August 2013 – Senseless Ramblings of the Mindless

Life Goes On- Unless You’re Dead

Published on August 29, 2013August 29, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

I was having these kind of weird thoughts the other day. It was about how life goes on. A few friends have lost someone close to them and it has been on my mind I guess. But life does go on. We may not like it, but it happens.

Someone was talking about a loved one that past away. They were talking about how life for them has ended. They no longer wanted to live and could never go on. It didn’t matter who else was in this persons life, in her mind it was the end of hers. She couldn’t live without this person that is now with the lord.

My own thoughts is that life should go on. When I’m gone, I don’t expect my husband, kids or grand-kids to stop living and being happy. God didn’t intend for us to live that way. I do think that we can carry the memory of someone with us and that they are alive to us because we are still remembering. But to stop doing all the things that makes a person happy because someone has died is ridiculous. Sure we miss the person and we are told that it is OK to mourn those who we love when they are no longer physically here. But overall, we are to go on living each day to the best of our ability.

I’m pretty much guessing that we have all lost someone close to us and that we miss them. When someone dies, it is very difficult to see past the moments we are in. We want them with us and it is hard to imagine life without them. Eventually a time comes when we know that we have to go on living and taking care of things as a person who is alive. We have people that love us and need us.

When my friend Shirley lost her husband Bob. Bob was a sweetheart of a man, but it was very difficult and still is on Shirley. She also understands at the same time that she will be reunited with him because of the gift of Christ. She knows where he is and that gives her peace. It doesn’t mean she loves him any less and that she doesn’t miss him any less. But she knows that she has to complete the things the Lord has for her and she has family and friends that love her.

It’s normal to grieve and be angry. But don’t let that grief and anger get in the way of living each day to the fullest. I know when I’m gone, I want my family to have happy lives and to find peace. I know they are believers in Christ and I know that we will one day be back together. It isn’t a fear of mine. Sure they would be upset. But like this one friend of mine, they have children, a husband and responsibilities to their families.

There is no way I can say I understand fully how it is to loose a spouse or child. I would hope that is something I would never ever have to do. When my mother in law passed away, I was happy for her. I knew she lead a full life and wanted to be with my father in law. She was like a mom to me and she was a precious little lady that had a heart as big as Texas. When she passed, we had to go on doing what we had to do. She was where she needed to be and we were happy for her. Maybe there is a difference when a person is up there in age and we know time is short. But that doesn’t make the missing of them any less.

What I do think is that when someone looses a person and they have so much anger in them that they can only think about being with their loved one, something has to be done. I’m not talking the kind of thoughts that come soon after a person dies. But the kind that consumes a person. The kind that only lets someone see their own pain and not the pain of others.

I do have to admit that there are times I don’t understand what God is thinking. Like on my Facebook page, I have many children that I pray for and follow that have cancer and other life threatening diseases. It breaks my heart when I read a notice that a young child is with the Lord. I don’t understand why children get cancer and die. My heart breaks for the parents of these children. To see the suffering and the strength that these children and families exhibit humbles me. For these parents life has to go on, but it is far from easy. Sweet 10 yr old Bella and her family has another daughter they have to raise. Talia who was 13 recently went to be with the Lord. I could never imagine having to plan her funeral.

It isn’t easy to think that everything goes on without us. But it does. Hopefully I can say when that time comes that I left a footprint on the world. That I made a difference to someone. I would hope that those who know me know that I would be with the Lord because of my faith. Even though there have been times when God and I have had to have some heart to heart talks, lol. I find it sad when someone dies and there is nobody that notices because they never did anything with their life.

Here are some Bible Verses about death and I know for myself, they give me peace.

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”” John 11:25-26
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.””Revelation 14:13
“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,” 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

Now, when death makes me really sad is when I think about those who may not be there when I die. Each person makes their own choices and to know that someone I love or care about served the wrong master, makes me sad. My belief is that Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Nobody can live forever without being saved.

John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I have absolutely no reason to not believe that Jesus is the truth and the life. We must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I know I am very far from perfect. I have made more than my share of mistakes and I am a sinner. I also know that Jesus paid the price for me on the cross. And because of this, I know where I will spend eternity. Do you know for sure where you will spend eternity? If not, I have no problem if you want to leave me a message or I can help point you into the right direction or help you find someone in your area you can talk to.

Death doesn’t have to be the end. Sure we will miss those who have passed. It wouldn’t be normal to not. But we must keep on keeping on. We must keep on living and doing what we have to do. I hope this blog post didn’t offend anyone. Living and dying has been on my brain lately.

Tarantula on My Face

Published on August 26, 2013August 26, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

Have you ever watched the Animal Planet and you see Steve Irwin or one of these other hunky guys going through the jungle and catching all kinds of cool animals and they try to convince us they are cute and how needed they are? One of the shows that the late Steve Irwin did was where he was saying how nice and gentle tarantulas are. He never convinced me that these humongous spiders with fangs that look like they could swallow a person is a good thing.

