Author: Sandie D

I always have a hard time explaining who am I. I resort to the I am a mother to 2 beautiful adult daughters I have the most handsome grandsons and the loveliest grand-daughters. I'm married to an amazing man since 1980. The most important thing about me is that I am a Born Again Christian. The Lord has gotten me through so much in my life. So, I want to give Him the credit for all of my blessings. I'm also a blogger and I enjoy writing. blogs about my faith, family, and food.

Big Brother 15 and Lessons Learned

Published on September 21, 2013September 21, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

I don’t watch a lot of reality TV. But I do like to watch Big Brother. And this year Big Brother 15 has been the worse season of all times. But in some sick and warped way it had a way of teaching important life lessons. I don’t know if any other season was like this seasons. I very happy this season is over now because of the hateful nature and rampant racism remarks.

For those who don’t watch Big Brother it is about who can make it to the end and if they do, they win $500,000. To get to the end is based on strategy, alliances and backstabbing. For the most part each year they fill the house with around 15 or 16 complete strangers. Each year you will have a mixture of house-guests comprised of married people, singles, gays (at-least one), Christian (at-least one), African American (at-least one) and whatever else. So it is a mixture or melting pot of people. I’m actually surprised I like the show considering how these people act. For the most part I think it is because it represents people and the true nature in some weird and sick way.

I don’t think that throwing 16 strangers into a house for the summer is a true sense of human kind. But it does show what man will do for money and the high cost to get ahead. I loved it when Jordan won. That was a season where the right person won and played with her heart and was honest. She didn’t back-stab and treat people unkind. She stayed true. That isn’t always the case though.

This year there was Howard, Candice, Jesse, Elissa and Helen who wouldn’t bow down and do anything for money. They stayed true to their faith, family and morals.

This year though was full of racist and hateful people. And they targeted those that are not white or gay. First off we have Howard and Candice that are either mixed races or African American. They are both strong believers in Christ too. Then you had Helen who is Asian and a mom. Andy was this seasons homosexual and then you had the Barbie Dolls and plastic guys. I say Barbie Dolls and plastic guys because they are all about image and what they look like. They were pretty on the outside and very ugly on the inside. Aaryn, Gina Marie, Amanda, Spencer and Jeremy were horrible people. If people were mad at Paula Deen, then they should get a load of these guys. Three of four of these people lost their jobs because of the remarks they said. I won’t go into them hear, you all probably get the idea.

I want to bring up Aaryn and Candice though. The reason I do is that they are a perfect example of racism, education and forgiveness can coexist. Aaryn said some horrible things about Candice who is mixed race. Many times Candice would be in tears because of the hateful remarks that were being directed at her. Last night at the finale Candice showed me that if she can forgive Aaryn, then others should too.

When house-guests are eliminated they are sent to a jury house until the finale and then they vote on who will win. Candice and Aaryn got to know each other outside of the house. There was a night that Candice got to choose to movie they would watch. She chose “The Help”. If you haven’t see it, you should. It’s a movie that is also a book about what it was like for maids to live and work for households that are white. I believe it was from the 60’s or so. But it is full of racist slurs and mean hateful people. I think it is a must see for all people. Back to Candice and Aaryn. As they were sitting there watching the movie Aaryn asked Candice about how this really didn’t happen like that. Candice then realized that maybe Aaryn isn’t racists like others see her, but she is ignorant. Aaryn was raised where it was OK to say things and didn’t see anything wrong with it. Until Candice opened her eyes and showed Aaryn compassion and forgiveness the lesson wasn’t and couldn’t be learned.

They are now friends and Candice showed such kindness to Aaryn, so why shouldn’t we? These horrible things were said and done to Candice and Howard and they got to a point where they used that time in the jury house to teach instead of being angry. I would hope I could be like that. Now for the other players, I have no clue. Are they genuinely sorry? I don’t know. My thought is that they aren’t. I do believe that Aaryn is now. She wasn’t to begin with. There was many consequences for house-guests actions this year and that should show future house-guests that what you say and do can hurt others and yourself. You are accountable for your actions and you will be held accountable.

Aaryn-Gries-Big-Brother-15-racism-Summer-2013-640x351 — Aaryn- Fired because of her ignorance towards other races

Aaryn was fired from her modeling agency. Gina Marie was working in the beauty pageant world and once her employers seen her true self, she was fired. Andy no longer has his job as a professor in speaking. Spencer who made comments about liking child porn and later recanted that saying it was a joke is being held accountable for those comments too.

