Senseless Ramblings of the Mindless

Here are some verses that I have found on this subject;

• Proverbs 8:15, 16 , By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth.  Since the Bible is the inspired Word of God, it is pretty safe to say that the government should use wisdom to rule and to make laws that are just.
• 1 Timothy 5:3-16 , ³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. Read More…
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, ⁶ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching^[a] you received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Read More… 
• Proverbs 28:2-4 and 29:4 urges rulers to maintain order justly, to follow God’s moral code and to avoid oppressing the poor.

After reading up on all the things government wise and such, it is pretty easy to see that when people are in need of help, they should come to their families first and then to those they may know. If all else has failed, they go to the church and other sources. People should work for a living and not become dependent on others. I haven’t found any place in the Bible where it says that the government is the one responsible for taking care of others. It also doesn’t say that the government is to take care of the poor and needy by using public funds/taxes  from those who are paying taxes.

So, what does the government and the chaos that is going on around us have to do with renewing of our minds? To change your life, you must change the way you think. Behind everything you do is a thought. Every behavior is motivated by a belief, and every action is prompted by an attitude.

• Ephesians 4:23, to be made new in the attitude of your minds; Change always starts first in the mind. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel influences the way you act, which means “there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes”

Those who are in the government aren’t  the savior of the world. Jesus Christ is the salvation for all of mankind. God knew that the world needed to be saved long before Trump or an other politician. Redemption can not be accomplished  because of politics or the power of man. Salvation of mankind is accomplished only through Jesus Christ, faith, grace and love. “Love our neighbors as ourselves” and “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.”

This is a bit of a vent for me. I am so tired of seeing posts and images that are hateful. The judging of others are out of hand and there is a huge division in our country. Half of the people on my Facebook page are Trump supporters. Then there are those who are Clinton supporters. Then there is the Independents who votes for the person, not the party. I am an Independent and I find it very degrading when I read comments from those who are Christian and yet they are the ones posting pictures and comments that are photo shopped and not true. I find some of them disgusting and I take them personally.

With all of the horrible things that are being posted, I have decided that it is best to take a hiatus from Facebook. I am finding myself livid over some of the things that are said and done. It really upsets me when people post things and don’t check things out. Anyone who knows how to google can find out what is truth and what is fiction. All of the pictures that have hateful quotes can be checked out.

I had a friend come over to my house and I was showing her how to use Facebook. She just recently got her own computer, so I decided to show her how to add friends and such. I also showed her how to put friends in groups. I have my settings where certain people can read anything I post and see pictures. When I showed her how to set up the “family” group and I showed her some of those on that list, she was sickened by what she was reading when it came to the political views of some. Then I went to show her the group I have set up that is labeled “Christians”. Lets say she was shocked by what she was reading and wanted to know what kind of Christian would say the things they were saying. I had no answer for her.

I have been witnessing to this young woman for some time and for her to see what family members and Christian friends were posting about political things, she questioned me about what kind of Christian would say those kinds of things. Of course I told her that there is no perfect Christian and that we are saved. Then we got onto the discussion of forgiveness. I told her that if she asks to be forgiven, then she will be. But she has to be sincere. I also told her that if you are going to keep doing the same thing over and over again, then she needs to be praying for guidance and help. Which is something I pray for when it comes to a few things.

Christians have an obligation to be an example for other Christians and for those who don’t know Jesus. We can either be a good example or a bad one. You can’t be both. Christians who are walking with Christ needs to be good examples because I can guarantee you that there are people watching and there is also a great deal of spiritual warfare going on. I totally feel like that is what has been going on lately.

We Are- Kari Jobe 

Part of the Lyrics

We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine
We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine, let the light shine, let the light shine

I’m trying to not be judgmental when it comes to what others say, share and write. That is easier said than done. It’s difficult to keep my composure when I read some of the things I have read over this past year. To say that I am shocked is an understatement for sure. It’s easy to lash out at them and in a sense I am since I am thinking about it. Like right now, I am writing this blog and it is because I read a shared picture that was about how anyone who didn’t vote for Trump must be an evil person and Satan’s spawn. I am paraphrasing what it said, but that is the short description. Now, this is coming from a person who professes to be a Christian.

Since I didn’t vote for Trump and I voted with my conscience and went with Kasich, he is basically saying that I am and others that didn’t vote for Trump is pure evil and is destined to go to hell. Now, while I am obviously upset, I also realize that  I must take the high road, because the other road would make it easy to knock him upside the head.

I honestly don’t think people consider that what comes out of our mouth can and does cause damage. It ruins friendships, breaks up families and causes misunderstandings since there is a wall that has been constructed. I know that we all have been guilty of saying hurtful things. I know I am guilty of this over and over. My tongue gets me into a ton of trouble.

There comes a time when we must or I have to be mindful that what we say and do can damage and cause divisions that may not be able to be repaired. Some may have heard that it is better to not say anything if you can’t say anything nice. A lot of the things we say and post on social media is probably best left unsaid.

• Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
• Proverbs 15:1  We shouldn’t be talking to each other in a harsh manner. We should be truthful and kind to one another: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
• Ephesians 4:29“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
• Proverbs 17:9,  When we tall to others is shouldn’t be bringing down other people, instead it should be building others up. “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”
• Luke 6:45, The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
• Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I always check to make sure whatever someone posts is true. 9 times out of 10 they are false. I have actually been considering taking a break from social media. When all the hateful messages and untruths are posted, I find it disgusting. I have found that even in my own family that there are those who don’t think about what they are posting.I was going to share some of the comments, and then I decided that there has been enough negativity going around to chock a horse.

