Sharon – Sharon Bollum

Author: <span>Sharon</span>

Who are you following? No really. Do you know?

December 24, 2022December 25, 2022
by Sharon

Since the birth of our nation, we’ve had guiding principles. Shared values. We didn’t all see the future the same way, but we were free to pursue it in whatever way we believed to be right. We were guided by our own conscience and fidelity to our shared moral and social contract. We each understood that our personal liberties and rights only extended to the point they interfered with the rights of others. Our founding fathers called that contract The Constitution of the United States of America and established a government comprised of fellow citizens to keep and protect it.

Lately, it feels like We the People of this nation are trapped in a bus with no steering wheel and no brakes. Our direction AND our destination are being changed and changed again by powerful people and politicians pushing us in a direction most of us don’t believe to be right or good.

None of these people have the right to nullify the Constitution that made the United States the greatest nation on the planet. Nor do they have any authority to supplant it with a new one created in their own woke image. But that isn’t stopping them. It’s not even slowing them down.

They have completely flipped the script on us. It’s like we woke up in 2020 to discover we no longer live in a nation ruled by the consent of the governed. Sadly, the MAJORITY of our leaders are corrupt and rule as though they don’t need or want our consent. Not anymore.

They see you and me as sheep. And themselves as rightful shepherds and benevolent saviors of the world.

I used to feel a bit offended that Jesus referred to His followers as sheep in the Bible. I get it now.

Sheep are kinda dumb, aren’t they? They mostly just go with the flow. Most aren’t even following the shepherd. They are only following the sheep in front of them. They don’t actually know the shepherd personally. So if someone else came along with a bucket of oats and SAID they were the shepherd … well, they’d be easy to fool.

This is what’s happened to America. Whether it’s Mainstream Media, Cable TV, Social Media, or celebrities; they’ve persuaded many sheep to follow them …and hate anyone who won’t.

These new shepherds want us to believe the Christian ethics, morals, and values that called the United States into being; were wrong all along. They say those who penned our Constitution were merely imposing the traditions and preferences of “old white men”. Never mind those “old white men” weren’t old OR that the genesis of our Constitution was rooted in the freedoms and liberties given us by God alone- not them. Not any man.

The ultimate power of our Constitution IS that We the People hold the power AND the right to shut down our government if it ever attempts to take our God-given rights away.

But our new shepherds don’t want us to believe that. They claim they are protecting Democracy by nullifying our Constitutional Rights. Just as every tyrannical government has done before.

By delegitimizing the people who wrote and signed our Constitution they attempt to usurp the rights and powers embedded in it.

Our self-appointed “shepherds” have this in common. They esteem their own words above the Word of God.

Everything established by God or created in His image is either being distorted or destroyed.

As hard as it is to believe, our own government calls those who refuse to accept the usurpation of God in America… a threat to our democracy. ANYONE who knows the Bible knows what an outrageous lie that is.

And right now, that’s our biggest problem, isn’t it? Far too many are easily led astray by a bucket of oats and a skillful liar.

Mark Twain said it best. “It’s easier to fool people than it is to convince them they’ve been fooled.”

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3

Do you KNOW who you are following?

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”John 10:27

He is still speaking. Just listen.

He WILL show us the way, the truth, and the life that supersedes the insanity that surrounds us today.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Christian Living

“Am I my brother’s keeper?”… Umm, yeah.

August 15, 2020November 18, 2020
by Sharon

Christ did not spend His time or attention on those whom the religious elite thought deserved it most.

The Pharisees believed that if Jesus were truly the Messiah He would seek the friendship of those who had earned it. Them! Not common sinners!

Jesus didn’t show the Pharisees the respect they thought they deserved. For that reason, Jesus was rejected by the very people who spent their lives… waiting for Him.

The Pharisees had memorized scripture, argued its meaning, and perfected the outward expressions of their piety for generations.

And for all their efforts, Jesus called them whitewashed tombs.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23:27-28

[pullquote]Every moment of Jesus’ life on earth was a lesson and an example for us. The human moments every bit as much as the supernatural ones.[/pullquote]

And what was their hypocrisy? The Pharisees pretended they were perfect when even they knew they were not. They used their grand robes and tall, pointy hats as cover for their selfish and hardened hearts. They excused their own sins while condemning others. They believed if a person was sick or born with a defect it was because they had sinned and therefore, deserved no sympathy. They also believed even casual contact with a sick person would defile them and make them unclean.

Jesus Focused on the Person Not the Imperfection

Jesus’ kindness made Him famous. People came from every direction to be near Messiah. He welcomed them all. He didn’t judge by outward appearances. He looked upon the heart and poured out His love on all who were sincere. It didn’t matter if they knew scripture. It didn’t matter if they fell short of our human ideals. He loved them. He served them. He healed them. No one was more or less special to Jesus.

The Woman with the issue of Blood Mark:25-34

There was a woman who had been struggling with menstrual bleeding for 12 long years. She spent all she had on doctors and treatments but nothing helped her. She was desperate to be healed. The Bible doesn’t tell us why she had been bleeding for 12 years. Likely because that part of her story didn’t matter.

What mattered is there were rules for women in her condition. According to religious law, women were required to keep themselves isolated until the bleeding stopped. She was considered unclean until then. She and anyone who touched her. So no one did. For 12 years.

Talk about social distancing!

She had to endure the condemnation of the entire community in addition to the physical and emotional pain. She spent all her days, including every birthday and holiday completely alone.

Imagine how you would feel if NO ONE touched you, hugged you, or even kissed your cheek for 12 years. Pretty easy to understand her desperation, isn’t it?

