End of July musings

  I can't believe July is almost over, and along with it summer. I haven't blogged a lot again this month, mostly due to not having any blogging ideas. I do have a few things on my mind, so here is a hodge podge to end out the month.... unless I come up with something to write about in the next few days.

Transgenders in the military

    Anyone who knows me very well at all, knows that I am not a Trump fan. However, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. His proposed ban on transgenders in the military has liberals all up in arms as if he had just bombed half the country...... well, that may not upset them as much. Before the election, he was a proponent of people using whichever bathroom they wanted, and he also promised to further gay rights.... so I am not holding my breath that he will actually go through with the ban, but I hope he does.

   The whole transgender thing is getting out of hand. It is a mental illness to claim to be the opposite sex and to try to become the opposite sex. Transgenders are already more suicidal than the average person, but when they actually go through the process to attempt to be the opposite sex, their chances of suicide increase even more. And liberals want to put guns in the hands of these people and send them into combat?

 The military has strict standards in place, and they should not cave to transgender insanity and have these very deluded people in the military. They are to be pitied, but their delusions should not be encouraged.

Women and the "B-word"

  I really hate it when I hear a women refer to herself as a "b-word." It is so degrading, and I don't get why any woman would call herself one. Ironically, many of them would take offense to someone else calling themselves that. It is the same thing with black people calling themselves the "n-word", yet becoming enraged if a white person calls them that. No one should call themselves degrading names.


Charlie Gard

  Charlie Gard has died. The hatred being aimed at his parents for daring to want to save their baby is ridiculous. It is natural for parents to want their baby to live. It is unnatural to let them die, or go into a clinic and have them intentionally killed. It is sad the government interfered long enough to make saving him impossible.


Forgotten babies

  I saw an article shared on Facebook recently that had tips to help remember to get your baby out of the car. Why is this such a problem? I have been to a few Walmarts that have a sign by the door to remind people to get their babies/small child out of their vehicle. I don't mean to be crass or cruel, but what kind of person forgets a baby?

 This article I read suggested putting some item with the baby that you are not likely to forget.....so are they saying a cell phone or wallet is more important than a baby. If you're more likely to remember your phone or some other item instead of a baby, you need serious help. They even have an app to help you remember. Really?!

Healthcare

 I am still convinced Obamacare is a disaster. It was forced on us, and Obama had to twist arms, make deals, and who knows what else to even get enough Democrats to vote for it. Countless people have had their premiums skyrocket because of it. It has caused a lot more red tape for hospitals, doctor's offices, and even ambulance services. The very people who forced it on us don't want it for themselves, which says a lot.

 I am pretty upset with the Republicans promised to repeal it and de-fund Planned Parenthood, and they are doing neither. I am one of those convinced Obamacare may eventually fall apart without being repealed....we can only hope.

Chairs and the Babylon Bee

 The Babyon Bee is an awesome Christian satire site that comes up with some great fake Christian related news pieces. They did one last week about a church putting in massage chairs to draw more people in. I shared the article, stated that my church was putting chairs in instead of pews, that I was dead set against chairs, but might change my mind if we got massage chairs. I meant it as a joke, but it turned into quite the debate. People criticized me for having an opinion opposite what the church was doing, one woman ranted about how dare we want comfort in church instead of spending the money to help people, etc. I finally stopped reading comments.

 I took my 3 nieces out for lunch Tuesday, and my 17 year old niece brought it up. She said it was ridiculous the responses I got to what she knew was a joking comment. I'm glad someone realized the point of my post. Guess you have to be a teenager to get that it was a joke..........

My latest reading

 I have been reading a lot lately, and went through 11 books by the same author, Coleen Coble, in the space of 2 weeks. And I was reading other books also. In the last 3 weeks, I have read at least 20 books. That is close to a record for me, but I have read more than that in 3 weeks before.

   I recently reviewed a Love Inspired Suspense novel, and inside was a survey to fill out to get 2 free large print books. I did it, and they came this week. The print isn't that big, just slightly larger than the regular books. One of the books is part of a series done by multiple authors called "Classified K-9 Unit." It is about a team of FBI agents that all work with a dog. Even though I am not a dog lover, I am really liking this series. I am reading my second book in the series, though out of order, and ordered the rest of them. I don't read many of the Love Inspired Suspense, but mostly because there are so many of them I don't want to try to keep up.