As a Christian, I try to ask myself “What Would Jesus Do?” Would Jesus post some of the comments that are posted all over Facebook. When I see posts from those who are believers in Christ, it breaks my heart in two. I have a really hard time when I talk to those who I am closest to and find out that what they think and believe is far from what Jesus would want us to be and say.

• Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
• Matthew 5:16  In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

I can’t even count how many times people are shocked that I would be part of a protest or march. When I watch peaceful marches, it inspires me to stand up for injustices in the world and to make it a better place. I can’t change all of the world, but I can make a difference for a few people. When I hear people mocking those who march and stand up for themselves, I get rather upset. Even if I don’t agree, they still have rights. I find it sad and demeaning when I read some posts on Facebook that belittles those who are marching. When I read hateful remarks from people who I always considered loving and kind, it is like someone sucker punched me. Not all democrats are evil and not all democrats believe in abortion. People are very judgmental and hateful.

In closing I just want to say,  we should be mindful when it comes to our behavior. Social media can be a good thing or a bad thing. People from all over the world is watching to see if our actions matches our faith, if our walk matches what we are saying .

I am on Hiatus from Facebook because of all the hateful words and  conversations from Republicans, Democrates and those who think it is OK to spread hate… But I will be back.

I was just thinking about how it is that someone has a hard time when it comes to accepting love and such.

I have a very dear person that I love so very much. I won’t go into names. But, for most of her life she has never felt like she deserves to have the security and love that all others have gotten or strive for.

I feel really bad for her because she has become the caregiver and the expendable one in her family. She finally gets it all together and things are working out for her and then something happens. She has never really had a home of her own for quite some time. When she gets to the point of getting on the right track, someone will come along and want her to stop what she is doing and run to their aid.

My brother-in-law is like this. Craig has had his own place off and on, but if someone were to call him up and say they need help, he would drop everything and run to that person. He took care of his grandma for years. He had no life because he did everything for her. After that, he moved to Tucson, AZ to care for his parents. There was very little gratitude. He had his own place and moved out of it so he could be there for them. Even while he was being harped on, he still helped out. All of his things went into storage. He is now retired and has never married and doesn’t really have anything.

The other person that this blog has done much of the same thing. She had her own place, moved out of it to go live with her parents. She had a good paying job and dropped everything to go help out. While the person she was caring for was grateful, there still was some pretty major bickering and fighting.

As soon as her mom died, she left the house and had nothing left. No job, home or food. While I thinking caring for those who can’t care for themselves is something we all should do. But, there are those who will take and take till there is no more.

There is a great deal of demands on those who are caregivers and it can be overwhelming, especially when you have no say so and it is as if you are in quick sand. The stress that she had has taken a toll on her health, state of mind and in a sense relationships. She was beyond the point of being burned out.

She was burned out and was having problems doing anything. While she was helping everyone else, she lost herself and plummeted into a deep depression. It’s OK to take care of others, but there comes a time when you have to take care of your own needs. She deserves to have joy and peace just as much as anyone else does.

She has given of herself for her entire life. I do think she is at a point where she realizes that she has to make a difference in her own life in order to find any real sense of happiness. While caring for others is rewarding, it has also caused stress and anxiety. The type of stress that she has experienced in her lifetime will have long-term effects on her. I worry a great deal about her. It’s as if she has no hope that things will get better when it comes to family members and so-called obligations. The type of stresses that care givers experience is damaging and disheartening.

I personally feel that there are relationships in her life that is toxic. I know for myself, I had to walk away from some friends and family members that were toxic to me. I was feeling physically and emotionally drained.

This friend of mine is in need of emotional support so she can deal with her depression and anxiety. There are times when she emotionally breaks down and ends up having panic attacks. I told her that there isn’t anything wrong with taking care of herself. I wholeheartedly think that if she was able to get her life stable and if people would stop badgering her to do this or that, that she would find inner peace. There comes a point when you have to break this vicious cycle and do what is best for her, not everyone else.

I know it sounds easy to say and I know it isn’t easy, but there comes a time when you shouldn’t let taking care of everyone take priority over your life. I would love to see her find something that will make her happy. She does enjoy doing for others and she finds joy in that. I think it would be awesome if she could just step back for a bit and find something that gives her a purpose.

I would like to tell her to “let go of the guilt”. You have done everything humanly possible. I have been guilty of guilt-tripping others. Eventually I learned that it causes a great deal of resentment on both sides of the fence. It shouldn’t be done, and unfortunately it still happens. Some of the things that others have said in order to manipulate the person is” don’t worry about me, I can do it, I have been doing it all anyhow, so why stop now?”

There  has been countless conversations when it comes to using guilt trips as a means to get the person to do what they want. When guilt is being used, it destroys the relationship. When guilt is being used, it is never an act of unconditional love. It is a means to hurt and break down the person. Unfortunately it happens in relationships and in families. When someone uses guilt , suffering and resentment is going to follow.

My advice to this dear person that I can’t use her name is to tell her that there is hope. I would say that there isn’t anyone that is perfect and there will never be someone with a perfect life.

She has a longing to find a place of her own. Now is the best time to take back her life. Be the person that you know you can be and be the person God intended you to be. What she wants is nothing grand and is nothing that she can’t do. She wants to live under her own rules, with her own things. She wants to go to bed when she wants and fix her own meals without feeling like she has to ask permission. There is nothing wrong with her wanting the kind of normal life that most everyone else has.