For me this year was a lesson on how hurtful our words and actions can be. We may not have Big brother watching our every move. Even though I won’t discount that. But we are under watchful eyes from those around us. Our families, friends, neighbors and strangers watch and observe. For example Casey Anthony. Most people don’t know her first hand, but she has been under the public microscope. She was just another person on the street until she made a bad choice and ruined her life when she killed her daughter. We all should make sure what we say and do is true to who we really are. This season like I said earlier showed me that forgiveness is possible because of Howard and Candice. I really disliked Aaryn and wanted her gone. But because of Candice, I no longer feel that way. I feel sorry for her now and hope she can continue on in life and learn from this.

I should add that Andy won BB15… While I don’t like that he won, he did play the best game social game.

He was liked by all and kept his hands clean… Remember Big Brother is all around and we could all be under the microscope. I know those of us who are on social media and such are all the times. We put ourselves out there. What is it that you want others to know about you?

Thank a Truck Driver

Published on September 19, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

My husband Chuck when he received his award from the Utah DOT

September 15-21st is truck driver appreciation week. My husband is a truck driver. He has been driving for many years. Each and every day he is out he faces obstacles and stupid drivers. An ongoing comment around our house is that if a plane went down in the middle of the ocean, it would be because of a truck driver.

Truck drivers get a bad rap most of the time. I know I have heard some pretty sad and inaccurate things about truck drivers. Some people think that a truck driver has a women in every port (truck stop), and that is far from the truth. Some people think that because the truck is so big that they are driving carelessly and without regard for the safety of others. When most times it is smaller cars that cause the accident by cutting off drivers and not giving enough time or space. Driving a big truck is not as easy as it may seem and the industry is highly regulated when it comes to the size of the truck, weights, hours driven and so forth. Each driver in this industry has to pass physicals and go through testing.

I will concede that there are some horrible drivers out there that never should be on the road. There are more good and honest drivers than bad. They are trying to make a living like anyone else. It is a job to them and for their families it is a difficult lifestyle. These families give up a lot of time with their spouses and families so everyone can buy the things they need and to keep the economy going. For the most part it isn’t just a day they are gone from home, it is weeks and months on end. My husband would be gone for weeks on end and he missed many family events and school things for my girls. But we knew what we were getting into before he chose to drive truck. It isn’t for those who can’t be both the mom and dad while the dad is working.

Truck drivers are highly-skilled and bring to us the food, medicine, toys, household goods and equipment that we need to live. Think of the what is involved driving in varying conditions – through rain, fog, snow and scorching temperatures, black ice and whatever may come – it takes additional skills above and beyond driving to get the mail delivered that has to weather these conditions. Truck drivers do too! Not to mention having to interact with non-professionals in passenger cars and on motorcycles. It isn’t just the postman that has to drive in these conditions.

My husband has been working for Andrus Transportation for over 18 years now. Even though there have been a few glitches, but for the most part they have been great. Chuck was the driver of the month in August 2005 for the state of Utah. When I think of the good at Andrus, I think of the people that work there. When my husband first joined Andrus Lynn Shrum was the recruiter that hired him. She is still there and is very much on the ball. She has heard a number of my rants and getting upset. I adore Jim Black and Susan (no longer there). If I needed to know how to get a hold of Chuck or where he was, I could call them up and they were happy to help. Jim Black is still there and even though he is no longer Chucks dispatcher, I still call him. Jim and Mary Andrus are the owners of Andrus Transportation and they are wonderful people that value family and are strong their faith.

Speaking of dispatchers and recruiters. It takes these very important people to get the loads going and route the trucks. It takes the mechanics to keep the trucks running safely and efficiently. It takes payroll to keep us wives and drivers happy on payday. I had to throw that out there, lol. There is much to the trucking industry that others don’t see. It takes a whole lot of people to get us the things we need. Andrus goes out of their way to show appreciation to their employees and i want to thank them for that. It may not seem like you are appreciated, but you are.

