Albert Schweitzer: 1875-1965

140 years ago, on January 15, 1875, Albert Schweitzer was born.  Today's quote from Schweitzer echoes the words of Jesus Christ on helping others.

"I have always held firmly 

to the thought that each one 

of us can do a little to bring 

some portion of misery to an end."

We all need help at some time or another, and most likely it will be many times.  Every act of kindness increases love in the world.  People who are kind and helpful are respected and admired. 

Kindness is also its own reward.  Whether or not we are acknowledged for what we have done or thanked, it feels good to do something that helps or betters someone else.

The Golden Rule says it right: Do for others what you would want done for you. (Matthew 7:12)

Kindness is noticed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Matthew 25):

"Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, you didn't know me but still you took care of me.  I didn't have anything to wear and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you visted me, I was in prison and you came. "

The blessed, righteous people asked, "When did we do these things for you?" 

And He replied, "When you did these things for others, my brothers and sisters, you also did them for me."

Given the current situation in our world where violence is to prevalent due to Radical Islamic Terrorists, we can do our small part to counteract the Satanic evil acts by doing acts of kindness.  Us regular, common folk can't do great things to end suffering wherever it exists.  

What we can do instead of feeling helpless and standing on shaky ground is to be kinder, more thoughtful and helpful.  Ultimately evil never triumphs over good.  God will see to that. 

We are either part of the problem or part of the solution.  Here is what terrorists hate: Love, kindness, compassion, helpfulness, being kind to all who need help.  Why not start ASAP combating evil in the space you occupy?  You will win and so will those you help.

LINK to Wikipedia article about Albert Schweitzer.
LINK to documentary on the life of Albert Schweitzer on YouTube.com 

This blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Timely Peace Quote President John F Kennedy

Pray for peace.

A timely quote for our current world situation from President John F. Kennedy:

If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.  For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet.  We all breathe the same air.  We all cherish our children's future.  And we are all mortal.

What do you think?

Is this a statement that compromises halfway or is it reality?
If this is our goal does it mean that we are willing to fight for diversity?

What does diversity mean?  It diversity of opinions as in free speech?  Is diversity the right for all to live with the parameters of culture of their choice?  Is the right for peaceful co-existence among peoples who are unique in community or unique individually?  Does diversity mean that we must accept those who believe that violence is the only way to get what they want or does it include only those who will respectfully accept those who differ from themselves?

I am not so sure that a blanket statement like this, make the world safe for diversity, is specific enough in 2015.

LINK to speech delivered by John F. Kennedy from which this quote comes.

This blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualtiyMusicandBooks.com.

An Eye for an Eye Will Make the Whole World Blind Timely Quote

An aphorism is a statement using few words to express a truth or opinion.  Aphorisms are often so obvious that when heard the listener will wonder why he or she never thought of it before.  

Mahatma Gandhi

Today I post a timely aphorism that has been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, who was a great champion of peace. There is an interesting article on this quote that can be read by clicking this LINK.  The site is QuoteInvestigator.com.  According to this site whether or not Ghandi used these specific works, the quote does reflect his philosphy.  

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.

One of the hardest events in life is having to not get justice for a wrong done, to not retaliate when hurt in any way.  I am in the group along with most other people who feels deep hurt and betrayal when someone attacks me in any way.  

The truth, however is that the person done wrong should not feel this way.  It is the person doing the wrong that will have to face the consequences of their actions whether it be now or when before Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat.

If you have been betrayed, what wrong have you done?  The answer is none.  If you have been lied about, slandered, or physically injured what have you done?  The answer is none.  Justice should follow, but justice meted out in anger is not justice at all but instead is doing the same wrong that has been done to you.  It lowers the one abused to the level of the abuser thus making both one in the same.

Betrayal by those close to you is painful and so is slander.  At the same time, I wonder if we are better off without close relationships with people who behave in this manner.  Slander is terrible especially when those you thought were your friends believe the lies. Here again, however, I wonder if we are not better off distancing ourselves from those who were supposed to know us that didn't even bother to find out first hand what the truth was.

When we can, the wrongs of the world should be addressed with logical, calm minds.  Justice will never change what already has happened.  Taking satisfaction that somebody got what was coming to them is pleasure not becoming of Godly character.  

Lastly, I think of communities and countries that practice the eye for an eye kind of justice, where if you steal they chop off your hand and that kind of thing.  This is not the kind of world in which I would want to live.  

An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.  It is a good truth worth remembering, and I am glad to have come across it today.

This blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

January 20 1918 President Admonishes Army and Navy to Observe Sabbath

This blog post offered by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com

Here is a small article that appeared in the Christian Herald Magazine, February 6, 1918 issue.  Please download and share with others if you wish for nonprofit use.

Published in The Christian Herald, February 6, 1918, page 153.

President Admonishes Army and Navy to Observe Sabbath
The White House
Washington, 20 Jan., 1918

The President, commander in chief of the Army and Navy, following the reverent example of his predecessors, desires and enjoins the orderly observance of the Sabbath by the officers and men in the military and naval service of the United States.  The importance for man and beast of the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights of Christian soldiers and sailors, a becoming deference to the best sentiment of a Christian people, and a due regard for the Divine Will demand that Sunday labor in the Army and Navy be reduced to the measure of strict necessity.  Such an observance of Sunday is dictated by the best traditions of our people and by the convictions of all who look to Divine Providence for guidance and protection, and, in repeating in this order the language of President Lincoln, the President is confident that he is speaking alike to the hearts and to the consciences of those under his authority.  WOODROW WILSON.

GOD Love You Just as You Are Quote for Today from Father Peter van Breemen SJ

This blog post offered by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

A Quote for Today: Looking through a vintage copy of Father van Breemen's book, Called by Name, I was inspired by the peace and deep spiritually from which he wrote.  

Called by Name
Fr. Peter G. van Breemen, S.J.

Believe it! Have faith that it is true!

When I read this sentence: Faith is the conviction that God loves us as we are, I was moved by how much God loves me, just as I am.  Every person on this earth including those who say they don't need it want first and foremost to be accepted and loved.  People who are not nurtured in love often have deep emotional scars, some to the point where healing is nearly impossible.  Jails are filled with people who have been mistreated and not cared for properly.

There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God* where all who will come experience the warmth and peace of being loved without reservation for who they are.  God will not like what you do that is against his will and Godly morality, and there may be consequences, but He loves you, always.  

This is why Jesus told of searching for the one out of one hundred who is lost until found and brought back into the fold.  Luke 15:1-7

This is why Jesus told the story of the prodigal son who was greedy, arrogant and disobedient when he left home but when he came back was welcomed with open arms by his father. Luke 15:11-32

This is why Christians can go through anything and everything, even die instead of denying their belief in the Savior Jesus Christ because they have confidence that the promises God who loves them are true without fail.  

Today you will never walk alone.
God is here. God is with you.
Created by Mary Katherine May

God, the One True God is Love, and Love is God.  Jesus taught about his love in the New Testament Gospel of John:  For God so loved the world that who ever believe in Him shall not perish but will have life forever.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save it. --John 3:16, 17

What God wants in return is what He gives us:

The First Great Commandment: Matthew 22:27

Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind. 

The Second Great Commandment: Matthew 22:39

You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.  

Believe it! Have faith in it!  
If you are like me then there is or was a time when you didn't love yourself.  It happens.  I would ask myself, How can I love as God tells me to when I don't even like me?  GOD is the answer. GOD, who is love, heals your troubled and broken heart over time when you read the Bible, pray, and take time to stop and listen to what He is saying, and when you find Christian friends who are growing in God's love as you are.

A Jealous God
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 34, God tells us to love Him only and love Him most because he is a jealous God.  Some people don't like the idea of God being jealous, as in possessive, but it isn't that way. Think about this: God loves each of his children totally with full commitment, something like when a couple marries.  If a man or woman cheats and gives love to someone else the one was cheated on is really hurt and angry, even jealous of what was taken.  It is no different with God who gives complete love.  We not only belong to Him, God also belongs to us.  I like that God loves me to the point that if I give my devotion to someone or something else He will be jealous.

Here is what GOD is: God is loving, forgiving and accepting. 

Here is what GOD is not: God is not overbearing, bossy, or threatening, and God never tells you to hurt or torture or terrorize or kill anyone who doesn't follow what He says.  

Here is what Christians mean when they say to step into the Light or that God is light shining in the darkness.  When you have experienced God's love you will know light that is filled with holiness, love and peace shining on you all the time, even when things seem so dark you can't see the way.

Faith is the conviction that God loves us as we are. 

Father Peter G. van Breemen, S.J.

*There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God is the first line of the hymn Near to the Heart of God by Cleland Boyd McAfee.

The Importance of Joy in Hard Times and Everyday Life

Image created from a photograph
taken by Mary Katherine May

JOY! PEACE!  No one should ever underestimate the importance of joy in whatever is happening in yourself in life.  You may be having a real hard time right now and having joy may seem impossible.

Intentionally pursuing moments of joy, however, can help you through the hard times.

