less of it.
Those who hope for no other life are dead even in this one.
Let's not park our brains at the door when we enter the church building, nor our hearts at the door as we leave.
Common sense is seeing things as they are, and doing things as they should be done.
A successful man is usually an average man who either had a chance or took a chance.
The most pointed remarks come from blunt people. They usually can't take the barbs as well as they give them.

(borrowed)

State-Endorsed Death

2006-07-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

I was reading an article today on physician-assisted suicide and realized how near we are to that becoming a common fact of life. The state of Oregon is the only state that has presently legalized such, but others are considering it. Oregon passed the "Death With Dignity Act" in 1997 and since that time 263 people have used legally prescribed lethal drugs to commit suicide. (Those are the reported deaths though it is believed that the number is much higher.)

The proponents of the law assured voters that the doctors would only prescibe these medications for patients who were mentally competent and who were terminally ill with only six months or less to live. The article, however, made reference to a number of people who had been prescibed these medications (and obviously not yet taken them) who were still alive anywhere from 17 months to even 2 years later, thus proving we cannot, for certainty, predict ones life expectancy. Furthermore, there have been a number of cases reported where elderly who suffered with dementia and have been declared "cognitively impaired" by their physicians, have been given these medication at the insistence of their own children.

Wesley Smith wrote an article for the Weekly Standard (Nov. 8, 1999), titled "The Deadly Ethics of the Futile Care Theory" in which he said, "Once the legal view of killing is shifted from automatically bad to possibly good, it becomes virtually impossible to restrict physician-assisted suicide to the very narrow range of patients for whom proponents claim it is reserved. The 'protective guidelines' allegedly designed to guard the lives of vulnerable people soon become scorned as obstacles to be circumvented. And so, eligibility for physician assisted suicide steadily expands to permit the killing of increasing categories of ill and disabled patients. Thus, an act that is supposed to be 'rare' is likely to become more common. And what was seen as a last resort, something that might be considered if palliative treatment failed, becomes an alternative to treatment." That is scary, but very real, stuff.

The awful atrocities of Hitler included the killing of mentally ill, retarded and physically disabled because they were seen as expendable and as a burden to society. These are things the world was shocked and horrified over and yet, they are, in our lifetime, happening once again under the guise of "mercy" and "death with dignity". A rose by any other name is still a rose and this still constitutes murder in God's book!

We as Christians must not allow ourselves to be lulled into believing that this "mercy killing" is OK--it is not. We have never had the right to play God and determine when it is appropriate and when it is not for someone else to live. For years now, America has legally allowed the killing of innocent babies through abortion and now we are extending that to the other helpless members of our society. Shame on us and we will be judged by God for it.

But you know, the most ironic part of all of this is that, in America, we loathe and bemoan the fact that so many animals are euthanized each year. We see that as some terrible thing, yet it is becoming a desirable thing to "get rid of" unwanted humans. Truly we are becoming like those spoken of in Romans 1:25; "Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator..." May God help us all!!!

Dana Burk

Article referenced--Blocher, Mark B. "State-Endorsed Death: Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Future of Medicine." Christian HealthCare Newsletter July 2006

Worry

2006-07-04T22:31:00.000-04:00

When I look back on all these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.
--Winston Churchill

Isn't this true of most of the things we worry about? We worry until we literally make ourselves sick and most of the things we worry about never even come to pass. Our God is big enough to take care of all of our troubles, perceived and real and He is willing to take them from us. Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Give your worries to God and then you'll have more time for enjoying life.

Dana Burk

Distinguished Teacher Award

2006-07-03T22:57:00.000-04:00

Jesus wins the World's All-Time Most Distinguished Teacher award. It is not a plaque someone presented to Him, but simply the recognition by millions who have sat at His fee for nearly 2000 years.

He had no classroom, except the one the moment provided. It might be a hillside, a boat, or a garden.
He received no salary, and when John's disciples asked for His credentials, He responded, "the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matt. 11:5)
He set no age limit for His students. Little children were admitted as well as the aged. (Matt. 19:13-14)
He had no textbook but His Father's Word (John 12:49). He held no college degree, yet He instructed scholars and wise men.

(borrowed)

"Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God."--John 3:2

Tell Me Why!

