tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85417504243010797072024-03-09T18:46:26.317-08:00Mark's MusingsMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.comBlogger799125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-21845392548482381752023-12-31T15:38:00.000-08:002023-12-31T15:38:57.112-08:00An extra day<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ko4uV8F-f5bIFGwd3Bp3seNShB_70k7h0T5AzvhyphenhyphenEURDh_TqpaBrjh6JEjBdYbSAY4Si_BZsb46HCF1utmiDnyaM2aYYAOR0iKeyrSTC_N5KShg9s4LkLd3dsiO0ufckzbJxqVATHgtdshmaioK3ZFPrEA8cwDdD7nOwpTNectdn4P6yobmDUOX4L_Q/s218/extra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="216" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ko4uV8F-f5bIFGwd3Bp3seNShB_70k7h0T5AzvhyphenhyphenEURDh_TqpaBrjh6JEjBdYbSAY4Si_BZsb46HCF1utmiDnyaM2aYYAOR0iKeyrSTC_N5KShg9s4LkLd3dsiO0ufckzbJxqVATHgtdshmaioK3ZFPrEA8cwDdD7nOwpTNectdn4P6yobmDUOX4L_Q/s1600/extra.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Do you ever wish there were more hours in your day? More days in your week - well, maybe in your weekend?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I need to be honest and admit I don't have a whole lot going on. I work four ten-hour days, and don't have a lot of responsibilities outside of work other than housework. I do find myself wishing time would slow down and the days didn't go by so fast...especially days off. Seriously.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> If you had some extra hours, what would you do with them? What about 24 hours, as in a whole extra day?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Good news, people: since this is leap year, you get that. A whole extra day. Thanks to this every four years having an extra day in it, we all get an extra day in this new year approaching like a freight train. (It does seem time goes faster the older we get.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of which.....do you know how long this leap year thing has been going on? Since 46 B.C. And the credit goes to good old Julius Caesar. I wonder of my good friend Shirley Dye was around to help with that decision? 😀 Many years later in the late1500's, it was changed to only years divisible by 400. (I was being silly before. It makes much more sense that Shirley Dye was around for that decision).😎</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdBm5TGH3m9V4d0y8NFrjf0N8gJUYP5cSfSeYzTEHtYykHjXwos4_FoeTMJ9Z8-0ATIDHgIY-K-ebxwCQWJBPMC1vTfqQB373fc2z7Ue7jU-CGqbDZPAQi0pEulajZTa6DYpFhVFrCreeInygg4S7H7u2dvhAgI4k01Vj17LICCXZVmpNEXr95VepZck/s225/day.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdBm5TGH3m9V4d0y8NFrjf0N8gJUYP5cSfSeYzTEHtYykHjXwos4_FoeTMJ9Z8-0ATIDHgIY-K-ebxwCQWJBPMC1vTfqQB373fc2z7Ue7jU-CGqbDZPAQi0pEulajZTa6DYpFhVFrCreeInygg4S7H7u2dvhAgI4k01Vj17LICCXZVmpNEXr95VepZck/s1600/day.png" width="225" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Ever wonder what people do for birthdays that are born on February 29? By the way, they are called a leapling or leaper. Most of them observe their birthdays on February 28, and some on March 1.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So, now that you have an extra day allotted to you in 2024, what are you going to do with it?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I asked myself that question a couple of leap years ago....I think 8 years ago. I didn't do it on February 29 - you don't have to take it as your extra day, any day will work. I reserved a night's stay at the Dutch Host Inn in Sugarcreek, Ohio, the Amish part of Ohio. I am around an hour from there. This inn has package deals during the slower times of the year, and February happens to be a slower time. (Because what sane person wants to go anywhere in the winter unless it is to a warmer climate?!)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNAqknEb8rtpLvNco9QNpjeVIADKb8k6EZ5FhftvGbuaxtF2xAKiGi8tTLXeb1e4QA-6sDgJ6U6CDvhqbEPPTIquBQqbOo2pVMjJm8EakWwzDTF0p0OcD9of2nh94SASz7Sam6jNCBWNA36WC_5SngUjvvMctGk7IcKMz57ypEMCQFPW8XGFtZdCLcgo/s1008/Ohio-Amish-Country-Travel-Guide-2023.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNAqknEb8rtpLvNco9QNpjeVIADKb8k6EZ5FhftvGbuaxtF2xAKiGi8tTLXeb1e4QA-6sDgJ6U6CDvhqbEPPTIquBQqbOo2pVMjJm8EakWwzDTF0p0OcD9of2nh94SASz7Sam6jNCBWNA36WC_5SngUjvvMctGk7IcKMz57ypEMCQFPW8XGFtZdCLcgo/w143-h200/Ohio-Amish-Country-Travel-Guide-2023.png" width="143" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> The package prices vary on the part of the week you go. Weekends are more. And they knock off a bit for one person. So for somewhere between $90 +, you get the night's stay at a nice inn, your choice of three different restaurants for supper and breakfast, and several other free things such as bread, candles, cheese, bologna, serving spoons, BBQ sauce, and more. Usually around 20 or so businesses participate. You are given an envelope of coupons and a map, and go all over Holmes County, Ohio getting free stuff. When I was a security guard at the hospital, the other guards called it my Amish scavenger hunt. It is fun.<br />Oh. I just looked at the current packages. Prices have gone up a bit since I have gone. Yikes. Definitely cheaper to spend my extra day off at my bachelor pad. Unless I take the nephews out to eat. 😀</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GC6Z9I1RruE0V7aYu4gprW67g9M9DbwW-5yiFpl9z0ql19j6evI9Ij78hhd2NQqb8v5gjeB0d7oN0bXmcm9YzUZ7oRKxriGNxEui5Z-AHdOVIhgUmU3Ltkbv9Y-vhMUydbIjCunQzl8ZpCnCM8mZIzGv0QSAj1XwgaReKKpEkUR4mG4ikRaY4uhum10/s3300/page-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GC6Z9I1RruE0V7aYu4gprW67g9M9DbwW-5yiFpl9z0ql19j6evI9Ij78hhd2NQqb8v5gjeB0d7oN0bXmcm9YzUZ7oRKxriGNxEui5Z-AHdOVIhgUmU3Ltkbv9Y-vhMUydbIjCunQzl8ZpCnCM8mZIzGv0QSAj1XwgaReKKpEkUR4mG4ikRaY4uhum10/s320/page-0.png" width="247" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, these days I prefer to stay home and enjoy the solitude. I will probably use my extra day to read, though my perfect day is spending time with my family.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But seriously: This new year does have a whole extra day. What are you going to do with it? A lot of people have tons more responsibilities than single old avoiding people me...but at least attempt to do something special that day. Get a babysitter and do something special. If you are female, get a babysitter for your kids AND husband, and get some "you" time. If you are a married guy, tell the little wife you are going hunting or whatever married guys do if they can escape for a few hours. 😎 </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Seize that extra day and do something special with it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I for one do plan on asking for an extra day off at some point. I have a 9 day vacation starting Saturday, but that doesn't count.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-29451047158862069102023-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:002023-12-17T14:45:24.292-08:00Blue Christmas<p> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdGGOp8DYO_Rl2tgJoUB_3e03d7fMCkxY2ITz_0FSuQY4WgjXNstoMSNM10jARl3paUjFinAz2KkldPi-ifan4akTsNrAPvUHo45PLfahIqc5yK_rfNtpAl-Abkyi8k0MZdJN8D_bvQs6hky8e5NxwS6FgwZQmMuG_p30ST-vrXYu7_cHBkX9w5qZREs/s310/blue.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="310" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdGGOp8DYO_Rl2tgJoUB_3e03d7fMCkxY2ITz_0FSuQY4WgjXNstoMSNM10jARl3paUjFinAz2KkldPi-ifan4akTsNrAPvUHo45PLfahIqc5yK_rfNtpAl-Abkyi8k0MZdJN8D_bvQs6hky8e5NxwS6FgwZQmMuG_p30ST-vrXYu7_cHBkX9w5qZREs/s1600/blue.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />A few years ago, I saw a church sign advertising a Blue Christmas service. I was curious, and looked it up:</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />"Blue Christmas Service is a Western Christian tradition that happens on or around the longest night of the year, usually December 21 the Winter Solstice. It is about comforting fellow Christians who are grieving and struggling to find joy and hope during the season."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I love Christmas, but have been struggling this year to get in the mood. I was late listening to Christmas music - and I usually start in late September or early October. I didn't feel like decorating, and wasn't going to....but that didn't set well with my nieces. The youngest and oldest with her baby (my great niece!) came over last week and put my tree and other decorations up while I babysat. That kind of kick-started me, so I have decorated more and have gotten into the mood more. And finally did my Christmas shopping.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> My depression has been really bad, and seasonal depression seems to be jumping on also. I work Christmas day. Again. The Buzard family Christmas is going to be crammed into a few hours Christmas Eve between Sunday dinner and the Christmas Candlelight service. I am still not extremely in the mood.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> But I have my whole family. And I am thankful for that. So I really don't have it that bad. There will be a lot of people facing Christmas for the first time this year without a loved one. And others still grieving from other years.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4engtEIyXhvNSFHsBnlERlHyCKpbXiMuV-cpGtMFS5I_nABQZjpajpII7bIQw4a84OIveH-cYuUts_0SdU4FzM_5Ggu4IjlRiDSFECyn1spixvzYXYm5oGyY1aN1ZoIpOEB7isBOJsyzRTUDxF2hsfPiNMwoOrpJ8UnDrHFCL7Wgdgsp0-1H6pa2a0o/s1211/saying.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4engtEIyXhvNSFHsBnlERlHyCKpbXiMuV-cpGtMFS5I_nABQZjpajpII7bIQw4a84OIveH-cYuUts_0SdU4FzM_5Ggu4IjlRiDSFECyn1spixvzYXYm5oGyY1aN1ZoIpOEB7isBOJsyzRTUDxF2hsfPiNMwoOrpJ8UnDrHFCL7Wgdgsp0-1H6pa2a0o/w159-h200/saying.jpg" width="159" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have a friend at work - she actually works in my doctor's office, which is in the hospital. She is a great person, and one of my favorite people at the hospital. Five years ago, her husband passed away suddenly. She isn't one of those people who remarried before the grass grew over the burial plot. She is still sad a lot of days. I give her a hug once in a while when I know she is having a bad day with it. She told me recently that it is really hard on the yearly occasions. Holidays, his birthday, their anniversary. Thankfully she has two little great grandkids that help, but she and many others struggle with grief at this time of year, missing someone who will not be at the family gatherings. There will be no gift under the tree to or from them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I stopped at the local grocery store after work last night, and asked the lady ringing me up "Are you ready for Christmas?" She made a face, and said "well, I haven't really celebrated the last few years since my dad passed away around Christmas." I made some sympathetic comments, and then told her about these Blue Christmas services some churches have. She seemed interested and said she might check it out.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TK7USBpunt9OQfSVW7qNqD3a8TD98CcqWMUD-M9_uNqB7uK3eNTi3tZCEvZ-1m-DcOWVoPrRFPUnmT_luVdxiNf-WLtRvvmFrVqbwsariMv26rksHU46EVs4iu2iCsybYngHR-l2MDhr-8_gLKwfC56KrOveF7lJL8o5_KBxS5qCbMBs2GZQVvXPSM8/s233/grief.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="233" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TK7USBpunt9OQfSVW7qNqD3a8TD98CcqWMUD-M9_uNqB7uK3eNTi3tZCEvZ-1m-DcOWVoPrRFPUnmT_luVdxiNf-WLtRvvmFrVqbwsariMv26rksHU46EVs4iu2iCsybYngHR-l2MDhr-8_gLKwfC56KrOveF7lJL8o5_KBxS5qCbMBs2GZQVvXPSM8/w200-h185/grief.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> As so many of us celebrate, make merry, and get into the season, it doesn't really occur to a lot of us that not everyone feels merry this time of year. Many are sad and grieving because of losses of loved ones this year, or other years. There is no time limit on grief. Some people seem to move on more easily, and others never seem to. And there is nothing wrong with that.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> These last few years have been tough on a lot of people. Covid has affected so many so differently. My entire family has had it twice. I had it bad enough the first time that I was admitted to the hospital I work at for 5 days, but no one else in the family had it very bad other than me the fist time. But others lost family members to it. And many of them are still grieving over their loss.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqgGmPnBSSL2knbI1OprTqBRrIY84da9kjmuw0MvkTJJnEpOHCrHrZbsjmJjTOs0KjH-yTGp7_yqARaYmarFT3YW_7rfQxXumHbq6ZbHE4eS2IwVr7D4m6-KgAKuYVBedAZdWI1XXWuIliy1OUcfV60s5EiUYP93j_08NsZOtGBxQZiI7rLuctoHOVaM/s275/cross.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqgGmPnBSSL2knbI1OprTqBRrIY84da9kjmuw0MvkTJJnEpOHCrHrZbsjmJjTOs0KjH-yTGp7_yqARaYmarFT3YW_7rfQxXumHbq6ZbHE4eS2IwVr7D4m6-KgAKuYVBedAZdWI1XXWuIliy1OUcfV60s5EiUYP93j_08NsZOtGBxQZiI7rLuctoHOVaM/s1600/cross.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> There is something we all need to remember at this time of year. The celebrating, gift giving, decking the halls - that is all well and good, as long as you keep Christ in your Christmas. But, to use a much overused phrase - remember the Reason for the Season. All of these people grieving and sad....they are part of the reason Jesus came. He came for us. God sent His only Son to this earth as an innocent baby that would grow up and die for the sins of the world. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."(ESV)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Cd55w7GcZoAjjNxpU0juxo0xjOGXt14bgeW-mSijrTlfI72i1dvaFVgQ3q4nI1L0ATkmkSbmnkkbCEBUoqEoLH90FAdcj5LsZol-aegSuAYh9wCmZmtwvCcWLR8loLBHwXQHRh6A_3Cb-rZ1lEkQ3tvYbHuRa2Pn1iZB63j77ZKMuWBr0N-S3kSK-co/s795/manger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="795" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Cd55w7GcZoAjjNxpU0juxo0xjOGXt14bgeW-mSijrTlfI72i1dvaFVgQ3q4nI1L0ATkmkSbmnkkbCEBUoqEoLH90FAdcj5LsZol-aegSuAYh9wCmZmtwvCcWLR8loLBHwXQHRh6A_3Cb-rZ1lEkQ3tvYbHuRa2Pn1iZB63j77ZKMuWBr0N-S3kSK-co/s320/manger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> That is Christmas. Not the lights, parties, gift exchanges. It is about the Savior who can save, heal, comfort. One doesn't need all the celebrating to observe Christmas. We can all kneel at the manger, worship the Savior, and seek his comfort and help.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> There was sadness and grief the first Christmas. When the wise men came seeking Jesus all those years ago, King Herod had all the babies in the area of Bethlehem killed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> So let's be considerate of those grieving during the holidays. Do something nice for them. They may not feel like attending a Christmas party or service, but a small gift, supper dropped off, a gift card, etc. might help them a little.</span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-70351734560979905392023-11-12T06:28:00.000-08:002023-11-12T09:36:30.942-08:00Chatting with "Sally"<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv5T5NV_7uZNjfNfiqRHlDH2VhuLS8jLkDAgLsKZG0ime23P5_c-PkRct1kxIq9d0qR8PSmUsLFipm3dMWw2qVFB9AK9O3X1PZf16cfDsg6U9HsY4kluMlb5Fz78WcwbwxjbXXfaNHNCBMzFb1jhrBgZFj3AfGSvwCm_KcfaGSQylUQ7dDeZ15oUvFO0/s1082/shopping.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1082" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzv5T5NV_7uZNjfNfiqRHlDH2VhuLS8jLkDAgLsKZG0ime23P5_c-PkRct1kxIq9d0qR8PSmUsLFipm3dMWw2qVFB9AK9O3X1PZf16cfDsg6U9HsY4kluMlb5Fz78WcwbwxjbXXfaNHNCBMzFb1jhrBgZFj3AfGSvwCm_KcfaGSQylUQ7dDeZ15oUvFO0/w200-h200/shopping.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />I have met a lot of interesting people working at the hospital for the last 10 years. I was security, ER greeter, then for the last seven years I have been working at the information desk in the main lobby.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">These COVID years have been rough with a lot of rude and mean people taking their unhappiness about the rules and restrictions out on whoever is at the front desk. The biggie right now is the age limit. You must be at least 12 years old to visit patients, with the exception of maternity. And man, have I taken many a verbal beating over that.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">However, there are a lot of nice people who come through the main lobby.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And "Sally" is a recent one. That isn't her name, but is the name the transport van gave me when they came to pick her up. That didn't make it easy to track her down.😊</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It turns out she decided to be seen in the the ER after she had been done with an appointment, and was not ready to leave. Sally is an African American lady in her 60's who is in a motorized wheelchair (She looks older than her 63 years, but I wouldn't tell her that). I assume the wheelchair is mostly because she has two prosthetic feet. Though she can walk some on them. She demonstrated for me and others. I chatted with her for a few, then went back to my desk.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She came out to the lobby later to wait for her ride, and parked by my desk. And we chatted on between people coming and leaving. I found her to be an interesting lady. Three time cancer survivor. Double foot amputee. Three heart attacks. And she gives God the credit for making it through it all. She has an amazing outlook in life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She fostered 30-some kids in her lifetime.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Both of her parents died in her arms.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She told me about her family, and I talked about mine. I showed her pictures of Addie, my 11 month old niece.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We talked about food and recipes. I swear any conversation I am in goes around to food at some point.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And we talked about life. Trials and hard times.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We talked about Noah Galloway, a military guy who lost part of an arm and leg in an IED explosion, who turned to alcohol and self pity. Then one day as he looked at himself in the mirror, he had the thought that he should be thankful for what he had left, instead of being bitter about what he lost. He started training for marathons and other activities, and became the first double amputee to appear on the cover of Men's Health.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We talked about Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujicic. She, paralyzed from the neck down since 1976. He, born with no arms or legs. Both of them used by God. And how all of us can accomplish things no matter our condition or lot in life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I left for the day before her ride came.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">With my jacket on and backpack slung over my shoulder, I stopped by her wheelchair. "Well, Miss 'Sally', it has been nice chatting with you. I hope your ride comes soon, but have Ashley in the ER call again if not."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She held her arms out, and said " I enjoyed talking to you also. Give me a hug!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I leaned down and gave her a hug, and she said "You give good hugs!"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I wished her a good night, and headed for home, my day and life all the better for meeting that very nice and sweet lady.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She will definitely be one of those good people that will stick in my mind.</span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-26176337161059643992022-12-12T13:31:00.003-08:002022-12-12T13:42:35.287-08:00How political can and should Christians be?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6k48Omr-4CheL5AJpzoWnjyvCjXGEQSQil8sLee5J6vYLfHWbqM1RUAhgb_TuMpCGAv9RlW-Ed2w2v8wCbcNEzyyz68nDD7zLXtLiBv7uMfa9ozOQLI0VayRcnJehJFIxzgv36xMvhM7923aBmNbwE0Th_X6L4omOmEsijmyKRxKq5oTOJZLl_k_/s474/politics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6k48Omr-4CheL5AJpzoWnjyvCjXGEQSQil8sLee5J6vYLfHWbqM1RUAhgb_TuMpCGAv9RlW-Ed2w2v8wCbcNEzyyz68nDD7zLXtLiBv7uMfa9ozOQLI0VayRcnJehJFIxzgv36xMvhM7923aBmNbwE0Th_X6L4omOmEsijmyKRxKq5oTOJZLl_k_/s320/politics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I have sat on this post for a few months after typing it up. Today, a woman I like and admire a lot, and look up to, said something that really, really disappointed me. She said on social media "about time for a mean tweet!" I still have confidence in her, and I will never, ever be the mature Christian that she is......but why are so many Christians from the most conservative churches like mine, defending and missing something that is condemned by the Jesus we follow and serve? <br /><br />Sure, Jesus didn't specifically name out mean tweets, because Twitter was not around then......but there is plenty in what He DID say that any Christian worth their salt should know that a mean tweet would not be missed or defended by Him. So why do so many Christians defend mean tweets and miss them. By their guy of course. Obama did a lot of mean tweets, but I am sure they don't miss his. :)<br /><br />The answer is simple: Christians have become too political. We would never admit it or think it, but politics is more important than loving people, spreading the Gospel.....more important than the Gospel. I have said it before, but it almost seems too many Christians toss the Bible aside when it comes to politics, other than to pull out Bible verses they can use against people.<div><br /><div>So, onto my blog post:<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">A note to begin:</span></b></div><div><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>I will say to begin that I am far from being perfect. There is term I have not heard for a while that was popular years ago: it referred to people getting into Heaven by the skin of their teeth. That will be me. I am not and never will be a Paul, Peter, Abraham, Noah. Were I in the Bible, I would be one of those insignificant people not even named, but just referred to as someone's servant, or by my livelihood. I am just as guilty of the next person about not having the right attitudes when it comes to politics, but am trying to do better.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">How political can and should Christians be?</span></b><br /><div><br /></div><div>This needs to be said. I feel very
strongly about that. Am I the right person to say it? Most likely
not. But if I don't, will anyone?<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This is not a Trump post, though in
part it will be, because Trump is a symptom of a bigger problem. And it was finally brought about after months of
frustration about a post shared and liked by even people in my own
church, and unchallenged by anyone else...including the preachers on
my friends list:<br /><br /><b><i>“True Christians will vote for Donald
Trump”</i></b>, followed by lengthier comments. This should have bothered
even the most devout Trump supporter who professes to follow Jesus Christ. You are either a Christian or
not. There are not any “not true” Christians. You are either a
true Christian, or you are not a Christian. I cannot find anything in the Bible to infer there are Christians who are not "true" Christians.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So by this statement, are these people and the ones agreeing, saying that you are not a Christian if you do not vote for Trump....or any candidate?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YKm3xwTx9j7sVajLkz7n7LXNlax09TU9I65Z0ahHEcXKzsKtYCdL6bQAF2KykxTwXktCVAFVOQv_suQo4kH4RcIF_EWI5_L8YtIw7sy9SMRfOe9uD5CfJbWUh352xcLuHRLqEParsVetnF5VJ3CVitmE908sfsTP0pofdcM4G-TEDaA10xhASlXZ/s1200/true.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YKm3xwTx9j7sVajLkz7n7LXNlax09TU9I65Z0ahHEcXKzsKtYCdL6bQAF2KykxTwXktCVAFVOQv_suQo4kH4RcIF_EWI5_L8YtIw7sy9SMRfOe9uD5CfJbWUh352xcLuHRLqEParsVetnF5VJ3CVitmE908sfsTP0pofdcM4G-TEDaA10xhASlXZ/s320/true.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Do Christians even in my own
ultra conservative church believe that one's Christianity and
salvation hinges on your vote for Trump....or any candidate? They may
not say that, but their silence and “likes” and supporting
comments say that loudly. And many other Christians did so, not just
in my church. It is their posting and support of it that bothers me
the most.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That and what I have especially seen in
the last six years or so, has caused me to question some things:<br /><b>What
I believe</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What my church believes</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>If Christianity is truly better than
other religions. (Oh, I know Jesus is the only way, but politics raises the question if Christianity is actually better...and yes, I believe in my heart that it is better)</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>And on my worst days: if I really want
to be a Christian, and if God even exists. (toss in severe
depression, anxiety, and other issues....not just political stuff)</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And other questions:<br /><b>How political
can and should Christians be:</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And be like Jesus</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Not hinder their witness and the cause
of Christ and the church</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And be salt and light</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And be peacemakers</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Live by and obey what the Bible and
Jesus teach?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Love our neighbor as ourselves?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCJmDEZbLGhHmVSwUVAHHpC66RoEBi1D2V7jzTph2iM5Ynz4Zjo71k0emumG6OlLJR_P-Bp9_HoPQclMSEZqIuclm_3DPsR-k7Md4TUykL6cc8VjSDpO4jT3c75DT4ScD7QUuepvWXBUsHL1U8c8G5vHYLmxLgJtqU-Rv4y74XqU77X-DKk83a8m0/s640/commandments.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCJmDEZbLGhHmVSwUVAHHpC66RoEBi1D2V7jzTph2iM5Ynz4Zjo71k0emumG6OlLJR_P-Bp9_HoPQclMSEZqIuclm_3DPsR-k7Md4TUykL6cc8VjSDpO4jT3c75DT4ScD7QUuepvWXBUsHL1U8c8G5vHYLmxLgJtqU-Rv4y74XqU77X-DKk83a8m0/w200-h200/commandments.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I am a conservative. Always have been,
always will be.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I was raised in the church, attended a
Christian school K-12, and 4 years of Bible College.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I listen primarily to Christian music
and read primarily Christianity books.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yet I have never felt I truly belonged in the
church. Partly because of struggles and something I deal with that those raised in the church are afraid to admit or talk about. (Ironically, some of the same people defending a man's serial adultery and saying "don't judge!" are quite vocal against my struggle and show judgment and no love there)<br /><br />But never
have I felt that way more than the last 6 years. To be a Christian
and conservative and not vote for or support Donald Trump.....it is
not easy. The very same people who should understand support you for
not going against your conscience......did the opposite. It is not easy trying to do what you believe is right while Christians in your own church are trying to guilt and manipulate you into doing what you believe is wrong. (And yes, for me to have voted for Trump would have been wrong and going against my conscience would have been wrong. But they did not care. The very
Christians so obsessed with doing things the Bible does not spell
out, fail miserably at doing what the Bible DOES spell out:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Loving people, being peacemakers, etc.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzcXkiDzSK3ojzhB8PgvkfqGR2TLkzItrNi-eZf1280EEbJMUxHRSJWGVADWXw2zCkK2ViBA1cP6MaqHbb0utkKSequ0r6MoZHeQ9IJgYFfv5kfTAWTLyofKYXHeryEcypD2sdKQVPWzkGL7z-yVItosGMinCbhpOgGE5Uo7qTkoPjLl1wJOEVivf/s1500/peacemakers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1489" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzcXkiDzSK3ojzhB8PgvkfqGR2TLkzItrNi-eZf1280EEbJMUxHRSJWGVADWXw2zCkK2ViBA1cP6MaqHbb0utkKSequ0r6MoZHeQ9IJgYFfv5kfTAWTLyofKYXHeryEcypD2sdKQVPWzkGL7z-yVItosGMinCbhpOgGE5Uo7qTkoPjLl1wJOEVivf/w199-h200/peacemakers.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I am not going to share everything, but
a few things:</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In the last 6 years or so:</b></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Even though I stated I felt as a Christian I should not vote for Trump, and was voting 3rd party: Christians said my vote was for Hillary if I voted third party. That if I did not support Trump, I was for Hillary. (I view those as outright lies, and kind of wish I had called those people out for lying)<br />I and others have been
told not to judge Trump, while his supporters judge everyone who has
a D by their name, or who have an R and do not support Trump</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I and others have been labeled a
Pharisee for taking issue with things in Trump, speaking up, and not
voting for him because of certain things....while his supporters do
the same with the other candidates.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We were told “Why not pray for him
instead of criticizing him?, while they criticize away if they don't like the politician</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We are told no matter how bad we think
he is, God put him in there......but not hearing that about Biden.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A friend of mine said Christian
Trump supporters don't care how they make you feel, as long as they
defend him and shut you up....and sadly, that seems to be true for way too many people.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are people in my church who have
messaged me that they agree, but are afraid to speak up around others
in my church and school. Really? Oh, I believe them....but what a sad
statement....and I doubt the average Trump supporter would care.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I attend a very, very conservative church. The same people who are so worried about certain outward things that are not spelled out in black and white, go against what is spelled out in black and white....they have tried manipulating and intimidation to try to get other Christians to vote like they want them to. A person may not believe in watching movies and TV, but takes no thought or care in how they treat people and react to them if it involves politics or their candidate. (Guess true Christians can do anything non Biblical if it is for the cause of their politician.)</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Politics, party, our rights...they
take precedence over everything else. It is more important to spread
our political opinions and win people to a politician, than it is to
spread the Gospel and win people to Jesus.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jesus was not political. He was all
about loving people and all about His earthly ministry.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I am not saying Christians should not
be political at all, nor vote....but shouldn't we be more like Jesus
and avoid being very political? Shouldn't we be concerned about how
we are acting when it comes to politics? Shouldn't we be different from the world even in how we act and react about politics? Shouldn't Christians be BETTTER than non Christians when it comes to politics? Jesus avoided politic. He was too busy loving people and doing good.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Things have changed.......</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Things have changed since Biden took
office. It is now OK to judge away and criticize. I believe he is a
horrible president, but have been shocked at what so many Christians
say about him and how easily they make fun of him, call him a
pedophile, etc.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I will be clear on this: I believe
the Democratic Party is evil. They push the murder of babies, the
sexualizing and exploitation of kids, and other evil things. (Hmm,
then why did Trump support them so long? Had to say it!) I believe
any politician is evil who supports and pushes for the cruel murder
of babies in the womb.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> But does that mean they are the
exception to what the Bible says about how we are to treat others?
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I firmly believe Nancy Pelosi is evil
to the core, and is the worst politician our country has ever had. I
saw a lot of Christians laughing about the attack on her husband a while back...but is
that right to do? Would they have laughed if it had been on a Trump, or a person important to them?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Is there really a separate set of
guidelines in the Bible for how we act towards people with a D by
their name, and towards Donald Trump? (Even Republicans who do not support Trump are fair game, so I did not ask about a separate set of guidelines and rules for Democrats and Republicans). </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Oh, in case you don't know the answer: There is NOT a separate set of rules and guidelines.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I am guilty. Believe it or not, I said
much more about and was much harder on Obama than Trump. I heavily
criticized both men and Biden, but how much was right and wrong? ( I
know what Trump supporters would say regarding him..... :) )</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Here is the thing: Christians are not
called to be political. We are not called to vote. We are not called
to change people's opinions on candidates. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />We are called to be kind, to
love, to have the fruits of the spirit, to win people to
Jesus......and so much more that being very political hinders or
makes impossible.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When we get to Heaven, Jesus is not going to reward us for how many people we won to our politics or politicians. What will matter is how many we won to Him.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV93zx8U3e8g4xtALqQAXZPkMBzgMN1fF6tipL1OqPijjm-rip0QR7c6tjTcXYhQQsmtvWB0TIu5zo1qKEYB2iJaivGPNg78xDTpgXzIO51k4elrH9eg2-6dPYviXHQeqjOD92IgMNAA6vk-wLu2PLj5f087qmkk4r1HiLTPu7vUkBgVpX8cd8YvB/s640/commission.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV93zx8U3e8g4xtALqQAXZPkMBzgMN1fF6tipL1OqPijjm-rip0QR7c6tjTcXYhQQsmtvWB0TIu5zo1qKEYB2iJaivGPNg78xDTpgXzIO51k4elrH9eg2-6dPYviXHQeqjOD92IgMNAA6vk-wLu2PLj5f087qmkk4r1HiLTPu7vUkBgVpX8cd8YvB/s320/commission.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Damage from being political</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Picture this: </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Mary” freely accuses
Joe Biden of being a pedophile, and mocks him all the time on and off
of social media. Makes fun of Mr. Pelosi being attacked.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“Martha” is her neighbor and follows her on
Facebook. Martha is a Democrat and voted for and supports Biden. What are the chances
of Mary getting Martha to go to church or win her to Jesus? You know
the answer. Zilch.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There is a preacher who did a post on Facebook comparing Donald Trump to Sampson, and was using it to try to get Christians who were against Trump to vote for him. He further stated that a third party vote is a wasted vote. Several of my Facebook friends shared it, and one was even so kind to tag me. I was disgusted. Here was a minister of the Gospel trying to get Christians to vote how they felt they should not. A year or two later, my church got him for revival services. I kept seeing that post, and determined I was not going to sit under his preaching. And did not. He has been there at least another time, and I have no intentions of ever listening to him. Maybe that is wrong, but not as wrong as him using his position to do what he did.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I have been hurt, deeply hurt in these last 6 years by pro-Trump Christians. Sure, had I been silent, it may have been different....but part of me questions if they can be vocal, why can't I? - but if I, a guy raise in the church, and attended Christian school, Bible college - have been damaged by politicial Christians and it has caused me to question so much.......then what affect does it have on those who are not Christians, and have not been raised in the church?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It is easy to say a Christian is doing
damage to Christianity, the Church, and the cause of Jesus if they
have differing political views than you do....and if they criticize your guy.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> But the truth of the matter is, no
matter your political views, you and I are doing severe damage by
being very political. Whether you support or don't support Trump,
whether you do or don't support Biden, whether you are conservative, liberal,
libertarian, Republican, Democrat, third party, or no party.....our
loud political views and attacks on politicians – and yes, over the
top support in some cases - is doing so much more damage than good.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">“True Christians” realize how close
we are getting to the end. Instead of screaming how great or bad a
politician is, and instead of using social media to spread their
politics, they should be screaming that God loves everyone – even
Biden and Pelosi – that Christianity is the best and only option.
