He Restores Our Hope

How do I begin a blog post when I want to share three things that are not necessarily related? I used to do a "News Roundup" once in a while. But now that blogger has the neat little "blog list" feature, all you need to do is read the title and snippet of information provided in my sidebar to find many great blogs with the most important and exciting news of the day.

However, I do want to share one link that I found via Israpundit. Wishful Thinking and Iran: New Governments in Israel and the U.S.. I thought that the article was filled with excellent information and very well done.

The second item that I wanted to share should probably go in my "New Feature" section which I started a few days ago. Whenever there is news about the Obama birth certificate/U.S. citizenship question, I will post those links at the end of my latest blog post. Today, I found a website that has the most comprehensive coverage of all of the lawsuits pending against Obama. Check out Overview - Save Our Rights.Wikia.com Caution! You might be at your computer for days (or, as someone close to me and his friends used to say, "fa daze." )

Oops. Now I'm in trouble. He told me NEVER to say that in public.

te he!

OK. Now on to the main blog post for today.

I want to continue sharing more from Max Lucado's, "Traveling Light" book. Since I have started reading it again, it has helped me immensely in my walk with Jesus Christ. It has also helped me take my focus off of all the turmoil swirling around our havoc-filled national problems, too.

It's a jungle out there...isn't it? Don't you often feel the same way? I do. Plus, as the years go by the political "jungle," in particular, seems to be getting deeper, denser, and more radical than I could have ever imagined.

Before I delve into Chapter 7 of Lucado's book, I wanted to mention one of my favorite T.V. shows - Monk. If you are at all familiar with the show, you know that Monk is a former police officer, turned quirky detective. His mannerisms and phobias are over the top (e.g. He's obsessively clean and neat. Uses hand wipes after shaking someones hand!) But his detective work is brilliant.

Anyway, the show opens with Randy Newman's song called, "It's a Jungle Out There." Here is a link to a video of the shows opening Monk extended theme song opening.

Here are the lyrics.

LYRICS:
It's a jungle out there
Disorder and confusion everywhere
No one seems to care
Well I do
Hey, who's in charge here?
It's a jungle out there
Poison in the very air we breathe
Do you know what's in the water that you drink?
Well I do, and it's amazing
People think I'm crazy, 'cause I worry all the time
If you paid attention, you'd be worried too
You better pay attention
Or this world we love so much might just kill you
I could be wrong now, but I don't think so
It's a jungle out there

Any Monk fans out there reading this?

Well, if you are a fan than you already know about the greatest tragedy that happened in Monk's life. The car bomb death of his beloved wife, Trudy. If it wasn't for his detective work and his visits to his psychiatrist, Monk might be viewed as a man without hope.

This brings me to the chapter for our discussion.

The title of the chapter is, "It's a Jungle Out There - The Burden of Hopelessness."

The Bible verse for Psalm 23 reads, "He restores my soul. - Psalm 23:3

Lucado writes:

I wonder if you could imagine yourself in a jungle. A dense jungle, A dark jungle. Your friends convinced you it was time for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and here you are. You paid the fare. You crossed the ocean. You hired the guide and joined the group. And you ventured where you had never ventured before - into the thick, strange world of the jungle.

Sound interesting? [Note from Christine - not to me!] Let's take it a step farther. Imagine that you are in the jungle, lost and alone. You paused to lace your boot, and when you looked up, no one was near. You took a chance and went to the right; now you're wondering if the others went to the left. (Or did you go left and they go right?)

Whatever, you are alone. and you have been alone for, well, you don't know how long it has been. Your watch was attached to your pack, and your pack is on the shoulder of the nice guy from New Jersey who volunteered to hold it while you tied your boots. You didn't intend for him to walk off with it. But he did. And here you are, stuck in the middle of nowhere.

You have a problem. First, you were not made for this place. Drop you in the center of avenues and building, and you could sniff your way home. But here in sky-blocking foliage? Here in trail-hiding thickets? You are out of your element. You weren't made for this jungle.

What's worse, you aren't equipped. You have no machete. No knife. No matches. No flares. No food. You aren't equipped, but now you are trapped - and you haven't a clue how to get out.

