I can't shake the feeling that it all is basically a façade...The Oregon Senate Health Care Committee met today in public hearing to pilot their darling idea to strip all non-medical exemptions from vaccinations. They call it SB442. Their cronies, and experts had an open mike followed by timed testimonies from concerned citizens (80% opposed it) who were also filling another assembly chamber and watching via live video feed. They closed with more thoughts from supporters from various medical establishments.
I (like most of our state) only became aware of this proposed bill just yesterday. There were people there from all corners of our state to oppose this.
I believe I was the only homeschooler there...There is a bit of a false belief that this will not really affect us...But the dots are all there, think about it for a moment and connect them.
This DOES effect many homeschoolers as soon as it is law. Any services obtained thru the local school district (speech therapy to on campus classes, to public charters) will meet full vax requirements. I asked lobbyists about the possibility of addressing this and they all said it was not enough of a population segment to ever get any traction. How long do you logically think it will be before this forced vaccination program is applied to homeschoolers too??
For non-compliant vaccinators--- The other effect would be that any future endemic outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases would be 'blamed' on what will then be a largely unvaxed homeschool population. (you think the environment is tough just now with the current up-tick in measles? Just wait.)
Legally--- This is MASSIVE government overreach, this should not be possible by both the Constitution and the state constitution. From a civil rights point of view, do you really understand what we are looking at here? It will take much less effort to stop this line of thinking than to reverse it. Once adopted though, there is no end to the areas this overreach would touch. Parental rights in the health care of their children would quickly become a thing of the past. I heard well reasoned arguments from a constitutionality and civil rights stand point--This needs to continue. The Health Care board must be called on to carefully look at the legal issues at stake in this legislation.
Ethically---There is NO religious/moral/conscious opt out for vaccine derived from fetal stem cell lines. There is no opt out for Hep. B or Gardasil. No opt out of the annual flu vax.
It's all of them, on the standard CDC schedule. Period.
As for medical opt out---There is no way to say "My kids have double copies of the MTHFR gene mutation and consequently immune systems which cannot get rid of the toxins in vaccinations effectively." Their version of 'Medical Opt out" is nearly impossible short of having recent leukemia, cancer or organ transplant. There is no choosing to vaccinate on more of a UK or Japan model. (Other developed countries have LESS vaccinations and healthier people... Hummm)
This is the current, and constantly increasing, CDC model or else no access to ANY form of public education services. Public school, HeadStart, speech, occupational therapy, on campus classes, public charter, all are affected by SB442.
Back to the charade...There is a "Informative only" meeting March 9th with no public testimony. They will have "experts on both sides" available.
Both sides of WHAT? The constitution, medical ethics, vaccine safety???
Senator Hayward has her ducks in a row. She fully expects this to pass and quickly.
I stayed late and spoke to several lobbyists who predict if it makes it out of committee it will easily pass both Senate and House (out of indifference,and 'having bigger fish to fry') This could easily be law by early Summer.
We MUST flood this committee, our representatives, and our new Governor with e-mails, letters and calls daily starting NOW! Take your senator and representative to coffee. Let them know your concerns.
The thoughts which seemed to make the committee members squirm most were,
1.People who testified they would be forced to leave the state if this became law.
2.Women who testified they they would be disadvantaged economically by this because they would have to leave jobs to stay home full time to homeschool.
3. Testimonies which pointed to the potential religious conflict of vaxing using shots derived by the use of fetal stem cell lines.
Multiple lobbyists said this will not be won on expert testimony, but on parental input and fear of loss (revenue and constituents)to the state.
Of all the committee members, Shaw most seemed possibly sway-able...But we need 3 'NO' votes to kill it in committee. Obviously we should work on all, but both Steiner-Hayward and Monnes-Anderson are quite invested in supporting SB442 already.
Please don't sit on your hands and watch this unfold. The time to speak and act is NOW!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
dis-ci-ple
"disciple" - as derived from the Greek word mathetes, means a pupil of a teacher or apprentice as to a master craftsman. In Christian understanding, we are to be disciples of the God the Son, The Great Teacher, The Master Craftsman. This is our calling, He is our ultimate model.
dis-ci-pline - is both the verb to teach or train (What Christ seeks to do in us), and a noun meaning a branch of study (Our branch of study being, learning of, and following in, Christ's ways.) It may seem a difficult thing, but it is a gift of grace given us by God, to draw us closer to Himself.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Our source to discover Christ is found in the sufficient and inerrant body of scripture. This is where we are to go to seek wisdom and find the pattern for our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Our life is to be about renewing our minds, bringing our thinking, will and every aspect of life into conformity and submission to God’s will.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We must know what the gospel is, believe it, and make our life match that belief. Do not become jaded by this world, the gospel is ever a beautiful and wonderful mystery. It is the only possible source of godliness...In this unimaginable gift!
