It's a Crying Shame

As I read posts from Christian news this morning, I was so heartbroken, sad and just sat here in disbelief, yet I was able to find one thing that wasn't evident in the articles.

China has performed over 356 million abortions in the past forty years since instituting the one child only law, and a good portion of those were performed by force and the women then sterilized. 355 million babies murdered. In America, 55 million babies have been aborted in the past thirty years, many of those were aborted at a gestational age where they could have survived out of the womb.

And now a "doctor" and his nurse is under arrest for murdering babies in the doctor's abortion clinic. I cannot even type what they did, so I am posting the story:

Assistant Admits to Killing 10 Babies With Scissors During Trial for 'House of Horrors' Abortionist
As the trial for notorious Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell proceeded this week, one of Gosnell's employees testified that she had personally been involved in the murders of 10 newborn babies, the Christian News Network reports. Adrienne Moton told the court the babies who were born alive had their spines "snipped" with scissors. "I learned it from Dr. Gosnell," she said when asked by prosecutors where she came up with the idea. "I never asked why. ... I could remember a good 10 times that I did it." Moton has been incarcerated since 2011, and has pled guilty to third-degree murder, along with other charges, for her participation in Gosnell's late-term abortion operation. She is the first of at least two employees who are set to testify against the abortionist in the trial. Gosnell, 72, faces seven counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of babies who were born alive but had their spinal cords "snipped"; he also faces one count of third-degree murder for the death of an abortion client who was administered a lethal amount of medication, in addition to approximately 20 other charges. Gosnell was taken into custody in 2011 following an investigation into his practice, called the Women's Medical Society. Philadelphia district attorney Seth Williams, who initially leveled the charges against Gosnell, described the clinic as a "House of Horrors." In addition to several babies found with their spinal cords severed, investigators "found jar after jar after jar of fetal remains and specifically severed feet in jars" and "medical waste bags just strewn everywhere," according to Williams. Gosnell, if convicted, could face the death penalty for his crimes.


I cannot feel sympathy for either of these people, and I believe they should receive the death penalty. "House of Horrors" is not even close to what these people have done. And it is far beyond me to understand people like that.

What I did come to see after I cried over these poor, innocent babies, is that each one of them is in Heaven with the Lord and I am thankful for that. I can't even imagine what over 400 million (and counting) children in Heaven looks like, but I can't wait to get there and see them all.

When I was young, I had this world by the short hairs, but the older I get, the more I realize I don't understand much about it or the people who inhabit it. And the less I want to be here. I want to hear the Lord call me home, and I look forward to that day.

What The Bible Really Says

I'm getting really tired of people who spout off about God and the Bible, and have never read it, or have read only a few verses here and there, and aren't Christians. The Bible says what it means and means what it says, but to understand God's Word, you have to know God on a personal level. His word isn't like reading a text book or a novel; each word and each sentence has such meaning that those who don't know Him, will just skim over them and never understand their fullness. Everything about God's word brings life to those who know and love him, but it will bring death to those who ignore Him.


We live in the domain of the devil. God has given him that domain, and to each of us, he gave free will to resist the devil and live as God has said. God is a God of each nation, country and nationality but He will not allow those who replace Him with statues, animals, insects or anything else to go unpunished any more than He did when the children of Israel made the golden calf and worshiped it while Moses was on the mountain getting the Ten Commandments. We have the free will to either accept what God has offered us through the blood of Jesus Christ, or to reject Him and suffer the consequences. The Bible is there to help us, not to condemn us or to scare us. But it is our decision to accept or reject. The choice is yours.

John 14:28 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not
accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.


Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like
a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?


Psalm 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God


Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.


Isaiah 29:15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"

What's Wrong With TV?

I live out in the boonies and have satellite TV, and I have one of the moderate packages, which gives me about 250 channels. (Now, I won't go off on a tangent about that--at least not in this post!) I spend more time flipping around trying to find something decent to watch, than I do actually watching a show.

 I rarely, if ever, watch NBC, CBS, or ABC. Of the other channels I watch, there is rarely anything that doesn't have inappropriate language, and with the exception of only one or two shows, the rest all have sex, or references to sex, or scenes that suggest sex. And these are daytime and early evening hours, the hours that were once designated "family hours" and all the shows were supposed to be family friendly, and have nothing indecent. Apparently, that no longer applies.


