I Stand With Israel

DISCLAIMER: There will be some very strong and graphic content discussed so be warned. This post is also going to be a bit of a structured rant.

Hello everyone, 

    So, I am sure that you have heard by now that a Palestinian terrorist group, Hamas, has been invading Israel, killing civilians, and taking hostages. If you have watched any of the videos that have been surfacing from the chaos in Israel and Gaza, then you have seen the terror, pain, and brutality that is painting the streets with the blood of innocents.

   If you haven't seen the videos or heard the stories then read on. In Israel, Hamas is mercilessly decapitating babies, raping women, killing children in front of their families, burning people alive, cutting pregnant women open and taking out their babies so they both die, shooting people both young and old until they are unrecognizable, and taking hostages of all ages for who knows what.

    Aside from that, I wanted to come on here to tell you that this situation is far more complicated than it seems. Gaza and Israel have a messy history, therefore I would highly recommend that you do some research into this conflict. When I say research, I mean it. Do not just listen to whatever the mainstream media is telling you because the media lies.

    At first, people were seeing this for what it was, but now the tides are changing. Before, people were recognizing how Israel was randomly attacked by terrorists who want to cause nothing but pain and hopelessness. However, now, people want to say that it is Palestine's right to fight back.

    One thing that needs to be said is that Hamas may be Palestinian, but they do not represent all Palestinians. Hamas is a terrorist group. Plain and simple. Just because you feel compassion for the innocents of Gaza does not mean that you should support Hamas because they are two separate entities.

    For those who don't know, don't want to do the research, or think they know what's going on, let me enlighten you a bit. Long story short, give or take 10 years ago, Israel left Gaza to the Palestinians. The reason for this was that a Palestinian terrorist group named Hamas had taken over Gaza. A lot of people don't know this. While Hamas was in control over Gaza, they started to dismantle water pipes so they could use them to make missiles. As a result, Gazans began to lack certain supplies. A lot of people think that Israel maliciously cut off Gaza which is why the Palestinians are revolting, but that is not the case.

    Hamas is not some group of Palestinians who have only now decided to start a revolution. They are a terrorist group that have been around for decades and are backed by Iran. Their sole mission is to eradicate Jewish people and their supporters not because they want to defend their fellow Palestinians but because they don't believe Jews deserve to live.

    As a way to provoke the world into sharing their hateful antisemitic views, they continuously say that Israel is the one who is unjustly killing innocent Palestinians and launching unprompted missiles to Gaza. However, it was Hamas who attacked first. They launched missiles from Gaza to Israel first and invaded Israel first. When it comes to the killing of innocent Palestinians, Israel tries its very hardest to avoid the loss of innocent life regardless of whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, but Hamas is strategically putting innocent Palestinians in harm's way. They have put their bases around innocent people just so Israel can accidentally bomb innocents when they were actually aiming for Hamas. Most recently, Hamas has even gone as far as telling innocent Palestinians not to listen to Israel's warning to them to evacuate Northern Gaza just so they can be in the line of fire. Then, once innocent Palestinian lives are lost or at least harmed, Hamas says that it is Israel who is being evil and brutal.

    My point is that Hamas is evil and trying to cause another Holocaust. This is incredibly serious, and this will most likely affect the whole world. To be honest, it already has. There are Nazi groups as well as other hate groups across the world that are chanting death threats against Jewish people.

    Now, I will end this with a few requests. Please pray for Israel. Please pray for the innocent Palestinians. And please pray for the safety of Jewish people across the world.

Bye for now, be safe, and God bless,

Eden

Fall Semester Started

 Hello, hello, hello everyone!!!!

    I just wanted to let you guys know that the Fall semester started. This means that I will not be able to post very often. So, bear with me.

Bye for now,

Eden

To Conform or Not To Conform, That is The Question

     Hello, hello, hello everyone!!!! Today I wanted to address a couple of things that I have been noticing about society, and I am a bit curious to know if you guys have noticed it too.