We don’t consider women unclean or demand they isolate during their monthlies today. We don’t believe the person in the wheelchair did something to deserve it. We don’t run away in disgust when we meet someone with a birth defect. We do our best to overlook those things and extend grace and friendship to them because that is the example Christ set for us. Love them. Serve them. Accept them as they are.

Except when we don’t.

One of my best friends was born with a rare birth anomaly. I wouldn’t call it a “defect” because that connotes something that we might perceive as negative. She was a member of my church 15 years ago and we’ve remained friends ever since. I treasure her. I am blessed by her in more ways than I could count. Her friendship is one of my greatest treasures. She’s as solid as a rock today because her identity is in Christ. Her faith is in Christ. Her purpose is in Christ.

But I will never forget how broken and hurt she was when I met her. She had recently been rejected by the church family she loved with all her heart. First, there was one person who was uncomfortable with her anomaly. Then another. Soon the pastor told her she wasn’t welcome to remain with them any longer unless she was willing to keep her birth defect hidden.

I could tell that she was hurting but it was a couple of months before she was ready to trust me with her heart. While I waited for that day, I prayed for her. I asked God to give me favor with her and to make me worthy of it.

One night she phoned me at home. Through her tears, she told me her story. It was heartbreaking. I silently prayed for wisdom and asked God to guide me. He responded with three little words. Don’t. Hurt. Her.

She’d been a Christian her whole life. She did everything to hide her birth defect and live her best life in spite of it. She loved her parents and they were proud of their child. They had no idea the emotional and psychological torment she lived with day in and day out. For nearly 30 years.

As a young adult, she turned to the elders of her church for help. She prayed and was prayed over a thousand times. All she wanted was to be healed.

She prayed for years to no avail. She became hopeless.

One night, with her foot on the gas pedal and her sights on the tree she thought would end her life, she cried out to God one last time. And He answered.

He simply said, “You’re okay”.

And just like that, she was healed. Though not in the way she prayed she would be. God overwhelmed her with His Love and Grace. He gave her peace …and permission to stop hiding from the world.

That very moment she chose to do the one thing she thought impossible. Live.

You and I may never understand why some people are made the way she was. Neither does she. We do know, and God knows, she didn’t choose to be born transgender any more than I chose to be born left-handed and clumsy as all get out.

My friend is right with God. I know that down to my toes. She has kept herself morally and sexually pure both before her transition and ever since. Her decision to make her outer identity match her inner one had nothing to do with sex or sexual attraction.

She is no more or less a sinner than you or me.

Sadly, a lot of Christians don’t see it that way. Including her parents and brothers who have not spoken to her in 30 years.

She spent the first 30 years of her life in emotional and psychological turmoil. She’s spent the last 30 mostly alone. It breaks my heart. Truly.

Just like the woman with the issue of blood, my friend has spent far too many holidays and birthdays alone. (I should mention we live in different states)

If she wanted to be part of the LGBT community she’d have loads of friends. But she doesn’t. She doesn’t share the agenda or the lifestyle of many in that community. She is a Conservative, Bible-believing, Born Again Christian. She does not want a different gospel, a rainbow parade, or special political carve-outs. She simply wants to live her life in community with other believers who know and love God as she does.

Is that too much to ask?

She and others like her have had their hearts broken by the church. Repeatedly. They are frequently rejected, negatively judged, and avoided by people who look at them the way I imagine the Pharisees would have. Unworthy of sympathy or compassion. Unworthy of friendship or even fellowship.

Rejected by their family. Rejected by their church family. No wonder so many commit suicide.

Brothers and sisters, every moment of Jesus’ life on earth was a lesson and an example for us. The human moments every bit as much as the supernatural ones.

The supernatural events demonstrated His power and authority. They show us who He was. But the human moments. Those demonstrated the power of Love and Grace. And show us who WE are.

The Pharisees – who were legitimately the religious experts of their time – aren’t remembered for being Holy. They aren’t remembered for their devotion to scripture or doctrine. They are remembered for being the people who rejected Christ because Christ refused to reject the sick, the sinner, and the lame.

There is so much we don’t know or understand. If miracles were there for the taking everyone who longs to be made perfect would take one. But that’s not how it works, is it?

None of us will be made perfect on this side of Heaven. Not even one.

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9

Ummm, yeah.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Christian Living

All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

March 10, 2020March 10, 2020
by Sharon

I feel like I’ve been stuck on a road going nowhere for a while now. I’m not exactly sure when I took my first step in the wrong direction. But here I am. The road behind me has disappeared and the one before me seemed terribly out of focus.

I haven’t written any new posts for some time now. Not because I didn’t want to. I just haven’t had anything inspiring enough to share with the world for some time. When you’re a writer who depends on inspiration that’s a pretty big problem.

After a friend asked me about it the other day, I spent some time trying to figure out how long it’d been since I last felt like I was in step with the life I was called to live. I couldn’t pinpoint it. At first. But after some reflection, I’m pretty sure my inspiration waned as a result of me turning my attention toward politics and away from God …and prayer.

It started in 2016 when our nation was going through the most contentious presidential run of my lifetime. The stakes seemed higher than they’d ever been before. I was genuinely afraid of what would happen to our country if the party that stood against the Judeo/Christian values this nation was founded on gained even more power. To be sure, neither candidate radiated the character or godliness of a statesman fit to inhabit the highest office of the land. But one of them seemed a much greater threat to the America I have loved my whole life. The one “God shed His grace” on.

For the first time ever, I turned my full attention toward the news and politics. I never realized our Republic was as fragile as it is. I didn’t know the anti-Conservative and anti-Christian movement had become so strong. I have no idea when or why We the People strayed so far from our founding principles. There is simply no denying that Americans en mass have turned away from God and toward their own human wisdom and ideals for equality, morality, and freedom.

