We've really been working on the alphabet around here ('bella English and dad Greek). Here are some of the results:

Many inside jokes will forever be veiled in regards to the Lucarelli's recent evening with Chris Martin and friends in Atlanta! The few that are mentioned here are just the beginning:

1. The Scientist--
Back when Becky and I were "taking some time off" before we got married... I gave her one of those "Don't read too far into the lyrical contents of this cd, but in case you do I mean every word on it" mix cds. On it was the Cold Play song "The Scientist" among other assorted amazing songs. At a time when I wanted Becky and I to be able to go "...Back to the start again..." I thought I would communicate that in lyrical fashion. Thanks Chris Martin, it worked.

Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard.

Oh take me back to the start.

While Becky was dealing with a sick little one, I was off to Harrisburg/Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania this weekend. A group of Precept Trainers were invited to teach at West Shore Evangelical Free Church, an amazing facility with excited individuals! I taught through the book of Titus, teaching people how to study inductively. My class was energetic, excited and eager to learn the inductive method. They walked away from the weekend with the desire to continue being grounded and established in the word of God.

I also spent the weekend near the famed Chocolate Capital of the Word--Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our family would take a trip up to Hershey every year for the annual Antique Car Show. It has been awhile since all the cousins and grandkids were all together, but the place brought back a lot of memories. The smell of chocolate was in the air, though I never offically got to go in the town to see how much it had changed. There were chocolate kisses all throughout the weekend.

I was also spending the time away from home getting caught up on all of my school work. Most of my suitcase was filled with books. Each night I would leave my roomate, go to the lodge or the hot tub and read my book. One night, I was reading and had my Iphone playing my class lectures while I had my feet in the hot tub. I fell asleep, only to be awoken by the horrific sight of an extremely large, hairy man and his extremely large, hairy wife... at least I hope they were married. It was that akward, where am I... inbetween sleep and dream world. Thank God it was reality and not some sick dream!

The next night, though still scared from the previous encounter, I decided to brave the hot tub again. I had taught all day and was fighting off some sickness. Same situation--reading and listening to a lecture--when two ladies came in. They were laughing and cackling; pretty hard to ignore, though I had the lecture up all the way. They swam and I tried to ignore them for both their sake and mine. The next day, on the last day of the workshop, I had finished early... so I was sitting with another trainer, relaxed with my shoes off. As people were walking by, I noticed a familiar face. Without the mumu type bathing suit it was hard to determine, but I finally realized that the ladies from the night before were participants in another class. They walked by... I could tell they noticed me. One whispered to the other, but they were already passed. So, the one that missed me acted like she dropped something on the ground... eye contact! I laughed and so did she. Just goes to show, you never know who you're going to run into while you're in your bathing suit!

Pray for the little one!
We had a horrible night last night; Jeremy and I were awake all night long. Bella sounded like she had iron and steel in her throat. We just got back from the Dr. and she has croup. They gave her a shot right then and there--poor suga. She just wants to be held all of the time, crying with a pitiful smoker's voice whenever one of us lays her down.

Jeremy is trying to get caught up on some school work before he leaves for Mechanicsburg, PA tomorrow, which means I am going to be flying solo this weekend. I'm really disappointed because I wanted to go to a benefit at an urban ministry called The Oak Project on Thursday and continue my training at AAA Women's Services on Saturday. Your prayers are appreciated.

Voting for Righteousness K. Arthur

". . .I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

How important is it that a Christian takes advantage of the privilege given him or her to vote? Or, as children of God, are we not to concern ourselves with "politics"? Wouldn't you think that if God urges us to pray for those in authority and if we have the opportunity and privilege of electing our leaders that He would expect us to exercise our governmental rights? Wouldn't it be our God-given responsibility as God-fearing people to uphold the biblical tenets upon which this nation was founded?

These are very turbulent days-and personally, I believe we are where we are because the Church has been apathetic about the Word of God and righteousness. Although we are meant to impact our society as salt and light first and foremost in our lives, have we instead infected our nation by giving it a distorted image of what it means to be a child of a holy God?

