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.
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. 🙂
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.
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.
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.
RIP Lilee- Earned Her Wings Today
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
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 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!
Landan Bland- RIP Sweet Boy
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.
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”!
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 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.
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. 😦
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
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?
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.
Bob Morgani- RIP
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.
Bella
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.
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
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.
Willcox Church of the Nazarene
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.
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.
I almost always do at-least one blog on my favorite reality show. This is the time to do it. Even though if the end doesn’t go well, I may be venting. If you’re not a Big Brother watcher, this blog post may bore you.
Big Brother is in full swing right now. Big Brother is one of the very few shows I like to watch. I don’t exactly know why I like to watch it but I do. Maybe it is because I find it interesting to see human nature being acted out live and you really get to see what people would do for money.
Aaryn- The worst of the mean girls
This year has been a bit disappointing. Well not a bit, really disappointing. The house-guests are a bunch of mean and racists guests. Big Brother is a game and that is all it is. People are the pawns and one by one they are picked off until one remains. Normally there is a melting pot of different types of people that are thrown together and have to live together. But this year it seem’s like they got the yuppy, mean girl club going on. Which bothers me. It isn’t fun or interesting to see people like Aaryn, Gina Marie, Kaitlin and Amanda treat others horrible, They have said some of the most horrible racially induced comments I have seen. And people are worried about Paula Deen using the “N” word way back when.
Candace
These mean girls treated Candice horribly. Candice is African American and they made horrible comments and flipped her bed. Candice was in tears and was so hurt by the comments and the treatment she was getting from the mean girls. Howard came into the have nots room and prayed with her and consoled her. She was a basket case. I think those girls needed to be giving penalty points for their actions.
Then you have Jeremy that acted as a child. He took Jessie’s hat and though it was fun to wipe his but with it. These are all things that teenagers do to get attention and have everyone notice them. The mean girls reminds me of those girls in school who thought they were all that and would walk the school like they owned it and they could have any guy they wanted. It is disgusting.
Andy is the gay guy this year. I really liked him to begin with. But lately he is just someones puppet. She says what anyone wants to hear and is getting just as bad as the mean girls. It’s terrible that he has this ugly side to him that is very unbecoming.
There are only a few in the house that I thought was playing the game and that is genuine. Those few are Jessie, Helen, Elissa and Judd. Some who watch the show may be surprised to see that I said Helen. The reason I said that is because she is acting like a mom to all these children in the household. She stirs the pot every now and then, but she tries to keep the peace and moderates. She can be irritating because she goes on and on and it get’s old. I think this week she will be evicted from the house and sent to the jury house.
Elissa
This year I would say that Jessie and Elissa are my favorites. Howard and Candice is up there pretty high too. But they seem like they have good hearts. I didn’t think I would like Elissa because she is Rachael’s sister. But she seems very sweet and someone that would be fun to get to know. You can tell her family means the world to her. She is nothing like her sister. Rachael is a very whiny and get on your last nerve kind of person. And her laugh made me want to cringe. I do hope that Elissa will turn the tables and make a move. Everyone seems afraid to do that.
I understand that Big Brother is all about outwitting the other house guests and that most times they all give into lying. Every year there has been those who are stronger than others and make life miserable for the rest of the house-guests. Evil Dick is a good example. He knew how to push people and would teeter on a fine line for most of the game. Then you have Dan. I think Dan had to be the best player of all time. This year it isn’t about the game as much, it is pure hatred brought on by those who feel they are supremem over the others.
Aaryn and Gina Marie will find out when they get out of the house that because of how they acted on live TV that they will no longer be modeling and bother are out of a job. Aaryn was a model in Texas and her parents had to hire someone to clean up her image. I say, “Good Luck on that one.” She is thinking everyone likes her and that is very far from the truth. She will go down as the mosted hated in all of Big Brother history.
Gina worked with pageants in New York or New Jersey and she lost her job. The company said that they were happy to see the real Gina Marie. They never seen this side of her and they are grateful to Big Brother.
I will be glad for this season to be over and hope that the next one will be better and they will get real people in there. Not girls that look perfect, but then you get to see just how ugly these pretty girls are.
I started on this topic the other day and didn’t want to post it till tonight’s live eviction. I have to say I was happy that Elissa got Head of Household and that she gets letters from home and to see pictures of her kids. So many of the house guests have been horrible to her and it is nice to see her win something when it counted the most.