    So, recently, I came into the sudden realization that the world is a giant hypocrite. Now, I know what you're thinking... How could she possibly have only realized this plain fact now? Well, let me explain. For the past year or so, I have been slowly but surely losing my mind over everyone under the sun consistently claiming that TikTok made them buy this or that because it's viral, trending, and in-style therefore they must have it. Gradually, I began to wonder, in a world where, supposedly, everyone should be able to express their own individuality and uniqueness, why would there be an insatiable need to be exactly as those you see on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. In other words, why is society, in the form of TikTok, enabling and promoting conformity while at the same time spreading the ideology of "Be You" and "Be Different". Huh. I think that there's a bit of a problem with this. Can someone please answer me as to how are people supposed to be themselves yet simultaneously conform to the status quo? Oh wait, I think I know the answer. Let's see if you agree. The answer is... people are allowed to be themselves so long as it coincides with what society wants. Anything or anyone who goes against society is just plain wrong/strange. This truth is frankly terrifying because it shows how strong society's grasp is on individuals. What's even worse is that I feel like individuals are unaware of just how strongly they are being influenced by society through social media. Anyways, after I realized this, I wanted to share this with you guys so that you would see how strange this all is as well. 

    But wait, there's more. Now, even more recently than when I realized about this insane contradiction that is sweeping over this world, I have begun to notice something that in a way can be viewed as even worse than my previous revelation. On social media sites, I have started to notice that even Christians and those who should know better have now hopped onto this ridiculous bandwagon of conformity. The disappointment is unreal as I now see Christians actively try to fit into this ungodly world by using terminology and dressing like those within a society that is increasing in their hate towards us. I'm sorry to the Christians who feel as though it can't be so bad due to the fact that everyone else is doing the same, but you must remember that we are not of this world therefore we cannot allow ourselves to act, think, dress, and speak like those who are of this world. We, as Christians, need to stand up and speak out not conform to expectations of this society. I'm also sorry to the Christians who do not see that what they are doing is wrong, but I guess that's also one of the reasons why I'm writing this. I want you Christians out there to wake up and see how this world has influenced you so that you no longer choose to conform, but choose to be different. Please, I don't want to offend you, but I just want you to open your eyes and see.

   I think I'll stop here for right now, but I have a feeling I may come back to this topic eventually. So, I guess you should keep an eye out. Who knows, it might be sooner rather than later. I will also be putting several verses that strongly relate to this topic at the bottom of this post.

Bye for now,

Eden

KJV Verses List (PLEASE DO NOT OVERLOOK):

John 15:19 -- "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

John 17:16 -- "They [Disciples/Believers] are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

Romans 12:2 -- "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

1 John 2:15-17 -- " {15} Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. {17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Oh Father in Heaven, What is This?!

Hello, hello, hello everyone!!!!!

    Have I got a post for you guys today. Be warned because you may get a little angry about this story, as I did. Okay, let's be honest, I was more than a little angry. I was furious, frustrated, and disgusted beyond words, and I still am.

So, let's begin...

    Recently, I heard that the archbishop of York of the Church of England has made some disturbing statements regarding "The Lord's Prayer", which is in Matthew 6:9-13. He has stated that "The Lord's Prayer" is "problematic" for many due to its reference to God in the beginning of the prayer as "Our Father". According to him, the term "Father" offends those who have experienced abuse by "earthly fathers" and have experienced oppression by the patriarchy of this world. Thus, to remedy this, the archbishop wishes to now use gender neutral pronouns rather than male pronouns to refer to God throughout the Bible so as to not offend others.

    Alright, now for my opinion. This piece of news has definitely got to be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. One of the worst things about this is that this is coming from a church that is trying to change or fix itself to placate the world. Additionally, what's ironic about this issue in particular is that the prayer that they are criticizing is, of course, the prayer that Jesus, himself, gave to us. Meaning, clearly, referencing God as "Our Father" is exactly how we are supposed to refer to Him as. Aside from that, it is also incredibly disrespectful that a so-called church is dragging God into this sickening gender/pronoun mess just so they can avoid offending others. God is above all this mess, therefore, DO NOT drag Him into it. At the end of the day, I would much rather offend the world than offend God or even Jesus and the Holy Spirit for that matter.

    I will have the link for the full article at the bottom of this post just in case you would want to read it for yourself. I read it, and I am completely flabbergasted. I just can't believe it nor do I understand it. What is the point of supposed Christians standing with the world while simultaneously betraying God? And, yes, I do consider it to be a great betrayal because this church is equating God to the worst men of this world. How dare they say that our heavenly Father reminds others of terrible earthly fathers? They should be ashamed of themselves. God is our protector who loves us unconditionally. He does not deserve this disrespect. In regard to Jesus, they are also greatly disrespecting Him as well because they are implying what... that He was wrong or insensitive towards the people of today by telling us that we are supposed to address our beautiful, amazing, and wonderful God as "OUR FATHER".