Righteousness exalts a nation; sin is a reproach to any people. We are a nation under great reproach and consequently we are living in turbulent times. If we don't cast our vote for righteousness in our own lives first and then in our nation, I fear what will happen to us.
Let me take you back in history for just a moment to another turbulent time so that we might see what part God plays in politics.

It was an unbearably hot day in the summer of 1787; just eleven years after America had declared her independence. Delegates from our thirteen states had gathered to create a historic document to unite them under one government. Sweat soaked their clothes so badly...they had to change their shirts twice a day! And their tempers, as torrid as the day, were flaring.
Men who were formerly side-by-side in their battle against England were now at war against each other! These states were anything but "united," and they weren't ready to be under any authority but their own.i

A personal letter from James Warren to a friend in England described America's condition at the time: "'Money is the only object attended to, and the only acquisition that commands respect. Patriotism is ridiculed; integrity and ability are of little consequence. . . .We are now in a state of anarchy and confusion bordering on civil war.'"ii (Does this sound troublingly familiar?)
At this historic meeting, Benjamin Franklin decided to give the document they were creating one last shot. He addressed George Washington and the assembly:

"'How has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. . . And have we now forgotten this powerful friend? Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?'"

There was dead silence in the room...but he was not finished, and now he turned again to Washington. "'I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: "that God governs in the affairs of man." And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?'"iii

In a day of "political correctness" when so many Christians are apathetic about taking a stand for righteousness, you and I need to be reminded of how God governs the affairs of men...how He cares about the state of our nation and longs for us to turn and return to Him, acknowledging His sovereignty.

We desperately need His merciful assistance in America today as never before. Yet we have to remember that God does not work apart from man, but through man. Before God took His people into captivity under Babylon (present-day Iraq) because of their sin, He sought for a man to stand in the gap and He found none (Ezekiel 22:30-but read the whole chapter)!

The turmoil in our country over moral issues and political rivalry commands our involvement. There must be a searching of our hearts, a genuine mourning for our sin. We must be fervent in prayer and strong and courageous in our stand. We must be willing to stand up as Benjamin Franklin did and dare to call America to turn back to Him! And one of the ways we will do that is through the people we vote for.

We must vote, and we must vote for those who have the greater fear of God and desire to uphold His absolutes. No candidate is perfect; nor do they do everything we want them to do. But we must align ourselves with the ones who have the greatest fear of God and His Word. It is not a matter of allegiance to a party; rather it is allegiance to God. God rebuked Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, with these words when he aligned himself with ungodly Ahab, king of Israel, to whom he was aligned by marriage, "'Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord and so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord?'" (2 Chronicles 19:2)

We can make a difference! The polls are our God-ordained opportunity to make a difference. And if godless leaders are voted in, in spite of our votes and prayers, then we will know we did what we could, and God will see and honor our obedience.

May the Lord bless you. May He continue to bless and preserve our great nation!
__________________________________________________________________
i Peter Marshall and David Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986), pp. 17.
ii Peter Marshall and David Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1986), p. 17, citing Page Smith, The Shaping of America, New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1980, pp. 38, 24.
iii Marshall and Manuel, From Sea to Shining Sea, p 18.

Jeremy kept telling everyone, "Happy Reformation Day!" Life is a little bit different now that we have a little one... no crazy costume parties, but we had a lot of fun anyway. Both Jeremy and I made some chili... he added a little bit too much spice, but it was really good. We suited up the little one in a cute little bee out fit. For those of you who haven't seen Bella in awhile, she has an animal book with every type of species imaginable. One of her favorite pages is the bug page, where she smacks the fly and mosquito (She also likes the donkey too). So, last night she went as a bee.

We headed over to our church for the big party. They had a lot of those jumping things. Bella went in with some of her friends... and cried when she had to get out. She didn't know how to take everyone being dressed up. She kept looking at people with her pensive, "What in the world?" face. Bella was done after it got dark, so we left a little bit early.

Here are some pictures of our little bumble bee: