January 2009 Archives

- I ripped my favorite jeans today and I am not pleased about it at all. I can't fix them ... the rip is in a very obvious place and it would look tacky.

- I watched Prayers for Bobby. It is a very sad movie. I think too often people, especially the brethern, forget that when they are talking about homosexuals that they are talking about people who have feelings just like everyone else. I know too many people who just want to forget that and they dehumanize them.

- President Obama lifted the ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information on Friday. I am torn on this. I kind of agree with him that the ban was too broad and has undermined family planning in developing countries ... countries like Africa where children are born to HIV infected parents every day. I can understand not wanting to fund abortions ... but there has to be some compromise that allows us to help these countries provide birth control for these women.

Sometimes I think we get so focussed on the act of abortion itself that we forget who we are affecting. These are real women, living in real poverty, bringing children into the world just so they can die of disease and starvation. We have people in this country who don't want to help feed them or give them healthcare ... that whole socialism thing ... but, they also do not want to see them take birth control to prevent these pregnancies either. I don't get that. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it.

- Obama has also banned torture. As a Christian, I have a hard time reconciling torture with my faith. But, I also have a hard time trying to figure out how to get information from people who would like to see us dead. I think there are probably much better, less harmful ways of torturing people than we have seen come out of Gitmo ... but I don't think you can deal with such people, and get the information our country needs, without some form of torture.

- I am having an issue with someone in my family and I don't know how to handle it. I really don't. Just thinking about it gets me all upset and I don't know what to do.

- I think I did something to my knee. It got to feeling really weird today and I couldn't put all my weight on it and I started limping. It happened when I took NoNo to get her flu shot. I hope she is not getting too big for me to carry. She isn't walking yet.

- We had a great service last night at church. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was awesome that my oldest daughter and her best friend went up front to be prayed for. They are going to be baptized next Sunday. Praise God!

- I need to get healthy and I don't feel healthy.

- I like Facebook much better than MySpace.

- The title of this post is "Randomness" for a reason. :)

Once again, the topic of Christians living in expectancy came up at church. Pastor mentioned that in the latest letter from Franklin Graham that he said more and more Christians are reporting a "feeling" of living with an expectant spirit. I know I started feeling it late last year and I know I am not alone. Many Christians don't know what to call it, but it is definitely a feeling that is spreading rampantly amongst the Body of Christ.

Do you feel it?

Are we living in the End Times? Is each day we wake up one day closer to the Coming of Christ? Yeah, I know it is. Does it mean that Christ will be rapturing His church tomorrow? He could. He could wait another hundred years. We don't know for sure when Christ will return ... but I don't think so many of us are having this feeling for nothing.

I know that since this spirit of expectancy came upon me, I have battled more than I have in years. It seems that the enemy has been coming at me in every way he can. He has used family against me ... even my own children. He has attacked my mind, sidetracked me with the things of this world, and has even used my health against me.

We all know that Obama has made a lot of promises. Some of them I don't like. Some of them I do. But, I am all for keeping track of where he is on them.

Check out the Obameter at PolitiFact.

It is far more interesting than all the salty posts being written these days.

I thought that I would share this with you ... mainly so you don't end up in the same predicament and because I am still floored that this has happened.

Recently, I went to add our church to GodTube. After I created the group, and had a conversation with another person, I felt it would be best if our church was not associated with my account. If I were to ever be replaced as webmaster, the new webmaster would need to be able to take over the account. So, I wrote GodTube and asked them if I could delete the account and start over or move the group to another account. This was their response:

Hello,

Your account has been removed so that you can start over.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  Please let us know if you have any further questions.  We appreciate your support of GodTube!

GodTube Community Care

Those reports said other spectators chanted "No more Bush" when he arrived on the podium for the swearing-in ceremony. And as the Bushes left Washington in a helicopter, some in the crowd sang, "Na na na na, hey-hey, goodbye."
 
The liberal blog Democratic Underground offers an entry called "Adios, mother******," in which hundreds of people offer their own "good riddance" sentiments, many of them profane.

Just some things I have been thinking about ...

1. There is no such thing as reverse-racism. It doesn't exist. The reverse of racism is not black people being racist against white people. The reverse of racism is not being racist. When black people are racist against white people it is called racism ... just like when white people are racist against black people.


2. Obama is actually an African-American. Not many black people are. But, since his father was actually an African, it does apply to him.


3. There are a lot of white people that are racist and don't think they are. Many of them blog and blog about things they probably shouldn't.