Most of the time during the day I do very little television watching. For the most part I watch before I go to bed. One of the nights I had Animal Planet on and woke up with the televisions still on. Steve Irwin was playing with spiders and letting them crawl up and down his arm and head. Not a good image before going to bed or waking up from. I can almost guarantee anyone that I would end up having a nightmare about a huge tarantula the size of a Mack truck trying to eat my face. It is looking down at me and by ESP is telling me that I am his next meal. Thankfully this horror of a nightmare ends when I wake up in a sweat and making sure all parts of my face are in tack.

Luke- I am Your Father Mask, lol… Actually the vpap mask I have, lol

Well, last night was one of those nights that took me back to Steve Irwin and the tarantula face eating spider. My doctors put me on what is called a vpap machine for at night or when I sleep. I have been on oxygen for a while, but just starting with the vpap. It looks very much like a cpap/bpap machine. But this one is for central sleep apnea. I do also have obstructive sleep apnea and my breathing collapses they said on the average of 68 times an hour. I will give you a description of what that means here in a few. But with this machine, you have to wear a mask. Since I don’t breathe out of my nose and only through my mouth, I have to use a full mask at night. For the most part it didn’t bother me, but my nightmare was about to return.

I finally get somewhat comfortable about 3 or 4 and get a bit of sleep. I get into my REM sleep and then I have a dream. Or should I say a horrible nightmare. Here comes those very same tarantulas that use to invade my dreams. This time it wants to devour me. I wake up in a sweat and try to throw the thing off of me. Thinking it is a real tarantula, lol. But it didn’t go anywhere. It was latched on and sounding like Darth Vador. Not COOL! It takes me a few minutes and some hyperventilation techniques to calm myself down and to find the buttons to get this blasted thing off my face.

So, now I am awake and thinking about tarantulas eating my face. I hope tonight goes better. I don’t know if I can handle Mack truck sized tarantulas for a second night.

Central Sleep Apnea

In central sleep apnea, breathing is disrupted regularly during sleep because of the way the brain functions. It is not that you cannot breathe (which is true in obstructive sleep apnea); rather, you do not try to breathe at all. The brain does not tell your muscles to breathe. This type of sleep apnea is usually associated with serious illness, especially an illness in which the lower brain-stem — which controls breathing — is affected. In infants, central sleep apnea produces pauses in breathing that can last 20 seconds.

Conditions that may be associated with central sleep apnea include the following:

Congestive heart failure
Hypothyroid Disease
Kidney failure
Neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
Damage to the brainstem caused by encephalitis, stroke, injury, or other factors

Not Ashamed of the Gospel

Published on August 23, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

Tonight I was on Facebook and posting interesting cloud pictures. I came across a image that was shared by a few different people on Facebook and I found it to actually be sad. I posted the image so you can see what I’m talking about and I’m sorry if it is off a bit due to some of the content of the picture. I try to keep my blog clean.

First off, I want to give you definitions of Religion and Faith- There is a difference.

Religion/Religious

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a super human agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

Faith:

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.

2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.:to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

The reason I find this sign sad is that people many times views religion as faith. We can be religious about anything from waking up at exactly 6 am or checking out Facebook each and every day to see what is going on. When religion is compared to a penis, I find this a horrible in so many ways. As a Christian I find it offensive. Maybe I shouldn’t be offended, but I am. There are so many things wrong with this on so many levels. Some may think it is humorous our innocent, but I find it demeaning and distasteful. But of course that is my opinion and I am just one person.

People have the right to believe whatever they want: And for the most part this is true, people do have that right. Just because you have a right to believe something doesn’t make it right. If that was the case there Hitler had the right to hold his beliefs. There are some that complaint that saying there is only one to be saved is that Christians are intolerant and narrow-minded. I find it important to say that we have the right to believe what we do, and to speak openly about it. At least here in the United States and most of the civilized world. If someone chooses to not believe the Gospel after I share it with them, the important thing is that I did as God commanded me to do and followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The decision to accept Christ isn’t about me, it is between a person and God, they don’t reject us, but they are rejecting God if they choose to do that. To me there is nothing more important than sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

When I seen this image and others like it on Facebook, I couldn’t help but ask myself why as a Christian I find it important to share my faith;

PEOPLE ARE LOST

2 Cor. 4:4 states that, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the Image of God.”

It completes our (my) joy. If we are enjoying our walk with Christ, our Christian experience is still incomplete unless we can share it with others. There is nothing like sharing something that has made our life joyous then sharing with those we care the most about. We want them to experience that same joy and not miss out of what they can also have. We don’t want our loved ones, friends and acquaintances to be hurting. We want them to be happy. Our joy is complete when we get the chance to share that joy with others.

Love of God: For me the greatest motivation is the love of God. There were many in my life that never gave up on me. They seen the path I was going down was not the path towards God. Looking back through my life, I can see that God put people in my life that brought me closer to him. There were times I thought they were my stumbling blocks. They got in the way of me wanting to have a good time and I didn’t always appreciate their insistence and intrusion. As I look back the love and those people I once called stumbling blocks were the ones that lead me down the path I needed to go and found Christ waiting for me at the cross. I didn’t always appreciate what they said and I thought they were trying to throw God words at me. Now, I find that those God words are the words I needed and that we all need. I have no problem being a stumbling block for others if it helps them get to know and accept Christ.