Since I am mentioning Andrus a number of times in my blog, I thought I would put out there that if anyone is looking for a job, they are good to work for and mention Chucks name, lol. I would like to score some sign up bonus’s that Andrus pays out to drivers who sends others their way. If you are a crappy driver, I would stay clear 🙂

A closing thought before providing some links is that there are good companies and drivers and there are bad companies and drivers too.

Helpful Links;

I put a couple of videos of actual drivers and what they experience on the road. I don’t know these drivers and they don’t work for Andrus. Just thought you would be interested to get a first hand look into the lives of a truck driver.

Mormon Missionaries

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

This is Brandon… He served a mission and was super stoked and so happy when he got his call. He is a super nice kid that has a funny side to him. When I think of a happy missionary, I think of Brandon. So young and so happy…

I live in Southern Utah and when most people hear that I live in Utah, they think that I’m LDS (Latter Day Saints) or Mormon. Of which I’m not. I attend a non-denominational church. I do have many wonderful friends that are LDS and have been a blessing in my life. While there are differences I try to accept people for who they are and I think all my friends just accept me for who I am. There is a reason I’m writing about this topic though and that is because of the missionaries.

For those outside of our area and those who don’t know, missionaries in the LDS church get called to the mission field for up to 2 yrs. I guess there are exceptions depending on age, married or not and so on. The church sends them out a letter after they have turned in their papers and they are notified where they will be going to and for how long. Since I’m not LDS I have never been to a home when a Elder or Sister gets their call to serve. Here is a video (Zoe’s Call ) of what I’m talking about when they get their calls. But I have seen many videos that have been posted by others as their family member or friends get the call to serve. When you put in a search on you-tube for missionaries. Not LDS Missionaries, just missionaries. You will find 231,000 results and most of those are LDS. I don’t like seeing that. And that is because all Christians should be willing to be missionaries and wiling to serve others and serve God. Going to church shouldn’t be the only thing Christians should do when it comes to their walk and relationship with Christ.

Jim- He has a pretty awesome blog too… When I think of a missionary that is following the call, I think of Jim. I hope he doesn’t get ticked I stole his picture, lol. Not cool stealing a missionaries picture, lol

I think it would be interesting for my LDS friends to post about what it was like to get their calls. There is one guy that my husband works with and I have nothing but respect for him. Jim Black is on my Facebook and when I read his posts and when he was called to teach, I could feel the joy and honor he had when he got his call. I even had some missionaries come to my house and they were as sweet as can be. It’s been awhile since they were last here, only because of me not answering the door and being in bed, lol. That’s another story for another time. My friend Jennifer served in a mission many years ago, but she is always happy to help anyone when needed. My dear friends Tom and Patsy are just the sweetest and they are willing to do whatever the Lord calls them to do. Shoot, I’m glad the Lord called them to bring me my tree and a pie from Veyo Pies… That is another story for another time too, lol. I see all these examples of befriending and going out of their way and still being overjoyed. But at the same time it is sad to me. You may be wondering why I say it is sad and let me take you there in my mind. Not sure how bumpy of a ride that will be though, lol

The Fowlers (only white people) are missionaries to Ethiopia. Our church supports these missionaries among others. I don’t see most people serving these kinds of missions. But there are plenty in our own back yard.

The reason I say it is kinda sad is that all believers in Christ should be overjoyed and happy to be worshiping and spreading the Gospel. We all should be willing to go out there and do what God wants us to do. We all should be asking God, “Where do you want me to go, and I will be there!” We all should be out there meeting our neighbors and seeing if they need any help. We all should be willing! I know with myself I get a tad bit over zealous, but that is because I want people to know who Christ is and what He did for me. I feel very blessed to be able to worship God and to share my faith.

I was watching a movie called “One Nation Under God” or should I say a documentary about these 4 college guys that was on break. The link I provided is the trailer to the movie. Anyhow, they wanted to find out for themselves who God was to them. They were always told by parents, teachers, church leaders and so on who God was. They went to church and did everything they were told. But these four guys went into the world on a road trip to talk to people and visit people they never met before. They found themselves wondering where they would sleep and what they would eat. These guys got the prompting to go out and reach people and find out who God really is to them. They were able to serve others as we are told in the Bible.

