Are Your Files Backed Up?

As I write this weekly email, my computer is backing up its c: drive. We need to move the desktop computer to a new room, and I’m always a bit paranoid that something will go wrong, so it’s making a permanent record of the operating system, relevant databases, Excel and Word files, PowerPoint presentations, the 393 weekly emails I’ve written, and more. The bits and bytes are flying to an external backup drive even as I write this. I’ve been thinking that while computers and humans have certain characteristics in common, the ability to make and use backups is not one of them.

One might make the argument that memories are a sort of mental backup. Memories serve an excellent purpose, from giving context and perspective to life to turning into stories that endlessly entertain our grandchildren. However, as fine as they are, memories are not backups. Let me use an example.

Some time ago, I loaded some new software onto our home computer and things did not go according to plan, to put it mildly. It was so bad that the machine wouldn’t even boot off a USB thumb drive. It was an incredibly frustrating and alarming event that took me from 2 am to 8 am to fix (helpful hint: don’t install new software late at night). I was finally able to use a backup from a week before to get things up and running (second helpful hint: create backups regularly).

By returning to that backup, I effectively reversed time from my computer’s perspective. It was now operating as if nothing had gone wrong at all. All was well, and it could simply go on its merry way doing what it was supposed to do. All software installation mishaps, work it had done, files it had created, and changes to the operating system were yet to come in the future, if so chosen by our family.

Now, the restore from the backup had two distinct components: reading the backup image to see what had changed, and then copying the appropriate files back to the c: drive. The memory in this case was the backup image; the actual backup was a set of files that, when written to the c: drive, physically changed things to how they were earlier.

Humans have memories, which do not have the ability to change past events. We do not have backups that can actually alter the past and restore events to a prior time. However, there is an “exception clause” of sorts.

The things we want to change in our past are almost always bad things, not unlike the crash of a computer. The exception clause is that God is able to actually back up our lives to a pure point where the bad things didn’t happen, through justification in Christ. It’s as if those things never happened. The irony here is that we will still have the memories, but the events effectively never occurred in His eyes, which is what truly matters.

In the policy world, as in other aspects of life, we have our memories and would often like to reverse past events. Bills in our ND legislature that did not pass, decisions by local school boards, and questionable SCOTUS rulings. We have the memories, but can’t change the past.

However, that’s OK. Our failures in changing laws, losing elections, and other policy defeats are wiped clean with God’s backup. He simply asks us to be faithful and advance his Kingdom in the policy arena.

It’s a wonderful thing to know that there is a backup to overwrite every mistake and wrong I’ve done or every bad thing that’s ever happened (including a bad installation of software). Just don’t confuse memories with backups. The memories of these events may stay with us or fade over time, but regardless, the backups will always belong to God.

The Road Less Traveled

We have a framed poster hanging in our house that depicts a well-known image Christ spoke about – the narrow and wide gates and their associated roads (Matthew 7:13-14). The poster is a very old and fascinating depiction of that bible passage, and it’s a good reminder of the decisions we make in life that take us down one path or another.

One of the interesting features of the poster is the list of building titles, each representing sins or virtuous actions along life’s journey. Many reflect a time gone by. Some of the sins include buildings such as a movie theater, bar, loan shop, and dance hall. On the narrow road, the buildings include a deaconess institution, a Sunday school, and, of course, a church. It shows the wide road ending with a city on fire; the narrow one has a heavenly city at its terminus.

The poster seems quaint to us today, but the basic choice is still the same, even if the buildings have changed. Perhaps today’s buildings on the wide road might be named abortion clinic, religious discrimination club, LGBT indoctrination school, or something similar. On the narrow road may be the church, Christian parents, or a crisis pregnancy clinic.

Regardless of language, we still make choices each day. The small ones – essentially each step on one of those roads – matter. As Paul Tripp put it, "The character of a person's life is shaped in 10,000 little moments. You carry the character formed in the mundane into those rare consequential moments of life."

So, our journey matters, but we are not traveling the road of life alone. C.S. Lewis has a great passage about this journey we are taking on these roads. He says in his book The Weight of Glory:

…the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities… that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics.

You see, whether we help each other to one or the other of these destinations is of supreme importance. I find it hard to reconcile the Great Commission with helping someone dance their way down that wide road.

We have similar choices in the political arena. We have many opportunities to take the easy, wide road. To not get involved with more controversial topics. To let certain values slip a bit when societal pressure hammers us. To not always hold legislators accountable for their actions. However, at NDFA, we do not believe that is the way we should conduct ourselves if we truly believe biblical values are to be defended and advanced in ND. We must be bold and stay on the narrow road.

For precisely that reason, we helped support bills this session dealing with safeguarding life, protecting God’s children from human traffickers, fighting against pornographic materials, preserving religious freedom, and much more. It is also for that reason that you have received our 2025 Legislative Scorecard. We don’t take the easy road, and neither should our legislators if they stand for pro-life and pro-family values. By the same token, those who do protect biblically based policy should be recognized and affirmed by all of us for their faithful stance.

