Month: September 2014

I have been in this heated debate with this guy on Yahoo this past week. The debate is all over those little devices that lenders put on cars for those who have a bad history of paying their bills.

This little device will keep the car from starting if the borrower doesn’t pay the payments.  It doesn’t turn the car off as you are driving it, but it will keep it from starting if the payment isn’t made on time.

My friends had one of these devices on their car and I had no clue what it was until I seen it in action. I have to say I would never buy a car from a place that has one of these because you can get stranded if you don’t pay up. Not only does it not let you start your car, it makes this horrible sound the closer it gets to your payment being past due.

Yahoo – Beyond the ability to disable a vehicle, the devices have tracking capabilities that allow lenders and others to know the movements of borrowers, a major concern for privacy advocates. And the warnings the devices emit — beeps that become more persistent as the due date for the loan payment approaches — are seen by some borrowers as more degrading than helpful.

I can see why lenders would use these because they make it easier to locate the vehicle and repo it in case the loan isn’t paid. And unfortunately some people have to go through these places because they have no place else to go.  These little devices are great for that. I would hate to have to pay the interest rate at one of these places. By the time you get it financed and the insurance it can easily reach over $1000.00 a month. I guess for me, I would just spend that amount on a cheap car and not have to pay that much. But that is me, everyone has to decide for themselves and these places knows that.

I do wonder if I would have gone with my friend in the first place if I had known she had one of those on her car. I got stuck and we had to call someone. That was the last time I went with her in that car though. After that she got stuck a number of other times and needed someone to come and get her. After the payment is made, then they give you a code to punch in and it resets the device.  Like I said, I never went with her again in that car.

The conversation with this guy got out of hand really fast. I was going to loose my cool, because on my comment I stated that they are inconvenient to those who ride along somewhere and they don’t know before you go with. It isn’t like I was going to have them give me their credit history, loan information and so on if I needed a ride somewhere. And with Myasthenia Gravis and my other medical problems, there are times I can’t drive.  It isn’t like too many people are available at 2:00 am to take someone to the ER or other places.

He went on to say that people who have problems like this are deadbeats and a waste of time. They are like the scum of the earth and not to be trusted. He then said there was no excuse for people not being able to pay a bill. If they can’t pay, they are leaches on society and so on. Well, that ticked me off big time.

I had to wait and pray over if I should comment back or just forget about him and the topic. And I basically decided it wasn’t worth my energy, but I did have to throw a couple punches comment style.  I couldn’t help myself.

I explained to him that he must have a very lonely life or full of rich people that never had a problem in their lives. Not all people who have problems paying bills choose not too. They would pay if they could or had the resources. There are times when things change in life and they have to choose what they can pay or not pay.  My friend that had one of these devices has a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone.  I don’t base my friendships on people’s wealth. I base them on people.  I then told this guy that I would hope he never needed a ride anywhere or needed help, because the help he may need may be from someone that doesn’t have a big bank roll.  I left it at that and I then told him that I will pray for people like him to really see the love of God and those who may be beneath him. And if he is a Christian, he should re-evaluate who he is putting his faith in and what. Because if he understood the Bible, he wouldn’t be the way he was and treating people with such hatred because they have little.

A guy named Joe made this comment:  LOL so I’d hate to see u in a pickle. Hope u never get sued. Hope your kid never gets in trouble. Maybe your life will be peachy. But once you walk a mile in their shoes and struggle, may the person whose in your shoes now not say the same to you.

I guess you just can’t fix stupid people and then you have those who have a holier than thou attitude and I don’t like to waste my time or energy on stupid.  I will leave it at that because history has proven that the world is full of stupidity and hate minded people. I will take a poor friend  any day that is sincere over a rich friend who has no heart.

I’m pretty sure that almost everyone has heard the saying or reassuring quote of, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” If you haven’t heard of it, you may be living under a rock or someone who doesn’t believe in God. This is a subject that I struggle with and would love to do a home Bible study on.