    To those who have suffered abuse and oppression from male figures in your life, I am so sorry that you have been hurt the way that you have, and I hope that you get the help and therapy that you need to work through it. With that being said, I also hope that you understand that God and Jesus are not the same as the earthly men, including fathers, that you may have encountered. See, I don't know if you know this but They care about you and love you and, ultimately, you can trust Them wholeheartedly, unlike the men of this world. So, if you are one of the people that has gotten offended by the Bible's use of male pronouns to refer to God, please don't be offended.

    To those who are simply feminist and wish to stop referring to God as male because you feel like it's feeding into the patriarchy, get over yourself. This is so much bigger than your stupid feminism. God is our heavenly Father who loves and cares for His children NOT some angry man that controls all of us.

    To the Christians who simply agree with this issue, I'd think twice before siding with the world in this battle.

Bye for now,

Eden

P.S. For those who want to read it, here is "The Lord's Prayer" from Matthew 6:9-13...

"{9} After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. {10} Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is heaven. {11} Give us this day our daily bread. {12} And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. {13} And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

For those who want to read it, here is the link to the article that I mentioned above.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/07/lords-prayer-our-father-opening-may-be-problematic-archbishop-of-york-stephen-cottrell

     

What I Care About

 Hello, hello, hello everyone!!!!

    I have been really confused about what my next post should be, and I think I have finally figured it out. To start, I wanted to let you guys know that, as of writing this piece, I have had zero views on all of my posts except for one view on my first post (this excludes all of my mom's previous posts). Typically, in a social media-based world where one's popularity including, but not limited to, how many likes and views they get per post or video defines their social acceptance and standing within this incredibly shallow and vain society, I should care about my lack of views, but I don't. Why should I? Despite the fact that I would like to eventually get paid from this blog which can only happen once I get a decent number of views, I really don't concern myself with whether my blog will ever get views or not neither will I let myself lose faith.

    The reason for this is... you. Clearly, at this very moment in time, you are reading this. Because you are, it is most likely because you want to be able to read something that is not filled with the propaganda and the disturbing messages that this upside down world is consistently publicizing whilst also being able to read about how this world's beliefs contradicts what we as Christians believe to be true through God's Word. While the world promotes perverse, unnatural, and disgusting messaging that is confusing the minds and judgments of so many, I am promoting common sense, the truth, and, most importantly, the Word of God. After you guys read my posts, I want you to be inspired to want to go deeper into the Bible and discover much more than what I write about. I want you guys to be able to find your way to Jesus, our Savior.

    At the end of the day, if I can help lead at least one of you to Christ then that's all I care about. Like I said, I really don't care about how many views I get on these posts. I only care about gaining more souls for God because that is my job as a Christian that Jesus called us to do. My job is to be a fisher/gatherer of men or, as it is written in Matthew 4:19, "And he [Jesus] saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." In other words, in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus called for His disciples and followers to "{19} Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: {20} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

    To sum up, I wanted to let you know about this because through this there is a lesson to be learned. We shouldn't care about the world's standards and what it expects/wants. We should only concern ourselves with our responsibility as Christians and what God expects of us.

Bye for now,

Eden

A Storm Is Brewing

    Hello hello hello everyone!

     A storm is brewing...Wind is gaining force...Water is surely rising...Which means Christians are at risk of drowning. Christians beware and be warned. The world is beginning to view us in a bad light because of our particular beliefs and how they contradict their own. We are entering the early beginnings of our persecution because we believe in Jesus Christ, but we shouldn't be surprised nor should we be afraid. So, I just wanted to give you guys not only a wake-up call but I also wanted to share with you some of Jesus' words that pertain to our current situation.

    As much as today's current climate is scary, especially as we move closer and closer to His coming, I have found consolation in Jesus' words which I really wanted to share with you guys. In (KJV) John 15:18-20, Jesus said, "{18} If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. {19} If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. {20} Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." This particular message was/is one that Christians today can truly resonate with, and it's one that can also inspire fear in some.

    To combat this fear, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite verses that has truly helped when I really needed it. The verse is John 14:27. The verse states, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." I hope that this verse helps you the same way it has helped me.

    The point of this post is to remind you that Jesus is truly coming soon, thus, the enemy is using the world to scare and hurt us. But we cannot be afraid. We have to hold on to Jesus and be closer to Him than ever before because, in times of great need and danger, He is our fortress and our strength. He is the one who we need to lean on during these trying times. Remember, as long you hold on to Him, He will bring you peace neither will He leave you so long as you do not leave Him.