If I were her I would make sure to make it a point to let those who want to use guilt and manipulate her to end that pattern. She is a married adult who has never been able to really live her life in the way she has desired. She is dispensable and for some reason, they feel that she can give up her hopes and dreams in order for them to have the hopes and dreams they want. I am very proud of her for standing her ground. It isn’t an easy feat at all. Her whole life has been to please everyone and not make waves. I say, make all the waves you want. You deserve to be happy and you are just as important as anyone else is.

Now is the time to take your life back and now is the time to realize that you don’t have to keep running. Now is the time to realize that you are loved by many and that God loves you unconditionally.

I would recommend reading about the signs of a toxic person… Click here to read… 

 

When you hit like or share on images on Facebook, it isn’t as innocent as it seems.  When you hit share or like on military pictures, sick kids, abused animals, how can you not want to share or like the picture.Scammers are out there to play on your emotions.   I have been guilty of sharing and liking and then it comes and bites me in the hinney.

I am willing to bet that if you have Facebook, you have seen people post images that are directing a person to share a post that has sad little eyes of puppies, kids or whatever else that tugs at your feelings.  I think today I have seen at least 20 shares that say’s ” I bet I won’t get any likes” and it will have an older person, dog, babies or what ever cute picture. How can you say you like them, without constantly liking a post. You will also see posts where it says to comment “amen” and you will be blessed. You may think that sharing is innocent and fun, but the hidden dangers are lurking. Below is a little bit of a highlight.

(Source US Today)-Facebook has changed the way people do a lot of things online. For example, you probably notice yourself reflexively clicking “like” on anything your friends post on Facebook, even if it’s just to acknowledge you saw it. Scammers are taking advantage of that reflex for a dangerous scam called “like-farming.”

Like-farming is when scammers post an attention-grabbing story on Facebook for the express purpose of cultivating likes and shares. Based on the way Facebook works, the more likes and shares a post has, the more likely it is to show up in people’s News Feeds.  

It’s a common sight on Facebook: people posting images, videos or statuses and asking users to like or comment on them. The posts usually contain some sort of promise, like Hey Facebook, As some of you know, I’m Bill Gates. If you click and share this link, I will give you $5,000.00. I always deliver. I mean, I brought you Windows XP, Right? Let me tell you what happens, “Nothing”. well, besides giving the person more likes. You may think they are fun and may seem innocent, but they are actually a kind of scam called “Like Farming”.

The way they work is to get enough likes on a Facebook page. Most of these pages aren’t what they seem and are devious. Once they start getting more and more likes, you will begin to see other things in your news feeds. If you look at the top of the post, you will see the pages. Those who are on Facebook should be careful on what they like. Only like things that you are sure of and that you know the person. For example, if I posted a picture of my grand-kids or dogs, they are coming directly from me. But, if I were to share a post from an unknown source, I am basically helping them to rack up likes so they can get more likes and they have the potential to scam me or others.

On Facebook they have some new features that will open yourself up to potential attacks on your computer by spreading malware. When you see things all of a sudden pop up on your page right after you were searching for something, that is malware. I posted a link  to CNN’s page about the dangers. If you read nothing else, please read that.

You can read about more of the dangers of clicking like and sharing of images.  CNN has a good article, Click Here to read. 

11 Hoaxes on Facebook- This list is from 2014, but they are still in existence.

Pulling at Christians Heart Strings

The ones that gets me the most are the ones that talk about Jesus and prayers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jesus and that will never change. Now, if you are on Facebook, you will see pictures that will ask you to like the picture or comment of you will go to hell. The one I have seen the most of is, “My Dad says if I get 1 million likes I can come back.” The sad thing about this is that people actually believe it.  I have seen a variety of faith-based pictures that they want you to share or to copy and paste something. I can guarantee you that Jesus will be coming back and it isn’t because someone hit liked on a picture. All you need to do is read the Bible and pay attention to what is going on in our world.

Chain letters get under my skin. I can’t even count how many times I will either get a private message that says something like this; “just forward this email to 20 of your closest friends and you will be happy, or rich, or blessed.” Chain letters have been around for a very long time. When I was a kid, we would do chain letters. If we didn’t pass it on, then something horrible would happen and we would have a curse. Eventually I grew up and realized that nothing is going to happen to me. If it did, it wasn’t because I didn’t pass on a chain letter.

Some of the ones that gets me and it boggles my mind that people who are Christian would send these out to others. Most of the time the person thinks it is harmless. I guess I don’t have much of a sense of humor when it comes to things like this. But, here is a few things I have received;

• “If you love Jesus, send this to at least 10 people including the person who sent it to you!

What I am getting from this is that if I don’t do as instructed and send it to 10 different people then I don’t really love Jesus and in return it would imply that He doesn’t love me.

• Pssttt, hey you. Yeah I mean You. If you have taken a minute to read this. The angels have seen your struggling with something.  The angels say its over now and a blessing is coming your way.  If you believe in angels then please send this message on to  those who many need it. Please don’t ignore it, you are being tested.  The angels are going to fix two (big) things in your favour.  If you believe in angels then follow your heart and share.

I totally  believe in angels. I have even had a couple of experiences where they have protected me. But, it is God is the one testing us, not angels. Gods messengers(angels) are not the ones in control and testing me, it is God.

• “Forward this to 10 people and God will answer your prayer in 24 hours.”