There have been times in my life that I have had to really question this saying and I wanted to see what the Bible had to say on this. For some when they are told this, it is almost like saying that if you can’t- you must not have enough faith or you are not worthy enough to make it through the circumstances in life that are overwhelming. For many years this was a touchy topic for me, mainly because of the misconception that as a Christian, you shouldn’t have problems dealing with life or bad news. I know many would assume it is encouraging and a way of giving someone hope. But, I can say for myself, it hasn’t and isn’t always encouraging to me. The words that are meant for encouragement can often serve to only create discouragement. When things are falling apart and health issues are getting worse and there is no cure, knowing that God will never give me something I couldn’t handle wasn’t doing it for me.

At times, this encouraging verse, or saying, was making me angrier at God and I wanted to deck the person that would say it to me. What it says to me is, “If I am supposed to handle this, then why can’t I handle it?” And, as a Christian, we are supposed to take God at His word and trust that things will work out. So, for a long time I felt like I was failing at something, because I wasn’t handling things all too well and was thinking my name should be Job not Sandie.

Since I was very much feeling like I have failed at this test of endurance and strength, I wanted to see where the Bible verse was for this. The truth is, God never said He wouldn’t give you more than you can handle. What I did find out is that God never said He wouldn’t give you more than you can handle.

There will be times in life when you will feel like you are never going to make it through whatever it is that you are going through and there is no one to help you. I think that this is one of those phrases much like “God helps them who help themselves” that people repeat so often that they assume it is in the Bible but it actually is not!

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 Paul wrote: We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, Paul’s warning is tied to the reality of temptation and sin that meets us every day.

OK, so the exact wording isn’t in the Bible. Whew on that one. I do feel better about that because I felt like I was failing the test of trusting and thinking I was doing something wrong-so, I was being Job.

I would have to say that I think God allows us to be in situations where we can’t handle it and when it is beyond our strength so that we might depend on Him more!

I actually think this phrase can be dangerous and hurtful in some ways. It can also lead us to believe the lie that we can do it ourselves- that we can handle it. Which raises the question, “If we can handle anything that comes our way, then why do we need God at all?”

We need to realize that sometimes we can’t make it on our own. In my life, if it wasn’t for God, I would never have made it through the things I have and I would have no desire to. The reality is that sin and hardships happen every day of our lives.

Paul was talking about temptation- not suffering. With temptation, we have a choice, but with suffering we often don’t have a choice. When Paul pointed out that we have choices, we can run from them or we can give in and sin. I believe that God will provide a way out of those temptations and a way to escape.

When I hear about how God will never give us more than we can handle. I know for certain that God is faithful! In 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says that, “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

In moments when I feel like I can go on no longer and I get tired of fighting medical issues and problems living in this world, I have to remember that as a Christian, I should be imitating Jesus Christ and putting my faith in Him.

My dear friend Lisa has been having some difficult moments emotionally and because of her faith, we can sit, talk, cry and realize that God will never forsake her. Instead of standing up and proclaim that we can handle it alone, we need to call on Jesus. The night before Jesus was executed, He cried out in the garden, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Jesus told His father, “This is too much for me!”

What I have learned from some of these verses and this saying is that it is OK not to be able to handle it. We can cry out to the Lord “My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death.” And when we do this, we find God—the one who, in the person of Jesus, suffers with us.

When I think of my life and all the medical diagnosis’s and life’s challenges I become aware that most definitely life will give me more than I can handle. But, I also know that God is faithful and He will be there through the pain and the problems that living in the world can bring.

A friend of mine told me a long time ago that we need to constantly depend on God. I have to remember that I need/have to depend on God and let Him have control of my life. It took me a long time to come around to this way of thinking.