By for now,

Eden

Just Wanna Let You Know...

 Hello, hello, hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I have just discovered a show called "The Chosen". It's a great show about Jesus and His Disciples; it also focuses on the miracles He performed. It's a really powerful show, and I wanted to share it with you guys. The show does take a few creative liberties, but it's still great, nonetheless. If you've already heard about it then I hope you love it as much as I do. If you haven't heard about it then you're welcome.

Link for "The Chosen" - https://www.angel.com/watch/the-chosen?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1_SkBhDwARIsANbGpFsqudP6x-LRB6BS_RGYaONc0t3MVX74AI22YHcQaVntKE6NPjbmg0YaAj1eEALw_wcB 

Bye For Now,

Eden

Dear Cancel Culture...

 Dear Cancel Culture,

     As much as I see your point, I still can't help but disagree with you. I know that there are people, specifically celebrities, in the world that either do and say some pretty terrible things or are at least rumored to be guilty of such things, which, in turn, makes us want to turn our backs on them and reject them from society, but that is simply not the way. Here are a set of questions that I hope will provoke some self-reflection:

How does it make you feel when you "cancel" someone?

Does it make you feel like you have done a good deed?

In other words, do you feel good when a person you deem worthy of "cancellation" is, in fact, "cancelled"?

On the other hand, how do you think the person feels after they have been "cancelled" by you?

Do you believe people deserve grace and forgiveness? 

Do you believe people deserve redemption? 

Does God treat us in the same way that you prefer to treat your victims? 

Why can't you look past a person's imperfections and forgive them once they truly apologize? 

Why must you be so incessantly judgmental to the point where you push those you disagree with away even once they've asked for forgiveness?

Why must you take matters into your own hands and act as judge and jury in order to sentence a person who has yet to be proven guilty?

To go further, for those who have been proven guilty of terrible things and delivered a false apology, why must you continue to mistreat them when, in fact, they will face the proper judgement and consequence in time?

If ostracizing and mistreating those you feel have wronged you is what you feel you must do as a way of seeking vengeance (perhaps that is too strong a word) then you must remember (KJV) Deuteronomy 32:35 when God says, "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste."

For your non-Christian followers, I don't want to be a hypocrite; I don't want to judge you, but I at least want to persuade you into seeing another viewpoint. I need you to see that as much as you may think that what you are doing is right, what you do does more harm than good.

For your Christian followers, you should know better.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Citizen

This Past Semester Was a Trip

 Hello, hello, hello, Everyone!! 

This past semester was quite interesting for a couple of reasons, but there is one in particular that cannot go unmentioned. Before I continue, I should say that this post will contain some sensitive topics as I will discuss things pertaining to religious discrimination. Also, to protect the privacy of the professor, I will refrain from disclosing too much information and will be referring to them as either "they", "them", or simply "the professor".

The course that I was taking at the time was related to the learning of several ancient civilizations. As a part of this, we learned about some religions which influenced particular civilizations and eras throughout time. For example, we learned about the Protestant/Counter Reformation and how Catholicism and Protestantism were the driving forces behind such a momentous point in history. Similarly, we also learned about Islam and how Muslims were the main targets of Catholics during the Crusades. Now is when things take a turn.

As the course went on, I started to notice the professors biases when it came to Christianity and Islam. (I will preface that I am not Catholic but I am a Christian nonetheless.) With certain assignments came "required readings" that I quickly realized were actually pretty unnecessary. For instance, for assignments pertaining to violent moments in history in which religion played certain roles, the professor would assign particular readings that seemingly related to the topic at hand, yet only actually criticized one religion in particular, Christianity. 

Yes, throughout history Catholics have done some pretty horrific things, but it is unfair to equate what was done in the past with what all Christians believe. (Remember there are also multiple denominations of Christianity.) Within the extra articles that were assigned, each consisted of people, who were either atheists or anti-Christian, bashing, criticizing, and just plain blaspheming against the Bible and Jesus. I remember one article in which a person claimed that Jesus was not a good role model and was in fact abusive to the people around him, including his disciples. Another article claimed that the Bible should not be used as a moral code because it teaches terrible and violent things. My point is that after reading these disgusting articles that I supposedly had to read, I came to the conclusion... How does learning about how awful Christianity is really relate to the Crusades or the Protestant/Counter Reformation? I, in no way, shape, or form, condone the atrocities that have taken place in the past at the hands of Catholics, but to assume that all Christians, past and present, are the same is unfair and damaging. What really irritated me was not only how offensive those articles were but also the fact that the professor labeled them as "required". Then from a more academic standpoint, I was also irritated that they dared to force the idea that the actions done by Catholics were solely done because of their religion. As someone who enjoys learning about history, I noticed that religion most certainly was not the main driving force of such horrific events because several of the Catholic leaders of those times were corrupted and wanted both money and power. So, to imply that past tragedies were conducted simply because of the Bible and its teachings is just plain wrong.