Verses about Serving Others;

Blessed are the Givers

Acts 20:35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

Love Your Neighbor

Galatians 5:13-14 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

By the Strength of God

1 Peter 4:10-11 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Showing Love to one Another

Philippians 2:1-4 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

I can completely understand that not everyone can go out to all parts of the world and serve. It may not be physically or financially possible. But we live in an area where mission work is needed and can be done. All areas of this planet we call Earth is a mission field. We don’t have to go traveling all over the world to be there for someone else. We can show love and care to those around us.

Members of my church serving in the community by helping out at the Steps for Hope. Hope Pregnancy Care center is always needing volunteers and help in raising awareness. Serving God while serving others.

Thankfully not all people at my church reads my blog, because I’m going to do some name dropping. I apologize for this, but not sorry really, lol. So here is the beginning of my name dropping. First we have my two sweet Miss Shirley’s. Shirley M is there at anytime and willing to do just about anything for anyone. She listens to what and where God is calling her. She is in her 70’s and doing whatever is asked. My other sweet Shirley is a true joy. She loves to talk to others and share her faith. Then we have those who visit shut ins and will call a person who needs to hear a voice of compassion or some hand holding. Sheryl is great about listening to Gods voice and being there for those who may not have anyone else or they just need a cup of coffee. My daughter Jessica loves to witness to others and share the Gospel and her love of music. My other daughter is the same. She and her family are willing to do what God asks no matter how hard. I have to mention Evelyn. She is such a sweet lady and even if it is sharing coffee or helping at the Hope Chest, she is there. Barbara is always there to serve goodies and home baked items and has a hug waiting for you. The list goes on and on.

The reason I mention these things is that we live in a mission field. All places are mission fields. Some of these people can’t travel and some may not be able to get out of bed. But they are still doing something. While I know many that are serving in our area. I know many at the same time that find it a chore. They find a lot of excuses for not doing or listening to Gods voice.

This is my mother in law Marjorie and she was very sweet

My mother in law use to tell me that she is too old and frail to do anything. She can’t do anything for anyone because she doesn’t drive and she can’t hear God’s voice. She was over 80 when she came to live with me and one night she thought she was missing Gods voice. She was in tears. She never understood that it wasn’t the kind of voice in the way we talk, but its the kind that speaks to our hearts. His voice is there, just not in the way she was thinking. After an hour, she was feeling better. She wanted to do more with the church, but had a hard time. So mom did what she could do and that was to send a letter to those who are sick. She wasn’t someone that liked the phone, but she loved to write. Mom loved to pray. Now that she knew God wasn’t a voice like ours or the burning bush kind, she felt better. She would pray for anyone and anything. She was serving others through prayer. Serving and being on a mission doesn’t have to mean you leave. You can serve anywhere.

Support those who are trying to serve Him such as local and international mission fields and missionaries.
Make sure what you’re doing is inline with biblical principles.
Show love to those who are not “godly” and don’t shun them for who they are.
Be helpful to those that need it and don’t expect anything in return.
Make disciples of those you come in contact with by sharing your faith.
Don’t hide your true self for fear of rejection.
Stand up for what you believe in, in a loving and heartfelt way.
Take time out of your day to pray for others
Never compromise biblical authority for anything.

Doing these things will not only help us to serve the community around us, it will effectively make us more like Christ. And it will help us to keep the distractions to a minimum. Being intentional with serving for Christ will effectively make us want to be more like Him in all areas.

If you don’t think you can be used by God, you are mistaken. We all can be used by God. We all have been called. Sometimes we listen and other times we run like Jonah did and he got swallowed by a whale. I don’t want to be a Jonah! I would love to see people in our community that go to non LDS churches excited and break down in tears over what God is doing in their lives. I would love to see more people willing to just say, “What do you want me to do Lord? And do it!” Maybe I expect a lot, but I think I should. As a Christian, my inner most desire is to witness to others and if I have to hit them over the head with a hammer to get them to listen, then I may have to do that. Besides God can heal a concussion. He is a great healer and the best physician ever.

I’m going to end this topic now, because I can tell I’m heading into the area of soap box preaching and knocking sense into people. Hopefully this didn’t offend anyone and it gives someone something to think about.

Blinking Lights and Machines

Published on September 17, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

I try not to post things about my medical things on my blog, but I’m making an exception on this. Once in a while I do, but I try not to and I try not to complain about things medically.