I’m all for sharing what Jesus has done in my life . But, I don’t think it is a good idea to go about sharing Jesus in this way. To me it seems like it is more of a “superstition” kind of thing.  Of course as a Christian and believer in Christ,  Jesus should be shared, but not in a threatening and superstitious way.

Ways to protect yourself

1. If it looks like something is too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Be careful about giving permissions  when you do quizzes. I am guilty of sharing quiz results.  Quizzes were shared over 16 million times in a weekend, gathered the personal information, friends list, IP addresses and device information from millions of users. This is something I am no longer going to do.
3. It may be a good idea to get out of the habit of liking everything. especially if it asks you to like or share, and offers you a reward for doing so allows Facebook to collect information about your likes and dislikes. It is a way to track what you do and by doing so, you will start seeing advertising and pop-ups that are similar to your likes.
4. Multimedia is one of those things that I have to work on limiting unless I know the source.  The most common scams to avoid are viral videos and giveaways. I can’t even count how many people I know who have scams happen because of games, quizzes and contests. When you enter these contests or view certain videos, you are giving out a bunch of information.Since I do websites I can tell you that when you come to a site or watch a video, it is easy to find out your IP address, browser, location and other personal information. Unless you know the person or it is a reputable company or person, then it may be best to stay clear and fight the urge.

Do You Remember?

It may seem innocent to click and share images from when you were younger like  rotary dial phones, Tupperware, cars that had the bright light switch on the floor and so on, it is a tool that people use to build up likes so they can make money. Then there is the ones who wants you to copy and paste whatever it is for at least an hour to show awareness for whatever it is. Or, you have the ones where it says, “do you know what this is?” Usually those are items I do remember and some I still use but, those have a way of making me feel old.

In closing, my own advice would be to only share things that you know are true. There are many lies out there and most of what you see on Facebook is a lie or embellished. When I think about what I am sharing, I do my best to make sure it is legit. If there is a cute picture that I like, I will save it to my computer and then post it. I only share stories from reputable and trusted websites.

I also make sure to not accept forwards and I don’t add people who I don’t know or wasn’t recommended by others. You can never be too careful when it comes to the internet.

 

I’m pretty sure that this blog will get some people upset, but, I am just needing to vent on this subject just this once.

Ever since the presidential election took place here in the United States, there has been chaos from all sides. I can’t even begin to count how many people assume that I am a Republican and that I had to vote on Trump because I am a Christian. They would say things such as even though they don’t like him, they thought he was the lesser of two evils. The way I see it, evil is evil. If it were up to me I would have voted for John Kasich. But, since it doesn’t really matter if you vote or not, it wouldn’t have mattered one way or another since it is the electoral college that actually decides.

Then I would have people either say directly or post on Facebook that they are voting for Trump because of how he is pro-life and because of who is going to be the new incoming Supreme Court Justice. I am pro-life, I get it, and I get how it is important to have the right people in the Supreme Court. Those two things are the only positives that I can see when it comes to voting for someone who has strong Christian values.

I have stayed out of discussions ever since the elections. I am so fed up with all of the horrible things that Trump has said. When I hear and see people comment about how anyone who wouldn’t have voted for Trump is pure evil and should be sent to hell, I have a problem with that. I can’t stomach listening to Kelly Ann Conway. I have turned off the news because it seem’s like all I hear is garbage coming from her and all the so-called tweets.

When I hear people say that people should just look past the words and say things such as “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” I don’t get how people can push aside what he has said and the hate spewed words that come from him. Words in my opinion is harsher and can destroy a person. Try telling a person who has been emotionally beaten down that words don’t matter. Try telling a very dear young man who decided it was better to kill himself since he was told he was worthless and never would amount to anything. Tell another young man who was like a nephew to me that he is better of dead in his mind and decided it is OK to hang himself. Tell the parents who found him hanging that the words that drove him to do such a thing that words never hurt and to get over it.

I can go on and on about how words won’t hurt a person and to just deal with it and move on. Not everyone can do that. As I listened to these so-called words that was coming from Trump I felt ill to my stomach. When my sister is listening to what he is saying with tears rolling down her face and she is getting emotionally upset that it doesn’t matter and to get on with her life. Words and messages that Trump said are words that can destroy.

A friend of mine came over and was watching the news and was listening to what he was saying about the women who accused him of groping them and how he treated them in such a harsh way became distraught. I didn’t realize that she was groped at a party and then it turned into rape. I could tell she was getting upset and I asked her if she needed to talk. She was saying that she felt the same way that some of these other ladies that were groped. She never turned in the person who did it because she knew that nobody would listen since the guy was well-known and from a good family. She lived with this secret her entire life.

If you were to ask someone who has gone through things like rape, bullying,emotional and physical abuse, then go up to them and let them know that they should just forget about it like it never happened. I can tell you from experience that words do hurt and I would take a broken bone any day over someone who has mentally abused me.

Try telling my sister who has gone through so much trauma from when she was a baby and has had to deal with depression, suicidal through and has night terrors from the things that happened to her. Woman and people have come forward and faced their fears and the way they were treated is appalling.

I had a friend that was raped and when she came forward, she was treated like it was her fault. I don’t get how it is OK to treat women the way Trump has treated women and then call it locker room banter! I don’t get how being a racist is OK! I don’t get why people are OK with anything Trump said about others who may not look like a super model!  I use to watch his show many years ago until he decided he was going to go out and share his thoughts on the whole Obama birther thing. I don’t get how he can lump Hispanics together and calling them rapists and drug dealers. I just don’t get so many things.