Sound like fun to you? Me either. Before moving on, let's pause and ask how you would feel. Given such circumstances, what emotions would surface? With what thoughts would you wrestle?

Fear? Of course you would.
Anxiety? To say the least.
Anger? I could understand that. (You'd like to get your hands on those folks who convinced you to take this trip.)

But most of all, what about hopelessness? No idea where to turn. No hunch what to do. Who could blame you for sitting on a log (better check for snakes first), burying your face in your hands, and thinking I'll never get out of here. You have no direction, no equipment, no hope.

I have never been lost in a jungle. But, I was once lost on a beach. I was probably about 5 or 6 years old. Apparently, I wandered away from the blanket my mother had spread out on the sand. I can't remember the reason why I wandered so far off. Perhaps, looking for a better place to play in the sand with my pail and shovel? I cannot recall how long I was lost. My mom and several others were anxiously looking for me. When my mom eventually found me, I can still recall the look of relief on her face. When we talk about the incident, she tells me the two things she will never forget is how worried she was and that I was badly sunburned. When my frantic mother found me, I simply looked up and said, "Oh...hello mommy."

You see...I didn't even realize that I was lost! However, everyone else looking for me knew it - and feared for the worst.

I have very fair skin. I burn easily. I'm sure that my mom slathered my skin with sunscreen, but back in the 1960's - the SPF wasn't very strong. Perhaps I was lost for an hour? Maybe less?

But I will never forget the look of relief on my mother's face when we were re-united.

As an adult, I discovered that I was lost in sin. For many years, however, I did not realize that, either. But when I started studying God's Word - especially while doing a Bible study on John 3, it was then that I realized that I desperately needed to be saved from my sin through being born again in Jesus Christ.

Recall in the movie, Forrest Gump, when Lt. Dan asked Gump, "have you found Jesus yet?"

Forrest replies, "I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for Him."

There are lots of people on this planet earth who don't know that they are supposed to be looking for Him. However, thank God that Jesus will leave a flock of 99 sheep to go and rescue the one that is lost. What a great Savior we have!

Back to Lucado's story:

Can you freeze frame that emotion for a moment? Can you sense, for just a second, how it feels to be out of your element? Out of solutions? Out of ideas and energy? Can you imagine, just for a moment, how it feels to be out of hope?

If you can, you can relate to many people in this world.

Today, there was a horrific story that told of a teenager who committed suicide and put it on YouTube. A young man, took his own life and broadcast it to the world.

Why?

No matter all the reasons that led up to it, he was obviously out of hope.

Lucado:

For many people, life is -- well, life is a jungle. Not a jungle of trees and beasts. Would that it were so simple. Would that our jungles could be cut with machete or our adversaries trapped in a cage. But our jungles are comprised of the thicker thickets of failing health, broken hearts, and empty wallets. Our forests are framed with hospital walls and divorce courts. We don't hear the screeching of birds or the roaring of lions, but we do hear the complaints of neighbors and the demands of bosses. Our predators are our creditors, and the brush that surrounds us is the rush that exhausts us.

It's a jungle out there.

And for some, even for many, hope is in short supply. Hopelessness is an odd bag. Unlike the others, it isn't full. It is empty, and its emptiness creates the burden. Unzip the top and examine all the pockets. Turn it upside down and shake it hard. The bag of hopelessness is painfully empty.

Not a very pretty picture, is it? Let's see if we can brighten it up. We've imagined the emotions of being lost; you think we can do the same with being rescued? What would it take to restore your hope? What would you need to re energize your journey?

Though the answers are abundant, three come quickly to mind.

The first would be a person. Not just any person. You don't need someone equally confused. You need someone who knows the way out.

And from him you need some vision. You need someone to lift your spirits. You need someone to look you in the face and say, "This isn't the end. Don't give up. There is a better place than this. And I'll lead you there."

And, perhaps most important, you need direction. If you have only a person but no renewed vision, all you have is company. If he has a vision but no direction, you have a dreamer for company. But if you have a person with direction --who can take you from this place to the right place--ah, then you have one who can restore your hope.

Or, to use David's words, "He restores my soul."

Our Shepherd majors in restoring hope to the soul. Whether you are a lamb lost on a craggy ledge or a city slicker alone in a deep jungle, everything changes when your rescuer appears.