Last night I think I was at the end of my rope with stupid machines. I had to do an overnight oxymetry test to see how my oxygen levels are when I’m sleeping. I covered in another blog that I have a v-pap for the sleep apnea. So last night they wanted to also see how my oxygen level did with that and if it helped any. I think if I had an opportunity to reach out and touch the one who ordered this, I would have touched him by pegging him with something. I was not impressed.

Sorry it is sideways. I was a bit ticket at the time…

When I picked up the small machine to test my O2, I already knew the receptionist was full of it. Because I have had these tests many times. A guy was ahead of me and I wanted so bad to tell him, ‘don’t believe her”, The reason I say that is that she said it is a painless test, which is true. But she told him a bold face lie about the light on that thing. The cord is only about 9-12 inches from your face. And every-time your oxygen gets below 88 here comes a bright red blinking lights. I’m not a person that likes lights blinking and such when I’m trying to sleep. And I most difinantly (?spelling) don’t like it in my face.

So I get the blasted little sucker turned on, put on the v-pap mask. Which is a chore in itself and here comes the noises and blinking lights ALL night long. I took a picture of my sats at one time and that was the time I was about to throw it out the window and let some strange animal or something carry it away. I was pretty much fit to be tied about 5am this morning and was having a bit of a anti-Christian moment when it came to what I was thinking about this whole thing.

But they picked the machine up today and I will see how it goes. If they make me redo it, I may have to have a bit of a discussion with them. If I got any sleep at all, it would be a miracle. I had to wait till after my Drs appointment to do that today. I’m guessing by the readings I seen, they will be calling me tomorrow and all stressed out over them. I guess we will have to see what is next. But, oh my goodness, you would think they could find a way to not have blinking lights on alarms if they are wanting a person to sleep.

Then this morning I had to get up early for my Dr’s appointment. This is the same Dr that wanted me to go to the ER last week because my blood pressure was 240/147. I never did go, but since I’m on home health, they keep an eye on that and I called my primary. But today, my blood pressure was not that high, but close. So again, I hear the same thing. I think if I was able to get sleep and wasn’t so frustrated over blinking lights and beeps all night long, I would have been a tad bit lower. Not all the way, but not in the upper range like it has been.

But this is my vent for the day and such. I try to keep positive and I am positive on this post too. Just positive in a different way. I’m positive I hate blinking lights and alarms that sound off.

Introductions at Church

Published on September 11, 2013 by Sandie D2 Comments

I have been working on our churches website lately and doing a lot of changes. We are in the middle of welcoming our new pastor and there are changes on the horizon. Changes are a good thing though and I look forward to seeing what changes there are and where God is leading our church to. But! I know, there is always a but. But, the other day at church I got thinking about our order or service and how some of our lay leaders or those making announcements welcome first time visitors.

Our church is a very huggy squeezey kind of church. I love the people there. Even though there are times when I will venture out and go to another service because they are doing something special or I have a need for contemporary music. I have long ago come to the conclusion that our church is meant to be more of a traditional style of service and that is OK. But back to my thinking about the way we greet newcomers.

One of our guys was doing the announcements and there were some newbies that walked through the door. They were new to the area and was checking out churches in the area. Now when I check out a new church, I don’t want a lot of fanfare. I want to sit in the back and listen to the sermon and see what the church is like on a normal Sunday. But that moment comes at some churches when the guy up front will ask if there are any first time visitors. I dread that moment and when I know a church does that, I make sure to stay clear. I don’t like being called out when I go to a new church or having to hold my hand up and everyone focuses on me. It reminds me of the times I had to start a new school and the teacher would have me stand in front of the class and introduce me to everyone. Then they would assign someone who didn’t want to be your friend for the day.

The other week when this happened at church, I wanted to tell the poor family to lay low. Don’t raise your hand and move quietly. I could tell the people just wanted to be there. Their legs started to fidget and a couple of the kids was whispering about how they didn’t want to stand and introduce themselves. I think this time of welcoming and showering people with an over abundance of love and affection all within a couple minutes is old church. I think all the churches I have gone to are like this. And I have to admit that the friendliness of everyone is what drew me to St. George Community Church. That first Sunday I didn’t like when I had to stand up like I was in class. My girls and I had a talk on the way about if they do this, who will stand up. I got the loosing straw.

Now the part that I do like is that they have a meet and greet time. I think this is a good thing because it gives you a chance to welcome newcomers and say hi to those around you. Everyone is standing up at the same time, shaking hands and being friendly. It isn’t just one person or a family standing there with 120 sets of eyes watching your every move.

