Fredo, (https://mybloggers.com/fredo/ ), asked me to write something, anything other than a blog about politics.   Something more along the lines of my blog about my daughter, Becky. (https://justmyopinion.blogster.com/me-my-gal ) So, I thought, how about a follow up.

Becky just turned twelve. Incredible. She was born twelve years ago....wow, where did it go? She is still the most incredible creature God EVER created, obviously an un-disputed fact, at least to me. She's growing up though, almost an alien, Uh, I mean teenager. By the time I was twelve, I was already on my way to being a gangster. I had already formed my first "street gang" The Rebels, complete with confederate battle flag.



Compared to today's gangs there is no comparison I guess. It was more like a club for us, meetings, bravado, but no actual gang fights or anything like that. Just kids wanting to belong to something. I guess in retrospect it is a comparison to today. I'm hopeful that Becky will not have that same need because she has a Dad in her life that loves her and takes an interest in her life.

I've brought her up in church and she love's Jesus and I know He is able to make her life different than mine. She was dedicated to the Lord when she was a baby. That was the first time I ever prayed out loud in front of other people, a very difficult thing for me to do at the time. She has been in church all of her life.

Today, there are so many bad influences for kids. What with MTV, sitcoms, even cartoons full of sexual innuendo, drugs, sex, violence, political correctness. With the Godlessness, even growing in-tolerance of Christianity, it's difficult not to fear for her future. I've done what I can to teach her what I believe, soon, all to soon, she will start the process of sorting out what she believes. Have I done enough, been a good enough example? Sometimes I wonder. With my ranting and raving about politics, money problems, this that and the other, how much have I modeled Jesus to her? Jesus had no fear, he didn't worry and fret over tomorrow, in fact he taught against doing so. 


With the natural tendencies of teens to rebel even reject what their parents believe, I confess that bothers me. Again, I'm learning to trust Jesus on that one, one day at a time.

You see, I don't think she has time to go through the stage of rebellion that most kids go through, Not all kids to be sure. I have friends that were saved (came to know Jesus) at a very young age and have a very strong faith all through their adult lives. The way things are going, I don't see the world being here all that much longer, so she will need that same strong faith.

 God has been very good to the United States and now  America has decided she no longer needs God. Many Americans even have a disdain for God if not an outright hatred of Him. That is a very dangerous situation. How grieved God must be after the many blessings He has bestowed on us.

We were discussing heaven the other day and she said to me, "Dad, sometimes I can't wait to go to heaven and see Jesus face to face." I smiled and said, "me either honey." She trusts the Lord so much, I'm still learning from her. I've been consciously praying and turning my fear over to God, one day at a time.
   Jesus told us these things must be, concerning things happening in the "end times." It's still a little spooky just how much today's headlines read like a modern translation of Revelation, the last book in the Bible. Christians will be persecuted for believing in God. We are already seeing that, even in America. Not as much as in many countries of the world to be sure. Here, some Christians think they are being persecuted if they are called a bad name or made fun of. I don't think they have seen anything yet. If the Muslims get the upper hand, or America marches ever closer to Socialism/Communism, that persecution could even become deadly, perhaps soon as America is still mostly asleep concerning those very real threats. Then Christians in America would be facing real persecution, unlike anything most have ever imagined. The rubber will hit the road if you will. Many will turn away from God during that time. I pray my family and I will be given the strength and grace to stand tall for Jesus, even if it meant our death.

 
My focus has a tendency to slip away from Jesus to the events unfolding every day. I was praying one day last week and God seemed to say to me, "Bill, when Daniel ( an old testament prophet) was thrown in to the lions den, do you think his focus was on the lions? In that story, God shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel was unharmed, his focus was on God. In that moment there was a peace, that peace all of as Christians desire. Like Daniel, I must be vigilant to keep my focus on Him as well.

As for my daughter Becky, she continues to delight me in every way. I couldn't ask for a better daughter. Her faith in God is a wonderful thing to behold. Simple child like faith, something all Christians should strive to have.
   In the bible it says, "

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

 "Let the little children come to me, He said, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

In the days to come, my prayer will be for us to have that simple, childlike faith my precious daughter displays so well.

 Like her sometimes, I can't wait to go to heaven, to see Jesus face to face.

Well, in re-reading this article, it might not have been exactly what my friend Fredo had in mind for me to write about, but it certainly was personal. 


                                                                      
                                         Just my opinion,
                                                  Bill