A tale of two love interests

 Speaking of books I read lately, I had a disappointment in a book I just read. There is an author who wrote a great suspense trilogy that revolved around art theft, and a female FBI agent who works with art theft. All through the trilogy, she had 2 guys vying for her attention: her male FBI partner, and the superintendent of her apartment complex. Even though I am a guy.....yeah I know not a normal guy..... I found myself rooting for the one guy. (I won't say which one in case someone reads the books.) To my dismay, the heroine went for the opposite guy and married him at the end of the 3rd book. I commented on a post the author did about the book, and told her I loved the book and series, but was rooting for the other guy to get her. She thanked me and said she figured most of her readers were rooting for the guy who lost out. No offense author lady, but if you figured that, why didn't you make your readers happy and go with the other guy? See, a bachelor CAN be interested in romance.
 :)

The new bathrooms

 Even though I am against the chairs replacing our pews at church, and even though I don't think the addition to the sanctuary is necessary, one plus is the bathrooms were made bigger. We average around 230-250 most Sundays, and our bathrooms were way too small. The men's had one urinal and one toilet, and 2 sinks. I never was in the women's.....a good thing, but I think they had 2 toilets. We have other bathrooms downstairs, with the same set up. The new bathrooms are much bigger. From the pictures, it looks like there are 5 stalls in the women's now. I was in the men's, and I think there are 3 (or 2)  urinals and 3 stalls.... or something like that. Bigger bathrooms for a church our size were long overdue. And I think they are finally finished.

Urinal chat

 Speaking of urinals, some guys seem to find it necessary to chat with you when you're standing side by side taking a leak. I always find it awkward. Hopefully this doesn't become a thing with the new bathroom at church. At least if women do that, they have a stall separating them.


Cheap food

   We have some stores in my area called Ollie's Bargain Outlet. They sell a lot of returns from companies, and have some great deals on books. I bought a couple of snack foods there this week, and discovered why they were so cheap. Fail. The first was BBQ flavored pistachios in  the shell. I love pistachios, so I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the sauce or whatever they put on them made them near impossible to get out of the shells. They were practically glued in the shells.... and they didn't taste that great. Fortunately, I was only out 99 cents when I pitched them.

  Fail #2: There is a Mennonite run store near me that sells bulk foods, baked goods, cheese, meats, etc. They had peach salsa on sale, so I bought one.....it is OK, but I don't think I'll eat much of it. It is too sweet, and tastes too much like peaches.

 Fail 3: sweet chili flavored pretzel pieces. These also came from Ollie's Bargain Outlet. They aren't terrible, but they also aren't that great.

Car insurance

 I knew my car insurance premiums would go up because of my accident, but I wasn't prepared for how much. I went from $400 for 6 months to $840 for 6 months. I shopped around and managed to find insurance for $606 for 6 months. Still more, but not as bad.


XM radio and pushy people

 With my new car, I got 3 months free of XM radio and am loving it. We have it at home, so I already knew I'd like it. I was on my way home from work last week when a woman from XM called me. She said she was calling to see how I liked my free 3 months, but I correctly assumed there was more to the call. After I answered her question, she launched into telling me about this great deal they have for 6 months. She then said "OK, let's get you signed up for this deal while I have you on the phone...." A big pet peeve of mine is a salesperson who does this very thing. They just act like you are going to buy the deal instead of asking you if you are interested. That's a great way to chase me off, and that is what she did. I politely interrupted her (if you can politely interrupt someone) and told her I'd think about it. She assured me the deal might not exist if I called back, and I said that was OK, thanked her, and hung up. I really, really don't like pushy sales people.

Vacation

 I just officially finished my 6th month of working for the hospital, which means I now have "paid time off". Instead of vacation days/hours, you accrue hours each week called paid time off, which can be used however and whenever you want. I have 81.19 hours, which is very cool. Unfortunately, we just did a 3 month schedule for my department, so it will be a while until I can use any of those hours for days off.


Favorite candy

 My best friend was giving me a hard time this evening by text because I didn't know his favorite candy....pear flavored jelly beans. He ordered 5 pounds of them. (Ugh) He said I evidently don't know him very well, so I asked him what my favorite candy is. He of course didn't know. :)


Weekend

 This was one of those weeks that I worked Friday and have both Saturday and Sunday off. I work 1 Sunday a month, and every other Saturday. So now I am going to go enjoy my weekend. Til next time!

The "compassion" of liberals

 

Trey Pearsons

Yesterday I received an invitation to like the Facebook page of Trey Pearson. I have blogged about him a couple of times, but can't figure out why I got the invitation. Trey Pearson is a young man who was a Christian husband and singer dealing with same-sex attractions. After several years of fighting those attractions, he walked out on his marriage and pronounced himself a gay Christian. Sadly, many Christians are applauding his decision to leave his wife to live a sinful lifestyle while claiming to be a Christian.


Teen Vogue

   Teen Vogue Magazine has caused quite the splash with their recent article on teaching teens about anal sex. The editor responded to criticism with a picture of him kissing another man while holding his middle finger out at the camera. A few conservatives have posted reactions to the article by saying liberals want to destroy our kids. A woman commented on one such post and was trying to say liberals were coming at this story with compassion for kids who are bullied.

 Liberals have done away with sin, and try to make themselves all about tolerance and compassion.

Abortion must be easy and available so no young woman is stuck with an unwanted child.

People confused about their gender must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice so they don't feel ostracized or out of place.

Gay people must be encouraged to pursue their sexual desires, and nothing should stand in the way of anything they want.

 In all three of these major liberal causes, they ignore the sin in their rush to make the sinner feel comfortable and not guilty for their sins.