I went searching the ever reliable internet on what keeps them away from church. I know everything we find there has to be right, right? Well, I started a search on why people stay away from church or why they have a fear of going to church. And these are some of the things I found and I have to say that we are guilty of some of these things. Egads, does that mean I need to change my way of greeting others at church? Hmmm…

The one that stood out the most was addresses. And this keeps me from going to new churches too. They hand you a packet and you fill out your name, address, phone number and whatever else that is asked for shy of signing your life away. So they fill out this nifty little card that gives information to the pastor and church leaders so they can call on the person later. Not that filling out a form is bad, because I have no issue with that. But what follows is kind of a pain. You have the bombardment of people asking where you are from, do you live in the area, are you a visitor and so on. I know I’m guilty of this myself. I think once the form is filled in it is nice to just introduce yourself during meet and greet and tell them you are happy to see them. No long stories or life time history is needed at that point. If they wanted 20 questions, they would go on a game show for that. Once that card is in the offering plate, then the pastor will call or visit, which I like. It’s much less intimidating to visit with one or two then 120.

This is one of my things I’m guilty on. When a newcomer finally makes it past everyone at church and given their life story, they have to find a place to sit. My eyes are darting back and forth and I know the only pew that would hold them all is the one I sit in each and every Sunday. Telepathically I’m sending a message to these newcomers that they are sitting in my seat and they need to move, lol. Now of course I would never voice this out loud, but it is bothering me to no end. So after church I huff and puff for a few and then calm down and realize I don’t own the pew and they needed to sit somewhere, lol. I’m pretty sure they were wondering where they would sit and didn’t realize that there is a magic sign on that one. When I go to other churches, I know I always hope I didn’t ruin someone’s plan to sit in their favorite place that was made for them. I wonder if their hearts jump out of their chest as the strangers enter the row and plop themselves down. Egads, that gives me a headache just thinking on that, lol.

I did venture out and onto the internet to check out why people don’t go and here are some reasons I found. When I ask some people why they don’t go to church I found it interesting that many times it is because of a bad experience that kept them away. And some may be like me where they wouldn’t go to church unless they knew they wouldn’t be singled out. Some of their reasons were that they didn’t have anything nice to wear and people would make fun of them. Or they would think that the church only wanted their money and was going to suck them dry. This is one that I hear all the time and that is that they aren’t good enough to go to church. Shoot not one of us is good enough and all are sinners, but that is a whole other topic. When I heard some of these reasons I made me think about the kind of message we are sending out to people outside of the church. I have to say that I was pretty happy that some even told me they hate having to stand up and introduce themselves. I felt like I wasn’t alone.

In closing, I guess I have to admit that I have a few church issues. I like my pew and I don’t like to stand up and be called on. But I do love the people. You won’t find a more loving and kind group of people then you have at St. George Community Church. I’m looking forward to see what is going to happen even though I am a creature of habit as some may know. I will close this topic before I go on and ramble more about other stuff. 🙂 Even though, Now I’m thinking I need a video to tell people that it is safe to go to church and they don’t have to stand up and introduce themselves if they don’t want too. And if they feel pressured I will hide them under the safety of my pew. 🙂

Happy Grandparents Day – My Grandkids

Published on September 9, 2013 by Sandie DLeave a comment

OK! Today is Grandparents Day… And I want to let everyone know that I have the cutest most adorable grandkids ever!!! I know others that have grandkids won’t agree with me, but that is OK. Because to them their grandkids are the cutest and most adorable too.

Many know that I have a problem with the Grandma name and that is the truth. My grandkids call me either G-ma or GG and I’m perfectly fine with that. But I wanted to show the world who the most adorable, handsome and sweet my grandkids are. I am blessed to have them in the same city where I live. Even though I have a daughter who is thinking outside of my comfort zone box.

I would like to thank both of my daughters and their husbands for giving us the best grandkids ever. I may not like the grandma word, but I will always love them and I am blessed to have them and you in my life.

But here are my grandkids…

Tyson is my oldest grandson. His parents are my daughter Rebeciah and her husband Jason. He is turning into a wonderful young man. He is one of the best big brothers I have seen and he has the ornery side, but also the side that touches my heart. I was and am very proud of his dedication to our Lord and loved it when he was baptized.