In the most dire, awful times when drained and exhausted from grief, even then find joy--a few moments or a time when peace and contentment, warmth and love is greater than the circumstances in which you find yourself.

When it's really hard the joy may not be filled with vivacious laughter that bounces to the ceiling and back. The moment, though, may be an oasis of quiet peace and harmony in the middle of chaotic times.

Joy is relative because, for example, joy out of context with circumstances would be unhealthy. Experiencing joy will actually ease some of the tension when grieving over a loss, a tragic moment, a confrontation, a loss, a catastrophe, bad news, bad health.

Joy can, and should be sought out.  Joy doesn't automatically come to you and land in your lap, nor is it necessarily someone else's responsibility to give you joy.

Here are a few examples of what I do when my heart is grieved.

• When I would have something challenging to do my mom would tell me, "I know you can do it." I think about her telling me this and it makes me stronger.
• In the summer I would take our old rowboat a little ways from shore, set the anchor, and let the gentle rocking of the boat and the warm sun soothe my spirit.
• I read or recall Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want... and imagine myself in green pastures, by call waters, before a beautiful table set just for me, being anointed with healing oil, and walking hand and hand with my Lord, Jesus Christ.
• When nothing is right I imagine a place where everything is right and what it would look like.
• I listen silently in my head to a favorite piece of music.
• I open my Bible and read, read, read.
• I take care to make sure I look my best.
• I do something for somebody else.

Quotes that Encourage Joy
LINK to JOY quotes
In her diary, Anne Frank wrote, I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains. Her life hidden away was the same day after day with a rigid routine, yet she looked for and found joy.

Corrie Ten Boom who suffered and endured, and overcame said, when we are powerless do to a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.  A quote from Henri Nouwen.

10 Scripture Passages from the Holy Bible That Encourage Joy, Peace and Happiness
These verses have helped me through hard times, and they may do the same for you. ...Mary

1. Crying may last for a night, but joy comes with the new day. (Psalm 30:5b NLT)
2. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3,4 NKJV)
3. Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28 NLT)
4. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. (Psalm 40:2 NLT)
5. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world give. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)
6. Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22 RSVCE)
7. He takes care of his people like a shepherd. He gathers them like lambs in his arms and carries them close to him. (Isaiah 40:11a NCV)
8. I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. (Psalm 139:14 NCV)
9. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul... (Psalm 23:1-3a KJV)
10. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. (Psalm 3:5 NIV)

This blog post article by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

I Would Rather Die Standing Than Live on My Knees

I Would Rather Die Standing Than Live on My Knees

Free Download to Post and Share

created by Mary Katherine May

Stand for freedom and against terrorists.

Pray for peace.

I would rather die standing than live on my knees. Quote from Stephane Charbonnier.

I would rather die standing than live on my knees. Quote from Stephane Charbonnier.

Philips Brooks Quote The Christian Finds the Hand of Christ

A quote from Philips Brooks, author of the Christmas hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem, taken from the book, Jewels from Philips Brooks.

LINK to my article about Philips Brooks on HymnCommentary.blogspot.com.

The Christian finds the hand of Christ in everything, and by the faithful use of everything for Christ's sake he takes firm hold of that hand, and is drawn nearer and nearer to Himself.

This blog post offering by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

The Danger of Excess Anything Mary Katherine May

There is danger in excess of anything. 

In plain English: Too much of a good thing breeds trouble, discontent, and hardship.

The Danger of Excess in Anything

Excess speed on the road puts others in danger.

Excess food leads to obesity, trouble getting around and health issues.

Excess ownership of what belongs to everyone, as in roads leads to exploding anger, aka road rage.

Excess need for power and wealth leads to abuse of the masses.

Excess single-mindedness in politics leads to harm for the populace because we are not a single-minded nation. We see it today in Mr. Obama's lack of ability to work with anyone who won't give him his way as well as in politicians at both the far left and right.

Excess in wanting rights to live without any rules leads to chaos and disruption of those who want only to live in peace.

Excess government control leads to diminished rights and freedoms. Our leaders often forget that government is not only for the people but also government is to be by the people--the right to make choices by the individual, the community, and the state.

Excess in differentiation of peoples at many levels leads to confrontation, discord, and lack of harmonious living among all.  

That old saying is true, You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.  I see today an excess of too much forced control put into place by people who although well-meaning do not take the time to foresee the consequences of their actions.  What is better for some while hurting others is not a successful solution.

So here it is: STOP!

No one has it right. No one is being abused. Everyone is playing unfair.

No has their listening ears on.  

No one is earning their keep.