4. White people just don't get black people. Black people can say things that are totally not meant to be racist in any way, but white people will jump on it in a minute and try to make it so. I think they need to spend a hundred years or so being treated like crap because of the color of their skin and being called a nigger and then maybe, just maybe, they might get it. It is a matter of perspective.


5. Racism does still exist. Believe me. Just because you want to pretend it doesn't, doesn't make it so.

What was I thinking? It is the day that we get a new president and here I am too busy to blog. I don't know what is up with that! Anywho ...

I heard a fellow Christian talking the other day about Obama taking the oath of office on the Lincoln Bible and how Obama must think he is Lincoln. Then they made a snarky comment about how they hoped his presidency didn't end the same way. I was appalled! I could not believe my own ears.

You know ... I have never been crazy about George W. Bush. I think the man is dumb. And, I don't want a president that I am smarter than. I want a president that is much smarter than me. It makes me feel better. Same thing with my Pastor. He knows the Bible way better than me. That makes me feel like all is well in the world.

I don't want to have to answer to dumb people. I don't want to be submissive to dumb people. I don't want dumb people ruling the world. I don't want dumb people pastoring churches. I don't want dumb people sitting on judicial benches, running banks, legislating, or anything that impacts my life. I want to know that smart people, people with high IQs, with educations, with far more knowledge and sense than I ... are running the world.

But, as much as I think Bush is as dumb as a box of rocks ... I would never hope that someone assassinates him. That is ugly. Seriously. That is really, really ugly.

I have some issues with Obama. I am watching him with hesitant breath. I feel there is a lot of pressure on him to be some kind of miracle worker and I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed. He is merely human, after all. His theology bothers me. His support of FOCA is something I can't even comprehend. But, I am not going to wish ill on the man. I hope he does a good job. I pray he does.

To wish ill-will on Obama and his presidency is to wish the same on myself. I live in this country too. Same as you. And, whatever we wish on him is what we are wishing on ourselves. Some people may feel comfortable hoping for bad things. I am not one of them.

Sorry I haven't been around much. I know I have emails to address. I have blog posts to comment on. Unfortunately, I have been really busy with the new church website and getting it finished. Service takes precedence. :)

I should be back tomorrow.

I am so tired of hearing about these bail-outs and I am especially sick of them in general. It amazes me that the same people that can't stand someone to get a welfare check and some food stamps is totally okay with millions upon millions of dollars to go to men and women who make money hand over fist, drive around in limos, and take their private jets to Washington with their hands sticking out.

Welfare for the rich ... gotta love it.

Want a real bail-out? How about giving every American family $200,000 dollars? Let them pay off their houses, buy a house, buy a car, pay off their credit debt and their student loans ... let them buy new furniture and a Wii (gotta include a Wii!). That will stimulate the economy and would be much cheaper than all the monies going out right now. And, it would actually bail-out the people who need to be bailed out.

But ... we can't do that. No, that would be ... *cough* ... socialism.

I just read this over at iMonk's and I so agree with him ...

If you are an evangelical Christian adult, please hear me out:

You are sinning- badly and boldly- when you publicly denigrate and lie about the President. You have no basis to do this. Surely you know that this is wrong.

You can state your opposition to the President as you choose, but it is wrong to say that a Christian should not watch the Inauguration, pray with Rick Warren and pray for President Obama when he puts his hand on the Lincoln Bible.

You can oppose him in every way, but to speak threatening, hateful, hostile or untrue words is wrong, and it makes Christians appear, once again, to be hateful, hostile, unconcerned with truth and selfish to a fault.

The one thing that has bothered me most about the campaigns and the election of Barack Obama has been the behavior of Christians during both. We should be ashamed. Very ashamed. It isn't about being Republican or Democrat. It is about being followers of Christ and the Word of God is plain on how we should talk and behave.

Make sure you read the whole thing.

Busy is the word of the day around here. I am still working on the new church website. It is coming along swimmingly. I think it looks really good. I still need a bit of information from a few of the ministries, but other than that ... it is pretty much done. I am still waiting for Pastor to review it and approve a few things. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow.

We are working on the house too. It appears we have accumulated too much junk and the junk does not want to pay rent. So ... we are kicking it out.

The hubby and I are doing well on our new lifestyle change ... him more so than me. I have lost three pounds. Hubby has lost twenty pounds ... and he has cheated repeatedly! Needless to say ... men make me sick.

Tonight is The Biggest Loser and I cannot wait! I love that show.