They don't want the woman to believe she is actually murdering her baby.

They don't care about the countless women and children put at risk and made uncomfortable as men come in their bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms.

They don't care about the rights and feelings of those having their rights and freedoms destroyed and their very livelihoods ruined in the name of gay rights. Nor do they seem to care about the risk of living a gay life.

   In the liberals' rush for compassion and tolerance, they are ultimately doing more harm than good.

Abortion

  Many of the women who have an abortion will suffer guilt for years, if not for the rest of their lives. They are risking their lives by getting an abortion, and there are several studies linking breast cancer to abortion.... not that every woman who gets breast cancer has had an abortion. There are many men who have had to live with the reality that the mother of their child killed that child, and allowed him no choice in the matter. And the end result for these women if they do not repent, is judgment by God for killing their child.

 And then there is the baby. He or she didn't ask to be conceived, and they are murdered by the very one who should be offering them love and safety. They will never have the chance to live, to love, and to dream...... but they don't matter to liberals. All that matters is the mother's "right" to have that life snuffed out.

Transgender

   It used to be people were encouraged to get help for mental disorders. Now they are encouraged to pursue the disorder, and anyone is a bigot who doesn't go along with it. I find the whole transgender issue sad and alarming. Though I have never  fit in with other males and felt more comfortable with females for most of my life, I have never wanted to be a woman. I can't imagine living with those feelings. I am of the belief  that you cannot change your gender. It is more than what you think and feel, and it is more than having the outward characteristics of a gender. God makes us either male or female, and no matter how many hormones one takes, or what is chopped off or added, the person remains the same gender.

 Studies have proven that people who actually go through with the surgeries and hormones to try to be the opposite sex are at a much higher risk of suicide. They find  that they are not any happier, and it makes them more suicidal. How much better to help the person change the inward to feel more like the outward, then to encourage a mental illness that butchers their body and puts them at a higher risk of killing themselves.

Gay

   It is becoming increasingly unpopular to stick with the Bible's (God's)  view on sexuality. To dare quote the Bible on gay issues gets you labeled a bigot and hateful....even if you yourself deal with same-sex attractions. Ironic, but it has happened to me.

   More and more Christians and churches are giving in and are accepting gay Christianity, and not calling homosexuality a sin anymore. Sadly, whatever the world deems as good and normal, the church eventually goes along with.

  It isn't easy being attracted to the same sex. It is far more difficult than anyone can imagine who does not struggle in that area. People don't understand you, it is lonely, and you're constantly hit with in your face temptations. You have the desire to love and be loved, and to marry..... but for many of us, that happening with the opposite sex is impossible, and it is sin to do it with the same sex.

   Liberals are intent on stamping out any hint of opposition to all things gay. A wealthy gay donor who has helped finance the push for gay rights is now saying they want to punish the evil people who stand in their way of getting everything they want. The ultimate goal of the most militant of gays is total acceptance by all, and no Christian daring to oppose them or say it is sin.

 I  believe 100% it is still a sin, and no one can be a gay Christian, as in someone having sex with the same gender. There are some using that label who are celibate, which I feel just confuses the issue. The Bible lumps homosexuality with a list of other sins that will put the person in hell for eternity that commit them. Liberals don't like that. They want to twist and ignore what the Bible says, and try to say that the Bible doesn't condemn loving gay relationships. In the name of love and compassion, they pat gay people on the back and tell them God is OK with them being gay, that they can pursue sex with the same gender and be Christian, and that the Bible doesn't really condemn homosexuality.

 Meanwhile, these loving and compassionate liberals are helping deceive gay people and push them towards a more dangerous lifestyle, and ultimately an eternity in hell.

   I have looked up the health statistics for gay men. They are at a much higher risk of STDs, AIDS, mental health issues, suicide, and also more in danger of abuse than their heterosexual counterparts. This is what liberals are pushing gay people towards. And by the way, the suicide part gets blamed on people opposing homosexuality, but the suicide rate among gay people is just as high in countries where there is little or no opposition.

  And then there is the end of life. Imagine being a liberal Christian standing before God as gay people you encouraged to pursue their desires are judged by the God who says the opposite of what you told them. On that day, no gay person is going to turn and thank those who patted them on the back and told them them they could be gay and Christian. They will curse those who helped push them toward an eternity without God.

   Conservative Biblical Christians need compassion also, but focused the right way. I grew up in a Christian school, Bible college, and a very conservative church. Had anyone found out about my sexuality in college, I would have been kicked out and never allowed to return. I sat in the church  pew, alone, hurting, and confused. I was terrified of anyone finding out. I had heard the comments, the jokes, the cruel things said about gay people. I knew if I was found out, it would most likely mean being ostracized, and no one would understand.

   Now that I have come forward and admitted my struggle, I have found it to not be that bad. No one does seem to understand, but I don't think I have been ostracized. I had one lady from church block me for talking about gay related issues too much, and another say to my opposition to Trump for his strip clubs and adultery that "with my background, I should be OK with it". Whatever that means. I really don't have any friends, at least none that I hang out with, but then I never did have that..... so if anyone is avoiding me because of my sexual struggles, I am not aware of it.