I admit I felt a bit of panic. I wanted to sound the alarm and make sure everyone understood that our values and place in society were under attack. Everywhere I was asked to speak I took the opportunity to tell Christians how important it is for us to recapture some of the ground we’ve lost in society -and perhaps even more importantly, how urgent it is that we regain the respect Christianity long-held in America. If our reputation had become badly tarnished then, by God, it was time for us to grab the elbow grease and put in the effort to polish it back up.

I began listening to a variety of podcasts. Some liberal, some conservative. Some far-left and some far-right. Some religious, some irreligious. Before I realized it I was listening to a combination of news and podcasts all day long trying to understand what was happening to the world around me.

I grew discouraged. The sharp clash in perspectives over political and social issues ended friendships and divided families all over the nation. It even happened in my family.

I fell into seeing this as a human problem that could be solved using human means. Like my vote was going to save America? Right. I live in California people. My vote hasn’t counted in 30 years.

Eventually, I stopped writing and pursuing speaking engagements. Not intentionally. I didn’t even realize I’d done it! Like a creek that ran dry, I went from a lot of hope – to a little – to not enough to share.

Last Sunday, in the middle of worship, God reminded me… this isn’t a human problem at all. This is a spiritual battle happening in, among and all around us. This is a battle of Good vs. Evil and the dividing line doesn’t run straight down the middle. There is a web of deception, confusion, and values that pit good people against good people. Parents against children, brother against sister, neighbor against neighbor and even CHRISTIAN AGAINST CHRISTIAN!

God never asked me to fix anything. He only asked me to allow Him to use me whenever and wherever it served His purposes. Maybe I’ll play a part in leading and elevating the Christian community and maybe I won’t. But thank God our future doesn’t depend on me one way or the other.

Maybe we can avoid an America where Christians are persecuted. Maybe we can’t. I still believe there is much we can do to improve our reputation and standing in this society, but we can’t win a battle that isn’t within our power to win.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

I lost my way because I forgot that Jesus IS the Way.

We need Jesus. We need prayer. We need to keep our trust and our hope in Him.

If I still have any hope to share with you it’s simply this:

Jesus loves us. ALL of us. Even those who reject Him and curse His name. Even those who stand for things you stand against. His plan is to reach them AND MAKE PEACE WITH THEM through us. Our job is to participate by staying open to those opportunities. But that’s all we can do. The rest really is up to God.

Afterall…it’s in God we trust. Right? Yes and Amen!

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name

Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay

Oh Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

When He shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

By all means, pay attention to the issues. VOTE for representatives who actually represent what we believe to be important.

But don’t be discouraged. This battle belongs to God. And God is Good.

To Him be all the glory!

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Uncategorized

The Question is: Who is the Blind?

October 3, 2019October 3, 2019
by Sharon

Do you swallow a camel and strain out a gnat?

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:24

Are we principled people? Do we apply the same standards equally to those we agree with and those we don’t? Are we outraged by the sins we see in others but forgiving of the sins we see in those a little closer to home? Do we show the same amount of grace to everyone regardless of their point of view?

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of their time. They were highly respected in their communities. They were the arbiters of truth, integrity, and holiness.

Each time they turned a blind eye to the moral wrongdoings of those they favored… or curried favor from, they moved further and further away from God’s will. They never “crossed the line” because it was within their power to draw the line wherever they saw fit.

They protected their consciences and reputations by keeping the focus on the sins they saw in others while discreetly minimizing or justifying their own.

It’s easy to cry “foul!” when we see the wrongs of others. It’s human nature to want to excuse those we agree with or perceive to be on “our side”. Our political landscape is littered with poorly placed blame and self-serving excuses and justifications. Yes, you and me too. We all play a part in this. Whether we’re screaming at the news anchors, commenting on YouTube or posting on social media.

Outrage is to be expected when we watch or read about the attitudes and behaviors we see in our politicians and pundits. How can we avoid it? Seriously!

But if we aren’t as upset by the wrongs when we or those we support are the ones committing it – we are hypocrites. Just like the Pharisees. Either call it out or don’t. But don’t be a hypocrite.

We cannot call ourselves principled people unless we are consistent in what we support or condemn …no matter who it is that’s done it.

Those who are quick to condemn their political “enemy” while sugar-coating the wrongs done on their side of the aisle only do further damage to our increasingly threadbare social fabric.

But it’s so much worse when this is done by a Christian. SO MUCH WORSE.

We are the people of God. Now more than any other time we must rise up and show ourselves to be worthy of being called so. We must not be like the Pharisees.

There has never been another time in America where Christianity is so scrutinized and criticized. Don’t give the enemy a foothold. Don’t hand our critics another reason to undermine our worldview and call us frauds.

It’s sad but true. We are divided nationally. Separated by politics, ideology, religion, and irreligion. There is no shortage of people scrutinizing and condemning the actions of others and not nearly enough who will judge their own by the same standards.

Do you swallow a camel when your political party does something wrong and strain out a gnat when the wrong is on the other side?

Not only should we Christians be different, but we MUST be different.

We are to be Peacemakers. We are to be fishers of men. Has there EVER been another time when it mattered more than it does today? What are we using for bait?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27

Practice the tenets of Love. Be patient. Be kind. Don’t be rude. Delight yourself when the truth wins out EVEN WHEN that truth doesn’t bode well for your personal gain or political party.

Let me close with this:

When God decided to destroy Sodom, Abraham beseeched him, ” Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will You then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said,“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Be righteous. Please.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Uncategorized

I Believe, Lord. Help me with my Unbelief.

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019
by Sharon

We all struggle with our faith from time to time. That’s only human.

Perhaps you heard in the news that some fairly well-known Christians recently denounced their faith after years of being church leaders and influencers. One of them on Twitter no less. They each said, in one way or another, they had too many doubts and unanswered questions about their belief in God. They found their faith had frayed so much they couldn’t hold onto the thread any longer.