As for the title of this post ... it has nothing to do with the content. I just liked the sound of it. Ha!

Saturday, four local boys went duck hunting on Kentucky Lake. Their boat capsized and all four boys and a dog ended up in the frigid waters. One boy was rescued in the water as hypothermia was setting in. He was taken to a local hospital. Yesterday, the dog that was with them was also located.

Since then, rescue teams have been searching for the three other boys. All four of these boys are kids our oldest children know. One of the missing boys is the nephew of one of our church members.

Please pray for these boys, the rescue teams that are searching for them, and their families. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through.

Here is the local news story on the rescue efforts.

Update 12:27 PM: The body of one of the boys has been recovered. His family, and the families of the others, need prayer right now. So does the surviving boy. I can't imagine what he is going through either. 

I watched the interview Sarah Palin did with John Ziegler ... well, the part it shows. She still leaves me cold. I agreed with her on a few things ... like the whole thing about whether or not she gave birth to Trig. That was just weird. Though ... I wouldn't exactly call Andrew Sullivan an anonymous blogger. He is far from being anonymous.

I was a bit amused when she started talking about people spreading things about her and her family that were not true. If you paid attention to some of the rallies that Palin spoke at ... goodness gracious. The way she could whip up hate ... and I can't find a better word for it. She didn't care if what she said was true, completely true, or if it was 2% true and 98% conjecture. I honestly don't think she cared if she told a bold-faced lie as long as she got the crowd whipped up and felt they were backing her behavior.

On the Couric interview ... she came off horrible and her comments about it in the interview didn't make it look better, in my opinion. She really looked stupid in that interview and I don't think any amount of editing ... which I doubt Katie Couric did the editing herself ... could make her look that stupid. I think she wasn't prepared and it showed. I also think she didn't know what she was talking about and it showed.

I totally agree with her regarding Caroline Kennedy. Hello! That situation is just crazy.

But, I don't know if I agree with her that things would have been different had she been Obama's running mate. I think the conservative media would have made her look like an idiot and would have run her daughter into the ground for being pregnant outside of wedlock ... not to mention what they would have said about Palin for being the mother of a daughter that was pregnant and not married.

Honestly ... she comes across like a female George Bush ... but with Cheney's ugly side ... and it wouldn't matter which side she was on. You can't change that she comes across that way. 

Well, it appears some explanation may be in order. In another post ... where I was to give seven weird or random facts about myself ... I noted that one of my first memories was falling off of a tricycle drunk. I have had so many emails over that and even Satchel wanted to know if that was for real. :)

So ... yes, that is real. It is one of my first memories. I don't remember drinking, but I remember falling off the tricycle drunk and my mom getting really mad at my daddy for it. I also remember her putting me in bed and me watching the ceiling spin and being ever so sick.

My daddy was an alcoholic. He started drinking young ... in his teens. His father was an alcoholic as well. So were a few of my uncles. So was my daddy's uncle. My daddy wasn't a bad man. He wasn't being mean or malicious when he gave me beer. In his mind ... he thought that if he let me have it then I wouldn't end up like him and want it. It also wasn't like he just gave me a whole beer. He would give me drinks of his and later on I remember him giving me little ponies.

Of course, in the 70's ... we didn't know what we know now about alcohol. My daddy had no idea that what he was doing could end up affecting me in ways none of us ever imagined. He just didn't want me to end up being an alcoholic like him and he thought this was one of the best ways to ensure that.

Also, in the 70's and 80's ... it wasn't all that uncommon. I was drinking as a teenager with adult supervision. Long after my dad had stopped giving me beer ... my "godparents" allowed me to drink at their house. They were also alcoholics. In their minds ... if I was drinking there then I wasn't drinking somewhere else and I was safe there. No one ... and I mean no one ... realized that all they were doing was contributing to me becoming an alcoholic at a young age.

I was a drunk ... and I mean a drunk ... by the time I was nineteen. I was always in the bootleggers. I had credit at the bootleggers! Do you know how hard it is to get credit at a bootleggers? Almost impossible! But, they knew I would be back and I would have their money. I was drunk by noon most days and would hide liquor all over the house.

Now, don't get me wrong ... I am not glorifying this at all. It was just the way it was. And, I hold no hard feelings towards my daddy or anyone else who contributed to my alcoholism or enabled me to drink. It was my coping device for years and some years were better than others. And, it is also a battle I fought and with God's grace ... I won. The Lord enabled me to get past it and I don't drink at all anymore.

