Miracles: Do You Believe?

By Rebecca Hagelin

In honor of Christmas, I have set aside my normal format for this column in order to ask you a question: Do you believe in miracles?

Marie Fiala certainly does. Her family experienced God's power at one of the darkest moments of their lives.

Marie, an attorney, and her husband Kris, a business executive, had created a peaceful, happy family life with their two sons and daughter.

But everything normal in their lives -- going out for ice cream, the mad scramble in the morning to leave for school -- -came to a shattering stop the day their 13 year-old-son Jeremy collapsed on the kitchen floor, the blood vessels in his brain inexplicably hemorrhaging.

Comatose at first, then paralyzed and barely responsive, Jeremy lay at the mercy of his bleeding brain for weeks. There was little the doctors could do. In the weeks that followed, email chains updated family, friends, co-workers, unknown friends of friends -- countless people -- about Jeremy's dire situation and the family's struggle.

As Jeremy lay teetering between life and death, a family member organized an international prayer vigil asking for healing. It was a simple request, sent far and wide over the Internet: light a candle and spend one hour at 8 o'clock on a Sunday night, united with thousands of others praying together for Jeremy's recovery. So thousands did.

That night, as the vigil concluded, Marie received message after message from people profoundly touched by faith as they prayed together for Jeremy. His family felt God's presence that night and Jeremy knew the blessing of a peaceful sleep. But it was nothing dramatic -- until 24 hours later.

Surrounded by a roomful of doctors doing their usual pricks and prods, Jeremy spoke out loud. And kept speaking. The jubilant doctors were astounded. Marie, who was taking a rare break at home that night while Kris stayed with Jeremy, got an unexpected, miraculous phone call. "Hi Mom, This is Jeremy. I am sorry to wake you up. I love you."

It was the first of many miracles for Jeremy. Marie shares their story -- including her own doubts and heart-wrenching tests of faith -- in her eloquent, uplifting book, Letters From a Distant Shore. (It would make an excellent Christmas or New Year gift for those who need to be reminded that God is still in the miracle business.)

While the Christmas season seems to flush cynics and skeptics out of their dark corners, deriding believers for their "imaginary friends" and wishful thinking, God is still reaching out to all of us, waiting for us to call on Him to perform the greatest miracle of all -- transform our lives and hearts through the power of Christ.

God is real. God is powerful. And His love is strong enough to work miracles, in our hearts, bodies, workplaces, and in our culture. All we have to do is ask, with faith the size of the smallest mustard seed, hardly bigger than the period at the end of this sentence.

Roughly 80% of Americans say they believe in miracles. Do you? Do you ever ask God to work in your life?

Putting your faith on public display, open to ridicule or scorn, is always an intimidating prospect. In the days leading up to the prayer vigil, as Marie requested prayers from everyone, including sophisticated co-workers and unbelieving friends, she worried about how the request would be perceived. Would it seem desperate? Would they look like fools if Jeremy experienced no perceptible improvement?

But Marie knew that the lame can walk only when they are willing to take a step forward in faith. She was willing to trust God with the future, no matter in which direction He led.

As Christians the world over celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we remember the power of a God who loved us enough to personally intervene in human history. Let us also claim the power of a God who loves us enough to intervene in our lives. Ask God for your Christmas miracle… and don't forget to open your heart to receive it.

Merry Christmas!

Read more excellent articles at The Patriot Post

‘Dogs Don’t Bark at Parked Cars!’

By Ken Blackwell

That’s some of the wisdom my Dad taught me. I thought of that saying when I read the attacks on Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. There’s a concerted effort to marginalize those who think marriage is important. In doing so, the left wants to shut out millions of Americans at the grassroots. But Mr. Perkins never runs from a fight. He’s out in front, leading. And all the dogs are barking at him.

Recently, Mr. Perkins was attacked as a big government backer. Apparently, if you try to defend marriage as the union of one man and one woman, that is supposed to make you an advocate of big government.

Perkins has been fighting for tax cuts and less spending for twenty years. He wants the federal government to stop interfering with the family, stop intruding into small businesses, and stop usurping state and local authority. How does that make him an advocate for big Government?

Some critics think that when you stand up for marriage, that makes you an ally of big government. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The wedding march began through the states in Hawaii. The Aloha State was America’s first majority non-white, majority non-Christian state, and Hawaii voters strongly backed a referendum that prevented the state’s Supreme Court from overturning marriage.

Conservative leaders have teamed up with the people against liberal powers in state after state. All too often, the top dogs of both parties opposed these people’s initiatives, or else hung back.

These state and local groups have rack up popular victories for marriage in 31 states. Wherever the marriage issue appears on the ballot, the people say it loud, say it proud: Marriage is between one man and one woman.

There are no marriage questions on the state ballots this year. Liberal journos are trying to say the movement has lost steam. What? Is that why liberals are afraid to let the issue come to a vote in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York?

Judges of the Iowa Supreme Court are hanging onto their hats and their seats, facing voter wrath because they decided to overturn marriage – and the people’s voice be silenced.

Thirty-eight million Americans have voted to protect marriage. Marriage is more popular than any other issue on the conservative agenda. Marriage wins in liberal states, like Hawaii and Wisconsin, in conservative states like Kansas and Utah, and in middle-of-the-road states like Virginia and Ohio.