I don’t like Rosie O’Donnell, but what he said about her makes me sick. I took his statement personally because I am not skinny. And he for sure isn’t skinny and yet he said to Rosie or about her, “If I were running ‘The View’, I’d fire Rosie O’Donnell. I mean, I’d look at her right in that fat, ugly face of hers, I’d say ‘Rosie, you’re fired.’”

I have witnessed and I know a few people and some family members who have been sexually molested by another family member or a friend. And for Trump to say, “I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her” made me sick to my stomach. One of my cousins was raped by her father and her brother because she was pretty. She tried to get help and even talked to a pastor of her church. A sheriff lived in the house next door and yet nothing was done. It was all swept under the carpet. I’m not saying Trump did anything to Ivanka, what I am saying is that I find it disgusting that he would even think or say something like that begin with.

I think anyone has a right to vote for the person they think would be the best president for our country. I have no problem respecting who they vote for. As you can tell Trump did not get my vote. I wrote in Kasich because I don’t see him as a person who is the lesser of the two evils. I refuse to vote for anyone that is evil and narcissistic. I have no right to judge others for who they voted for and if that was for Trump, then fine. But people shouldn’t assume that I did, because I did not. I have stated the reasons why I haven’t.

My daughter was telling me the other day that I shouldn’t feel the way I feel and to give him a chance to prove himself. This is one of those times for me when I have to put it in Gods hands, because I have a great deal of negative thoughts on what is going on in our country. Many are optimistic and I am not there right now. I wish people would stop assuming that I “have to” embrace him. Then some assume since I am Christian, that I should hold my nose and vote for him. That is NOT how I see things, but like I said, I do respect what each person feels. This is just something that God is going to have to work on my heart.

I will be praying for our country and for our leaders. I have a great deal of stress and worry over what may be coming our way. My hope is in Jesus Christ only. He is the only one who is going to be saving the day. My prayer is for Jesus Christ to come soon. I have a really bad feeling on things and I only see things get worse. Normally I don’t feel this way during presidential elections. There is always going to be someone winning and someone losing. In this election cycle, I don’t see either winning. This is not a win win situation in my thoughts.

I have never felt emotionally spent and drained as I have with this election. I know most won’t or can’t understand where I am coming from, but it is what it is. I didn’t realize how this election affected me until I was talking to a friend and he was so excited that Trump won. He thought Trump was going to be riding into town on a white horse and save the day. He tried to give me a hug and asked me about how excited I was.

I stepped back at that point and I just let him know exactly what I thought. I don’t think he was prepared since he assumed I voted for Trump.He also asked me if I was going to watch the inauguration.  I ended up lashing out to him in a way that shocked him. I didn’t swear out loud, but I am pretty sure there were some colorful words in my heart and mind. I actually shocked myself. This is going to be one of those things I have to pray on and have God soften my heart since He is the only one that can.

I hope this blog post hasn’t been offensive to others. This is how I feel and it isn’t really about anyone other than myself and my own thinking. If you are offended, well, I guess you can be. You own your own feelings just as much as I do.

 

Today, I was watching a movie on Pureflix called Polycarp. While watching the show, it reminded me of how many people from the Bible that I know very little about. We hear a lot about Matthew, Paul, Luke, Moses and so many others. But, Polycarp feel under my radar when it came to those in the Bible.

I think it would be interesting to learn more about those who aren’t really talked about.

Polycarp trailer

In the show there is a young girl named Anna. She was a slave and was adopted by a Christian and she became friends with Bishop Polycarp. Anna was being taught by Polycarp in the show. In the show Anna struggled with her beliefs and those who were Christians around her. I’m guessing Anna is just a character on the show, but Polycarp was a real man and a disciple of the Apostle John. When he was older in his 80’s he became the bishop of the  Church at Smyrna in Asia Minor which is currently Turkey.

During those days there was persecution of Christians. I don’t think persecution in that part of the world has ever ended. During these times though Christians and believers would be killed in the Coliseum. Polycarp was taken custody for refusing to bow down and call Caesar “lord.” Officials asked Polycarp to recant his faith. Polycarp was then asked “What harm would it be to say that Caesar is lord ?” He then went on to say “how can I blaspheme my King who saved me.”  Since he wouldn’t renounce his faith,  Polycarp bravely went to his death in the Coliseum.

Death by fire

(source; Christianity.com) The fire was prepared. Polycarp lifted his eyes to heaven and prayed: “Father, I bless you that you have deemed me worthy of this day and hour, that I might take a portion of the martyrs in the cup of Christ. . . Among these may I today be welcome before thy face as a rich and acceptable sacrifice.”

As the fire engulfed him, the believers noted that it smelled not so much like flesh burning as a loaf baking. He was finished off with the stab of a dagger. His followers gathered his remains like precious jewels and buried them on February 22, a day they set aside to be remembered. The year was probably 155 A.D.. In the strange way known to the eyes of faith, it was as much a day of triumph as it was a day of tragedy.

There is a lot of information out there and is something I will have to read up on since this is the first time I have ever heard of Polycarp. Polycarp was the last one of those personally taught by the apostles.  Some of the information that I found is  Based upon  some records from when he apparently died, it appears that Polycarp was born around 52 A.D. His name is Greek, hence he is believed to have been a Gentile.

When I got to the end of the movie, I would hope that I would be prepared to stand up for my faith in Christ like Polycarp did.  Today Christians are suffering real persecution. Polycarps message is one we all need to be reminded of. Christian persecution is happening all around us and even here in the United States. Things are only going to get worse and according to all of the signs of the end times, things are going to increase.