Brandie Muffins- She was my sweet girl and always will be- RIP Brandie
Oh my goodness. I just watched the worst ever video. It isn’t that the video was bad, but it took me back to when I had to put my dogs down. Brandie became sick very suddenly, Mattie couldn’t eat and was very sick and Maverick was old, couldn’t get up and walk, deaf and just the sweetest old dog.
I was watching this video of this lady that was with her dog Daisy as they put her down. Now I’m a basket case. I can’t help but be transported back in time to when I had to take Brandie and have her put down. They gave me her collar and leash. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. When I walked into the house with just her leash and collar Bridgette and my mother in law broke down in tears. The whole drive home was like someone kicked me in the stomach. If anyone has a pet that is a family member and you had to put them down, you know what I mean.
Maverick Christian- What an awesome dog- RIP Maverick
Then I think of Maverick. We got him at 8 weeks old. He was a white boxer that had a ton of personality. He was 11 when we put him down. To this day I still feel guilty over yelling at him when he peed on the floor because he couldn’t get to the door. I know he couldn’t hear me and it was beyond his control. But I think back to Maverick and hope that he forgave me for getting mad at him. He was my husbands dog and there was nobody like Maverick. He would fake sleep in daddy’s spot and loved to rough house.
My sweet Mattie when we first got her. I sure do miss her- RIP Mattie
Maverick got a hold of some dog food from IFA and he and my other dog Mattie had a reaction to it. I will never forget and always warn people to not buy that kind of dog food. We just feed them it while we waited to go into town… Within 2 days of eating it, they were both sick. Maverick had scars from open wounds all over his body. Mattie died about 3 months prior to Maverick. Every-time I see Maverick, Matties and Brandies face, I can’t help but think about them happy and healthy. And if there is anyone that says dogs aren’t in heaven, I don’t want to hear it.
My sweet Mattie. What a sweetheart she was. She had the smelliest breath, but the sweetest disposition. We adopted her from Almost Home Arizona Boxer Rescue. She was my dog and loved to be loved.
Here is a video that I did of Maverick, Mattie and Julie. We were fostering Julie at the time. Right after this video was made is when we gave them the dog food that got them sick. It makes me sick to think about it. I’m so glad I video’s them playing. Not a week goes by that we don’t watch this video. It breaks my heart to see them so healthy and then dog food is what took their lives.
This video of this woman with her dog ruined my night. It’s the same feeling I got when I watched Marley and Me. I will NEVER watch that show again. And as I type this blog post, it feels like I’m reliving the drive home with Brandie. I miss that dog so much and I miss Maverick and Mattie. I know pets die, but for us, they are family and it was like a part of my heart went with them.
If you want to see the video I’m talking about, click here. I warn you that if you have ever had a dog put down or love dogs, this is a hard video to watch.
I find it interesting when I read comments on yahoo or on one my my favorite reality shows “Big Brother”. The reason I say that is because the comments are down right hateful and mean. The kind of hate I’m thinking about is where you hate them so much you wish they no longer existed and want them dead or harmed. 99 percent of the people who make comments don’t know the stars personally. We only know them by what the media puts out there.
Lindsey Lohan– She has had a very troubled past and has made some horrible mistakes. She was born in July of 86. Even though she has gotten into a lot of trouble, I still like her shows for the most part and I feel bad for her. She was awesome in “Parent Trap” and “Herbie Reloaded”. She is a good actress who got involved in drugs and partying. She has stolen items and had to serve time. Even though for the most part she got a slap on the wrist from the courts, but has been racked through the coals in the media.
The comments about her are filled with so much hate that they would prefer her dead. They think she is a tramp and other things that I don’t or shouldn’t be mentioned. My thing is how can people hate her when the don’t know her? They don’t know what she is like personally. She has been tried and convicted by the media. My personal thoughts is that she is a young lady who made a lot of mistakes and bad choices and needs help. I don’t hate her. My heart goes out to her.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber– OK! First off, I’m not a big fan of Justin Bieber. He doesn’t sing my style of music at all. But Justin is just a kid who has made it big in the music industry. He has let his stardom go to his head. But is that a reason to hate him? I would think he needs to grow up and learn to be an adult. But that takes time.
While I don’t like his music I think he has a kind heart. He reaches out to these young children that are fighting life ending diseases and treats them like a princess. He should be given credit for the good he does. Shoot lately a lynch mob was about to get him because he asked a simple question about if Anne Frank would have liked his music if she was a teenager now. The hate mongrels were coming out of the wood work and judging him for wondering this. I seen no disrespect by what he asked. He spent time at her museum and was shown who Anne Frank was.