Of every popular network station show on during "family hours," there are words like he**, dam*, and the sexual innuendo isn't even innuendo anymore. Showing couples in bed together talking about the sex they had the night before, friends talking to one another about the sex he or she they spent the night with, including homosexual encounters. Very few of these sexual situations are between married couples, and most of them aren't even between a "couple" who are exclusive to one another, but rather one night stands, and never is mention made of safe sex, or that the results of these casual encounters are pregnancy, which can lead to abortion, and/or sexually transmitted diseases, which, in the case of one night stands, can be passed on and on and on.


Then we get into the so-called "reality" shows. These are the ones I hate the most. Women who dress like prostitutes, with no morals, no self-respect, but are the ones young women are watching. Add to that the shows that glorify teenage pregnancy, and I did read an interview that quoted a 15 year old who wanted to get pregnant so she would get her own TV show and be famous. I've even watched some shows that are supposed to be for young people, and these are on the Disney Channel, no less. The episode I watched took place on a high school campus and showed two girls kissing each other, with the "message" that it's okay to be gay. I've even seen shows that feature young kids, ages nine and ten, who spoke about being gay and their friends laughing at them.


I'm not saying the shows saying 'gay is okay' is worse than the other shows, because they're not. They are all teaching immorality and our youth are the most impressionable. More and more kids are committing suicide, are taking guns to school, are getting arrested for violent crimes, having abortions, using drugs, and going to prison. What's wrong with this picture? The lack of morality in this country. The lack of parents disciplining their children. The lack of God in our schools and our government. And that "separation of church and state" everyone starts hollering about--read your history books. That was included to keep the government out of the church, NOT the church out of government. When God was removed from the classroom, the decline began in a big way. 


Romans 1:24-32

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 


They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.


Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 


In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.


Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 


They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


I put the text in red to bring it to your attention. Look at the list of things going on in Paul's day--sound familiar? We listen to the news and get mad at corporation presidents who are greedy and ripping off the public, we condemn child molesters and rapists, we watch TV shows that promote envy, we hear about murder and crimes and say the criminal gets what he deserves, people gossip about their friends and co-workers, they slander one another, they say God doesn't exist, and they make fun of those who believe in God; people brag about the new car, house, boat, etc. they just bought, they think they are better than others, and when I watch the true crime TV shows, there are crimes committed that I could have never thought up; children disobey their parents, and parents don't discipline them, or are afraid to because all kids know all they have to do is call CPS and report them; people are mean to one another, unfaithful to their spouses, they don't love one another, and have no mercy on anyone. 


And television reflects all of that. I won't watch movies with blatant sex, and I won't watch anything where the actors take the Lord's Name in vain. Why don't they use Buddha's name in vain, or Confucius', or Hitler's maybe, he was a horrible man? We all shout about our government, other countries, inflation, the cost of gas, the price of food, medical care we can't afford, plus a million other things that go on in today's society. Why keep yelling? It doesn't change a thing, but there is a way to change all of it.


If everyone would bow their heads right now and ask Jesus to forgive their sins, believing with their hearts, and begin to act according to God's laws, this world would turn around. We would do away with war, disease, and famine. There would be no need for prisons, bombs, or hospitals even. Poverty would flee. Illness would be a thing of the past. Deserts would become fertile ground for growing food. And the list goes on and on.

If you would like this movement to start in your home, here is the first step:


"Lord, I know I am a sinner and haven't been living the way you want me to. I believe that Jesus is the Christ, who came to earth through a virgin, died on the cross, was buried and rose on the third day, and is coming back one day.


I ask that Jesus live in my heart, and cleanse me of my sins. Let me be an example for my family and friends, so that they will know there is only one God, and one way to Heaven.


I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Savior and Lord of my life. I thank you and praise you.


In Jesus' holy name. Amen."


If you said that prayer with a sincere heart, your name has been written in God's Book of Life and when you die, you will go to Heaven. Or if the Lord returns before your death, you will be caught up with all of His people. Now, get a Bible and read the book of John in the New Testament. Find a Bible believing church like the Assembly of God, or Pentecostal Church, these two church entities are everywhere, and it's likely you will find one or both close to your house. Visit each one and decide which one you fit in with the best, and attend every week.


Share your salvation with everyone you know, and don't worry about it if they scoff at you, or think you're going through a phase, it happens to all of us. Just stay faithful in reading the Bible and going to church. The more you go, the more you learn, and the more you grow in the Lord. 


God bless you and keep you!

What We Dislike In Ourselves...

Have you ever heard the saying, "What we dislike in others is usually what we dislike in ourselves?" It is a true saying and I've often noticed that people who tell me that so and so is such a (?), it sounds as if they are talking about themselves! Not that I'm above such things, but I do try to be self-aware and recognize that if someone is doing something that makes me not care for their presence, perhaps I need to do a little soul searching and see if there is something in me that needs to change.