As my Mom (blessed memory) would say: "Get off your high horse!"

Our national government from the White House to the Congress to the Senate is the biggest, most gigantic dysfunctional family in this country.  They are no different than a house full of immature, spoiled children who all want their way while trying to cover up their selfishness by claiming good intentions.  If our leaders in Washington D.C. were a real family there would already have been a bitter divorce with restraining orders on both sides.

It takes two to tango, both mutually dancing their designated part.  Will there be real compromise and action in 2015?  The answer is only if the most hardened offenders, from Ted Cruz to Barrack Obama grow up and start acting like the mature adults that they are supposed to be.

Will our representatives, leaders, political activists, and president grow up?  If they actually listened to us plain-old regular Americans they might, but thus far there is little indication that they are.  I hope, because as a Christian that is what I do.  And I pray. I hope you will too.

This blog post article by Mary Katherine May of Quality Music and Books.

Jesus Birth Nativity Gregorian Julian Calendars What Is the Real Date

LINK to Wikimedia: Icon image source.
Iconographer: Andrei Rublev (1405)

There is much discussion and controversy about the exact date that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was born.  I suppose speculation and attempts to document the moment are good intellectual pursuits since keeping the mind occupied keeps it sharp.  Also among us are those who create a stir over how Christmas takes place in December as a replacement of winter solstice activities, and maybe it is true, maybe not.

Today, January 1, 2015, as I am in the final preparations for our Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper according to the Julian Calendar, I am thinking that not knowing the precise date, that is getting it right, matters little in comparison to the intent and content of how the gift given to us at the Nativity of our Lord is received.

Do I come with a grateful heart to my Lord?  Do I grasp the powerful moment of what happened in Bethlehem? If not, than I am sore of heart and hope can only go as far as what I am able see and understand right before me at any moment in time.

That the Christian world prepares and celebrates on a particular date each year means that we return to the beginning at least once each year. Christ came as a child and so must each one of us begin at the beginning before we can grow.  Remembrance of the Nativity of our Lord prepares us to go with Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the resurrection after which our Messiah, the First Born of the Dead ascended to Heaven where He prepares a place for us.

Receive the gift given at the Nativity. Refresh your faith journey: come and see the wonder of Christ's birth as often as you need, bow down before the Lord's presence and the Paraclete--the Comforter--will refresh you and fill you with  joy, hope, and peace.

This blogpost article offered by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Thinking About Who Matters and What There Is that Matters

All People Matter

IF you look as God looks and see what God sees.

Image created by Mary Katherine May.
Download Free for NonProfit Use Only.

Most people want to be seen for who and what they are. 

Most people want to be understood and given respect because they are. 

We can't know who someone is, however, unless we know where to go to find out.

Matthew 6: 22-24

Q: When you look at someone where do you look? 

A: The eyes are the window to the soul.

Matthew 15: 16-18

Q: When you listen to someone what do you hear?

A: It is what comes out of your mouth that speaks who you are.

Matthew 7: 15-20

Actions speak louder than words: A good tree bears good fruit. 

Actions speak louder than words: A bad tree has nothing to offer.

Image created by Mary Katherine May.
Download free for non-profit use only.

Works of the Law God Works Good Fruit Bad Fruit What Does This All Mean

This blogpost opinion article by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Sunday: 28 December, 2014.  Reading the Bible, I began thinking about the Christian relationship to works of the law as Saint Paul wrote about in his letter to the Galatians, chapter 2, verse 16. Are works good? Can works be good? Who do so many confuse Christian works with the act of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life?

Galatians 2: Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Works of the Law: What exactly are they? 
I wonder. So often we Christians will read along through the Bible, accepting what we see without truly understanding what it is being talked about. If we cannot understand and explain to ourselves what a passage means, how are we ever going to explain it to a person seeking out Scripture for the first time?

I think this is a very important point: knowing in our heart what God is saying does not mean that we can explain it to someone else.

Works of the Law: Is There a Definition?
Theologians cannot even agree on what the law is. Some New Testament scholars define the law as all of the Jewish requirements for life while some separate the law into moral law, ceremonial law, and the law as set down in the Torah and interpreted over time.

The Halakhah: Jewish law on this site tells us that the practice of following the laws is more than legalism and actually leads to focusing every action in life on God, the one who gave the law. Because I believe the author is correct, further explanation is needed.

Let's Be Clear About the Law
From my Christian view, I see God's Chosen People in ancient times before Christ struggling with faith as we do, attempting to follow teaching in Scripture, trying to live a Godly life. The right time had not come. There was no Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior. No cross, no resurrection. When the law was given, however, it was the right time for the law.