That Jesus is the answer, not politicians or politics.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There was a wonderful lady I had the pleasure of being friends with on Facebook, and was
blessed to eat and visit at her place once. She died from cancer last
year. Avis was not political, ever...with the exception of once. A
certain former president said something so arrogant that pretty much
made him equal to Jesus, that she called him out. But other than
that, she was all about spreading hope, encouragement, and love. She
used her life on – and off – of social media for good.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And there are others. Not everyone is
politically outspoken on and off of social media.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I do believe in voting for politicians
who above all are against killing babies in the womb and want to stop
that horrible atrocity. That is my main thing when it comes to
voting, though there are others. I believe one should vote for who
they feel God wants them to. I am not saying that is not important.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But Christians have made it too
important. They view politics and politicians as the answer, when
they are not.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I believe part of the problem is we
have become obsessed with our rights and freedoms to the point that
they and party have eclipsed God, dying to ourselves, and so much
else that should be our primary focus.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Not that rights and freedoms don't
matter. But it seems it has caused so many of us to lose our way. The
devil can use anything to sidetrack Christians and cause them to fall
away from what they should be. It isn't always the big things the
Bible warns against like adultery and stealing. I believe politics
has become one of Satan's best and most useful and powerful tools to
divide Christians and the church, and to take attention from what
truly matters.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Imagine if all the social media posts
and fervor of the last 6 years – and more – about politics had
been put towards things of God and the church? What a difference
could have been made.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I have gotten a lot of crap over the last six years or so because I did not vote for the man so many others did, and that I have dared criticize him. I have found myself wondering how Christians can be so pro-Trump, and defend or ignore everything he does, such as gun control and vulgarity. I will never understand that. But the bigger picture and issue has been the focus of this blog post: how Christians can basically set aside what the Bible says about how we are to act, and then say things and treat people in ways that are damaging to the cause of Christ.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Our political posts on social media are never going to change anyone's minds. But they may change how they view God, Christianity, and the church. We will never win anyone to God with a religion of politics, but with one of love. And love is missing in our political posts. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't know where the line is. We should not be silent about concerns, but wherever the line is, many of us are so far over it we can't even see it. And sadly, people don't consider it, nor care what their political posts might do.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And there are Christians who are never political on social media, as I previously mentioned. I believe they are closer to being what God wants than we who are political. People don't need to hear our political opinions and bashing or defending politicians. They need to hear about Jesus, and that they are loved. No matter who they do or not vote for.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don't want a political Christianity. I don't need a political Christianity. Nor does the world.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And lastly, I truly am bothered and concerned. I think being on the opposite side of so many Christians, and getting what I got so much of opened my eyes. I hope this post isn't offensive, and does what I intended it to do: make people think, and maybe wake some others up.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What the World Needs to Hear by the Booth Brothers.<br />(Video at end of lyrics)</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />There's a teenage mother who's left
all alone</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Waiting for someone already long gone</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's a lonely old man whose children
don't care</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And a black sheep that's knocking, but
nobody's there.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What the world needs to hear is John
3:16</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That God loves them just as they are</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">His grace is sufficient to bring them
to Him</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Wherever they've been, no matter how
far</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's hope for the lost and the
helpless</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Faith will replace every fear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Gospel of Calvary</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's what the world needs to hear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To the sinner who thinks he's too bad
to save</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To the dad who just put his young son
in the grave</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To the man with the bottle who can't
let it go</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To the wife of a soldier who will never
come home</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What the world needs to hear is John
3:16</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That God loves them just as they are</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">His grace is sufficient to bring them
to Him</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Wherever they've been, no matter how
far</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's hope for the lost and the
helpless</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Faith will replace every fear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Gospel of Calvary</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's what the world needs to hear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />Salvation's story of Christ</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Is the solution for all</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Whoever you are</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He'll hear you when you call</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's hope for the lost and the
helpless</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Faith will replace every fear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Gospel of Calvary</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's what the world needs to hear</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p></div></div></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4shQea7nrrM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-4647707931343498662021-12-21T11:36:00.003-08:002021-12-21T12:30:33.244-08:00A Christmas to remember<p><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitpPnGMeILFrwBDkVoTsWafsFmyhKzYGXOlELGBcQ79-ul_r5K1ogF6YDfPqne2TKTxaUuy3mimjSbT6mIS83E3xHnAYlu6QBRcoUCfbk_71XpAjnoT4mZiwylgXt-IZI8rqT7-WCvhi1HE4SaIeGBNKcerdlOux5GNEtYIGOWn5NmqtiqQPzKQwjn=s400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitpPnGMeILFrwBDkVoTsWafsFmyhKzYGXOlELGBcQ79-ul_r5K1ogF6YDfPqne2TKTxaUuy3mimjSbT6mIS83E3xHnAYlu6QBRcoUCfbk_71XpAjnoT4mZiwylgXt-IZI8rqT7-WCvhi1HE4SaIeGBNKcerdlOux5GNEtYIGOWn5NmqtiqQPzKQwjn=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Christmas 2021, my 53rd Christmas. No, I am not 53......my first Christmas I was 7 months old. I obviously don't remember that Christmas so long ago, but there are some that stick out to me.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Christmas 1981</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Christmas 1981, the most memorable Christmas of my 52 years. In January of that year, our house had burnt to the ground leaving us with only the clothes we were wearing on </span><span>our backs, 2 cars, and anything we had in the barn and garage. We lived with my paternal grandmother from January 21 of that year til August, when we finally had enough to start out again, something my parents never thought they would have to do a second time.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> That Christmas of 81 was our first Christmas in our new home. My parents always gave my sisters and I a nice Christmas, and spent far more on us than they should have. But that Christmas, it seemed they went all out. Ever since January, we had been given tons of clothing and toys, most of it used. But now we had a ton of brand new gifts in our new home. I think that was the year we all got new bicycles. I can't remember anything else we got, but that Christmas stands out among the many I have celebrated so far.</span></p><p><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Christmas 1995</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Christmas 1995. Confession: One of my deepest longings was to be a dad, and it is one of my greatest regrets I was never able to have kid so of my own. However, one of the greatest joys of my life is being an uncle to 6 of the greatest kids I know. They will never know how much I love them, and how much better my life has been because they are in it, and are such a big part of my life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> When my sister Vicki announced she was pregnant in 1995, I was over the moon excited about becoming an uncle. I had always wanted a brother, and never got one, so now I set my hopes on having a nephew. I even announced if it was a girl, I was not going to have anything to do with her. Stephanie Marie Giles, now Sanders as of June of this year, was born October 25, 1995.....and everything I said about not wanting a niece went out the window. That Christmas was more special than previous ones because we had a new little baby in the family, and I went all out buying gifts for this adorable little person who had grabbed my heart from day 1. Two more girls followed, and I finally got my nephews after my other sister got married, but by that time I loved all of them equally.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKlXnjdNqmrMrBjY1_7oCCLzgXzqa3VdvR0klIN6O2EC1mwbKCPGKzz1exFnGrOda_dEQf3IS0RFFwtKPD8BxSOPI-KJSNwCo94GS6RkNjkMilTgv0UWuhHTvSJGw7uM3gyjlaM_MJKmP1KCcvBtmxRBOuGZT1WeRfxmwfMB61qndncV4Uae3OKNia=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="960" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKlXnjdNqmrMrBjY1_7oCCLzgXzqa3VdvR0klIN6O2EC1mwbKCPGKzz1exFnGrOda_dEQf3IS0RFFwtKPD8BxSOPI-KJSNwCo94GS6RkNjkMilTgv0UWuhHTvSJGw7uM3gyjlaM_MJKmP1KCcvBtmxRBOuGZT1WeRfxmwfMB61qndncV4Uae3OKNia=s320" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> This may be a morbid thought, but for the last several Christmases, I have looked around and had the thought that this might be the last Christmas all of us are there. That day will come at some point. No one lives forever. Every year, there are families who have a loved one with them for the last Christmas. Sometimes they know it is happening if the person is gravely ill, but most of the time we have no idea someone we love will not be here for the next Christmas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> That has happened this year. Covid has taken some people I know, and their families are going to have a giant hole in their Christmas celebrations this year. Christmas for so many is all about family and revolves around Christmas, so Christmas will never be the same again for so many. Loss is felt especially during holidays. That person you loved so much isn't there to buy gifts for anymore, nor will there be gifts from them to you under the tree.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> We should make every Christmas a Christmas to remember. It doesn't have to be all about the amount of gifts. I love giving. Every year, my mom talks about how we need to cut back and scolds us for spending so much on her and Dad, but I love buying for my family. I don't have a wife and kids to buy for, but I do have my parents, siblings, their husbands, and nieces and nephews to buy for. I had the thought that I wouldn't want to cut way back, and then lose one of them after the Christmas I cut back on buying. Yeah, another morbid thought.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHlrGx47krFroG4lfDk3oBeMjo-gVzfboZ7n4TU0Limh1Ccjf16tZafc2ZWRUNShViFXFOwZ-FiJYrbo7kA9uYCsCW15UJQkA6VG4MGtj2kYUOuOFaYCG81wJ5-vB4WT8rOgGi3LfBBXSEM4eLvkbtRQN0TEWY1nB5xgilDdwacQD0uHASgvfveXO=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHlrGx47krFroG4lfDk3oBeMjo-gVzfboZ7n4TU0Limh1Ccjf16tZafc2ZWRUNShViFXFOwZ-FiJYrbo7kA9uYCsCW15UJQkA6VG4MGtj2kYUOuOFaYCG81wJ5-vB4WT8rOgGi3LfBBXSEM4eLvkbtRQN0TEWY1nB5xgilDdwacQD0uHASgvfveXO=s320" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Gifts are great. I love to give and rece</span><span>ive</span><span> too....might as well be honest.......but I do enjoy watching family open what I got them. Our family is big into gag gifts, or white elephant gifts as some call them. I may have started it. Ok, I did start it....and I usually buy the most and get the most. And this year, I got a couple of great ones. :) They are fun, and are usually something really cheap picked up at a used store or after holiday clearance. There are some that make a yearly appearance, as they get re-gifted. It has become a fun part of our family Christmas. We have had a lot of laughs when gag gifts are opened. We take turns opening gifts, so everyone gets to see what everyone got.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Christmas is a time when families should come together and put aside differences, and just love each other and spend time enjoying each other and having fun.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">A boy named Alex</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I read something last week that made me feel sad. In one of the many book groups I am in on Facebook, a lady was looking for book ideas for a young man she knows that he might enjoy and that would cheer him up. He came out as gay to his conservative.....and I assume Christian family on Thanksgiving Day. They kicked him out of the house and family, and told him they never want to see him again. He does have his own apartment, but now he has no family for Christmas because his family couldn't love him enough to love him for being something they don't agree with and they believe is wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Side note: I don't care how you feel about anything gay, if a family.....if a Christian....cannot love someone who is gay and treat them like they are still part of the family, if Christians cannot love gay people and treat them as anyone else, then that Christianity is not at all like Jesus. Should the kid have come out? Should he have done it at a holiday? To the latter, their reactions would have been the same no matter when. I can say personally it is no fun to bottle it up inside and keep it secret that you are attracted to the same sex...so whether or not a person is going to "live the gay lifestyle", or just admit they are attracted to the same sex, I can totally understand it and can totally relate.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> But come on......that poor kid is going to have a horrible Christmas. The very people who should love him unconditionally, failed at that. No matter their feelings on him being gay, or how he will live, they should love him and welcome him in their homes and lives as they always did.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> That is a drastic example, but people so easily hold onto things and let it divide each other. It shouldn't be exclusive to Christmas, but what better time to love each other, forgive, drop grudges, and do all you can to make Christmas special, and make it one to remember?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Me? I will do my part and not speak out about Trump at family gatherings, since I am the only one who despises him and his presidency. :)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPXtkhfjVNuD498UsZXgOeYt2T-xqnrWt9KW1JHiHsKeh82RBSxr7DcBkXkiywiP49RFe0mdoah2_SiR2zZScj1xdsysJAly5DBaH5q_5afeSvZ-btHGPhMNTzdvitPAJHSHnxSSIc3SvD0mpMxXKKKTkNv-axVFctzcB8XSDT8xGtHWLUgUfU3uLy=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPXtkhfjVNuD498UsZXgOeYt2T-xqnrWt9KW1JHiHsKeh82RBSxr7DcBkXkiywiP49RFe0mdoah2_SiR2zZScj1xdsysJAly5DBaH5q_5afeSvZ-btHGPhMNTzdvitPAJHSHnxSSIc3SvD0mpMxXKKKTkNv-axVFctzcB8XSDT8xGtHWLUgUfU3uLy=s320" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> But seriously, Christmas is such a special time of year. Yes, it is too commercialized, and we can get lost in all the hustle and bustle of the holiday. We stress about making sure we buy the right things, that we don't miss anyone, that we buy for everyone who buys for us. Maybe we do need to simplify things and just relax and enjoy family. We need too focus more on the reason for the holiday.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I'll be bluntly honest, as I tend to do a lot. Maybe too much. Christmas can be tough at times for me. I have no one special of my own, I have no kids...and so much about Christmas is about romance and family. Merry Christmas, Darling indeed. Though I do like that song. :) It can get lonely. I have spent a lot of days off staying home, reading, having Christmas music playing wall to wall, watching Christmas movies. I have found myself wishing more than once that there was someone here to watch those Christmas movies with, to eat supper with...but it is just me. (Then at other times I am glad I can avoid peopling. Work does really get to me).</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglr3WNAKoMLPQKI3_TQDrryyh0GZpMsf9DjOWEgYDVXp6xrwfNYbGzIKpmr7FKnI1xlel7rcDNGID6jDqPrypdTN6kBHLFp_NW8stlIKho07XApAmhociR_UXwcOU-s6kC2w7GSCVKucxEC7ZExGwqCXScN1foblBPiFouOtUlXqM38C2ns8R4PVQk=s1050" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglr3WNAKoMLPQKI3_TQDrryyh0GZpMsf9DjOWEgYDVXp6xrwfNYbGzIKpmr7FKnI1xlel7rcDNGID6jDqPrypdTN6kBHLFp_NW8stlIKho07XApAmhociR_UXwcOU-s6kC2w7GSCVKucxEC7ZExGwqCXScN1foblBPiFouOtUlXqM38C2ns8R4PVQk=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Our Christmas this year is going to be a little different. We have always all gone to my parents for Christmas day for gifts, games, eating, and a lot of fun. This year, we have to do the gift opening Christmas Eve, and most of the family will be back Christmas Day for games and eating. A lot of eating, a lot of snacking: my mom's Christmas cookies, her fudge, her Chex mix..... And I plan to beat everyone in every game we play. I can dream....</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> It will be one of the best days of my year. The people I love most in the world, games, gifts, and a lot of fun and laughter. We do laugh a lot. Mostly because of my jokes. (Kidding, they all just groan). No matter what we do or where we are, we have a lot of fun together and get along great, thank God.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> So this Christmas, love your family while you still have them. Hold them close, forgive and let go what you need to let go. Make it a special Christmas to remember, so that when you do have a Christmas with an empty spot, you can look back fondly and know that your last Christmas with that person was a special one to remember, and one with no regrets.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> And at some point in your holiday celebrations, pray for a young man named Alex whose family won't be there for him this Christmas, and won't welcome him into their Christmas celebration.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-81778551067401562022021-10-22T20:07:00.004-07:002021-10-22T20:17:41.030-07:00What if Trump wasn't the lesser of two evils<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kz_Niv472EqA_-cxmzyVpG5VHbqhbHv8D0ZfGxEfVJDuXishiQ91h-i3pXTM4w3BmK6msif4lMuvRQhEvXXfNDEioKB1I_RdtyAZahTkjeWFUPikopabHlWZ4lI-Nr0tCZtg3To6R4I/s528/trumphillary2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="528" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kz_Niv472EqA_-cxmzyVpG5VHbqhbHv8D0ZfGxEfVJDuXishiQ91h-i3pXTM4w3BmK6msif4lMuvRQhEvXXfNDEioKB1I_RdtyAZahTkjeWFUPikopabHlWZ4lI-Nr0tCZtg3To6R4I/w200-h162/trumphillary2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">*Yes, another blog post about Donald Trump, but it has been a while.<br />** I often let my frustrations come out in ways they should not, so I am not guiltless.<br /></span><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I don't believe there has been a more polarizing politician in America than Donald Trump. There are so many reasons the party of Christians and conservatives should never have picked him for the GOP nominee, and I still don't understand why he is so loved by conservatives......and especially by Christians.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> For as long as I can remember, morals have been a big deal with what has been called "the religious right." All these years later, they still hold Bill Clinton's sexual acts against him. Gary Hart, and others have come under fire over the years for their immoral acts.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4inCS___-XrYzK7q5Fyxims3BtrMRRf1crK7IJcAbHBVpUC82uz62NyMWNxLdxGEG1FDsAZDgi7vAcVKTwynNOgw5KRarp-Hlr-FQTsoVFxC5ydL2p_wOb8To5KUO8PQuhyOLGoDolI/s518/trumppastor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="518" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4inCS___-XrYzK7q5Fyxims3BtrMRRf1crK7IJcAbHBVpUC82uz62NyMWNxLdxGEG1FDsAZDgi7vAcVKTwynNOgw5KRarp-Hlr-FQTsoVFxC5ydL2p_wOb8To5KUO8PQuhyOLGoDolI/w200-h193/trumppastor.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Then along comes Donald Trump: serial adulterer who supposedly bragged about his cheating, strip clubs in his casinos, vulgar, on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women (If you honestly don't believe what he bragged about is not sexual assault, I challenge you to try that with some random woman and see what happens....or what you would call it if it happened to you or a women you love.....)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> This same man gave money to Democrats for years and supported them as they fought conservativism and Christianity. He gave to the Clintons, said she would make a great president, and trashed Bill's accusers.....and even said Hillary did a great job handling Benghazi. He also fought the tea party and gave money to Kamala Harris' senatorial campaign.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8h-QlalkYJPSSpCtLG25E-l_AaDQILtnjdk4pEKmHC8dJs1cqeNNLo-dD_Fz5kllqyuGagCy6VrNhgZYdhCJQxgXLl2X8V1BBIaka7nvWAkp5WFlrPq3fuRa6DKPcWD_B6vPYr06bvI/s720/trump2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8h-QlalkYJPSSpCtLG25E-l_AaDQILtnjdk4pEKmHC8dJs1cqeNNLo-dD_Fz5kllqyuGagCy6VrNhgZYdhCJQxgXLl2X8V1BBIaka7nvWAkp5WFlrPq3fuRa6DKPcWD_B6vPYr06bvI/w200-h160/trump2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> How this man won the conservative vote is something I will never understand. And even worse, how he won the Christian vote. And I get voting for him to stop Hillary, even though I couldn't.....but I don't get the over the top support and defense.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> When he was running against his buddy Hillary, a common quote was that he was the lesser of two evils. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> But was he? Oh, I have been anti-Hillary since the start....while Trump was in bed with the Clintons and saying she would make a great president. I do believe she would have been a worse president politically.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> However, I have come to believe Trump is the worse of two evils in what really matters.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> After Trump won the nomination and had his last minute miraculous conversion to Christianity - come on, you know it would have been scoffed at if he had had a D by his name - suddenly he was loved by Christians, even those who had previously opposed him. \</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I did research, and prayed about it....and felt I could not as a Christian vote for him. You would think this great family of God would understand that....after all Christians have been ridiculed and fought about their beliefs for years....so a Christian should understand feeling a person could not vote for Trump.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> Wrong. Very wrong. Don't go against your conscience...except in politics.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Despite all the Bible says about how to treat people: Love your enemies, be tenderhearted forgiving each other, love your neighbor as yourself.......and many other verses - I had way too many Christians toss that all out as I was verbally attacked for daring to not vote for him and instead vote third party. Honesty, kindness, love.....politics and Trump are more important than those, and everything else the Bible says.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was told I was for Hillary if I wasn't for Trump. Ironic, when he actually WAS a Hillary supporter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was told my vote for a third party candidate was a vote for Hillary.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A long time "friend" said if I wasn't for Trump, I was for Hillary and for killing babies.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was told if I wasn't on Trump's side, I was not on God's side.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christians shared a post saying true Christians would vote for Trump.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christians who dared oppose Trump were called hypocrites, judgmental, Pharisees, etc. (Yet you don't hear those when you oppose Hillary, Obama, and Biden).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> If we are truly living by Jesus' teaching, if we are trying to be like Jesus.....would Christians be saying these things to other Christians? Would defending Trump and trying to win political arguments be more important than how we make people feel?<br /><br /> WWJD became a worn out phrase, but it does have a point. When it comes to politics, what would Jesus do? Would He say these things? I cannot imagine He would.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have friends from my own church who are anti-Trump and are silent about it....because of how other Christians treated them and reacted when they did speak up. Is that really how it should be among followers of Jesus?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> A Facebook friend of mine lived the gay lifestyle for several years, became a Christian and left that life, and is now married to a woman.....author and pastor John Piper's daughter. He of course got a lot of backlash and hate for that from the pro-gay crowd when he became a Christian and started speaking out against his former lifestyle.......but last year he did a couple posts critical of Trump. He said he got far more hateful comments from Christian Trump supporters than he ever got from the pro-gay crowd. He eventually took all of those posts down. That should bother Christian Trump supporters....but I doubt the average Trump supporter will be bothered by that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq781ImnK81nkNLUJsZKUHSDA4TCVfGVhbI24Cs6paGTPcD-aSFT6gTclotgIq76_U0EFtPBR6lhFXqQEMbbFWVLPY4j4qP_SWrjOzGMzdsBBKFWlp_INYJvUA0E36OvmJ7GbcB3Ze4F4/s650/AmericanEvangelicalsFaveStripClub650pw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="650" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq781ImnK81nkNLUJsZKUHSDA4TCVfGVhbI24Cs6paGTPcD-aSFT6gTclotgIq76_U0EFtPBR6lhFXqQEMbbFWVLPY4j4qP_SWrjOzGMzdsBBKFWlp_INYJvUA0E36OvmJ7GbcB3Ze4F4/s320/AmericanEvangelicalsFaveStripClub650pw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Speaking of things that should bother Christians, I have said it before on here: A friend of mine has 2 atheist friends who were disgusted by the Christian support of Trump, and said they never wanted to hear Christians talk about morals after the 2016 election. Seriously, what is the world thinking as Christians who rant against all things gay and other moral issues then defend Trump's adultery and other moral issues, and attack everyone who dares criticize him? I myself want to hear nothing from Trump supporting Christians about anything gay after these last 5 years. You cannot ignore and/or defend his moral atrocities and them rant about gay things.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Trump has divided Christians and conservatives, and brings out the worse in too many people.....his supporters, Democrats, and conservatives who oppose him. I admit I have some major anger issues because of so many Christian Trump supporters, and have given back as good as I have gotten. So much for blessed are the peacemakers....you cannot be very political and be a peacemaker. And how much of a Trump supporter can a Christian be and be a peacemaker?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Then there is the dishonesty. Well, some of what I posted above what people said are not honest. Those people knew I was not for Hillary. I have seen way too many social media posts from Trump supporters that are not true. Shouldn't Christians strive to be 100% honest? Yet there are posts saying he gave up his wealth to be president......he was always a billionaire, so false. A preacher from my denomination posted that the Obamas didn't allow Christmas to be celebrated in the White House, but now Trump does...yet there is no evidence that as bad as Obama was, that he didn't allow Christmas in the White House. And there were other posts and stories that were shared to make Trump look good whether or not they were true.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> And the exaggerations......the most pro-life president, the most Christian.......and on. He did nothing to deserve those accolades. Shouldn't honesty matter more?</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJrWv2aqxJRF-WacoY6Khds6yrAzze4aThJq4z50jzauAzJsNOHDLv6OykiglBvICFN3QARP9KYd_RptjG49bWrhJ9h_NSfgue-RxmcIuPj-MRuXaHjj1G4LfR23hO2PLdPIPfxcSoCA/s228/trumphit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="228" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJrWv2aqxJRF-WacoY6Khds6yrAzze4aThJq4z50jzauAzJsNOHDLv6OykiglBvICFN3QARP9KYd_RptjG49bWrhJ9h_NSfgue-RxmcIuPj-MRuXaHjj1G4LfR23hO2PLdPIPfxcSoCA/s0/trumphit.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Double standard:</b><br /> For 5 years, I was told not to judge Trump, that instead of criticizing him I should pray for him, etc....yet now a man is president that they oppose also, it is OK to judge away, and there are no posts about praying for him instead of criticizing him. It is even OK to mock and make fun of Biden and accuse him of being a pedophile, with no proof. (And yeah, he is a horrible president and does not seem capable to be president). Should Christians act that way? Especially after 5 years of basically saying "Since I support this man, you must also and not say anything bad about him." It seems I am only allowed to criticize presidents that Trump supporters criticize.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I had this thought: if Trump supporters act this way about Biden and have Biden supporting friends, how on earth would they ever win them to Jesus? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I had a man at my church I used to highly respect...until he barraged me with texts trying to get me to vote for Trump. At one point he said if I just admitted I was for Hillary, he would leave me alone.....yet he knew I was not for Hillary. He asked me a question (I cannot remember what it was) and I replied "Are you asking me as a Republican, or as a Christian?" He asked "Can't it be both?"<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> And therein lies a lot of the problem: we react too much first as Americans, Constitution loving conservatives, Republicans, Trump supporters....instead of reacting as a Christian first.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> Example: is telling me true Christians will vote for Trump a reaction of a Christian, or as a Republican/Trump supporter? That should not be a Christian response. #1 there is no Biblical basis for it. #2 it is not kind....that person doesn't care how he makes me feel. He just wants to talk or guilt people into voting how he wants them to.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuNSjEZVn-a7j3-LhMU-n5UySx87252EgiHaO_Z2NZhYruXRbOt9d9A65pqivUzNTsOhU4veh-Y7S2gxBPFDRIm3BMdrgo1HBDEnifnwk71ClG7t2fWgZDUH2RJhyrXAwrq2mBik33eY/s800/trump-500x201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="800" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyuNSjEZVn-a7j3-LhMU-n5UySx87252EgiHaO_Z2NZhYruXRbOt9d9A65pqivUzNTsOhU4veh-Y7S2gxBPFDRIm3BMdrgo1HBDEnifnwk71ClG7t2fWgZDUH2RJhyrXAwrq2mBik33eY/s320/trump-500x201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have found myself wondering if a lot of Christians have more faith in Trump than Jesus. Over and over we heard that Trump was what would save America, that he was all that stood between us and socialism, on and on, and on. Trump, Trump, Trump. Some Christians posted so much pro Trump stuff, and it was hard to find anything about Jesus among all of those. I got the idea that their faith and confidence was more in him than Jesus.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> What about this man has such over the top loyalty of so many Christians that they refuse to speak out against his gun control, paying off of a prostitute, giving more money to planned parenthood than Obama did, and many other bad actions and policies?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> So yes, I do believe Trump was the lesser of two evils:<br /><br /><b>1) He has divided Christians</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2) As a result of his wining, he has caused many to be dishonest and unkind</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3) He has taken the focus off of Jesus for too many</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>4) He has helped make or magnify the double standard in Christians and conservatives in the Republican party.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>5) Too many Christians care more about defending him and shutting down opposition than how they make those feel they try to shut down.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span> Maybe Trump is just a symptom. I am all for patriotism, freedoms, the Constitution, our flag, and our country...and Christians can love all that....but I fear all of that has become too important and we let our politics influence and affect our Christianity instead of the other way around.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> People are more important than politics. Loving people is more important than winning political arguments. Spreading the Gospel and winning people to Christ are more important than spreading our political opinions and wining people to our politician.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> I am rather outspoken, but am still very insecure and vulnerable as I was years ago when being bullied. Now I fight back, but it has still been hard being anti Trump among all the pro-Trump Christians. Too many don't care how they make me feel as they have attacked me trying to get me to vote for him or for daring to speak out against him. There are people who don't think I should criticize him or "judge" him, yet they say what they want about Democrats. Being constantly pushed down and basically being told your opinions should not be voiced because they are not those of your family and friends.....it is not a good feeling. Honestly, as much as I dislike Trump just for him, the majority of my feelings about him is because of what I have dealt with from his supporters and because of their refusal to ever hold him accountable.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMT1sug02Pw-9lpG8JZ3rRXR6jMf2RH7Fw-i_0Qgsj_HZNJTwPe1yzVhun0QYu0H-FKbeIHH9Lk1jGRSr6WT0Szh1qsjIpVWnc8T3MV6iXK3e_PbdQTTXTbDjafW8rT9gg0_AgEt4tk8/s640/commission.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="640" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMT1sug02Pw-9lpG8JZ3rRXR6jMf2RH7Fw-i_0Qgsj_HZNJTwPe1yzVhun0QYu0H-FKbeIHH9Lk1jGRSr6WT0Szh1qsjIpVWnc8T3MV6iXK3e_PbdQTTXTbDjafW8rT9gg0_AgEt4tk8/w320-h221/commission.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> It has all shaken my faith. I go to a very conservative church, and I have people who keep all the rules, yet some of them have said things that are dishonest and/or unkind in their defense of Trump, and in their attempts to get me to vote for him and to shut down my criticisms of him. And I doubt they would even realize the irony of keeping the rules and not loving like Jesus.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> And it has caused me to feel even more isolated. I have felt disconnected from my church for a long time, and struggle to feel I belong anywhere. Being anti Trump has made that worse surrounded by pro-Trump people, especially when family and others expect me to keep my opinions to myself about Trump. I would honestly prefer to stay home. Granted, there are others like me who are afraid to speak out against Trump because of how they get treated, but I still feel alone and isolated. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /> I also have a lot of bottled up anger over the last 5 years. I honestly have held back a lot. If I said everything I think and feel, the secret service or FBI would probably have shown up by now.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91ZMU4zozibBcHrc9BmkbnExsc3_3feGbyrxL-pz9DKijpHFHXKwLbBlmG1_4GY2lmTQcNFOQrDLmsjmuVOgI3Vs5UKv1DRwWlcx0_hOZ_GLOXGNhaPw6BPTvG67ou652S8_lgIXrHFc/s1600/neighbor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91ZMU4zozibBcHrc9BmkbnExsc3_3feGbyrxL-pz9DKijpHFHXKwLbBlmG1_4GY2lmTQcNFOQrDLmsjmuVOgI3Vs5UKv1DRwWlcx0_hOZ_GLOXGNhaPw6BPTvG67ou652S8_lgIXrHFc/w200-h150/neighbor.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Just how political can we be and live as Jesus commands? Just how pro-Trump can a Christian be and live like Jesus to those who do not support him or vote for him? Jesus was not political, so how political should we be?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> The Bible says nothing about voting or being political, but it does say a lot about how we should act and how we should treat people. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Considering what Trump has caused, I believe we would have been better off as Christians and as the church to have lost soundly to Hillary. If Christians can't love, if they more or less toss out what the Bible says when it comes to politics, wouldn't we be better off under socialism and communism?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> And no, I don't want that....but if it affects how we treat people, if winning people to our politician or views is more important than spreading the Gospel and winning people to Christ, then yes......we would be better off living in persecution.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20xqNfN6R0h8iKmjszKp82MNTZsYnqPSlk2-zTch315xStO0iixythsm-Dv0qbvJg-9gIRaA0dFxF1jrAkLiteFVwQc4-ixUQ-xfJd2Izysy10zEiDW2BhqcuGm1kn48vl-2YCX4AJeg/s570/peace.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="570" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20xqNfN6R0h8iKmjszKp82MNTZsYnqPSlk2-zTch315xStO0iixythsm-Dv0qbvJg-9gIRaA0dFxF1jrAkLiteFVwQc4-ixUQ-xfJd2Izysy10zEiDW2BhqcuGm1kn48vl-2YCX4AJeg/w200-h133/peace.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Patriotism is good. Freedoms are important, but people are more important. A hundred years from now it will not matter if we won a political argument or defended a politician. It will matter how we treated people and if we won people to Christ.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> We are not living for this world. It is past time Christians remembered that and started living like that.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Maybe Trump is just a symptom, and has made it more obvious. Maybe part of it is social media and people saying on line what they would not off line.......but to use a phrase of some Trump supporters, true Christians should be bothered by how politics and Trump has affected how we treat people who disagree with us.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> In closing, I will say this: I have never been a great Christian. I have struggles of faith, depression, anxiety, sexual identity, and struggle with doubt a lot. I don't believe I was a better than anyone for voting my conscience. And to be honest, I have found myself wondering a lot over the last 5 years if I even want to be a Christian. Shouldn't it be more than this politicized Christianity that has taken over?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> And again, I am not guiltless. But shouldn't I have the same freedom as Trump supporters to criticize politicians I disagree with?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div></div>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-91334092731003473692021-09-24T21:52:00.000-07:002021-09-24T21:52:16.030-07:00Dogs, Diane, and Good Samaritans on motorcycles<p> <span style="font-size: medium;"> There was a day I blogged several times a month. Since my depression worsened, I just don't feel like doing it, so this is only my 5th post this year. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkge0v_hiAS8CF18jSF8HbqyfegEnVA06oktc6Y0GeVsLR8dK2Z8opKtHrnaVZlYHDUGnWW2QG_WOrlDjO4Wrqlki7iqduRS_yXdLGO6mCnQxN0fOOTmZne-z3eE_NdxPgKhIPXbwkCo/s2048/dog.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="2048" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkge0v_hiAS8CF18jSF8HbqyfegEnVA06oktc6Y0GeVsLR8dK2Z8opKtHrnaVZlYHDUGnWW2QG_WOrlDjO4Wrqlki7iqduRS_yXdLGO6mCnQxN0fOOTmZne-z3eE_NdxPgKhIPXbwkCo/w200-h137/dog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b> Diane and her dog</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> I moved into the duplex I live in two years ago last month. It is a small town, and I live two blocks off the main street of town - well, I live on West Main Street, but I refer to the street where most of the stores are as the main street.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> One thing I love about living where I am, is that I can walk to so many places in town. There was often a woman walking her dog, or actually standing on the next block smoking and holding him on his leash. I would always speak, ignoring the dog. <b>Disclaimer:</b> I really, really dislike dogs....and I really find it nauseating when people refer to themselves as "mommy and daddy" and act like their dog is a human. <b>Disclaimer two:</b> I really, really hate cigarettes.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I finally found out this lady lives three houses down from me, and this year in my walking past found her name is Diane and she is 70.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Ass I have walked past, Diane has often been sitting on her porch. I stop and chat. I found out that her son, his wife, and their little girl live in the house beside her towards my place. I found out that Diane is lonely, and pretty much only has the lady beside me, Candy, as her friend.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> And I found out why I never saw her walking the dog anymore. The 14 year old dog was not doing well.