Worshiping…In Spirit and In Truth

I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. -

Anonymous

This week I found myself feeling a little sorry for myself.  Why?  We are in the midst of one of the most severe winters that our family has experienced in several years.  I have found myself with a severe case of cabin fever.  I know Pam has felt this way as well.  My attitude had seriously gone downhill until this morning.

I remember going to Washington, DC, many years ago and seeing the homeless on the street.  As my thoughts went to those who are in Washington right now and homeless, I remembered that I have it very well.  This Saturday our teens will be going to serve brunch at the Valley Mission in Staunton.  The first time we went there it was the youth leadership’s idea.  This time it was the youth’s idea.  I am so excited to take them and serve with them.  Several weeks ago, I was checking out the conditions of our park in the city to see if I could go running.  While we were passing by, I noticed a man who could have been homeless.  Quite possibly we may end up serving this man on Saturday.  I don’t often think about the homeless, but this morning, God brought them to my attention to remind me of the blessings that he has given me.  He is worthy to be praised — in the good times and in the times that don’t seem so good.  Have a blessed day!

Tim Tebow and the Super Bowl Ad

HT: [blog.worship.com]

Today, Dale was browsing through his blog reader and came across the article linked above about Tim Tebow and the controversy over the Super Bowl ad.  Over the past few days, this has been a topic of conversation at our house.  I’ve wanted to write a post about it, but apparently someone has already beat me to it.  There are two opinions written about the controversy — one writer is pro-life–the other is pro-choice.  They point out the intolerance of those who find the ad distasteful.  Click on the link to see both perspectives….

I thought the perspective that Sally Jenkins wrote from was interesting.  Here is an excerpt from her article:

I’m pro-choice, and Tebow clearly is not. But based on what I’ve heard in the past week, I’ll take his side against the group-think, elitism and condescension of the “National Organization of Fewer and Fewer Women All The Time.” For one thing, Tebow seems smarter than they do.

Tebow’s 30-second ad hasn’t even run yet, but it already has provoked “The National Organization for Women Who Only Think Like Us” to reveal something important about themselves: They aren’t actually “pro-choice” so much as they are pro-abortion. Pam Tebow has a genuine pro-choice story to tell. She got pregnant in 1987, post-Roe v. Wade, and while on a Christian mission in the Philippines, she contracted a tropical ailment. Doctors advised her the pregnancy could be dangerous, but she exercised her freedom of choice and now, 20-some years later, the outcome of that choice is her beauteous Heisman Trophy winner son, a chaste, proselytizing evangelical.

Pam Tebow and her son feel good enough about that choice to want to tell people about it. Only, NOW says they shouldn’t be allowed to. Apparently NOW feels this commercial is an inappropriate message for America to see for 30 seconds, but women in bikinis selling beer is the right one. [emphasis is mine]. I would like to meet the genius at NOW who made that decision. On second thought, no, I wouldn’t.

[Here's the link to the full Jenkins piece.]

I do find it interesting that the same people who would decry this commercial for playing on television, see nothing wrong with women in bikinis selling beer, web-site domain names, and a host of other things that make women objects and not people.  Here is a positive story about how one woman chose life and yet the Tebow’s are accused of pushing an agenda down people’s throats.  (By the way, those are not my words, but the words of some of the those who made comments on the Jenkins article.)  Unfortunately in today’s culture you are only tolerant if you agree with the other’s point of view.  I think that it is still possible to agree to disagree — that is we can respect a person even if we don’t agree with them — and we definitely need more of this in all arenas of life.