  About 8 years ago, my Sunday School class did a class on homosexuality. It was pretty bad. A couple of men made some very hateful comments, and I was fighting tears. Since then, it has been discussed a few times in that same class and the comments have all been compassionate and decent.... so maybe there are more people who get it than I thought.

 All of these individuals need love and compassion: the women killing their babies, the people wanting to be a different gender, and those attracted to the same sex and having sexual relations with the same sex. But our compassion needs to be Biblical compassion and love that does not put approval on sin, but a love and compassion that sees the sinner as a person loved by and in need of a Savior. The answer is not to pat them on the back and tell them they are OK the way they are, but neither is the answer to hate and alienate them from the church and from God.

 There is a common theme among conservatives and liberals with all things gay: both sides want to make it a special issue. No other sin is being paraded in the streets and forced on us. There is no other sin where they try to shut down all opposition and truth about. And yet, conservative Christians treat it like this horrible sin that is deserving of loathing, and those who are involved as hopeless child molesters.

 The answer lies somewhere in between those two extremes. True Christian love and compassion will never encourage people to stay in their sin while refusing to call it sin, but it will also see the gay person as a human loved by God and in need of love and friendship by them.

The canceled lunch

  "Something came up and I can't make it tomorrow. Sorry, can we reschedule?" The text I received this evening wasn't really a surprise, but it still irritated me. To be honest, it hurt a little.

  I have this friend. I got to know her well at my last job. She has a long time boyfriend who she doesn't live with and has no intention of marrying. She is funny, and likes my whole family. Over the course of the last 6 years or so that I have known her, we have met for lunch several times, sometimes with another lady who we also worked with.

 And over the course of  the last few years, she has canceled lunches that she had set up. And her reasons always sound made up. One time her brother surprised her visiting from Florida, but a mutual friend knew he didn't visit.

 After not hearing from her for a few months, she called two nights ago and wanted to meet for lunch at a new Chinese restaurant tomorrow. I very loosely planned on it, and sure enough I got that text message this evening. This makes at least the 5th time this has happened. And it bothers me.

 To be honest and maybe a tad bit pathetic, there isn't a line of people at my door wanting to go out to lunch with me. The only people who have met me for lunch this year have been my nieces.... and my nephews, but I have to pick them up since they don't drive yet. At my age and being single, I really don't have a social life. Well, I don't have one at all if I am honest.

 What do you do with a friend like this? She is a pathological liar. I have known that for a long time. I hate to be rude and tell her I don't want to be friends anymore, but this canceling lunches is getting old. And I hate the fact that she lies so much.

 So now I have my day off empty again with no plans. Should I still drive the 35 minutes to Boardman, OH to try out this new Chinese restaurant and do a little shopping while there?

 Is it better to not have friends to do things with than to have friends who cancel with lousy excuses? And what do I do next time she wants to meet for lunch?

More July musings

  I really can't believe we are 18 days into July. It is true that the older you get, the faster time goes. Granted, I just had the last six days off, which went by way too fast......so that didn't help time go any slower.

Amish Country

  I took two days of my six days off and went to the Amish section of Ohio. I love it there. The pace seems a bit slower, and the Amish intrigue me. I wouldn't want to be one, but they intrigue me. I shopped a lot, bought some cheese, ate out a couple of good restaurants, tried a new pizza place, and just spent time hanging out in my motel room.

 I was amused when I stopped at a "huge book sale" at the home of some Amish. There wasn't anything of interest to me, and half of the books seemed to be cookbooks. What amused me though were a few of the Twilight books (vampire novels) and several Harlequin books. I wondered if the Amish people knew what the books are like. And the book sale wasn't as huge as advertised. I walked out without buying any books, or without seeing anyone.

Game of Thrones

  Game of Thrones is all the rage right now. I am guessing a new season of the TV show must have just started. I have never seen an episode, nor do I want to. From what I have read by people who have seen it, the show has a lot of sex and nudity in it, yet many Christians defend watching it. It "has a lot of great acting and plots in it". A few admit if you struggle with porn, you maybe shouldn't watch it...... as if those are the only people a show like that could cause problems with.

 I am of the mind and belief that no Christian should watch it. Entertainment has become such a god to us that most of us aren't careful enough with what we watch. A lot of entertainment consumed by Christians will never bring them close to God, and will most likely interfere with their relationship with God. It will also dull the senses and make the viewer used to more and more filth and immorality.

 I was raised in a church that believed you shouldn't watch TV or movies, and though I don't agree with that and am careful with what I do view, it does raise a valid point that we don't need to watch anything. Sure, it is entertaining and there is a lot of good out there to view, but if we get to the point that we defend and excuse watching lite porn like Game of Thrones, we'd be better off not watching anything. And it IS lite porn. For some reason, too many Christians seem to think everything is OK to watch as long as you can't see the penis and vagina, to be blunt. But porn is so much more than that.