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I hadn't talked to her for a while, and she and her husband were sitting on their porch when I walked to town last week, so I stopped and chatted with them for at least 20 minutes. I asked about the dog, and she said she had to have it put down in July, and that they called on her birthday to tell her she could pick up the ashes. My immediate thought was how weird it is to cremate an animal, but I said some sympathetic words and asked if she thought she would get another dog....she won't. I suggested a cat, and that is definitely not happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I was off today, and decided to walk to town. When I stepped outside, my neighbors beside me were outside, and I chatted with them for 10-15 minutes. The lady, Candy, was saying she had her windows up the other day and whatever I was cooking smelled really good. I guessed it was my beef vegetable soup. After chatting, I headed to town just as Diane came out, sat on her porch swing, and lit up. I stopped to chat with her for a few minutes.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> During the course of our conversation, she said "Candy was telling me she smelled something really good you were cooking the other day." I replied that it was probably my beef vegetable soup." "No, I think it was the day you were making lasagna." I was totally amused that these two ladies were discussing my cooking. 😀😀</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngTSa1Zj_mPecVrM7zqKZ3UWbyBAGFM9HjgVKfBPtwEM0s0CFN5Z5j1sudOXINOgF1Xzls7Qo0PAptxC2LJDBP2_qe4ef-02PnnyhV2cTBIodOoqWqNusauy4vPQzDz7bDzX0rK4gZkQ/s228/bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="228" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngTSa1Zj_mPecVrM7zqKZ3UWbyBAGFM9HjgVKfBPtwEM0s0CFN5Z5j1sudOXINOgF1Xzls7Qo0PAptxC2LJDBP2_qe4ef-02PnnyhV2cTBIodOoqWqNusauy4vPQzDz7bDzX0rK4gZkQ/s0/bike.jpg" width="228" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />The Good Samaritan on the motorcycle</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have needed new back tires on my car for a while. I got the oil changed right before my Kentucky trip last month at the tire place conveniently two blocks away, and the one guy told me I needed new ones when I picked the car up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I was on my way home from work last a couple of weeks ago, and thought something felt weird as I was driving. I was cruising on the four lane when it showed I had 17 pounds of air in my right back tire. I was about 1/4 a mile from an intersection where there was a big pull off graveled place, and decided to try to make it there instead of changing the tire beside the road.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Disclaimer three</b>: I CAN change a tire, and have before.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I pulled off, muttering the whole time, and got the "donut" tire and jack out of the trunk. It had obviously never been used - the tire and the jack. I got the hubcap off, loosened the lug nuts, and jacked up the car. Then I tried to get the tire off, and had no luck. Several cars had driven by the road that crossed the 4 lane that I was beside. I saw a young guy on a motorcycle drive by, then swing back and pull in.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <b>Disclaimer four: </b>I hate motorcycles, believe motorcycle laws are way too lax, think you have to be half nuts to ride one, and totally insane to go helmetless.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> He turned his bike off, and asked if I needed help. I told him I couldn't get the tire off, and he said with steel on steel it can be difficult, and you need to kick it. So, I kicked it. Nada. (I think that means nothing in Spanish). He said he would get under the car and kick it. He laid down, got under the car, and kicked the tire. It came loose, and to my horror the jack also did, and the car fell. I had a brief moment of panic wondering how fast I could get the car jacked up again if he was pinned. Thankfully, he wasn't. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> He said he was fine, and never got under anything that he wasn't sure there was plenty of room if something like that happened. He got out, and proceeded to change my tire the rest of the way. He asked me at one point if anyone else had stopped to see if I was OK and needed help, and was amazed when I said no. I asked him if I could give him anything for his trouble, and he said no and told me to keep safe. I shook his hand, and he was off on what I consider to be a very unsafe vehicle. Without a helmet, of course. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RlXoEcwFZ1gMb5LqHqgl4nERAOHOxt4VtPUkmz2oSnqYqiC6hkRe9sIkxALT2F58vmVKWLYZgUZfzqENYdhX6bW8jgJsiGYL84Y35xzFUEAIB8Ar42W1msUW2wCr-9xEK2L5pUQqjo8/s1280/samaritan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RlXoEcwFZ1gMb5LqHqgl4nERAOHOxt4VtPUkmz2oSnqYqiC6hkRe9sIkxALT2F58vmVKWLYZgUZfzqENYdhX6bW8jgJsiGYL84Y35xzFUEAIB8Ar42W1msUW2wCr-9xEK2L5pUQqjo8/s320/samaritan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> How often do we steer clear of people who are different than us, who may do things we dislike, live a lifestyle we disagree with, who don't fit into our neat little mold of what we consider good people and someone we would want to be around?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have worked at the hospital as the ER greeter for over three years, and in the main lobby almost five years. I have seen and dealt with all kinds of people, and people of all nationalities and walks of life. Drug addicts have come in to register in the ER. I have had people curse me out and tell me to go to hell. I have had people rant to me about people not wearing masks and not getting the vaccine, and have had people rant to me about having to wear the masks and how bad the vaccine is. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I have had Trump supporters go on about how bad the Democrats and Biden are, and have had Democrats and the occasional conservative go on about how bad Trump is. As part of my job, I have to treat people with courtesy no matter who they are or how they act....but shouldn't we all do that all of the time?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> One of my favorite authors, and one of the few I have met, Kimberly Woodhouse, posted this a few days ago: <br /><br /><b>"Take a moment and be honest. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>If you get riled up and post about politics, masks, the pandemic, vaccines, your rights, etc, and you are a believer in Jesus - let me ask you this:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Do you spend as much time sharing His love and the Gospel as you do speaking out about whichever “side” you are on?"</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b>I shared it, and said "Touche' post". Only two people "liked it": my best friend, and my author friend who had posted it. Maybe everyone else felt guilty. I did, but I still shared it. 😄😎</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Jesus was asked by the religious leaders in an attempt to trap him "What is the greatest commandment?"</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> His reply is one any Christian should know by heart:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><i>Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Matthew 12:29-31. ESV</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> How well do Christians in America....in the Republican Party...do with the loving their neighbor?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Would they stop to help someone by the road who had a Biden/Harris bumper sticker on their car, or drive by? Would they stop to help someone who had a "Proud to be gay" bumper sticker on their bumper? Would they be friendly with neighbors who were on the other side of the political aisle? Gay neighbors? Muslim neighbors....</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> There is nothing special about helping those like us. There is no "being like Jesus moment" to befriend those who agree with us politically.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Jesus loved his enemies and did good to those who did Him wrong. If He had Facebook, He wouldn't unfriend or block someone for dissing His politician. He would stop by the road to help anyone, befriend anyone.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ98buCwUqMB_JfppX5ec6nBUvu60zMvMnd2_F0dfAbNx62AuryLvpEgs1eejNCJzC386t-IUshET5C1mVfHAeqK-cDxPCWoewL_ims49vIBh_7xRh_a68DYpn0k7RHN43blIA103IIM/s250/lovegodpeople1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="250" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ98buCwUqMB_JfppX5ec6nBUvu60zMvMnd2_F0dfAbNx62AuryLvpEgs1eejNCJzC386t-IUshET5C1mVfHAeqK-cDxPCWoewL_ims49vIBh_7xRh_a68DYpn0k7RHN43blIA103IIM/w200-h198/lovegodpeople1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> The whole message of the Good Samaritan Story was not about a guy who stopped to help someone like him who was a great friend. It is about a guy who stopped to help someone who was the enemy. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Oh, and both of those neighbors I mentioned.......they are conservative as I am, but are Trump supporters, which I am definitely not. 😜</span></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-86225945978204902132021-08-04T15:44:00.003-07:002023-04-18T12:51:08.020-07:00In defense of an author and book<p> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh5d9ZT7GUIpJFiA7vIQxJ7m1N_E-SV_UaCB0-lav8gnCFj0unBdk17_K7NuAERtngKY3BqlgldOPZsOajhMsWB1p_lMOljakq-L79_dPLOwzEZuA67-e890mmS-VN0SDUdVQb2u8Q1o/s394/author.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh5d9ZT7GUIpJFiA7vIQxJ7m1N_E-SV_UaCB0-lav8gnCFj0unBdk17_K7NuAERtngKY3BqlgldOPZsOajhMsWB1p_lMOljakq-L79_dPLOwzEZuA67-e890mmS-VN0SDUdVQb2u8Q1o/w148-h200/author.jpg" width="148" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> I have not blogged in ages, but felt I should post this defense of an author whose books I really like, and one of her latest books that I have read and enjoyed.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I discovered Karen Witemeyer's books back in May. The first book I read by her was "Short Straw Bride", and then the hilarious sequel "Stealing the Preacher". The next book I read by her was "At Love's Command", #1 in a new series "Hanger's Horsemen". I totally loved the book and the second in the series - book #3 is not out yet - and I ended up buying and reading everything she has written.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> So this book just won a Vivian Award from the Romance Writers of America. Awesome, right? But then a bunch of whiny little snowflakes started complaining on Twitter - and probably other places - that the book romanticizes genocide. So in a horrible and cruel move, the idiots at the Romance Writers of America gave into the minority and pulled the award. And yeah, idiots is a strong word, but man do they deserve it. And worse. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> I read some of the Twitter comments and a few of the bad reviews...... and wow. I really hope these - I hate to call them Karens when the author is Karen and seems to be a very lovely person - so these uncouth snowflakes - I hope they do not watch any shows with violence of any kind, or read books that has any kind of violence.....because if this book romanticizes genocide, then any book or show that has any kind of violence - killing, kidnapping, stalking, rape, etc - then those romanticize genocide and those people and the RWA people are huge hypocrites.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwXSm_LaNY_UbWPXteE8CFQbeYy0tbVi2HUjRgrS7JBkF0IQTlSblwCUn1lFD_h0-xrWX0NuZJ84skJeGSfHJqPA7O8hd_cr0PyKGlVTpivqtc-Fn-pZbBC0BfSm24-6zajW2K-BselI/s440/book.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwXSm_LaNY_UbWPXteE8CFQbeYy0tbVi2HUjRgrS7JBkF0IQTlSblwCUn1lFD_h0-xrWX0NuZJ84skJeGSfHJqPA7O8hd_cr0PyKGlVTpivqtc-Fn-pZbBC0BfSm24-6zajW2K-BselI/s320/book.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> So what is the problem these people have? The book begins with the Cavalry on a mission to move some Native Americans. It goes horribly wrong, and some of the military starts slaughtering the Native Americans. Our 4 heroes of the series tries to stop it, and fails. All 4 walk away and form a group of 4 to fight injustice. The book does NOT romanticize genocide, and in fact makes it look very, very evil and wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> If the Romance Writers of America had any integrity and fairness, they would apologize to Karen Witemeyer, and restore the award she rightly won. And if they do not, then they should refuse any book in the future that has any kind of wrong or violence in for the same reason they pulled her award.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Do me a favor: if you are a reader, go to Amazon or retail site of your choice and buy a book by this author. I have read everything she has written - even a couple that didn't appeal to me by the description - and I have loved everything she has written. So do a good deed and support a great Christian author who has been dealt a harsh wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Some of my favorites:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Archer Brothers #1</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQfSTT9unkYu-WIdErQC28tD1K_OBjpcehkOlBUSDGwm-qCzS6kXPVfihnVs7li_zYupGWZonGx1NATTU40sLDpqUbafBOFnnrCG7fVLR3SYO3rq3Zwk1i1BawAK1rR-VwLgIv_RHSec/s343/book1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="223" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQfSTT9unkYu-WIdErQC28tD1K_OBjpcehkOlBUSDGwm-qCzS6kXPVfihnVs7li_zYupGWZonGx1NATTU40sLDpqUbafBOFnnrCG7fVLR3SYO3rq3Zwk1i1BawAK1rR-VwLgIv_RHSec/s320/book1.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p><br /></p> Archer Brothers #2<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_ImqbuBKhcK4_4RTiXFTNV8eZfNtP7iCajaZXsu8D4HYTywq9vdeDbkdS8oWh0_cC9rl_uEyrvgzBtVMKCl-XuWT-BMon0dToCypVSmtIndtwj_VXztc1X0VIocMPePruo25OzS51pY/s440/book2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_ImqbuBKhcK4_4RTiXFTNV8eZfNtP7iCajaZXsu8D4HYTywq9vdeDbkdS8oWh0_cC9rl_uEyrvgzBtVMKCl-XuWT-BMon0dToCypVSmtIndtwj_VXztc1X0VIocMPePruo25OzS51pY/s320/book2.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvArBUeeAHm5dutkZ8Y4cwTDO8IALBoinZFua6Oi50iNAjMA9vpbU8hBjAy3CaIV_svdpQZ3cqkwNWaIs6Y9rqhk6Bv3tENeqsWzmSf8iaKgptRQvaaCF36O4qD2OwM3P2MdYjVfV8GQU/s475/book3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvArBUeeAHm5dutkZ8Y4cwTDO8IALBoinZFua6Oi50iNAjMA9vpbU8hBjAy3CaIV_svdpQZ3cqkwNWaIs6Y9rqhk6Bv3tENeqsWzmSf8iaKgptRQvaaCF36O4qD2OwM3P2MdYjVfV8GQU/s320/book3.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidusNtPM7_D5Pq5ZVIW7lIbLsp9ndV6BclUdyizU-7Uau8UHTD3IeqnKX1xnrQeBqhaDwyzDYPOZPWGlhPHDNc2D3WpkwZDo6IBM2FcI804MEpSd_Kh1Dl7bfDVGlxCQQOVw8ukEQCJ4A/s475/book4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidusNtPM7_D5Pq5ZVIW7lIbLsp9ndV6BclUdyizU-7Uau8UHTD3IeqnKX1xnrQeBqhaDwyzDYPOZPWGlhPHDNc2D3WpkwZDo6IBM2FcI804MEpSd_Kh1Dl7bfDVGlxCQQOVw8ukEQCJ4A/s320/book4.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-13197150125736466642021-02-27T15:37:00.002-08:002021-02-27T15:37:22.687-08:00February thoughts<p> Here I am blogging again. What is this world coming to? I have some free time, so I decided to write a little, and see where my mind takes me.</p><p> It actually isn't a very positive post. I'll try to do better next time</p><p>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WZQpm8C9Gqw9j8-RF8RubmVeTSErMvmeqVfwnok0Pbs_34KNSbo5bsGTZVHH_mUTvcb2RHFfCVHhVrweUZT5HEzNCq91999fGLzAt_mJkt0NHuTNU1xoVZUqVHGaoak_fHnsnEwLF0g/s992/q.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="992" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WZQpm8C9Gqw9j8-RF8RubmVeTSErMvmeqVfwnok0Pbs_34KNSbo5bsGTZVHH_mUTvcb2RHFfCVHhVrweUZT5HEzNCq91999fGLzAt_mJkt0NHuTNU1xoVZUqVHGaoak_fHnsnEwLF0g/s320/q.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Conspiracy theories</span></b></p><p> I am becoming increasingly bothered by how many Christians are buying into conspiracy theories. They seem to be coming from the Trump camp, and there are some really outrageous ones out there. Jeffrey Epstein is alive and has pictures of Biden and his son with little kids......Hillary is dead and has a double, Michelle Obama is really a man.....and there are others that are even more far out than those. A few years ago, I met a younger guy for supper to chat about politics. He talked a lot about a conspiracy guy called Q - of course my friend didn't consider him that. I cannot remember everything he said in regards to Q, but I do remember some of it: The reason Trump got in was to head up a massive investigation into a so-called Deep State. They were going to be handing out indictments for the Clintons, Obamas, and more. Obviously that never happened, and I doubt much - if any - of Q's predictions came true.</p><p> Now there is a guy named Lin Wood who is coming up with some far out stuff...such as the Epstein theory, and even more far out stuff.</p><p> There is guy who reads my blog some who I have been emailing back and forth some recently. He said this in his last email, and I think he hit the nail on the head. I had never thought of it this way, but it makes sense:<br /><br /></p><p><i><b>Conspiracy theories scare me. I get the appeal of them. They're comforting to people who feel like they have no control and no power. There's something nice about blaming all the problems of the world on one person or a small group of people, when the reality is always more complicated. The worst part of conspiracy theories is you can't disprove them. Everything becomes evidence for the conspiracy. The neo-Nazi guy I knew was a conspiracy theorist if that says anything. It's one of the main things people use to fill a hole that faith in God should fill. A lot of conspiracies are ridiculous, but they also bring meaning into people's lives. That's the problem there. It's really hard to argue the moon landing really happened when someone's structured their entire sense of self around the moon landing being a hoax.</b></i></p><p> A family member sent me a video (link here if someone wants to check it out: <a href="https://rumble.com/vbfw7p-the-plan-to-save-the-worldremastered-thank-you-joem.html?fbclid=IwAR3vYz04E3zG7-D7Uf0rikTOz83efCziYshn5evcEjisdiSt1qxMk9U8Yyg">The plan to save the world</a>), and she told me to watch it with an open mind. My best friend, who I consider more intelligent than me watched it first. This is part of his reply: <b><i>"The whole basis of the film is anti-biblical and a perfect propaganda piece for the anti-Christ to arise as the "good" leader who will save us all from the bad guys. The Bible doesn't teach that most people are good and if we could just get rid of the few bad ones we will be free. The Bible teaches that we are all hopelessly bad and only God can save us."</i></b></p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>I watched about 5 minutes of the 13 minute video, and couldn't handle any more of it. I am honestly not saying this to be rude or to come off as some perfect person, but I am truly worried about family and friends who are so into Trump that they are buying into these conspiracy stuff. Is it possible that even the most conservative and mature Christians can be deceived and sucked into things that are not any good?</p><p> And I am not saying that all Trump supporters are into the conspiracy stuff, or that all Trump supporters are the same.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrro6dAFNTKqEwnsFRkBI3SJjT5EpUO2SN7lYrcxYyIQVECZXVlm3Z5OR8I79YQbkMUtZ4rd8AuoS5jMcbX6KJyzq-QXdjMhFNprIBbLCCCii7LK-UC2DWTLaOIenrX46rthLh_oAZ6Lc/s1920/flag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrro6dAFNTKqEwnsFRkBI3SJjT5EpUO2SN7lYrcxYyIQVECZXVlm3Z5OR8I79YQbkMUtZ4rd8AuoS5jMcbX6KJyzq-QXdjMhFNprIBbLCCCii7LK-UC2DWTLaOIenrX46rthLh_oAZ6Lc/s320/flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Trump, morals, me, and all things gay</span></b></p><p> Speaking of same-sex attractions and me....one battle I have had the last 4 years is how evangelical Trump supporters either swept Trump's moral issues under the rug, or outright defended them. </p><p> Morals have always mattered to the religious right, and they have used moral failings against a lot of politicians in the past.</p><p><b> To recap:</b></p><p>1) Trump cheated on at least 2 of his wives and bragged about it. He even said he had done nothing he needed to repent of.</p><p>2) He had strip clubs in his casinos</p><p>3) He bragged about grabbing women by (insert vulgar term), which is sexual assault </p><p>4) The woman he cheated with on his last wife was in lesbian porn.</p><p> Any of these would have been an issue if he had run as a Democrat. Instead, he was compared to David, Sampson, and others. If you pointed his moral failures out, you were the bad guy, even though the same people would have taken major issue if he was still a Democrat. We were told "we are not electing a pastor." </p><p> As I have said before, a friend of mine has 2 atheist friends who were disgusted by Christians so eagerly supporting and defending Trump. At least one of them made the statement "I don't want to ever hear a Christian talk about morals again." And quite honestly, I don't want to hear Trump supporters criticize gay people or talk about homosexuality again. A preacher I was friends with on Facebook posted a rant about gay people and what an abomination they are....yet he was an over the top Trump supporter. I commented and said something to the effect that yet he had no problem with Trump's adultery and other moral failings.</p><p> And this isn't about people who voted for Trump and even think he was an OK president. It is the ones on social media defending every single thing about him, attacking anyone who dares criticize him or hold him to the same standards we have held other ones to, while trying to shut up anyone who does speak up. </p><p> To be honest, my struggles have gotten worse these last 4 years. It may sound crazy, and no one may understand it....but as I have watched Christian after Christian either defend Trump's moral failings or outright ignore them, and go after anyone who dared point them out.....it just seemed like a double standard. I know what kind of reaction I would get if I decided to openly live the gay lifestyle. The same people overlooking or defending Trump would be horrified. Prior to the 2016 election, I had commented about some of this stuff and questioned why so many Christians were suddenly OK with adultery. A lady from my church who barely knows me commented "With your past, I am surprised you would have a problem with it." <b>#1</b> she evidently knows I am attracted to other guys, but that is all she knows - she doesn't go to church enough to know me. <b>#2 </b>my issue wasn't as much with Trump's adultery as it was with Christians defending and being OK with what they never were before.</p><p> This would horrify anyone from my family or church, but I have become more pro-gay over the last 4 years. I cannot imagine me ever believing it isn't sin to engage in sex with the same gender, but I have always felt a bit antagonistic - I guess would be the right word - towards gay people in general, which may sound weird since I am SSA or gay, whichever term one would use for me. It is just something the conservative church has so demonized as the worst sin, that I guess it influenced me and even caused self hatred because that is me.</p><p> But I am pretty much OK with gay marriage at this point. If people can divorce and remarry and do all that Trump has done and still have the adulation of so many Christians, then is gay marriage any worse? My main issue with gay marriage all along was the fear of what has happened - forcing Christians to go against their beliefs. I can totally understand a gay couple wanting to marry and have an official joining of their lives.</p><p> Maybe it is because I personally struggle with the issue myself, but I honestly believe any Christian who has defended Trump's abysmal moral issues and tried to shut up criticisms of it, and went after anyone who dared bring it up - those people have no business condemning gay people.</p><p> I'll admit after what I have seen and experienced since 2016, I am a lot more tempted to ditch the church and Christianity and just go gay. It is such a tough and lonely thing to deal with. This may sound pathetic, but I so badly wish I could have a relationship and someone to love......but I am not attracted to women, and it is sin to have that with a man.</p><p> And while I struggle alone, my family and others rail against me for daring to criticize their guy.</p><p> And really, after so fully supporting Trump and defending everything about him, how could they rightly stand against voting for a gay conservative candidate..which is likely to happen some day.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOgiXm2eHy7Q4_UBwA-c42yCm1978zAiiAk8M6vue3sszO2g3nqaeGFegfy9ZmJyoV6cnUWX7SS_B-iAz_JiL2Ic7ux1XHHepP4oMzM_LnVNG5Kgim3pcE_nFQF4a7r0qhMnnlVmevK0/s1200/facebook.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOgiXm2eHy7Q4_UBwA-c42yCm1978zAiiAk8M6vue3sszO2g3nqaeGFegfy9ZmJyoV6cnUWX7SS_B-iAz_JiL2Ic7ux1XHHepP4oMzM_LnVNG5Kgim3pcE_nFQF4a7r0qhMnnlVmevK0/s320/facebook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Facebook experiment</span></b></p><p> A lot of the frustration and crap I have dealt with has come from social media, and pretty much exclusively Facebook. There is still so much conspiracy stuff, and so many posts about Trump - even people insisting he will still be president for 4 more years.<br /><br /> Something happened a few weeks ago.....it hurt, and I won't say what it was on here, but I decided to take a little break from Facebook.<br /><br />First, I went through the 704 Facebook friends and deleted 180 who never interact with me. Then I started using the option to snooze people for 30 days on everyone - well, except my best friend and authors I follow and am friends with. I am also going to try to refrain from posting for the same length of time. There are groups I am in and pages that I follow that I want to keep up with. </p><p> I also use Facebook for a lot of book review related things. I am currently on two launch teams for new books - launch teams are more than reviewing books. They often have things to share on social media to help spread the word about the book, etc.....and there is always a Facebook group to keep up with.</p><p> After a few weeks of not doing much, I am back on posting fairly regularly.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2YhLbgL663oHLO1G03CcRx22mIb4Rw3NzzcWjb_RasQOBiG7JZa8pb9zig26z3Qjng_cxy2-JBBOijl1BAodFIKH22fpeAg2HNL4esLSsokSZcFW5Y7-P4_RqurfbfCjRXe97kT2dFE/s703/statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="703" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2YhLbgL663oHLO1G03CcRx22mIb4Rw3NzzcWjb_RasQOBiG7JZa8pb9zig26z3Qjng_cxy2-JBBOijl1BAodFIKH22fpeAg2HNL4esLSsokSZcFW5Y7-P4_RqurfbfCjRXe97kT2dFE/s320/statue.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Is it a cult?</span></b></p><p> There is a fairly large faction of Trump supporters who truly do seem to act like they are in a cult. There are a couple of things that have bothered me this week - well, one has been longer than a week.</p><p> It is not an exaggeration or hyperbole to say I have never seen such over the top adulation and defense of a politician by Christians and conservatives. Sure, we like Regan, and I consider him to be the best president of my lifetime - of course Trump's most loyal supporters claim Trump is better......but even Regan didn't get what Trump has gotten, and still gets.</p><p><b> Josh Mandel<br /> </b>Josh Mandel is a 43 year old Republican, former military who ran for Senate in Ohio a few years ago and lost. He is running again, and I started following him ages ago, but his recent posts bother me. A lot. He rarely - if ever - posts anything about his platform, policies, and what he personally wants to do if he wins. He constantly - and I do mean constantly - posts about advancing Trump's policies, talks about his support for Trump, etc. Even if Trump was still president, it seems ludicrous to run on a president instead of your own policies. </p><p> These posts I took screen shots were all in just a few days. His page is filled with posts like this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4MPjmgP_TjvFHkmgZJux68X3u47KmJCsQOYglhVMqIF9NFOgWB5Q8SL_8gF_81pagj0Aq9PxkrgzknrTQtkFed8MJFkxfiLOBEj_JfVa5ghxo05TQRP1y_aztyekh28I8MkzYmsFQNg/s1198/mandel1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4MPjmgP_TjvFHkmgZJux68X3u47KmJCsQOYglhVMqIF9NFOgWB5Q8SL_8gF_81pagj0Aq9PxkrgzknrTQtkFed8MJFkxfiLOBEj_JfVa5ghxo05TQRP1y_aztyekh28I8MkzYmsFQNg/s320/mandel1.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN-d27shH_WXjDxSXp9VAOJi8b-mInJf8Jkh4yf8Tfj7v8DlWKFgwrqUjRpy_swRoOkh8TZzfQG8bN8lfHk6cOHtLFsxIJkYzkXcMXBoLDX6QDOsP2KDyqaQa9hnEvk-gDlq5mxL8SCk/s1066/mandel2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijN-d27shH_WXjDxSXp9VAOJi8b-mInJf8Jkh4yf8Tfj7v8DlWKFgwrqUjRpy_swRoOkh8TZzfQG8bN8lfHk6cOHtLFsxIJkYzkXcMXBoLDX6QDOsP2KDyqaQa9hnEvk-gDlq5mxL8SCk/s320/mandel2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_wR0Z61hpQNf0wD1Koab7GI8_nK9Wxv2coG3wzH9DNOqDAYcOOl8UWR-EdsTZy0A5S1y3-HPO5HwdIT3xzvSfRCsxD7wmgDamQqbVPOSBDyS78ahb-_xh-VHGJ1pIv5LFyaUk0Ryaf4/s1080/mandel3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_wR0Z61hpQNf0wD1Koab7GI8_nK9Wxv2coG3wzH9DNOqDAYcOOl8UWR-EdsTZy0A5S1y3-HPO5HwdIT3xzvSfRCsxD7wmgDamQqbVPOSBDyS78ahb-_xh-VHGJ1pIv5LFyaUk0Ryaf4/s320/mandel3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTn4irRJQbYHb4sQX08rOSOHXw2VxY5kSfZoEAnGQeIEGe7sBJqqLW75yfQz39q-wjsrL_eXdem4FViuLgklzLfMTMqTCTFM1E50_qLlxQvn6Us-U5txghUOoPz46SUzgHuJ7G9e-OMU/s1522/mandel4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTn4irRJQbYHb4sQX08rOSOHXw2VxY5kSfZoEAnGQeIEGe7sBJqqLW75yfQz39q-wjsrL_eXdem4FViuLgklzLfMTMqTCTFM1E50_qLlxQvn6Us-U5txghUOoPz46SUzgHuJ7G9e-OMU/s320/mandel4.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyeVDPm2edpHtIDjw6Urgb1I1OO-nBzHPw_1V-i1tzqwT8-0IbQF0gPfXv7nCesoO_5F8LD9eMDO_gBwn8_RbCRm2dTcM3CY_TzGWVe6J8E4VEMOP1hqtqYR6RvsnBmcdtOqej6jVkrE/s1080/mandel5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyeVDPm2edpHtIDjw6Urgb1I1OO-nBzHPw_1V-i1tzqwT8-0IbQF0gPfXv7nCesoO_5F8LD9eMDO_gBwn8_RbCRm2dTcM3CY_TzGWVe6J8E4VEMOP1hqtqYR6RvsnBmcdtOqej6jVkrE/s320/mandel5.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDnc371w2eYz6Rf4zBZkLXieNmno8zaiSx3TNW4UKYfkz6bYOR4PV1hxFHH89hQdq9L9MrPnV4rSQLz9D17QlRa88PXD2zN7FrCuUoLPELKmW9O9XlgPO6lfyugLT2dHyh47CUo2oRmk/s1084/mandel6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1066" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDnc371w2eYz6Rf4zBZkLXieNmno8zaiSx3TNW4UKYfkz6bYOR4PV1hxFHH89hQdq9L9MrPnV4rSQLz9D17QlRa88PXD2zN7FrCuUoLPELKmW9O9XlgPO6lfyugLT2dHyh47CUo2oRmk/s320/mandel6.png" /></a></div><br /><p> I commented a few times saying he needs to drop the Trump stuff and talk about his own platform and policies, and finally just quit following him yesterday. No matter how much a person likes Trump, it should bother them that he can't come up with any of his own ideas. Maybe that is why he lost last time. </p><p> And Trump is NOT the leader of the Republican Party.</p><p><b>The statute</b><br /> I truly haven't considered CPAC very conservative for some time, but they did something over the top this year. They had a 6 foot tall golden (I doubt real gold) statue of Trump. To be honest, as much as I joke about people worshiping him and he being the Republican Messiah, this took me aback. Yeah, we have monuments to some great presidents, but those were made long after those men died....and they truly did great things...but to put a statue up 4 months after his defeat at a convention he was speaking at.....yeah, that does truly enforce the idea that he has become more than he should be to many Republicans.</p><p> I did a post about it on Facebook with a verse from Daniel where they were commanded to bow to the golden statue of Nebuchednezzer when the music played - hey, I can't help stirring the pot occasionally. :) After I posted that, I saw a post by my favorite satire page, The Babylon Bee: <b><a href="https://babylonbee.com/news/three-conservatives-who-refuse-to-bow-to-trump-statue-thrown-into-fire-at-cpac">Three Republicans Thrown Into Fiery Furnace For Not Bowing Down To Trump Statue</a>. </b>I guess great minds do think alike. :)</p><p> And are they truly wanting him to run again in 2024?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx95-RILKSeXYluL7mQWC4f__zVB98eXNmkV9xtCTaGIaO70StBAesD-PS6xqa-QvHMqwRjEZytmojSEkZwlpmsaWX_JmcWLw6HmtZrBeZEARUJ865ZLXHmsd9NNp7v-hpXGFSw-gfaoI/s2048/hvhs+aerial+beaver--14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx95-RILKSeXYluL7mQWC4f__zVB98eXNmkV9xtCTaGIaO70StBAesD-PS6xqa-QvHMqwRjEZytmojSEkZwlpmsaWX_JmcWLw6HmtZrBeZEARUJ865ZLXHmsd9NNp7v-hpXGFSw-gfaoI/s320/hvhs+aerial+beaver--14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Work</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>(Yeah, I talked about my job last time..but it never gets better)</span></p><p> My job truly does drive me crazy any more. I dread work days, and sleep poorly nights before work. I love my days off even more, and hate even more when asked to go in on my days off..I feel guilty for saying no, yet have no desire to go in when I am off.</p><p> I am so weary of people getting mad and giving me a hard time for trying to do my job. I have been cursed at, told to go to hell, called a "King James donkey hole"...only the guy actually said the word. Another man called me "the big fat bald guy at the front desk."</p><p> Just this week:<br />1) There is allowed one visitor at a time, multiple during the 1 pm-6 pm visiting hours, with no waiting inside for the other people visiting the same patient. A lady insisted she had been allowed to sit outside the patient room while her aunt was visiting because her aunt was hard of hearing the day before (my day off). I called the nurse - I cannot make those kind of decisions, and the nurse said no. The lady kept kicking up a fuss, so my coworker who was helping out a bit called a supervisor and eventually got permission as I kept screening other visitors,</p><p>2) Last night, a young guy walked in with no mask and didn't stop. I tried to stop him and he kept walking, so a coworker caught him. He cursed me out, gave me a hard time about the mask - said he didn't wear one the day before - refused to say where he was going and claimed his "pap" was dying, so I just let him go. </p><p>3) I have to know where people are going. If anyone goes to a patient room when they are not supposed to, or when there is someone else there already, I am going to hear about it. Sometimes I can tell if they have paper work and head for outpatient testing, and just by asking "can I help you with anything", a lot of people will say where they are going. But others, I have to actually come out and try to politely ask where they are headed, and explain why I need to know. </p><p> So this lady walked by with her elderly mother long before visiting hours headed towards the corrider where the patient rooms are. I walked over and asked if I could help them, and got a snappy "no thanks". So I asked where they were headed, and she came back with "Do you really need to know all of my business?!" <br /></p><p> I replied that I kind of had to know and started to explain, but she shut me down and said she didn't want to know. I tried a few more times, and finally got the explanation out. She shot off more comments and ended with they were going to the coffee shop, but she'd just forget it and get her mother's bloodwork.</p><p> She did come by later and apologize, but that rarely happens.</p><p> Another man gave me a hard time because the seating area in the lobby is closed off, and daily I get attitude from people for not being allowed to wait in the hospital.</p><p> The only plus is since November, it was only 2 hours of visiting, and it had to be the same visitor every single time......but this week started 5 hours of visiting, and family can rotate those 5 hours.</p><p> It truly has given me a better understanding when I am on the other side of things. I despise the masks, but I don't give anyone a hard time about it. I just get in and out of stores as fast as I can and spend a lot of time at home....where I can go mask-less.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-67498831799397703162021-01-30T11:20:00.005-08:002021-01-30T14:51:31.635-08:00Life lately<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyOeKO4pjAUqAnSk81JuEUIJdxNRFiE_oTPeyKdm7d6R-lQGd_Y8tBjEVa24iORqDIpfYNdW_6ZTh-cFHkW6yUZWqsTTgo9L3Ndo12vlDZLkUVJJVOVoj1_5DgDSi00k-dPeGxNkLd0k/s1000/addtext_com_MTIyNDEzMzkwODE.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyOeKO4pjAUqAnSk81JuEUIJdxNRFiE_oTPeyKdm7d6R-lQGd_Y8tBjEVa24iORqDIpfYNdW_6ZTh-cFHkW6yUZWqsTTgo9L3Ndo12vlDZLkUVJJVOVoj1_5DgDSi00k-dPeGxNkLd0k/s320/addtext_com_MTIyNDEzMzkwODE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> 2020 was a bad year for me for blogging. I find doing it somewhat therapeutic, and did start several that I never finished. I think once I got it out of my system, that was it. I am going to try to do better this year, not because I think people are dying to read what I write, but because I do normally enjoy it, and it does help to do it.<p></p><p> This will be one of those multiple topics posts. I separate them to make the post not seem so daunting, and for anyone who does read it can skip around if they want. </p><p> So without further ado, here is what is on my mind lately - well, at least some of it. :)</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTmXB5POz43HpXMxVU-AhptGgijW9EJPcwTObOYHbNxLeh96M0_jqRAmZSVzzexMwcoLxKho42_HhtcwkwRrQ_ELaLvk2VQq_Y53Sryg3-Io1-AwdcrsmNG6Yg4DGnefT3-gnfXFMeyE/s300/covid19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTmXB5POz43HpXMxVU-AhptGgijW9EJPcwTObOYHbNxLeh96M0_jqRAmZSVzzexMwcoLxKho42_HhtcwkwRrQ_ELaLvk2VQq_Y53Sryg3-Io1-AwdcrsmNG6Yg4DGnefT3-gnfXFMeyE/s0/covid19.jpg" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Covid</span></b></p><p> The Covid virus has been running rampant for almost a year now, and I still find myself wondering if all the restrictions and actions have been necessary. I was laid off from the day after Easter thru party of June for 3 months because they shut down visiting at the hospital, which made my position pretty much unnecessary. Thankfully with the extra unemployment I got, I didn't have any financial problems, and paid my car off 2 years early with the extra and the stimulus check. Granted, my payment was only $135 a month, but I owed $2800 in March, and paid that off in June. It was a great feeling. Then I bought an electric piano.</p><p> But if Walmart could be open, then why not restaurants...at least with limited seating? The very day Ohio reopened restaurants, two of my nieces and I ate in one. I have eaten out a lot since then. I live about 25 minutes from Salem, OH, and usually make a trip there every week to buy groceries. Almost every time I go, I eat out...and I eat where I can eat inside. There are still a few restaurants like Arby's and Wendy's that are only take out, and I avoid them. I don't want to eat in my car.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Covid and me</span></b></p><p> On October 9, I was feeling really hot towards the end of my work day. Since I have a thermometer I use for visitors, I took my temp and it was 100.4. 100.3 is the highest you can be and visit a patient. On my way home, I started coughing. I called the employee health nurse who scheduled me for a Covid test the next day. They did a rapid test, and I was not at all surprised to find out the next day that I tested positive.</p><p> I ran a variety of symptoms: fatigue, short of breath, fever, cough, loss of appetite, diarrhea, weird foggy feeling...but no loss of taste or smell, which is common. On day 8 of my quarantine, my little sister, who had had the virus, stopped off with some food. She thought my breathing was bad, so I came to the ER at the hospital I work at. They evaluated me, and put me on a steroid. They didn't admit me, but said if my oxygen levels dropped any more, they would admit me. Two days later, they were down to 82. I packed clothes, my laptop, some books, and my phone charger and went to the ER again.</p><p> They admitted me for 5 days, and I was on oxygen for a couple of those days, and on a steroid...which jacked my sugar up to the 500's. I was very impressed with the care I had.</p><p> I went in on a Friday, and they released me on Tuesday. A doctor or nurse had made an appointment with my regular doctor for the following Monday. He checked me out, and had me stay off work another week because my breathing was still not too great.</p><p> The breathing issue, foggy feeling, and fatigue hung around for a few weeks.</p><p> Most of my family had the virus: parents, both sisters and their husbands, all 3 nephews, and at least one of my 3 nieces. The youngest thinks she may have had it a few months before.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_zry-AHGWyTV-tEjbpL5vP14duJuurm1N4ZfYukq_18uUrXWqF_mTJSc7OGsSQu2yDtdkWxmjsi4aLt3ZjS3UcE9xf-BnbXbJQZwv3OHT_sl8jA9ZLQJYIhnVjorRcXWPf1Gzj_k-JY/s900/masks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_zry-AHGWyTV-tEjbpL5vP14duJuurm1N4ZfYukq_18uUrXWqF_mTJSc7OGsSQu2yDtdkWxmjsi4aLt3ZjS3UcE9xf-BnbXbJQZwv3OHT_sl8jA9ZLQJYIhnVjorRcXWPf1Gzj_k-JY/w200-h200/masks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Masks</span></b></p><p> Masks are one of many things I hate about the Covid era. I am one who refused to wear them until they were mandated. And of course I not only have to wear one at work, I have to enforce people wearing them in the hospital. I didn't even wear them every time I went to Walmart, though I didn't give anyone a hard time. I made the statement on Facebook recently that I refuse to post pictures of me in one, and that if I do post a picture of me in a mask, I am in trouble and need help. :)</p><p> Being on the other side of it as someone enforcing it has made me see things differently. I wear them where required, but still hate them and doubt they help much. Faucci is now recommending people wear two of them, and "experts" are recommending we wear three. Really? There are people in the medical field who insist they don't do any good, and others who swear by them. Even those in charge have waffled about it. If they really do good, then why recommend 2 or 3? And if they work that well, why quarantine when you have the virus? :)</p><p> Many of the pro-mask people are downright obnoxious about it, and I have seen several use Scripture to try to back up their insistence that everyone wear masks. They say to make others feel safe, we should wear them.</p><p> Then on the other side, you have the anti-maskers...which does include me, though I do wear mine where required. Many of them also use Scripture to support their views on masks, and believe a Christian should not give in to wearing them. Many feel it is an attack on our freedoms.</p><p> I honestly cannot see any Biblical evidence to support either view. Before they were mandated, I refused to shop at any business that were requiring them...then the governors of Ohio and PA mandated it everywhere, and I had no choice. I still question the right of a governor to force us to wear them, and also question their right to do some other things......but it isn't the fault of businesses. They have to enforce it because the governors are forcing them to do so.</p><p> I have gotten a lot of attitude because of the new restrictions and rules at the hospital. I have been cursed at, told to go to hell...you name it. It is usually over other stuff, but some of it has been about masks. As much as I hate wearing them, I still have to enforce it, and have masks at my desk. The worst ordeal I had was a few months ago. A man walked in without a mask with his wife for testing. I asked if he had a mask, and he whipped out his cell phone and showed me something saying he had a medical exemption - he seemed all too prepared, and was most likely spoiling for a fight. There are no exemptions at the hospital, and I politely told him that. He went on a rant threatening to call these people, and those people. He was going to sue the hospital, he was going to sue me, etc. I asked him to wait a minute til I called my boss...she didn't answer, so I called the second in command who said she would try to get hold of my main boss.</p><p>Meanwhile the guy was still shooting his mouth off, and finally said that his appointment was in 5 minutes, and if I made him miss it, I would pay for that also. So I said "just go sir." He said "give me a **** mask, but if I get sick, I am going to sue." I repeated to just go into testing. He started walking away, then stopped and demanded my name. I told him he didn't need that, and he replied "fine...I'll just tell them it was the big fat bald guy at the front desk." Ironically, he was bigger than me. I was worried how he would act when he left, but thankfully I was on the phone helping a guy at my desk. He stopped and stared at me for a minute, but left after I ignored him.