I pray it stops with me as well. I have been very honest with my children about my childhood and the life I led and how far different it is from theirs. They know they come from a long line of alcoholics and how easy it would be for them to fall into that line and end up struggling with something they could easily avoid. All they have to do is "say no" ... and they have a long list of reasons to do so. 

I have someone close to me who is very much in the flesh right now. They are cussing more and more. They are back to listening to music you know they once gave up. They still go to church ... but their attitude is different. They don't seem to have much interest in the Bible or worship music anymore. They are even doing a few things I know their spouse would not appreciate. They haven't crossed a line ... but you know they are dancing close to the edges.

It is weird. I see what is coming clearly. It is like when the ice was on the roads and this kid lost control of his car. I saw it coming. He was driving like a bat out of a cave of fire ... the roads had ice on them and the curve was coming up fast. He lost control of his car right in front of me.

The thing is ... what to do? Do I talk to them about their behavior? Bring it to their attention that I see what they are doing and how they are acting? Knowing them ... they will probably be like that kid in the car who flipped me off when I told them to slow down. It will probably start a fight. Or I can just pray for them and hope for the best. I can pray that God will lead them back to Him and they will put all this other stuff behind them.

I feel like I should say something ... but the part of me that just hates drama is saying to just pray. Leave it to God. This person is grown. They know what they are doing. Talking to them is not going to change it and it will probably make it worse. They are already in that ... "I know everything and you can't tell me squat" mode.

I hate it though. I really do.

Well ... it appears I have been tagged ... which is cool. I haven't done a meme in a long time so this will be fun. You can thank Shane for anything I may say after this point. Ha! :)

1. I was once nominated for having the best liberal blog. Yeah. I didn't understand it then either and back then one could say I was probably quite liberal.
2. I love my mother's fried potatoes! She cuts them super thin and half-cooks them. They are so good! And ... I can't cook them just like her and it makes me mad.
3. One of my first memories is falling off of a tricycle drunk. Yep ... you read that right. It's been an interesting life for sure. :)
4. I love playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. Don't ask me why! LOL
5. I was not blessed much in the way of tact. I tend to be "too" honest for some people's tastes. It can make relationships interesting sometimes.
6. When I was sixteen years old, God touched my shoulder. I was praying at the altar and I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked to see who had joined me ... no one was there and no one was even around me. That really trips me out now ... especially considering how far from God I roamed not long after and how many years it took me to come back.
7. I have actually wondered if I didn't have an angel watching over me. I should have died many times in my life ... many, many times. And, even though I have had some bad things happen to me ... they are nothing compared to what could have happened and probably should have happened. I don't know why the Lord has seen fit to keep me walking the earth after everything I have done ... but He has and I am so thankful for it.

Okay ... I tag ... my sister, Rick, Satchel, Jackie, Laura, Ben, and Jarred.   

I am working on the church website today. We are redesigning it and I have a lot of page and code work to do today and tomorrow. I am hoping to have it up and running by Friday so Pastor can approve it and then it can be implemented.

I just have one issue to overcome and I am so hoping I can find someone to help me with it. In any case, if you happen to be good at Photoshop and can do a minor edit job for me ... let me know. Please! :)

Update: Done! Thanks, Rick!

The Lord started dealing with me last year regarding my eating. I listened ... and the Lord told me that I needed to stop drinking soda. So I did. I gave up Coca-Cola ... as much as I love it. Even though McDonalds would sell me a large for just a buck. I quit drinking it.

Then the enemy came knocking on my door and he told me that I could have Coca-Cola in moderation. A small cup would not hurt. No ... a small wasn't anything. Not even if I just drank one small Coca-Cola a day. It wouldn't hurt anything and I was still being obedient because I wasn't drinking that large monstrosity that I would pick up most every morning on my way to church. At least that is what he said and that is what I told myself.

Well ... that small cup led me back to getting that large again. Why pay one dollar for a small when you can get a large for the same price? That was just bad economics! I was wasting the money God gave me. I needed to buy the large. And ... of course ... I was back drinking Coca-Cola every single day. Drank it so much that I got me a subscription to Seventeen and Fitness with my coke rewards.

Since I started reading Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution ... I can't get enough. I am so trippin' over the stuff we put in our bodies all I can think is that there is no wonder so many Americans are fat. We are seriously killing ourselves with the food we eat ... even skinny people.