2006-07-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

If a lawyer finds a flaw in a title to property, and does not warn about it, he has not done his duty!
If a sanitary engineer discovers conditions dangerous to health and fails to report them, he has failed his job!
If a doctor learns of a dangerous condition in our bodies, and does not properly diagnose it, we think he is a quack!
If a bank examiner knows of discrepancies in the accounts of a bank and does not report them, he loses his position!
But if the preacher or the elders see a flaw in our title to a home in heaven, and warn against it; if they discover conditions dangerous to our spiritual welfare; if they find a diseased condition in our spiritual body and tell of their diagnosis; if they find discepancy in our spiritual account and report it; many think they are just meddling and trying to find fault. (borrowed)

Temple to Who?

2006-07-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

Whew! We just got back from a quick trip to Kansas--1870 miles--so I'm behind on my blog. But man, was it beautiful! Hay bales in the fields and corn ready to harvest--it was gorgeous.

We stayed two nights in Independence, Missouri and just outside our door was the view of the most unusual building I have ever seen. After we shot this picture, we drove to the next block and saw it was the World Headquarters and Temple of the "Community of Christ". As we drove around, we noticed that they owned what looked to be about 10-12 city blocks with all types of auditoriums, annexes, community centers, etc. They even had a visitors center and visitors were welcome to come to the temple each day at 12:30 noon to pray for world peace.

I knew that they "Mormons" or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had been in Independence in the 1800's and that there was a remnant of them that had remained and named themselves the "Reorganized" church, but I had never heard of the "Community of Christ". When I got home, I "Googled" the "Community of Christ" and surprise, surprise, they are the "re-named" Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The article I was reading said that they were having to make some drastic cut-backs in June of this year to their staff and churches because of financial strain and were reducing the number of ministers and staff all over the world.

It is no wonder to me that they would have to "cut-back" when you see what they are spending for their elaborate facilities--first things first! I know that is rather sarcastic, but I think it is indicative of where "Christianity" has gone today. It has become more important to build million dollar cathedrals for our prestige and spend equal amounts for "family life centers" and recreational facilities for our own pleasure than to take those same funds and spend them according to the authority of the scriptures to preach the pure word of the gospel.

The above "temple" was dedicated in 1994--after just twelve years this "church" now appears to be buckling under its own excess. If we were content to do God's work (preach the gospel) according to His word instead of doing our own "works" we would have more than enough to accomplish His will. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16)

Dana Burk

Wisdom from a President

2006-06-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

"There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the wheel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. They teach the truth by living it." --James A. Garfield, 20th U.S. President

President Garfield was a member of the Lord's church and was known for his integrity. It was his abhorrence of corruption that ultimately resulted in his assassination. He lived the Christian life and made many friends and some enemies as a result. What a fitting quote for a man full of loyalty and integrity.

I once read that he was an elder in the church when he took the office of President and said that he was stepping down from the highest office on earth (the eldership) to take the office of President of the United States. That is a man who had things in proper perspective. You might enjoy reading up on this exemplary Christian.

Dana Burk

Total Apostasy

2006-06-26T22:43:00.000-04:00

I couldn't help but overhear a conversation at lunch today of two gentlemen who were sitting across from our table. They were discussing the quarterly budget for their respective churches. One commented how the board of directors, elected by the congregation, presented the budget to the church and how pleased he was that the "pastor" did not take part in the forming of the budget. They proceeded to discuss the "politics" of the congregation and its many programs.

Not once in their conversation was ANYTHING said about the scriptures, God, Jesus, Biblical authority, etc. I was astounded at how "secular" the whole discussion was. When Tol joined me, I relayed the parts of the conversation I had heard and we talked about how foreign it was to one we would have about our "church". I said, "How did they get so far from the word?" He answered, "Little by little--one step at a time."

As I have thought about that, I realize we are only one step away from following their path. All we have to do is leave the authority of the scriptures over one small thing and then we are on our way down the same path to total apostasy as so many of the churches around us today. Jesus said all authority had been given to Him, thus confining each of us to the bounds of His word. It takes diligence to seek to always follow His authority in all things.

Dana Burk

Would I Be Called A Christian?