John 3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
sub-mis-sion - Not a popular notion in the world today to be sure, but it is plainly modeled by Christ and indeed explicitly directed too.
Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we make our lives gospel centered in word AND deed, every day choosing God's way over our own desires, submission is the natural and joyful result.
James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Hebrews 12:9-11 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"
Are we being disciples? Really? Or has the world corrupted our thinking, and have the current modes of doing things altered our understanding? What teachers are we listening to? Are they pointing us to the God of scripture? Are we ever more in awe of His grace and the Gospel of Christ when we read/hear them?
God IS, He is knowable, God has given His inspired, inerrant, infallible sufficient Word. We can know and believe with boldness, confident we have His instructions for our lives. Jesus IS our teacher!
Beyond knowing... are we DOING? Doing what we see in scripture. Do our actions reflect the gospel? Are we submitting our desires to His revealed will? Let us not get caught up in what the world says we should do. Let us look to scripture for our guide...to do God's things in His ways. Let's make our actions in life be what God would have us do, and in that we will point others to our Savior!
dis-ci-pline - is both the verb to teach or train (What Christ seeks to do in us), and a noun meaning a branch of study (Our branch of study being, learning of, and following in, Christ's ways.) It may seem a difficult thing, but it is a gift of grace given us by God, to draw us closer to Himself.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Our source to discover Christ is found in the sufficient and inerrant body of scripture. This is where we are to go to seek wisdom and find the pattern for our lives.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Our life is to be about renewing our minds, bringing our thinking, will and every aspect of life into conformity and submission to God’s will.
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We must know what the gospel is, believe it, and make our life match that belief. Do not become jaded by this world, the gospel is ever a beautiful and wonderful mystery. It is the only possible source of godliness...In this unimaginable gift!
John 3:14-17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
sub-mis-sion - Not a popular notion in the world today to be sure, but it is plainly modeled by Christ and indeed explicitly directed too.
Philippians 2:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
When we make our lives gospel centered in word AND deed, every day choosing God's way over our own desires, submission is the natural and joyful result.
James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Hebrews 12:9-11 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"
Are we being disciples? Really? Or has the world corrupted our thinking, and have the current modes of doing things altered our understanding? What teachers are we listening to? Are they pointing us to the God of scripture? Are we ever more in awe of His grace and the Gospel of Christ when we read/hear them?
God IS, He is knowable, God has given His inspired, inerrant, infallible sufficient Word. We can know and believe with boldness, confident we have His instructions for our lives. Jesus IS our teacher!
Beyond knowing... are we DOING? Doing what we see in scripture. Do our actions reflect the gospel? Are we submitting our desires to His revealed will? Let us not get caught up in what the world says we should do. Let us look to scripture for our guide...to do God's things in His ways. Let's make our actions in life be what God would have us do, and in that we will point others to our Savior!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Why I am concerned, and will not gather and ask "IF"
I had heard/seen rumblings of this last year, but it had come and gone before I really took notice. It has gained a lot of steam in the past months. As so many...most perhaps, of my friends and Christian sisters jump on the IF Gathering band wagon, I have felt hesitancy...While I enjoy some of the writings of the Christian woman supporting and promoting it, and while on the surface it sounds like a wonderful concept, the 'almost, but not quite' elements stand out to me as stark flashing caution lights. After weeks of prayer and discussing this with my husband, I write you a letter today, born of love and concern
.Dear Sisters,
I am very concerned for you, and equally worried for upcoming generations. It seems lately we have lost something very important...
I see in Christian media and circles a pervasive, not so subtle, push of feminism and humanism. It comes sweetened with the name of Christ and His love, making it harder to notice and easier to swallow. Particularly, I see this in the face of the modern, restless, Christian woman with an overwhelming desire to 'do' good things, in the name of Christ, but all the while ignoring His revealed ways.
Despite the age old line about Christianity being a male centric religion, we have the witness of MANY women in scripture. We see relational models of; single women, married women, childless women, mothers, single/spiritually single moms, mothers in law, grandmothers, widows. For every possible season, we have a model. Wisdom- that virtue we are all to seek diligently, is personified as feminine! We also have the model of Christ and His relational position in the Godhead. Additionally there are many scriptures giving direct instruction to wives and mothers. While scripture's overall emphasis for womanhood is 'life-giver', it is clear that birth is not the only way to fulfill that call. Far from male centric, we have a God who desires relationship with us, and who knows (and has revealed) how best for our relationships toward others to be conducted as well.
