Seeing God Through A Veil Of Tears

   The horrible and senseless shooting that took place at a movie theatre early this past morning in Aurora Colorado is nothing short of breathtakingly tragic.  Innocent people went out to be entertained and thrilled for a few hours just getting away from the daily grind of our world and twelve people never came home and dozens more are either fighting for their lives or in various stages of trauma at hospitals all over the area.  The shocking violence and callous disregard for human life by this surely disturbed young man shakes us all to our very soul.  We are left wondering where is there a safe place for people to go anymore?  Surely the deja vu for Colorado is unwelcome respite as they are still dealing with the psychological and emotional damage of Columbine in 1999.  Emotions are raw to say the least and the grief for the families of all the victims is seemingly unquenchable at this point.  Not to mention the anger that is and will be directed at the alleged shooter and his family for the rest of their lives.  But this unfortunate sad story will be played out thousands of times in the days and weeks to come.  Our often perverse sense of the macabre and tragic will have many glued to the news to stay abreast of this story and the upcoming judicial proceedings against this young man.  That will take care of itself and you don't need me to fill you in on any details.  I, instead am here to talk about the other side of this tragedy.  One who's implication does more damage to people in the long run and unlike this event can alter both theirs and your lives long after this story fades from national relevance.   Where was God?
   I know.  I've asked that question myself when tragedy strikes and my heart has been torn in two. When the finality of a loved one's death comes and they are instantly and unbelievably taken from us.  When you can't see God through your veil of tears.   I can only empathize with the families of these victims and their loss but I do understand their emotional state completely.  You see you can't be a real believer without having your faith shaken and tested.   You simply can't understand the pain until you've experienced it yourself.   We all will at some point and I am here to tell you, God knows your pain and weeps with you too.   Believe it or not He was there in that movie theatre too.   Now, I know what some of  you are thinking.   If He was there Rick how come He didn't prevent the loss of those innocent people?  Why didn't He strike that gunmen down?  Both are very good questions and deserve serious answers to them.  I don't know myself why God chooses to or not to intervene in our physical world.  He is as mysterious as He is loving but His omnipotence is not for me to debate.  This is what often separates the belief in a Holy Sovereign God and skepticism that shatters the hope of faith in others.   I will do my best to give you what I believe is an answer that will help you to enhance His existence and Lordship.  It rests on the concept of free will.  Many secular people refer to this trait of ours as our conscious.  Christians call it the Holy Spirit.  Both refer to the same albeit by different names.   Our conscious is that little voice and the Holy Spirit is the Lord in the spirit form guiding us.  They either acknowledge our right choices or rebuke us in our wrong one's.  Call it what you may, but it very rarely will interfere with your decision to go ahead and defy it's urgings.  You see, God made us in His image to love Him first and each other too.  Our free will and ability to reason separates us from all other life forms on this planet and that is not an evolutionary trait.  It is ingrained in us by His divine hand so that our defined choice of accepting and loving Jesus Christ assures Him of our loyal servitude, faith and moral behavior.  We are not robots and our own actions are both tragic and costly by our fallen rebellious nature at times like this shooting.   But can be heroic, unselfish and complete in their love and sacrifice too.  It is in the latter that we emulate Christ and His intention for us.   God wants us to love Him as He loved us.   He has very rarely spared us fromtimes of sorrow but that is for our eternal preparation as well.  Remember, it was He who gave His only begotten Son for us watched Him die on that cross and must have wept an ocean's worth of tears.
      But there was joy in heaven at the resurrection and there will be joy in heaven for the faithfully departed here too.   Life is fragile at best and often too short and violently unfair.    God gives us all a choice and doesn't promise us anymore tomorrows.   Won't you choose today to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  I urge you to protect and sanctify yourselves so that you are assured of an eternal reunion and joy unspeakable that will shatter the tombstones in today's cemeteries and bring peace to a broken heart.  By the way, you will hear stories of heroism and bravery and miracles out of this tragedy in the upcoming days and weeks.  You will see, God was there after all.

REV 21:4
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

The United Nations: stealing the USA's sovereignty

I don't often get vociferously mad about circumstances or events in the world today as I accept their happenings as under God's sovereign control.  Therefore, I resolve my emotional reaction to stay somewhat restrained because of my comfort level with His omniscience over all humanity.  However, there every so often comes along a story which gets my good old fashioned Italian dander up a bit!  It just so happens that just about anything that the UN does nowadays just frosts my pumpkin.  This mornings headline was no different.   This story is about Iran and Syria being given, get this and I'm serious folks, a seat at the table on committees which would oversee global arms sales to terrorist organizations and countries that sponsor them.  They, if allowed would help craft global legislation or treaties and currently are doing so that would undermine the fundamental protection of our own constitutional amendment protections.  Our own Secretary of State is doing the old end around and about to sign a treaty which would begin the process of undermining one of our most sacred liberties in the second amendment. And get this, they would have the right to call us on the carpet about our own gun control and personal protection and possession laws. We would subvert our own rights from our US court and legal system to a world court and system.  Thereby, basically removing our authority to enforce our own laws.  Unfortunately, our current president is spearheading this abhorrent behavior through his policy of globalization. This organization which started out with such compassion in 1945 to monitor with unified global accord and to chastise the rogue and unbridled nations and their dictatorial leaders that would violate both human and individual countries sovereign borders and rights, has devolved into a cartoon of hypocrisy and political corruption.   What's even more shameful is that we the USA are right in the mix.   We should leave this body and remove the headquarters from our soil or start acting like the America after WWII and demand moral and legislative treaties that this international council was designed for.  Quite simply, we have become like the people and values we used to condemn and bring before the security council for their atrocious behavior.  Not so much by our human rights violations (although 50+ million sanctioned abortions would qualify us for indictment) or a repressive regime but by the most dangerous of compromises.  We are giving up our once sterling standard standing in the world as a fierce protector of democracy, freedom and liberty.  Instead, we have become a backroom dealing, smarmy, sleazy ambulance chasing attorney looking for a deal to polish up our floundering administration and it's policy to merge with the global community at the expense of America's principles and values.  In doing so we are precipitously dealing with the devil and causing our own constitution to be under the scrutiny and authority of a body of secular minded or anti Judeo-Christian countries that have nothing but the destruction and weakening of America at the head of their agendas. 
   Don't even get me started on the numerous other compromises we are making internationally to help kill off the American economy and it's equal opportunity giving greatness.  Or for it's unparalleled ability of enriching people's self esteem and lives through hard work and personal gain.  Yeah, that's only why immigrants have been flocking here and nowhere else for over 100 years!  Pay attention here friends to what's going on.  You can say, Rick this is more political rhetoric from your Christian conservatism just blowing things out of proportion or you can take the time to investigate these events yourself.  The choice is yours.  I will always point out to the you the convictions and issues that God puts on my heart.  I believe that we are in perilous times and we need an intervention of Divine Measure quickly.  What God put in brave men's hearts 230+ years ago to fight and die for is now under dangerous assault from the enemy.  He is one enemy with many faces and personalities.   The bible calls him Lucifer and he is very busy!   So you get busy too.  Get involved, fight for your  community, church and family.   Fight for your children and their children before it's too late.   If the flame of America goes out it won't be because God abandoned us but that we abandoned Him!

Matthew 24:24
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

One Nation Under God!!!

Happy 4th of July to everybody!  As most of you know the Paulette Family Chronicles are now settled in out west in beautiful Graeagle California.  Birthplace to our five children and up in the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains.  Tall pines, sunshine, sparkling lakes and no humidity!  Sorry about that last dig folks.  We have closed our chapter in Wisconsin after 18 years and now await God's move for us to begin His work once again.  It is all at once a relief, refreshing and somewhat daunting as few people ever think they would have to start over again in their 50's but God is faithful.  Anyways, as you get ready to celebrate today with your friends and family take a few moments outside of bbq's, fireworks, picnics and other activities to recommit yourselves to some prayer time for our great nation.  As you watch your family and friends laugh and smile today, remember that this is not just another holiday.  It's the Holiday for this country. 
   On this day in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed by extraordinary and brave men who pledged their lives to the birth of this country.  In doing so they laid the framework for the greatest, most free, and democratic nation the world has ever seen.  God's divine hand rested on this country as He alone saw the vision for this nation to be the landing point for all people's of all races to come together under Him and live free, abundant and honorable lives.  We have had unparalleled dignity and human rights protection.  Unequaled opportunity for success.  Freedom to worship without public criticism and government intrusion.  Freedom of speech without censorship, although the lengths of this liberty have been abused to vilest of proportions.  All these God blessed and gifted freedoms and privileges are now more so than ever at perilous risk of disappearing.   We have mismanaged, misgoverned, abused and stepped on the supreme efforts of our Founding Fathers and God's divine blessings for our nation.  We quite frankly are too divided, too angry, too polarized and teetering on financial disaster.  All of which we, yes we, allowed and brought upon ourselves.  Our own misbegotten apathy and complacency have brought us to this point.  Now, that's all the coarse reminding I'm going to do, because I can't even read my own words without bristling myself at my lack of cognitive effort to do more.
   So instead of of putting an damper on your day and I profusely apologize for my somewhat morose rant, pick up your flag and wave it.   We still have time!  God wants to bless us again!   Take sometime today in your hectic schedule to slip away and thank Him for preserving us this far.  Ask God to renew your commitment to faith, family, and country once again.  He and He alone can reverse the damage but it starts with our own individual hearts.  Seek Him today for sweeping change in you, your family, communities and our country.   After all a raging wildfire starts only as a spark!  We can restore and reinvigorate this great country but only by His hand.  So remember to pray, repent and seek His power to turn us around, one red, white and blue heart at a time!  God Bless America and all of you too!


Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.