Jace is what I call a free spirit. He is funny and loves to try just about anything. I think out of all the boys, he is the one that will soar like the eagles and stop at nothing. I would say he is an adrenaline junky in the making, but a very sweet boy. Jace is the second son of Beckiah and Jason. Watch out girls, here he comes!

Ashton is going to melt hearts. Ashton has a sweetness about him. But he is also a practical joker. He is the youngest of the boys that my daughter Beckiah and her husband Jason have. Ashton has the best smile and dimples.

Kora is my only grand daughter. She is so precious. Spoiling is going to be part of her future. It has been a long time since I could buy dresses and bows and now she gets them. Kora is a sweetheart and the three boys that are above her picture are her brothers. Good luck to any boys who tries to hurt her, date her or marry her, lol.

JJ is the young man holding the sign that it’s his first day in kindergarten. JJ is supersmart. I like to say it is because of me, but I guess it is really that Jessica and Jason spend time with him. She is going into Elementary Ed, so he gets to learn with her. JJ has a love for cars, muscle trucks and whatever his daddy is doing. He is my youngest most handsome 5 yr old grandson. JJ is the only child of Jessica and Jason and I think with his energy level, that may be a good thing, lol. He is a love and has a love for the lord. His favorite character in the Bible is the Holy Spirit.

Childhood Cancer Needs to GO AWAY

Published on September 8, 2013September 8, 2013 by Sandie D3 Comments

I know this is a very sad and heartbreaking topic. But I also feel that awareness needs to be raised about the many children who have cancer and are dying each and every day. I know I have gotten a whole new appreciation and anger when I see these young children dying. Something needs to be done and if we aren’t aware of the needs, how can we help?

When I first joined the website or Facebook page for the Jessie Rees Foundation, I didn’t realize how heartbreaking it would be.

Jessie Rees is a young girl who died from cancer. She came up with the idea of Joy Jars. Click here for a video about Jessie and how it all began.

The Truth 365 is to educate and mobilize millions of people through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social networking sites. The film will inform the public that there is a critical need for funding for pediatric cancer research and that they, the NCI and our elected leaders are in a position to help. Through the film, we will introduce millions of people to the world of childhood cancer and inspire them to join our cause. We will accomplish this by showing very personal, compelling and inspiring stories of children fighting cancer. This will touch our viewers on an emotional level and will get them to take action on behalf of children with cancer. This show of support will send a strong message to Congress, the White House and the NCI. Although the film will be very focused on children and their families, we will also have interviews with political leaders and some of the country’s most respected pediatric oncologists. Read More...

I’m not going to go into the statistics and how many lives are changed everyday. I will provide you will some links and stories that parents wrote about going through this and what their children have experienced. Let the parents speak to you about how their children have died or are fighting this horrible monster. I feel totally blessed to know that my kids and grandkids are healthy. What these children and parents go through is torture at the very least. They need prayers and funding.

Lilee– Earned her wings less than 24 hours ago. The family could use your thoughts and prayers. All of the families that have to deal with this and see their children suffer and die needs all of our prayers.

This is the notification of her death on her facebook page. Go to her page and share some kind words if you will.

It is With broken hearts we make this post.. As of 5:25pm, our princess Lilee-Jean Frances Putt, our angel here on earth, is now looking down on us from heaven. She had a rough day today, and is no longer in any distress. She passed away curled up in Mommy’s arms, listening to daddy play his guitar. -Chels & Andrew.

Sophie’s Wish:

Sophie--this is my wish for you — Sophie–this is my wish for you

My Dearest Sophie,
My whole life I have dreamt of the day that I would have you. Wondering what you would look like, how your soft skin would feel, what you’d grow up to be. I tried to imagine you, me and daddy playing and kissing and cuddling, and traveling the world together. And now here you are! More beautiful than we could have ever imagined. You have a smile that literally lights up the room, and everyone that encounters you falls completely in love with your sweet spirit. It’s literally like God hand picked the most amazing qualities a baby could have and gave them all to you! You are a blessing and just exude pure joy. Read More

Bella Rodriguez Torres- From Live Like Bella Facebook Page

Bella was 4 years old in 2007 when she became paralyzed and diagnosed with stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. She relapsed in 2009. Although she is still on chemotherapy, she is now 9 years old and has had no evidence of cancer for the past 2 years and she is walking, running and jumping! Her doctors say that she is an example of “when medicine stops and God takes over”. We thank you all for your continued support and prayers! God bless you
Sadly, her cancer returned on Aug. 3, 2011, again in January 2012 & August 2012. We are fighting to WIN again!
Bella passed away on May 28, 2013 at the age of 10. We have started the Live Like Bella™ Foundation in her memory. www.LiveLikeBella.org

Landan Bland– Gone too soon!