</p><p> That is a very extreme example, but I have been wondering for a while if Christians are reacting right in regards to masks. Some seem almost proud to buck the system and not wear one. If the person as the door tells you to put one on, is it OK for a Christian to refuse?</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJwuuMPAm10H008HZtsFbgXHPSpRStK2WA19s2lGIBfL8hFuvzHSttqnwV9Zt_IdOTh0sBLfLIs2Th2j_XKjnVH5MDxaTIDuuBnpIbkQadD1z_TKfxDrLX1rQOgYvhVqFKXSoM0yoT_w/s1440/rice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJwuuMPAm10H008HZtsFbgXHPSpRStK2WA19s2lGIBfL8hFuvzHSttqnwV9Zt_IdOTh0sBLfLIs2Th2j_XKjnVH5MDxaTIDuuBnpIbkQadD1z_TKfxDrLX1rQOgYvhVqFKXSoM0yoT_w/w150-h200/rice.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cooking</span></b></p><p> I have come to really enjoy cooking. I will never be as good of a cook as my mother, but I think I have become a pretty decent cook. I'm definitely no gourmet chef, but I have started to branch out a little and try new things.</p><p> Last Christmas instead of giving you my heart, I bought an air fryer. I really like it, and have used it a lot. One of my favorite things in it is very simple: potatoes cut up with the skins on. I love fried potatoes, but have never had any luck doing them. But in the air fryer...perfect. It does cook a lot of things faster than in the over or stove top.</p><p> This Christmas I bought an Instant Pot. I had been wanting one for a while, and one of the rare good deals on Black Friday was a 6 quart one on Walmart.com normally $99.99, on sale for $49.99.</p><p> The Instant Pot has been a little more challenging to learn and use than the air fryer. It is basically a pressure cooker, so you can't remove the lid until the steam has been released....either naturally, or manually. I have had 2 problems with it so far, but they were user errors.</p><p>1) I made Mexican rice that scorched badly. I researched the issue, and it was definitely my fault. There has to be enough liquid in whatever you are making, and the recipe called for a cup of chicken broth. It also called for a cup of tomato paste. My mistake was mixing everything together. When you have a heavy sauce, you are supposed to just layer it on top, not mix it in. I mixed it in, so it scorched.</p><p>2) My second mistake was last week. I have made soup in it a few times, and made Chicken Noodle for the first time. I did the manual steam release, and instead of just releasing steam, it also sprayed chicken broth everywhere. I actually wondered if something was wrong with it....but nope! User error. Someone told me when you have a lot of liquid in the pot, to let it release the steam naturally. I am impatient, and the natural way takes longer. I guess I need to be more patient, at least in regards to cooking.</p><p> And I cook without using those two devices. I made chili last week, and started it in the crockpot, but it outgrew that, and I had to transfer it to my biggest roaster/pan that I use sometimes for soup.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrTAS2yAXqjm6xgLOQy5jyXNJqOjhHPH1l4HhhkLNEJvoynwmjn_qpMJ_6P6uL-wihRUyykfAPYyBIwKvEBKnP5ULPyR5D6iz-wl5f6scFBD7P9DCLkDSjPND7QpVHAr8MB5S78Br41E/s1440/chili2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrTAS2yAXqjm6xgLOQy5jyXNJqOjhHPH1l4HhhkLNEJvoynwmjn_qpMJ_6P6uL-wihRUyykfAPYyBIwKvEBKnP5ULPyR5D6iz-wl5f6scFBD7P9DCLkDSjPND7QpVHAr8MB5S78Br41E/w200-h150/chili2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p> The bad thing is I always make way too much of pretty much anything I make. My family teases me and says I should cook for the army or a big camp meeting.</p><p> My family is big on gag gifts - a tradition I started - and one of my sisters bought me a book of recipes for a potluck. The funny thing is, she had to tell me it was a gag gift. I was like "cool, I can use another recipe book." :)</p><p> Supper tonight is going to be stromboli using frozen bread dough.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMf86f05XgbqQNu9ntcDM9zVhLHhmH1Gt6YDiXe0UMvab9ZVP39W7KPkyX09ew2CYkw3jNJZqiLfaUGkFiGla3MK59oByRgvCVozvh86gaU4LlFajofJT4F2Li79qtmnWIIpW0JOgRZQ/s2048/hospital.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMf86f05XgbqQNu9ntcDM9zVhLHhmH1Gt6YDiXe0UMvab9ZVP39W7KPkyX09ew2CYkw3jNJZqiLfaUGkFiGla3MK59oByRgvCVozvh86gaU4LlFajofJT4F2Li79qtmnWIIpW0JOgRZQ/s320/hospital.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Work</span></b></p><p> My job has changed so much because of Covid. I have to screen visitors and enforce new rules and restrictions, and most of the time I double as a gatekeeper. I had been laid off for 3 months, from Easter Sunday through part of June while visiting hours were shut down.</p><p> My job duties have changed a lot. I work at the information desk in the lobby. Before, I looked up patient room numbers, gave directions, and helped people in other ways. I often had to run people places in wheel chairs - which I thought was crazy since it took us away from our desks, but no one else would do it.</p><p> Now I am not allowed to leave the lobby, as I have to make sure no one is going where they shouldn't go. Visiting hours from June through November were 10 am-6 pm, unlimited visitors as long as it was one at a time, with the others waiting outside.</p><p> As of the end of November, visiting is 2-4, and it has to be the same person visiting the entire time the patient is in the hospital - add that to the list of things people get mad about and give me a hard time about. I am seriously used to getting verbally harassed and abused. Because of limited seating and trying to limit exposure, they try to limit the amount of people coming in for testing also. Unless the person having a test is a minor or has to have someone with them, the other person or people has to wait out in their car. There are no waiting areas open in the hospital. Of course that goes well in the extreme cold or heat. I had a guy yesterday give me a hard time about that and claiming I was disrespecting a 72 year old man, and what a shame that was....said he was not going to run his car and waste gas. After insisting to talk to someone about it, my boss managed to talk him down.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJHrfeE6WNu6YqoXoSepAga-ZCThVrzia0xgG_1uIzzs56oPy_9HATKPyM0IxexUzqrC7Blb0wPy8kCb3GhDr3RCKAW494ZMWTHwfvWyEu8RAgYGWqHfrmtgpgCmm1nmUnVypCaf5XtU/s1000/politics.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJHrfeE6WNu6YqoXoSepAga-ZCThVrzia0xgG_1uIzzs56oPy_9HATKPyM0IxexUzqrC7Blb0wPy8kCb3GhDr3RCKAW494ZMWTHwfvWyEu8RAgYGWqHfrmtgpgCmm1nmUnVypCaf5XtU/w200-h134/politics.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Politics</span></b></p><p> The election is over and Biden is president. I do believe there was cheating - there always is - but I am not sure there was enough to tip the scales to him. If Trump voters and supporters are 100% honest, they have to admit Trump is not a nice man - or even a good man. I firmly believe if he had acted better he might have won more people over.</p><p> Instead of trying to woo conservatives who opposed him, he went after them...said he didn't need us, and that we were human scum. He attacked anyone on Twitter who dared oppose him, and in my eyes acted a lot like Obama did with his opposition.</p><p> George W Bush was not perfect, but I can't honestly think of much he did wrong. I didn't like the idea of the NSA listening in on phone conversations and the like, but he was a decent man and decent president. Unlike Obama and Trump, he took whatever crap was thrown at him and acted like a gentleman and acted presidential. I think people have too quickly and too easily forgotten how he acted and reacted during 911. He stood tall, and even many Democrats respected him for that. I shudder to think how Obama, Biden, Gore - had he won - or Trump would have handled that. Gone on Twitter and ranted at the bad guys?</p><p> It seems the main reason so many conservatives are anti Bush now is because he dared not bow to Trump. Conservative and Christian principles, values, and morals are no longer what we judge politicians and voters by....it is their view of Trump. There are true conservatives and decent men who are put down and demonized by Trump supporters because they dare speak out against him. Whether it be a politician, voter, pastor, or whoever.....their conservatism and sadly, even their Christianity, is questioned and taken away if they do not fully embrace and support Trump.</p><p> Examples of the latter: I had a cousin tell me I was not on God's side if I didn't support Trump. Several shared an article before this past election saying that true Christians would vote for Trump. In 2016, Max Lucado shared a great article on why Christians shouldn't support Trump, and was called a Pharisee.......yet if he had posted that about a Democrat, it would have been OK.</p><p> I don't lump all Trump voters and supporters together....but there is a large part of his supporters who are way over the top and I am convinced have made him into an idol. When you say that Trump is the only one standing between us and socialism, and the only one who can do this or that, you are letting God out of the equation. When you treat fellow Christians badly and make false claims about them, Trump has become too important to you. Too many Christians have been putting their faith in a man, politics, and a political country.</p><p> It truly has not been easy being a conservative who hasn't supported Trump. It truly has about destroyed my faith, and has made me doubt everything. If this is what Christianity is - political, Christians fighting and arguing about it, trying to shut down those who disagree, etc - do I want it?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iYqyUBdGPp6y8_dFEMfcumBnxEWogg40_pevkVJdFxCnjDdsIVaG2HLzAnE2ZGf8-GT94vEVv1ObRLnEOheJmaA95vECIeDatpEAGMBRFl4FFHVaWWcmeRK9FXsUhCawgXX6w5n4hLU/s1080/trucks5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iYqyUBdGPp6y8_dFEMfcumBnxEWogg40_pevkVJdFxCnjDdsIVaG2HLzAnE2ZGf8-GT94vEVv1ObRLnEOheJmaA95vECIeDatpEAGMBRFl4FFHVaWWcmeRK9FXsUhCawgXX6w5n4hLU/s320/trucks5.jpg" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Red trucks</span></b></p><p> For the last few years, I have been into the red truck decor. I have incorporated it here and there throughout the house. My living room and a few other rooms have a nautical theme, so I am not sure the trucks go with that...but oh well, it is my house. :)</p><p> I wanted a table runner for the stand in my living room, but it was impossible to find one that wasn't holiday or season themed. I finally settled on a patriotic one that I figure works for most of the year. I have two metal trucks on it. The one came from Hobby Lobby and has moving wheels. I found some miniature feed bags to put in the back.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRndnUTQnUKNk2ZS8vbBMLQi8bfGwohseJaFpWZ285MjtjUXvSlsoniHPIj1fqY6PhKc49573FRnOqo4aHBh9I2Wbl3W0krAHhwPiGLZ5TMQlUXkQh3USOktD9gv2i9_50_XOg_sxg_OQ/s1080/trucks6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRndnUTQnUKNk2ZS8vbBMLQi8bfGwohseJaFpWZ285MjtjUXvSlsoniHPIj1fqY6PhKc49573FRnOqo4aHBh9I2Wbl3W0krAHhwPiGLZ5TMQlUXkQh3USOktD9gv2i9_50_XOg_sxg_OQ/w150-h200/trucks6.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p><br /> The other has stationary wheels, and was one of Walmart's gift sets that has foods or snacks. The trucks - which came in red, white, and green - had a bag of cookies in the bed. I had seen the green and white ones, and was tempted to buy it. Then one day I was there and those were gone and there were red ones. Of course one somehow ended up in my cart. :)</p><p> I also have a few garden flags that have red trucks on. One for fall, one for Christmas, and one for winter that I bought because I couldn't find the Christmas one.</p><p><br /><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Christmas</span></b></p><p> Speaking of Christmas, I just wasn't in the mood or spirit this year. I was just too depressed and decorated very little. I didn't even put up a tree or send any cards. Our family did get together - the majority of us had had the virus anyway, and I did enjoy that......but I just couldn't get into the season this year. I didn't even get my Christmas CDs or movies out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyhMe1WioS6DVzDMzEi_5B0D1hJdBlUD94u35czoX_0nL0SWuvN1TDZkbe_wxYYn8lCA8LwAPcswVUrkN183CeK7fyfZd3bB9WqZwZqDGZAQ7yWDuPND-lSfowHM7Sd5sM7Jp2qtZa7o/s960/bridgewinter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyhMe1WioS6DVzDMzEi_5B0D1hJdBlUD94u35czoX_0nL0SWuvN1TDZkbe_wxYYn8lCA8LwAPcswVUrkN183CeK7fyfZd3bB9WqZwZqDGZAQ7yWDuPND-lSfowHM7Sd5sM7Jp2qtZa7o/s320/bridgewinter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The hospital calendar </span></b></p><div> Every year, the hospital I work at has a calendar photo contest. Anyone who works at the 3 hospitals, doctor's offices, convenient cares, or any other facility in the Heritage Valley Health System can submit a photo. Any employee can vote for their favorite 3, and the top 12 are used. I have tried the last few years, and actually won this year. This year's guidelines were different. Since no one could travel much in 2020, it had to be pictures of local things. I submitted a picture I had taken of a covered bridge near me that I took in the winter. It is amazing how many people commented - employees and visitors. Not only is the picture used in the calendar, large posters with the pic and a pic of me and my job title are posted all over the 3 hospitals and any facility in the health system for that month - and mine was January. I was pretty popular for a month. :)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3piFp3KIcYJ8y3drCJ38gWlbjGCqqjytUKNjAVseiJouMo-HkcIzEvaeioSvOT8p5jd14kYojigj5LTCkfXgrdRl8QdfBInyGUM5ZreDcH2K5SjHKXBmNEjah7YwAdO_ttpRNK4BEqU/s960/mepic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3piFp3KIcYJ8y3drCJ38gWlbjGCqqjytUKNjAVseiJouMo-HkcIzEvaeioSvOT8p5jd14kYojigj5LTCkfXgrdRl8QdfBInyGUM5ZreDcH2K5SjHKXBmNEjah7YwAdO_ttpRNK4BEqU/s320/mepic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /> And it was cool. I asked to have a poster when they change them for February, and am supposed to be given a couple. I thought it would be cool to keep one. Even though they misspelled my name on the poster :)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Depression</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div> My depression has been really bad the last year..worse than anyone knows. I can put up a pretty good front. I am the kind of guy always telling jokes, so I doubt many people have a clue what is going on inside.<br /> <br /> I think the whole virus thing has contributed, and that politics has also really done a number on me. It is really difficult having different views politically from your family and most of your church and acquaintances. I am not going to get political again - just saying it has been rough.</div><div><br /> I hesitate to tell my doc. There was a period of time about 10 years ago or so that my doc at the time kept trying different meds on me, and I hate to do that again. It seems to be worse than ever. I have to about force myself to read, and if anyone knows me at all, they would know that is not normal. January is almost over, and I have read two books this year so far.</div><div><br /></div><div> There is no way I'd ever do anything stupid. I firmly believe unless someone is not in their right mind that someone who kills themself is most likely going to drop straight into hell...and I sure don't want to go there. Plus, I would never do that to my family.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8NT9BnA8h8NSLi_ml_za7aG54fquuQw_tu6PVsO6ETo1I-hKwTkSp4jSxKJ_GT9Gupv8wbg0g-7VHJNOC8aCE_wWnm4YX_w0l4s7AY9Wy7kk0c1YplLL2k5qEDYvz7lOhyphenhyphen69yGzcnM/s2048/wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw8NT9BnA8h8NSLi_ml_za7aG54fquuQw_tu6PVsO6ETo1I-hKwTkSp4jSxKJ_GT9Gupv8wbg0g-7VHJNOC8aCE_wWnm4YX_w0l4s7AY9Wy7kk0c1YplLL2k5qEDYvz7lOhyphenhyphen69yGzcnM/s320/wedding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Two family scares</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div> We had two scares in our family in the last couple of months. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Scare #1 Caitie </b></div><div><br /></div><div>My youngest niece, Caitie, got married in September. She got a great guy we love, and it was a beautiful wedding. About 2 months back, her doctor was afraid some lumps on her neck were lymphoma and ordered a biopsy. We were all worried, but I didn't realize how worried I was til I found the results were negative. I cried like a baby.</div><div><br /></div><div> I love all of the kids, but this kid......she has messaged me several times when there has been family gatherings I had to miss because of work to tell me that she missed me and wished I had been there. I thought I was going to have to work Christmas day, but got it off. She messaged me and told me she was glad I could be there, and that she wouldn't have wanted to be at the party if I hadn't been able to go. That pretty much made me cry too. It still hurts that I was never able to be a dad, but I love those 6 kids so much.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwc3izA2BU8DqnZGKSgrr_R4Ue6Mgu5uNApg8SVmewKYAo4sb9skzz9vLGqoiD0VyHX5wLsWLAaGOpho-jrREHjXdx7eXZGw9tOEVq_k4Vf50_8eJQg6vawL16AnUvWclDL6oOCeHX9A/s1445/nate3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwc3izA2BU8DqnZGKSgrr_R4Ue6Mgu5uNApg8SVmewKYAo4sb9skzz9vLGqoiD0VyHX5wLsWLAaGOpho-jrREHjXdx7eXZGw9tOEVq_k4Vf50_8eJQg6vawL16AnUvWclDL6oOCeHX9A/w149-h200/nate3.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><b>Scare #2: Nathan</b></div><div><br /></div><div> A few weeks ago, my 3 nephews were putting Christmas decorations away in their barn loft. The oldest came down the ladder and went inside. Nate, 13, started down, but the ladder fell taking him along. He fell 12-13 feet, and ran in the house bleeding, leaving his brother Ben stuck up in the loft til they remembered him several minutes later.</div><div><br /></div><div> He was taken by ambulance to St Elizabeth's in Youngstown, where they kept him overnight. He had several cuts on his face and head, fractured his left wrist, and had a 5 inch long 1 1/2 deep cut in his left leg. No concussion or other injuries. He could have been hurt much worse, especially if he had hit the concrete head first.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMNlhvg7tnlKKa6mJRzrwMJ8y_AlZZkBDTofnOQVUTRAaEmuoGgMtV8Kzr4GAxMXjX4jTV4SDeLztYxMyRYdDN98KcmyuP2A9opkQe8mv1ZKdyMBFZ-yMGFCMLPw5OnJSYWokcQMOrSQ/s1280/nate4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMNlhvg7tnlKKa6mJRzrwMJ8y_AlZZkBDTofnOQVUTRAaEmuoGgMtV8Kzr4GAxMXjX4jTV4SDeLztYxMyRYdDN98KcmyuP2A9opkQe8mv1ZKdyMBFZ-yMGFCMLPw5OnJSYWokcQMOrSQ/s320/nate4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /> I took him a bucket of his favorite snacks the next evening after he came home from the hospital. He is a tough kid, and impressed the ER staff with how well he took it all.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Loneliness</span></b></div><div><br /> Something I struggle with that I don't really talk about is loneliness. Our family gets together when we can, though I can't always be there....but I don't have a social life outside of that and when I take the kids out to eat.</div><div><br /></div><div> It may not make sense, and depression probably plays into it some: I am lonely a lot, yet there are times I thrive on being alone. I just am not close enough with anyone to hang out. Today is a Saturday I am off. I did any shopping I needed last night after work. This morning, I went out for breakfast at the restaurant near my house - I walk when it is warm. I'll spend the rest of the day inside by myself.</div><div><br /></div><div> I have felt really disconnected from my church and people there for some time. The Trump era hasn't helped that. My best friend says I need to reach out and have people over....but who? I honestly don't have friends...just acquaintances, and am not good at making friends....and who wants to hang out with a 51 year old guy attracted to other guys? I don't feel like I belong anywhere or with anyone except my family... and even they try to shut up my criticisms of Trump and say I am causing division - even though I only criticize him on social media.</div><div><br /></div><div> I can understand more than ever why so many gay people embrace their sexuality and try to find someone to love. If you are a guy my age, you are an oddity. I hate sports and don't have much in common with anyone.</div><div><br /></div><div> I just find myself wishing sometimes I had someone to watch a movie with, or help eat what I cook. But that isn't happening.</div><div><br /></div><div> Thankfully, I really like my house - well, my half of the duplex. I have plenty of room, and like this place the best of any I have ever lived since I have been on my own. I hope I can stay here a long time, and have no intentions of moving.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bernie</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div> I hate to end on a negative note, so I'll share a few of the Bernie memes I have made. I am really amused by this fad or trend, and have been having way too much fun with it.</div><div><br /></div><div> In our ER at work</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZQRRpwvcoZPkyfjTnaibSTedY6mzyeR794VmA51IutVs-A61jWC3gnwukGJai68SSQdu9APRFnXctnpVZi-pb5e7oAMCm95z5XbReZ_xFPgpghaIZz5-wxnIupABfGe7ntOmxs4NlWM/s1101/bernie1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZQRRpwvcoZPkyfjTnaibSTedY6mzyeR794VmA51IutVs-A61jWC3gnwukGJai68SSQdu9APRFnXctnpVZi-pb5e7oAMCm95z5XbReZ_xFPgpghaIZz5-wxnIupABfGe7ntOmxs4NlWM/s320/bernie1.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> In the one main hallway at the hospital<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMvvsCkcQR-jAe1NPc7Q2RoeOhNqxK5ky98jv3xNDEwZ5BcsRNpwFudVEHh2_MIvJik4JnQG6UFbH9xFnHog62vkH1WfDgc2_OzMFpXQ8QQc2iCDVPH64hNLIxOWqsQnq_FdUBz4yQgQ/s1099/bernie2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMvvsCkcQR-jAe1NPc7Q2RoeOhNqxK5ky98jv3xNDEwZ5BcsRNpwFudVEHh2_MIvJik4JnQG6UFbH9xFnHog62vkH1WfDgc2_OzMFpXQ8QQc2iCDVPH64hNLIxOWqsQnq_FdUBz4yQgQ/s320/bernie2.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> on my desk at work<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE64X-stjTQwD7iSfUwQCIsJHP6_4cG0MR6_VHioJyyQIUb8Ny81E9TuOXmhMmHOb-wDCOiPQ4tk_CugmxGvkPkhbC2OVu1YQO8xzoLUEG_65ojEBGskBf4ZZSm8QYWmWw76cCFmKsfM/s1080/bernie3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikE64X-stjTQwD7iSfUwQCIsJHP6_4cG0MR6_VHioJyyQIUb8Ny81E9TuOXmhMmHOb-wDCOiPQ4tk_CugmxGvkPkhbC2OVu1YQO8xzoLUEG_65ojEBGskBf4ZZSm8QYWmWw76cCFmKsfM/s320/bernie3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> With me at Hocking Hills, OH<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jcNLsghK_rLK4pH1Z65dh-IfvafXZ4dMRNcw2TZMi-w2mPO8XBeGf-AEqmBBA0FVHBB7QO9b-4eaHBtB-Qz2g04QUbQ9R2ihFrXpB2HasYk8iRfTKq443t9cm32E9tx2KaW6wLsf6QA/s1104/bernie4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1057" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jcNLsghK_rLK4pH1Z65dh-IfvafXZ4dMRNcw2TZMi-w2mPO8XBeGf-AEqmBBA0FVHBB7QO9b-4eaHBtB-Qz2g04QUbQ9R2ihFrXpB2HasYk8iRfTKq443t9cm32E9tx2KaW6wLsf6QA/s320/bernie4.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> In front of my house<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WBhsN0bJOZABEvkmEhXdKY-XmbGZi89m4QzaDMHcm2Ych7x4AXjwubyqC842FQfcbykdIZLSPpyBxcHI-2X6Ds08TDYH1o7OlpWy8hfmXWmjmJ_kB8r1gc9hnqTv3g1DFKHfdn98rR4/s1322/bernie5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WBhsN0bJOZABEvkmEhXdKY-XmbGZi89m4QzaDMHcm2Ych7x4AXjwubyqC842FQfcbykdIZLSPpyBxcHI-2X6Ds08TDYH1o7OlpWy8hfmXWmjmJ_kB8r1gc9hnqTv3g1DFKHfdn98rR4/s320/bernie5.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div> <br /><div> At my church</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOgQJap3Ejb1V3CQ-xAbQDvwLQ_1Iy2vEbZhNihAMYCk8q4DKZ8sqST9ju3627lHWcPqXGs5NoRv9dFTQ5DKwT3p8PJAgUEYxuqSsjOzTh4DawKc5Gf_2CyfalnerH1phwzTmMzvZa9I/s1201/bernie6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1061" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOgQJap3Ejb1V3CQ-xAbQDvwLQ_1Iy2vEbZhNihAMYCk8q4DKZ8sqST9ju3627lHWcPqXGs5NoRv9dFTQ5DKwT3p8PJAgUEYxuqSsjOzTh4DawKc5Gf_2CyfalnerH1phwzTmMzvZa9I/s320/bernie6.png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> at the crossing of the Red Sea<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKzqrNk-DhdNbAgCNn5K3G53EWP_tvlR1TRLLczVmRlImlj32qy_1su4BmGFra6J5r5bcouXlZ4whH1ZAKStQpOXUYROY-leu6JfvX4GsBU-PhQBaGSEzgjUA3D32R9Ot_xKzQPl0FQE/s1080/bernie7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKzqrNk-DhdNbAgCNn5K3G53EWP_tvlR1TRLLczVmRlImlj32qy_1su4BmGFra6J5r5bcouXlZ4whH1ZAKStQpOXUYROY-leu6JfvX4GsBU-PhQBaGSEzgjUA3D32R9Ot_xKzQPl0FQE/s320/bernie7.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> Outer Banks with the kids<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIaeqIfufuh_IC8KqM1ejLfqZjmTuvcTcBlvbgH33hIUEX8JJ3EQUO32Upawl1oGuvlrrIDCwnM23bvDYDsplF2eVvX0puwH9_VQAlkw2gwEneIWNSvBvok00DxV6Aoj3eeG35XDpB_o/s1080/bernie8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIaeqIfufuh_IC8KqM1ejLfqZjmTuvcTcBlvbgH33hIUEX8JJ3EQUO32Upawl1oGuvlrrIDCwnM23bvDYDsplF2eVvX0puwH9_VQAlkw2gwEneIWNSvBvok00DxV6Aoj3eeG35XDpB_o/s320/bernie8.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div> Spying on my niece and her husband :)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AQVvPxgEp40s_7-wobTBPFtw00sJdTdvRMEvx9NfOUZeUxqWzl3oXXsGjpuDNc1TYogwiBjZ35_PYlVtsq2GN47EGG0yKtKnYQVQ8bqhIdjybEyGvsCfoz8BEgFAVhoSSxIbPNgUc5o/s1080/bernie9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AQVvPxgEp40s_7-wobTBPFtw00sJdTdvRMEvx9NfOUZeUxqWzl3oXXsGjpuDNc1TYogwiBjZ35_PYlVtsq2GN47EGG0yKtKnYQVQ8bqhIdjybEyGvsCfoz8BEgFAVhoSSxIbPNgUc5o/s320/bernie9.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-87237513560452644502021-01-08T16:53:00.001-08:002021-01-08T16:53:09.970-08:00Disillusioned with Christianity <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmw_wV6sLC9OJTrAKpwv2kJoXwkM_rGxawqB0JvKYBh-LrELqKn-fjtzjNGw9DB0Op5wFm5SP-dVr4M3URKFy9pygx3wXF6dYuWiD3oidRNgRPGJHjLKIchsO3-CB-RLUmVXfdvzn2jjk/s940/disilluoisned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="940" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmw_wV6sLC9OJTrAKpwv2kJoXwkM_rGxawqB0JvKYBh-LrELqKn-fjtzjNGw9DB0Op5wFm5SP-dVr4M3URKFy9pygx3wXF6dYuWiD3oidRNgRPGJHjLKIchsO3-CB-RLUmVXfdvzn2jjk/w400-h89/disilluoisned.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> I didn't blog much in 2020, and the last time I did a blog post was at the end of August. The main reason is my depression has been really bad for several months, possibly worse than it has ever been. No one in my life has a clue as to how bad my depression is. I am not bordering on self harm of any kind, so if you are reading this, no worries there. There are a couple of reasons I would never do that.</p><p> I have started some blog posts, but never finished them. I typed this one up at work the other day when it was slow, so I guess I will post it. I am not posting links on Facebook as I usually do, so maybe no one will even read it...especially since it is so long.</p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"> Disillusioned with Christianity</span></b></p><p> I have never been a strong Christian. I have struggled with different doubts for most of my life. For years, I struggled to believe God truly loved me. I also went through a period where I had a difficult time believing I was truly saved. I have never felt I measured up to what a Christian should be, and prayer and reading the Bible has never come easy to me. It has mostly been something I felt I had to do as a Christian. So nothing I say in this post is because I believe I am a better Christian than others, or that I am better off than anyone. Because that is far from true.</p><p> But the truth of the matter is, I have become disillusioned with Christianity. And it is pretty much because of politics.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8ThpPKLXMnqrnS8O61TOsTW42eXmbwPB0AO6PQz2by1m13RNshDXvUnsUUl25EwdqjOlj-AzDwdwwzKiGi6qvf_eALHeyY5EdOmzGHSYKCOr91E5yGbYPtFoJpoj6Ftz8etAbfAdFv0/s270/faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB8ThpPKLXMnqrnS8O61TOsTW42eXmbwPB0AO6PQz2by1m13RNshDXvUnsUUl25EwdqjOlj-AzDwdwwzKiGi6qvf_eALHeyY5EdOmzGHSYKCOr91E5yGbYPtFoJpoj6Ftz8etAbfAdFv0/s0/faith.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p> I get people voting for Trump in the general election because of Hillary. I am still not sure a Christian should have voted for him.....but I get why so many did. I don't get people - especially Christians - voting for him in the primaries over some very decent, conservative, and even Christian candidates. I felt fairly early that I could not vote for him, and not just because of what and who he was. I have criticized Democrats for years for voting for the candidate on the Democratic ticket no matter how bad they were....so how could I do the same when the candidate was the very opposite of what we should be voting for? </p><p> And man, did I get crap for it....from several Christians. They didn't care that it would be going against my conscience to vote for Trump. They made false accusations, and did their best to get me to vote the way they were, and used all sorts of things to manipulate me into voting how I strongly believed that I should not. I was told if I wasn't for Trump, I was for Hillary. I was told a vote for a 3rd party was a vote for Hillary. A long time friend told me if I wasn't for Trump that I was for Hillary and for killing babies.....and he knew I wasn't.</p><p><br /></p><p> Four years later, anyone who dares criticize and not fully support Trump are still put down and called names. Just yesterday a great conservative and good man (Tom Cotton) who is a Republican Senator was called spineless, and Christians and conservatives are wanting to vote him out because he dared say we need to accept the election results. On the same post, another Senator who is a true conservative was also called spineless because he has dared speak out against Trump. If you aren't 100% for Trump, then his Christian and/or conservatives supporters consider you a traitor, spineless, and other lovely terms.</p><p><br /></p><p> In 2016, author and pastor Max Lucado came out against Trump and gave solid reasons why a Christian should not support (and maybe vote for) Trump. He was called a Pharisee......yet if he has listed the same reasons for a Democrat, he would have been cheered on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwjp_HpxWUNRm-or5GT7MJReJrV2K2ofb7V09YHB0IIO4YV9xFLrXNNTC7DscU08qST2Xa5U15iAmg1-cBv_TTKhZcePDNkMcFLo1nhhamqsc4IzbnNeQP8GedUYnbV6gDDcIkFm1UCw/s848/max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="848" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwjp_HpxWUNRm-or5GT7MJReJrV2K2ofb7V09YHB0IIO4YV9xFLrXNNTC7DscU08qST2Xa5U15iAmg1-cBv_TTKhZcePDNkMcFLo1nhhamqsc4IzbnNeQP8GedUYnbV6gDDcIkFm1UCw/s320/max.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> I am not going to list all of the reasons I oppose Trump, and why the reasons I felt I could not vote for him. That is not the point of my post. This post is how I have become disillusioned with Christianity. And again, I am not saying I am a better Christian than anyone else. In fact, I feel like I am on the edge of dismissing Christianity completely on my worst days.</p><p><br /></p><p> I cannot remember who said it, but back in 2016 a man made the statement that if you are a Christian and was going to vote for Trump, it should be done with weeping and sorrow, not with excitement and happiness. Yet many Christians acted like he was the best thing since sliced bread and were excited to vote for him.</p><p><br /></p><p> Shortly before the election, Trump supposedly became a Christian....just when he was really needing the Christian vote. Had someone running on the Democrat ticket done that, the same people believing his conversion would be very dubious that it was a genuine conversion. The man has acted very badly in the last 4 years, and most, if not all of his Christian supporters insist he is a Christian. Part of the problem is that if a politician does enough things his supporters like, they pretty much equate that with being a Christian.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GVEEg-pjzIlltjOs1dIsKEnRStFopcYZfV5G0jZZOxJDiLeUTk3EsSt2P8R46xzUroTUNVkU5OkBCTYJ9akVo3U8fgTYreVgXOnEL1oIRAS8dnETXdWttO3Ozf8ea7sb4zrlfElbY9M/s736/repent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="736" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GVEEg-pjzIlltjOs1dIsKEnRStFopcYZfV5G0jZZOxJDiLeUTk3EsSt2P8R46xzUroTUNVkU5OkBCTYJ9akVo3U8fgTYreVgXOnEL1oIRAS8dnETXdWttO3Ozf8ea7sb4zrlfElbY9M/w200-h200/repent.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Since Trump has come on the scene, Christians have defended - or at least turned a blind eye to - adultery, strip clubs, a man bragging about sexually assaulting women (and yes, what he said he likes to do IS sexual assault), vulgarity, arrogance, general bad behavior not befitting a president - and especially a Christian. And yet they claim he is a Christian...a baby Christian. Just how long does the baby stage last? Some claim he is the most Christian president we have ever had. </p><p><br /></p><p> It is bad enough that so many Christians bypassed what they would condemn in a Democrat, but they want everyone else to do the same. Prior to this last election, several Christians were posting things claiming if you are a true Christian, you would vote for Trump. Others knocked, and pretty much mocked Christians for having issue with the way Trump acts.....even from my own church. Christians who oppose Trump have been called Pharisees, traitors, told they are not on God's side, and other similar things. It is not easy being a Christian and/or conservative who opposes and holds Trump accountable.</p><p><br /></p><p> I firmly believe that politics has corrupted the church and Christianity in America. The nomination and election of Donald Trump has either made it worse, or made it more obvious....or both. The events of this week are a great example. Trump supporters broke into the Capitol and resorted to violence and destruction. A lot of Trump supporters are insisting the people are not Trump supporters. Others are defending and supporting it....yet they would condemn Democrats for the same actions.</p><p><br /></p><p> The Bible has a lot to say about how Christians should act and conduct themselves, yet that seems to go out the window for so many when it comes to politics.</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian harshly criticize Democrats while trying to shut up anyone criticizing Trump?</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian criticize a Democrat for what they defend in Trump?</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian try to manipulate others into voting like them?</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian try to get someone to go against their conscience?</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian place so much faith in a politician? </p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian be OK with and cheer on actions in Trump that they know are wrong and that they would never stoop to themselves?</p><p><br /></p><p>Would a true Christian call someone names and knock them for believing they should not vote for Trump?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlOiabB3oz5aMEvllW0TdCNeNXvXs6fG46T0YfGiyWjIBq84-1LUMYn04vcgByHmkjh_VcittMOmYR8qoTx_97LdZbbUspkrL5l9U9Z03Lmoi7AEoUn5X_57avkh5ktvKA6-kC3IMp6k/s1120/holy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1120" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlOiabB3oz5aMEvllW0TdCNeNXvXs6fG46T0YfGiyWjIBq84-1LUMYn04vcgByHmkjh_VcittMOmYR8qoTx_97LdZbbUspkrL5l9U9Z03Lmoi7AEoUn5X_57avkh5ktvKA6-kC3IMp6k/w320-h181/holy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> I attend what is known as a holiness church. They are known for believing it is wrong to dress in certain ways, and for not engaging in certain activities that a lot of other churches do. They also teach and believe in sanctification, or an indwelling of the Holy Spirit as some churches call it. It is a taking out of the root of sin, and is supposed to take away what makes people lose their temper and stop them from being petty, etc. I personally stopped believing in it some years ago because of people professing it and not acting it...plus isn't Jesus enough? If a trip to the altar giving your life to Jesus doesn't cause a big enough change in you, then maybe it didn't take.</p><p><br /></p><p> It is difficult to explain the whole doctrine in a simple and condensed way, but let me put it this way: a Christian who is both saved and sanctified should act differently than the person who is just saved. Yet countless people who believe that and supposedly are sanctified in the way my church believes do not act like it when it comes to politics. Don't get me wrong, any Christian shouldn't act like so many do when it comes to politics....but if you are professing something that is supposed to cause you to act differently than what those who do not possess, then why bother with it?</p><p><br /></p><p> This is not an exhaustive list of what gets tossed out when Christians get political, but here are some I believe do:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LK4WvPGcaWtTNmgp1NCHkjwWUNocXLQzsTevdc42w8pegFQFwR9WPCBQiJsYHYHPFsVnl38gjVoyKSgwQytpRbzeDfaEQNGvaxAmwUUrm1ox2-hgaU6U17EvgIpdXo1twWA6jXl57fU/s1500/peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1489" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LK4WvPGcaWtTNmgp1NCHkjwWUNocXLQzsTevdc42w8pegFQFwR9WPCBQiJsYHYHPFsVnl38gjVoyKSgwQytpRbzeDfaEQNGvaxAmwUUrm1ox2-hgaU6U17EvgIpdXo1twWA6jXl57fU/w199-h200/peace.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Love</p><p>Patience</p><p>A soft answer</p><p>Humility</p><p>Patience</p><p>Doing good to your enemies</p><p>Loving your enemies</p><p>Praying for your enemies -or those you disagree with</p><p>Don't bear false witness</p><p>Forgiving</p><p>Not putting faith in man</p><p>The whole love chapter</p><p>The fruits of the Spirit</p><p>Being peacemakers</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMGx2v_DwYuet3dhSexwb6hTwE1gHQGO9x1OTJM6_iG7JVMVzltONyFfB1OuDFXRyeYdRPL9xs3bgmd_VanYqZ-2MAR7aM0pQFCQcLQ774qEb9R7ZUukIsVIQ3kL6hnJNhPoQTzneMpI/s1024/love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMGx2v_DwYuet3dhSexwb6hTwE1gHQGO9x1OTJM6_iG7JVMVzltONyFfB1OuDFXRyeYdRPL9xs3bgmd_VanYqZ-2MAR7aM0pQFCQcLQ774qEb9R7ZUukIsVIQ3kL6hnJNhPoQTzneMpI/s320/love.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> Can we love our neighbor as Jesus said to if we go after them because of politics?</p><p><br /></p><p> And yeah, I suck at some of those also, and have given back as good as I have gotten.</p><p><br /></p><p> Four years later, I still don't get how and why the religious right picked Donald Trump. Nor do I get why so many enthusiastically support him. If I did vote for him, it would be reluctantly and I sure wouldn't be excited about it and broadcasting that I voted for him and be proud of the fact as so many were in both elections. I have been sickened as so many Christians support and defend him no matter how badly he acts, and refuse to hold him accountable....then they try to shut up anyone who won't support or ignore his actions.</p><p> Just today, a Facebook friend posted that a lot of Trump supporters are calling for him to start a 3rd party: The Patriot's Party. Keep in mind that Trump supporters were strongly against voting 3rd party these last 2 elections....believe me, I know. </p><p><br /></p><p> Christians have become way too political, and have let politics influence how they act towards those who don't agree with them politically. I also believe being so political has hurt our witness, and hindered us from what God wants us to do. Too many people work harder to win people to their candidate and political views, than they do to win people to God and get people into church who don't attend. Politics has pretty much become an idol to many Christians, and they are either unaware of it or they just don't care. The great commission has become more about winning people to Trump than to God.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dtGCD2p7mTi29SpK5L0Qhug-fpXzq9x3rpfbDTPHNE6rdWoqlVd_Yv4090zI_LQza7RdfpEo67SVhtSiEYaxmlSfQnxwkvG_hiwZ9eqLA-gAhDnis1xGl2fw8fezms9whnXv9PW5eXg/s1280/Great-Commission.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dtGCD2p7mTi29SpK5L0Qhug-fpXzq9x3rpfbDTPHNE6rdWoqlVd_Yv4090zI_LQza7RdfpEo67SVhtSiEYaxmlSfQnxwkvG_hiwZ9eqLA-gAhDnis1xGl2fw8fezms9whnXv9PW5eXg/s320/Great-Commission.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Christianity would be better off if Democrats ruled everything and Christians suffered for their faith, then to be overtaken so much by politics that it affects how we live and how we treat people. I believe American Christianity has become far removed from Biblical Christianity, and politics is one major factor. There have been many times in these last four years that I have found myself thinking "If this is Christianity, I am not sure I want it." And if I, a person raised in the church, a Christian school, and who had 4 years of Bible college feels that way, then how many non-Christians feel that way when they see how Christians act in regards to politics? How many people have been turned off on Christianity because of what they have seen from political Christians?</p><p><br /></p><p> I have related it before, but a friend of mine has 2 atheist friends who stated that after Christians supporting and defending Trump in 2016, they never wanted to hear a Christian talk about morals again. I fear politics in general, and such an extreme over the top defense and support of Trump has dealt a blow to Christianity.</p><p><br /></p><p> And again, I am not saying I am guiltless or any better than others....but I will say the actions and words of many Christians these past 4 years have chipped away at what I believe and shaken my faith. I would like to think that these Christians wouldn't say what they have said and acted like they acted if they knew how it has affected my faith, but I fear politics and protecting Trump takes precedence over that. Not all Trump voters and supporters are the same.. I get that. I am not trying to make a blanket statement about all Christians who voted for him. But it is sad that so few have called him out on bad actions and policies over the 4 years of his presidency.</p><p><br /></p><p> Last year I did something I thought I would never do: I un-registered to vote. There were a couple of reasons.</p><p>#1 I am still upset and frustrated by what was said to and about me for voting 3rd party.</p><p>#2 I am really disgusted with the Republican Party and wanted out</p><p>#3 I wearied of the idea I had to vote for a candidate because he ran on the GOP ticket and I was a Republican.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcY3DpekCW_O_bGsCURw8vSNvEgXcSs15ADZiE5A91bbOO0qp3AQUTOL7tTeBBAZpLDSk2akpvcAVo2082da7t1TGSH3X54nXn4AUCTGrtmOOfXe3tgwYrS3Ba_S_KXWQz6ieMVs8CD4/s601/party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcY3DpekCW_O_bGsCURw8vSNvEgXcSs15ADZiE5A91bbOO0qp3AQUTOL7tTeBBAZpLDSk2akpvcAVo2082da7t1TGSH3X54nXn4AUCTGrtmOOfXe3tgwYrS3Ba_S_KXWQz6ieMVs8CD4/s320/party.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Christians should be involved in politics, I am not saying we should not be, but too many are too involved and not only let it affect how they treat people, but it also takes up too much of their time and energy. Instead of using social media to spread the Gospel and encourage others, too many use it for politics. A political Christianity is not a Biblical Christianity. It is a shallow Christianity that is not going to change our country for good. We like to blame the Democrats for the stare of our country, for the lack of morals, for drifting so far from God and the Bible....but could it be that too many Christians are contributing to that by living a version of Christianity that is too diluted by politics and other influences.</p><p> People love to say what Jesus would or would not do. I have no idea if He would vote, or if He would vote for either of the two main parties. I do know this: He was not political. There were a few times when the religious leaders tried to get Him to be political, and He refused. If we truly want to be like Jesus, maybe we should also avoid politics...or at least not focus on it very much.</p><p><b>**addition</b></p><p> I was thinking along these lines today, and I had this thought: We let who is in the White House consume way too much of our time. I get being concerned about politics, and our lives are influenced by who is in the White House, but why do we let it consume us so much? Is it any wonder Christianity is dying? We are obsessed with politics. One only has to look at social media to see how true that is. </p><p> I believe Trump has changed conservatism and Christianity in America, and done a hard blow to both. I still cannot understand why Christians are so over the top loyal to him to the point that they accept and/or defend everything he says or does, and ignores what they would normally be against. Why do they go after anyone who dares criticize him and not 100% support him? It seems the most important thing to many Christians is to defend and support Trump. </p><p> It has made me want something better than this politicalized Christianity that is so prevalent. There were Christians in the past who faced lions, stoning, were burnt at the stake, and suffered in other ways for their faith.....and they stood strong, and loved their enemies who were torturing and killing them...yet today's Christians can't handle their favorite politician being criticized.</p><p> I believe American Christianity has been shallow for a long time, but these last few years have shown just how shallow it is. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-34954295792857536672020-08-27T20:27:00.000-07:002020-08-27T21:07:06.117-07:00Becoming a political atheist <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylFfeh4c6qs9HG4A5jRTOPGpZFcHvQsH0CE0Vos69bqLgSbjs2-zhWTw46K-zTmKSW5d_4G1W8_JS02o1SmfwdG9YLjgPxzO6t5IIeZCO6iYd9kNNHiRQ8RqgnaMgkyTZRgEPkkBRolA/s1600/atheist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="630" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylFfeh4c6qs9HG4A5jRTOPGpZFcHvQsH0CE0Vos69bqLgSbjs2-zhWTw46K-zTmKSW5d_4G1W8_JS02o1SmfwdG9YLjgPxzO6t5IIeZCO6iYd9kNNHiRQ8RqgnaMgkyTZRgEPkkBRolA/s200/atheist.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
