Prayer for Our President Elect

O Lord, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee, with thy favour to behold and bless thy servant Barak, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and all others in authority; and so replenish them with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that they may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and prosperity long to live; and finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Even if we did not vote for him , it is our duty to pray for him and wish him well as he governs our great nation.

Blessings

Seraph

NO Communion for You..!

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein.

"Voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exits constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil, and those Catholics who do so place themselves outside of the full communion of Christ's Church and under the judgment of divine law. Persons in this condition should not receive Holy Communion until and unless they are reconciled to God in the Sacrament of Penance, lest they eat and drink their own condemnation."

I am aboslutely speechless!

Seraph

Ray Boltz...In his Own Words!

“I thought I hid it really well...”

“I didn’t know people could see what I was going through, the darkness and the struggle. After I came out to my family, one of my daughters said she was afraid to walk in my bedroom because she was afraid she’d find me — that I’d done something to myself. And I didn’t even know they’d picked it up.”

“I thought, ‘Well, I can just do what I always do and hide the truth or I can take a risk and be honest.It’s hard to say I came out because I didn’t have all the answers. I just admitted what I was struggling with and what I was feeling. It’s hard to go, ‘This is the point where I accepted my sexuality and who I was,’ but I came out to them and shared with them what I’d been going through.”

“I’d denied it ever since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’”

“You get to be 50-some years old and you go, ‘This isn’t changing.’ I still feel the same way. I am the same way. I just can’t do it anymore. I basically lived an ‘ex-gay’ life — I read every book, I read all the scriptures they use, I did everything to try and change.”

“I was so good at pretending/like an actor on a stage/but in the end nobody knew me/only the roles that I portrayed/and I would rather have you hate me/knowing who I really am/than to try and make you love me/being something that I can’t” (from “God Knows I Tried”).

It is hard to know what to say to words like these other than to offer prayers to God for Ray and his family.

This too is a truth we Christians probably would rather not hear about! It does not seem to fit in with our reading of the Bible or our neat formulas for "a life victorious" , going from "glory to glory" or being "overcomers"! Yet there are those among our loved ones or acquaintances who have felt similarly isolated and afflicted.

May God give us the grace to be attentive to their stories, sensitive to their needs, partners in prayer and quick to offer consolation instead of judgement.

Blesings

Seraph

Pregnant Palin....!

The world is ending !!! OMG Palin’s pregnant!!!!!!

Her 17 year old teen daughter that is!

The blogosphere is teeming with jokes, rumors, innuendoes, judgment and predictions of doom for McCain and Palin’s candidacy….mercy me conservatives are doomed!!

One would think some of these people did not live in 21st century America, where teenage pregnancy, independent of knowledge or availability of contraception, is rampant.

Maybe it is the cries of the childless we are hearing! Anyone who has ever raised teenagers knows there comes a point when they have to make their own choices! Parents can not staple their pants to their bodies nor put them in chastity belts…!Some kids, even from stable Christian families, choose to have sex before marriage whether parents approve or not …get real!

As I read predictions of the Alaskan governor’s demise among evangelical and Christian voters it dawns on me …many do not understand Christians or our concept of grace. People are human, they will not always make the best choices, but in an ideal world they will take responsibility for them.

In this difficult situation for the Palin family it seems they have tried to handle their private situation with grace. Their pregnant 17 year old daughter is assured of their love and support , even as she is realizing how life is changed when a girl becomes a mother. What more can be expected?

Interestingly, a contrast can be seen here between candidates and their concepts about children! Barack Obama, in his support of abortion, has said if his daughter were to become pregnant as a teenager he would not want her to be punished with a baby. Sarah and her daughter, as many Christians, seem to have seen it differently…children, even those unplanned are not a punishment, they can turn out to be a blessing!

Yes….its true, there is a pregnant Palin…big deal!!!! More power to the VP!!! For her and her family we wish nothing but the best and assure them of our prayers.

Blessings

Seraph

Grace for Gustav

Hurricane Prayer

Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Our prayers for all of those in the Gulf Coast and Lousiana!

Blessings

Seraph

Palin in Play.....!

Hey, Barry - - I Wouldn’t Call That Woman “Sweetie,” If I Were You

Posted by jay1949 on August 29, 2008

By its vicious, visceral reaction to Sarah Palin, the Obama campaign erased any lingering doubts about whether it used sexist attitudes to defeat Hillary Clinton. The attacks on Palin - - like those on Clinton - - are designed to create the impression that this person cannot be trusted with this responsibility. Clearly, however, the only basis to differentiate is that Palin and Clinton are women.

Sexist remark, yes or no: “Sarah Palin has a 4-month-old baby at home; she won’t have time for the job.” Now, some of you guys may have missed that one, but I’ll bet the women who heard that got it without missing a beat. Translation: “She can’t handle this job; she’s a woman.” The answer is “yes,” sexist remark. No one suggests that Barack Obama shouldn’t be running for President because he has two young children to raise.

Now, I realize that Obama himself didn’t say this, and to his credit he promptly disowned it, but a person Obama pays to speak on his behalf said this, according to FOX News and numerous other outlets:

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” spokesman Bill Burton said.

Grok that statement for a minute. Savor it. It is, to begin with, a tacit admission that the McCain-Palin ticket has the better chance to win. But also, it makes an obvious comparison between Palin and Obama:

- - Palin has only a few years of experience. Of course, the same can be said for Barack Obama, who has less time than Palin as any kind of executive officer.

- - Palin has no foreign policy experience. Of course, neither does Barack Obama. If you’re counting trips to Iraq, they’re even.

So why is it that Palin, in her mid-forties, is not qualified to be Vice-president, but Obama, in his mid-forties and with no more relevant experience than Palin, is qualified to be President? Why would we be worried to have Palin a heartbeat away from the Presidency, but confident that Obama can handle the Presidency itself? What does Obama have that Palin lacks?

A penis, of course.

I found this hilarious and it does strike a chord of truth! Sure to be quite an exciting race!

Blessings

Seraph

Who's Your Daddy...?

A John Mccain "Le gusta la gasolina" ?

Well it would seem so! For an older guy running in a change, youth themed presidential race, John Mccain is attempting to add some hip to his image among Hispanics!

At the library of Central High School in Phoenix, to the shriks and screams of teenage girls, Daddy Yankee, the popular Puerto Rican reagetton recording artist endorsed the Republican candidate.

"I believe in his ideals and his proposals to lead this nation…He’s been a fighter for the Hispanic community.” said the artist . Mcain's response... “I just wanna say thank you, Daddy Yankee,”

It is reported that when asked what his popular hit "Gasolina" is about, the artist replied with a smile and said..."energy independence"! Indeed...quiero mas gasolina!

This may not translate to votes but it does seem Juan is making the effort! Politics makes for interesting bedfellows! It is sure to be an entertaining race!

Blessings

Seraph

Which Wives...?

Nigerian faces death for 86 wives

Mr Bello Abubakar challenged Muslim scholars two weeks ago. Nigeria's Islamic authority has told the man who has 86 wives to choose only four and repent within three days or else he will be sentenced to death.

The Jamatu Nasril Islam (JNI) passed their verdict on Mohammed Bello Abubakar, 84, according to Sharia law. This comes two weeks after the Nigerian press and the BBC reported on the case.

Talking to the media then, Mr Abubakar challenged Muslim scholars, saying there is no punishment stated in the Koran for having more than four wives. The former teacher and Muslim preacher lives in Niger State with his wives and at least 170 children, and says he is able to cope only with the help of God.

"A man with 10 wives would collapse and die, but my own power is given by Allah. That is why I have been able to control 86 of them," he told the BBC.

Most Muslim scholars agree that a man is allowed to have four wives, as long as he can treat them equally. But Mr Bello Abubakar told the BBC:

"To my understanding the Koran does not place a limit and it is up to what your own power, your own endowment and ability allows. "God did not say what the punishment should be for a man who has more than four wives, but he was specific about the punishment for fornication and adultery."

Marriage to one wife has its challenges...I can not even begin to imagine 86 and 170 kids!!!! Lord have mercy!

Speechless!

Seraph

Mellizos....Mommie Missing!.

Ricky Martin a father of twin boys...

Aug. 20, 2008, 5:15 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) -- There won't be much "livin' la vida loca" for Ricky Martin these days — he's now the father of twin boys.

The Latin superstar had the children via a surrogate mother, and the babies were born a few weeks ago, according to a statement from his representatives.

"The children, delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already under Ricky's full-time care," said the statement. "Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children."

A representative said there was no further information on the details of the children's birth.

Martin, 36, is a multiplatinum singer who is best known for English-language hits like "She Bangs!" and "Livin' la Vida Loca." In recent years, the Puerto Rican star has been active in charitable efforts, including the prevention of sexual exploitation of children

This is an interesting bit of news; Ricky Martin is a parent!

I like him and admire his work with charity and children in particular. I wish him and his sons happiness and blessings! Yet, there are a lot of questions raised by the happy event...for us now, for the children maybe later...the obvious one ; where is mommy???

Though single parenthood is by no means a rarity in our society, the opting out of a relationship altogether yet choosing to have children has not been as common. Childbirth and rearing, wonderful and difficult as it is, has traditionally been in the context of a relationship between a man and a woman, or at least long term partners.

Two realities sort of seem to collide here, a person's wish for parenthood versus a child's need for the most stable family possible.

Reproductive technologies have made it possible for parenthood to increasingly be separated from its natural and traditional contexts. Increasingly in our society, relationship, joint responsibility, two people parenthood, are seen as merely options among others. It is now possible, and socially acceptable, to bypass the whole relationship thing, wedding expenses, marital discord, wife with postpartum blues thing.. and just opt for children born from a surrogate!

What a novel idea...my own kids no others intruding! As a parent, I must admit that at times, it sounds great, except for... those many other times when I am so glad there is a mommy!

Despite the excitement of the news and the joy I desire for the Martin boys, the trend seems a little disturbing.

Blessings

Seraph