One thing I found online about his is this, even though I’m not sure it is true, but it made me laugh anyhow, lol. I do think it is accurate though from many of the things I am reading.

“He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails.”

Away with the atheists!’ and be set free.” Polycarp pointed to the pagan crowd and said, “Away with the atheists!” He was burned at the stake and gave joyful testimony of his faith in Jesus Christ.

If you want to look up Polycarps writings, you can click on the link below. It was a bit over my head for the most part. 

Polycarps Writings:

 

One of my major pet peeves is using a cell phone while driving. One of my most favorite and loved person in this world hears it from me every-time I see her using her phone while driving.

What is distracted driving?

(Source: https://www.distraction.gov)

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction

All I can imagine is someone I love getting hurt or even worse killed because they looked down at their cell phone while driving. When I hear someone say that they aren’t distracted if they check their phone or try to answer a text, I just want to dummy slap them right up side the head.

If I was texting a person while they were driving, I would hope the person who pull over or wait till they are stopped in order to answer my text. Answering a phone or responding to a text message isn’t worth it.

Another pet peeve with me is again cell phones. I think they have their time and place. But life doesn’t have to revolved around them. Drives me nuts when we are out to eat and everyone has their cell phone on. Or how kids are given tablets to keep them quiet at church. Why take them to church if they are going to play on a computer the whole time. They miss church, even if they are sitting there.

I know my daughter brings a tablet to church to help keep JJ and Josalyn quieter since someone complained that Josalyn was babbling. I find it nonsense for people to grumble of a chatty baby. They need to be at church and others need to get off their high horse and let children come to church. I can understand if she was having a melt down. She was just babbling. If they can’t handle baby babbling, maybe they need to go to the other room.

I got a bit distracted on this blog post since I decided to say a bit about a baby that is distracting someone who doesn’t want her to coo or babble. Children belong in church, just as much as anyone else.

K, so back to my blog post about texting and driving. I would hope that people can see the dangers of doing this. It takes just one second of looking down to your phone before something catastrophic would happen. Have some common courtesy to your loved ones you are leaving behind should you get in an accident. Have some common courtesy to those on the road who would like to make it home safe and sound.

If a person doesn’t care enough about themselves, then think about all the innocent people on our street. Would you like to be the one standing in the street looking down to grown and staring into the face of a children or another person? Just because you just had to read that all important message and try to type back, a life was lost. Would it be worth it to you then.

Here are some links about people who were texting/driving while on the phone:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are now into a new year. Most of the time people will make New Years resolutions. I’m not the kind of person that makes resolutions. There are many who will look at the new year as a way of starting over . I know many who are using the new year as a means to overcome a bad habit such as smoking, over-eating, save money, more family time, or to make an improvement in their lives. It’s different depending on the person who is wanting to change. Losing weight is the top resolution according to the polls.

Q. What Does the Bible Say About New Years Resolutions?

A.  ( source,  Billy Graham Website) The Bible doesn’t mention making resolutions at the beginning of a new year–but it does urge us to examine our lives regularly, and to seek God’s help to become better persons every day. The Bible says, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).

• 2 Corinthians 5:17,  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

One of the main New Year’s resolution’s that I have made in the past and many Christians are also planning on doing this is the plan to read the entire Bible. Reading the entire Bible in a year shouldn’t be just a yearly thing, the Bible should be read daily, every year.

Every now and then, when I decided I should make a New Year’s resolution, I feel like I have failed because in just a few weeks it is broken. Most of the people I have talked to have done the same thing.  I usually made them with good intentions, but for the most time, my resolutions were met with failure.

The whole idea of making a New Year’s resolution actually confuses my brain a bit. The reason I say that is that we should be striving to do better each and every day, not just on New Years. Instead of doing my once a year looking back, I should be doing that each and every day.  Each morning when I wake up, it is a new day and a perfect time to do the best person I can be. I don’t need to wait till a new year happens.

Two thousand sixteen wasn’t the best year for me. My plan /goal is to  look  ahead as I reflect and think about the past. It is a good opportunity to stop and think about the choices I have made. One of the questions I need to ask myself is, “Who am I and am I doing what God has instructed me to do?” Am I spending my time the way that Jesus Christ has instructed me to do?

As I consider the kind of resolution or change I would make, I would have to say that I would hope that whatever it is that I do that others would be able to see what Jesus Christ has done in my life. I would also want to make it a point to share the good news about Jesus and what He has done in my life.

New Year’s Prayer : My prayer for this coming year and my prayer for others is that I hope and pray that God’s Words will change my heart and others. Each day I want to be sure to remember that Jesus Christ is in control of everything in my life.

Challenge: I would like to challenge my family and friends to spend more time with those you love. I would also like to challenge everyone to draw closer to Jesus Christ. We don’t need a new year to change our lives. We only need Jesus Christ to change us from the inside out

• Psalms 115:1, Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

In Closing, I just want to say that we are called by God to live according to His will, not our own—for Christ’s sake, not our own— all glory belongs to Jesus Christ.

 

Disclaimer: This blog is a bit long, but it is important.

The other day I had a young mother whom I will call “Marie” come up to me with tears in her eyes. I use to work with her about 7 yrs ago. I didn’t know much about her personal life and what I did know was that she was married and had 2 small kids under the age of 10.

While I was at my Dr’s appt last week, we started catching up on what has been going on in our lives. I asked her how her kids were and hows her hubby. I was surprised to say the least that her marriage is struggling. She broke down in the waiting area. She also went on to tell me that her family life isn’t as joyful as it used to be. Her family is being destroyed by addictions. It wasn’t just her husband who is addicted, it is also her two young children.

