Thoughts that have been on my mind and heart with recent events

I had something completely different topic set for this month’s bible study; however given recent events and the anniversaries of Charlie Kirk’s death and 9/11, I feel I need to talk about something that has been on my mind and heart for a while. It is not that I am afraid of the future because I know who holds the future; it is a conflict between what my head knows and what my heart feels. I often turn to prayer for peace of mind and remind myself that Jesus said, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). However, every now and then, the events of the world weigh on my mind and heart more than usual. I wonder if I have studied the Bible well enough. I have taught my children enough, preparing them for the world they will see outside our door. How do I discuss topics with someone who will argue for the sake of arguing? Who argues with feelings and refuses to listen to facts? These thoughts and questions flooded my mind more recently as I reflected on the anniversaries of this month. 

The amount of hatred and mockery of Christianity on social media has seriously hurt my heart. While I am not surprised as Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” it still hurts. As I have seen the redemptive and transformative power of belief in Jesus Christ can bring to someone and in my own life, I have seen His work in my daily life that it is undeniable to me. Someone denying Christ is not surprising but the venom I see online toward God, Jesus and those who believe in Him, I fear, has turned my heart cold to them. Especially online, I usually roll my eyes and move on without trying to correct them. And I hate that I feel this way. However, without realizing it, as I write this God was listening and recently He put in front of me reminders. Yes, as believers, we are called to share the gospel; however, in Matthew 7:6, Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Meaning? It is useless to try to teach holy concepts to people who don’t want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. If someone comes to me with genuine questions, I have answers and the willingness to look up the answers if I don’t. However, if someone were to come to me with questions in order to belittle me or to attempt to break my faith, I will not entertain such a person.

In the year since Charlie Kirk’s death, I have seen clips of his meetings with skeptics and doubters, and while I was not a fan before his death, I now admire his resolve to bring the truth to as many people as possible. And I am humbled at his passion and resolve. I know I could never be as articulate or knowledgeable as he was, but I hope that I could stand on my faith and the truth as he did. It sickened me as I saw people celebrate his death and still celebrated as the anniversary arrived. There are people in the world I dislike or even despise; however, I would l never celebrate them being sick, ill or even their death. I may not have much sympathy or have no feelings either way for their circumstances; but it feels so wrong and evil to celebrate. While God told us that good would be called evil and evil good, He also proclaimed trouble to those who would do so (Isaiah 5:20), I still struggle with the deep sadness, anger and disgust I feel when I see people celebrating evil. I know Charlie Kirk was aware of the target he put on himself when he chose to stand up, speak out and try to educate others about the lies they have been told. And Christians should also be aware that there is also a target on us as well. Maybe the threat isn’t as strong as Charlie Kirk faced but the day will come when we won’t be able to be as free to worship as we, especially in America, have been. 

I have been a believer for over 30 years and sometimes I still struggle with and feel powerless in the state of the world today. At these moments, I turn to God, to His word and yet, I feel what can little old me do? I am nobody in a world of billions of people. While I know I am somebody to my Lord, to my husband, to my daughters, and my loved ones, I feel like a faceless, powerless nobody. Why would anyone care what I had to say? So I often stay silent and I hate myself when I do. Even as I do these monthly bible studies, I do them for myself and write about what I have learned and post them. I know people read them but do they have any impact in their lives? Does it even matter that I post these at all? As I said at the start, recent events have lit a fire, so to speak, that I want to be different. I want to be prepared to meet any enemy and be prepared to stand up for my faith, even if it means my death. Death?!? Someone might exclaim. Yes, given the state of the world right now and the growing battle against Christ and believers, I believe the day will come when we might be faced with that question and I hope I will be able to say “Yes, I believe in Christ” and lose my life in the process. Because Jesus said that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35). 

In conclusion, I set out to write this blog as an honest disclosure of what I have been feeling and thinking recently. As I started writing this blog, my mind was heavy and as I took a few days to further reflect and came back to writing it, I remember that my struggle is with understanding, an understanding that is beyond me. It is an understanding that God, in his wisdom, is telling me his grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am reminded of the book of Philippians, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is a book of hope which seems odd as Paul wrote it while in prison. In Philippians 4, Paul writes to rejoice in the Lord (verse 4) and to not be anxious about anything and to turn to God with our worries in prayer and petition (verse 6). I may not be able to completely battle the mockery of my faith online or understand the celebration of evil, however, I will commit myself to further and deeper study of the Bible and find peace in Jesus Christ. 

Happy Tartan Day! A celebration for those with Scottish heritage

I’ve always had a deep affection for Scotland, its people, its history and culture. Today is Tartan Day which is celebrated in various countries by those who are of Scottish descent. The tartan is easily identifiable of Scottish heritage and culture. The day started as a celebration of Scottish heritage in 1982 and eventually April 6 was chosen to be the official date as it coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. Many of us would recognize a tartan or the Scottish dress known as a kilt. However, many do not know the meaning behind the patterns or even the colors. The origins of the day were to commemorate an important anniversary.

A tartan is a pattern consisting of crisscrossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. In the United States, the pattern is often referred to as plaid which in Scottish Gaelic means blanket. Traditionally, the tartans are made of wool; however, modern tartans can be made with different materials. Even though the tartan we are familiar with today did not appear in Scotland before the 16 century, the colors and patterns came to represent the families or clans of Scotland. The tartans are a source of great pride in the Scotland and are seen as a part of their heritage. The popular tartans today are the Royal Stewart tartan which is the official tartan of Queen Elizabeth II and the Black Watch Tartan. There are different tartans that are worn for certain occasions such as dress or hunting.

The Royal Stewart Tartan

The Black Watch Tartan

In 1982, New York Governor Hugh Carey and New York City Mayor Ed Koch declared July 1, 1982 as Tartan Day. It was a one-time celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the repeal of the Act of Proscription of August 12, 1747, the law forbidding Scots to wear tartans. March 9, 1986, a Tartan Day was proposed to promote Scottish heritage in Canada by the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. This is when April 6^th was chosen as Tartan Day and the first proclamation was made on April 6, 1987 in Nova Scotia. Other Canadian provinces would follow with Quebec proclaiming April 6 as Tartan Day in December 2003. A Tartan Day is celebrated in other countries besides United States and Canada. Australia celebrates Tartan Day in July 1st. Even Argentina which has a large population with Scottish heritage celebrates Tartan Day on April 6th. Regardless when the day is celebrated, Tartan Day is celebrated with parades, Highland dancing and other Scottish themed events.

The Declaration of Arbroath is the declaration of Scottish independence. It was in the form of a letter to Pope John XXII dated April 6, 1320. The declaration intended to confirm Scotland’s status as an independent sovereign state and defending Scotland’s right to use military action when unjustly attacked. The declaration had a two purposes. First, it sought to assert Scotland’s position as an independent kingdom rather than a feudal land controlled by England. Second, it sought to lift the excommunication of Robert the Bruce. The Pope had recognized Edward I of England’s claim to Scotland in 1305 and excommunicated Robert the Bruce for murdering John Comyn in the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries in 1306. It is thought to be written by Bernard of Kilwinning, Chancellor of Scotland and Abbot of Arbroath Abbey. It was signed and sealed by 52 magnates and nobles. It wouldn’t be until March 1, 1328 when the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton renounced all English claims to Scotland and removed the excommunication of Robert the Bruce.

Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish culture and heritage. Depending on the country, the dates on which it is celebrated are often important dates in Scottish history. For the United States and Canada, April 6 is used to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. The tartan is a source of pride to the Scottish people. If you are Scottish, Happy Tartan Day! 

Celebrating Happiness Happens Day

Today is Happiness Happens Day which was founded in 1999 and organized by the Secret Society of Happy People as “Admit You’re Happy Day.” The organization set out to celebrate the expression of happiness and help others recognize the happy moments in their daily lives. The mottos of today are “Happiness Happens” and “Don’t Even Think of Raining on My Parade.” I began thinking about the happy moments in my life. I chose my Top 5 things that I am happy for:

1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: I feel His presence and guidance in my daily life. He blesses my family with the means to keep a roof over our heads, food on our tables, and other needs. He gives me hope in times of darkness and rejoices with me in times of joy. He is my Rock and has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams.

2. My husband, Joe: He is a loving husband and father who works hard to provide his family with whatever we may need and want. While we may not have the latest and greatest, he is also a kid at heart and he knows how to enjoy the little things in life. He is everything I hoped for. We are truly partners in our life together. He values my opinions and we work well together. I love him more every day and I don’t want to imagine my life without him.

3. My children: Abby is an amazing little girl who astonishes me every day with how much she knows and is learning. She picks up new skills and explores her imagination. My angels, AJ and Ziva, are never far from my mind and while their loss has been dark periods in my life. I have found a way to honor their memories by helping others. While I hope and pray for more children in the future, right now I’m the proud mommy of two angels and one rainbow.

4. My wonderful family: I have an amazing family who helps, support and encourages me in times of trouble and times of celebration. We have our own lives but we come together when it matters. I also want to express my gratitude to my in-laws who have truly accepted me in their family and I truly feel bless to call them uncles, aunts, and cousins.

5. My books and my writing: I know it sounds silly but I’m happy when I’m reading. I love a good book. I love settling in my favorite chair and diving into the story which I can live in another place and time for a few hours. I’m happy when writing. Even as I write this, my brain is working hard to craft beautiful and meaningful words and I’m happy at the finished piece. If I’m not happy with it, I will put it aside to work on later, in the hopes that inspiration will come with time.

People often say, “I’ll be happy when____” Happiness is not the destination. It’s a part of the journey. There will be times of sadness and other negative emotions but it doesn’t mean there isn’t happiness there too. Sadness helps you recognize the happiness in the future. I chose to find the happy moments every day. Even when life has me stressed, worried and sad, I find the silver lining in every situation. What can you feel happy about in your daily life? If you were to list the things which make you truly happy, you’ll find you have a lot more to be happy about then you knew before.