I have shared this in a previous blog. But to this day I still remember when I was baptized. I wanted to be baptized when I was much younger. My friends and I would take turns baptizing each other in irrigation ditches in Hyder, AZ. I bugged my pastor and on my 14th birthday at the Southern Baptist Church in Willcox Arizona I was baptized. Pastor Randy Tipton was the minister at the time. We had to use the Baptist Church for baptisms since the Nazarene Church I went to didn’t have one. I was so overjoyed and I was set to go on a mission to Africa. Well, that never happened. God had other plans for my life. But the day I was baptized was the greatest day in my life.

Some would say that couldn’t be. The greatest day that I have ever had should be when my children were born or I got married. But that isn’t the case. I was blessed by God and given my daughters and my husband. God comes first in all things and He blesses us with those we need. We may not see things as blessings, but they are. People may not see a Bible verse or kind thought posted on Facebook as a blessing, but maybe there is someone out there that needed to hear those words at that time.

If someone gets offended by some of the posts I put up about my faith, then that isn’t my problem. My problem is not doing what God wants me to do. God takes care of all things and it’s up to the one receiving the message if they want to read it, delete it, accept it or question it.

Finally, I believe that without a personal relationship with God through Christ, it is difficult to find real meaning in this life. Without God, a person tries to fill their life with activities, things and even people to fill a void, a void of meaning. If someone believes that death is the end of their life, then the end of life is nothingness and life simply precedes death; there is no real meaning. But if a life ends by beginning new eternal life with Christ, that is totally different. In this way it can be said that the real meaning of life is eternal life in Christ!

As a Christian, I find that social media is a wonderful way or reaching people that I may never get a chance to meet. God uses social media to advance His kingdom and as a Christian, I’m just one of His tools. I try not to offend, but at the same time I have a deep desire to share the goodness and joy that Christ has given to me. I respect people of all faiths and I try not to judge. It isn’t my job to judge others. My job is to be a voice in a world that needs to know there is hope through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Click here for one of my favorite songs by Carmen- Not Ashamed

I would be interested to hear why others like to share the Gospel or why they have a problem sharing it. It could be anything from being uncomfortable, nervous, fear or what others think, non believer or so on.

My Take on Big Brother

Published on August 23, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

I almost always do at-least one blog on my favorite reality show. This is the time to do it. Even though if the end doesn’t go well, I may be venting. If you’re not a Big Brother watcher, this blog post may bore you.

Big Brother is in full swing right now. Big Brother is one of the very few shows I like to watch. I don’t exactly know why I like to watch it but I do. Maybe it is because I find it interesting to see human nature being acted out live and you really get to see what people would do for money.

This year has been a bit disappointing. Well not a bit, really disappointing. The house-guests are a bunch of mean and racists guests. Big Brother is a game and that is all it is. People are the pawns and one by one they are picked off until one remains. Normally there is a melting pot of different types of people that are thrown together and have to live together. But this year it seem’s like they got the yuppy, mean girl club going on. Which bothers me. It isn’t fun or interesting to see people like Aaryn, Gina Marie, Kaitlin and Amanda treat others horrible, They have said some of the most horrible racially induced comments I have seen. And people are worried about Paula Deen using the “N” word way back when.

These mean girls treated Candice horribly. Candice is African American and they made horrible comments and flipped her bed. Candice was in tears and was so hurt by the comments and the treatment she was getting from the mean girls. Howard came into the have nots room and prayed with her and consoled her. She was a basket case. I think those girls needed to be giving penalty points for their actions.

Then you have Jeremy that acted as a child. He took Jessie’s hat and though it was fun to wipe his but with it. These are all things that teenagers do to get attention and have everyone notice them. The mean girls reminds me of those girls in school who thought they were all that and would walk the school like they owned it and they could have any guy they wanted. It is disgusting.

Andy is the gay guy this year. I really liked him to begin with. But lately he is just someones puppet. She says what anyone wants to hear and is getting just as bad as the mean girls. It’s terrible that he has this ugly side to him that is very unbecoming.

There are only a few in the house that I thought was playing the game and that is genuine. Those few are Jessie, Helen, Elissa and Judd. Some who watch the show may be surprised to see that I said Helen. The reason I said that is because she is acting like a mom to all these children in the household. She stirs the pot every now and then, but she tries to keep the peace and moderates. She can be irritating because she goes on and on and it get’s old. I think this week she will be evicted from the house and sent to the jury house.

This year I would say that Jessie and Elissa are my favorites. Howard and Candice is up there pretty high too. But they seem like they have good hearts. I didn’t think I would like Elissa because she is Rachael’s sister. But she seems very sweet and someone that would be fun to get to know. You can tell her family means the world to her. She is nothing like her sister. Rachael is a very whiny and get on your last nerve kind of person. And her laugh made me want to cringe. I do hope that Elissa will turn the tables and make a move. Everyone seems afraid to do that.

I understand that Big Brother is all about outwitting the other house guests and that most times they all give into lying. Every year there has been those who are stronger than others and make life miserable for the rest of the house-guests. Evil Dick is a good example. He knew how to push people and would teeter on a fine line for most of the game. Then you have Dan. I think Dan had to be the best player of all time. This year it isn’t about the game as much, it is pure hatred brought on by those who feel they are supremem over the others.