I’m sad for them. But, I am far more sad about the impact their public denouncement will have on the people who look up to them.

Too many of us in the Christian community live on weak or shallow faith. What we have, even after years of being Christians, is not strong enough to withstand a major trial or period of serious doubt. This is why we see so many people fall away.

For some, when their religious convictions are challenged by circumstances, they find they aren’t as convicted or as convinced as they thought they were. They begin to question … WHICH IS A GOOD THING! That’s why we find the phrase in the Bible, “I believe, Lord. Help me with my unbelief!”

We call this a “crisis of faith”. Most of us will have several in our lifetime. Whether or not we survive these times with our faith intact wholly depends on the foundation our faith stands on.

We have way too many Christians living without any foundation for their faith. They believe. Sincerely! But they don’t know the stories, the lessons or the history behind the truths that support their dearly held affections for the Gospel. Because of this, when they are challenged to defend their faith, they simply cannot.

The vast number of Christians only read the scriptures that are printed in their Sunday sermon notes. Thoughts, insights, and ideals carefully curated and prepared for them by someone else. They pay attention well enough to fill in the blanks; but the lesson, as well as the scriptures, are forgotten by the time they leave the building.

Your pastor can’t build your faith or your foundation for you.

A pastor’s job is to inspire you and help you more fully understand the Word of God. But, let’s face it. If that’s all the Bible you are taking in each week it just isn’t enough for spiritual formation and growth. That would be the equivalent of only eating once a week. Eventually, you’ll find yourself in a crisis. And you’ll be too weak to stand against any enemy wanting to take your life …or your faith.

And this is both my point and my warning for you. Your faith has to be in the Word of God, not your pastors’ presentation of it –even if it’s a great presentation.

Life will throw your faith against the rocky cliffs at the edge of your understanding like a violent, rageful ocean.

Every foundation will be tested. Yours and mine. And we must be prepared for that.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
1 Peter 3:15

Your only defense is to know and understand the full counsil of God. This means taking in the words and the wisdom of the whole Bible.

The foundation of the New Testament is the Old Testament. Reading and studying both will help you understand SO MUCH MORE.

You’ll learn why it doesn’t make sense to pluck one scripture and use it as a proof text for any complicated human or social issue. You’ll see how the 66 different books and the 2000+ years it took to write them collectively express God more than any single idea, concept or scripture ever could.

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. “
” James 2:19

Read your Bible. Both the Old and New Testaments.

You once believed in Santa Clause simply because someone told you he was real. You had no real evidence to defend your belief when someone told you he wasn’t. Don’t treat your belief in God with the same childish faith you put in Santa Clause.

We are not without evidence. God made certain of that!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:10-17

There is a battle going on. You’re going to need the full council and the Full Armor of God to survive it. I pray you will.

Read your Bible. Listen to it on the Bible app if you don’t have time to sit down and read. Get some Bible inside you! We need you in this fight.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Uncategorized

Christian Persecution in America? Yes.

July 12, 2019July 12, 2019
by Sharon

Twenty-five years ago I was far more idealistic than I am today. I suppose that’s the normal course of growing older. I was a staff pastor and had an encounter with a group that wanted to distribute political information about an upcoming election. I don’t remember what the subject of debate was but I was uncomfortable with comingling our time of worship and community with politics no matter the topic. I just didn’t think the church was the right place to talk politics.

I also thought it was sort of unnecessary for Christians to participate in politics. After all, if God is in control what’s there to worry about? Proverbs 21 says, “The heart of the king is in the hand of the Father.” To me, that meant it didn’t really matter who sat in the Oval Office. God was going to work through him so that everything would wind up exactly according to the Master Plan.

Yes. And no.

I still don’t think the church should generate political debate from the pulpit, but I now think it is a mistake to not create a forum for Christians – in community – to discuss the changing political landscape and the ramifications those changes would have on our lives as Christians in America.

Our freedoms and values are being attacked from every direction today. We are being persecuted for our beliefs and forced into the margins by those who think our views on family and morality are offensive. The far Left hates us. They see religion, especially Judaism and Christianity, as a threat and an obstacle to the utopia they want to create in America. They don’t want “one nation under God” because, in their arrogance, they believe our country would be better without God, and those who believe in Him, in it.

Let’s be clear about one thing. There are Christians on both the Right and the Left of the political divide. But we aren’t talking about mainstream Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians.

It is imperative that we remember “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”, but if you care about the fast eroding Judeo/Christian foundation of America it’s time to stand up and defend our rightful place in EVERY discussion that shapes this nation.

I am not suggesting that we go around beating people up with scripture. Scripture is meaningless to an unbeliever. Besides, we aren’t defending “scripture” we are defending the principles founded in them. The right to life. Family values. Prayer. Rule of Law. Love of Country. Respect for authority. Freedom of Religion and the right to NOT have our children indoctrinated with ideologies inconsistent with our beliefs in public schools. Just to name a few.

Throughout the story of mankind, we see God’s people suffer times of persecution and despair over and over again. Each time of suffering was preceded by years of apathy and disobedience. God didn’t preordain the suffering, He only allowed it. There is no reason for us to believe that God ever WANTED us to live as slaves or in exile or wandering 40 years in the desert. Don’t believe for a moment that God WANTED His son beaten then hung on a cross or His followers thrown to the lions.

God has two goals. 1. He wants His people to live in right relationship with one another and with Him. 2. He wants our lives to shine so brightly that we light the way for others to do the same.

We are meant to be Salt and Light in this crazy world.

