the myth of a Christian nation

America is not a Christian nation. . . .

not because the President supports abortion
not because the almost President is a Mormon which is a cult
not because of Roe v. Wade
not because the founders fathers were Freemasons which is a cult
not because Andrew Jackson killed as many Native Americans as he could
not because this country was built on enslaving the continent of Africa
not because this country was built on raping and pillaging Native Americans
not because they allow gay marriage
not because the ten commandments are not in city hall
not because there is no prayer in school
not because we have lots of guns, big ones, to kill everyone else
not because of MTV
not because of marijuana
not because of meth, bath salts, crack, and pills
not because of broken families and prisons

but because Jesus did not come to institute a "nationalistic" government
but because Jesus did not come to be king, president, or governor
but because Jesus did not come so that Harry Truman could blow up Hiroshima and Nagasaki
but because Jesus did not come for religious freedom in the sense of democracy
but because Jesus did not come for people to have a free market economy
but because Jesus did not come to be elevated on a throne
but because Jesus came to be crucified and to die
but because Jesus did not call his followers to overthrow Rome
but because Jesus called his followers to be something more than Rome,
and more than Spain, and more than England, and more than the United States,
and yes, even more than Israel
but because Jesus called his followers to follow him by taking up our own crosses and dying
but because there is no such thing as a "Christian" nation, because the very idea of
"nation" is that we are concerned about it, concerned about something besides joyfully following Jesus Christ into the face of death so that His face we see.

you may want to keep your idea of your Christian nation
I want to keep HIS idea of the Christian Church
let's follow His to our deaths

My Mission Statement

to receive the all-consuming embrace of the FATHER
to lead others to His open arms through the SON
to encourage a family hug through the HOLY SPIRIT

The seven habits of people who admit they are uneffective

I am reading S. Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and I am feeling that his view in the book is that the answer is in us, like Mariah Carey's song, Hero.  I myself feel that the sooner I realize that I am uneffective the better.  Although many parts of the book I love, here are my:
Seven Habits of People who Admit they are Uneffective
1.  Let The Almighty God be ProActive
2.  End with the Beginning in mind.
3.  Put last things first.
4.  Think God wins.
5.  Seek first to understand God.
6.  Syn-God.
7.  I haven't read that far yet.