I don't mean to skip over our upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving, but as we enter the Christmas season of joy which celebrates the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the words, "everything changes when your rescuer appears" is just so fitting.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "O Holy Night." Within the lyrics, we find words similar to the joy of realizing "everything changes when your rescuer appears."

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Refrain 1
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Refrain 2
He knows our need, To our weaknesses is no stranger.
Behold your King, before him lowly bend!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Refrain 3
Christ is the Lord, O, Praise his name forever.
His power and glory every more proclaim!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Lucado:

Your loneliness diminishes, because you have fellowship.
Your despair decreases, because you have vision.
Your confusion begins to lift, because you have direction.

Please note: You haven't left the jungle. The trees still eclipse the sky, and the thorns will cut the skin. Animals lurk and rodents scurry. The jungle is still a jungle. It hasn't changed, but you have. You have changed because you have hope. And you have hope because you have met someone who can lead you out.

Your Shepherd knows that you were not made for this place. He knows you are not equipped for this place. So he has come to guide you out.

Jesus told us:

"In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! For I have overcome the world."

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

The King James version:

Jhn 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

What a fabulous truth. How AWESOME is our God! His "overcoming the world" occurred at the cross of Calvary. He died - willingly - so that I (you, we) may live with him forever in eternity!

What a marvelous promise we have in Jesus! There is no better Rescuer in life - or in death.

There is a cliche-type of saying that is popular for Christian bumper stickers. It reads, "Jesus. Don't leave earth without Him."

Lucado:

He has come to restore your soul. He is the perfect one to do so. He has the right vision. He reminds you that "you are like foreigners and strangers in this world" (1 Pet. 2:11). And he urges you to lift your eyes from the jungle around you to the heaven above you. "Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ...See things from his perspective (Col. 3:2 MSG)

David said it this way, "I lift my eyes unto the hills --where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber...The LORD watches over you...the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm --he will watch over your life." (Ps. 121:1-7 NIV).

I have a favorite "Casting Crowns" CD in my car. It only contains seven songs. However, the number "7" is very significant in biblical teaching. It is the number of perfection and completion.

One song, in particular fits quite well with this chapter in Lucado's book. It is called Praise You In This Storm. Some of the lyrics include Psalm 121:1-7.

Lucado:

God, your rescuer, has the right vision. He also has the right direction. he made the boldest claim in the history of man when he declared, "I am the way" (John 14:6). People wondered if the claim was accurate. He answered their questions by cutting a path through the underbrush of sin and death...and escaping alive. He's the only One who ever did. And he is the only One who can help you and me do the same.

[J]esus doesn't give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. and he has promised to stay until the very end. "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:20 NIV).

[Perhaps] you don't need your hope restored today, but you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.

Or perhaps you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place. You know you are not equipped. You want someone to lead you out.

If so, call out for you Shepherd. He knows your voice. And he's just waiting for your request.

*******

Reference Source:

Traveling Light by Max Lucado, 2001 W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214, pp. 55-59.

*******
Update:
Obama Birth Certificate/ U.S. Citizenship Controversy


Today, I found a website that has the most comprehensive coverage of all of the lawsuits pending against Obama. Lots of additional links to articles, blog posts, and discussion forum posts (like Hannity's).

Overview: Save Our Rights.Wikia.com

Update on 11/26/08 at 7:00 a.m. PT:

Here is a copy of an email I received regarding the Alan Keyes/Dr. Wiley S. Drake/Markham Robinson lawsuit case:

----------------------------------------
Team Obama:"All I can tell you is that it is just pure garbage."
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According to the WorldNetDaily headline above, that was the retort of an Obama campaign spokesperson when asked about complaints requesting that Senator Obama produce a valid Birth Certificate to prove that he is constitutionally eligible to be President of the United States.

Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States, states, "No person except a natural born citizen of the United States, at the time of adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President."

The Constitution of the United States is NOT "garbage" and furthermore, securing the rights of the people under the Constitution is NOT "garbage"!

The Obama campaign's response is an elitist, condescending slap in the face to patriotic Americans. No one is above the law and Team Obama cannot make the question of Obama's eligibility go away by disrespecting the American people - and, by inference, the Constitution of the United States.