When I realized a long time ago that I was giving him only 90% of my trust, things got better. I guess it is like tithing when we are told to give 10%. I was keeping that 10% instead and I needed to increase my tithing to the Lord by 90%. I needed to give 100% of my everything. There is no greater investment than investing in God. I wasn’t fully trusting God- I am now though. Peter instructed the Church to cast our fears, worries, suffering and pain on God. God loves us more than anyone or anything ever could. So why not trust Him fully? When life deals us more than we can handle, we can rest in the reality that God can handle it. I want to end this post with this simple thought or promise. When it comes to pain, depression, grief, temptations, trials, heartache and burdens, it doesn’t say it won’t be more than we can bear. Instead the Bible says it best:

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)

First the blessing part of this blog. There has been a video that has been going around on Facebook that shows military guys singing “Days of Elijah”. I have watched this a number of times and brings me peace that there are troops that are bringing God to the forefront and fighting for our country.

There is religious persecution going on all around us. Everyday there are more and more challenges when it comes to the first amendment. When I watch this video it reminds me that no matter what the first amendment may say and the persecutions we go through, God is present and in control.

Now the part that ticks me off!!!  The government has now made it where those who take the oath they can leave out the part where it says “so help me God,”. This is a comment that is from the United States Air Force. “We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed our client has a First Amendment right to omit the reference to a supreme being in his reenlistment oath,” Miller said in a statement Wednesday. “We hope the Air Force will respect the constitutional rights of Atheists in the future.” The American Humanist Association applauded the decision. Read entire article…

I have no problem, well I guess I do when it comes to leaving God out of anything. I believe that is what is wrong with our country and all the countries that are having these wars. If God was present in their lives, then maybe they wouldn’t be having the problems they are having now. If they are worshiping the wrong God or no God and have spit in God’s face, why would He bless them? They have turned their eyes away from Him.

God loves everyone and there are Christians everywhere. Missionaries are living in these countries that are dying because they are standing up for their faith in Jesus Christ. I have to say I get angry that there are Christians in prison like Pastor Saeed and Asia Bibi. We have missionaries our church sponsors, and they put themselves out there to help bring the Gospel to those in need. Only because of God can they find peace. But so many don’t get it!

I know a number of people that are atheists, Wicca and whatever other religion or no religion. Honestly I don’t understand it. But that is their choice. If it wasn’t for my faith in Christ, I would have given up a long time ago. And it is incredibly sad to think that so many have no hope in anything or false gods. I need a arsenal of hammers to knock sense into people. But then I realize that we all have free will.

With free will, people choose for themselves. But I don’t get why they have to force their free will on everyone else. I actually hear more about pushing the agenda from those who are not Christian. If someone doesn’t believe in God, fine, do what you want! But, why would their rights be any greater than our rights. I don’t see Christians bashing and going to court to fight for their rights. It may seem like it, but most of the times it is the other groups or organizations that are stirring the pot. They don’t to be dragging everyone else down because you/they choose not to.

I best get off this topic because it is a huge soapbox for me. I just want to say that I absolutely love to see our troops putting God first and then going out and serving our country. And for those troops that don’t believe in God, well, I guess I won’t go there, because that will be a book. Thanks to those who put God first, gives me a sense of peace knowing they are.

Today has been a nice day. I was given the chance to go up to Beryl Junction, Utah to visit some dear friends. It has been a very long time since I have just sat and visited with them. I did have a purpose to go up there and that is to bring my sisters little dog to her. But for me the best part was seeing the Brinkerhoffs. They have got to be one of the closest families I know.

I went up there to get the puppy which is named Gracie. She is a tiny chiwinnie dog. While walking around their property I couldn’t but think about how strong they are in their faith. Their children are awesome and when I think of families like them, they are a great example of a loving home and who puts God first.

A few of the kids showed me around outside. Today reminded me of how much I miss living in Veyo. The landscape and openness is indescribable. They also have the cutest pets. I think I could spend a couple days up there and just take pictures and relax. I think if I had a cabin I would go up there for a three day weekend, that would be awesome. Of course I would have my camera ready. They have some cool buildings up there. Some people wouldn’t be interested in living so far out, but they make it work.