Galatians 3:19 NIV: Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.

Think about this from another angle, the law itself can not be bad or Jesus Christ, perfect righteousness, could not have been its fulfillment. It is not the law that is cursed but rather those who seek salvation (1) by their own efforts (If we could do it on our own why then do we need God at all?) and (2) through laws that cannot be followed perfectly and thus be righteous, for true righteousness holds no imperfection. Jesus himself tells us that he fulfilled the law: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law of the Prophets; I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5)

And thus, in the fullness of time, Jesus Christ became man. John the Baptist called out, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! When the Pharisees showed up he used strong words, calling them a brood of vipers.  But John wasn't attacking the law, nor did Jesus, nor did Paul or any of the other disciples. What was condemned was the motivation.

The Answer: Believe
John 6: Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works that God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Evident Faith
Jesus Christ gave one requirement for salvation: believe by faith. He also expected that once saved that the believer's faith would be evident. Scripture tells us that the evidence of faith are the fruits, the good works.  Many evangelical Christians go to great lengths to leave out good works, but in the Bible passages about them are most certainly there.

What are we to do? Deny that a lively, exciting faith is of no consequence? We cannot because it does.  If you were to come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ in the last moments of life you wouldn't have the opportunity to bear the fruits of faith, yet your salvation would be secure and Heaven would await. There are a whole lot of us Christians, however, who commit our lives to Jesus Christ well before our last breath.

Obedience and Motivation
What matters is the source.  If a man lives by following all of what New Testament Scripture tells him to do without a soul motivated by love for Jesus Christ (i.e. faith, belief), the Son of God, Lord and Savior, his actions being wrongly motivated works, would the Kingdom of Heaven.be his destiny? God knows but we cannot since we are not the ones who can judge the soul.

If a Christian woman works very hard in her church because each effort is a plus-point in her favor before God, if a pastor sets all kinds of rules for his congregation to follow and enforces them in dictator-like fashion, what then?

LINK to article by Ray Stedman on Christian Legalism
LINK to article: What Is Legalism? on Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website.

Personally, there are times when I am not 100% where I should be motivational-wise and so I act out of obedience--because I love God and want to serve--but the right motivation is not there yet.  It has been my experience that over time my obedience changes from following a rule to an action motivated by love.

Servants of Christ
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to unto me. (Matthew 25) Actions matter but should never be confused with, or conjoined to, the saving act given free by God to all who will come. What roles does motivation have in good works that do good and the bearing of good fruit?

Matthew 7:18, 19 NIV: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you recognize them.

I think that committed Christians who love the Lord, who desire to serve and cannot do enough, who are filled with the love for God, have the right motivation whether acting out of obedience or out of an abundance of compassion from the heart. It is when rules matter more than God who is Love that trouble is in the wind.

The Will of God
It is true that to know the will of God you must believe by faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, Lord and Savior of the world. Christ tells us in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, immediately following his teaching on good fruit the following...

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

As a Christian, doing good works is directly tied to the will of God. And thus, many do works that are good and this is to the benefit of the world, but not all do good works as Christians, who confess Jesus is Lord, believing with all their heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10).

Christmas Give the Gift That Will Cost You Nothing Yet Is Worth More Than Gold

Blessed CHRISTmas to All!

Four Child Saints Martyred Standing Up as Christians in America

Blogpost opinion editorial by Mary Katherine May

Four children were beheaded by Isis when they would not confess to the truth of Islam.... 

...they said, 'no, we love Yasua. We have always loved Yasua. We have always followed Yasua. Yasua has always been with us.'"(source: LINK)

Do you wonder why here in America there are Christians who will not say they are Christian in public even when the validity of Christianity is being discussed? Do you wonder why Christians are under attack in America? Do you wonder if it is because the opportunity is so easy since Christians will not admit who they are? 

Do you think about this? 

It is really easy to say how terrible what happened is, feel bad, and then move on without feeling motivated to stand vocally with these little saints out of fear of...what? Someone calling you a bad name? Someone disowning you as a friend? 

It's the world permeated with evil or it is God. Black or white. No straddling the fence --either in the green pasture or the mud. We all want Obama to say something and do something, but why should he and why should we expect him to if we, as in all Christians, will not stand for Christ ourselves?

Jesus is the CHRIST in CHRISTmas Celebrate Jesus birth!

Jesus is the CHRIST in CHRISTmas!

A free download with graphic created by Mary Katherine May and music arranged by Mary Katherine May for nonprofit sharing. Inspired by the Megyn Kelly interview with Franklin Graham to Stand Up for Christ on December 10, 2014.