That's why we just filed an action that Senator Obama will not be able to ignore... an action that WILL NOT GO AWAY!

In fact, in my humble opinion... we will ONLY "LOSE" if we do NOT have the resources we need to carry on for as long as it takes, and we will "win" as long as we can carry on this fight (more on that later).

SO PLEASE KEEP READING... I promise that when you're done, you will agree that we have filed the mother of all actions.


Why The "Berg Case" Is Dead In The Water And Why USJF Will Succeed...

You probably already know that Pennsylvania attorney Philip J. Berg filed a suit in U.S. District Court several months back contending that Senator Obama is not a "natural-born" citizen.

And you probably already know that the court dismissed the suit claiming that Berg, as a private citizen, "lacked standing to bring the case."

Of course, Berg is not the only one who has filed an action and the "Berg Case" is not the only one in which the courts have relied upon the lack-of-standing technicality.

Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter denied an action saying to the plaintiff Rev. Tom Terry, "I don't think you have standing to bring this suit."

Washington State Superior Court Judge John Erlick dismissed yet another suit ruling that even the Secretary of State did not have authority to inquire about Senator Obama's birth certificate.

Can you believe it? What's going on? Well, perhaps Berg said it best;

"This is a question of who has standing to uphold our Constitution. If I don't have standing, if you don't have standing, if your neighbor doesn't have standing to question the eligibility of an individual to be president of the United States -- the commander in chief, the most powerful person in the world -- then who does?"

Of course, Berg's statement also illustrates why the "Berg Case" and some of these other actions are doomed to fail and why we believe our action WILL succeed!

Simply stated, the lack-of-standing argument is already out there. Yes, it's egregious but the all too sad reality is that judges will continue to grab onto it like a life-preserver now that it has been put into play... the die has been cast!

That's why USJF is taking a different approach. Our petitioners are Dr. Alan Keyes, Dr. Wiley S. Drake, Sr. and Markham Robinson!

We state in the Petition we just filed with the court:

"The parties in this case have standing to bring this litigation, due to the fact that Dr. Keyes and Dr. Drake, Sr., are candidates on the California ballot for President and Vice President of the United States, and Mr. Robinson is an Elector for the Keyes-Drake ticket, and Vice Chairman of America's Independent Party, of Fenton, Michigan, which nominated Dr. Keyes for President. He is also a Chairman of the American Independent Party (California), which nominated Dr. Keyes and Dr. Drake for President and Vice President, respectively. Based on the foregoing, it is imperative for SOS to be provided proof that Senator Obama is a 'natural born' citizen."

Alan Keyes and Wiley Drake were actually on the ballot in California and Markham Robinson is an Elector for Keyes-Drake. If they don't have standing, one would be hard-pressed to find ANYONE who has standing and if the court attempts to use the lack-of-standing argument, it's an implied admission that NO ONE has standing to enforce the Constitution!

The Usurper-in-Chief...

Now... a dose of reality. Frankly, a case of this magnitude could be in the courts for years. There are no quick solutions... BUT THAT'S OKAY.

The key is in the following statement which also appears in the Petition:

"Should Senator Obama be discovered, after he takes office, to be ineligible for the Office of President of the United States of America and, thereby, his election declared void, Petitioners, as well as other Americans, will suffer irreparable harm in that an usurper will be sitting as the President of the United States, and none of the treaties, laws, or executive orders signed by him will be valid or legal."

Part of that statement bears repeating:

"... none of the treaties, laws, or executive orders signed by him will be valid or legal."

In other words, as long as this case is in the courts, a cloud hangs over Senator Obama's head and for the sake of our Constitution and our Republic, the issue MUST be resolved!

If President Obama issues an Executive Order to rescind the Mexico City Policy and allows the tax dollars of Americans to fund organizations that promote abortions overseas, the door to question the legitimacy of that Executive Order remains open.

If President Obama signs a treaty with an unfriendly power or an agreement with the United Nations, the door to question the legitimacy of that treaty remains open.

If President Obama signs a bill granting amnesty to illegal aliens into law, the door to question the legitimacy of that law remains open.

If President Obama appoints new Commissioners to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, the door to question those appointments and the legitimacy of the actions taken by his appointees remains open.