 Author and pastor John Piper wrote an excellent piece in relation to this show: Twelve Questions to Ask Before You Watch Game of Thrones. He made some great points. And this is a serious thing. We aren't careful enough, nor do we consider Christ enough in these areas.


Trump's liars

  It is 8 months after the election, and I still haven't gotten over the things said to me, the so-called friends who said nasty and mean things to me because I felt I could not go against my conscience and vote the way they thought I should vote. I can't count the times I was told "if you aren't for Trump, you're for Hillary!" Or "A non vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary." Now the majority, if not all, of these people saying that KNEW I was against Hillary also.... yet they kept chirping those things. I have been thinking about it lately, and realize they all are liars and were bearing false witness against me. Sure, it was a tactic to try to guilt or force me to vote the way they wanted, but they knew what they were saying was not true. They knew I was against Hillary, and they knew that voting third party was not a vote for Hillary..... so they lied. But hey, since it was politics and for what they saw for the good of the country, it was OK.

Eugene Peterson

 Author of the paraphrase The Message and other Christian books, Eugene Peterson caused rumblings across Christendom last week when he said his views on homosexuality have changed, and he would marry a same-sex couple. He has since retracted his statement, either because of the backlash, or common sense took over again.

 The number of prominent Christians embracing the pro-gay theology is alarming, and it is becoming too accepted. Author Jen Hatmaker came out in support of gay marriage and homosexuality this past year, and Thomas Nelson is still publishing her books. I was disappointed to see her latest book listed in the books available for review from them. Isn't this big enough of a sin and issue to cause a Christian publisher to drop an author?

 I'm not saying a Christian has to throw out all of an author's books in a case like this, but to keep publishing and/or buying someone's books who is so blatantly going against Scripture....... it isn't like they disagree over baptism methods.

 I was working at the Christian Bookstore near me when a popular author came out and said she didn't believe in the Trinity. Thomas Nelson dropped her like a rock, yet here they are still publishing the pro-gay Jen Hatmaker's books. Go figure.

  I fear for the future of the Church. Too many Christians and churches are caving into the pressure and tossing out what the Bible says about this sin. I fear for the many souls who will go to an eternity in hell because Christians and/or a church told them they could be gay and Christian.

 By the way, his paraphrase may not be a bad Bible to have - I actually own a copy - but one needs to be careful with paraphrases, especially when done by one man.

Tattoos and gauges

 What is up with the fairly recent rage of tattoos? It isn't unusual to see people with their arms completely covered, and even with tattoos on their necks and faces. Sadly, Christians are following this fad. I know there is a verse tossed around to indicate Christians should not get tattoos, and I honestly don't know if that can be used or not.....but I don't know why any sane person would want to cover very much of their body with ink, much less someone who is professing to follow Jesus.

 Let's get real: A man that has very many tattoos looks like a thug gang member. Look at mug shots of gang members. They are covered in tattoos. And I find a woman that has many tattoos just looks trashy. We Christians shouldn't follow every fad of the world, nor should we do stuff to our bodies that make us look like freaks. What if tattoos, gauges, and multiple piercings hurts our Christian influence and witness?

 The hospital I work at cracked down on tattoos this year. It has been in their rules for some time that tattoos must be covered, but it wasn't enforced. However, they received so many complaints from patients and visitors, that they enforced the rule. There are still a lot of people who find tattoos offensive and are turned off by them, so why should a Christian do it? And if they do, do what the Bible says to do things in - moderation.

 I was browsing the music section at Lifeway Christian Bookstore last week, and was disgusted to see a CD cover of a Christian singer that had several tattoos and those nasty gauges in his ears. Note on those: If people with gauges decide they don't want to wear them anymore, it requires surgery to close the holes left. We aren't too far from the third world countries where they weight their ears to hang to their shoulders. Christians shouldn't look like freaks. If they must get tattoos, do it in moderation and where they can be covered. It can still hurt employment opportunities.

Reading

  I have been reading a lot more lately than I have been for a while. Due to my depression being bad, I was pretty much only reading books I had committed to review. It hasn't been too great lately, but for some reason I have been in the mood to read a lot. Last week, I read a 4 book series by Colleen Coble plus another of hers in another series. Yesterday I read two books by another author, and started a third book by her today. Maybe I'll hit my reading goal on Goodreads after all.


Haven

 Speaking of reading books, I read two books yesterday that had an impact on me: Thread of Deceit and Stranger In The Night, both by Catherine Palmer. Both books are Christian suspense, and the stories center on a Christian youth center where kids come and learn about God and also learn to live. The books left me wishing I could do something with my life that was worth something. I go to work, I enjoy my days off, I go to church and pretty much warm a pew....... but I don't do anything to make a difference. The guys in the books, though fictional, were giving all they had to reach kids for God. And I do nothing.

Lunch with a friend

  A friend of mine wants to meet me for lunch at a new Chinese place on Thursday. This friend is notorious for canceling lunches, usually with what sounds like a made up excuse.... so I am not holding my breath. Though I may try out the restaurant anyway.