I've also learned more recently that some of my old behaviors that I've diligently tried to erase, have come to the surface and it has made me feel quite small and guilty. I've been trying to deal, without much success, with the feelings of loss and anger over my daughter and her family suddenly moving to California, followed by my youngest son's move to a different part of California, and then my older son moving his family to yet another part of California. And my youngest daughter and her family moved to Texas. I have felt so alone and lonely since their departures, but especially with my older daughter's move because she and her family have lived with us over the past year and a half, and I am so attached to her children, and especially her son, who just turned a year old on May 11.

As time went by, I thought I would adjust and get over the crying binges, the anger at feeling as if they betrayed me, and the feelings of overwhelming loss of those grandbabies. Instead of prayer helping, it seemed as if every time I prayed, I only felt the loss that much more keenly. I tried keeping up with my Bible reading but the words just seemed to have no meaning. As the days and weeks passed, I became more depressed, more crying binges that lasted longer and longer, and I couldn't even have a conversation with my daughter without feeling as if I had to tell her exactly how much she had hurt me, which only angered her, and then we didn't talk at all. The more time that went without talking, the more I felt as if she and her husband didn't care at all that I was hurt and missing them and the babies. They never once said, "Mom, as soon as we have our own place, we'll make sure there's a bedroom for you and you can visit and stay as long as you like." Which they had done when their daughter was born. I went out to California when she was born, they had a room for me and said I could stay as long as I wished. Since they were staying with relatives, I didn't even think that they were mainly worried about just getting caught up on their bills, and finding their own place, and would, I'm sure, invite me to visit indefinitely once that was accomplished.

If you've read my past posts, you know I have been a mother since age sixteen, and have always had a houseful of kids and grandkids until just the past few weeks. And with my husband, Nathan, working in another state, I have been here alone except for my doggies. Although they are a great comfort, they aren't much for conversation. If you know anything about me, which would mean you've read Dancing With Bear: A Love Story, you know that the past thirteen years of my life has been tumultuous to say the least, and more than any one person should have to deal with in an entire lifetime, let alone such a short period of time. But through it all, I have tried to take it all with grace and knowledge that the Lord is in control and my life is His to do with as He pleases. However, over the past few weeks, I have been so much less than grace-full, and have been downright mean on several occasions. I've said the most awful things to Lisa, just to underscore the depth of the pain I feel.

I am writing about this now because I did call her and apologize, because she didn't deserve such an attitude from her own mother, but also because I know she is probably feeling a little lost herself right now. But the main reason I am making my deplorable actions public is because I know how God works, and I know how the enemy works. My actions have kept me from doing God's will, and that is what happens every time the enemy is allowed to horn in on our lives, no matter where we are or what we are doing.

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

It is so easy for us to take our eyes off the Cross of our salvation, the way Peter took his eyes off Jesus while he was walking on water from the boat. (Matthew 14:28-30) We are often like Peter, full of faith one moment, and faith-less the next. We forget who the author and finisher of our faith is, we take our eyes off of Jesus, and look instead at our circumstances and see the worst. Instead of saying, "Jesus, look at our circumstances," we should be saying, "Circumstances, look at our Jesus!"

No matter how long we have been saved, or how long we've been in ministry, there comes times when we are bombarded by negative circumstances, people, and attitudes. We might not handle these situations with the grace we would like to, but the bottom line is, which side we come out of them on. Do we come out with the realization that we were wrong, and need to apologize to the person, or people, we've offended? Do we repent and ask the Lord's forgiveness and trust that He allowed the situation in order for us to learn and grow? Or do we give up and walk away, playing into the enemy's hands?

Keep praying, keep reading the Bible, keep your eyes on the prize, which is our salvation that leads to Heaven.

It Gets A Little Dusty....

Yesterday a strange thing occurred. I saw a post on Face Book about a promotions company and I contacted them. I'm always looking for new ways to promo my books and those that I publish. I looked over their site but couldn't find any pricing, so I contacted them and they sent an email saying I had to go to their form, fill it out, submit it and then they'd tell me which of their plans, including cost, would fit my book the best. I found this to be a sour taste in my mouth. Why? Because I have been in this business for many years, have dealt with numerous publicity companies and never have I seen one that wasn't up front with their pricing.

I sent the gal an email and told her I found this not to be to my liking and just wanted the pricing so I could see if her company was one I wanted to deal with. After all, if I couldn't afford her, why take up anymore of her time or mine? She was not friendly about my email, and I told her I understood that if she was dealing with new authors, that perhaps they didn't know what they needed to do but for someone like me, who is a professional author with more than 20 books out, I just wanted the pricing.