**not to be confused with a regular atheist who claims there is no God.<br />
<br />
I was thinking this evening about politics and my views of it this evening, and the thought occurred to me "Maybe I am a political atheist." I Googled the term to see if there was such a thing, and to my surprise, urban dictionary actually has a couple of definitions for political atheist. This is the one of the two that I feel best describes me, though I balk a little at the "too intelligent" phrasing, as I do not consider myself more intelligent than others.....but I do feel I have been paying more attention than some people.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What is a political atheist?</span></b><br />
<br />
Political atheist: <b><i>"One who is too intelligent and informed to believe any of the political ideologies being pushed today. Their knowledge of government has evolved to the point that they cannot trust, in any way, shape, or form the fairy tales and coincidences peddled by people in power, regardless of the party a politician proclaims him/herself to be in. A political atheist understands that these people tend to be the worst of humanity-- greedy, sociopathic, narcissistic, lying criminals and are not worthy of supporting; especially not with a vote.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>To trust a politician is the ultimate act of misplaced faith."</i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>It should go without saying, but I have never trusted Democrats, and find their main platforms ant-God, anti-American, anti-life, and anti-anything good. I have come to realize and believe in recent years that the Republican Party isn't much different than the Democrats. One big difference is the Democrats are a little more honest in some ways. They say outright they want to further the cause of women being allowed to murder their babies, using softer words like "women's reproductive rights", of course.....but they are not shy about their desire to keep abortion legal and widespread.<br />
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Then take the Republicans. They say they are pro-life, but rarely do anything to prove it. Donald Trump promises to de-fund Planned Parenthood, and could have done so when the Republicans held a majority in both the House and Senate......but it didn't happen. I have come to believe that the Republicans have their own agenda and most of them have no intention of doing what their Christian base wants and expects them to do. But as long as they say they are for or against what Christians want, Christians will vote for them over and over. I occasionally refer to the Republican Party as the "Democrat lite Party, " because the parties don't seem much different to me these days.<br />
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I think Rush Limbaugh is an arrogant narcissistic faux conservative, but something he said years ago when I listened to his propaganda stuck with me. He was at a big political party of some kind, and some Republican politicians were talking. One asked "What are we going to do about these Christians?" From what Limbaugh related, the general consensus was that these Republican politicians despised their Christian base, but realized they need them and had to do and say enough to make them happy. And that makes sense from what I have seen.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Is Holiness a sham? </span></b><br />
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I made a statement on a post by someone from my church, and that statement has not gone over well - "Trump has shown that holiness is a sham." I attend a holiness church, and if you don't know what that is or understand, you may want to skip this part. Holiness churches believe not in just someone being saved, but also sanctified, which is a separate work of grace and received at a different time. Think indwelling of the Holy Spirit, without the tongues and antics of Pentecostals. A good description of what this does is a story about Uncle Bud Robinson.<br />
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Uncle Bud Robinson was a Christian, but had an anger problem. One evidence was with his cow. When he milked it, it often knocked over the milk, and he would hit it - I think with the milking stool. Anyway, he got sanctified and never had an issue of hitting the cow again. Sanctification is a removal of the root of sin, involves surrender, and is supposed to make the person even more Christ-like and less prone to sin. Very simplistic view.<br />
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People in holiness churches have a lot of strict outward rules, varying from one church and denomination to another. For different reasons, I have not really believed in sanctification for several years, at least not the way my church teaches.<br />
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These last 4 years have kind of pushed me over the edge. If people truly believe what my church and others teach, then holiness (sanctification) must be a sham.<br />
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Politics has invaded the church, even mine. Saved and sanctified people spend way too much time arguing and posting about politics. They bash Democrats, even posting things that are not true, because it is about Democrats. Then they turn around and defend everything Trump does and says, and goes after anyone who dares criticize Trump. They have a separate list of rules for Democrats than they do for Trump. There is such a huge double standard, and it boggles my mind after listening to the sermons and teachings I have all my life that so many people, that the same people who profess sanctification are not any different from the world in how they act when it comes to politics.....over the top support of a man who they would recoil from and criticize if he still had a "D" by his name.....accuse people of being for Hillary who don't support him, knowing full well they aren't, while ignoring the fact they voted for a man who actually did support Hillary....still holding a grudge towards Christians who didn't vote for Trump.....accusing people of being judgmental and Pharisees for daring to hold Trump to the same standard we hold Democrats to (no one gets accused of being a Pharisee or judgmental for pointing out wrongs in Democrats).....declaring to be for free speech while trying to shut up people who dare criticize Trump....rant about the Democrats wanting gun control and abortion while ignoring Trump's gun control and funding of abortion......and ignoring so much they would go after if it was a Democrat.<br />
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My best friend made an interesting comment....I hate masks and don't think the governors have a right to mandate them. I feel people should wear them if they want....but Steven said this <b>"People sure aren't going to be drawn to Christ by a bunch of Christians whining about having to wear a mask or how unfair it is that they can't meet in a building like they want to."</b> And I have argued hotly against them.<br />
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Christians from my church and others have become so political and argumentative that we don't love people. We have to get our political views out there, and it has become more important than loving people and winning people to God. It is actually sad that with all the uses for social media for Christians, so many use it to argue politics and praise and admire politicians who are as corrupt as the ones they bash.<br />
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That is why I said holiness is a sham. Because what I have seen these last 4 years do not line up with what my church teaches, but politics seems to give people an exemption from acting like the sanctified people they profess to be. If what my church teaches is true, then sanctified people shouldn't make false accusations, post things not true, attack politician they don't like and attack people who dare criticize their guy. They won't try to get people to vote against their conscience. They won't say it is wrong to watch TV or wear shorts yet embrace a man that has the morals of Trump - or lack of.<br />
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But to be fair, even Christians who only are saved should act different. Maybe we were this bad before and Trump has just helped bring it out......I probably posted things about Obama that I shouldn't have....but that was OK since he was a Democrat. There are so many Bible verses we seem to discard when it comes to politics....as if it is an exemption to how Jesus commanded us to live and treat each other.<br />
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I have a few friends from church who don't like Trump, but keep quiet because of how they were treated when they did speak up. By others in my church and similar churches.<br />
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Seriously, we are never going to win people to Christ when politics has so corrupted and invaded our Christianity and churches.<br />
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(And no, I don't think holiness people are a sham...just sanctification if it truly is what I have been taught.)<br />
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This has all made me realize that politics has become so corrupt in both parties that I can't see even the Republican Party doing much good. And I can't see them nominating better candidates in the future, only worse. I<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Doing better</span></b><br />
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I am going to try to do better. I have a lot of anger from what I see as the huge double standard when it comes to Trump, and family and friends trying to shut me up makes me angrier. Why is it OK for them to post whatever they want politically, but not OK for me since I don't agree with them? Am I only allowed free speech when they agree with what I say? That isn't Christian, holiness, or even American.<br />
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Maybe I need to un-follow those who post so much politics, at least until after the election. As corrupt as both parties are, and as corrupt and liberal as both candidates are, should Christians be fighting about them when neither is worth our time? Surely there are better uses for social media than arguing politics and trying to get people to vote the way we want them to do. Jesus wasn't political, and I am not saying we shouldn't be political at all or not vote.....but are we being like Him when we are arguing politics, putting so much faith in politicians, and often praising politicians more than Jesus...at least on social media?<br />
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We aren't going to change anyone's minds, and will most likely alienate some people.....and possibly turn some off on God and Christianity....but do we even care? Politics has taken such a priority in our lives that we tend to think more as Americans than Christians. We react as Americans first, and not as Christians. We tend to hold the Constitution on the same plane as the Bible, and use it more on social media than the Bible. We worry more about our rights and freedoms than loving people. I am guilty. You are most likely guilty.....unless you are like my friend Avis Blowers, who never posts political stuff, but posts a lot of positive Christian content....like all Christians should.<br />
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Biden or Trump are unfortunately going to win the election. No number of political posts or arguments is going to affect which one wins. So why should any Christian worth their salt spend more time on political posts, when they can use social media for so much more important and better things?<br />
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Stepping away from the Republican Party, not having a "horse" in the race in 2016 or since has given me a completely new perspective. I don't think I am better than anyone else, smarter, or even always right.....but I do believe everything I have said about Trump, and am sad my former party picked him and has not held him accountable as they would if he was a Democrat. I do believe I think more for myself than I did prior to the 2016 election.<br />
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And I believe we'd be better off as a church and as Christians, and that the cause of Christ would fare better and be more attractive if Christians never voted and were under Democrat rule forever and lose our rights and freedoms......no, I don't want that.....but what is more important - the Kingdom of Heaven, or our lives here in America. (And by the way, when I say former party referring to the Republican Party, it does not mean I have changed parties...I simply unregistered to vote. Maybe I won't get jury duty now.)<br />
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The average Trump supporter would condemn my rhetoric about Trump and say I should pray for him........while they use the same rhetoric about Democrats and don't pray for them. A popular thing right now is to share memes saying Biden is a pedophile, with pictures of him hugging kids....yet there is no proof, and the same people would never accuse of anyone they knew of that with no proof - yet the Bible doesn't say we can falsely accuse a Democrat of something.....and ironically, there are as many or more pictures of Trump hugging kids. So is he one too? Politics has gotten so dirty and divisive, and too many Christians are getting down in the dirty part and wallowing like pigs, while they toss their Christianity on the side to put back on later.<br />
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I am far from perfect, and have been hurt by what people said because I dared vote 3rd party in 2016. I have been hurt as people have tried to shut me down as I tried to do as they do, and exercise my freedom of speech. I have watched as this president does things Obama did and got criticized for, and as he does things his supporters would scream about if it was a Democrat - like gun control. There is a lot of corruption in this administration, but it gets ignored....because the Democrats are worse.<br />
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What if Biden is the lesser of two evils.....what if a Biden presidency caused a revival in the church and got people to seek God more than politics? What if a Biden presidency brought unity among Christians instead of the divisiveness politics has caused? What if a Biden presidency did more to further the cause of Christ than a Trump presidency?<br />
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And again, I value my rights and freedoms and don't want Biden any more than Trump. But what if?<br />
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A certain friend of mine who is also conservative and anti-Trump wanted to ask this on Facebook, but feared the backlash: "if you knew a Biden win would bring about revival in the church, would you fight him so much?" Great question. The temporal has become too important. America has almost eclipsed Heaven, where we are supposed to be living for.<br />
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I want America to be Christian and conservative, but the Republican Party is sliding further away from that with each election. The day may come when the Republican candidate is too bad for any Christian to vote for....then what will we do? Politicians can't save America, nor can they make our country great again. Only God can do that....and if that statement offends you, then why does it?<br />
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I have failed God more often than not in my life, or so it seems. I have never been a strong Christian.....struggling for years to believe God loves me, struggling to believe I was truly saved, watching people more than looking to Jesus. Toss in depression and my SSA, my Christian walk seems to be more rocky and difficult than what seems to be normal. 2016 about shattered my faith, and that is partly good, as it shattered my faith in the Republican Party and helped me see I have put too much hope and faith in elections and politicians. The bad part is it about shattered my faith in God and the Church. I have found myself thinking several times over the last four years, "if this is what Christianity is, do I truly want to be one?" And again, I am not saying I am better than anyone...but it is true. If Christianity has become so intertwined and invaded by politics, and Christians are going to argue politics and let it divide them.....do I want that? Should any of us want that?<br />
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My hope is no longer in politics, a political party, or politicians like I feel it used to be. I am a political atheist.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-39590857547147417392020-06-02T20:34:00.003-07:002020-06-02T20:34:37.050-07:00The quarantine edition #3<br />
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Ugh, I can't believe it is June already. The last day I worked was April 11. I am on my 8th week of being laid off, and didn't work for over half of April and all of May. They are still doing it week by week. My boss calls every Friday and lets us know about the next week. She said she doesn't want to leave us hanging for too long, so that is why she does it weekly. She did ask me if that worked OK for me, which it does.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Neighbors</span></b><br />
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I found out today that my neighbors are moving at the end of the month. They are in the other half of the duplex, and are a very nice young Jehovah Witness couple with a 2 year old girl. They are quiet, and have been great neighbors.<br />
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My landlord gives him $50 off the rent to do the mowing on the months that the grass needs mowed. When my landlord dropped my water bill off today, he told me they were moving and asked if I'd be interested in mowing for $50 off the rent a month. He furnishes the mower and weed wacker, so I said I'd do it. $50 may not sound like much, but there isn't much grass to mow. I doubt it would take over 30 minutes, if it even takes that long. I am guessing I'll have to keep the mower and weed wacker in my basement....and that doesn't excite me.<br />
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Nor does it excite me to get new neighbors...but my landlord is very picky. I had to give references of where I rented, personal references, my credit score, my employment proof and how much I make.<br />
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Speaking of neighbors....the neighbors in the houses on both sides of the duplex smoke on their porches....which means if I sit on mine, I'll get it from both sides. I had my kitchen door open one day this week, and it smelled like cigarette smoke. I really, really hate cigarettes. I feel bad for those who are addicted and want to quit...I hear it is almost impossible. There isn't much yard behind the duplex, but I could sit back there if I want to sit outside.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The park</span></b><br />
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I am within walking distance of the park in my town....well, I am within walking distance of pretty much anything in my town...and had never been to the park in the 9 months I have lived here. There is the entrance to a paved walking trail right past the park, so I walked down toady to walk on it since today was a gorgeous day. The trail isn't long, and winds back into the park. I was surprised at how big it is, and how beautiful it is. It has several picnic pavilions, swimming pools, a couple of baseball fields, a pond, gazebo, etc.<br />
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I spent some time just wandering around enjoying it, and taking pictures. I definitely plan on spending more time there.<br />
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And I should have worn sunblock or a hat :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">George Floyd</span></b><br />
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It is terrible about the death of Mr Floyd at the hands of a corrupt cop. This will sound terrible, but I am tired of hearing about it. Several people on Facebook post multiple times about it a day, many lecturing and giving their opinion over and over and over. And yes, it is horrible.....but the cop has been arrested and hopefully will go away for a very long time.<br />
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But seriously, how many times does one person need to post about it? Yes, there is racism in this country, and it is on all sides. There is just as much, if not more, towards whites (thanks Obama!)... and why do some injustices get so much attention and endless posts.<br />
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This past week, a black man was killed because of the riots. His death is not getting much attention, or endless posts on social media. Why not? He was black. Also, this past week, 2 young cops were killed....and their deaths aren't getting much attention either...or the other cops who have been killed this year.<br />
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America has a racism problem, but it is from all races....not just whites....but we are the ones who get railed at and told how horrible we are over and over. If George Floyd was white, it wouldn't get even close to the outrage we are dealing with. And I am honestly not trying to take away from the horror of his death at all.<br />
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I honestly think the endless posts about him are just making it worse, inciting more hate, more riots, and even more racism. And the media thrives on it.<br /><br /> And this is just for Trump supporters who are on Facebook posting endless posts about racism: I have a Facebook friend who is black, and he struggles a lot with what he sees as racism from Trump and a lot of his supporters.<br />
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I am just so tired of the negativity on Facebook. Yeah, I am guilty of it too. I try not to be, but I get sucked into it. I have started pausing a lot of people and pages who are posting the constant negativity about this.<br />
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I am depressed. Severely depressed. I don't need 99% of the posts on Facebook to be negative and make me feel worse and make me angry - a lovely side effect of depression.<br />
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The other day, I challenged my Facebook friends to do a positive post. Out of the 588 friends, I think 3 or 4 did it.<br />
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And yeah, I go so long without criticizing dear leader, but after seeing so many posts about him by people who refuse to see any wrong in him and continually praise him to the point of nausea....it is like I snap and start sharing my thoughts about him.<br />
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But I am not alone. Way too many Christians on Facebook post negative post after negative post. They attack Nancy Pelosi and Biden - for a lot of what Trump is guilty of - they rail about racism, masks, etc. It is kind of difficult to remain positive on Facebook when so many of what is running across your feed is negative.<br />
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And again, I have considered getting rid of Facebook....but I keep in contact with relatives, acquaintances, and authors.... and do a lot of book and book review related things on and through Facebook.<br />
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Maybe one just needs to slowly weed out the negative Nellys, political Pauls, and racist lecture Larrys, and try to get your feed on the positive side.<br />
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And maybe Christians need to consider more what they post. What effect it will have, if it will be helpful or not, etc. Because too much of what we post isn't helpful, positive, or encouraging.<br />
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Speaking of negativity, I got a funny blog post comment recently. The person said it was nice that I had a place where I could share my thoughts, but I was too negative and they should have read a newspaper instead . :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Piano</span></b><br />
<br />
When I moved into the farmhouse a few years ago, my oldest sister gave me one of their 4 pianos. Yeah - 4. It was the one we learned to play on, and it had been in our family for around 33 years. I didn't like how it played, so I rarely played it, and I sold it when I moved here. My parents have a Yamaha electric piano I love. I tried to find the same model on Amazon, but they don't have it. So I went shopping on there this evening. I looked at Yamaha pianos, Roland (I used to have one), and other brands, and finally narrowed it down to three Yamaha pianos. They were all different prices. Option #1 had a lot of reviews, didn't have many bells and whistles, and had several negative reviews. Option #2 cost more, had some bells and whistles, didn't have many reviews - but all were good - and the piano sounded better in the description than option #1. Option #3 was even more money, had a lot of bells and whistles, good reviews - just a few reviews- and looked like a lot of fun.<br />
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I debated for a while, and settled on option #2. I didn't figure I needed all the bells and whistles on the third one, plus it looked like it took up more space. The reason I shopped Amazon is I could get 12 months same as cash, with no interest if paid off in a year....and I hopefully will pay it off long before that.<br />
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The option I picked comes with a bench, stand, sustain pedal, power cord, and headphones....though I don't need those.<br />
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I was playing at my sister's on Memorial day, and was dismayed at how rusty I am....so hopefully I can get back in practice. It should come Friday, and I can't wait. I am just hoping it fits where I want to put it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Garage sale</span></b><br />
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When my little sister and family moved back in March, they had a lot of stuff for a yard sale....but you couldn't have one because of the virus. And I mean a lot of stuff. Caleb, my niece's fiance' loaded up a trailer and the back of his pickup, and they loaded their van when they brought the stuff to my parents'.<br />
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We are planning on one later this week, so I got together a lot of things for it. I sold a dresser to my little sister instead of putting it in the sale, and still have a lot. I took two carloads down today, and still have enough for another.<br />
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I of course have several books and CDs, among other things. I debated about selling my card table and 4 chairs, and finally decided to do so. It is a nice thing to have, but I never, ever use it. I don't have company, and there is no use of it just sitting in the basement gathering dust. There are things that are nice to have on hand, but why keep them if you never use them. Well, I did use it when I wrapped Christmas gifts.....but that is not enough to merit keeping it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Foot peel</span></b><br />
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My feet are really dry, and I was Googling what to do to help. A foot peel was one option, and one I had never heard of. After researching it, and comparing different brands, I ordered one and did it last week.<br />
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What is a foot peel? You get two bootie type things made out of plastic and filled with "stuff" - lotions, etc. The one I used said to wear them for 2 hours, and for best results wear socks. I cannot explain how weird it felt. The directions said the dry skin would start peeling off in 7-10 days, but it started in a few.....and yes, it works and helps. I may do a second one to help the worst of it....but I do recommend.<br />
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And if you try it, I'd go with Amazon. I first tried a cheap one from Walmart, but it wasn't the same and did nothing.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do we truly want equality?</span></b><br />
<br />
This is a thought I have had for a long time, if I can get across in a way that makes sense.<br />
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Years ago, when there was a crime or violent act between a black and white person, the black person had no voice and was presumed guilty....and that was wrong and evil. We have flipped that around. Now when there is an incident between black and white, it often becomes a national incident and the white person is always presumed wrong, and the media even works to make it that way. And that is wrong and evil. When Trayvon Martin was killed, CBS doctored the 911 call to make it sound like it was racist motivated....I still don't understand why their actions weren't a bigger deal to people.<br />
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And yes, as in this most recent incident, the white guy is sometimes in the wrong. But imagine for a moment...if George had been white, how different reactions would be. No one would be "whiting out" today, and a lot of things would be different.<br /><br /> There is just as much hate and racism towards whites, but it gets ignored and is OK. There have been a lot of black people in the public eye who have said terrible things about whites, and nothing happens. When Obama was in office, it was quite popular to hate whites and cops...he encouraged it.<br />
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So here is my point: If everyone truly wants equality, then why do incidents get treated so differently when a black person is the victim? Someone said something on Facebook I thought made sense. He said his views are a little different: A corrupt cop murdered an American. Think about that. Why does race always have to be brought into it? More white people are killed by cops, but people only focus on the black ones killed. Cops are killed all the time, and there is nowhere near the same reactions.<br />
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And the same goes for gay people. People's race or sexual orientation always have to be mentioned if they are certain colors or sexual orientation. It seems people prefer keeping us divided and different.<br />
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I am not saying there is not racism or true homophobia....there is. But there is just as much hate and bigotry aimed at Christians and white people.....but it is accepted, overlooked, and even defended. And yeah, I keep hearing we shouldn't say all lives matter right now...but if not, then when will be deal with the racism and hate towards whites and Christians? We matter too, not just black people and gay people.<br />
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The truth of the matter is there is a segment of Americans who thrive on division. Someone said once if there was no racism towards blacks, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be out of work.....but they are not the only ones who want racism and division to stay alive.<br />
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I hope I got my point across without being misunderstood...but I understood. :)<br />
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Why can't we all just be Americans?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Are we all narcissists?</span></b><br />
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Could we all be a bit narcissistic? That could explain this need for so many of us to express our opinions over and over on so many issues. We seem to think the world needs to know our thoughts, feelings, and opinions on things people probably are not waiting with baited breath for us to express. Yeah, deep thought.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pride month</span></b><br />
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June is gay pride month. There was a day I was terrified of people finding out that I was attracted to males instead of females. I can honestly say I don't care who knows at this point. I didn't ask for it, and it doesn't seem to affect how people are involved in my life....but then my family is pretty much the only people I see outside of church and work and interact and hang out with.<br />
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I am not ashamed of my attractions. No, I am not proud, and I get disgusted by gay pride. I still believe 100% you cannot be a Christian and have any kind of gay relationship. That is Biblical. I also believe pride is a sin as the same Bible says, so you have a two-fer if you celebrate gay pride.<br />
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What really gets me is when companies have to jump on it. Last year, Papa John's kept featuring gay employees on social media. Other companies make specific products rainbow during June. What is alarming is the amount of Christians who promote it.<br />
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I get the idea of gay pride. So many had to hide it for so long, but that doesn't make it right. I do believe everyone should be allowed to live as gay if they want, but it should not infringe on the rights of Christians...and it does. But that is another story.<br />
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The church and Christians need to do better in this area than most do. No, the answer isn't patting gay people on the backs and helping them believe a lie that will cause them to miss Heaven. But homosexuality is one of many sins that will keep people out of Heaven and that you cannot be a Christian and practice. Could you be friends with a heterosexual guy who is living with his girlfriend? That too is a sin that will keep people out of Heaven, though we are used to it and hardly think anything of it anymore. A Christian should be able to be friends with gay people and love them without acting like they are gross or constantly pointing out how wrong their lifestyle is.<br />
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No young person should be thrown out of his parents' house because he is gay. Yes, the parents have a right to say certain behaviors are not allowed in the house, but that is not Christianity to toss out your own kid because he is gay...but it happens. There are a lot of homeless youth who got kicked out of their parents' homes because they were gay. And of course not all of the parents are Christians who do that, but many are.<br />
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Homophobia is not believing the Bible says it is a sin. Homophobia is hate and a fear of being around gay people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPQx8KJ1AksTfObSPxD1LveyhpwtBzLYspW3AHdoFvyHgLSdt27L0S2CHPJhXLxiBhOuYHzJWg0XMilS5nFuvsIFqFubb_NBk4YIqi6MCuqI1sjvhClTeFZ99FUlJ4hSdm25b633aeB8/s1600/capone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPQx8KJ1AksTfObSPxD1LveyhpwtBzLYspW3AHdoFvyHgLSdt27L0S2CHPJhXLxiBhOuYHzJWg0XMilS5nFuvsIFqFubb_NBk4YIqi6MCuqI1sjvhClTeFZ99FUlJ4hSdm25b633aeB8/s320/capone.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Capital One</span></b><br />
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I have a savings account, credit card, and auto loan with Capital One, and can access all three on the same website. I mentioned I paid my car off, but I had questions last week and could not get through to talk to anyone. The automated thing just kept circling me around for half an hour til they closed. Then I paid it off, and everything seemed fine. I got an email saying my loan was paid off, and they closed the account on the website.<br /><br /> Then today, I got an email with a statement. I logged on, and it said I owe $499+, and that a payment had been reversed. I tried something new....I called the line for new auto loan applicants, and guess what......I got through immediately. I finally had someone from their connect me to someone for current loans. The guy was very nice, and it took him a while, but it turns out the car is paid off, and he said to give them a week and it should all be straightened out.<br />
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While I was on their site, I noticed something that made my day. It has my credit score, and it is excellent. I had to file bankruptcy about 11-12 years ago, and my credit has been improving, but it made my day that it is excellent. Hopefully I can keep it there.<br />
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It is sad that current customers find it impossible to talk to customer service, but possible ones can get through immediately. And yes, I tried everything. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cops</span></b><br />
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I have seen a lot of hateful comments about cops, and there has been a lot of violence against them. There have some killed during the riots, and others hurt. One young cop was shot in the back of the head while making an arrest. He is alive, and hopefully makes it.<br />
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All these people who hate cops....if they need one some day, their attitude might change. Yes, there are corrupt and bad cops....but there are bad and corrupt people in every profession that exists...especially politicians...99.99% of them are corrupt and bad.<br />
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There are a lot of good police officers out there keeping us safe. It is wrong to lump them all together and hate all cops for the actions of a few bad ones.<br />
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This was posted on one page I follow:<br /><br />
In the last 96 hours...<br />
-A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer was shot in the back of the head while struggling with a rioter<br />
-An active shooter opened fire on law enforcement at a Las Vegas courthouse<br />
-4 St. Louis Police Officers were shot by an active shooter<br />
-A New York Police Officer was struck by a vehicle<br />
-3 Buffalo law enforcement officers were struck by a vehicle in front of the police station<br />
-3 Davenport law enforcement officers were ambushed and 1 was shot<br />
-132 officers were injured in Chicago during a riot<br />
-9 Pittsburg officers were injured by objects during a riot<br />
-Several officers in Rhode Island were injured during riots<br />
-An active shooter opened fire at the Oakland Police Department<br />
-2 officers were struck in the head with projectiles in Santa Ana<br />
-2 Richland officers were shot in Virginia<br />
-1 officer was struck in the head by a brick in Albany<br />
-4 Prince William County Police Officers sustained head injuries from projectiles<br />
-7 officers were injured in Sacramento<br />
-Several officers were shot at and injured in Lynchburg<br />
-Several Champaign Police Officers were injured<br />
-3 Oak Law Police Officers were injured<br />
-21 officers were injured in Salt Lake City<br />
-At least 50 Secret Service Agents were injured by Molotov cocktails in Washington<br />
-3 Denver Police Officers were ran over by a vehicle<br />
-33 New York Police Officers were injured during riots<br />
-6 Athens Police Officers injured during a protest<br />
-2 Capitol Police Officers were injured during a riot in Harrisburg<br />
-12 Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers were injured during riots<br />
-21 Minneapolis law enforcement officers injured in riots<br />
-1 Federal Protective Services Officer was shot and killed.<br />
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Source: Jeff Rey<br />
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Will the same people doing the "black out" today do something to honor these people tomorrow? I doubt it. Their focus is only on one thing right now, and cops' lives don't matter to them. At least not right now.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Harry's</span></b><br />
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I started using Harry's razor blades a few years ago, and love them. I was happy when Walmart started carrying them, as I don't have to order on line. I thought it was odd though I saw in a recent post that their blades are not for shaving heads....and I shave my head with them all the time. So I don't get it.<br />
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I recently tried a sample of their body wash, and really liked it. They had all 4 scents in 16 ounce bottles for $26, so I ordered them to add to my 25 other bottles of body wash. That is an exaggeration. I probably had 6 or so before. It may sound weird, but I kept smelling my arm the first day I used it. Yeah, that sounds weird. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">More positive</span></b><br />
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We all can do our part, so I am trying to be more positive.So I will end with something positive: My favorite restaurant, O Charley's, is open for dine in....first come, first serve. I haven't eaten inside there for a while - I did do curbside in March - so tomorrow I am planning on driving up to Boardman mainly to eat there.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-68185497080293857042020-05-29T08:50:00.003-07:002020-05-29T09:08:11.186-07:00Be a Barnabas....or an Avis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are people in the Bible we know a lot about, and some who take up a lot of space in the Bible. There are also some who are rather obscure, such as Barnabas. I looked up him on Biblegateway.com, and was surprised to find he is actually mentioned 39 times in the Bible, and all in the book of Acts. I also discovered that there is also more information on him than I remembered, and that is because Barnabas is remembered for one specific thing. Did you know that Barnabas wasn't his real name? His real name was Joseph, but he was nicknamed "Barnabas", which means one who encourages, or son of encouragement.<br />
