It's not over yet!

So, the House of Commons has voted to legalise same-sex marriage by a margin of 400 votes to 175.  Already the supporters of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill seem to think that the battle has, effectively, been won.  However, there is an old saying that, "It's not over until the fat lady sings" - and that stage has not yet been reached!  

As I understand it, the Bill now has to go through at least one Committee stage, during which amendments may be made.  It then has to go to the House of Lords - and the Upper House has the option of returning it to the House of Commons.  This is where things could get really interesting!  My understanding (again!) is that, because the issue was not in any of the Party manifestos; and because it was not in the Queen's Speech at the opening of the current Parliamentary session; the Parliamentary Act (1949) may not be invoked.  This Act curtailed the power of the House of Lords, and reduced the Lords' delaying power over legislation to one year, ensuring that it cannot, indefinitely, overturn decisions of the House of Commons.  If my understanding is correct, then the House of Lords may, in this specific situation, delay the passage of the Bill right up until the next General Election!  As that is more than two years away, who knows what will have happened in the intervening period?!

Of one thing I remain certain - that God is Sovereign!  He is also the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End.  He has not been phased by this decision.  From His vantage point of eternity - a dimension far beyond anything that we are capable of even imagining, let alone understanding - He sees all of created time simultaneously.  He already knows the final outcome of this attempt to redefine that which He instituted at the very beginning of time.  And, of course, He is working all things out in accordance with His ultimate will and purpose.

So we do not lose heart.  We work; we pray; we submit to the Father's will.  To Him be all the glory!

Marriage.

On Tuesday, Feb 5th, the House of Commons, in Westminster, will have the first opportunity to vote on the Bill for the proposed legalisation of homosexual/lesbian "marriage".  It is, of course, not just a religious and moral issue.  More and more it is being realised that such legislation would open up a veritable Pandora's Box with regard to civil liberties; and would require an inordinate amount of Parliamentary time to be further used in the changes to primary legislation that would then be required.

However, that is not all.  There is the well-known (although often ignored!) "Law of unintended consequences".  The Coalition for Marriage have been providing some brief video messages dealing with some of them.  Now that I have discovered how to obtain the necessary embedding code, I plan to air them on this blog.  No.3 is here.



Please pray that many MPs will have the courage to vote against the Bill at its reading on Tuesday.

Is this hypocrisy?

There were a couple of interesting, and related, news items during the past week.  On the one hand, we were informed that the last active Church of Rome adoption agency in the UK is being forced to cease operations unless it takes homosexual/lesbian couples. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator ruled that St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society in Glasgow was discriminating against same-gender couples because it prioritises those who have been married for at least two years. The decision follows a ruling in England that Catholic Care, based in Leeds, could not claim an exemption under the Equality Act to allow it to operate in line with Church teaching. 

At the same time, Edward Timpson, the Children’s Minister in the UK government, announced that local Councils that fail to do enough to tackle a national shortage of adoptive parents are to be stripped of responsibility for recruiting them, and that the task of filling the backlog of would-be adopters in problem areas will be handed over to private agencies and charities instead!   Mr Timpson said that the Government could no longer “stand by” while the backlog of children cleared for adoption, but waiting to be found suitable homes, continues to grow. 

Does anyone else see the paradox here?  An admitted shortage of adoptive parents, but agencies unable to operate for no other reason than that they happen to believe - and, unlike many politicians, have the courage of their convictions to say so - that a child is best served by having two parents, one of each gender, as nature irrefutably demands!  

Meanwhile, in both Holyrood and Westminster politicians, pushing the matter of "same-gender 'marriage'" - not a part of any of their last manifestos - seem to think that as long as they are able to claim to be defending the rights of faith groups (not just Christians!) and clerics, there should be no opposition to their plans.  Of course, their so-called "safeguards" aren't worth the hot air spouted.   The recent judgements by even the European Court of Human Rights would indicate that the conscience of a Christian may be successfully challenged.  Indeed, a source close to Education Secretary Michael Gove has admitted that teachers could be sacked for opposing gay marriage - that the Government would be powerless to stop headteachers firing staff who refuse to endorse same-sex marriage! This is what those who support traditional marriage have been saying for many months.  One wonders for how long those in government have known this, but preferred to keep the information hidden!

However, as I was reminded at a recent meeting of Scotland for Marriage, "It's not over yet!"  I am fully convinced that The Lord will intervene to protect that which He ordained.  However, I also believe that He expects us to play our part by continuing in prayer; by signing petitions; by writing to, or visiting, our MPs and MSPs.  May those of us who claim to be His disciples not be found wanting.  It is to Him that we answer!

10 Rules for a Happy Day

TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I will not respond in the same way.

TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbour, co-worker, or stranger.

TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words, being certain that I do not spread gossip.

TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as I would have them do unto me" (see Luke 6:31) - with everyone I encounter.

TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy food. I will thank God for my body.

TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to God's voice!!!

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet."
(I Thessalonians 5:8)

A parable to encourage!

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.

And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb, such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without any reason. "He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person." After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off.  Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either. "That's the way I want to be," thought Punchinello. "'I don't want anyone's marks." So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it. "It's easy," Lulia replied. "every day I go see Eli."

"Eli?"

"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."

"Why?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there." And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away.

"But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn't seem to hear him. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli. He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm.

Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave, he heard his name "Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong.

Punchinello stopped. "Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."
Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks."

"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."

"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."

"You don't?"

"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, said Eli... All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."

Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me." Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this - much less his maker. He didn't know what to say. "Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.

"I came because I met someone who had no marks."

"I know. She told me about you."

"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"

"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."

"What?"

"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."

Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. "Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it." And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

Remember that YOU ARE SPECIAL and YOU ARE LOVED, because YOU are God's most important and special creation!