Aside from the professor putting articles that heavily criticized Christianity, they also put articles that heavily praised Islam. They incorporated those articles the same way they incorporated the others, along with also going as far as having an entire lesson devoted to learning about Islam. When we came across this lesson, I found it odd because the professor never devoted any other lesson to any other particular religion. As I said, the professor also included articles that were clearly in full support of Islam. Within those articles, there were people who stated how Islam and the Koran have wonderful teachings. They also suggested that Muslims who truly abide by their religion are unlikely to commit any crime or atrocity. There were also a couple of articles that tried to defend Muslims against what occurred on 9/11 by stating that those who caused that tragedy were not in fact true followers of Islam because if they were they would not have committed what was done that horrible day. To some degree, I do agree with the professor because I am sure that Islam has its positives and that not every Muslim is terrible or should be feared, but the professor did exactly the same thing as they did with Christianity except it was the exact opposite due to their preexisting beliefs. As anyone can conclude, the professor was/is Muslim.

For Christianity, the professor took their own personal beliefs and biases to sum up all Christians as cruel people with a horrendous moral code. For Islam, the professor took their own personal beliefs and biases to sum up all Muslims as a peaceful and truly God-loving people. However, for both cases, neither is entirely true. Yes, there have been Christians that have done terrible things and have given Christianity a bad name, but not all of us should be viewed in the same light. And, yes, I am sure that there are many Muslims that are kind and peaceful, but we are naive to believe that all are the same. As with anyone, including religious people, not everyone is entirely good or bad. Therefore, it is wrong to claim that each group of people is either one or the other. Not only that, but it is also wrong to blatantly disrespect another religion simply because your beliefs differs from theirs. Just because you disagree with someone's beliefs that does not give you the right to outright claim that their beliefs are horrible and wrong whilst elevating your own as, ultimately, the best.

The truth is I can't blame the professor for them wanting to spread their own beliefs in order to guide others to the truth because, as a Christian, I understand the need for spreading the Word of God so that others can come to Christ. My only problem is how the professor handled the situation. Instead of stating just the facts of their religion, they so obviously and heavily praised their own religion while at the same time heavily criticizing and bashing such a major religion that directly contradicts their own. The bottom line is if you want to lead someone into your own religion, you can share your testimony and say how your beliefs have affected you, but conversion is all about a personal choice therefore you can't force your beliefs unto anyone and/or flat out say that the other persons beliefs are incredibly wrong.

Anyways, that's what I have for you today. I know it's a long one, but I think it's worth it. Let me know your thoughts. I'm curious. 

Bye for now,

Eden

New Girl on the Block

 Hello hello hello!!!!!! Hi everyone, my name is Eden and I will be the new contributor to this blog. This first post will be just an introduction more so than an actual post.

Just so you guys are aware, my mom was originally the one who started writing this blog, and her last post was around a year ago. From this point on, I will be the sole writer. The reason for this is because she has been pretty busy with her other endeavors, yet she still wanted the blog to remain. Therefore, because of this and the fact that I, myself, needed an outlet for my mind, we decided that I would be the one to continue it.

As you will soon find out, I am a passionate person with a lot on her mind, especially as it pertains to God. As the world ends, societies are turning their backs on God, which is causing me to have a buildup in frustrations. Every time I look around and see how the world is treating God and Christianity alike, my heart aches with hurt and frustration. So, through my upcoming blog posts, I will be sharing my thoughts and frustrations with you guys. I'm sure that some topics that I will discuss may be divisive, but I will be as respectful as I possibly can because I am not here to judge, offend, or disrespect anyone.

As far as scheduling of posts go, one thing I want to mention is that I am a college student who is slowly working her way through therefore, eventually (once the fall semester starts), blog posts may not be as consistent. Regardless of that, I will try as hard as I can to keep them as consistent as possible.

Lastly, I am very excited to begin this journey with you all, and make sure to check back every week to stay up to date. Also, don't be afraid to comment.

See you soon!!!