Anywho ... in today's email I got a link to the 20 Worst Foods in America 2009. There are some doozies on the list. Wow.

Dairy Queen took the Worst Fast-Food Meal award with their 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket. It has 1,270 calories and 67 g fat ... 11 of which are saturated. Outback Steakhouse got the Worst Fish Entree. Their Atlantic Salmon has 1,640 calories. That's as many calories as 35 Chicken McNuggets. Quiznos took the Worst Sandwich. The Quizno's Large Tuna Melt has 2,090 calories and 175 g fat. 31 of those grams are saturated and 2.5 is trans fats.

The Worst Food of 2009 goes to Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake. It has 2,310 calories, 108 grams of fat (64 g saturated fat, 2.5 g trans fats), and 266 grams of sugar. That is 66 teaspoons of sugar and you could eat 11 Heath Bars for the same amount of calories. Eleven candy bars ... and you drink this monstrosity.

Check them all out here.

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It was. I almost didn't realize how much I had missed it either. Since NoNo has been sick, I have missed three services in a row. I am glad I did not miss today though. She is feeling much better ... thanks be to God.

It felt good to be back behind the projector. I love working the worship service and I love the creative license our Worship Leader allows me. I love the way God begins to move. You can feel it. He envelops the whole place and the atmosphere changes dramatically.

God is so awesome.

Thanks be to God. I wrote a few days ago about a lady writing me a cold check for $20 and how it was costing me $179 (the cost of the check and the fees that hit my account because of it). Well, yesterday my husband called her husband's phone ... since she wouldn't answer my calls ... to see if she was going to set my account right. She got on the phone with me and told me that her bank said the check cleared and that she wasn't going to pay the fees on my account.

Well, I explained to her that she was liable for my fees and that I had a copy of the check marked "insufficient funds" by her bank. I also explained to her that her check had her driver's license number on it and her address and I would take it to the County Attorney if I had to. She got testy and I hung up. I refused to argue with her.

We went to the bank and they called her bank. They verified that the check did bounce and they also agreed that she was liable for my fees and said for me to tell her to call them and they would explain that to her. I knew she was lying when she said her bank said the check did not bounce ... but I wanted to make sure.

Afterwards, we went to handle some business and her husband called mine. He asked where we were and asked us to wait for him. We talked and I explained to him that I was not trying to be ugly, but I did expect her to make things right and I did not like her attitude about the whole situation. I also explained to him that she did lie to me about the check and showed him the copy I had.

He paid the money. He said that he was not willing to lose a friend over this and him and my husband have been friends now for two years. I respect that too. I also appreciate the fact that he took care of it. It would have bothered me greatly if something I had done had cost someone so much money ... which is one reason I don't do checks. All those fees hurt a person's finances bad.

I also told him that I would still babysit for him. I know it is convenient for him ... and he knows his girls are in good hands. But, I did explain I wouldn't accept anymore checks. Cash only is the new policy. :) 

I just bought Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution and I cannot put it down! Seriously ... there are things in this book that you need to know about the food you eat and don't. Believe me when I say you will be totally shocked by some of it.

Like me ... I love Twix candybars. I have loved them ever since they hit the shelves and probably eat one to two of them a week. They are one of my rare sweet indulgences. Last night, I found out they are considered one of the worst candy bars you can buy and have the saturated fat equivalent of 11 strips of bacon. Eleven! I love bacon ... but I don't eat eleven strips of it ... ever.

Plus, I am sure you have seen those commercials about high fructose corn syrup on TV. You know ... the ones that tell you that it is made from corn, nutritionally equivalent to sugar and is fine in moderation? Yeah. What they don't tell you, but Eat This Not That! does, is that HFCS has a few advantages over sugar ... 1) it is cheaper to produce, 2) it has a longer shelf life, and 3) it is easier to incorporate into products that never received the sugar treatment before ... like pasta sauce and whole wheat bread. It is in most processed foods ... so eating it in moderation is very hard to do if you eat much food from the center aisles of your supermarket.

So far ... I have learned that a lot of my food choices are making me fat in ways I never imagined. Also there are a lot of foods that I pick thinking they are more nutritious and actually they aren't. They aren't even close ... but food companies package them to make them appear healthier. Example: Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken. It has almost as much sugar as a Snickers bar!

This book is awesome and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It covers everything from produce, meat, condiments, frozen dinners, to bread and cereals. So, far ... I haven't seen an area not covered. And, I like this book so much that I have added Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds--or More! and Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block! to my wishlist. It really is that good.