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So when I say to be a Barnabas, anyone who knows their Bible very well is going to know what I mean. And what a cool thing to be known for. "Hey, there's that guy who is always encouraging people." What would our name mean? What if I said be a John, Mark, Donald, Joe, Martha, Cindy......<br />
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I doubt there are many people who are so encouraging that when their name is mentioned, people think of that trait. There is a lady who does come to mind for me. Avis Blowers. She is a Facebook friend who I have met. I was at their house a few years ago for supper, and man is she a good cook. And I have an open invitation to go back. Avis is married to Marvin, brother to my former pastor, David Blowers.<br />
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Social media is an awesome thing, yet isn't used for good by so many......even Christians. It has been so nice to have had it during this quarantine time, but so many people are negative. Social media has been full of doom and gloom about the virus, and now it is flooded with people's reactions about the guy's death in Minneapolis and about the looting by so many criminals. Why do so many Christians feel the need to spread bad news and negativity?<br />
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Back to Avis. Her Facebook page is full of encouragement and positive things. She never gets political, except a few months ago when she took Trump to task for his saying he is full of un-matchless wisdom. She even had a page just for that kind of stuff (positive, not political), but it got shut down for reasons no one knows. Here is a little glimpse into her recent posts:<br />
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1) Post about God's unlimited resources and benevolence, with a gorgeous picture<br />
2) a picture of a sunset<br />
3) a Max Lucado quote about pride and humility<br />
4) A nice quote by Harriet Beecher Stowe about God being near<br />
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I could go on. Post after post by this gracious lady. But go to the average Christian's post, and there are posts condemning politicians we don't like, rants about cops and/or racism, corona stuff, and more.<br />
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If Barabas were alive and had social media, I believe his posts would look a lot like Avis' posts. positive, encouraging.<br />
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And I am not saying we shouldn't address other things, but if the majority of our posts are political and about negative things, aren't we rather pathetic Christians?<br />
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We all need encouragement. I am a single guy who is lonely a lot, has depression, struggles with the very difficult issue of same-sex attraction....discouragement is my home, not just a place I visit. But I am not an exception to the rule...everyone gets discouraged at times. I bet even Barabas got discouraged, but he still encouraged people.<br />
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What if we all tried to be more encouraging? What if we used social media for good, instead of pushing our politics or giving our opinion on the latest horrible news story? What if most of our Facebook posts were positive, and people could look at them and they would resemble Avis' posts, or what Barabas would post?<br />
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A few weeks ago, a long time friend of mine sent me a card, saying she knows how hard it is for me to be off work and alone. Now I am not hinting for people to send me cards, but that was a very nice thing to do. (Thanks Christy!) But what if we all did things like that year around? It doesn't cost anything to encourage someone, and if we want to do something tangible, it doesn't have to cost much. A favorite candy bar or snack with a card would make anyone's day.<br />
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I used to speak occasionally in church to the youth, though others would be in the service too. Back in November 2004, I spoke on encouragement. The notes are saved on my pc, and that is the date....believe me, my memory is not that good. I was actually surprised that I still had them. I am going to put some of them below, as I have ideas on how to encourage and who to encourage. Don't be a negative Nelly or political Paul. Be a Barabas or Avis. Be an encourager.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My notes:</span></b><br />
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The story is told that one day Satan was selling off some of his tools. All sizes and prices were available. There was one small tool that had an extremely high price on it. When asked why the high price for such a small tool, his reply was that it was his most often used, and most effective tool - the tool of discouragement.<br />
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Of course there never was such a sale, but discouragement is one of the devil’s best tools. It seems if he can get a Christian discouraged, they become ineffective, and for a lot of Christians who give up and stumble, it is all started by discouragement.<br />
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The charismatic churches emphasize spiritual gifts a lot, but they are Biblical, and I think some people have the gift of encouragement, and even if you don’t, everyone needs to practice it some.<br />
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Who to encourage:<br />
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<b>A. Yourself</b><br />
The first person you need to encourage is yourself - not a selfish thing- if you are discouraged, you cannot help others.<br />
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<b>1. Prayer:</b> It should be our first action and resource when we are discouraged and down about something<br />
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<b>2. Bible</b> - it helps to have favorite scriptures that mean a lot to turn to when you are discouraged - Jeremiah 29:10-12<br />
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Also, a Promise book of scriptures by topic is a great idea to keep on hand, and also a good devotional (Joni Earaekson Tada).<br />
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<b>3. Church</b>-regular church attendance to all services is a great help to stay encouraged- plus being around people who believe like you helps a lot - (Bush rally)<br />
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<b>4. Thanksgiving & Praise</b>-it is pretty hard to stay discouraged and in the dumps if you start thanking God for all the good things in your life, and praising Him for all His goodness - Praise His Name<br />
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<b>5. Music</b>-sometimes popping in a good CD helps a lot. Some songs just seem to encourage you more - Southern Gospel - songs that make you tap your foot<br />
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<b>6. Do something nice for someone else</b>-it is amazing how doing something for someone else can make you feel better - which brings us to the next point - invite someone to your house<br />
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<b>B. Encouraging Others</b><br />
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<b>1.Pray for them</b> - sometimes tell them you are. Especially if someone is going through a hard time and you know it<br />
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<b>2. Call, text, or email, or send a card</b> -it is amazing what a phone call or email can do for someone (card from Paul)<br />
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<b>3. Feed them</b> - having someone over to chat and/or to eat can do wonders<br />
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<b>4. Compliment people and tell them you appreciate them</b> - so many people are letting down in areas, let those who are staying true know you appreciate it<br />
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<b>5) Give them a small gift of a candy bar, snack, gift card, etc.</b><br />
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<b>6. Live a life that encourages others</b>:-attend church,live right, smile a lot, etc.<br />
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<b>C.Encourage your pastor</b>:-no pastor is perfect, but there is always something to do to make him feel good<br />
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<b>1. Attend services </b><br />
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<b>2. Compliment him on messages</b> - especially if one really helped you or stood out to you<br />
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<b>3. Have the pastor and family over to eat. </b>Or take them out to eat if you can't cook.<br />
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<b>4. Drop him a card, or even a small gift</b> - especially on Pastor Appreciation Day<br />
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<b>5. Offer to help out wherever needed</b> - and if asked to do a task, do it cheerfully<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-40239335632367835402020-05-28T12:40:00.001-07:002020-05-28T12:45:48.093-07:00Quarantine edition, #2<br />
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Am I the only one losing track of time? Half the time I struggle to know what day it is, and what day something happened. There are two Mennonite stores near me, and the one closest to where I used to live makes fry pies every Thursday and Friday. (If you have never had one, you are missing out.) In my experience, if you go too early, they are still making them and the flavors are limited. Last week, I went to Salem, OH - about a 30 minute trip from where I live now. I got to the store close to 11, but figured I'd stop on my way back through to grab a couple of the fry pies. So on my way back, I pulled in, parked, walked in and back to the bakery counter. The case where they put them was empty, and the ladies were working on other baked goods. Then it hit me. It was not Thursday, but Wednesday. Thankfully, I didn't ask for them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Masks</span></b><br />
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There is a lot of controversy, and pardon my blunt word - crap - about masks. Long before COVID-19 came along, I read and heard many people say the common masks people wear at flu season aren't any good against the flu. To be any good or help, the mask has to be snug...and they aren't. Back in March, the Surgeon General said wearing masks were worse for you, as people tend to touch their faces more when wearing them. And a lot of people also said they don't help.<br />
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Yet there are people insisting we should wear them, that we are selfish and don't care about people if we don't wear them. You can't enter a business in PA without one on, so I am avoiding PA at the moment. It could happen in Ohio too, but I hope not. Some businesses are requiring one. My mom was going to go in the Rite Aid in her town, but they had a sign up saying you had to have a mask on to go in. She didn't have one, so she left.<br />
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Here are my thoughts on masks:<br />
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1) They don't help<br />
2) It is a violation of my freedoms to force me to wear one<br />
3) If people want to wear one, then fine...but don't judge me for not wearing one<br />
4) It is selfish of mask wearers to expect everyone else to also wear one<br />
5) In regards to the argument that it would make others feel better if I wore one.....there is a lot of things that would make me feel better if people did or didn't do...but that is freedom<br />
6) In regards to the argument that I should wear a mask because I could have the virus and don't know it...are those people going to take chemo in case they have cancer and don't know it?<br />
7) Yes, businesses have the right to require a mask for entry, but I also have the right to think it is stupid and to not shop there til that changes.<br />
8) I am not going to wear one because of someone else's fears.<br />
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(And yeah, I know the pictured mask isn't the right kind...but I like the Green Arrow, and I am tempted to wear that kind of mask :) ) After all, they don't say what kind of mask.......<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Work</span></b><br />
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I was originally laid off for 3 weeks, and that 3 weeks has come and gone. This is my 7th week off, and it looks like I may go back next week. I asked off for my birthday on the 26th...I didn't know I was going to get 6 weeks off before it and the week of it off.<br />
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It will be hard to go back to work. When I am not working the next day, I stay up til at least midnight...sometimes 1-2. I actually was reading in bed til 4 the other night (or day?) - and then I sleep in til around 9 usually. And I have been living in t-shirts, shorts, and no shoes in the house. I'll have to go back to getting up early to work at 6:30 am and dressing in dress pants, dress shirt, tie, blazer.....and of course socks and shoes.<br />
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There are a lot of people I miss at work though.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Church</span></b><br />
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One of the things that frustrate me, is the people acting like churches are being singled out and shut down...ignoring the fact that a lot of places have been shut down. Now I am at the point that I am seriously wondering if this is all necessary, and thinking they may be dragging it out too long and that there is definitely too much government overreach. But I don't know if it is still necessary. I do know this is not an attack on Christianity or the church. As a friend of mine said, too many Christians try to make everything into persecution.<br />
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And granted, there have been a few instances where it seems some are singling out churches.<br />
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I actually like church on line. I can stay in my sweat pants and t-shirt - or whatever I am wearing, I can snack, go get a drink, and wonder around my place since I have speakers in every room on the main floor and one upstairs :)<br />
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And I can mute it if I want :)<br />
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I am glad we are starting to open things back up. And part of me still wonders if this has all been necessary.<br />
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My church is opening back up this coming Sunday with several safety measures in place. And I'll be there....happy no one can shake hands :)<br />
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And of course there are people condemning churches for opening.......but if not now, when? And there have been people in the past and present who face jail, torture, death - even being thrown to the lions - if they care caught meeting together for church. Should we continue cowering from a virus that may not be as bad as we have been told?<br />
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The church I attend is making it so people can still sit in their car and listen if they want.<br />
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And we always live stream. Which you can watch in shorts, t-shirt, and no shoes......<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The economy</span></b><br />
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I have seen a lot of posts slamming people for daring to be concerned about the economy. One person even did a post saying something to the effect that if you are not truly pro-life if you are putting the economy over people.<br />
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Here is the thing though: If the economy gets bad enough, people are going to be losing their homes, their livelihoods. There could be looting and people being killed for food and money. The worst case scenario is we could lose more lives that way than through a virus. If we go too long, we may end up living in a dystopian society.<br />
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One has to wonder how long we can go on the way we have been living before it hurts us in ways as bad as getting the virus would be.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The medical heroes</span></b><br />
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A disclaimer: I work at a hospital, and know and interact with a lot of nurses, doctors, PCAs, doctors, x-ray techs, etc. I count some of them as friends. Some are extremely friendly and nice, and others act like everyone else is scum. Daily, they are around sick people. They have patients who have the flu, HIV, and all sorts of diseases.<br />
<br />
Since the virus hit, they are getting a lot of accolades and hero status. I even saw people saying their college debt should be forgiven since they are on the front lines.<br />
<br />
But guess what: They signed up to do what they are doing: helping sick people. And they get paid a lot of money for doing it. I am not going to question their motives for their job choice...but they are doing what they trained for and are getting paid for. They should NOT have college debts forgiven for doing their jobs. Are they at more risk right now? Yes....and so are the grocery store clerks and workers who are working around people who could have the virus. I am thankful for what the medical field does on a daily basis, not just when we have a pandemic. Be thankful for them, applaud them....but don't forget they are not the only ones on the front line, and they are doing what they signed up for.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Unemployment</span></b><br />
<br />
There is some anger because of people making more at home than the ones who are working. It does seem off, but I don't know how I'd pay all of my bills and have money to live on without the extra.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Double standards in politics</span></b><br />
<br />
It has been obvious for years that the Democratic Party has double standards. Trump has shown how the Republican Party is just as bad, or worse.<br />
<br />
Two examples:<br />
<br />
<b>Morality:</b> Trump supporters defend/excuse/ignore Trump's horrible record when it comes to women, but love to point out Biden being too touchy feely. Trump Jr even called him a pedophile, which seems a bit much...but then Trump compared Ben Carson to a child molester....the Trump family fights dirty, like the liberals they are.<br />
<br />
<b>Demeaning</b>...A lot of people are on Biden about what he said about blacks who don't vote for him, and are saying it was demeaning....yet it was very demeaning of Trump to call conservatives who oppose him "human scum"...and they ignored that. I am disgusted with both parties and both candidates who don't seem very different from each other.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Getting back to normal</span></b><br />
<br />
To be honest, this quarantine hasn't affected me as much as it has some. Yes, I have been off work 7 weeks, haven't been able to thrift store shop, eat in restaurants, and have had a hard time finding some things early on...but I haven't stayed home, and I never hang out with anyone other than my family anyway, so I didn't miss out on social interaction as many have.<br />
<br />
Last Monday, I went with one of my sisters and two of my nieces to Akron. There are a couple of thrift stores over there we like to go to. It was awesome to shop there again. My best friend said I probably felt like a crack addict who just got out of jail and had access to crack again.<br />
<br />
Last Thursday, Ohio restaurants were allowed to serve dine in again, and I took advantage of it, meeting two of my nieces at a place new to me in Boardman, OH. Friday, I took all 3 nephews and one niece out to eat, I ate out Monday for breakfast, and took my three nieces out for Mexican on Tuesday....my birthday. It truly is nice to do those things again. Restaurants are pretty slow, most likely to a lot of people being afraid to go out.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My car is now truly mine</span></b><br />
<br />
I put my stimulus check into savings along with a lot of the extra cash I get from unemployment. I used that to pay my car off this week, two years early. I am pretty happy about it. I waited til I accumulated some extra so I wouldn't drain my savings completely. If I figured right, I saved around $300 by paying it off so early. I bought the car 3 years ago in June and did a 5 year loan, with $3000 down. Now hopefully I can keep car payment free for a few years.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">George Floyd</span></b><br />
<br />
There is a lot of outrage about the black man who died while being arrested. It IS sad, but why must everyone on Facebook post about it and their outrage?<br />
<br />
A few points:<br />
Every day there is someone murdered and there are tons of injustice<br />
<br />
There is as much, if not more, racism hate, and crimes against whites by blacks than vice versa, but they get ignored<br />
<br />
Daily, babies are murdered in the womb, ripped apart...and most of the same people outraged about Floyd, don't seem to care about that.<br />
<br />
So why when there is something involving white on black does everyone get outraged and flood Facebook?<br />
<br />
I believe, largely due to Obama, there is still a lot of hate and racism aimed towards white people.<br />
<br />
I'm not racist. I don't have any black friends, but then I really don't have any white ones either. If I were to live the gay lifestyle, I'd be as likely to date a black guy as white, because I am attracted to a lot of black guys I see. If I voted - which I don't anymore - the color of a candidate's skin would not influence my vote at all. I was against Obama because he was a horrible candidate with horrible policies......and I don't vote for corrupt liberals. That is why I didn't vote for Hillary or Trump either.<br />
<br />
I am just tired of everyone making it all about racism by blacks and bad actions by cops towards blacks. There is racism and hate on all sides......and Planned Parenthood - still funded by Trump - was founded to thin down the black population, and more black babies are killed than white...where is the outrage about THAT? And black people by the millions support and vote the party that loves to murder their babies.<br />
<br />
And there is always a rush to judgment. The white guy or cop is always, always wrong... but the truth has come out differently on some cases, but no one cares. Everyone becomes an armchair judge and jury. And people seem to love it when there is a white on black crime they can point out and say how racist America still is. It is like gasoline on fire.<br />
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If the cops were truly in the wrong, then try and jail them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Abortion</span></b><br />
<br />
It bothers me how apathetic we are about the daily murder of babies in the womb. Our tax dollars are going to help butchers go inside the womb and rip a part innocent babies. Maybe if it showed the "doctor" kneeling on the babies' necks as they killed them and we could hear the babies screams people might care more. I wish we all - me included - could grasp the true horror and atrocity of it. At times I think about it, and wonder how on earth it was ever legalized.... and why so many people are so determined it stays legal. What on earth were the heartless people on that Supreme Court thinking?<br />
<br />
We live in a world where people care more about the treatment of animals than babies. If a guy killed a puppy, there would be outrage. Kill a baby in the womb, and you are a hero to Democrats and too many Republicans just look the other way.<br />
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Want to make America great again? End the murder of innocent babies. Oh, and vote conservative again.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">May 26th</span></b><br />
<br />
May 26th was my birthday. Birthdays kind of depress me anymore. I still wish I had been able to have a family - at least kids - but that has always been impossible, and the older I get the bigger void I feel because of that. And it isn't easy being a single guy my age. I really have no one other than my family.....and by best friend, but he is 400 + miles away.<br />
<br />
My middle niece was born the day after my birthday, so my family always gets together to celebrate both birthdays. We did that Monday and had a cookout. I got a few books I wanted, a gift card to Amazon, and my one sister and her family gave me a gift bag of different items: A foldable cutting board, which is cool - I thought it was a dust pan at first, and some other things including some cool napkins, pictured above. They combine my love for the beach with my love of classic/antique cars. I like them so much that I hate to use them.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Shopping</span></b><br />
<br />
I have done a lot of shopping on line while this quarantine has been going on, more than normal. I even got Amazon Prime, something I didn't think I would ever do. Unfortunately, the day I got it so I could get my order faster, it turned out the order wasn't being shipped by Amazon. It is coming by mule from Timbuktu. It shipped May 15th, and has an estimated arrival date of June 29-July 24. You.Have.Got.To.Be.Kidding.<br />
<br />
To offset Prime, I ended Netflix......it didn't have much on there that interested me anyway, and there is as much to watch on Prime.<br />
<br />
I did buy a couple of items to help with bathroom space. My bathroom is very small. This duplex was once one house, and I think they just split the bathroom in half to make two. It is the same width as my bedroom closet, and is 21 inches longer. From wall to wall - including the shower- it is 56 inches. The space between the shower and wall is about 24 inches, and the doorway is too small for a normal sized door.<br />
<br />
It was difficult finding things to fit in the bathroom for towels and other items. Where they need to be, things can't stick out past 8-9 inches, or there's not enough room between the sink and toilet and the furniture. I have a tall white cupboard that works for washcloths, TP, and other items, and was using a 3-shelf bookcase for towels. Problem: it stuck over past the towel bar, so I had to fold towels in half to hang.<br />
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<br />
I found a towel holder on Amazon that is 7 inches by 11. I bought two, thinking of putting them side by side, and that would take care of the towel bar issue.....but they stuck out too far. So I put one in that space turned sideways, so the open side faces the door, and put the other in the hallway by the hamper. It works. And I got $10 off my order for trying Amazon photos. Win-win. It does work best if the towels are rolled, which I knew by the pictures on Amazon.<br />
<br />
My bed also got a change: a new quilt. The shams are on backorder, and I just ordered a navy bed-skirt. I found the quilt on Collections, Etc for $25, shams $4.99 each.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The quarantine</b></span><br />
<br />
At this point, I personally believe a lot of what has been done was overkill. Why close thrift stores, but not Walmart. Why force masks that don't likely help. I still believe we should be cautious, but stop living in fear and go out and live.<br />
<br />
And people need to stop arguing and trying to turn people in for not keeping social distancing, etc. No one truly knows anything. The powers that be are clueless, and even medical "experts" keep changing their minds. So sanitize, wear a mask if that makes you feel safer, stay 6 feet away from people.....but stop living in fear, and stop condemning others for not doing everything you think they should do.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-54904521312055671422020-05-12T10:37:00.001-07:002020-05-12T10:42:50.609-07:00Fear not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have never counted, but I am told that there are 365 references in the Bible saying not to fear. One for every day of the year, except the year 2020....and any other leap year. Wonder why God didn't toss one extra one in for leap year...<br />
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The last four years have been interesting. This is not a political post, but I will say since I didn't go with the status quo in 2016, it has given me a different perspective. I watch a lot, and have seen so much from Christians (including myself) that has made me realize how weak we Christians are in areas, and how there are so many things the Bible says that we tend to disregard, ignore, twist, or toss out when it is convenient.<br />
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Fear is one of those areas. Does anyone else notice how afraid Christians are? I am convinced the main reason Donald Trump is president is fear. Christians in the Republican party were so afraid of Hillary, they picked the guy who was the most liberal and was the worst fin the principles, morals, and values that had always directed our voting. He fought hard and dirty, and he got picked because so many figured he was the best bet against Hillary.<br />
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Post after post on social media reeks of fear:<br />
<br />
Corona virus<br />
People not wearing masks<br />
Going down the wrong aisle at Walmart<br />
Bill Gates<br />
The mark of the beast<br />
Being chipped<br />
Deep state<br />
Conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory<br />
China<br />
The Democrats<br />
The Republicans<br />
Biden<br />
Trump<br />
Vaccinations<br />
Running out of TP<br />
Democrats stealing the election through mail in ballots<br />
The economy<br />
The virus hurting Trump's re-election (eye roll)<br />
Unemployment running out<br />
Social security running out<br />
Hand sanitizer running out<br />
Running out of money<br />
Our job closing<br />
Running out of tacos<br />
<br />
You name it, there are people afraid, and it affects what they post on social media. Positive posts are rare from so many. But posts warning about this or that are rampant. One could make the deduction that many Christians don't truly trust in God. Every election, fear mongering is more popular than tacos. Politicians use fear. Talk radio hosts use fear. It is used to manipulate people.<br />
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I have fears. I am scared to death of snakes. I fear dying in my apartment, and no one knowing for a few days or missing me. For too much of my life I lived in constant fear that people would find out that I was attracted to males instead of females. Now, I admit it as freely as the fact I am wearing one of my favorite t-shirts I bought last year at the Outer Banks. People found out, I announced it on this blog, and I'll tell people if it comes up. And to my knowledge, it hasn't had an effect on my life. No one hung out with me before, so I can't see a difference. I got more blow-back for being anti-Trump. True story.<br />
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And that is the thing. So many things we worry about and fear never happen. The chances of me being bit by a poisonous snake are very slim, especially living where I live and not going where they are prevalent. Caution needs to be used during this pandemic, but if one is careful and takes preventive measures, your chances are pretty good at not getting it. Sure....you could, but should we live in constant fear of it.......or of anything?<br />
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No, I don't trust our government. Four more years of Trump or 4 years of Biden is something that worries me....but who do we really believe is in control? When we go to the voting booth, are we going in fear that the evil Democrats will win and will destroy America? Or do we go trusting that God has it under control no matter who wins.<br />
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Fear influences our actions, and everything in our lives. I was watching something last night that led to my blogging about fear. A spirit of fear had invaded a town. People feared a group of people who were different than them. Some were hunting down teenagers and killing them out of fear. At one point, a handful of these teens were hiding in the police department, and the building was surrounded by people with all kinds of guns wanting to kill who they feared.<br />
<br />
That may be a drastic example of what fear can do, but it can control us. It affects our actions and reactions. It directs what we post on social media, and how we act towards those who hold a different viewpoint on what we fear.<br />
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Maybe I am judging, but it sure seems like too many Christians are living in constant fear, and are not trusting God enough.....or at all. If it is judging, then I am judging myself too.<br />
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But if Christians are not living in fear, then won't our lives reflect it? Won't it influence what we post on social media.......and what we don't post? A Christian's outlook should be different from non-Christians if they are not living in fear, but are living a life of trusting that God has it all under His control.<br />
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Daily we can find a different and new reminder in God's Word to not fear. It isn't a suggestion. There are no exceptions. Fear not.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-27655733510162137212020-04-25T11:09:00.000-07:002020-04-25T11:14:08.948-07:00The quarantine edition <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Starting another muti-subject post that I'll likely work on over a period of a few days to a week. Or longer. :)<br />
<br />
And yes, there is some politics. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Corona</span></b><br />
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I may have said this before, but I seriously thought it was a joke something to do with the beer when I first heard of the virus.<br />
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Sadly, it is not. And man, have our lives changed in such a short time. My life really wasn't affected seriously recently. I got a call two weeks ago informing me that I was getting laid off for 3 weeks. Unless things change, I am off til May 4. As long as the unemployment checks come through, I am OK with it. I need a break. Unfortunately, there is nowhere to go.<br />
<br />
I do miss eating in a restaurant, can't take the nieces or nephews out to eat anywhere, and I'd really, really like to go thrift store shopping.<br />
<br />
But as I have stated before, I am rarely around people outside of work and church and family times.....so the social aspect really isn't affecting me.<br />
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It is a plus that I can stay up late and sleep in. :)<br />
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<br />
This all does bring up interesting questions:<br />
<br />
Is this all really necessary? I get it that it is different than the flu......but all this?<br />
<br />
Should the government have this much control...but yet if we go about as normal, it could spread like wild fire.<br />
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Should governors have the authority to demand all that they have without it having to go through anyone else? (I asked that on Facebook, and it turned into a Trump praisefest)<br />
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Man, do I miss normal.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Love</span></b><br />
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I know my Bible fairly well. I am not saying I am a Bible scholar.....but I attended a Christian school for 13 years, was in a Christian home after the age of 11 1/2, attended a Bible college for 4 years, have read the Bible through once, and read many passages and studied books and passages of the Bible for the greater part of my life.<br />
<br />
So I can safely say that the main message of the Bible is love, mostly God's love for human kind. But the Bible also has a lot to say about loving others.....even Bible versions outside of what Jesus, Moses, and Paul used. (Everyone knows they used the KJV!)<br />
<br />
Can Christians say suck? I don't know. But if so, a lot of Christians really suck at loving people. It is easy to love people who are like us, and act like we want them to.<br />
<br />
Babies? Everyone loves babies....except Planned Parenthood and anyone who supports the murder of them.<br />
Family members? With the exception that one aunt or cousin, usually we can love most of them.<br />
Republicans? As long as they support and defend our politician to the death.<br />
Democrats? Nah, they are evil and we can hate them.<br />
Gay people? They are "perverts and should be hung". (Something someone in church leaned up and told me once, not having a clue about me.)<br />
<br />
I truly have learned a lot these last 4 years. We cannot love people the way God commands us to do, and argue politics and say the things all sides have said about those we disagree with politically. True story, as the saying goes.<br />
<br />
I John 4:8 says that if we do not love, we don't love God.....for God is love. (My paraphrase). If we can't love those who don't vote like us and who do not support our political candidate or political views, then we don't truly know God. If we can't love the gay couple next door, then we don't know God.<br />
<br />
I am so thankful for my 6 nieces and nephews: Stephanie, Allie, Caitie, Josiah, Ben, and Nathan. I am thankful for all of my family, and love them all.....but to be honest, I have spent a big part of my life feeling unlovable and unlikeable. (well, that evidently is not a word since it got highlighted....) I wanted so badly to be a father to a couple little boys - don't know why I never pictured being a father to girls. (It may because I wanted a brother so badly). When my sister Vicki was pregnant with Stephanie, my oldest niece, I vowed if it was a girl that I would have nothing to do with her. That of course changed once I set eyes on her, and she was followed by 2 other nieces who wrapped me around their fingers.<br />
<br />
Then the boys came after my other sister married. Vicki could evidently not have boys, and my sister Pam could not have girls. These 6 totally awesome kids have filled a hole in my life and heart, and I don't think I could love them more if I was their father. They love me, want to spend time with me...especially if I buy lunch....and are quick and willing to hug. Well, at least before Corona..... Even Josiah, age 18, hugs me and tells me he loves me.<br />
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We all need love, but we don't all give it to all willingly and easily. I think I can rightly say we are most like God when we love, especially sacrificially and not holding back. Can we do that and be very political?<br />
<br />
I see posts all the time slamming people who do not support a certain politician. And do I love him? No, but unless you love Pelosi, Obama, Hillary, etc...don't judge me on not loving politicians.....yet, if the Bible is right, then we should love those very corrupt individuals who seem intent on destroying our rights and freedoms.<br />
<br />
And that underscores my point. There are few among us who truly loves like God commands us to. But are we willing to change? Does it matter enough to us?<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) Politicians and salvation</span></b><br />
<br />
It is really easy for those who support a politician to believe that the politician is a Christian. A lot, maybe most, of those who ran for president in the last several elections have claimed to be a Christian. Even pulling off a sudden conversion at the last minute when the Christian vote is needed is believed if one supports that candidate.<br />
<br />
Sadly, all a politician has to do is say he or she supports the political views and values of their supporters, and the supporters will staunchly defend their claim to be a Christian.<br />
<br />
For building a wall, stronger borders, being pro-life, putting down the other party, etc....the person HAS to be a Christian.<br />
<br />
Yet the Bible gives different criteria for being a Christian. You won't find the Democratic or Republican platform as being proof of Christianity in the Bible. The Bible says we are known by our fruits, and those have nothing to do with politics.<br />
<br />
The Bible states that it is really difficult for rich people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I would say it is pretty difficult for a politician to also, but then a lot of them are also rich.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Truly pro-life</span></b><br />
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I read a comment on a Facebook post that bothered me a lot. A huge Trump supporter friend of mine commented that sadly this quarantine will probably result in a surge of abortions - the idea is couples cooped up together....well, you get the point. His statement may or may not be correct, but it was what a female friend of his posted in reply: "Or worse, more liberal babies."<br />
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Think about that statement for a minute. This is a Trump supporter, and I assume a Christian, saying having liberal babies being born is worse than babies being killed in the womb. If we are truly pro-life, we will be against the killing of all babies, no matter who their parents are or what their political party is. This woman cannot be pro-life with her wacked out statement. (evidently wacked isn't a word either)<br />
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I am afraid we pro-life people drop the ball in other areas. Being pro-life isn't just being anti-abortion. It is caring about all people and their lives.<br />
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And no, a president who is truly pro-life will NOT sign a bill funding the killing of babies.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Truth</span></b><br />
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When Jesus was before Pilate, He was asked by Pilate "What is truth?"<br />
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Maybe that is a question that needs asked today also. What is truth? A young man I am friends with on Facebook, named Kenny Stetler, shared this recently:<br />
<br />
<i><b>The amount of rumors, conspiracy theories, poor reasoning, and outright falsehoods being shared on Facebook right now is astounding.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>COVID, Bill Gates, vaccines, 5G, Fauci, microchips... No molehill is overlooked for potential promotion to mountain.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>As people who, in theory, believe in an objective, knowable truth, I see disappointingly little time and thought given to searching for the truth. People who would die before they told a lie, share them day in and out with hardly a thought given to their credibility.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>We have given in to the fatal conceit that if it sounds good to us, it must be true - after all, our motive is pure! Yet while motive is important, a lie that is told with the best of intentions is still a lie.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>I know the world is confusing. I know that, in the din of voices that constantly barrage us, truth isn't always easy to find - I struggle with that. But I find, when that happens, it is always best for me to turn my thoughts to the things I know for certain.</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Well said. I have been both alarmed and disgusted at how little Christians seem to care about what is true today. Oh, almost any Christian worth their salt would say they never lie and are honest......but is that really the truth?<br />
<br />