I followed his story and still do. His family has been doing so many things in memory of Landan. I never met this sweet boy, but when I see a Lego, I think of him. Here is a picture of him and his parents holding him before he went to be with the Lord. This is the caption they put with this image.

You can also check out the Facebook Page

Hard to believe it was a year ago that I heard the last words our little man would ever say…..what I would give to hear “Mommy hold me” just one more time!

Only with Gods grace and strength am I making it through this week! All the memories of our last days with Landan are rushing back like it was yesterday. It’s times like this I repeat to myself over and over again “Gods plan is perfect”!

Natasha – Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: 8 Brutal Truths to Choke On

Suzanne Leigh is a freelance health reporter, whose assignments have included toenail fungus, diets and head lice. That was until her elder daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, when those topics began to seem a bit trivial. Suzanne documents her daughter’s diagnosis, re-diagnosis and death — and her own new life as a bereaved mom — on her blog The Mourning After Natasha. She also takes on those issues that have ticked off the parents of children with cancer.

Alivia– Check out her journey on Facebook

Alivia was treated at St. Jude in Memphis, TN. Please make all donations to St. Jude in hope of finding a cure for this terrible monster that took my daughter’s life.

RIP Alivia was diagnosed with DIPG on December 28, 2011. My baby was a true warrior and fought hard. She lived everyday full of life, and blessed the life’s of many. She earned her wings on November 4,2012. She will forever be missed and never forgotten.Help support my family by prayer. Positive words of encouragement.

This is a video of children who will never grow up and have earned their wings way too soon…

Click on these Pages and read about and pray for these children and Families… They really need them now. It gets me when people or statistics says that childhood cancer is rare. Tell that to these kids and families.

Talia Joy – Talia passed on July 16th, 2013 at 11:22 am EST after over 6 years of bravely battling Childhood Cancer. 😦
Anthony Jesus Contreras Jr– 06/28/06-01/31/13 rest in peace
Emily Rose Burpee – Check out her Video – Her family was just told that she is in remission. Prayers Work. Keep them Up, they do work
Lane Goodman -(5/2/99-10/17/12) Lane gained his Angel Wings on Oct. 17, 2012 after a 2 1/2 yr battle.Before Lane passed he had a wish & out of this came the Thumbs Up For Lane Goodwin Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Trevor Scheerer, In March 2012, I was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma stage 4 cancer, my type of cancer is very rare.
Ethan Jostad – Ethan earned his Angel Wings August 8th, 2011… His family continues their FIGHT against cancer in Ethan’s HONOR
Evan Nelms – EVAN JOINED THE ANGELS ON APRIL 13, 2013 after a year long heroic battle with AML – Leukemia
Leelynnd earned his wings- 12/23/10- 03/08/2013
Pray for Haylee– Haylee was in complete remission!! She won the fight against leukemia.. But she could still use your prayers…
Brittany Fay Vann ♥ 5/1/1995-2/17/2013 battled Liver Cancer- Brittany was a 17 year old graduate of Sparkman High School. In September 2012, she was diagnosed with stage IV Liver Cancer. It was a rare and aggressive form in children her age. She fought hard for almost 5 months until God called her home.
Alyaunah (Allie) was diagnosed with neuroblastoma on February 1st 2013. Her cancer came on very fast. On her facebook page it says that she is Cancer Free and in REMISSION- Continue with those prayers.
Danny Solis, who was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma with CNS Positive.
Bryce was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. Please keep them in your prayers and follow his fight , with God’s help, win this battle
Lincoln Jones – was diagnoses with ALL leukemia July 1, 2011.

I could go on and on and on with children’s names who have gotten cancer. I don’t understand why there isn’t more funding available to these families. If it is so rare, then why do so many have it? Why do so many children have to die because there isn’t enough research?

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.

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