¹³“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

This nation was built on a Judeo/Christian foundation. Don’t let anyone tell you that isn’t true. It most certainly IS true. There were more than 50 Founding Fathers of America. Only THREE of them were not considered Christians. Even they agreed that this nation would succeed only if we would remain “a moral and religious people”.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams

The greatest obstacle to evangelism today is the poor reputation of our Christian Community. We have to overcome that and do better! We have to shine like Jesus shined.

It isn’t enough that our neighbors know we go to church every Sunday. We should be touching their lives in meaningful ways. Serving them. Loving them. Inspiring them. Being the hand of Jesus extended to them.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to be courageous in our faith.

Our lives must generate light for others. There aren’t any awesome Christians making headlines today. No famous Christians doing the heavy lifting so the rest of us could take it easy. It’s up to us. Every single one of us.

I’m not asking you to BE the light. Just that you would live a life that reflects it well.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Uncategorized

When God is All You Have Left

June 14, 2019June 15, 2019
by Sharon

Have you ever felt like life has conspired to do you in? Like when you’ve had just about enough of nothing going your way?

I recently had a bad run of luck that lasted for several weeks. It was like I kept drawing the short straw over and over again. It isn’t as though I expect everything to go my way. Not at all! But when every little thing turns out precisely the opposite of what you were hoping for it starts to get to you.

I was getting more and more aggravated by the day. After about three weeks I could physically feel the bitterness starting to bloom in the pit of my stomach. That’s not good at all.

I was silently mulling over how angry I was when, in my mind’s eye, I saw a red flag and heard someone call, “Time Out!”. I don’t know if it was me or Holy Spirit, but I heard it..and I heeded it. I stopped what I was doing and found a place to get down on my knees to pray. I repented for my entitled and prideful attitude and asked God to wash me clean of it (not for the first time!). I asked Him to change my heart and fill me with His Love and Peace.

God never said, “Don’t get angry.” He said, “in your anger do not sin.”

Getting upset over a string of disappointments wasn’t the problem. My attitude about it was. Arrogance, self-pity, bitterness…are all conditions of the heart and mind that can lead us away from God. This I know from experience.

Thankfully the Way back is always there when we are ready to choose it. Prayer, humility, and repentance.

I’ve learned to heed those warnings before things get too far out of hand (usually!). But believe me when I say I don’t deserve any pats on the back for that. I’ve blown past MANY a warning in my life. And paid the price for it. Sometimes a big one.

I suppose that’s what it is to be human though. We try hard to be like Christ every day, don’t we? But try as we might, we fail now and again. And again. And again.

When it’s petty, random stuff of little consequence we bounce back fairly easily. But what happens when it’s a series of events and mistakes that literally put an end to life as we knew it?

I don’t believe disaster and misfortune are capriciously brought upon us by Almighty God. Lots of things go wrong in this fallen world. People lose their jobs. Some get sick. Some die too soon. Many of the awful things we endure are the result of someone else’s sinfulness. We should not jump to the conclusion that every single thing that happens is a result of our sin or God’s will.

But sometimes it is.

The Bible says in Isaiah 30:21, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it”.

Holy Spirit works actively in our lives to keep us moving in the direction we are meant to go. If we are listening carefully, we will know which way He wants us to go. If we are listening carefully.

But we don’t always listen, do we?

Think about a time when something went horribly wrong because of a decision you made. Now, close your eyes and ask God to remind you of just one of the warnings that you ignored.

Show me a person who sits amid the ashes of an avoidable disaster and I’ll show you a person who blew past a few red flags and warnings from God along the way.

God doesn’t want us to come to ruin. But He’ll allow it …if there is no other way to reach us.

It happened to a friend of mine. If I told you her story you’d probably feel sorry for her. You might even defend her. True enough, most of it wasn’t her fault.

She tried everything she could think of to make things turn out well. In fact, she had nothing but good intentions.

Remember what the road to Hell is paved with?

As well intended as she was, she really wrong.

She was being sexually harassed by her boss -who also happened to be the senior pastor of her church. She avoided him as much as she could but she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone about his behavior.

When she thought of all the people who would be hurt if he were found out, she convinced herself it was better if she just handled the matter in secret.

There was a lot at stake. She could be blamed. She could lose her job. The church could fracture over the scandal…

She genuinely believed that if she could just keep him at bay long enough he would come to his senses and leave her alone. Then no one would be hurt. Except her.

Only in retrospect could she see how God tried to spare her of the pain she endured. There were warnings and red flags everywhere. No doubt each one was God’s way of saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.”.

For nearly two years she endured a very ugly game of cat and mouse. Her boss would alternate between making passes at her and begging her to forgive him for wronging her. Over and over he would promise to leave her alone. Over and over she believed him. But things just continued to escalate.

She became anxious and depressed. She couldn’t eat or sleep and lost more than 30 pounds.

She withdrew from family and friends just to avoid their questions. She couldn’t risk the truth spilling out.

Finally, he gave up and left her alone.

Over the next year or so things slowly went back to normal. “I really thought I’d done the right thing in keeping it hidden. As awful as the ordeal was, I had protected my church by protecting his reputation.

Well, that’s what I told myself anyway.

But then one day my whole world came crashing down around me.”

Her boss had been caught having an affair with a woman in the church.

By the time all was said and done it was discovered he’d had “inappropriate relationships” with six women, including her. Because she’d kept silent she was thought to be complicit. It cost her her job, her reputation, her friends and the life she loved.

After all she’d endured protecting everyone from finding out about him, it came out anyway – because that was God’s will.

“What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.”
Job 3:25

I have never known anyone more broken than she was in the aftermath of that scandal. She was humiliated. Bereft. Suicidal.

“I’d reached the end of my ability to cope with the situation. I was literally contemplating suicide. I don’t like admitting that, but it’s true. I just didn’t think I could go on in the face of so much pain and humiliation. People were talking about me and questioning what kind of woman I was. My husband was so hurt. My children were hurt. It was killing me!