They have three donkeys, one being a newborn and just a few weeks old. I can’t even count how many dogs. They have chickens, geese and ducks. They also have horses, peacocks. birds, small ponies, cats, adult donkeys and a very small baby donkey. I don’t know if they named her yet, but I think they should call her Beatrice. She looks like a Beatrice to me, I think I have it covered. The Brinkerhoffs are richer in so many ways. God has really blessed them. And I feel extremely blessed to call them friends.

I did get some pictures while I was there, but it was getting ready to storm. The smell of rain was awesome and after the rain a huge rainbow appeared. For me it symbolized God’s presence. I know that rainbows is a sign that God said he wouldn’t flood the entire world again. When I think of them, I think of how much God loves us and how He is protecting us and is protecting us.

Rosemary made some awesome rolls. I’m thinking I should have taken some to go. It has been years since I had rolls. I may have to find a good recipe for them. I would like to make some.

Eric made some kind of soup and it was awesome. I don’t know what he calls it, but I think it should be called kitchen sink soup. He threw a bit of this and that in the pot and wahla.

They also camp grounds about 40 miles from where they live. They let churches us it if they want to. I think I might see if maybe next summer we can do a retreat at their campground. I believe it has a few cabins and all the things needed. There would only be one issue for me. I don’t like bugs so I don’t camp. That would be awesome to do for the 4th of July. Since it is so hot in July, it would be a great place to celebrate the 4th at. Maybe even have Pastor Ray could bring his guitar and we can do campfire songs. Now my brain is reeling on this idea.

We got on the conversation of their daughter Sarah. Sarah is 4″ 11 ” and joined the Marines. I will include a picture of what she looks like. Sarah is tough girl and she sounds like she is doing good.

But all in all it was a nice day and I think I need to visit them much more often and have them over for dinner. The Brinkerhoffs are the most down to earth and genuine people I have been blessed to have as friends. Today was also nice because they are the kind of friends that aren’t afraid to be themselves. They have a huge heart for helping people.

We got talking about faith and I love doing that. Jesus is my favorite topics. Basically we were talking about how as Christians we should be acting that way. We also know that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Most of all, it was awesome to be able to catch up and visit with them. I hope we don’t take too long to just hang out. I wish they were closer to visit. They remind me of how I was raised. I would have to say that they are the living example of being in this world, but not of it.

P.S. They have a greenhouse and it was a special treat to have fresh tomatoes and veggies. I was sent home with some green tomatoes and I so can’t wait to cook them up. Tomatoes from the garden and not hot houses have a wonderful smell and flavor.

I wonder if people have lost of the art of having conversations. People know how to talk a lot, but do they really say anything important. I have come to the conclusion that conversations are more like small talk. It must be somewhat common for people to struggle with what to say to someone one-on-one. It’s as if there is this kind of awkward silences.

Our church does a ladies lunch and I have come to the point where I don’t really enjoy going to them. For me the reason is because there isn’t really much visiting and it is like a waiting room in my Dr’s office. I don’t mind listening to others and I truly do care. For myself, I very much dislike talking about my medical stuff in a restaurant or with those who aren’t close friends. I want to have a normal conversation that centered around Dr’s and who is constipated.

One day I was at the Black Bear for breakfast and all the people around me must have been sick and dying. Not one conversation was about anything other than being sick or who was dying. I about choked on my coffee when a lady said she was so relieved that she could finally pass gas.

REALLY? I wonder when life became a medical textbook instead of living each day and being grateful for the good things. But, really, do they need to talk about the last time they went to the bathroom and what a relief it was? I know that people needs to discuss medical things with others and some people may not be around others, but some discussions should be in private. I also don’t like 20 questions about what is going on medically with me, unless I feel comfortable doing that and it is one on one.

There has been research on this topic, lol. I was shocked, but yeah they have studies for everything. They suggest that people start conversations by offering open ended questions. For example,”how is the weather? Have you read any good books lately? What are your favorite movies?”

Some people in this study suggested that if you want to start a conversation to just ask people about themselves, their hobbies, their job or they feel about anything in general.

OK! Well, some people didn’t get the memo of how to have a conversation. When was the last time you pooped was not on the list of conversation starters. I can almost guarantee ya that if you start off with this conversation, it is all downhill from then on. There has to be more going on in life than when a person last went to the bathroom.