The beach

  Lately I find myself wishing I was back at the beach. Why do vacations go so fast? Maybe I could move to a beach and open a small bookstore/coffee shop. That would be awesome indeed.

July musings

Narcan

  There is a sheriff in Ohio who is refusing to allow his deputies to carry Narcan on them. I am torn on the issue. It seems crazy to keep giving Narcan to people so they can go out and shoot up again with drugs. The majority of them are never going to stop the drugs......yet it seems wrong to just let them die also.


Bibles in schools

 Liberals and atheists are foaming at the mouth because Bible classes can now be taught in Kentucky schools. They're furious that tax dollars can be used for this. Ironically, liberal Christians seem more upset about this than evolution being taught in schools, along with the pro-gay/pro abortion crap being shoved on kids in the public schools.

 Three things:
1) Bibles were once part of education in all schools, and we were better off for it. Atheists and liberals ruined that.

2) Conservative Christians have as much right to have tax dollars go for that as liberals do for evolution, pro-gay crap, and the other godless things liberals worship.

3) The classes are voluntary. No one is required to take them.


Days off

  Today is the first of 6 days off in a row I have. I was planning on going to the Hope for Wholeness Conference, but it wasn't going to work out financially,  so I tried to cancel my days off. Unfortunately.....or fortunately, my boss decided to make out a schedule 2 months in advance and I couldn't cancel. I am looking forward to staying up late and getting up early, and am going to spend 2 days in the Amish part of Ohio, sightseeing, shopping, sampling cheese, and taking it easy. Unfortunately, I think it is going to rain yet again while I am there.

Church stuff

  I had posted a while back that my church was building onto our sanctuary, a move I am possibly all alone in thinking unnecessary. I discovered more to make me unhappy about it this week: they are taking our pews out and putting in all chairs. We have a few rows of chairs already, and I have had to sit in them a couple of times... and I do not like them. You have to sit too close to people, there is no room to spread out or lay things on the seat beside you. The prospect of always having to deal with that when I go to church has me very unhappy... but as with anything that happens at church, I have absolutely no say in it. #bringbackthepews

Teen Vogue

  Teen Vogue, a magazine for teenagers, published an article this week on the wonders of anal sex....for teens. If that doesn't upset you, then you are probably too far gone. Why do the liberals want so much deviation in kids? They fight for them to be able to transgender at any age, they encourage sexual promiscuity in teens, they encourage teens to experiment with the same sex, and more.

 I am scared for kids in the coming years. Liberals and our debased government want parents to let their kids do all of this stuff, and I fear the day may come in America that kids will be taken away if you don't let them be whatever gender or sexual orientation that they want to be.

 But I am not sure conservatives are much better. We did (well, not me) nominate and elect a liberal godless man who has owned strip clubs, committed adultery on at least 2 of his wives, has talked in very nasty terms about women, and wants to further gay and transgender rights. Maybe there is no hope for out country anymore.

God's Smuggler

 I just read and reviewed the Young Reader's Edition of God's Smuggler. I read the original probably at least 30 years ago, so it was like reading it for the first time. I found myself amazed at the faith of Brother Andrew and his helpers, and what was accomplished by having that much faith in God. Sadly we don't see that kind of faith and answers to prayer today.

Honest people

  I had something cool happen today that shows there are still honest people in the world. I used the self checkout at Walmart and did something I rarely do - did cashback, $40. I was trying to hurry so a guy waiting could use my register and stared walking away with my cart, forgetting the money. He called me back and asked if it was my money. God bless him and the other honest people out there. He could have grabbed it and I would have been out $40.

 I don't like self checkouts, but the express checkout was closed.

Taxes for Christian schools

 Something else liberals are upset about is the possibility of tax dollars going to Christian schools. I have seen a few posts about it, and they get all up in an uproar about it. There are a few things about that I'd like to point out:

1) Taxation is basically theft, and what right do liberals have to be outraged about taxes going to something Christian, when they are being forcibly taken from us anyway?

2) My tax dollars are going to things I don't want to support that are bad and immoral. Don't I have the right to be outraged about that? Or are liberals special and have a right to say where their taxes go and I don't have that right?

3) People that have their kids in Christians schools not only have the right to have help from the state, but they also should not have to shell out tax dollars to go to the cesspools of liberalism and godlessness that make up our public schools.

 Of course there is the danger of the state trying to dictate what is taught in Christian schools if they gave tax dollars to them..... but come on.....it isn't right or fair to insist tax dollars only go to liberal causes and what they approve of.

The mean God of the Calvinists 

  I don't want to offend my Calvinists friends, but what is up with the idea of God many of them have? I get the idea of liking once saved, always saved. I don't believe that, but I can understand wanting to believe it.

 But what I can't understand is this intensity with which they promote and defend the idea that God picks and chooses who He will save and who He will not. And that He gives us no choice in becoming a Christian, but just forces us to. (Yeah, many believe that).