For weeks I wept all day and night.

He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Psalm 91:4

Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

“I didn’t think I could take even one more day of the pain and anguish. I was curled up in a ball absolutely overflowing with self-pity. Between sobs I choked out the words, ‘I’ve lost everything, Father! I have nothing left.’.

And that’s when I heard this:

“Now that I’m all you have left… you’ll have to decide if I am enough.”

I have never had such an awesome, TRULY awesome, moment. Not before or since. I was in the presence of God in a way I’d never experienced before. There was no burning bush but He was there and He had spoken to me.

I whispered, “Yes, Father. You are.”

My tears just…stopped. I felt calm. The pain was still there but thoughts of ending my life had disappeared so completely it was as though they’d never been. I felt life and purpose flowing through me. It was faint, but it was enough. I had no idea what my future would look like but I knew my faith would – really would – sustain me. No matter what.

I understood where I’d gone wrong. I had tried to subvert God’s will by attempting to control the outcome of a situation that was never mine to control. I thought everything would turn out alright because my heart was in the right place. I didn’t want to see it, but it really was self-serving.

Good intentions don’t provide reliable direction. Truth is what sets us free.”

It is not God’s will for us to come to ruin. Unless coming to ruin is the only thing that will bring us back into God’s will.

Romans 8:28 teaches us that God will work all things together for the good of those who love him. Even the bad things.

What happened to her wasn’t fair. But that wasn’t the point. The point is things might have turned out a lot better for her had she trusted God with the outcome. There is a lot we don’t know – but we do know this: God’s way is always the better path to choose.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Christian Living

No Need for Parental Consent to HAVE an Abortion…But…

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019
by Sharon

My friend and I are going to see the new movie Unplanned this week. I’ve been looking forward to it with a heavy heart but looking forward to it just the same. It’s time for our society to truly face up to the realities of abortion. Not the propagandized view from the platform of Women’s Rights and politics – but the up close and personal view of what actually happens to these living babies torn from their mother’s wombs.

Albeit, it’s far more comfortable to keep your distance.

No doubt it is easier on the conscience to view the fetus as a clump of tissue devoid of feelings …or any inherent right to life.

Better for us to believe that clump of meaningless flesh only magically becomes human when it emerges from the birth canal some 40 weeks after conception.

But if we are going to promote or condone the practice of abortion; shouldn’t we be morally obligated to fully understand and comprehend the full measure of what abortion is?

And who should understand it more than those most likely to face the awful dilemma of an unplanned pregnancy?

An estimated 30% of teenage pregnancies end in abortion. Yet, thanks to the arbitrary decision of the MPAA, millions of those who MOST need to know the facts about abortion will be too young to view the film. Not too young to HAVE an abortion, mind you. Just too young to watch a movie depicting what abortion really is and how young women are manipulated into having them.

According to Abby Johnson, on whose story the movie is based, Planned Parenthood deliberately misleads young women to believe their babies aren’t really babies at all, but the mere beginnings of what would later become a baby. They are told the thing in their uterus is a clump of cells without any real distinction. Barely even human! Something unable to have thoughts or feel pain. This is so the mothers won’t feel too much compassion or sympathy for the life growing within them. No, no, no we can’t have that! They might think twice about going through with the abortion if they knew all the facts. It’s a very effective tactic.

Most of us are hard-wired to feel compassion for those who are helpless and defenseless.

Not many would stand by and do nothing while a helpless baby was killed. So the answer is to make sure we never see it as a baby at all. More like a polyp. A tumor. A parasite. An unwelcome interruption in a woman’s pursuit of happiness.

Except it IS a baby. A tiny, helpless baby. From as early as 8 weeks gestation the fetus (a medical term given to denote the baby’s stage of physical development. Not unlike infant, toddler or preschooler) has a face as well as a brain and heartbeat.

Let’s set legality aside for the moment. That’s a separate argument.

Abortions are promoted as a simple choice a woman (or teenager) makes about her future. The only question to be considered, she’s told, is whether or not she wants to have a baby. For most young girls the answer is easy. There is a lot of scary stuff associated with premature parenting. The option to sidestep all of that is understandably compelling, to say the least.

Abortion advocates and providers deliberately steer women away from considering abortion from the perspective of the life growing within her. They flatly refuse to even acknowledge it as something with inherent worth. As long as they can deny its humanity they can justify its destruction.

If the child is never born its life doesn’t matter.

As long as we can’t hear the baby cry while it is being torn to pieces and sucked out through a tube… we can pretend they don’t feel pain.

Q: If a tree falls in the forest…does it make a sound?

A: Who cares?

Unplanned offers us an opportunity to consider the facts we’ve been told to ignore.

Abortion is an awful decision made in the midst of devastating fear and uncertainty. Wouldn’t it be BETTER for women- particularly YOUNG women- to get all the facts about the realities of abortion at a time when she isn’t experiencing a pregnancy crisis?

What could possibly be the downside to allowing ALL women old enough to get pregnant to view this film? Fewer abortions? Safer sex? Girls protecting their future with greater wisdom and determination?

Are the ProChoice advocates afraid watching this film might lead to increased sympathy for the unborn?

Ah. That’s it, isn’t it?

It isn’t a polyp. It isn’t a tumor. It isn’t meaningless. It’s a baby.

How you feel about that baby is a very different conversation.

Go see the movie.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abby-johnson-explains-unplanned-movies-r-rating

Uncategorized

Who Decides the Value of Life?