That's not to say that he can't or won't be able to fulfill the duties of his office, but until this matter is resolved... until he can validate that he is constitutionally eligible to be President of the United States, the door will always remain open to question and challenge the legitimacy of his actions and the dire consequences of those actions.

In short... as long as we have the resources to fight, we're ahead of the game!

That's where you come in.

I'm Not Living In The Real World...

To be brutally blunt, a case of this magnitude may not be won or lost on the merits.

I'm very proud of USJF's accomplishments over the past 29 years.

We've defended Minuteman Civil Defense Corps members protecting our borders from illegal aliens.

We handled litigation against Hillary Clinton for campaign finance fraud in her 2000 Senate race.

We've submitted testimony before the United States Senate on Supreme Court appointees.

But all that won't really matter. It won't matter which side has the most skilled attorneys. Talent, competence and experience do not assure victory.

Here's the bottom line.

Team Obama presently has THREE LAW FIRMS at its disposal - and a seemingly unlimited ability to raise funds from the far-left for more legal help.

This potentially translates to hundreds of attorneys and law clerks who can literally throw paperwork at us until we crack under the sheer pressure and cry uncle.

Team Obama WILL try to wear us down (which by the way is yet another reason why the "Berg Case" and many of the others - as mentioned earlier - are doomed to fail and why we CAN get the job done).

They'll stall and delay and throw paperwork at us so fast, so furiously and for so long... then they'll wait for us to break under the strain and give up. Or so they think...

Team Obama doesn't fear our skill or the merits of our case.

The ONLY THING THEY FEAR IS YOU!

They hope and pray that you will not support our efforts or that you will grow tired of the fight. What they fear most is that you will join us and support our efforts!

They know that if you support us, we'll have the ability to take on additional clerical and research staff, cover court fees, file briefs and take on outside counsel on an as-needed basis.

That's why they're praying you don't help us... but we're praying that you do!

USJF wasn't approached by a group of hot-shot movers and shakers. We took on this burden because like you we love this great country and we REFUSE to stand idly by while the Left disrespects the Constitution, the American people and our electoral process.

USJF is a nonprofit public interest, legal action organization. We go where others fear to tread. We're adept at taking on vastly superior forces. And we're committed to hitting the trenches on this one and willing to get bloody if we must.

That's our promise to you.

But, in the end, our commitment and our "pit-bull" determination doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Winning or losing is NOT in our control... and it's not in Team Obama's control... IT'S IN YOUR HANDS!

A lot of folks are very angry over Barack Obama's refusal to validate his eligibility to be President of the United States.

Is it worth a TAX DEDUCTIBLE effort of $5000 or $2500 or even $100 or $50 or $25 to defend the Constitution, the rights of Patriotic Americans under the Constitution and the integrity of our electoral process?

Is it worth forwarding this e-mail to your family and friends with a personal note asking them to join the fight?

The choice is now up to you.

Please help us and after helping us, please forward this e-mail to everyone in your address book.

We're in... how about you?

In His Service



Gary Kreep, Executive Director
United States Justice Foundation

The United States Justice Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public interest, legal action organization that instructs, informs and educates the public on, and litigates, significant legal issues confronting America.

USJF was founded in 1979 by attorneys seeking to advance the conservative viewpoint in the judicial arena.

Since 1980, USJF has submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate on Supreme Court appointees and sponsored conferences on a variety of important legal issues.

USJF publishes studies and reports on topical issues and distributes them free of charge to opinion leaders, students and the general public.

USJF has contributed directly and indirectly to legal defense efforts in many celebrated cases involving fundamental conservative principles.

USJF recent activities include representing Peter Paul in his case against Hillary Clinton's fraud in campaign finance disclosure in her 2000 Senate race and joining the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps as their legal defense corps.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO MAKE A SECURE DONATION TODAY TO THE UNITED STATES JUSTICE FOUNDATION TO HELP IN THIS CRUCIAL EFFORT TO UPHOLD OUR CITIZENS RIGHTS TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IS A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN ACCORDING TO OUR U.S. CONSTITUTION - AND THUS KNOW FOR CERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT HE IS ELIGIBLE TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Thank you!