He is 19 for Petes sake, give the kid a break. How many of us at 19 would have it all together. Yes, he has made mistakes and said stupid things, but he has a whole lifetime to learn and grow. I’m still learning and growing and let me say that he is much younger than my kids and only not much older than my grand-kids.
Honey Boo Boo
Honey Boo Boo– I think this little girl is over the top and stardom has gone to her head. But I do like watching the show from time to time. Her family is a either hate them or love them. Not sure why others would hate them because they don’t know them. I don’t agree with many of the things that they do, but that is how the culture is down south. My children would never act like she does or her siblings, but I’m not her parents.
Honey Boo Boo has a big mouth and likes to be center of attention. She has won many trophies and awards for being in pageants. And that has gone to her head I’m sure. But how anyone can hate a young child is beyond me. The actions maybe, but not the person. At one time her mom was making up this high energy, high caffeine drink that was not what a child let alone an adult drink.
Now, I have gotten to where I like her mom. She seems to have more common sense than a lot of people. When you read her views on her family, she is one that would chase down anyone who hurt them. She loves her kids and wants them to be the best people they can be, farts and all.
Big Brother 13
Big Brother– If you haven’t watched Big Brother, then you may be lost on what I mean here. But basically CBS throws about 16 different people into a house each summer. Each week someone is sent home packing. It’s a game about lying, deceit and being the last one standing to win a 250,000 dollars. Each player has their own thoughts on how they are going to win and strategy, alliances and winning competitions is what will keep you in the house.
This year the house-guests have been boring and racists. You have Aaryn and Gina Marie who have literally lost their real jobs because of the comments they have said about African Americans and Asians. You have others who make off color remarks about those who are gay. These comments are horrible and I do think that CBS should do something about it, but they are taking the stand that in the house people are who they are.
Now those of us who have life feeds to see what is going on can see how horrible these people are and can be. There aren’t many nice people. But those who are commenting as we are watching the house guests are saying horrible hateful things to. They are talking about how someone should be dead or they are the most hated players ever. It just boggles my mind on how people can be filled with so much hate and not know the people.
On this years Big Brother, I am very disappointing in how people are acting. I don’t expect people to be honest. I expect people to manipulate and do what has to be done to win. All house guests and viewers under stand this going into the show. I can also understand how hurtful some of these comments and words that are being said in the house can be. It isn’t pretty. But it is a game and anyone watching and participating needs to know that. I also think that those playing may be different people outside of the house. I’m hoping next year they will do better at casting and making sure there aren’t racist house-guests.
President Obama
President Obama- Yes, I’m going to touch on this topic about President Obama. When people bring up his name in the area I live in, the whole personalty changes of the person I’m talking to.
I very much live in a republican state. So it doesn’t matter what my views are on Obama. I could love him, hate him, or whatever else and it wouldn’t matter. But what gets me is that there is so much hatred towards him that it makes me sick to even read the posts.
And really it isn’t just him when it comes to politicians. Thinking about about all the hatred towards Bush and all presidents. I think we will always have this great divide of Democrats and Republicans. No matter what each side does, the other is going to hate it. It can be the best thing for our country and you will have haters out there. It is actually very sad when I think about how much hatred there is towards our president.
I would never want his job and anyone who doesn’t want to be a moving target would want it. It’s a no win situation. When I vote, I vote for the person, not for the parties. If you look back through time, you will see that there has never been a perfect president that has been loved by all people. All have been hated by someone. Which I think is wrong. It bothers me when I see headlines and posts on Facebook about our president, no matter who he is. Most times during elections I usually disable those status that comment about how our president is this or that. I will always check it out to get the real story. And most times the stories that are being shared are false.
The way I handle things and our politicians is with prayer. Even if I don’t like who got voted in they still need prayers. With so much hate, how can something positive be done?
Ecclesiastes 3:8
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace
So to end this topic, I just want to say that stars or not, there is no room for hatred. OK! I will take that back. There are times I hate. I hate Hitler and all the innocent lives that were lost. I hate when I hear on the news that there was another mass shooting and innocent lives got blown away. I hate hearing about children dying of cancer. I hate war and all the hate comments around elections. I hate that Casey Anthony got off with murder. There is a time to hate and I think these are the times to hate. Hating someone you don’t know isn’t right. I personally think that we must hate the sin, and love the sinner. There are times when I would like to see someone fall off the side of a cliff and during those times I have to ask God to help me with those feelings.
Senseless Ramblings of the Mindless 