 Which sounds more attractive: A God that offers salvation to all, and gives us a choice to serve Him, or a God who picks and chooses who He will save and who He will send to hell without ever offering salvation to? I struggled for years to believe God loved me, and had I had that belief instilled in me, I don't believe I would have ever been convinced God loves me.

 "For God so loved the whole world......" "It is not His will that any should perish." A God who many Calvinists talk about sounds like a mean, vindictive sadist. I believe God offers salvation to all, and gives us a choice to serve Him, or to live in sin and be judged for it. How can a just God judge and send people to hell who He picked out to send to hell?

Changing parties

  I am still mulling over changing my political party to Independent. I don't think I'll ever get over my party picking a man like Trump, and what I endured for daring to do what I felt was right and not voting for either major candidate.

 I have long wondered how a Christian could be a Democrat/liberal... the day may come when we wonder how a conservative could be a Republican.

Watch out for motorcycles

 The bumper stickers and yard signs saying to watch out for motorcycles have always annoyed me. Anyone driving such an unsafe vehicle should be responsible for watching out for other vehicles, and the more I see the way motorcyclists drive, the more those signs irritate me.

Outshine bars

 When I was on vacation in the Outer Banks, I discovered something new to me: Outshine, frozen fruit bars. They are totally awesome and have real fruit juice in them. My favorite is pineapple, which has chunks of pineapple in them. I am not sure how good they are for my diabetes, but I sure love them.

Music in the car

 I have been hardly listening to CDs in my car. It has a jack to play my iPod through, which my last car did not have.... and I also got 3 months free of XM radio. Between the iPod and XM, I rarely play a CD.

Christian and patriotic

  Today is July 4, Independence Day. It is a day to celebrate our independence from England and to celebrate our freedoms. It is a day for family, picnics, parades, fireworks, and thankfulness. As part of my July 4th celebration, I went a parade with family. It started around 10:10 and ended at 11:40. There were politicians, clowns, antique and classic cars, newer cars, businesses, different floats, a marching band playing Stars and Stripes Forever, a vehicle playing God Bless the USA, and more. There was red white and blue everywhere you looked. It was easy to get caught up in the patriotism and excitement of the day. Unfortunately due to working early tomorrow, I don't think I'll see any fireworks, but am about to eat some burgers, hot dogs, and chicken done on the grill.

 I was raised to be patriotic. I look back at years of cookouts, fireworks we did and went to see. I am an American, and it has never crossed my mind to not be patriotic. Not everyone feels that way though.

 There is a Facebook group I joined a while back called "Politics and the Christian Worldview." I have been amazed at the amount of people in the group who despise the flag, rail against patriotism and pleading to the flag as worship and idolatry. They refuse to celebrate today, and one man likened it to celebrating the Nazis. A few of them mockingly refer to the flag as the "sky cloth". It is amazing and pathetic how anti-American these professing Christians are.

 And then you have the religious sects who are non-resistant, and thus also refuse to be patriotic.

   I firmly believe you can be both Christian and patriotic. One does not cancel out the other. In fact, I believe Christians SHOULD be patriotic. No, our country is not what it should be. I am of the belief that this country was indeed founded on Christian principles, but we have drifted far from that. God has been kicked out of our schools, we murder millions of babies in the name of "choice" and women's rights. We have embraced a sexuality God calls an abomination and it is being forced on everyone in this country. Christian rights and freedoms usually lose to gay "rights", and both presidential candidates of 2016 promised to further those gay rights, just one of many reasons I could not vote for the "Republican" candidate and voted third party.

 Yes, we pay too much in taxes and we have way too much government interference in our lives. Our politicians are corrupt in both parties and most of them only care about getting re-elected, not about doing the right thing for the good of our country and citizens. We glorify sex and violence on TV and in movies which even Christians gorge themselves on.

 But yet Judeo Christian values are still at our core. We still have the freedom to worship as we please, and are a lot freer than many are across our globe. No one is cutting off our heads, torturing us, or kidnapping our kids to turn them into murderous soldiers.

 Our soil is stained with the blood of men and women who died so we could be free. I firmly believe if you live in this country and enjoy the freedoms we have, that you should be patriotic. No, you don't have to wave a flag or go to a parade, but there should be something that rises up in your heart today that makes you realize how blessed you are to live in this country. You should realize that if men and women had not fought in the wars you are so against, that you wouldn't be as free as you are. If you refuse to at least be thankful on this day and observe it in some small way, you are spitting on the graves of those who died to make you free. You are  not thankful and are ungrateful.

  Our country is not what I wish it were. I am sad God was kicked out of our schools. I am appalled Christians would elect and try to elect people like Obama, the Clintons, and Donald Trump. I grieve that gay marriage was legalized and is being forced on everyone, and even our free speech is threatened because of it. I am angered and saddened that so many people fight for and celebrate the cause of killing innocent babies in the womb. Our country grows more wicked and further from God at an alarming rate. Euthanasia and pedophilia are knocking at our doors demanding to be legalized, and liberals will eventually try to do just that.

   But yet this country has produced countless missionaries that have been sent to other countries to evangelize the lost. There is a church on almost every corner of every town and city. We do more to help others in other countries than any other country, to my knowledge.