Aaryn and Gina Marie will find out when they get out of the house that because of how they acted on live TV that they will no longer be modeling and bother are out of a job. Aaryn was a model in Texas and her parents had to hire someone to clean up her image. I say, “Good Luck on that one.” She is thinking everyone likes her and that is very far from the truth. She will go down as the mosted hated in all of Big Brother history.

Gina worked with pageants in New York or New Jersey and she lost her job. The company said that they were happy to see the real Gina Marie. They never seen this side of her and they are grateful to Big Brother.

I will be glad for this season to be over and hope that the next one will be better and they will get real people in there. Not girls that look perfect, but then you get to see just how ugly these pretty girls are.

I started on this topic the other day and didn’t want to post it till tonight’s live eviction. I have to say I was happy that Elissa got Head of Household and that she gets letters from home and to see pictures of her kids. So many of the house guests have been horrible to her and it is nice to see her win something when it counted the most.

Remembering Brandie, Maverick and Mattie

Published on August 19, 2013August 19, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

Brandie Muffins- She was my sweet girl and always will be- RIP Brandie

Oh my goodness. I just watched the worst ever video. It isn’t that the video was bad, but it took me back to when I had to put my dogs down. Brandie became sick very suddenly, Mattie couldn’t eat and was very sick and Maverick was old, couldn’t get up and walk, deaf and just the sweetest old dog.

I was watching this video of this lady that was with her dog Daisy as they put her down. Now I’m a basket case. I can’t help but be transported back in time to when I had to take Brandie and have her put down. They gave me her collar and leash. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. When I walked into the house with just her leash and collar Bridgette and my mother in law broke down in tears. The whole drive home was like someone kicked me in the stomach. If anyone has a pet that is a family member and you had to put them down, you know what I mean.

Maverick Christian- What an awesome dog- RIP Maverick

Then I think of Maverick. We got him at 8 weeks old. He was a white boxer that had a ton of personality. He was 11 when we put him down. To this day I still feel guilty over yelling at him when he peed on the floor because he couldn’t get to the door. I know he couldn’t hear me and it was beyond his control. But I think back to Maverick and hope that he forgave me for getting mad at him. He was my husbands dog and there was nobody like Maverick. He would fake sleep in daddy’s spot and loved to rough house.

My sweet Mattie when we first got her. I sure do miss her- RIP Mattie

Maverick got a hold of some dog food from IFA and he and my other dog Mattie had a reaction to it. I will never forget and always warn people to not buy that kind of dog food. We just feed them it while we waited to go into town… Within 2 days of eating it, they were both sick. Maverick had scars from open wounds all over his body. Mattie died about 3 months prior to Maverick. Every-time I see Maverick, Matties and Brandies face, I can’t help but think about them happy and healthy. And if there is anyone that says dogs aren’t in heaven, I don’t want to hear it.

My sweet Mattie. What a sweetheart she was. She had the smelliest breath, but the sweetest disposition. We adopted her from Almost Home Arizona Boxer Rescue. She was my dog and loved to be loved.

Here is a video that I did of Maverick, Mattie and Julie. We were fostering Julie at the time. Right after this video was made is when we gave them the dog food that got them sick. It makes me sick to think about it. I’m so glad I video’s them playing. Not a week goes by that we don’t watch this video. It breaks my heart to see them so healthy and then dog food is what took their lives.

This video of this woman with her dog ruined my night. It’s the same feeling I got when I watched Marley and Me. I will NEVER watch that show again. And as I type this blog post, it feels like I’m reliving the drive home with Brandie. I miss that dog so much and I miss Maverick and Mattie. I know pets die, but for us, they are family and it was like a part of my heart went with them.

If you want to see the video I’m talking about, click here. I warn you that if you have ever had a dog put down or love dogs, this is a hard video to watch.

Hatred Towards Stars

Published on August 18, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

I find it interesting when I read comments on yahoo or on one my my favorite reality shows “Big Brother”. The reason I say that is because the comments are down right hateful and mean. The kind of hate I’m thinking about is where you hate them so much you wish they no longer existed and want them dead or harmed. 99 percent of the people who make comments don’t know the stars personally. We only know them by what the media puts out there.

Lindsey Lohan– She has had a very troubled past and has made some horrible mistakes. She was born in July of 86. Even though she has gotten into a lot of trouble, I still like her shows for the most part and I feel bad for her. She was awesome in “Parent Trap” and “Herbie Reloaded”. She is a good actress who got involved in drugs and partying. She has stolen items and had to serve time. Even though for the most part she got a slap on the wrist from the courts, but has been racked through the coals in the media.

The comments about her are filled with so much hate that they would prefer her dead. They think she is a tramp and other things that I don’t or shouldn’t be mentioned. My thing is how can people hate her when the don’t know her? They don’t know what she is like personally. She has been tried and convicted by the media. My personal thoughts is that she is a young lady who made a lot of mistakes and bad choices and needs help. I don’t hate her. My heart goes out to her.