Somehow, even among historically conservative lines of Christian thinking, we now see modeled and taught patterns of conduct and 'ministry' which are clearly outside of the models and direction God has provided.
What has happened?
Have we all managed to mature in our Christian walks to the point where we no longer need to live our lives informed by scripture? May that never be!
May we chose just ANY way to serve God?
Are all actions equally valid and glorifying to Him, so long as we say His name and are motivated to share His love? NO!
Why are 'mainline conservatives' blindly internalizing this error? Why do we not see a solid push back against this mistake in thinking?
I will write further on this, but for now I end with this...
BECAUSE
Because God IS. Psalm 46:10
Because God is knowable. Ephesians 1:17
Because Christ is our model. Ephesians 5:1-2
Because scripture provides clear instruction. 2Timothy 3:15-17
Because I am to be content in my femininity, and season of life. Psalm 37:3-4, 1Timothy 6:6-7
Because I (Joy) am tasked with daily pointing my children to God. Titus 2:5, Deuteronomy 11:19
Because there is an ABUNDANCE of ministry needed and available to me in my neighborhood and church right now. (This is also God's provision for how my children learn to minister.) Matthew 25:40, James 1:27
Because prayer is powerful, I may pray God's blessing on any pocket of the world He wishes to bless. John 14:13-14
For all these reasons I will not gather and ask "IF" on February 6th and 7th.
I will host a Bible study in my home on February 7th. We will read through Hebrews together, pray for our community, and praise our Lord for His wisdom and care in providing us models in scripture for our lives.
While I will have help available to care for little ones, this assembly is emphatically not just for those in the mommy brigade or ranks of the married! There is much wisdom and encouragement to be gained from sharing time in the Word with one another.
Please prayerfully consider joining us.
Much love,
Joy
.Dear Sisters,
I am very concerned for you, and equally worried for upcoming generations. It seems lately we have lost something very important...
I see in Christian media and circles a pervasive, not so subtle, push of feminism and humanism. It comes sweetened with the name of Christ and His love, making it harder to notice and easier to swallow. Particularly, I see this in the face of the modern, restless, Christian woman with an overwhelming desire to 'do' good things, in the name of Christ, but all the while ignoring His revealed ways.
Despite the age old line about Christianity being a male centric religion, we have the witness of MANY women in scripture. We see relational models of; single women, married women, childless women, mothers, single/spiritually single moms, mothers in law, grandmothers, widows. For every possible season, we have a model. Wisdom- that virtue we are all to seek diligently, is personified as feminine! We also have the model of Christ and His relational position in the Godhead. Additionally there are many scriptures giving direct instruction to wives and mothers. While scripture's overall emphasis for womanhood is 'life-giver', it is clear that birth is not the only way to fulfill that call. Far from male centric, we have a God who desires relationship with us, and who knows (and has revealed) how best for our relationships toward others to be conducted as well.
Somehow, even among historically conservative lines of Christian thinking, we now see modeled and taught patterns of conduct and 'ministry' which are clearly outside of the models and direction God has provided.
What has happened?
Have we all managed to mature in our Christian walks to the point where we no longer need to live our lives informed by scripture? May that never be!
May we chose just ANY way to serve God?
Are all actions equally valid and glorifying to Him, so long as we say His name and are motivated to share His love? NO!
Why are 'mainline conservatives' blindly internalizing this error? Why do we not see a solid push back against this mistake in thinking?
I will write further on this, but for now I end with this...
BECAUSE
Because God IS. Psalm 46:10
Because God is knowable. Ephesians 1:17
Because Christ is our model. Ephesians 5:1-2
Because scripture provides clear instruction. 2Timothy 3:15-17
Because I am to be content in my femininity, and season of life. Psalm 37:3-4, 1Timothy 6:6-7
Because I (Joy) am tasked with daily pointing my children to God. Titus 2:5, Deuteronomy 11:19
Because there is an ABUNDANCE of ministry needed and available to me in my neighborhood and church right now. (This is also God's provision for how my children learn to minister.) Matthew 25:40, James 1:27
Because prayer is powerful, I may pray God's blessing on any pocket of the world He wishes to bless. John 14:13-14
For all these reasons I will not gather and ask "IF" on February 6th and 7th.
I will host a Bible study in my home on February 7th. We will read through Hebrews together, pray for our community, and praise our Lord for His wisdom and care in providing us models in scripture for our lives.
While I will have help available to care for little ones, this assembly is emphatically not just for those in the mommy brigade or ranks of the married! There is much wisdom and encouragement to be gained from sharing time in the Word with one another.
Please prayerfully consider joining us.
Much love,
Joy
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