Marriage is no “wedge” issue. Some jounalists like to call it that, as if it’s not important. But Marriage is a bridge issue. Marriage wins among blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whites.

Marriage appeals to non-college educated as well as to blue collar workers. It’s a way of bringing those elusive Reagan Democrats back into the fold.

In California this year, we may see a Republican win the state house and another go to the Senate. But it’s been more than twenty years since Republicans carried the Golden State for President. While John McCain was going down to a crushing defeat in California in 2008, Proposition 8, the Marriage Protection Amendment, was cruising to victory.

We have heard a lot about compassionate conservatism. And we’ve heard accusations that conservatives are “downright mean.” Well, defending marriage is the most compassionate thing conservatives can do.

Even some liberals recognize this. Bill Galston once worked for Bill Clinton. He says if a young couple will just finish high school, avoid having children out of wedlock, and marry, the chances are only 4% they will ever live in poverty.

Big government feeds on the breakdown of marriage. Our prisons are filling up with fatherless young men. What Bill Bennett wisely called the Broken Hearth fuels demands for more money for extra helpers in schools, for food stamps, for expanded medical coverage – all these needs are exacerbated by the breakdown of marriage.

Today, tragically, nearly 40% of our children are born out-of-wedlock. And big government consumes nearly 40% of our Gross Domestic Product.

I don’t believe the 40/40 link is imaginary?

If you want smaller government, lower taxes, and a return to constitutional principles, the fastest way to do that is to defend marriage, empower the family, and show Americans  real compassion.

Read more informative articles at The Patriot Post

Spiritual Indifference and the Importance of Worshipping Together

By Rebecca Hagelin

Culture Challenge of the Week: Spiritual Indifference

“I don’t take my children to church,” the young woman said. “I’ll let them choose for themselves what to believe in, when they’re older.”

Her casual approach to her children’s religious involvement will surely affect her children’s lives. Even more so, decisions like hers have unintended consequences for our moral culture and political future.

Children and teens who lack religious connections today will be the spiritually indifferent adults of tomorrow. A recent study found that religious involvement as an adult strongly correlates with attendance at weekly worship services as a child or “weekly or monthly” religious programs as a teen. Most “unchurched” adults never went to religious services or programs as children and, consequently, religion means less to them later. Only 16% of “unaffiliated” adults describe religion as “very important” in their lives.

In a 2010 survey, “Millennials” (18-29 year olds) describe themselves as more “spiritual” than “religious”–which really means they congratulate themselves for their “spiritual” inclinations while doing virtually nothing to live their beliefs.

Over one-third of millenials say they never pray alone and two-thirds never or rarely pray with others. They say they don’t read the Bible and two-thirds rarely or never participate in worship services.

The weight of a spiritually indifferent younger generation will be a heavy burden on us all because, on the most significant moral questions of our day, religiosity makes a difference.

For example, “almost seven-in-ten (69%) of the religiously unaffiliated (including 85% of atheists and agnostics)” support unlimited abortion.  In sharp contrast, 82% of those who say religion is the most important influence in their lives believe abortion should be illegal. The religious influence is even stronger on same-sex marriage. Among those who say religion is the primary influence on their lives, 94% oppose same-sex marriage; only 6% favor it.

How to Save Your Family by Worshipping Together

Our American founders understood the importance of faith, not only to our families but also to our cultural fabric. George Washington’s First  Farewell Address warned, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

Explain Washington’s words to your children and teens, so they will see the intimate connection between faith, world-view, religious practice, and moral decisions. Pray with them, for personal or community concerns and for America’s leaders.

As Americans, and as parents, we need to prioritize the time we give to family worship and particularly to educating our children in our faith traditions. Our children cannot drive themselves to church.  They won’t devote time to religious activities as teenagers-when studies, sports, and busy social lives compete for every hour-unless we encourage them and offer the practical support to make it happen.

Look for a youth group or religious education team that connects with your teen spiritually to reinforce your religious and moral messages. A good youth pastor can work miracles, opening a young person’s heart to eternal truths.

And, most importantly, live your faith out in your daily life. You and your actions will serve to either help lead your children to or away from God.

Read more excellent articles at The Patriot Post Opinion

Resurrection Observance - 2009 -- Real Hope

Easter Special Edition - Vol. 09 No. 14

THE FOUNDATION

"The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. ... The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity. ... It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors." --George Washington

PATRIOT PERSPECTIVE

Resurrection Observance, 2009 -- Real Hope

By Mark Alexander

In just a few short days, spring had sprung in the mountains of East Tennessee. Most of the emerging flora, however, was then covered by a very late snowfall. "This," my children teasingly speculated, "must be global warming."

We live in an area of our great country where the seasons are well defined. Spring is my favorite. As March closes, we are treated to the miraculous emergence of life from the bleak winter cold. Each year at this time, I marvel at God's expression of splendid colors covering branches and grounds where the resurrection of life was awaiting its cue.

I am humbled to recount three additional examples of "splendid colors" that I chanced upon in recent days, each with a common but indissoluble bond between them.

Read the rest here: Resurrection Observance - 2009 -- Real Hope