Since it is mostly elderly ladies that goes to our brunch it would be awesome to learn more about what it was like for them growing up in the era they did. What were some of their favorite activities when they were younger or what their families did? I would think learning more about who they are and what they enjoy doing would be more interesting. It would be awesome to do a get together that would be a “Window to the Past.”

Well, I’m going to get off this blog topic because I can see that it can end up pretty messy, lol.

Change is going to happen. I’m pretty sure that anyone seeking to effect change will come up against those who like things the same way it has always been done. Change isn’t easy for me, but I know that it is something that will happen, no matter how much I fight it.

It’s been pretty awesome at church. The reason I say this is because new students are starting at Dixie State University. Our church is the perfect location to reach out to those students and families.

As a church and Christians we should be wanting to reach those who don’t have a personal relationship with Christ. We should be willing to do whatever it takes to reach these people. It isn’t about us or the church, it is about bringing people to Christ.

As a church we should be reaching out to the children too. It has been pretty cool to see more kids in Sunday School. When we first started at my church, our girls was it as far as kids were concerned. Eventually I was given permission to start a youth and young adult group. We had over 30 kids show up on Tuesday Nights.

Pastor Ray and Kathi has been very much a blessing to our church and I have no doubt at all that God is smiling down on them both. Little by little the faces are changing and we are witnessing new baptisms and growth. I do want to say that seeing new faces doesn’t mean the old ones should leave. It is nice to see old and new at our church.

I love seeing kids, young adults and just about any other group at church. I would say that we have the friendlies church in our area. It’s kinda like the T.V. show “Cheers”. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name. And if by chance you don’t believe me, check out one of our Sunday services.

I have people ask me many many times about what faith or religion I am. Well, that is a somewhat loaded question. The reason I say that is when I think of what faith I am, I think of how I am a Christian. For some people the denomination of the church one attends is what they are really asking. The way I see it I am a Christian first and I attend a church that is a Bible believing church. Christ should always come before the name of a building.

I have noticed more times than not that people can get downright grumpy and protective about the building they go to church in or to worship in. It’s sad how we put our faith in the things that make up a church such as bricks, drywall, carpet, flowers, plants, instruments and so on instead of worshiping Christ. We aren’t there to take in the beauty of a building, we are there because we are worshiping Christ. We shouldn’t be concerned by all the  aesthetics(beauty) of the building. If we are more concerned about those things, we are going to church for the wrong reason.

When we go to church and invite our family, friends and yes children we are sharing the Gospel with all who walk through the doors of the church. We have an awesome opportunity to reach those who may have never heard the truth. That truth would be that we are saved by grace through faith alone, and that not of ourselves—or whatever denomination we may be.

We could have the most beautiful church in the world, but if we aren’t sharing the Gospel, then we are nothing more than a building.  In Ephesians 2:8-9  it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.”

I have been to churches where people get all in an uproar over songs, decor and other trivial matters. There was this older lady who made a statement many years ago that they don’t want young people at their church because “they just don’t understand how we do things around here” or “they are going to destroy our church.” The way I see it is that those who complain about these things, they aren’t going to church to worship Christ. They are there just to be there or to out of habit.

The last thing I want to add is that I feel for any pastor and our pastor. I would think that it would be really hard to make changes at an established church. Even when it is in the best interest of the church and in our lives. I wonder if they go home and bang their heads on the wall, haha? We humans are pretty stubborn and want it our way and are creatures of habits, myself included. If you move my pew, I would be a bit stressed over this minor change. But, if it is moved, I would be in shock, but would eventually deal with it and sit somewhere else.

If you are reading this Ray, I would hope you wouldn’t do that, lol. I would think it would be difficult for any pastor to come in and have to listen to how previous pastors or how “we don’t do that here” stuff. I would hope that if we hired a pastor, we would trust him enough to know what is needed. Besides we are there to worship God, not pews and all the other distractions.