2006-06-25T21:54:00.000-04:00

Would I be called a Christian if everybody knew my secret thoughts and feelings and everything I do?
Oh, would they see the likeness of Christ in me each day?
Oh, would they hear Him speaking in every word I say?
Would I be called a Christian if everybody could know, that I am found in places where Jesus would not go?
O, would they hear His echo in every song I sing...In eating, drinking, dressing would they see Christ in me?
Would I be called a Christian if judged by what I read? By all my recreations and every thought and deed?
Would I be counted Christ-like as I now work and pray? Unselfish, kind, forgiving to others everyday?

(borrowed)

Tell Me the Story

2006-06-24T19:37:00.000-04:00

We just completed our VBS this week and averaged about 80 children per night--many were visitors. They were excited and enthusiastic from 1 year olds to 18 year olds. We didn't offer them musical productions, dance dramas, hot dogs or ice cream--we simply offered them exciting stories from the Bible about real kings who had real problems to overcome and the kids came back night after night.

God's word is still as powerful today as it was when it was written and can still move us and motivate us just as it always has. Our Lord and Savior used "visual aids" when He taught the people to make His points come to life, i.e., fig trees, fish, fishing nets, the seeds in the ground sheep, barns and even the stars in the sky. We too have used a number of "visual aids": pictures, posters, an artificial tree, a wooden cross made from boxes, and a throne from wooden crates and gold wrapping paper, but we haven't altered, in anyway, God's word or message. We have simply used these to help the children visualize the lessons taught in His word.

As a result, we know the kids came for the Bible lessons, not for food and entertainment. All around our town, this time of year, there are churches offering all types of "gimmicks" to get kids to come to their VBS, like snacks, fiestas, pizza parties, etc. I see very little, if any, advertising of the Bible lessons they will be teaching. They are selling the Gospel for food and fun and it is so unnecessary. Children love God and they love God's word--they don't have to be bought off with gimmicks. How often we underestimate the spirituality of our children.

Tol and I will be going in a few weeks to a tiny Caribbean island, to a small village of 400-500 people and help the fledgling church there with a VBS. The congregation only numbers about 25-30 and yet we are expecting any where from 50-60 children to attend the VBS. There will be no music, no snacks, no pizza parties, no movies and, in fact, the only visual aids will be a few posters we can take with us on the air-plane and yet, the children will come and come and come. Each year when we end for the week, we always have some of the children ask if we can go for another week. They are so eager to learn about Jesus and His word.

Jesus said we need to become like little children because of such is the kingdom of Heaven. What a great example children are to us--they love the pure milk of the word of God.
"Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word,
"Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard."

Dana Burk

The Rich King's Four Wives

2006-06-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time there was a rich king who had four wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. he gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the third wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another man.
He also loved his second wife. She was his confidante and was always kind, considerate, and patient with him. Whenever the king faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The king's first wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the king fell ill and knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, "I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."

Thus, he asked the fourth wife, "I have loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No way!" replied the fourth wife, and she walked away without another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad king then asked the third wife, "I have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"No!" she replied. "Life is too good! When you die, I'll remarry!"

His heart turned cold. He then asked the second wife, "I have always turned to you for help, and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help this time!" replied the second wife. "At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightening. The king was devastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go."

The king looked up and saw his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, he said, "I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"

In truth, we all have four wives in our lives:

Our fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our third wife is our possessions, status, and wealth. When we die, these will go to others.
Our second wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, they can't go with us past the grave.
Our first wife is our soul. We often neglect it in pursuit of wealth, power, and pleasures of the world. However, our soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout eternity.

--adapted from eSermons.com

Bring Your Characters to Life--Life Size That is

2006-06-22T22:58:00.000-04:00

Teaching Bible lessons can be greatly enhanced by creating life-size characters. It is much easier for the children to truly grasp the reality of the Bible story when they see life-like people. Just about any graphic image can be "blown" up to life size through a graphics program like Print Shop or Print Master, etc.

We try and use "meta-files" so the distortion is limited when enlarging the graphic and then we determine how large we want the graphic to be--100% is normal print size so we select 200%, 250%, 500%, etc. By selecting the "output size" on the print setup screen, we can easily make our Bible characters life-size--6ft. Roman soldiers or a 9 ft. Goliath.