From what she was saying she was telling me that she is about to file for a divorce. She loves her husband, but there is nothing there anymore emotional wise. I was nervous to ask her what her husband and kids are addicted to. I knew I didn’t want to hear they were into drugs or anything. Especially since her children are under 10. After about 5 minutes she opened up and told me that the games her husband (Chris) has been playing online games with real people. As she was becoming harder and harder to understand, she said that she feels invisible. Her husband will spend hours playing these games with strangers and can’t take the time to even spend an hour with her.

Marie said that ever since her husband bought a game that interacts with strangers from all over the world, she feels she has lost her husband. Marie works at the hospital here in town and doesn’t really get much time to spend with her husband and kids. When she told me that the video games he plays is ruining her marriage, I didn’t know what to say to her.

I can understand her in a bit. I would get so upset with my husband over video games. From the time he woke up, till the time he would go to bed, he would be sitting in the same spot and playing Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers. If I needed to ask him a question, he was zoned out. If I repeated my question, he would get snappy with me and tell me, ” don’t you see I am playing a game?” The answer is obviously yes, since he has been playing it since he woke up and it was already dinner time.

When we moved to Rockford, Illinois for a short time someone broke into our apartment and stole the game. It made me scared and worried that someone broke in, but I can tell you that I didn’t miss that game station.

Marie’s children also have game stations in their rooms. She was saying how she hasn’t seen her children out of their room for a couple of days at a time. The only time she would see any movement from them or her husband was if they were hungry or needed to pee. I did give her a bit of advice on her kids. I told her that she is the mom and they are the kids. If the games are getting in the way of time spent with family and friends, then it should be taken away. I don’t mind games and they aren’t the enemy, but in my opinion, moderation is needed.

Marie works 12 hour shifts 4 days a week at the hospital in the NICU. When she comes home, she wants to unwind and talk to her husband about what went on in her day. Marie feels like she is being ignored since he puts her on hold so he can talk to random people online that he has never met. Her husband has invested many hours each day. I believe she told me that he spends at least 7-8 hours a day playing games and interacting with complete strangers, and yet he has no time for her. He won’t talk to her, but he will talk to strangers. They are co-existing and that’s about it.

Video games have changed the way we interact with others. They change how we talk to each other and how we invest our time and energy . I had to ask my daughter to break down how much time is actually used when it comes to my friends husband on the computer. This is in just 1 years time.

This is how much wasted time that is spent on playing video games instead of investing that time in the family. 1872 hours, 112,320 minutes, 78 twenty-four hour days or 234 eight-hour days, and 11 weeks 1 day (if all consecutive hours).This is just for her husband. She said the kids will get online for a few hours a day and I am sure that adds up also.

Marie was in the room trying to have a conversation with Chris while he was on the computer. She was saying that in one of the games her husband was playing was adult themed. She questioned him about what was going on and he lashed out at her and put his hand over the screen so she couldn’t see. He was basically playing porn games and even had a female partner.

 

In moderation, children and adults can learn from video games. I am somewhat sure that there are useful video games. Her husband Christ was substituting video games and the computer for his personal relationships and life in general. There are educational games and games that are fun. Video games aren’t all bad, but when they take the place of interacting one on one with those around you, then there is a huge problem.

During our conversation, she was saying that video games have become the elephant in the room. Family time ceased and life passed them by. Before they got the video game console, they would do many family activities outside of the house. They are LDS (Mormon) and they would attend church weekly and take part in the mid week services. I’m not sure what they are since I’m not LDS.

Over this last year, her husband has ceased going to any kind of church or services. He says he still believes, however his actions say something differently. The longer he is away from church and other like minded people, the easier it is to fall back into the old way of doing things. The children would go to church with Marie, but they were distracted while they were there.

Marie went into her kid’s room and shut off the game console. The little one called her a blanken B and turned around and turned the game back on. I asked Marie what she did when he did that and she said that she didn’t want to fight with him, so she let him play. She and I would handle that differently. If that was my child that said that, that game would be smashed to smithereens.

I suggested to her that she tells him what she is thinking and feeling before it is too late. Since she is LDS (Mormon), she could even talk to her Bishop. They could also do couples counseling and family meetings.  I ended up getting called back to the Drs office, so I had to end the conversation. I did call her later that night. I just wanted to say a couple of things to her about what she is going through. She didn’t have to do it if she chose not to.

Marie has been thinking about divorce since there is little to no conversations. Marie loves Chris, but she can’t compete with a video game and his online friends.  She is finding herself more and more depressed over this situation. She is nicer than I am when it comes to that kind of thing. It would be sledge hammer time.

Her children are following in her husbands foot steps. They totally zone out the world while they play games. Since Chris is the one home with the kids while she is on her job at the hospital, they all pretty much do the same thing. The kids are playing their games and her husband is playing his. Since her children are playing games, I suggested to her that she should monitor what they are doing.  If they are playing online games with strangers, that is dangerous. Most people have no clue who is on the other end.She was saying how her kids feels like those they are playing with and talking to are real live actual friends, even though they have never met. I see danger signs all over the place when it comes to children chatting to strangers online.

I got to thinking about how much time her husband is spending on the computer each year and what a huge block of time is spent doing these games. How much time is being wasted when that time could be spent doing things with his children, wife and for the Lord?

