Women in Leadership

I know the election is over and things have pretty much been put in the back round as far as this issue, but I wrote this a couple months ago and part of my assignment was put it somewhere, where others besides my family could read it. So please give me some feedback.

In our nation today we are struggling to find leadership that is uncorrupted and can bring something better for us, out of our mess of a government. It being 2008, an election year, it is right now a bigger question than ever, especially for Christians. As we looked at the options we had before us we were discouraged, neither fulfilled what we were vainly hoping for.
Then the Republican candidate for vice-president came along.
Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, McCain's surprising choice for his running mate. At first every one seemed to be in shock. Then as things went on people either applauded or turned away from her. Many Christians were pleased by what they saw in her, and it seemed she for stood for things they were afraid would become lost causes. Now, they felt that there was a hope for our country.
While it is true that many of the things she stands for sound like the right thing for our country, there are also problems with the nomination of Sarah Palin. First and foremost being the simple fact that she is a woman. This fact is wonderful to most women, who say that it is high time we got our say in there, and that men have messed things up long enough. But it is what condemns her as a vice- president.
Many of Palin's supporters, as well as those of other women in leadership, bring up the example of Deborah from the Bible. She was a judge in the Israelite nation, a woman in a position of leadership.
But they fail to look at passages such as 1 Timothy 2:12, " But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." This verse is quite clear on the biblical position of men and women. It goes on to say in verse 13, "For it is Adam who was first created and then Eve." Man was made first and woman made to help him, not to rule over him.
So, what about Deborah?
She was, after all, a judge over Israel. One thing we need to do is look at all the things surrounding her, and the historical context. First of all the judges were not a part of the normal structured government in Israel, the judges were used by God to defend Israel, they carried out judgment on its oppressors but were not civil rulers.
Then if you look specifically at Deborah, it says that she was a prophetess, she spoke God's word to the people and it says that she did it from her home. She did not sit in the gate which is where the civil rulers met. She "judged" in that she was a divinely inspired woman who spoke God's word to the people from her home and helped to establish righteousness and equity. Also the author of Judges points to Barack as being the judge not Deborah, he carried the action of leading and defending Israel.
So Deborah can not be used as our example for putting women in leadership. She did not usurp the authority of the men in anything she did.
In Isaiah, God mourns over Israel saying," O My people! Their oppressors are children and women rule over them." Women in leadership are considered a sign of judgment upon a nation. All this does not mean that women are lesser than men. But man was made first, he was incomplete without woman and she was made to be his help meet, not his slave and not his guide or leader. Women can have influence over the leaders of our nation and have for many centuries. They bore and raised them. They lifted up and supported their husbands, making them stronger and more able to lead, rather than pushing them down and trying to take their place. When women are silent and remain in the home, the men rise up and seek to fulfill their responsibility.


His Handmaiden, Laurel

Everything And Yet Nothing

The past few days have been a lovely mixture of scrumptious(isn't that a delicious word) nothingness and delightful busyness. Our Christmases are usually like that, it seems we are so busy with all the fun things you do around Christmas yet without school and work going on a wonderful feeling of not having to do anything.

The week after Christmas my mother always gets the cleaning bug, so we have been doing some straightening and organizing, sometimes I enjoy doing that often it depends on what we are organizing, I have such fun doing my closet, finding those little things that you forget you had so its just as fun as getting them all over again only now you have sweet memories connected with them, I really should do that more often, right now my closet is chaos.

I know I'm just rambling on and probably not making much sense here but sometimes I just feel I have to do that.

Here's a few pictures from doing Senior portraits, as you can see we had a lot of fun. Paige, I love you!

God Bless It

" There are many things from which I might have derived good from which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas-time, when it comes round - apart from the veneration due to it's sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that - as a good time; a kind forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time of year I know of, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as of they were really fellow-passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, though it has never put another scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe it has done me good and will do me good; And I say God bless it!

-Charles Dickens

Merry Christmas!

This past month has just flown by, it has been an extremely busy one a very fun one and a time of great joy in our household. Although we do not believe that Christmas is really a biblical holiday, God does command us to be joyful and there are many different 'holy-days' that were celebrated in the Bible. If someone were ask for a good solid biblical reason to celebrate Christmas I'm afraid I would be at a loss for words, but it is such a joy to me to celebrate my Saviour's birth and I do not believe there is any sin it.

It has been somewhat hectic but I have very much enjoyed going out and finding gifts for my family, Caitlin has been somewhat difficult but today I finally found something for her. So now in the next couple days it will be baking and cleaning, both of which though usually a chore at this time of year can be quite fun knowing what it is we are preparing for.

So, "Love and joy come to you, and to you glad Christmas too,
and God bless you and send you a happy new year!"

His Handmaiden, Laurel