I noticed it before the virus came along. If something makes a Christian's favorite politician look good, they will share the daylights out of it and never seem to care if it is true. If something makes a politician look bad they don't like, the same thing happens. Christians do post things on social media that are not true, and when confronted, all too often they just dig in their heels and defend the lie.<br />
<br />
It happened to me a lot during the 2016 election. Christians said all kinds of things to me since I dared oppose the GOP nominee and hold him to the same standards we used to hold politicians to. Then I went further and voted third party. Did you know it is possible to not vote Republican or Democrat? Wow. Who knew?! There ARE other choices, and you'd think a true Christian would understand that and show some grace. Ah, if only.<br />
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Does truth matter? Do words matter? Is it honest and Christian to say "If you don't support Trump, then you are for Hillary." (That one almost amuses me.....the man himself supported her, and they didn't care about that..) Or "A 3rd party vote is for Hillary." Huh?<br />
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Those were two of the most common, but there were others. Now since I am bored, let's take some time to examine these two statements:<br />
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<b><i>Is it true that if you did not support Trump, you supported Hillary?</i></b> No. I was against Hillary when Trump was giving her money and saying she'd make a great president. Being against him didn't suddenly change that......and I would wager most, if not all, of the Christians who said that to me knew that I wasn't for Hillary. It was most likely an attempt to guilt me into or somehow coerce me into voting the way they wanted....which isn't very Christian either. So to be blunt, these people are liars. You can excuse it or call it whatever you want, but they knew it wasn't true and still said it.<br />
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<b><i>Is it true that a vote for a 3rd party was a vote for Hillary?</i></b> Imagine for a moment that you ask me where I want to eat: Josie's Pizza or Denny's. Josie's Pizza is nasty, and I had bad experieces more than once at Dennys......I don't want to eat at either place. But I like O 'Charley's a lot, so I say I want to eat at O 'Charley's, and I eat there. But you wanted me to eat at Denny's, so you go around saying I ate at Josie's. That seems ludicrous, but no more so than saying since I didn't vote for Trump like they wanted me to, and voted 3rd party, then I actually voted for Hillary. It isn't true, and no Christian who actually cares about being honest would ever say such a thing. If you are reading this, can you understand why I have been so frustrated by this version of Christianity that has been corrupted and poisoned by politics?<br />
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There are people who don't believe in wearing shorts, sleeves of certain lengths, watching movies or TV, and other things...yet will be dishonest when it comes to politics, or act very un-Christ-like in how they treat people who dare speak out against a politician they have given too high of a place in their lives. I don't even believe it is Christian to freely voice your political views for and against who you want, yet try to shut down people who dare criticize the one(s) you like. Could politics be an idol? Can a politician be an idol? If they influence Christians to lie, or at best be less than honest, then yes.<br />
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***Addition to this post: There is a video of Trump suggesting people ingest disinfectant to fight the virus. As much as I dislike him, I didn't believe it til I watched the video. And yeah, he said it....yet many of his supporters are flooding social media with claims that he did not say that. One friend posted a link on my Facebook page claiming he didn't say it. I went and watched the video again before I replied, but she took it down in the meantime. I am guessing she realized she was wrong.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) Corona 2</span></b><br />
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I hope by the time that this quarantine has been lifted, that we will appreciate and be thankful for the every day normalcy and what we have that this virus has interrupted and kept us from. I hope that we will not take things for granted that we cannot do right now. Things like sitting in church, eating inside a restaurant, shopping at "non-essential stores", hugging those who are OK with it if we do that, having a job to go to.....and other things that we took for granted and cannot do right now....though if enough people started running around naked, they might open thrift and clothing stores. :)<br />
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There are posts on social media asking what is one of the first things you will do after things go back to normal. One of the first things I am going to do is take my 3 nieces out to our favorite Mexican restaurant, and my 3 nephews to the restaurant of their choice. I am tempted on a warm enough day to meet my nieces at the Mexican restaurant, set up my card table in the parking lot, and eat there. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) The nephews</span></b><br />
<br />
Speaking of my nephews, they and my sister and brother in law moved Friday from Canton to the farm house I used to live in. They are buying it from his dad, so now they are a lot closer - from about an hour to about 10 minutes. I love it that they will be so close. I told Nate, the youngest at 13, that now they can take me out to eat. He gave me a look, and informed me that I am supposed to take them out to eat. :)<br />
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I did my uncle duties last week. I dropped off cookies to my little sister and her family who we just moved the Friday before into the farmhouse I moved out of in August......so they are about 10 minutes from me now instead of an hour. (Yay!)<br />
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The two younger boys were't home, so I took the oldest one to get subs for him, my sister, and I. Then the other two got home, and the 3 boys wanted me to run them to Walmart. I figured why not, so we headed for Salem, going through Arby's drive through where I ordered the youngest two lunch - they were cheap though. Then we hit Walmart, which was not busy at all. The boys recently got a tent, and were wanting camping stuff. They handed me their stuff and cash, and asked if I'd pay for it. I learned long ago when they do this, that they most likely do not have enough money to cover it and are hoping I will cover the extra....which was $6.50. They did offer to pay me back later, but I told them not to worry about it. But man, them moving close might bankrupt me :)<br />
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Then I went through the Wendy's drive through and got Frosty's for them. And me :)<br />
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More recently, I spent a few hours entertaining the youngest 2 nephews by playing the Wii with them and getting a pizza.<br />
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And yeah, social distancing, stay home, blah, blah, blah.... we were together to move, and I have only been around family....so not too worried at this point.<br />
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And give me a break...I live by myself, and don't even have work now for 3 weeks.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) Quarantine stuff </span></b><br />
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As I have stated before, I don't really have much human contact on my days off.....but this many days like that is driving me crazy.<br />
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I have read. A lot. I have also worked on straightening and organizing things like under my sinks, my bookshelves upstairs, drawers, cupboards, etc. Next up is either my spare bedroom closet and the totes in my basement. I figure if it is in the totes, I most likely don't need all of it that badly.<br />
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I have also been cooking more than normal. Which means I am eating too much. Ugh. My dumpster was a lot fuller than normal tonight when I put it out.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Would we be better off with Biden?</span></b><br />
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No, I am not saying I want Biden for a president. I am against any liberal being president, which includes the one we have now.<br />
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I wish I had kept track of all the things Trump has done and said that conservatives would have criticized and fought against if it were a president with a "D" by their name. There have been a lot. But I do remember the biggie: gun control.<br />
<br />
Trump banned bump stocks.<br />
He has pushed red flag laws with no due process<br />
He has pushed raising the age to buy guns to 21.<br />
After the one shooting, he said we need more gun control measures to stop shootings.<br />
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And he may have even done more than that. I remember when Obama even mentioned gun control. Conservatives went nuts, including this conservative. I remember when Obama pushed gun control after a shooting, and conservatives and fake conservatives like Hannity and Limbaugh talked about him crawling on top of the bodies to push gun control. Yet when Trump does that....and does actual gin control....the same people are silent. For some reason, his supporters will not criticize him no matter what he does and says......even when it is things they would scream about and march if he had a D by his name.<br />
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I have watched these last 4 years at the actions, words, and policies of this man that should have been fought and criticized.....but one cannot criticize this man, so his supporters either ignored, defended, or said "but Hillary". It is like a huge case of Stockholm syndrome. (Look it up).<br />
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Another example: Imagine if Hillary or Obama called we conservatives "human scum." Do you think it would be ignored? No. Hannity and Limbaugh would be all over it, and my fellow conservatives would be ranting about it on social media. Yet Trump said that about we #nevertrump conservatives, and not one relative or friend of mine has criticized him for it. They ignored it like his gun control, his paying off a prostitute, his horrible actions, vulgarity, and more. Their silence bothers me more than him saying it. I am tempted to ask them what they think of it, but fear they would just prove they are more loyal to and protective of him than me. So I won't. And worse, they may agree with him.<br />
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By the way, I brought up Trump's gun control to the same coworker who said she doesn't need friends who won't support Trump. She asked if his gun control directly affected me, and then asked why I cared.....wow. Imagine her defending it if it was Obama.<br />
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But back to my premise: If Joe Biden was president instead of Trump, all conservatives would fight him on gun control. All conservatives would be outraged if he called us things like human scum. All conservatives would fight bad policies, actions, and words. All conservatives would fight him as he funds abortion.<br />
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There are so many reasons I get angered and frustrated by this presidency and his supporters....and this is one reason. The man can get by with anything, and his supporters will not question him. I honestly believe many Christians are more comfortable and quick to question God than Trump, and will take criticisms of God over criticisms of Trump. A friend of mine who shall remain nameless has said Trump could kill children on the White House lawn, and his supporter would defend it. Or at least ignore it.<br />
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One of many things that bother me, is how so many Christians seem to put hope in Trump over God. "He is the only one standing between us and socialism", etc. And no Christian worth their salt should be chirping his "MAGA" slogan. Isn't God the only one to do that?<br />
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A Biden presidency would unite conservatives. In some ways, we would be better off under him than under Trump.And Christians would care again about morals and character in politicians. To quote myself, there is really nothing wrong for a politician to do. It just matters who he is, as to who will call it wrong.<br />
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Do I want Biden as president? No. Neither do I want Trump. We are back at 2016. Two old corrupt and rich liberals who need to retire. Two bad choices. Two evils.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) Corona 3</span></b><br />
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I live in a small Ohio town that is right on the Ohio/PA border. I can be in PA by car in 5 minutes or less. Since moving here, the closest Walmart is in PA, 12 minutes away vs the closest one in Salem, Ohio about 30 minutes away, so I usually go to the PA one unless I want to do more shopping in Salem. When there are other stores open.<br />
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I went to the PA Walmart Monday afternoon, walked up to where they had it roped off for people to line up - no line, thankfully. There was a Walmart employee and a cop standing there. The cop stopped me and informed me that I had to have a mask on to go in. Thankfully, I had one in my car....but I honestly didn't know they were doing that. I thought it was stupid, and way too much overreach. What is next? A Hazmat suit?<br />
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From what I have read, the average mask doesn't protect you from even the flu. Just how much more are they going to demand, and how much more are we going to comply with? Fortunately, Ohio isn't doing that yet, so I am going to drive further to that Walmart to return a couple items and buy a few things. As long as I don't have to mask up to shop in Ohio, I will avoid PA.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11) Thinking for yourself</span></b><br />
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How much do we really think for ourselves? For years, we have heard how Democrats and the liberal media spin things and control what we hear. They want us to think and believe a certain way.<br />
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But are Republicans and conservatives any different? Pretty much any idea or conspiracy theory on social media is just regurgitated ideas and theories from fake conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and others. Fox News included. What is being propagated and shared by so many conservatives is not original with those sharing it. In most, if not all cases, it came from these radio personalities who are telling their listeners how to think.<br />
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And our churches? Don't get me wrong, I am not taking God out of the equation. But I have questioned a few things my church teaches and believes, and no one can give a good answer. Here is something that may come as a shock: No church is 100% right. There are some that are 100% wrong, but none are 100% right. I don't want to give the idea that my church is a cult, or that you are shunned if you dare question something.....but I have gotten the idea from years of church attendance that thinking for yourself isn't the thing to do. Just do what the church teaches and don't divert from what it believes, and keep all the rules.<br />
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Thinking for myself is why I am where I am politically. It is why I disagree with pretty much all of my relatives and fellow church members. I researched, dared to think as an individual instead of as a Republican, and it led to the stand I took and still take.<br />
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Conspiracy theories are abounding, which just make people look foolish. I have never been a conspiracy theorist kind of guy, but what if those in power and position don't want people thinking for themselves? Whether they be liberals, conservatives, Republicans, congressmen, the president of the US, your church, etc....what if they don't want people who think for themselves, but instead want people who will do as they say and believe what they tell them without questioning it?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12) I'm an addict</span></b><br />
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I discovered Outshine Bars a few years ago on vacation in the Outerbanks. They are frozen fruit bars that have real fruit juice in, and in the case of the first ones I tried - pineapple - they have chunks of pineapple in. My two favorites are pineapple and grape. I have been eating a lot of them during this quarantine. I am almost ashamed to admit I ate a whole 6 pack box of the grape one day this pasy week. They are sooo good. They taste like frozen grape juice. Yeah, I am addicted. :) I highly recommend them. There are other flavors, but the two I mentioned are the best. And a word of advice: skip the coconut. I like coconut, but it wasn't a good choice for these bars.<br />
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**I since also bought raspberry. I forgot how good they are. Some flavors are easier to find, and it is one that is not..so I hadn't had it for a while. I also recommend it :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13) Light of the world</span></b><br />
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In Matthew 5: 14-16, Jesus said this:<br />
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<i><b>14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven. (CEV)</b></i><br />
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<b> Disclaimer:</b> My Christian walk is extremely shaky, and is not one to emulate....so please don't think I am setting myself up as some kind of example to follow, or get the idea that I think I am perfect. I am not, and I don't think that. I really don't like anything about myself, including my spiritual walk...so no, I don't think I am better than anyone else. OK, now that I got that out of the way:<br />
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Are we being a light to the world? With all of our conspiracy theories, trashing politicians we don't like, going after people who don't support our politician, posting things that aren't true, being too political, too confrontational, etc. Seriously. Are we truly being a light to the world? Do Christians care enough about what the world is seeing...not just in the day to day being around neighbors and coworkers, but what we are like on social media? Are we being a good witness for Jesus, or just for our political views? What is more important to we American Christians: defending and/or attacking politicians and those who differ politically than us, or spreading the Gospel? What is more important: winning a political argument, or winning a soul for Jesus? What is more of a priority to us: winning someone to vote for our candidate, or winning that person to Jesus? If the latter is truly the case in those questions, then how is our social media presence affecting that and reflecting that?<br />
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I'll be honest. Never have I been closer to walking away from God and the church and not looking back, then I have in the last 4 years. Yeah, I have fought back.....something I wish I had learned to do when I was being bullied in school....but I am far more vulnerable and more easily hurt than anyone would ever guess. It is another "perk" of being a guy dealing with same-sex attractions. I have also been guilty of watching people too much, and letting their spiritual walk and actions affect me too much. I won't give details of the who's and all that has been said, but I have been disgusted and disillusioned with this American version of Christianity that has in my opinion been poisoned and sidetracked by politics. My church is a holiness church, one that believes in sanctification. I have no use for that doctrine. I wasn't really believing in it for a long time, but these last few years have destroyed any lingering doubts I had about it. When it comes to politics, Christians are no different than the world, and holiness church people are no different than anyone else. (And no, not every person from my church has to my knowledge<br />
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What does that mean for me? It means I am truly trying to back away from politics, but it is difficult. I have a lot of anger in me about it, and have explained in this and a previous post why that is the case. Having attempts to shut me up and down, and essentially being told my opinions don't matter and should not be shared has caused a lot of anger that I am not sure how to get rid of. Maybe I do need to un-follow everyone on social media who is political. I am so tired of the double standards, of Christians praising politicians more than Jesus, of people caring more about defending a politician than caring about how their words might make me feel.<br />
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Christians in the past and today are being tortured for their faith. They have forgiven people for atrocities we haven't come close to witnessing....yet we can't handle people criticizing a politician or disagreeing with us politically. What pathetic excuses for Christians have we American Christians become.<br />
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The day may come when Christians in America are faced with true persecution. We may face situations where we have to forgive what seems impossible to forgive. If we can't handle those who disagree with us politically, or handle our candidates being criticized, then how on earth will we handle true persecution?<br />
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I got a card in the mail this week from someone who hasn't had an easy life for most of their life. It was just a card saying they knew I had been laid off, and wanted to know they cared and was praying for me. A very nice gesture. This same person sent me this message today:<br />
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<b><i>Obviously I'll never be a never trumper but let me share what's frustrating to me... so many conservatives speak out against dr Levine but adore trump. I want you to know that I am not in agreement...I still support trump in spite of his flaws (he has many) simply because he is the best of the choices... and has done positive things for our country... but im aghast at the hypocrisy right now. Please know we're not all like that. (Saw the crap you got today on Facebook)</i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>This is a person I admire. They have come far, and the card and the message meant a lot to me. Maybe I need to be more like her.....though I will never, ever support Trump - I don't mean that.<br />
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Maybe forgiveness is the key. I have always had a difficult time forgiving, even myself. Dumb things I have done and said often play over and over like a record skipping (those were before CDs). And forgiveness needs to be on all sides. I have seen and heard enough to know that even though I am guilty of no offense by voting third party, there are a lot of Christians who need to forgive people for not voting the way they wanted us to. Good grief...their guy won anyway, so why hold a grudge?!<br />
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I honestly believe the best thing for the church and for Christians spiritually speaking, would be to be under Democrat rule and lose our freedoms. Do I want that? No way! But our modern Christianity is too weak, too influenced by the world, politics, and other things that we should be influencing instead of being influenced by. We have become salt that has lost its savor. We think God is involved and cares about our politics and who is president, while He is concerned about our hearts, and what we are doing for Him and for the Kingdom of Heaven. Can we honestly believe He is pleased with what He sees?<br />
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I want a relationship with God that is not weakened or affected by things like politics. I want to love people and be their friend no matter what their political views are.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zsM8zkkhCDI" width="560"></iframe>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-91597000487273741782020-03-21T17:03:00.002-07:002020-03-21T17:06:56.295-07:00March musings It is three months into the year, and I have blogged once. Sorry to the one or two people who read and are interested in my blog.....<br />
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The reason is most likely depression related. Even though I have been on two meds, one for depression and one for anxiety, they just don't seem to be working anymore. The other time it was close to this bad, I lost my interest in reading. This time around, I don't want to be around people, with the exception of family.... and by people, I mean groups of people, though I am pretty content to stay home and not be around anyone. I even dislike going to church and being around so many people - don't look so horrified, unless you have been severely depressed, you wouldn't get it...... and I dread work days, even though I like my job.....it is just a constant barrage of people, and I'd rather be at home by myself. Maybe that explains hermits and recluses....maybe they are just severely depressed people who don't want to be around others. I think the depression was compounded by my last birthday when I was hit with so many negative emotions, and had the desire stronger than ever for a family of my own......an impossibly.<br />
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But enough about my emotions and mental state. I hope this blog doesn't go on too long, but it will be one with multiple subjects that I will most likely work on over a period of a few days. It all depends on what is on my mind.<br />
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***Man, this is long. No one is going to read it all :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Politics</span></b><br />
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I am trying more than ever to stay away from politics on social media. I may address it some on here. It is MY blog after all, and people read it at their own risk. I am extremely bothered more and more as the days go by at how political Christians have become, and how it takes precedence over God's Word in how Christians act and react. I have noticed it more since 2016, maybe because I have been on the outside looking in on conservative and Republican politics.<br />
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I took a step last month I had been considering for a while. I un-registered to vote. I have previously been a strong proponent of voting, but I have my reasons for doing so. I may register again at some point, but it will be Independent if I do so. No one is ever going to infer or say that that the Republican Party owns my vote or that I must vote Republican if I am a registered Republican.<br />
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Is it hypocritical of me to do this after being so emphatic about voting? Maybe, maybe not. We are allowed to change and evolve in our thinking and beliefs. If for years I was outspoken against women, saying they had no right to vote, no right to do anything but be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.....then I flipped on that thinking, would it be bad and hypocritical of me? No one would think so. (And that was a made up example...I don't think that).<br />
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I have become so disgusted by the Republican party, so-called conservatism, and politics in general, that I want nothing to do with it. I know all of the arguments one could throw at me, but the truth of the matter is the Republican party keeps putting up worse and worse and more liberal candidates each election, and unless they do better than 2016, I can't see me ever voting for their candidates again. "But the Democrats will win." Yeah, they might.....but I didn't want the one who won in 2016 to win either. And maybe a liberal president would get the American Christians' attention back on God instead of politics if we needed to pray more about our nation and what we might face.<br />
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It truly wasn't a careless decision to un-register to vote, but I do feel good about it. And who knows...maybe it will keep me out of jury duty. :)<br />
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Something great would be if a 3rd party would actually have a chance. The two main parties are too corrupt and too much alike. We need a change.<br />
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And a warning if you have read this far: #11 and #12 will be about Donald Trump.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) I like a Justin Bieber song</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8duw1oNVjbefoJcZEWxBWQKTIWMrtMawYT323XdT57ccc13OLIMVQw7U8r0ciW7qza9aRVV78ont1WIuorqrEDDqOJZAqC6sXdZx3oaz_cSDbu8DFf9PGWNuYmBKAepyw13fyXBAdcjg/s1600/justin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8duw1oNVjbefoJcZEWxBWQKTIWMrtMawYT323XdT57ccc13OLIMVQw7U8r0ciW7qza9aRVV78ont1WIuorqrEDDqOJZAqC6sXdZx3oaz_cSDbu8DFf9PGWNuYmBKAepyw13fyXBAdcjg/s1600/justin.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yeah, I was shocked too. There is a song I heard a few times while on break in the coffee shop at work. They usually have country music playing in there. I liked it, and had no clue who sang it. I finally looked it up the other night and discovered it is a by a duo called Dan + Shay doing a trio number with none other than Justin Bieber. Wow. Who knew?! It is a pretty cool song, titled 10,000 Hours. I did find out Justin no longer sound like a girl when he sings. The first time I know of hearing a song by him a few years back, I thought it was a girl singing. Guess he is out of puberty now. :)<br />
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Confession: I like some country music. I grew up in a church where it was considered wrong. I heard it preached against, but then I heard Southern Gospel preached against....The country music on my iTunes is wide and varied, a few songs by certain artists.<br />
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Maybe I am wrong on my thinking, but I believe Christians should listen mostly to Christian music. If one is truly a Christian, aren't they going to want to listen to music about the one they serve? However, I don't believe secular music is wrong, depending on the lyrics and maybe other factors. Southern Gospel will always be my favorite genre', followed by some CCM, Praise and Worship, and country.<br />
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I do believe one should not follow too closely or idolize any singer or group, no matter their belief system or lifestyle. For instance, I like a few songs by Tim McGraw, but he and his wife are brainless when it comes to the Second Amendment.<br />
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Below is one of my all time favorite country songs: Live Like You Are Dying by Tim McGraw.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_9TShlMkQnc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) All things gay</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7s30bDy1MvC4DIlpm0fYWjJrTdhWm1RtD9M0ZKxuIHi44e6wYISKMP3fkZRfFycRLFYG2I1-Wjq56SnvQXlFZ1e2Fn6PkR4lu_BQ2YXmHCye8RQUbn_ucu4I9o6UxRy0-5ONM4X3Ig/s1600/gay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="756" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsi7s30bDy1MvC4DIlpm0fYWjJrTdhWm1RtD9M0ZKxuIHi44e6wYISKMP3fkZRfFycRLFYG2I1-Wjq56SnvQXlFZ1e2Fn6PkR4lu_BQ2YXmHCye8RQUbn_ucu4I9o6UxRy0-5ONM4X3Ig/s320/gay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There doesn't seem to be much middle ground on views of gay issues. On one side you have the agenda to push all things gay everywhere and on everyone. They are even pushing it on kid's programs on TV and in movies. On the other hand, you have the evangelical Christians acting like it is the worst sin ever, and not having much love, if any, for gay people.<br />
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Even some of the groups and people I follow on Facebook who are same-sex attracted Christians practicing Biblical sexuality lean too far the wrong way.<br />
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Brief explanation of 3 main views in the Christian world of same-sex attracted individuals?<br />
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<b>Ex-gay:</b> Those who firmly believe it is wrong, and work at staying away from all things gay. Often they use programs and groups to help battle the attractions and desires.<br />
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<b>Side A: </b>they believe you can be a Christian and have sexual relations with the same sex...possibly within marriage - not positive about that - and believe in gay marriage. They embrace all things gay, while claiming to be Christians. They pretty much hate ex-gays.<br />
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<b>Side B:</b> They practice celibacy, and cling to terms like gay and queer like we conservatives cling to our guns. (Which reminds me, I haven't shot my pistol since Thanksgiving.....) Many, like the guys on the site Your Other Brothers, watch gay programming, and embrace pretty much anything gay except the sex. Some, if not all, approve of same sex relationships minus the sex, though a lot of them are willing to call Side A Christians and take offense at anyone daring to say Side A can't be Christians if they are having sex with the same gender. Believe me, I know. I have dared to say that and have been ripped apart by Side B people.<br />
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Me? As I have no problem admitting, am attracted to other guys, a battle I have had for most of my life. I believe what the Bible says, and I also believe it is wrong for a Christian to use terms like gay and queer as identities if they are truly serving God....something I have debated many people on. I know of one young guy, one of the Your Other Brothers guys, who is a preacher and proudly calls himself queer. I may blog about that identity thing more some other time. (Calling yourself queer or gay, and clinging to everything gay except the sex surely doesn't fall in what the Bible says about laying aside the weights and sin that so easily takes a hold over us).<br />
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My main focus was meant to be on how Christians should act. I took my three lovely nieces out for Mexican a couple of weeks ago (in the olden days when you could eat inside a restaurant) , and the subject somehow came up. I don't remember exactly how she worded it, but my youngest niece voiced that Christians need to be more careful what they say about gay people, and how they act about it. And she is so right. The answer is not to pay gay people on the back and tell them God is fine with their lifestyle and actions. That is only helping them to a an eternity in hell, but Christians need to stop acting like it is the worst sin ever, and that gay people have a contagious disease.<br />
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I have related this story before on my blog, but I have something to add to it, so excuse the repeat if you have read it before: About 11-12 years ago, my Sunday School class was covering some main issues of our day. One was homosexuality, and it was brutal. I was still extremely in the closet about my SSA. There were two men who were especially vocal and un-Christian in what they said. One said he would rather have a murderer around his kids than have "one of those perverts" around them. If it happened now, I would probably stand up and say what I thought. Instead, I sat there fighting tears and the desire to walk out.<br />
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Not too long after that, one of those men was caught viewing pornography on the computer of the Christian business he worked at. His wife still hasn't forgiven him, and it was rough on his kids. But it doesn't end there. A couple weeks ago - oh, this is what brought up the discussion with my nieces - I saw a friend suggestion for this man's oldest daughter who has walked away from God and the way she was raised. Her background picture is her kissing someone. I was curious if it was the same young man she had been dating a few years ago, so I looked better, and discovered it was another female and she is engaged to marry her.<br />
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I feel bad for her and her family, and don't share that as a "haha on him" thing. The point I want to make is we truly need to do better in regards to what we say about gay people, and how we act. There are a lot of people who are SSA and hiding it from everyone - their parents, their siblings, their best friends......even their spouse. It is scary to tell people, and it is no wonder. It could be your child, your sibling, your parent, your spouse....your pastor. People don't choose to have the attractions, and the attractions and desires are not discriminatory or picky in who they hit.<br />
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Think about it: If you have a nasty opinion of gay people, call them perverts, say they deserve AIDS, etc....do you think anyone is ever going to come to you with their struggle? Do you think it will strengthen your relationship if you are acting so horribly about what they are secretly struggling with? What if someone you love deeply is secretly struggling with it, and you talk hatefully about gay people around them?<br />
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Since "outting" myself on this blog a few years ago, I haven't seen any repercussions or heard of any....but I am a loner. There really isn't anyone other than my nieces or nephews that I can call up and meet for lunch.....but then I always pay for theirs..... :)......and I usually talk to the same few people at church. I don't know who knows and who doesn't know, and am not close enough to enough people to notice any difference. Maybe a lot of people don't know. They would have to have personally been told by me, read my blog, figured it out, or been told by someone else. That brings up an interesting question....do the church gossips know?<br />
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True story: I have had bigger repercussions and bad reactions for daring to speak out against and not vote for Donald Trump than for "coming out of the closet" as a guy with same-sex attractions.<br />
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I'll close this already too long part with two stories, the first is one I have related before:<br />
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<b>There was a young man who played guitar in the worship band for his church. He met with his pastor and confessed that he was attracted to other males and needed help and prayer. His pastor promised to pray for him, and they parted ways. At the next service at that church, the pastor told about it from the pulpit, turned to the horrified young man standing on the platform behind him, and told him to leave his church and never come back....... that "his kind" were not welcome there.</b><br />
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The other was related to me by my retired Christian friend who volunteers at the hospital 2 days a week:<br />
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<b> A few years back, his church was looking for a pastor and were considering a pastor from another state. The church got a letter from some individual warning them not to consider this pastor. He had a gay son, and the son and his gay friends occasionally came to the church the pastor was currently at. </b><br />
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Horrors! Sinners going to church!<br />
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Sadly, that scared enough members to reject that pastor. I wonder what Jesus would have done and what He would say about gay people going to church? What would your church say about gay people attending there?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Valentine's Day</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZRs8ZAmC9o15mDMozpJyIgBKsLsOnfslbGOSxYynoJ2KGUC6PcNDP0d7Y549Yxpu3uzOPAqOuzNpTYpA1PzB5MOcaj7TNiqUmq7n4-YIUH2VoIEtPv9y49B274-Mvqh4WgbhFjWbog/s1600/snacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhJZRs8ZAmC9o15mDMozpJyIgBKsLsOnfslbGOSxYynoJ2KGUC6PcNDP0d7Y549Yxpu3uzOPAqOuzNpTYpA1PzB5MOcaj7TNiqUmq7n4-YIUH2VoIEtPv9y49B274-Mvqh4WgbhFjWbog/s320/snacks.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Valentine's Day, or Singles Awareness Day, is just another day for me. I did have something special happen this year. My 6 nieces and nephews went together and bought me some of my favorite snacks, and my youngest niece and her boyfriend delivered them that evening after they ate out and got engaged...then visited with me for a while without telling me. They figured I would tell it before they told anyone else. Valid point :)<br />
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I am really happy for them. He is a great guy for her. A September wedding is planned.<br />
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And they made my day and made me feel very loved by their gift and card.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Praying for Pelosi</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASTaKlI1WCbb1gQZXSRrzUrlBBtlzeECrIEsw5aiyKf4sMr1P4g25_0irqGX_0UIPnn2tyefBop8ymMayOk2wxVR7_98wGB_WauhNwRXZW6hi3K_vUQMeiClGYeRG_owaraLmMrWZwI4/s1600/pray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASTaKlI1WCbb1gQZXSRrzUrlBBtlzeECrIEsw5aiyKf4sMr1P4g25_0irqGX_0UIPnn2tyefBop8ymMayOk2wxVR7_98wGB_WauhNwRXZW6hi3K_vUQMeiClGYeRG_owaraLmMrWZwI4/s1600/pray.jpg" /></a></div>
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Of all the American politicians in my lifetime, Nancy Pelosi wins my award for the worst......even over Obama. Scary she is two steps from the presidency. She stands against everything Christians believe, and is for everything we oppose and for things bad for our country.<br />
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But here is a question for you, especially if you are a Trump supporter who likes to say we are supposed to pray for him: Do you pray for her? Do you love her? Believe you me, I have heard so many times how I should pray for Trump, but do those same people pray for Pelosi and others like her? After all the same Bible they are quoting saying to pray for Trump also says to pray for your enemies.<br />
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That is something we are all pretty much guilty of: picking and choosing what parts of the Bible to use and emphasize. Politics plays into that. In my not so humble opinion, it is a cancer that is infecting the church and Christianity. It has canceled out the loving people and being peacemakers parts of the Bible, and become an emphasis on praying for a politician.<br />
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I'll admit it. I don't pray for Pelosi. I have prayed for Trump, but he is still president, so that prayer didn't get answered. Kidding. Kind of.<br />
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And why is it OK for we Christians to attack Democrats with a D by their name, and say whatever we want to? If it is wrong to say certain things about some politicians, then why is it OK to say them about others?<br />