Instead of an email reply, she wrote a blog about it! Yes, she went on a tirade of about how it "happened again" that some author who was basically full of themselves.... I'm not going to quote her here, except for the "happened again" and if it "happened AGAIN" perhaps that should be a clue to her that the way she is doing business, especially since claiming she is a Christian, isn't working.

I don't go into Walmart, fill my basket with unpriced items, take them to the check-out and then find out how much things cost. No one would do that. And I don't know of any other promotions company who hides their pricing from those who wish to use their services.

Anyway, I did reply to her Face Book post that she put up inviting others to read her blog and told her she wrote a nice article but she did fail to mention that any time you point a finger at someone, three are pointing back, and perhaps the thing we dislike in others is that which we dislike in ourselves.

The funny thing is that earlier in the day someone else had posted about the back-stabbing that goes on with some authors. I replied that since I had gotten out of the smut writing business, I hadn't had that problem. I guess it was God's way of showing me that no matter where we are, we have to watch others, even those who claim to be Christian. The Bible says to test those against the word. If someone claims to be one thing but acts another way, especially Christians, then we need to walk away from them. Shake the dust from our sandals, as it were.


Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'

Communicating With God

I am a born again Christian although I don't claim a "religion." In my opinion, religion is something people do to get noticed by others, or to control others. I believe in the Bible and that it is the divine word of God, given to man for living the way we should. I believe that God is who He says He is, that Christ died on the cross for my sins, and was raised on the third day, and now sits on the right hand of God in Heaven. I believe Christ will return and all of those who have accepted Him as their Savior will rule and reign with Him in the new Jerusalem. I believe the Bible says what it means and means what it says, and that it is a light to those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and darkness to those who haven't. I believe only a fool says there is no God and those who die without accepting Christ as their Savior will go to Hell.

I believe no person needs to go through a priest or any other human being to have direct contact with Jesus. I also believe that praying to "saints" or to the "virgin Mary" is no different than praying to a brick wall. Mary was the virgin who conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to our Savior Jesus Christ, but afterward she was a wife like any other wife and went on to have relations with Joseph and gave birth to other children. All of this is in the Bible but you have to read it in order to know it.

In the Name of Jesus we all have access to God, to life everlasting, and I hope those who think the Bible is "confusing and too difficult to understand" (as a proclaimed female ordained minister stated), will accept Jesus as their Savior and allow the Lord to make His Word a light unto their path.

It's very simple and if you are sincere and repent of your sins, ask Jesus to cleanse your sins and live within you as your Savior, He will.

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I have not lived my life for You. I ask Your forgiveness and I ask You to cleanse my sins and show me how to live for You. In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

Yes, it is that easy. And I hope, if you've prayed this prayer, you will let me know. I would love to continue to hold you up in prayer each day while you are learning to walk in His footsteps. I also have a gift for you if you have said this prayer and send me an email at dancingwithbear at gmail dot com.

God bless you,
Marie

Dancing With Bear: A Love Story

     Dancing With Bear Publishing began in honor of my late husband, J. Bear Marler, who passed from this life 12/18/2010.
     Although I had been writing erotic romance and not living the way I knew God wanted me to, I sold out for a publishing contract.
     That first contract led to many others with several different publishers, and although I have since requested those publishers to release me from the contracts, most refused. So I have removed all evidence of those books from my websites, blogs, and other pages in the hopes that a lack of publicity would also be a lack of sales, and thereby encourage those publishers to release me from the contracts I have.
     After writing A Love Story, which I self-published, I began a spiritual journey back to the place God wanted me to be, and I opened the virtual doors of Dancing With Bear Publishing to help others realize their dream of publication. I put out a call for "clean" reads and had so many submissions, I had to close the submission call after only one month, I still was not where God wanted me with the publishing company.
     God did not call me to publish "clean" reads, He called me to use my writing talent to glorify Him, and to publish work that also glorified Him. Since then, I have published When God Talks, It's Time To Listen, and Comfort & Joy book one: forgiveness. The submissions call is once again open but the guidelines are very strict in what will be accepted. Dancing With Bear Publishing now only accepts godly material, whether non-fiction or fiction, as well as books with strong moral story lines in our children's department.
     I feel such a sense of peace now that I am in line with what God wants from me, and using my talent to glorify His Son Jesus Christ. I pray that everything produced within DWB Publishing is a blessing to others and will draw people to the Lord in humility, for the forgiveness of sin.
     God bless and keep each and everyone who reads this blog. I pray for your salvation, your healing, and for the blessings of Heaven to be poured out upon you.