Justin Bieber– OK! First off, I’m not a big fan of Justin Bieber. He doesn’t sing my style of music at all. But Justin is just a kid who has made it big in the music industry. He has let his stardom go to his head. But is that a reason to hate him? I would think he needs to grow up and learn to be an adult. But that takes time.

While I don’t like his music I think he has a kind heart. He reaches out to these young children that are fighting life ending diseases and treats them like a princess. He should be given credit for the good he does. Shoot lately a lynch mob was about to get him because he asked a simple question about if Anne Frank would have liked his music if she was a teenager now. The hate mongrels were coming out of the wood work and judging him for wondering this. I seen no disrespect by what he asked. He spent time at her museum and was shown who Anne Frank was.

He is 19 for Petes sake, give the kid a break. How many of us at 19 would have it all together. Yes, he has made mistakes and said stupid things, but he has a whole lifetime to learn and grow. I’m still learning and growing and let me say that he is much younger than my kids and only not much older than my grand-kids.

Honey Boo Boo– I think this little girl is over the top and stardom has gone to her head. But I do like watching the show from time to time. Her family is a either hate them or love them. Not sure why others would hate them because they don’t know them. I don’t agree with many of the things that they do, but that is how the culture is down south. My children would never act like she does or her siblings, but I’m not her parents.

Honey Boo Boo has a big mouth and likes to be center of attention. She has won many trophies and awards for being in pageants. And that has gone to her head I’m sure. But how anyone can hate a young child is beyond me. The actions maybe, but not the person. At one time her mom was making up this high energy, high caffeine drink that was not what a child let alone an adult drink.

Now, I have gotten to where I like her mom. She seems to have more common sense than a lot of people. When you read her views on her family, she is one that would chase down anyone who hurt them. She loves her kids and wants them to be the best people they can be, farts and all.

Big Brother– If you haven’t watched Big Brother, then you may be lost on what I mean here. But basically CBS throws about 16 different people into a house each summer. Each week someone is sent home packing. It’s a game about lying, deceit and being the last one standing to win a 250,000 dollars. Each player has their own thoughts on how they are going to win and strategy, alliances and winning competitions is what will keep you in the house.

This year the house-guests have been boring and racists. You have Aaryn and Gina Marie who have literally lost their real jobs because of the comments they have said about African Americans and Asians. You have others who make off color remarks about those who are gay. These comments are horrible and I do think that CBS should do something about it, but they are taking the stand that in the house people are who they are.

Now those of us who have life feeds to see what is going on can see how horrible these people are and can be. There aren’t many nice people. But those who are commenting as we are watching the house guests are saying horrible hateful things to. They are talking about how someone should be dead or they are the most hated players ever. It just boggles my mind on how people can be filled with so much hate and not know the people.

On this years Big Brother, I am very disappointing in how people are acting. I don’t expect people to be honest. I expect people to manipulate and do what has to be done to win. All house guests and viewers under stand this going into the show. I can also understand how hurtful some of these comments and words that are being said in the house can be. It isn’t pretty. But it is a game and anyone watching and participating needs to know that. I also think that those playing may be different people outside of the house. I’m hoping next year they will do better at casting and making sure there aren’t racist house-guests.

President Obama- Yes, I’m going to touch on this topic about President Obama. When people bring up his name in the area I live in, the whole personalty changes of the person I’m talking to.

I very much live in a republican state. So it doesn’t matter what my views are on Obama. I could love him, hate him, or whatever else and it wouldn’t matter. But what gets me is that there is so much hatred towards him that it makes me sick to even read the posts.

And really it isn’t just him when it comes to politicians. Thinking about about all the hatred towards Bush and all presidents. I think we will always have this great divide of Democrats and Republicans. No matter what each side does, the other is going to hate it. It can be the best thing for our country and you will have haters out there. It is actually very sad when I think about how much hatred there is towards our president.

I would never want his job and anyone who doesn’t want to be a moving target would want it. It’s a no win situation. When I vote, I vote for the person, not for the parties. If you look back through time, you will see that there has never been a perfect president that has been loved by all people. All have been hated by someone. Which I think is wrong. It bothers me when I see headlines and posts on Facebook about our president, no matter who he is. Most times during elections I usually disable those status that comment about how our president is this or that. I will always check it out to get the real story. And most times the stories that are being shared are false.

The way I handle things and our politicians is with prayer. Even if I don’t like who got voted in they still need prayers. With so much hate, how can something positive be done?

Ecclesiastes 3:8

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace

So to end this topic, I just want to say that stars or not, there is no room for hatred. OK! I will take that back. There are times I hate. I hate Hitler and all the innocent lives that were lost. I hate when I hear on the news that there was another mass shooting and innocent lives got blown away. I hate hearing about children dying of cancer. I hate war and all the hate comments around elections. I hate that Casey Anthony got off with murder. There is a time to hate and I think these are the times to hate. Hating someone you don’t know isn’t right. I personally think that we must hate the sin, and love the sinner. There are times when I would like to see someone fall off the side of a cliff and during those times I have to ask God to help me with those feelings.