 So on this day and others like it, wrap yourself in your anti-resistance, your anti-tax rhetoric, your bitterness, and whatever other reasons you refuse to be patriotic for, but remember this: You have no right to condemn me for being thankful and patriotic on this day, and if you are so much against patriotism and our country, then you have no right to enjoy the freedoms you take for granted and refuse to celebrate.

 And a quick side note: if you research Israel and its celebrations and feasts, God and country and patriotism were all mixes together in many of there feasts and celebrations...... just something to think about.

  It is possible to put country, politics, and patriotism above God, but it is also possible to be Christian and patriotic, and I again say I believe Christians should be patriotic.

 God bless America, and may God somehow bring our country back to what it used to be before liberals, atheists, Hollywood, and other godless people took over.

 And by the way..... my favorite superhero is Captain America.

 

Defending indecency, part 3

 ** Warning: It has been awhile since I did a post about Trump, and this is going to be one. If you support him and can't handle criticisms of him, read no further. You have been warned.

  I'll be honest. I think a large part of me being anti-Trump has as much to do with the actions and attitudes of his supporters as with the man himself. Don't get me wrong. I still despise everything about the man and am still shocked and appalled conservatives and Christians picked a man like him who has the morals of a snake.. or worse. All of these months later, I am still smarting and bewildered by the words of so-called friends who insisted I was for Hillary if I didn't fall in line and vote as they wanted me to. I had some pretty mean things said about me, and a relative even declared I was not on God's side if I did not support Donald Trump.

 It has been unique and amusing to sit on the sidelines these last several months. I have watched as liberals lose their minds over Trump doing things Obama did and acting like Obama did in some ways. On the flip side of the coin, I see conservatives and Christians cheering on and defending things in Donald Trump that they criticized Obama for. And no, that is not the case for everyone who voted for the man, but I am seeing a lot of that on social media.

 Which brings me to this blog post. This is the third post along these lines. I did Defending indecency   first, then Defending indecency part 2. Now it is time for part 3.

  Back when Barck Obama was unfortunately in the White House, he regularly made a fool of himself on Twitter. He often resorted to personal attacks, and acted in ways on social media that conservatives and Christians would mostly agree was beneath the dignity of the office he held.

 And then along came Donald Trump. He used Twitter to launch personal attacks against his fellow contenders for the GOP ticket, as if his words and actions in person weren't bad enough. He even personally attacked the wife of Ted Cruz, which I would hope even his supporters took issue with.... but I doubt they did.

 Now, we are 6 months past the time the man took up residence in the White House, and he is acting just like Obama did on Twitter. Anyone who dares criticize him or disagree with him are the recipients of his personal and often immature attacks on Twitter. The same conservative media, talk show hosts, and voters who took issue with Obama doing it are cheering him on and defending him no matter what he says on Twitter. They love the fact that he speaks his mind and tries to shut down any criticisms of himself. They seem to feel he is right in striking back.

 George W Bush was not a perfect president. I still believe he is one of the best we have had in my lifetime, and he stood tall in a couple of areas. One such time was on 911. I shudder to think how that would have been handled if Gore had won, or if it had happened under Obama. I'll never forget how Bush handled that, and handled it with class. The other area he stands tall in was how he handled the constant criticisms and hate. He ignored them. And even though Trump supporters keep claiming no president has ever  been treated as badly as Donald Trump, George W was treated far worse. (As were the 4 presidents who were assassinated). The man was like Teflon. Nothing stuck to him. He had class and dignity that Obama and Trump can only fantasize about having.

 And now I come to the crux of my blog post. We Christians are supposed to be different from the world. The Bible has a lot to say about how to treat people, and Jesus Himself often addressed that. Things such as "a soft answer turns away wrath", "turn the other cheek", "do good to those who despitefully use you", "love your enemies", etc.

 Now if God expects all of that out of us, how would He feel about us cheering on the opposite kind of behavior in others? If it is wrong for us to strike back, to hurl insults back, and to launch personal attacks on people who criticize us, then is it also not wrong to cheer on and defend that kind of behavior in others?

 But I am seeing that. I am disgusted at how many Christians cheer on Donald Trump as he gives liberals "what they deserve." "It is nice to see a president stand up to the media and liberals." But is it Christian to cheer that on? Would Jesus be cheering on Donald Trump's harsh words on Twitter?

 I can understand the people who voted for Trump because they viewed him as the lesser of two evils. What I can't understand is defense of every immoral and vulgar word and action, and the cheering on of him as he launches personal attacks at everyone who criticized him or hurt his pride.

 Support the man when he does and says something decent, but I don't believe any Christian should be cheering on his immature and rude Twitter comments aimed at people who hurt his ego.

 I fear too many people these days are putting politics above Christianity. We are not called to defend a president. We are not called to vote for a certain candidate. We are not called to browbeat those who won't vote for our candidate. We are called to serve God, to love others, to live like Jesus and to be Jesus to the world.