North Carolina Marriage Amendment Update

For the past couple of weeks, Gaston County (the county in which I reside) has been in a heated debate about the North Carolina Marriage Protection Amendment (to see my previous post about this, click here).

 The reason for this controversy is the proposal by Gaston County commissioner Tracy Philbeck that Gaston County take an active part in encouraging people to vote on May 8.

To see a recent interview with Tracy Philbeck, click here.

According to this proposal, the county would encourage people to vote for the Amendment,  and focus on raising awareness about the purpose of the Amendment in protecting traditional marriage. This would still allow people to decide for themselves, while encouraging them to actually take a stand for traditional marriage. As expected, this has raised a large scale controversy amongst gay rights activists and traditional marriage proponents in Gaston County. Last night, the debate came to a head in the Gaston County courthouse, where the county commissioners were preparing to vote on the proposal. We joined around 150 other supporters of the Amendment to encourage the county commissioners to vote for the proposal to raise awareness in Gaston County about this vital vote on May 8.

The courtroom was filled with those for and against the proposal, and there was also an overflow room filled with people.

We were able to get into the courtroom and see the debate first hand. For about an hour, people from both sides of the issue spoke passionately about why they thought Gaston County should or should not approve the proposal. There were about six pastors that spoke, which was such an encouragement in times where the church seems apathetic to public issues.



This man, a pastor, was for the proposal.



 The county commissioners very graciously listened to each speaker.

After all of the speakers were through, the county commissioners discussed the proposal, and then they voted. The result was a unanimous vote FOR the proposal! We are so thankful for the courage of Tracy Philbeck in presenting this in the first place. He has received a lot of flack, and yet he stands firm. We are also thankful to Commissioner Chad Brown , who co-sponsored the proposal.

Thanks to all of the commissioners for voting the right way on this important and controversial issue. Most importantly, thanks be to the Lord for prompting godly men like Philbeck and Brown to hold public office! To view the news articles and videos regarding this, go here and here. Please keep in mind that the news orgazinations linked to do not hold the same values as we do.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR NORTH CAROLINA AS WE COME TO A DEFINITIVE DECISION ON MAY 8.

I hope to post the full video of the commissioner meeting in the near future, for those of you who are interested.

Witty Wednesday

There will be no Witty Wednesday post this week, as my mom and I will be out of town on a mother/daughter trip. I will take plenty of pictures to share with y'all! I leave you with a picture of my dog...

turned cowboy!

Easter and Witty Wednesday [6]

As promised, here are some Easter photos from our family gathering. It was the first time to have a family event at our new house, and we were quite excited! I hope you enjoy the few photos I took!

My Edwardian-inspired Easter outfit

Trying to look regal. Notice my dog...lol!

Notice Frodo in this shot, too! He really has a disgusted look on his face.

I traditionally make apple pie for all of our gatherings

I always enjoy creating a design suited to the season

I also made green bean casserole

Mom makes the best pasta salad

I have made deviled eggs since I was very little

Grandma brought delicious potato salad...

and macaroni

Yum!

We found this at a thrift store...isn't it precious?

I collected some wildflowers for the mantle

Close-up

My sweet mom and grandma

Remember those fuzzy yellow chicks I posted about a while back...here is what they look like now!

My brother caught an Anole in our mudroom

Running to see the chickens... my niece and nephew LOVE our chickens!

My niece, Chloe, was looking so pretty for spring. I can't believe how fast my sister's precious children are growing!

I loved her hat

My sister's oldest, Cole, searching for eggs. Since I grew out of hunting for eggs several years ago, I graduated to hiding them (which happens to be really fun)!

Trying to find eggs before everyone else does

My cousin, Ross, and Cole and Chloe. This is what happens when you give hints...they all flock to one area like a magnet!

My brother and I playing chess. He just recently taught me how to play chess...and he also beat me at this game! I am getting better, though!

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Now, on to Witty Wednesday!

John Quincy Adams

---On July 4, 1837, in a speech celebrating the 61st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration, Adams said, "Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day.

   Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the Progress of the Gospel dispensation?

   Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth?

   That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of Hebrew prophets 600 years before."

---"The first and almost the only Book deserving of universal attention is the Bible."

---"I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity."

---"In what light soever we read the Bible,whether with reference to revelation, to history, or to morality, it is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue."

---"Blessed, forever blessed, be the name of God!"

---"May I never cease to be grateful for the numberless blessings received through life at His hands, never repine at what He has denied, never murmur at the dispensations of Providence, and implore His forgiveness for all the errors and delinquencies of my life!"