We Have a New Pastor

Published on August 17, 2013August 17, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

Our church has been in the middle of a transition. Our previous pastor and his wife retired at the end of March. Pastor Dean and Ruth have been awesome and we will miss them. There isn’t anyone that can fill their shoes. But I wonder if we should be looking for someone to fill their shows. The reason I say that is that we need to look for a pastor that fits in his own shoes and one that Christ has sent our way. We should find someone who is an individual and someone who is will be respected for being who he is and our church has found that person.

Last weekend we had the opportunity to meet our next pastor and his wife. It had to be a whirlwind of a time for them though. Our church hires the pastor. We choose who would best fit our congregation with the help of Transformation Ministries. The new pastor was looking for a church that is Bible based and not one that is conforming to the world. I would have to say our congregation is very much Bible based and it is very loving. You won’t find many where you don’t feel like there are clicks and such.

That little basket of white papers holds the future of our church and the pastor to be’s life with St. George Community Church

What got me thinking about our new pastor and his wife is the process all applicants have to go through when hiring a pastor. We bring in the pastor that the search committee has found. Then they are called to come and get to know the people of our church, preach and all the things that go with meeting and greeting. I can’t begin to understand the pressure the interviewing pastor must feel at this time. He has to literally interview, have questions ask and put on the spot during this time. They aren’t just interviewing with a few, but the congregation at large.

Thankfully the pastor and his wife both got voted in unanimously and they will be an awesome fit. I’m sure they breathed a sigh of relief when all was said and done and the vote came back in their favor. The search committee had to make sure to pray and follow Gods lead when it came to who we would consider. It’s a tough job being on the search committee.

Thankfully we have been having this awesome young man named Andrew doing our sermons. He would fill in when Pastor Dean and Ruth would be on vacation, so this made it easy for him to step in and help. Hopefully our church will still use Andrew on Thursdays and such. He has become a member and friend of our church. I don’t know if he is literally a member, but he is there and he is part of the family of God.

October 1st is when our new pastor and his wife is due to begin their life here in St. George. I pray that they feel as blessed as we feel we are blessed. It’s a new chapter in the life of St. George Community Church. They have some wonderful ideas and gifts. I’m excited to see how things go for the church.

I promised the new pastor I wouldn’t mention his name or anything until after he has put in his notice at his church. It has to be hard for him since he is leaving his denomination and moving to Utah. They could probably use your prayers and thoughts as they transfer to our church and leave their church family that they have come to love.

One last note and I will add a picture of this soon. When the final vote came in and it was read aloud, you could feel the joy from the new pastor and his wife. What a huge relief this has got to be for them. They were met with hugs, tears and over joyed members of St. George Community Church. It took a while to find the right pastor for our church. But we had to be sure he was a man after Gods own heart and not rush into things. I think we made the right choice and our search committee did an awesome job.

Facebook Drama’s and Grumbles

Published on August 16, 2013August 16, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

On my Facebook, I have right around 420 or so friends. I have all of them categorized so I know if they are family, friends, church, acquaintances and games. I don’t get news feeds from all the friends because I don’t know half of them personally. Sometimes they are friends of friends or games and usually my husband is playing the games under my name. But I have found a couple things interesting or should I say sad when it comes to Facebook and that is the drama that plays out for hundreds to see. Many times these dramas happen in front of people who may not know all the characters in Facebook Land and they get very personal. Big Brother is on Facebook too!

The dramas I’m thinking of is when a person post somethings that is going on in their personal life. For the most part these are negative remarks that are hurtful to someone they may know, but not really many other people would know them. So they post a status about how so and so is doing this and that they want to do something to hurt them and the language is way out there. For the most part many don’t know what the situation is nor do we always care. If some privates me and asks for advice, then I will give it to them if possible. But when the status’s and arguments become mean and hateful, I want no part of that. And forbid the poor person who comments on someone’s status that is raging like that. Because they get yelled at and put down. There may be a comment about how they never asked them for their opinion so stay out of it.

OK! Out of all fairness to those who have to read such rages and comments, I would say that if they don’t want feedback or comments, then don’t put it out there for everyone to read. For the most part when I read some of these conversations of people who I don’t know, I think it is sad and pitiful. It makes me wonder what kind of a person who drag those they profess to love and care about in the mud in front of strangers all over the world. Here pretty soon, there will be a number of people I will be defriending because of this. It’s not fair to anyone to be treated the way that some people treat others. Facebook has made it easy for people to open their lives up as if it is a diary. Facebook isn’t a diary. It is a social network. Don’t take it personal if I don’t have you on my list anymore… Well! OK take it personal, because there is a good reason you are no longer there and maybe some people should take that into consideration.

Facebook and Online Etiquette

These aren’t rages by just one person or group, it happens in a number of groups. They want people to respect them and not think bad of them, but then they are the ones putting these horrible messages of hate all over Facebook. They are in a sense giving everyone free range to comment and respond to their status’s. I know I have my moments and I do my share of venting. But there are just some things that never should be posted. I wonder about people and how they put so much information out there for everyone to see. Some people needs to understand what privacy settings are. They are not only good for us, but for those in our family and on our friends list.