My husband was on the road all the time and he would play video games or get on the computer when he came home. I had no problem with him doing that unless it was from the time he woke up till he went to bed. I threw a shoe at his head one time when he was playing a came for 12 hours straight. He was  to the point where he couldn’t even stand up. If I walked in front of the game, he would throw a child size temper tantrum. Thankfully that game was stolen. He doesn’t play games very much now. He will go online and play games. But, they aren’t the kind where you talk to strangers. They are one player games and he isn’t playing all day and night, while life passes him by.

Maybe Maries husband is using the game to unwind also. He works at Cosco’s and maybe he needs some his time. I told Marie that she should talk to him about it and be honest about how his addiction to playing games is destroying your marriage. I find there are two sides to all stories. I am praying that she doesn’t go through with this divorce. He use to play only a couple of hours at a time. Now about 37 hours a week. She needs to find out by asking what it is about video games that fills the voids in his life.

If you could pray for Marie’s husband and two kids, that would be awesome. They can really use them.

 

 

When I think of Christmas, I think of Christ giving us the greatest gift of all. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. I believe this 120 percent. For a number of years, my family has been celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at Easter time.

A Little Christmas FYI;

• Fact 1. When you read the Bible, you will find that there is no mention of how Jesus Christ was born on December 25th. Most historians believe that He was born in the spring time, which would be closer to Easter.
• Fact 2. For the first 300 years, there really wasn’t much importance given to birthdays and not even Jesus Christs. When a person died most considered it more important because it was a time they entered the kingdom of Heaven. Even the baptism of Christ drew more attention than the birth of Christ.
• Fact 3. Christmas has become the most commercialized holiday. Toys, candies, candles and ornaments was officially ready to buy. found ready markets. Greenhouse-grown poinsettia were sold as early as 1830, but in the 1870s, New York shops began selling them as Christmas specialties.

At Easter time, we put up our tree and that’s when we exchange gifts. It is the perfect time to remember that Jesus Christ came to us as a baby. He died on the cross so we can live forever. Doing our Christmas at Easter has provided a variety of opportunities to tell the complete story of Christ.

There are no Santa’s, bunnies or Easter Eggs. You won’t find a Santa or Easter bunny in my house at all. Our family didn’t always celebrate the birth, death and the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. When we moved our Christmas to Easter, it made the day special. I know Easter is  my all time favorite holidays. These are the only two holidays that are dedicated to Christ. All the rest can get kicked to the curb in my opinion.

Since my daughters got married and became parents, life was getting busy fast. It broke my heart to see my daughters struggle when it came to giving gifts for their children and for their spouses. They were spending money that they didn’t have.Each year, they would split their time. They would eat at one home and then they would come to our house. They felt like they had to do it this way or we would be mad at them. I wasn’t mad at them and since I have no problem celebrating holidays on different days, we could move the day.

Most years they were also very low on money since they had to get food, gifts and so on for each person. By the time January came around, they were broke and struggling to pay their utility bills. I would prefer to get nothing at all over getting gifts that I didn’t need. Paying rent, utilities and for food are more important than anything else.

I hate to burst anyone’s bubbles, but Christmas is NOT about going broke when buying gifts that you can’t afford..It’s as if parents and other people will go for broke in order to buy the biggest and coolest gifts of all. I can’t imagine buying gifts a person can’t afford or doesn’t want to buy would please Jesus at all.

My husband has always been the kind of person who hated Christmas. Not because of the fact that we are celebrating the birth of Christ. It’s because of the money, gift giving, greed and so on. Over the years, I came around to his way of thinking on some things. Commercialism is one of those things that I also have big issues with.

Instead of the grand-kids opening presents up and throwing them aside, they will take the time to open and show the others what they received. They only get three gifts each and they are carefully selected.  I was extremely frustrated over the kids being ungrateful for the past couple of years. When our daughter were younger they would get so many gifts, they had no clue who gave them what. Some gifts got lost in the shuffle and were thrown away. Our grand-kids are the same way. I am sure most kids are.

I felt really bad for my sister Joyce. She went out of her way to buy nice gifts for all of the kids. My sister has no children of her own and yet she made it a point to give gifts to all of the kids. When the kids asked how they liked their gifts, the answer was always, “yeah, that’s cool”. Then the gifts were tossed aside. They did this no matter who gave them the gift.  I felt bad for Joyce and I hope this year all of the kids are grateful and say thank you. I sound like I am picking on my grand-kids. If I am, I don’t mean to. I am using them as examples on how Christmas has become the “me” holiday instead of the “He” holiday.

In a couple of months I will be done shopping for gifts. This year gifts will be given that will promote togetherness. I think the only grand-kid that won’t toss the gifts aside is Josalyn. Since she won’t be one till May, she will probably enjoy the wrapping paper most of all, lol. My husband and I both have our son in-laws. I have one and he has the other. Neither one of them will get anything computer or game wise.  A couple of my grand-kids have asked for games for the Wii or another game console. I told my daughters that will NOT happen. .

I was talking to one of my grandsons last week about how his classes are going. He hates school because he can’t play the games he has on his game console. People don’t talk anymore. So, when I give gifts this year, they will be about togetherness and about Christ. I’m pretty sure that they will toss them aside when they get home because it isn’t something that can be played on a computer or with people online that they don’t know. I can’t do anything about that though.

The true spirit of Christmas has been lost and I prayed about what it was that I needed to do in order to retain a sense of being grateful and at the same time honoring Jesus Christ. It seems as if Jesus has been missing from Christmas.

My prayers for you all are that you have a very merry Jesus filled Christmas.