Like so much of life, public policy comes down to doing things the right way, which is often the hardest way, or doing them the wrong but much easier way. It comes down to that poster with the two roads. At NDFA, we always want to be traveling on the narrow road, right by your side. Thank you for allowing us to be your traveling companion.

Join Us For an Upcoming Prayer Event!

Please plan to join us at the upcoming prayer event, Audience With the King, which will be happening on Friday, September 26, at the North Dakota State Capitol in Bismarck.  We plan to pray over areas of Bismarck from each corner of the Observation Deck, while we are able to see that portion of the city.  A prayer guide will be available for those who would like to participate. Please join others in lifting up our city and state during the noon hour. Please RSVP to NDP10days@outlook.com. On Friday, simply enter through the south public access entrance to the Capitol, and we will have people to guide you all the way to the Observation Deck. 

This event is cosponsored by NDFA as well as the following people and organizations.
 
Ruth Jorritsma and Karen Boelter
ND Co-State Coordinators, National Day of Prayer
 
Jen Einrem
Coordinator, 10 Days

We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Event! Can kids get Bible education during school hours?

We'd like to introduce you to LifeWise Academy, a program looking to advance Biblical Truth in our state. LifeWise Academy is a unique program (endorsed by Charlie Kirk, as seen here) and is rapidly spreading across the country. More than ever, Americans need the hope that is only found in Jesus Christ, and LifeWise is a vehicle to spread that hope into our public schools. LifeWise is currently on track to serve nearly 100,000 students across 34 states in the 2025-2026 school year.

The new LifeWise Academy movie is out, but it is only available in select communities. LifeWise Academy representative Buddy Workman will be with us for a special screening of Off School Property: Solving the Separation of Church and State. It’s an eye-opening documentary about how the Bible was removed from public education and the impact that decision has had on society. It also looks at how we can legally offer religious education to students today. This short clip helps explain how their program works to allow students to leave public school once a week for Bible instruction.
 
The screening will be on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 7 pm at Cornerstone Community Church in Bismarck. 

You’re welcome to join us in Bismarck, OR, if you are interested in learning more about bringing LifeWise Academy to your community, but can’t attend the screening, click here for more information!
 
Hope to see you there!

Charlie Kirk - A Life Well Lived

We at ND Family Alliance are equally horrified and stirred to action by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We shared the same biblical values and deep love for God and country. NDFA works to advance Faith, Family, and Freedom within the borders of North Dakota; Charlie did the same on a much greater scale throughout our nation, especially influencing younger generations.

While political violence should have absolutely no place in our nation, there are some in our country who, motivated by pure evil, seek to silence those who courageously proclaim truth in the public square. Charlie Kirk accepted those risks and refused to water down his message to make it more palatable to the other side.  Instead, he lived obedient to the Gospel, living out its commands in 1 Peter 3:13-16,

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats, do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Charlie epitomized these mandates proclaimed by the Apostle Peter, and faithfully stood before countless crowds giving an answer for the hope that he had in Christ, and sharing that truth with droves of young people across our great nation. He tirelessly defended the faith and repeatedly showed love for his fellow man despite the hate that was often hurled in his direction.

Negative responses didn’t catch him off guard; rather, I know he took to heart the words of John 15:16-18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Charlie was truly an extraordinary bright light shining God’s truth into dark places.

Free speech in our society is imperative because we will never all agree on important issues. I’m reminded of the famous 1859 essay entitled “On Liberty” by John Stuart Mill, where he states, “the goal of speech must be the discovery and spread of truth.” We must respect the freedom of another to offer their own ideas, so that the real truth of the matter can come to light. Mill recognized that beliefs are likely to harden into stale and unreflective convictions, if not forced to constantly sharpen themselves against other viewpoints. Beliefs will either flourish or fail when put under regular testing.

There is no way to bring others from lies into truth unless they are genuinely persuaded, rather than simply silenced. The opportunity to discuss and debate is absolutely necessary. Charlie was a shining example of this civil discourse – something sadly lacking in our society today. Attempts to silence truth through violence, like the assassination of Charlie Kirk, WILL NOT succeed in their aim. In fact, they will backfire. The message of truth will prevail and be strengthened by individuals like you and organizations like ours, despite the best efforts of our enemies.

In everyday human interactions, we work to uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ and shine a light on His truth in our daily lives through Christian love for others. On the supernatural level, we know that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but there is activity beyond what our eyes can see, and that spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm are working hard against us.

Let’s endeavor together to follow Charlie’s example by putting on the full armor of God, boldly and courageously defending the faith, showing grace and love to our enemies because we are all made in God’s image, and sharing the hope of salvation with the lost that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

We at NDFA are so grateful for Charlie’s life and the impact he made for the Gospel, which will undoubtedly impact this nation for years to come. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, Erika, and his two precious children. Our prayers are with them through this incredibly difficult time. And yet we take comfort knowing that Charlie is in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!