---"Providence, has showered blessings upon me profusely. But they have been blessings unforseen and unsought. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo do gloriam. [Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to you name be the glory.]"

---This final one sent chills down my spine, "Posterity - you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."

Are we making good use of our freedom? To be sure, there are many "rights" we have today, but are they worth the cost? Women's right to choose, though a "freedom", has killed over 50 million babies since the adoption of Roe v. Wade. I contend that we are not making a good use of our freedoms today.

As usual, I would love to hear from you regarding this issue (or any other)!

Belated Witty Wednesday [5]

I spent much of the day yesterday weeding the garden plot, so I was unable to post for Witty Wednesday. Better late than never, though!

John Jay

---"Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

---"In forming and settling my belief relative to the doctrines of Christianity, I adopted no articles from creeds but such only as, on careful examination, I found to be confirmed by the Bible....At a party in Paris, once, the question fell on religious matters. In the course of it, one of them asked me if I believed in Christ? I answered that I did, and that I thanked God that I did."

---In his Last Will and Testament, John Jay wrote, "Unto Him who is the author and giver of all good, I render sincere and humble thanks for His merciful and unmerited blessings, and especially for our redemption and salvation by his beloved Son."

---John Jay was asked if he had any final words for his children, and he responded, "They have the Book."

I would love to hear about your favorite quotes from founding fathers, world leaders, or missionaries. If I get enough submitted quotes, I will have a special post for them.

I will post Easter pictures next week, so stay tuned!

North Carolina Marriage Amendment

Please pray for the North Carolina Marriage Amendment to pass on May 8. This amendment would define marriage between one man and one woman. We are extremely excited to have this come up for vote in the primary elections this year!

 If you live in North Carolina, please get educated about this and tell others about it as well. For more information, go to http://www.voteformarriagenc.com/. One useful way to get the word out in our state is to order signs like the one below on the website given.

I will post pictures from Easter soon!

Father Daughter Retreat and Witty Wednesday [4]

Last weekend my dad and I went to the Father Daughter Retreat hosted by Vision Forum Ministries in Pine Mountain, Georgia. It was our third year attending, and once again it was a huge blessing. Excepting some wet weather when we arrived, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. On Saturday, during our free time, we drove into the mountains to the F.D.R. Little White House.

The view from our room was so peaceful

The scenery from this overlook was so breathtaking (pictures just cannot do it justice), we had to stop and take some quick snapshots!

Another view with a lake

As I was struggling with the timer on my camera, a kind gentleman offered to take our photo

Driving to the Little White House

I really like the natural quality of this sign

Isn't this carriage lovely?

F.D.R's car

The Little White house. Although we do not agree with all of the decisions F.D.R. made, he sure did have a wonderful taste for beautiful simplicity.

I just couldn't resist the old stove!

We went to the country restaurant and store for supper

The menu

I love a country atmosphere, which they certainly accomplished. The biscuits and cornbread were delicious

I love how the sweet tea (for a southern gal) was served

Out the window of the restaurant

The speakers were Doug Phillips, Scott Brown, Joe Morecraft, Geoff Botkin, and Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin, who are always such an inspiration to me. All of the sermons were wonderful, and I learned so much from each of the speakers.

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Now, on to Witty Wednesday's featured founding father:

Patrick Henry

 

---Reminiscing about The Stamp Act Resolves, Henry wrote, "This brought on the war which finally separated the two countries and gave independence to ours. Whether this will prove a blessing or a curse, will depend upon the use our people make of the blessings, which a gracious God hath bestowed on us.

   If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable.

   Righteousness alone can exalt them as a nation. Reader! Whoever thou art, remember this, and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others."

---"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

---"The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed."

---In his Last Will and Testament, Patrick Henry wrote, "This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed."

---While dying, Henry said, "Doctor, I wish you to observe how real and beneficial the religion of Christ is to a man about to die....I am, however, much consoled by reflecting that the religion of Christ has, from its first appearance in the world, been attacked in vain by all the wits, philosophers, and wise ones, aided by every power of man, and its triumphs have been complete."

---In perhaps his most well known speech, Henry stated, "For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery....It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country...

   Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt....An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!

   ....Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the Holy cause of Liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us.

   Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battle for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave....

   Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

---Patrick Henry's grandson's said these two things about him:

• That he, "Looked to the restraining and elevating principles on Christianity as the hope of his country's institutions."
•  He had committed himself to the, "Earnest efforts to establish true Christianity in our country."