One of the sadder things is when someone posts horrible messages or pictures and either their friends, family or whoever else are forced to see these horrible things. When I see some of these messages, I have to honestly say I have no respect for the person who drags another through the mud on Facebook or other social networks. The comments tell me what kind of a person they are and if they are making heartless comments, then I don’t really want them on my Facebook. I don’t need the drama from those I don’t know and I don’t need it from those I do know.

Usually if I post something personal, there is a reason why… Sometimes people don’t need to know what is going on in our lives 24/7. And when I do post a status, it isn’t going out to all that are on my friends list, only to a select group of people. Those I don’t know personally don’t get all of my status updates and such. We need to be careful, especially if we don’t know them personally. I think my downfall is posting pictures. I like to post pictures of nature and my kids, grandkids and pets. But I do have them also restricted to who they go to. Not all people are interested in what I do and my pictures. I try to respect them.

I guess I will close out on this topic… In a nutshell, i wanted to just say keep the drama to yourself and stop posting crap. If you don’t want people to reply or give you advice, then you should never post it on Facebook, twitter or Myspace! Just saying! Stop and think about what you are posting and if what you are posting will destroy your personal or professional life. You never know who is reading your posts or wall.

Overall I love facebook because I can connect to my friends and family. That’s why I joined it to begin with. I have found family members I have lost tract of over 40 yrs ago. I have been reunited with school pals, and get to see up to date pictures of my sweet wonderful grand kids. There are many wonderful things about facebook. But to those who are the bad eggs, I have no use for rotten eggs and people filled with hate.

Sounding Off- Paula Deen

Published on August 13, 2013August 13, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

Food Network needs to offer an apology to Paula Deen… We are under the delusion that when we are charged with doing something wrong that we are innocent until proven guilty. That isn’t always the case by the looks of things. A while back news broke that Paula Deen said the “N” word about 30 years ago. She admitted that she did that and that she was wrong. As soon as she did that, the lynch mobs were out in full force. They already had her tried, convicted and about to be put in front of the firing squad before she even got to step foot in the courtroom. Food Network cancelled her show and endorsements were dropping left and right. Was it right that she was tried in the court of public opinion and bureaucrats before everything was heard? I say NO!

Today this is what the news is saying; “A federal judge in Georgia has thrown out race discrimination claims by a former Savannah restaurant manager whose lawsuit against Paula Deen ended up causing the celebrity cook to lose a big slice of her culinary empire. “

What happened to her is horrible and never should have happened. They should have waited to fire her and cancel the endorsements until the trial was over. People sure are fast to judge and convict. I wonder how many of these sponsors and the Food Network bosses are exempt from every doing or saying anything wrong. I have a very nasty taste in my mouth now when it comes to the Food Network. I didn’t watch all of her shows, but we sure did watch many shows on the Food Network. I gave a number of gift subscriptions to friends that love the Food Network. I have chosen not to renew any of those subscriptions and look for other magazines. Food Network was our only hold out when it came to keeping cable, and that isn’t a stumbling block anymore. If Food Network treats their employees like Paula Deen the way they did, they obviously have no regard for anyone else. They are all about money, not loyalty to their watchers and employees.

When I read that the charges were dismissed, it ticked me off. Not because I thought she was guilty, it was because they dragged her through the mud for nothing. I wonder also why if this lady that said she was discriminated against stayed so long. If she was having that much of a problem, why stay for 5 years? I’m pretty sure it had to be about the money. She was paid around $90,000 a year, wonder what she will make now?I wish I could get $90,000 a year. I don’t think that anyone should be called names and discriminated against. But I think there is more to this than what meets the eye and I think the judge seen it too.

One of the things that gets my goat is those who sold her products pulled them. I didn’t think I was bothered by this public display of hate until I was at Target and Walmart and seen her stuff on clearance. It bothers me that her new cookbook was cancelled and they won’t be selling it.

When I got to thinking about why this whole ordeal with Paula has upset me and got me posting this topic on my blog, I think about injustice and how it can happen to anyone. I think about kids I sat with on the bus at school that got shunned because they didn’t have money. And for those who had money, the poor ones called them all kinds of names. I have family members that are white, black, Hispanic, German, Irish and so on. Nobody has any room to be prejudice. I don’t like it and it bothers me when I hear black people calling other black people the “N” word. I hate it when people call other races anything that is demeaning. It’s uncalled for and there is no place that it is acceptable or should be at least.

Growing up in the mid-west, there were some terms that was common and we never thought twice about them. Once someone said that it was bad and what it mean, I did everything to not say it. For example, Brazil Nuts were called ‘N” Toes. I didn’t know why, but that’s what everyone called them. I was only a young kid and knew no better. Once someone is told what it means and that they are hurtful words then we are responsible for what flies out of our mouths. For me it has been over 30 yrs plus since using words that I didn’t know I couldn’t use. And I can almost guarantee that unless you are living in a convent that everyone has said or done something stupid in the name of stupidity and not knowing better.

Sorry I’m on a rant here, but it bugs me that she lost so much and it isn’t even the money, it is her name and character that others were judging. Shoot, I could imagine if I was judged by public opinion I would be in front of a thousand firing squads and having a life sentence in prison. Thankfully I have been forgiven and I know that Christ has forgiven me. Paula Deen has publicly asked for forgiveness and understanding and many have offered her that. But there are those who must be pure as snow and perfect like Christ who finds that it is beyond them to admit they have ever said something stupid.

