Skylights...

     Another post, another poem. This one was written as a half-poem, half-song. If any of you have a possible tune for this, give it a go and let me know. Until then, it will simply remain words on a page. (Music really brings our language to life)

--Skylights--

You've got your money,

Drugs, drinks, and bling.

But you've never got your freedom,

A Liberty Bell to ring.

Your psychedelics, religious relics

Never brought anyone joy.

Existentialism is only detrimentalism.

Escape can't be found through the sky or ground.

Release can't read in fiction or Freud.

Success isn't gained through being paranoid.

You've only got Life through the Man on the tree,

Through the blood poured out to make other men free.

Though until now your existence seemed eternity,

Your Life has just begun.

The eternal grave has been turned back again:

You've been made aright--

You've been made alive.

--Today is the last day that you'll die--

Tonight is the night you begin to thrive

Tonight is the night you come alive

Like the current that flows to light up the skies

Is the joy of freedom that lights up your eyes.

There's a fire a'ragin', yearning for souls,

[It lights up the night, and love is its pull]

The flames fan across the full of the world

[Instead of ashes, they leave men strong and bold]

Light up the sky, light up the night

You've got freedom in Christ, He's won the fight.

Welcome to joy, the death of all strife

Welcome to victory, love, freedom, and life.

You are forbidden to say "No"...

     There is a planet in our universe where right is quickly becoming wrong, and wrong is hurriedly transforming to right. The planet believes that shape-shifting morals is the perfect system for life. This same planet also is a proponent of Inter-Galactic "Free-Choice," where everyone is free to live as they please, act as they like (within legal barriers of course), and think as they want.
     But they aren't allowed to say "No."
    Within this planet, there are specific issues to which it's citizens (and subsequent galactic travelers from other worlds, once they are discovered) simply must comply. If they do not comply, the populace shouts them down as bigots, backwards, and marshmallow heads. They are overruled in the courts.
 
     A few days ago in Britain, an elderly couple who owns a Bed and Breakfast in the English countryside lost their court case to another couple whom they had refused hospitality at the hotel. The presiding judge ruled that the refusal amounted to unlawful, direct discrimination. Discrimination against whom?
    The couple who was trying to stay at the Bed and Breakfast was homosexual.
    Out of their beliefs the elderly host couple refused the two men a room because they believed that solely civil union (as well homosexual union) did not constitute a marriage. The host couple is considering appealing the ruling, especially because they believed that it was in their right as private business owners to allow or disallow people to stay at their inn. In addition, they believed that it was their prerogative to act according to their religious convictions: that homosexuality is wrong.
   But the British court forbid them to say "No."
   The reasoning behind the decision was that as a commercial enterprise, the B&B was subject to community standards, rather than the owners' private standards.
    Is this what religious freedom looks like?
    I realize that the homosexual couple may have been looking forward to a nice weekend at a B&B in the English countryside, but never, never, never should vacation plans supersede religious belief.

     This issue is now growing in America. I foresee many instances like this one where Christians refuse Homosexuals because the lifestyle is one of sin. Homosexuality is unnatural, unhealthy, and detrimental to the entire family, which is the foundation of our civilization. Christians naturally will refuse to extend the hand of welcome to this unnatural lifestyle. They love the sinner, but the sin is something Christians cannot support.

   The question is, whose beliefs will be overruled?

Losing to the Laogai...

I realize I haven't written a post in awhile. Like any occurrence in life, there are hundreds of excuses and extenuating circumstances I can point to that have prevented my posting. However, there is one excuse in particular that I can pander to: a research paper.

The finished product is a sum of my research on the Chinese Laogai system. What you will read may shock you, but let me assure you: everything described is real, and happens every day. I may have an excuse to ignore my blog for a month, but we have no excuse to ignore this atrocity in China. 

Read the paper: Losing to the Laogai . 

Why Fight?

[Life is busy, so pardon the abbreviated post]

     Though men fight because of covetousness, their yearning to dominate, their quest for "dirt," it still boggles the mind that we would repeat our mistakes year after year after year.

   Some say history is nothing new, it merely repeats itself. I believe it does, because in the hundreds of centuries man has been on the earth, we have not changed one bit. Granted, our lives may be more advanced and comfortable, but cushions fail to shield the world from the true nature underneath the modern clothing.

We have no peace in ourselves

No inner rest to tap

Degraded, disgusting, a detriment to the world

But loved by a Saviour, unmatched.

Copyright C. Millhouse 2012

The Chosen...

Life is hard. We all can say that. But never forget who and what you are; how much you are worth:

Feeling left out, struggling through
The gray shell of the day.
Maybe pushed aside, maybe ignored
Humanity's mistakes, hunting you: the prey.


Not only theirs, but also yours;
Pains hanging on your heart. 
Whisper "Not loved," whisper "No good"
Between heartbeats miles apart.


But you're chosen.


He's pursuing you with open arms;
Pursuing you with His own heart.


You are chosen.


Full of love, ever enough
His head spinning for you.
The wounds in His hands drip with blood
That cries out:


You are loved.


Why doubt His Passion?
Why doubt His grace?
You're chosen as His bride
With Christ you have a place.


The gray tatters of life may press
Sorrows lie in wait for Joys.
But live like you've nothing left, 
Because He's chosen you.


[Chosen, and loves you.]

Questions...

Why does our media give such overtly blatant attention to every minuscule detail of celebrities' lives, instead of reporting just the news?
     It isn't as if the actors will stop making movies if the news networks fail to report something on them every week...

Why do Republicans and Democrats immediately vote against anything that remotely hints of the other party?
     It isn't as if our nation depends on their contradictions to continue to function...(in fact, it is much the opposite)

Why do monkeys have to be our ancestors?
     After all, I just don't seem to have that "eat the stuff you found while grooming your friend" mentality...

I don't know. 

The 'isms'...

     Add a little bit of humor in your day; think about things outside the box. Here are some 'isms', some real, some not, that I think can all tie back to a fear. So...here goes:

• Disestablishmentarianism: The fear of politicians
• Atheism: The fear of there being a God
• Retailism: The fear of unspent money
• Optimism: The fear of being a pessimist
• Nihilism: The fear of everything 
• Dogmatism: The fear of being wrong (in some cases)
• Communism: The fear of sharing
• Recidivism: The fear of going straight, for once
• Parodyism: The fear of everything remaining serious
• Bullyism: The fear of someone bigger
• Occupyism: The fear of the 1%
• Kim Jong-il-ism: The fear of being less than magnificently and almightily supreme
• Hedonism: The fear of pain
• Pragmatism: The fear of being impractical
• Nuclearism: The fear of actually having to launch the missiles
• Apple-ism: The fear of anything that is not a touchscreen
• Video Game-ism: The fear of living in reality

Have more? Add them in the comments; thinking outside the box once a day is good for you.