My Heart of the Matter

Building Your Noah’s Ark

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Graphic art by Jason Flores

Even if you don’t believe in God, everyone has heard the story of Noah’s Ark. Noah was six-hundred years old when he closed the doors to the ark. Historians believe that it took him 75 years to build it. Noah built this ark as instructed by God. According to Jewish tradition, lions, wolves, tigers and other ferocious animals surrounded the ark  to protect Noah from the evil people who were assigned to disrupt the building of the ark. There were major obstacles to accomplish this great endeavor, but because Noah was righteous he received favor from God. This gave Noah the grace to build the ark. When you are righteous before the Lord, He gives you favor to complete any task.

The Ark

Deep within us we all have an ark we want to build. We long to accomplish something significant even though we never believed it could be done. In my lifetime my ark is this Blog. It has always been the desire of my heart to reach others and to lead them to the Lord. How did God use me, a mediocre student with dyslexia? My story is no different from the rest of  you, I prayed and God gave me the desires of my heart. I have learned from this experience that everything is done in God’s timing, not mine. After praying for so many years I received a dream with the instructions for my ark. I was given the name for the Blog and the image of what the logo would look like. At first  I did not receive this as instructions from God. I questioned Him about the name My Catholic Roots Are Showing as being too long and the fact that the word Catholic was included. My idea was to reach Protestants as well, so I felt that the mention of “Catholic” would not grab the attention of my Protestant friends. But God had other ideas. Slowly this Blog is reaching many, including people from around the world. Each week the Lord graciously gives me a story to share, to offer hope and to shed light in this time of darkness.

God Is Specific

When God gave Noah instructions on how to build the ark, He was very specific:

Preparation for the Flood. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood equip the ark with various compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you shall build it: the length of the ark will be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 Make an opening for daylight and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put the ark’s entrance on its side; you will make it with bottom, second and third decks. 17 I, on my part, am about to bring the flood waters on the earth, to destroy all creatures under the sky in which there is the breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.

When you are called to do something for the Kingdom of God, it does not always come naturally. When you understand that it’s a gift from God, the Holy Spirit gives you revelation. God gives gifts to all of us. Even the ungodly are given gifts. Of course until they see the big picture, they believe His gifts are really their own creativity and talents. Your mind is a gift from God; how you use it will either draw you closer to God or not. If you do not believe in God, you might believe that your great success is based on how astute you are.

Gopherwood

Gopherwood is only mentioned in the Bible one time. The ark had to have strong hard wood to withstand not only 40 days of flooding but to remain in the water for another 150 days! My Blog had to have a name that stood out and was uniquely mine. I attribute the word “roots” in my Blog as being rooted in the Word of God. My Catholic faith is a deeply private matter in my relationship with our Lord. I could not be where I am today if it were not for my Catholic beliefs.

The Evil Around Us

Just as in the days of Noah, evil prevailed.

As I petition You, Lord, hear the cries of Your people. Give us yet another opportunity to serve You and to lead others to the foot of Your glorious Cross. Remove lawlessness from our country and punish those who continue to mock You by sinning. Thank You for all that You have graciously bestowed on this beautiful nation. May we forever remain a God-fearing country.
Amen.

 

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My Heart of the Matter

Being Accountable to God

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I have conscientiously made a promise to myself that I would not use this Blog as a political stance. But I need to share the simple truth about how God operates. Our governor has purchased ads on billboards for women in the seven states that have outlawed abortions. Whether you are Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, these billboards pose a serious offense to God. I have nothing negative to say about Governor Newsom because that’s not the message I’m attempting to convey. He’s committing a grave sin, and our state will pay the price for his actions. According to our governor, our state is a sanctuary state for abortion rights. My mind can hardly take in all this evil. These ads  include a Bible verse from Mark 12:31  (31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. “There is no commandment greater than these.”) To take the Word of God out of context is blasphemous. Governor Newsom’s reprehensible actions reveal his real character. Breaking the Fifth Commandment “Thou Shall Not Kill” is what our governor thinks his campaign is masking by twisting Scripture to fit into his political narrative.

Mississippi and Oklahoma Billboards

Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a pro-choice billboard campaign in anti-abortion states with restrictive laws.

The Ten Commandments

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, it was a cataclysmic act, accompanied by fire, thunder, earthquakes and lightning (Exodus 20:18-21). The Israelites, who were instructed by Moses to wait at the bottom of Mount Sinai, were aware that Moses was in the holy presence of God. But instead of falling to their knees and praying, they became fearful and impatient, which led them to commit the grave sin of making a false idol. This act was a direct violation of the first and second commandments.

The Ten Commandments

Author: Michael Hains

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.

COMMANDS: faith, hope, love, and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer.

FORBIDS: idolatry; superstition; spiritism; tempting God; sacrilege; attendance at false worship.

2. THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.

COMMANDS: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.

FORBIDS: blasphemy; the irreverent use of God’s name; speaking disrespectfully of holy things; false oaths and the breaking of vows.

3. KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY.

COMMANDS: going to church on Sundays and holy days of obligation.

FORBIDS: missing church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work on Sunday and holy days of obligation.

4. HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER.

COMMANDS: love; respect; obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.

FORBIDS: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect; disobedience.

5. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

COMMANDS: safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare and that of others.

FORBIDS: unjust killing; suicide; abortion; sterilization; dueling; endangering life and limb of self or others.

6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.

COMMANDS: chastity in word and deed.

FORBIDS: obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.

7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.

COMMANDS: respect for the property of rights and others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public office.

FORBIDS: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; breach of contract.

8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.

COMMANDS: truthfulness; respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.

FORBIDS: lying; injury to the good name of others; slander; talebearing; rash judgment; contemptuous speech and the violation of secrecy.

9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.

COMMANDS: purity in thought.

FORBIDS: wilful impure thought and desires.

10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.

COMMANDS: respect for the rights of others.

FORBIDS: the desire to take, to keep, or damage the property of others.

We Are all Accountable

In this short life that we are given, we can either make a difference for the better or be like the Israelites who grew despondent. I want the world to know the harm our liberal leaders are causing by coming against God. If we all lived by the laws of God, we would never have experienced chaos in the first place.

I’m doing my part by volunteering at my local parish and teaching First Communion and Confirmation classes. Our children are our future – we must protect them. The laws are quickly changing and the attempt to disregard parental rights is happening as I type these words! We need to be aware of all the smoke screens the Enemy is setting up. My students are eager to learn the truth; they ask questions and God gives the answers.

I speak to all Christians/Catholics who follow a liberal line. Do you understand the severity of your beliefs? I pray with all my heart that God would open your eyes so that you can clearly see the wrong in what our governor is doing. I’m praying for Governor Newsom to repent and to return to his core Catholic beliefs. Nothing is impossible with God! I believe that God called Governor Newsom to lead, so I’m praying that God would change his heart.

I gave up anger for prayer and it’s working. I watch and listen to all the crazy things that are presented and my thoughts always revert to, “God is in control!” November 8th is election day and God is in control of that as well. May our state receive the sweet scent of victory and may God’s laws prevail.

October is Respect Life Month!

My Prayer

Dear Lord, so many Christians are confused about Your laws. I pray that You would give them a great revelation, and that they would be convicted because of their actions. Heavenly Father, I lift up Governor Newsom. Lord, You called him to lead; speak to  him in dreams to correct his actions. Only You can intervene on his behalf. I pray for our state, that Your great hand of divine judgment will fall on the hearts of all who fail to follow Your Ten Commandments.  Amen

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