February 20, 2019February 20, 2019
by Sharon

Any Hospital. Any Town. USA

A couple of weeks ago I was called to the hospital for baby Delila. Her mother’s pregnancy had been progressing nicely and had just about reached the 6-month mark. Family and friends had just thrown a baby shower in anticipation of Delila’s arrival. But then, out of nowhere, pre-term labor started. Delila’s mom had been in the hospital on complete bedrest for more than a week while the doctors tried to stop the baby from being born too soon. Sadly, they were unable to. Delila was born at just 23 weeks gestation – she did not survive. As a volunteer photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (nilmdts.org), it was my job to capture some images of the baby as a lasting memorial to her life.

There is no greater sorrow than the loss of a child. But to make matters worse, Delila was born to a surrogate mother. Her natural parents live in Germany and were not there for the birth. They would never see her or hold her. I really wanted to create some beautiful images of Delila so her Mommy and Daddy would have something to remember her by. A few photos to help them hold on to the reality that their baby girl lived…if only for 23 weeks in utero.

I was at my computer editing the images last week while listening to the news. The big news that day was the new legislation in Virginia regarding late term abortions. I was horrified listening to people discuss a woman’s “right” to literally kill her unborn child up to and even beyond their live birth. The Governor of Virginia followed up on the controversy by defending the practice of late term abortion. He tried his best to persuade listeners to believe this was an honorable, humane and medically defensible practice.

There I was editing images of a 6-month-old fetus who was so deeply wanted, her parents paid another woman in another country to carry her and give her birth. I imagine they are still weeping over her loss as I write. And while I was editing those images, I was listening to people casually and callously justifying the brutal murder and dismemberment of a fetus even older than tiny Delila.

The juxtaposition literally made me weep.

I sat back in my chair and just looked at the images on my screen. Delila was 1lb 6oz and 12 inches long. It’s hard to imagine a baby that tiny isn’t it? Believe me when I tell you she was perfect. She was small enough to easily hold in one hand, but she was, in fact, a fully formed baby with all the requisite parts. She had hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. A perfect cupid’s bow on her itty-bitty lips. Her hands were the size of my thumbnail and her feet nearly as long as my pinky. She was a tiny baby. But she was a person as real as you or me.

I thought about another preemie I’d photographed in the NICU a few months ago. She was born at 25 weeks. A gestational age at which medical measures to save her could be employed. She’d been in the NICU since the day she was born five weeks earlier. At no small expense, doctors and nurses had tended her around the clock and tried everything humanly possible to keep her alive. Her parents sat by her crib all day and night whispering words of love and encouragement to their daughter. For a time, they were filled with hope their tiny girl would survive. Sadly, on the day I met them, they had been forced to accept the sad reality – their baby girl was going to die.

How is it possible that one tiny baby is so valuable that no expense is spared to save her life, while just down the hall in the same hospital, another baby of the same gestational age may be deemed so worthless it is literally cut into pieces and thrown away?

How are we justifying this?

Once upon a time we didn’t know very much about the developing fetus. Once upon a time we were legitimately ignorant. We didn’t know they could feel pain. We didn’t know they took the form of an actual baby so early in the pregnancy. We didn’t know sentience was possible before birth. But we can’t claim to be ignorant anymore. We can actually watch videos of unborn babies that show them smiling for goodness sake (see links at the end of this post). They can be seen sucking their thumbs and rubbing their eyes. It’s even possible to watch a fetus as young as 12 weeks old trying desperately to escape being aborted by moving away from the sharp instruments that have invaded the womb to bring about it’s death.

Third wave feminist claim it’s their body and their choice. Really? Watch an ultrasound video of an abortion. It isn’t the woman’s body at stake.

Our choices as human beings aren’t always sacrosanct; nor should they be.

A baby’s right to life should absolutely supersede a woman’s right to escape the unintended consequences of unprotected sex.

Sadly, there are times when terminating a pregnancy is the right decision. But those are rare. And they should not be conflated with the terminations that result simply because the mother didn’t want her baby.

What if the fetus has down syndrome or some other genetic malady? Should it suffer and die in the womb? Why?

What if it has some condition that is determined to be “incompatible with life”? Isn’t it more compassionate to terminate the pregnancy rather than make the mother carry a doomed child to term? Wouldn’t it be better for her to not have to endure the prolonged pain?

In the 10 years that I’ve been volunteering for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep I have attended many, MANY births of babies whose conditions were deemed hopeless months before they were born. Trisomy 13, Anencephaly and even a baby born with two heads. Some lived for a time after birth, some didn’t. But every single one of their mothers chose to love and protect their baby for as long as it was within her power to do so.

And not for nothing, but the doctors don’t always get it right.

Let me tell you about Jordan.

On June 15, 2012 I was called to the hospital for a NILMDTS session. The nurse explained that the baby had been diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism that was incompatible with life. The mother had been counseled by her doctors to abort the baby at 5 months gestation. She asked her doctor, “Is there any possibility my baby could be okay?” He responded by saying, “Well, anything is possible.” So, she refused to terminate.

She carried her son nearly to term but her anxiety and stress reached a breaking point when she was 37 weeks pregnant. They decided to induce labor for the sake of the mother. When I arrived in the delivery room she had just begun pushing. Because there was a slight chance the baby might live briefly, I secretly switched my camera to record video. I thought the parents would appreciate having some evidence of their son’s life…even if it was only minutes long. As it turned out, I wound up capturing a miracle.

Here is a link to the video I created after that amazing night (Note: Best grab a few tissues.)

So, when I hear women argue that late term abortion is justified in cases where the baby has deformities or conditions “incompatible with life”, I hope it’s because they were misled or are simply ignorant of the realities of abortion and the fallibilities of doctors.