OK! I’m getting off this topic before I get myself in a ton of trouble and have my name raked through the mud of public opinion.

Why Don’t/Do People go to Church?

Published on August 11, 2013August 11, 2013 by Sandie D2 Comments

As many know, I am a pretty opinionated person and I will almost always have a thought on something. My thoughts today came about because of my daughter Jessica. She and I were talking about why don’t people go to church. Or why do they stop going to church? I’m pretty sure if you ask a group of people, you will get a butt load of answers.

Now, if you ask my husband he says it is boring and he doesn’t like how some of the music sounds like he is going to a funeral. And on the flip side he doesn’t like it when the music is for hours long and then he has to sit there and listen to the sermon. lol. I told him he just wants to be a heathen. That is a whole other subject, lol.

church6

When I asked people why they don’t go to church I get a number of answers. The very first answer was somewhat of a slap in the face because as a Christian, this is something we all should be doing. Most of those I talked to said that they don’t go to church because they were never invited. After thinking on this, I can see how this could be. Jessica said that she thought it was the number one answer too. Let’s think about this for a few here.

We have our own little world of family and friends. Every now and then someone new enters into our lives and they become a part of our little world. If anyone is like me, they know that I am a Christian and I have no problem sharing that with anyone who is around. But there are times when I hesitate to share with someone out of fear of them thinking I’m a street corner Bible thumper. There was once a time when I didn’t want to be known as a Jesus Freak or something similar to that. It wasn’t the cool thing to be. Anymore I could care less if people know that I am a believer in Christ and that He alone is who I need to answer too.

So back to my thoughts here. Many times people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and talk to those who we are closer to. We don’t want them to think we are shoving our faith down their throats. I have actually tried to visualize this happening, lol and it is not a pretty picture. Many times I fail to ask someone to church because I know they go to another church or that they don’t believe in God and want no part of it. This is my thinking at least. It’s more than likely not reality. So as a friend who wants to respect my friend or family member, we talk about the weather or who is going to beat the Lakers in the NBA playoffs. I don’t want to be that person that is known for taking a hammer and knocking some sense into someone when it comes to getting to know Christ. It is a no brainer to me… OK, maybe I would like a hammer.

When Jess and I were talking about this, it brought some thoughts to my head about why people don’t go to church, These are also excuses people use;

church-excuses

Was never invited to not go to church;
No time; schedule conflicts; working 2
Not interested in church
Don’t know
All they want is my money
My beliefs are different than the church’s
Don’t believe in organized religion
Don’t need to worship at a church
People will judge me because I don’t have nice cloths

One thing that did catch my attention was that some people find

that when they go to church it is like they are going to a show. Whoever can be the loudest and get the most attention is the one that is center of attention. Three of the people I talked to was talking about how some churches don’t feel like they are worshiping God. Sure there is preaching going on. But it isn’t to glorify God. God isn’t the center of their church and hearts. When churches is all about show and things like that then God isn’t going to bless the church. God has to be the center of the church. Without God you just have a lot of people making noise and saying “look at me”.

I have been to some churches myself where I didn’t feel the presence of God. I have also known a number of church leaders who are more into themselves then Christ. They say they are there to save souls. But all I see is a bunch of words coming out of their mouths and not a whole lot of anything else.

Social Media and Streaming of church services have also taken the place of going to church. Anymore you can plug into a church service on ROKU, Facebook, Twitter and the hoards of other channels. These types of services are great once in awhile. But they shouldn’t take the place of truly worshiping Christ with other believers. We were created to be with other people and I think that counts when it comes to going to church. I’m not saying to not watch church on TV. I’m saying that it is good to get off your butt and go to church and worship with other fellow believers.

There is one other important statement that some have made and that is that they have been hurt. Unfortunately, there are those who don’t attend church because they have experienced great pain in a local church. We are sometimes brutal when it comes to our own people. Christians aren’t exempt from hurting others. I know I have made more than my share of stupid mistakes and unwise choices.

Here are some awesome reasons to go to church. Not a virtual church, but a church where you are greeted with a handshake, hug or whatever as you walk into the door and find your seat. After checking with some people and asking the question about why they go to church, here are the answers…

for spiritual growth and guidance
Relationship Other than Family Member
Friendliness of Members
keeps me grounded/guided
Pastor/Preaching
church was a vital part of their relationship with God
felt that church was helping them become a better person
it’s my faith

Go-to-Church--the-funpop-432221_370_270 — I really liked what this church sign said… SOOOOOOOO True- It’s not from my church, but says it all…

In closing, I want to say that I personally don’t think that church can save you. It is a building. For me church is the people I worship with each week. The body of Christ is the church. A building won’t save you. The only one who can save you is Christ alone. We can all come up with excuses to not go to church and I can come up with some pretty good ones if I don’t want to do something. But for me going to church is an honor and blessing. If I don’t agree with the message, I have no problem asking the pastor where he got his information. I don’t want to get preachy and I have a way of doing that. So I will close up on this thought for today.

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