A couple of years ago, our congregation purchased a Hewlett Packard Designjet 100 which accommodates paper as large as 24 inches x 36 inches. We buy card stock in that size and with 6 to 9 sheets can produce huge, life-like graphics. (The printer is constantly used by our teachers) However, the same results can be produced with normal 8 1/2 x 11 paper, though it will take many more sheets. Once the printing it done, putting the pieces of your graphic together is simply a matter of putting the puzzle together.

It does take a little time and some effort to produce these giant beauties, but the results are definitely worth it and you will be amazed at the affect it will have on your Bible class.

Dana Burk

What is Love One to Another?

2006-06-21T22:08:00.000-04:00

Love is an attitude--

love is a prayer,

For a soul in sorrow,

a heart in despair.

Love is good wishes

for the gain of another.

Love suffers long with

the fault of a brother.

Love giveth water

to a cup that's run dry,

Love reaches low,

it also reaches high.

Seeks not her own

at the expense of another,

Love reaches God

when it reaches our brother.

(borrowed)

Thanks, Ginger

2006-06-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

Yes, Ginger, I do remember you and remember when you came to my home. Thanks so much for your encouraging words. It is really good to hear from those who read the blog and get feed back. May God bless you as you continue to serve him.

Dana Burk

Conquering Our Goliaths

2006-06-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, in our VBS, we studied about David and Goliath. The point was made that we can conquer the giants in our lives the same way that David conquered his. I am teaching the 1st and 2nd graders and it was interesting to hear them talk about the things that they fear--their Goliaths--things like the dark (I fear the dark too), bad people (you know, I fear bad people), mean dogs (a vicious dog is scary to me), being in the hospital (I have had way more than my share of that fear). I began to realize that the things the child fears are the same things we adults fear and that fear is universal.

As children, we have our parents and other supportive adults to protect us from those Goliaths, but as an adult we often feel we must face them alone. Yet the classic Bible story of David and Goliath teaches even us adults that we can face any Goliath if God is on our side. David said to Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts..." (1 Sam. 17:45) Oh, if we just had the attitude of David, what could we accomplish?

Paul said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We all know this verse by heart and yet, do we believe it? Do we believe that our God is big enough to defeat Goliath? to defeat my illness or disability, to defeat financial problems, to defeat marital problems, to defeat my depression, etc? It only took one smooth stone, thrown in faith, to bring down David's giant--it only takes one small prayer, offered in faith, to bring down ours.

Dana Burk

We Are Family

2006-06-17T17:31:00.000-04:00

While having breakfast with a friend from church this morning, the conversation turned to the importance of family. We have an elderly neighbor who has just been placed into a local nursing home because of some very serious health problems and she has absolutely NO family or close friends to help care for her. It is the saddest thing I have ever seen. Someone, whom she only knew distantly, volunteered to be her "power of attorney" and now is trying to sell everything out from under the poor woman. How does one get to be 75-80 years old and have NO one? One way is to have no "church" family--it is obvious our neighbor has never known God. (Tol has begun to study with her.)

As I have pondered her situation over the last week or so, I have thought about how I never expect to be in her position. We were the only ones who showed up at the hospital for the life threatening surgery she had a few weeks ago--I always expect to have family present when I have surgery. Tol has taken care of her yard after it had gotten totally out of control--I expect to always have family around who can help me with mine. We are the only ones to have visited her in the nursing home since she went there--I hope I never have to go to one, but if I do, I know I will have family checking in on me. My neighbor has NO family--I have a very large family within the church and there will always be those in my spiritual family to care for me. How I thank God for this glorious family.

God has promised us an eternal reward if we are faithful to Him, but we also have many rich blessings here on this earth if we are faithful to Him and probably the greatest earthly blessing from being a Christian is our "church family".

Dana Burk

Talking About Billions of Miles...

2006-06-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

As I was preparing for the Ladies Bible class I teach on Wednesday evenings, I looked up some info on what scientists know about the size of the universe. I knew from what I studied back in the dark ages when I was in school that it was enormous, but wow! had I forgotten how enormous.

One thing I read said that the center of our galaxy was 26,000 light years away from where we are. One light year is 10 billion kilometers. That means in an airplane, it would take us billions of years to get to the center of our galaxy and if that is not enormous enough, scientist say they know that the universe contains about 200 billion (with a "b") other galaxies.

These numbers are mind boggling to me and there were even more. But what is most awesome about all of it, the universe, is that our God made it. Solomon said that heaven and the heaven of heavens could not contain our God--I would assume that is the universe. How GREAT He truly is. Yet in all His power and glory, He is mindful of me. Who am I that He would even know my name and yet He does. He loves me, He cares for me, He even died for me. What is it He could ever ask of me that would be too much. Rather, how priviledged I am to be called His child. That is how awesome He is.

Next time you come across a command in the Bible that you find difficult to obey, remember who it is you serve and what all He has done for you--it will make obedience a lot easier.

Dana Burk

Hey Kali!

2006-06-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

How cool to get your comment on my blog all the way from Taiwan. Do we live in a great time or what that you can keep up with me when you are billions of miles away on the other side of the world. If I had your e-mail I would have thanked you for your comment but since I don't I'll do it this way.

Hope you are having a great time and learning lots. You are in my thoughts and prayers. See you in a few weeks. Love, Dana

The Record Book

2006-06-14T23:03:00.000-04:00

There is a record book I'm told

With every deed and word;

It even keeps the records of

Our thoughts that can't be heard;

The good, the bad and every sin

For nothing has been missed;

It really makes me feel ashamed,

To think what's on my list. (borrowed)

Someone has said there is a way to "press the delete button" and erase all the bad that is in that record book. If we will repent we can have COMPLETE forgiveness and stand righteous before our Great God. It makes me hang my head in shame to think about what must be on my list and I praise God for His infinite mercy in letting me hit the delete button over and over and over again.

What is on your list? Have you hit the delete button lately?

Dana Burk

Parent, What Effect Are You Having?

2006-06-13T23:54:00.000-04:00

I have spent a lot of time in prayer and reflection today. A childhood friend recently made contact with one of my kids and it has caused a great deal of sorrow in their life, and I must admit, in mine as well. You see, this childhood friend was raised "in the church" just like mine were, but Mom and Dad divorced during this child's High School years.

The kids met at an FC summer camp during Jr. High and kept in touch for a number of years but after graduation from High School they lost touch. Out of the clear blue the friend contacted my child by e-mail (you can find almost anyone through Google). So what's so sad about that? The friend's life has been one very sad mess after another, including homosexuality and total abandonment of the Church--and saddest of all is the total lack of contact with parents for a number of years. And this young person is only in their 20's. To add injury to insult, they now attend a denomination that condones and encourages "alternate" lifestyles--therefore no stigma attached to sin.

Supposedly the friend is "happier" than ever before and has "found themselves" and yet, through a follow-up letter you can feel the pain between the lines; the utter rejection and total disconnect from all that is precious to them. My heart aches for their loneliness.

I have thanked God a lot today for the relationship that I have with my adult children, for the relationship they all have with their God, but mostly for the relationship I have with my husband--we did not divorce during the most fragile years of our children's lives, destroying their stability and even their identity. I'm not boasting about how great "we" are, I'm stressing how parent's selfish behaviors can set their children up to utterly destroy themselves. Whenever a divorce comes about, it is the direct result of selfishness on the part of one or both involved and there is NEVER an excuse for this in a Christian home like this young person was raised in.

If you are a parent, think very seriously about what effect your actions are having and will have on your children; not only now, but in the future. The effects on this young person are still bearing their fruit. I understand that this young adult is now responsible for their own actions but their is plenty of blame to go around.

I would ask you to pray for this friend of my child. Pray that they will see their sin and error and that they will return to our Heavenly Father where there is real peace and may be able to renew the lost relationship with their parents and family. May God grant them time and mercy.

Dana Burk

Bulletin Board Borders

2006-06-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

Sometime back I talked about making crowns for children out of scalloped bulletin board border. Our VBS theme for this year is King of Kings and so the teachers are looking for ways to decorate with a royal flare. Yesterday, I saw that one of the teachers had taken 3" gold foil crowns and used them as border on her bulletin board. The background was done in purple. It was darling.

Two or three of the other teachers saw it also and so today I have ordered about 12 dozen crowns so we can border our bulletin boards with them. It is amazing the versatile ways things can be used if we use our imaginations.