I listened to the stories of multiple women who were lied to about the realities of abortion during their consultations with Planned Parenthood employees. I listened to former Planned Parenthood employee of the year, Abby Johnson who now lives with the guilt of having facilitated thousands upon thousands of mutilation deaths of unborn babies. Some older than little Delila. She confesses to the deceptions and pressure tactics used to convince young women to go through with an abortion…with the only motive being profit. She reports the deliberate dispensing of low-quality birth control pills BECAUSE of the high failure rate that results in more pregnancies and vis-à-vis, more abortions.

Listen, I AM pro-choice. I think women SHOULD have control over what happens to their bodies. They can CHOOSE to have children or to never have children. They can CHOOSE abstinence. They can CHOOSE birth control. They can CHOOSE the morning after pill. They can CHOOSE adoption.

The murder of thinking, feeling human beings should not be a choice simply because the mother doesn’t want it.

I can’t comprehend what goes through the hearts and minds of politicians and Third Wave Feminists who are literally fighting for the right to kill a baby on its way out of the womb or even after it’s been delivered alive. Failed abortions happen

I watched videos of women who SURVIVED their own abortions and had to deal with the pain of knowing their own mother tried to kill them. Their stories are as amazing as they are heartbreaking. To think there are people who are now insisting they should have the LEGAL RIGHT to have murdered those women even after they were born alive is beyond all comprehension.

What is the moral justification for arbitrarily deciding a baby should die based on the preferences of the mother? And if we can defend a mother’s right to have her baby killed after the point of viability how can we defend murder at any point after birth? Where is the line? If it’s legal to murder a baby after it’s born alive why not when they are 6 months old? Why not when they are 5 years old?

Are we saying that the value of life is only that which we personally confer on another living being? If we want it we’ll pay whatever it takes to save it and if we don’t want it we’ll pay whatever it takes to kill it? Come on! Think about it! What have we become?

Our own Declaration of Independence says:

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—”

Why in the world would women be given the exclusive right to decide whether her baby – born or unborn – should be afforded the rights every other living person is GUARANTEED?

Yes, yes, yes… the baby is interfering with HER pursuit of happiness. I have just one word for that. ADOPTION.

We can’t pretend it’s a big blob of tissue that can’t feel pain anymore. Science has given us the ability to actually see what’s inside the womb from even the first trimester.

The value of human life cannot be set based on personal inclination.

In cases where a choice must be made between the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child I still agree it’s the mother’s life that should be protected first…but if there is any possibility for both to survive that should be the course pursued with every available measure.

Psalm 139:14

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum

Take some time to delve into the subject more deeply for yourself. That’s what I did after listening to the Governor of Virginia talk about late-term abortion. Here are some of the videos I watched:

Gianna Jessen: Abortion Survivor

Melissa Ohden: Abortion Survivor

Miracle Baby After Failed Abortion

FOREKNOWN: An Abortion Story

Death Upon Us 2015 Documentary

Abby Johnson – Planned Parenthood Exposed

Carol Everett’s Shocking Abortion Clinic Testimony

Jill Stanek: Exposing Live Births After Abortion

Abortion Clinic Employees – “Babies born alive daily”

Linda Couri – From Abortion Provider to Pro-Life Activist

Lila Rose and IIyse Hogue debat abortion on CNN

Baby Smiling in Womb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIrKaeqmT6g

Baby born at 21 weeks

Baby born at 22 weeks

Baby born at 23 weeks

Baby born at 24 weeks

Baby born at 25 weeks

Baby born at 26 weeks

Baby born at 27 weeks

Baby born at 28 weeks

Baby born at 29 weeks

Christian Living

The Chaos of Destiny

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019
by Sharon

Remember your first time on the monkey bars? The goal was to get from one end of the bars to the other. You’d seen other kids do it lots of times. They climbed up the ladder, took hold of the first bar and then swung their free arm toward the next. Once they grabbed hold of the second bar, they let go of the first bar and swung that arm toward the next bar. Simple.

But there you stood. Feet firmly placed on the ladder. Mentally wrestling with fear and uncertainty.

In order to even start, you had to sacrifice the safety of the ladder you stood on. Holding tightly to the first bar with one hand, you risked life and limb to swing out with the other hoping you’d reach the second bar.

Whew! You did it! Remember how that felt? It was absolutely thrilling!

But then you had to let go of the first bar and swing your body to the third one. If you didn’t do it just right, you’d fall. No one wants to fall.

That space between the bars, where we hung by hope and the tenuous grip of one little hand…is chaos. Anything can happen. You might reach the next bar, but you might not. No one wants to fall. No one wants to fail.

Like every other little kid on the playground…you probably did a little of both.

But look at you now! You survived the monkey bars and lived to tell the tale. You even mastered a few other daring feats along the way to becoming who you are today. You have a lot to be proud of! Life is seldom easy and accomplishments are almost always hard won.

I know something else about you too. Despite all your success, you have a nagging sense that God has something more, different, or new for you in mind.

We can’t always articulate our destiny, but we can feel it in our bones.

That space between who we are and who we are becoming is filled with mental and emotional chaos. The uncertainty can be so fearsome it’s tempting to just stay where we are and call it good. Well, at least, good enough.

That only works for a while though. Sooner or later your love for God will prove greater than your love for comfort and the status quo. You know it will.

Maybe you feel it already.

It is time to reach for the next bar? Are you ready to let go of that thing that holds you back so you can reach for something greater on your way to becoming someone greater?

Is today the day you say yes to Jesus and the chaos that often comes with it?

What’s holding you back? Be honest with yourself.

Do you need more courage? Ask Him for courage.

Do you need more strength? Ask Him for strength.

Do you need more faith? Ask Him for more faith!

Whatever you need; Ask Him!

Trust that even if you fall, He will catch you. That’s His Grace. And His Grace is indeed sufficient.

He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

No one ever said it wouldn’t take a little effort on your part too.

In His love and service,

Sharon Bollum