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I have considered making a list of the Scriptures we toss aside when politics invades....like turn the other cheek, be peacemakers, be tender and forgiving to each other.....but I am afraid it would be too long of a list. Whether conservative, Trump supporter, #nevertrump, liberal, or whatever.......too many Christians don't act like Christians when politics invades the scene.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) Anthony Schmidt</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF08xr4Mqz3ANOYabp5Khr8K7uiToC449VaxZng5s9F_jAImHGh4g9cHJEGGT4MkT_kZxKA4a3jHfhkouQ1panslyPmbMJn7MsaExVappJaX4xBmRKrpCcu_2CJvBCt5HQY8yrgV9R-8k/s1600/cars6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF08xr4Mqz3ANOYabp5Khr8K7uiToC449VaxZng5s9F_jAImHGh4g9cHJEGGT4MkT_kZxKA4a3jHfhkouQ1panslyPmbMJn7MsaExVappJaX4xBmRKrpCcu_2CJvBCt5HQY8yrgV9R-8k/s320/cars6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A page popped up on Facebook this evening as a suggestion to like. I checked it out, and was impressed. Anthony Schmidt is a 12 year old autistic boy who photographs toy cars and makes them look life-sized. It is really cool.<br />
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His page is: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anthonyryanschmidt/">https://www.facebook.com/anthonyryanschmidt/</a><br />
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There is also a kickstarter page that has some of his stuff: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anthonyschmidt/small-cars-big-inspiration?fbclid=IwAR012XfPgxYbGvjr6_cZd-2nwBzG5PaORYosZ6gQDHNyq6UHQW_5Kh0KGZk">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/anthonyschmidt/small-cars-big-inspiration?fbclid=IwAR012XfPgxYbGvjr6_cZd-2nwBzG5PaORYosZ6gQDHNyq6UHQW_5Kh0KGZk</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>*7) The flag and the 3 Hebrew children</b></span><br />
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OK, this is kind of political too, but not about politicians. I read a statement a few weeks ago that has stuck with me. I can't remember where I read it, but this is the gist of it: "The same people cheering for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for refusing to bow to the golden stature are the same people outraged when people won't stand for or pledge to the flag."<br />
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I'll be blunt. Colin Keppernick is a spoiled overpaid athlete who is also an idiot. I wish my bank account reflected how oppressed he is. I was bothered by his actions, and annoyed when Nike made him a spokesman. It didn't affect me, since I have boycotted Nike all of my life because I am not paying that kind of money for a shoe.<br />
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But here is a question: from all I have seen of him - and the last I knew, he was pursuing Islam - the guy is not a Christian, so he is not headed for Heaven. If you are reading this, I assume you are first of all desperate for reading material, and that you are a Christian. So Christian, I have a question for you. Which bothers you more: the fact that he has dissed our flag and country, or the fact that he is most likely headed for an eternity in hell.(gotta add the most likely so I am not accused of judging!)<br />
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Sadly, I would wager that the average American Christian hasn't given much or any thought to his spiritual condition, or cares much about it, if any.<br />
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And by the way, I am not comparing standing for the flag and pledging to bowing to a statue. Though even patriotism can become an idol. What I AM saying is perhaps we Christians shouldn't be so easily offended by people refusing to stand and pledge to our flag....or so easily offended in general. Even if we don't agree with their reasons, it is their right just as the 3 Hebrew kids had reasons for not bowing to the statue.<br />
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I love our flag and am very patriotic. In fact, my bedroom is decorated in Americana/patriotic themes.<br />
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Ever wonder what you would have done if you were in the 3 Hebrew kids' shoes? I think some of us would bow and rationalize it. "I'll bow and pretend I am bowing to the statute, but inside I will be bowing to and praying to the true God." "I'll repent later." "Surely God doesn't expect me to risk my life over this! He'll understand if I bow." "I'll offend the king if I don't bow, and Christians aren't supposed to offend." I could see me doing that. Or not. It hasn't been easy taking a stand opposite my family and so many in my church in regards to politics. Who knows.<br />
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What matters is that we take a stand for God and right today.<br />
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The day may come in America when Christians don't have rights and freedoms. The freedoms are dwindling and usually lose when they come up against liberals. The day may come when we don't want to stand for and pledge to the flag, so maybe we shouldn't be so dogmatic about the issue. (I say that, but I'll probably be ticked the next time someone refuses to do it........)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) New drink (to me)</span></b><br />
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My 2 favorite drinks are diet caffeine free Coke and diet Gold Peak Tea. I am not a huge pop drinker. It is my drink of choice when I have pizza and some other foods, but I don't go and get a can out of the fridge when I am thirsty. I drink a lot of the tea and water.<br />
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One of the things in my snack basket from the nieces and nephews was a box of the Crystal Light packets you mix with a bottled water. The flavor is raspberry lemonade. I liked it so much that I bought the size you add to 2 quarts of water. I also got cherry limeade to try. It is pretty good too. I may try to drink more of that drink as it would save me money on all the tea I buy. I go through a lot of it, and usually have at least 4 64-oz bottles of it on hand, 2 of them in the fridge.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) The vacation</span></b><br />
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The last week of February, I took a week's vacation. Since the 5 days I requested were book-ended by two weekends off, that turned into 9 days off in a row. It was awesome. I went to Sugarcreek, Ohio on Monday and Tuesday, and took advantage of the package deal the Dutch Hose Inn there does during their slower times.<br />
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The rest of the time, I spent most of at home. (Maybe I could be a recluse...) I really like how I have my place fixed up. Even though I never have company, I enjoy it. And I am not what some consider typical bachelors to be like. I keep the place clean and mostly clutter free. Once in a while, the dining room table gets away from me. And I hate to dust. Dishes in the sink bug me, so unless I am soaking something, they don't stay there very long before being washed. The dish drainer is a different matter. Dishes put there to dry can stay there several days, and I often pull dishes from there to use instead of from the cupboards.<br />
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I did do some housework on my vacation, but outside of church and my 2 day trip, I pretty much stayed home away from everyone.<br />
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Speaking of company, my two oldest nieces have not been to my new place yet (moved here in August). They are bad with directions, and don't know how to get here. I need to fix that.<br />
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Back to the trip: I enjoyed my free breakfast and late lunch, plus all the other free stuff. I did a lot of shopping, and bought several more books. Yeah, like I don't have enough.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Corona virus</span></b><br />
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When people first started talking about the Cornona virus, I thought it was a joke that had to do with the beer. Then I found out it was a real thing.<br />
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I am not saying we shouldn't be careful, but every couple of years there is a new disease that everyone freaks out about, and maybe a few people die from......but it never amounts to much. It is just a bunch of hysteria. More people die in the U.S. from the flu than from Corona, Ebola, etc.<br />
<br />
Since I started working at the hospital 7 years ago in June, I have become germophoic. I constantly sanitize, and always use a paper towel to open the bathroom doors. Why do so many people not wash their hands after using the bathroom?! It is nasty! I even see it at church, then those people shake hands with at least the pastor who shakes hands with everyone in the church. Maybe we need hand sanitizer stations in the church.......<br />
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Seriously, the media blows these things out of proportion, and everyone panics. We had boxes of masks at the hospital in different locations for people - there is a hand sanitizer stand with 2 boxes of masks in the lobby where I work - but they had to remove them all. People were taking them home. I came in one morning, and there had been a full box and at least half of another out. The half or so box was gone - box and all - and the full box was empty. There is no way they got emptied out by normal use after I left at 5 pm.<br />
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I don't need to relate everything that is going on - the TP shortage, etc...if you are paying attention, you know. It is like our country has gone insane. Thankfully, I tend to overstock on that important paper product, and should have enough to last me for quite a while. I was amazed when I was at Walmart today.<br />
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I am even getting emails from restaurants telling what they are doing to take precautions.<br />
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Personally, I think it will all blow over in a few weeks. I could be wrong. We will see. I did have a lady preacher tell me yesterday that her prophetess friend prophesied a cure would be found on March 27. This was after I offered her a mask from my secret stash after explaining we can't have them out since people are taking too many. She proved my point by saying "I'm taking a few"...and took 4."<br />
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Sadly, those who should be trusting God seem to be panicking with everyone else.<br />
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***Things have obviousy gotten much worse since I wrote this - one hazard of working on a blog post over a period of a couple of weeks. I did finally manage to find ground hamburger and sausage.<br />
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And if you haven't watched this, you should. It is only a few seconds past a minute long.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) Division in politics</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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It does bother me how much politics has divided us. Obama divided this country like it hadn't been in many years, and then Trump came along and hasn't done anything to make it better, and went a step further by dividing Christians and conservatives. That is one reason I am trying to back off, but it really isn't fair that people who oppose him are expected to be silent, while Trump supporters bash whoever they want.<br />
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I think politicians thrive on dividing America, Trump included. (If that wasn't the case, he would never have called we conservatives who oppose him "human scum".) The politicians in the two main parties are not that different anymore, but they sure succeed in getting their supporters fighting with each other. It doesn't help that politicians care more about their agenda and pleasing those who support them the most with $$.<br />
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It is just sad that Christians aren't any different or better about how we act in regards to politics than those who do not profess to Christianity, and too many people in the church circles I have been raised in don't act any better than the world when it comes to politics.<br />
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Maybe social media makes it worse. I am a conservative, so I remember opposing the Clintons and mostly liking Bush. The internet and social media was all expanding when he was president. I remember there being "Kill Bush" Facebook groups, and reporting them with no luck. Then I get Facebook jail for saying no Muslim should be in any American government office. True story.<br />
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I don't know what the answer is. Evidently it isn't God, since God's people aren't any different than the world. And the first part of that was sarcastic. I know God is the answer to any problem.<br />
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Maybe I just need to start doing my part, but it is so frustrating being in the place I am: being conservative and Christian, but not supporting the man so many others do. I may address my frustrations at the end of this post.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">***I am seriously backing off after this on Trump. Not because my opinions of him have changed for the better, and not because I believe I have no right. I am just really tired of him and of the attitudes that I have no right to speak out against him.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11) Donald Trump (You were warned)</span></b><br />
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Yeah, you knew I'd get to him at some point. Read no further if you are one who thinks he should not be criticized. By the way, my favorite cousin said I am too focused on Trump. It is hard not to be when my Facebook feed looks like praise and worship time of Trump. Seriously, how many pro-Trump posts do people need a day? And did people not notice all of my anti-Obama posts I did for 8 years....back when freedom of speech applied to me? :)<br />
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I am 100% serious when I say this: I am concerned about the Trump mania by so many Christians. The things this man is guilty of and the way he acts, you would think Christians would want nothing to do with him, but many praise and defend him like he is their religion.<br />
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Back during the 2016 election, I read an interesting comment. I don't remember who it was, but he said if you were going to vote for Trump in the election, you should do it weeping and sorrowing that your voting choice had to be a man like him.<br />
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And let's get the Christian stuff out of the way here. Trump's supposed conversion came right at election time when he needed the Christian vote. James Dobson announced the conversion. Trump didn't even do that. If he still had had a D by his name, the same people believing his conversion would be as skeptical of it as I am. And if you believe he is one, than you should also accept Hillary's and Obama's claims of being a Christian.<br />
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The problem is that if a politician does enough that Christians in America agree with, then they translate that to his being a Christian and chosen by God. Political issues define a politician's spiritual state.<br />
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But anyway, let's recap:<br />
a) Long time liberal, long time supporter of liberals and their causes, including the Clintons.<br />
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b) Committed adultery on at least 2 of his wives<br />
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c) Bragged about grabbing women by their genitals in vulgar terms. Something that is sexual assault, by the way<br />
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d) Paid of a prostitute<br />
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e) Even now, is vulgar<br />
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f) Current wife was in lesbian porn<br />
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g) Fought the Tea Party<br />
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h) Said that Hillary would make a great president<br />
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i) Defended Bill Clinton during the sexual accusations, and attacked the women.<br />
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j) Defended Hillary during Benghazi<br />
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k) has done gun control measures, and talked about doing more<br />
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l) Has his kids in White House positions, something that would be decried were it anyone else<br />
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m) Acts like an immature brat on Twitter, and attacks people for daring to criticize him<br />
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n) Promised to further gay rights<br />
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o) appeared at a LGBQT for Trump rally holding their flag.<br />
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p) supported transgenders using whatever bathroom they wanted<br />
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q) strip clubs in his casinos<br />
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r) draft dodger<br />
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And I could come up with enough to go beyond Z if I thought longer. My point is, there is nothing about this man that should have Christians so enthralled with him. I could not do it, but I understand people voting for him over Hillary....though I wanted neither.....but I cannot understand the daily over the top posts praising and defending him. For way too many Christians, defending him is more important than how they treat we who dare speak up.<br />
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Not all Trump voters and supporters are alike, but the Trump support movement has been compared to a cult, and there are some similarities. Consider this: Not only will the average Trump supporter refuse to criticize him - and he has done things that should be criticized - they try to stop others from criticizing him. There is an unhealthy loyalty to the man. At best, some will say "he isn't a good man, but....."<br />
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I have a friend - or I guess former friend now - from work who is a Christian, but has an unhealthy idolization of Trump. My atheist buddy from work commented about how often she posts about him, and said you'd think that is who she worships. His words. Anyway, she posted the following on Wednesday. I know it was bad, but I commented "Go ahead". And she did. It is pretty bad if a Christian doesn't want anyone for friends who dares say something negative about a politician and doesn't stand for her post.<br />
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It is sad that supporting him has become equal to being conservative, and sadder still that supporting him has become synonymous with evangelical Christianity. Trump is NOT a good man, and it truly is alarming to me how over the top loyal so many Christians even in my own church are. It seems the worse he acts, the madder he makes Democrats....the more Christians love him.<br />
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And this will be a strong statement and rather incendiary: but I understand the atheist friends of a friend of mine: they said after the way Christians defended his moral flaws and supported him in 2016, they never want to hear another Christian talk about morals. They have a point. If a Christian tosses aside all of his immoral stuff, then they do have no right to moral outrage. A Facebook friend of mine did a daring post a while back. He said that one thing gay presidential candidate Pete Buettig did was get Trump supporters caring about morals again.<br />
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Lastly: I am not saying it IS a cult, nor that all who vote for him are over the top loyal. And I will add this: the more people have tried to silence me - some even ordering me to stop criticizing him - the more I dislike him and despise politics and the Republican Party. I am weary of this attitude that he should not be criticized. That is not American, that is not free speech, and it is not Christian. It all truly has shaken my faith, and shaken the beliefs my church has.<br />
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Vote for him if you must. Support what you consider right that he does......but don't defend everything he says and does. Don't idolize him, and stop trying to shut down those of us who bring up legitimate criticisms and concerns.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12) Why I dislike Trump so much (remember...you were warned)</span></b><br />
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I know a lot of people don't understand why I dislike the man so much.....well, I don't understand how anyone can like him very much, so we are even :)<br />
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So, I thought I would try to put it into words for anyone interested in knowing why. I will say this up front: my dislike has been fanned as much by his supporters as by him.<br />
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<b>His morals:</b><br />
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If Trump supporters and voters are honest, Trump is not a nice man, nor a good man. The Christian right has spent the last several years before Trump all up in arms about morals. How many politicians have we stood back outraged over their immoral discretions: Gary Hart, the Kennedys, Bill Clinton, and more.<br />
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Then comes along Trump: serial adulterer who they say bragged about it, has strip clubs in his casinos (I thought for sure that would sink his Christian support), vulgar (just recently use the f-word, so that hasn't changed), bragged about sexually assaulting women), and did and said other questionable things.<br />
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Suddenly, morals in a politician weren't important. Beating Hillary was more important than what we stood for and against for years.<br />
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I'll be honest. I've done things I wished I hadn't....but I wasn't running for president, and these are many of the same people who still act like being gay is the worst sin ever, while they embrace the likes of Trump. The double standard disgusted me, and the push by so many religious leaders for people to vote for him and ignore their conscience and long held principles knocked my faith for a loop.<br />
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<b>The lies and false accusations</b><br />
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To be anti Trump after the 2016 primaries made you a pariah. The truth didn't matter anymore, and Christians suddenly were OK with false accusations and untrue statements:<br />
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"If you are not for Trump, you are for Hillary"<br />
"If you aren't for Trump, you are for Hillary and for baby killing"<br />
"A 3rd party vote is a vote for Hillary" huh?!<br />
"If you don't vote for Trump, you are a Pharisee"<br />
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It didn't matter if you honestly felt you could not as a Christian vote for him, other Christians were determined to guilt or scare you into going against your convictions and conscience... even people in my own church.<br />
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Don't believe in wearing ties? They understand that and won't try to change your mind.<br />
Don't believe in drinking coffee? No worries.<br />
Don't believe you should vote for Trump? You Pharisee! You must vote for him.!<br />
(And yes, I know people who don't believe they should wear ties or drink coffee).<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Untrue posts</span></b><br />
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This is different from above. There are a lot of Trump supporters who will post anything that makes him look good, whether or not it is true. And yes, I have a couple of examples.<br />
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<b>1) We can say Merry Christmas again since Trump is president</b>. Newsflash: we were allowed to say Merry Christmas under Obama. It was never outlawed.<br />
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<b>2) He is the best president ever! </b>Even if I liked the man, I would find this statement untrue. I personally believe he is one of the worst when all is taken into consideration, but that is me. But take into consideration all of the presidents before him....come on, it just takes a little bit of thinking to know it isn't true.<br />
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<b>3) He is the most pro-life president we ever have had</b>. He still has not de-funded Planned Parenthood, and he signed a bill funding them. How can anyone say that with a straight face?<br />
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<b>4) The Bible is his favorite book.</b> Uh, no it isn't. The man did nothing remotely Christian until he needed the Christian vote, and has done nothing to warrant such a wild notion.<br />
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Those are a few right off the top of my head, but there have been many stories and posts that are simply not true. I know...when Obama was president, I loved to share stories that showed how bad he was, but I found a lot that were not true after researching a bit. That might be something we all should do before so quickly sharing news stories.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Biblical comparisons</span></b><br />
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Trump has been compared to Bible characters such as David, Queen Esther, Sampson, and others. His impeachment trial was compared to the trial of Jesus. It is rather nauseating if you don't like the man.<br />
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<b>Multiple Facebook posts</b><br />
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Maybe it is wrong of me, but I am un-following a lot of people on Facebook who post constantly praising and defending Trump, or attacking anyone who dares oppose him. A while back, I counted the posts of a couple people. I went past 30 posts on both before I got to one that wasn't about him. Some of these people post dozens of pro-Trump posts a week...then they are upset if I do one against him a few times a month. Go figure. It is a true statement that was mocked that a lot of people praise Trump more on social media than they praise God.<br />
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Here's the thing: I have people wanting me to shut up with my criticisms of him, yet they are posting constantly in support of him while bashing the politicians they don't like....are you starting to understand my frustration?<br />
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I am not saying people shouldn't post post about him....but how many posts in a day and week are necessary? I was tempted to pick some celebrity and post as often about them as so many do about Trump to prove a point, but it would go over their heads, I am sure.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Snowflakes reporting</span></b><br />
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Back around the election, one of my Facebook "friends" was reporting to my sister and brother in law who were not on Facebook about what I was saying about Trump on Facebook. It caused problems in my family, and if I knew who it was, I would most likely block them.<br />
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More recently, one of my best friends at work (who is not on social media) told me that coworkers who are on Facebook are always calling her to complain about what I said about Trump. Really?! Are we in grade school?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Silence of his wrongs</span></b><br />
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I wish I had kept a list of things, but maybe it is good that I didn't. There have been so many things Trump and his family have done that if it was someone with a D by their name, his supporters would be outraged....but since it is Trump, they are not only silent, they are outraged when someone points the wrong out. Go figure. Shoot the messenger. Though I can't remember a lot of them, I do remember a few:<br />
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<b>Gun control:</b> All Obama had to do was mention gun control, and we conservatives went nuts. Trump actually enacted some and wanted to do more, and there was silence. I brought them up to my former friend I mentioned previously. She defended him - of course - and asked if it directly affected me.<br />
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<b>Ivanka:</b> Trump's daughter has a lot of the same ideas as Hillary - and there are people wanting a Trump family presidency for the next several years....but yet conservatives don't care. Just this week, it came out that she was doing White House business on private servers just like Hillary did. But she is a Trump, so it doesn't matter.<br />
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There are other Trumps working in the White House, all lifelong liberals too... and were it a president with a D by his name, conservatives would care about the nepotism.<br />
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<b>Golfing:</b> When Obama was president, it was a big issue how much he golfed. Trump has done it more, and cost the country far more than his supposed not taking a salary would cost.<br />
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<b>Praising dictators:</b> his relationship with and praise of the North Korea dictator amazed even me. The guy has had his own people killed. He isn't a good guy.<br />
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<b>Twitter: </b>The man acts like an immature brat on Twitter, attacking anyone who gave him a butt hurt.....but it seems the worse he acts, the more his supporters love him.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Double standards</span></b><br />
<br />
Yeah, I have covered some, but it bears repeating: There are so many double standards with Trump that it is beyond ridiculous. There really isn't anything wrong for a president to do. It just matters what party he represents as to who will condemn it. There are things Obama did that conservatives criticized, but are OK with Trump doing, and there are things Obama did that liberals were OK with, but hate when Trump does it.<br />
<br />
Even in areas like Epstein. Conservatives love to connect Bill Clinton with Epstein and try the guilt by association angle, Sean Hannity especially. But yet Trump was good buddies with him too.....but that is hushed up.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The attempted censorship of criticism</span></b><br />
<br />
I guess the most frustrating thing for me is the attempts of people to silence criticisms of Trump. There seems to be an all too prevalent idea that criticism of anyone else is fine, but for some reason this very imperfect and corrupt billionaire should not be criticized. I honestly don't know if there is anything the man could do that would cause any of his supporters to criticize him. He did say he could shoot people on 5th ave in Manhattan and not lose any voters....it is scary that none of his voters seemed to take offense to that, and it is one time he did seem to tell the truth.<br />
<br />
In countries where there are dictators, criticism of that leader is not tolerated. Are we headed that way with Trump? Don't scoff if you are among those who won't criticize him or put up with criticism of him or his policies.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The over the top loyalty and defense</span></b><br />
<br />
When Trump is opposed or criticized, there are a lot of his supporters who immediately go on the attack. Defending him is more important than how they act or treat anyone. Loving your neighbor and other things like that don't matter.....defend Trump and shut that person up who dared speak up against him.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The over the top stuff</span></b><br />
<br />
This gets its own mention. I already talked about the comparisons to heroes of the Bible, but there have been other insane statements. There was the Trump/Pence thing where the trumpets in Revelation were compared to them.<br />
<br />
Over and over, we are told God chose him. So did God choose Obama too? Just because a certain amount of Americans like a president does not mean God chose him any more than presidents they don't like.<br />
<br />
And then there is the really wild stuff. Granted, it is like a really extreme fringe of Trump supporters, but they ARE Trump supporters.<br />
<br />
First, there is Jim Bakker saying if you don't like Trump, you aren't saved. But then one of my mom's cousins told me if I wasn't on Trump's side, I am not on God's.<br />
<br />
More recently is the Colberts, who I was not familiar with... and wish I still wasn't. On the Jim Bakker Show, they said if you oppose Trump, God will curse you, your children, and your children's children. Guess it is good I have no kids..... (Link here: <a href="https://deadstate.org/christian-activist-god-will-curse-the-children-and-grandchildren-of-people-who-opposed-trump/?fbclid=IwAR396_vnazaqUtXBbK9lYLVdW7H6SPGHaVZWO3RF8iFrwOquSa24LYHpqds">https://deadstate.org/christian-activist-god-will-curse-the-children-and-grandchildren-of-people-who-opposed-trump/?fbclid=IwAR396_vnazaqUtXBbK9lYLVdW7H6SPGHaVZWO3RF8iFrwOquSa24LYHpqds</a>)<br />
<br />
And there have been others.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The whitewashed political past</span></b><br />
<br />
People crack me up when they go on about how Trump isn't a politician and is going to drain the swamp, and other crazy talk like that.<br />
<br />
<b>The facts:</b><br />
Trump donated to liberals and their causes for years. He has been involved in politics for years. He helped fill that swamp with his money.<br />
<br />
He was friends with the Clintons for years. He defended Bill during the sex accusations and Hillary during Benghazi. He attacked the women that accused Bill. He said Hillary would make a great president.<br />
<br />
The man did so much for liberals, but that is whitewashed and hushed up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The gay issue</span></b><br />
<br />
I have thought a lot about this stuff, and I think another reason the Trump version of Christianity frustrates me so much, is because of my struggle. It really isn't easy being attracted to the same sex and believing what the Bible says. And I know how so many evangelical Christians feel about it. I know if I had ever truly came out as gay and lived that lifestyle openly, how Christians would react....yet so many Christians who are horrified by that sin have totally embraced Trump with all of his moral failures.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The push-back</span></b><br />
<br />
I criticized Obama freely for 8 years with upsetting only a few people. I even warned a coworker at the time who loved him that she might not want me to accept her friend request, but she said she could handle my criticisms of him. Spoiler alert: she couldn't. What pushed her over the edge was my reply to something she said that I think was election night 2012: "If you all think you can do better than him, why don't you run?!" Me: "Anyone could do better than him." :)<br />
<br />
Anyway, too many Trump supporters have this manic urge to defend him no matter what they have to do or say, and with no thought to how their words can affect the other person. Too many of the people in my life care more about protecting and defending the man they voted for than they care for me. Or at least their actions and reactions would make one assume.<br />
<br />
I was bullied a lot in school. The more I have seen Trump in action and how he treats people, the more of a bully he is in my eyes. And yet there are so many Christians protecting the bully on the playground and acting like he is some Savior.<br />
<br />
And THAT also bothers me. The man is a filthy rich politician. Yet he is the only one standing between us and socialism, ruin, etc. I think he has proven that too many Christians' faith is in the wrong things and people.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">My faith</span></b><br />
<br />
I'll end with this: Everything added up to do with the 2016 election, Trump, and the actions and reactions of so many Christians even in my own church really damaged my faith. Shouldn't we be better than this? Shouldn't Christians act differently than the world in all areas......even politics?<br />
<br />
I don't know why it all affected me so much. I do know during the election time, I was really discouraged. Struggling with same-sex attractions is lonely and more difficult than anyone can ever imagine who has not been there themselves. Are there worse things? Yes, there are....but this is MY struggle, my cross.<br />
<br />
Trump came along, and the more I learned about him the more disgusted I was that he seemed to be winning the nomination...and then he won it. Some of the people who had fought him the hardest suddenly became the worst at attacking we who were not on the "Trump train." Four years later, I am still convinced I did the right thing by voting 3rd party...but I wish I had been silent. As I took a lot of heat from God's people, and saw how so many suddenly didn't care about the morals of a politician and other things we used to care about, it did damage my faith. I have always been more vulnerable than anyone knows, and I took it very badly, especially when those closest to me tried to silence me and would not understand my need to take a stand.<br />
<br />
I have been angry and bitter, and have been tempted a lot in the last 4 years to walk away from God and the church, and have been tempted more than ever to embrace these attractions and sexual desires that have plagued and hounded me for so long. I lost faith in Christianity, in the Republican party, in conservatism, in the church in general, and specifically the holiness church. Anyone who is very political at all and responds in any less than loving way to those they disagree with cannot honestly say they are being like Jesus, obeying his commands, and loving people as He said. Harsh? Maybe...but it is the truth. And yes, I include myself in that. It has all made me very angry and bitter, and the more people have tried to silence me and put me down as they praise and defend a corrupt billionaire politician, the worse it has gotten.<br />
<br />
I don't like who and what I have become.....largely because of politics. Granted, I have never liked much about me anyway..if anything.<br />
<br />
A revelation hit me a few weeks ago that I have been thinking on that includes a few thoughts:<br />
God is not a Republican or Democrat. He isn't political.<br />
<br />
I may be human scum to Donald Trump, but not to Jesus.<br />
<br />
God doesn't trash any politician and then expect people to not trash one he loves.....for He loves everyone and does not trash them. Even Pelosi.<br />
<br />
God understands why I couldn't vote for DT. He isn't mad or angry at me for it.<br />
<br />
Maybe it is a good thing to lose one's faith in the things I listed. It has made me realize how much I need to change, and that no one is perfect and everyone is likely to let you down at some point. Even the church. But God? He never lets you down, and is always there. He is where our faith needs to be, not in political parties, political viewpoints, or even in a church.<br />
<br />
It IS sad that we let politics divide us....but I don't think the answer is for those you disagree with to be silent. We all have the right to our politician opinions and to voice them, but too many of us can't handle having our politics or politician disagreed with or criticized.<br />
<br />
Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. I am not sure it is possible to be political and be a peacemaker, or to love people as Jesus commanded.....so maybe we would all be better off backing off.<br />
<br />
We are supposed to be living and preparing for another world. America is not our eternal home, but I fear we almost tend to live like it is.<br />
<br />
Me? I am going to work harder at doing my part. That may mean un-following people whose social media posts are 99% political. (not much of an exaggeration)<br />
<br />
There is so much good we can use social media for. It is sad that so many Christians use it for politics.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-50001564651734084912020-02-06T09:25:00.004-08:002020-02-06T09:25:55.587-08:00An extra day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever wish you had an extra day? If so, what would you do with it? Catch up on laundry and housework? Read? Binge on Netflix?<br />
<br />
Well, guess what.... you do have an extra day. We all do. This is leap year, a year when an extra day is tacked onto the month we are in, February. It is also the year that women are supposedly allowed to ask men out, instead of the way it has been done traditionally. That actually happened to me 3 leap years ago. I have no idea if it was because of leap year, but a young lady at least 10 years younger - possibly more like 13 - asked me out on a date. She even knew my issues and why I was single, and was still interested in me. Did I mention she was blind? Just kidding....but it was a surprise. And I said no, because I knew it would never work out.<br />
<br />
Four years ago, I penned (typed?) a similar blog about having an extra day. I decided then to do what I am going to do with my extra day this year. Seriously, if we have an extra day, shouldn't we do something different or special? Granted, the extra day is the 29th, and I will be doing something special on the 24th. And the 25th.<br />
<br />
The Amish part of Ohio is about an hour from me. Well, since I moved, it may be a little further. There is an inn there called the Dutch Host Inn that has what they call package deals during their slower times. The idea is to draw more people in than they would normally have. My one sister and her husband had done it a few times, and my parents also had done it. I looked it up, and the prices were for couples. So, I called and asked if one person could do it, and not only could they....the inn knocked $10 off for one person. So I made the reservation, went, and had a jolly time.<br />
<br />
The prices are different, depending on when in the week you go. Monday and Tuesday are $94.95. $84.95 for me :) - Thursday and Saturday are $104.95, and Friday is $114.95. The price includes one night's stay at the inn, plus a bunch of free stuff. I have done it a few times now, and I try to get there on Monday morning around 9:00. I check in, and get my packet of coupons for places all over the area, covering different towns.<br />
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<br />
This year, this package inclcludes:<br />
<br />
Breakfast at your choice of 3 different restaurants<br />
<br />
Supper (or dinner for you odd people) at your choice of 3 different restaurants<br />
<br />
A pound of cheese<br />
<br />
A pound of ham off the bone<br />
<br />
A loaf of bread<br />
<br />
2 fry pies<br />
<br />
1/2 gallon of apple cider<br />
<br />
9 oz jar of jam or jelly<br />
<br />
A bottle of BBQ sauce or seasoning<br />
<br />
9 oz jar of Christmas jam<br />
<br />
1 pound bag of brownie mix<br />
<br />
a pair of socks<br />
<br />
2 large sleeves of flavored popcorn<br />
<br />
a personalized bookmark or pen<br />
<br />
2 leather coasters<br />
<br />
2 engraved wooden coasters<br />
<br />
a kitchen utensil<br />
<br />
a jar of mustard (yuk)<br />
<br />
a ball candle<br />
<br />
20% off purchase at a Christian bookstore<br />
<br />
20% off purchase at Collectors Decanters and Steins (doubt I'll use it, though I did get a couple of magnets there once)<br />
<br />
Each of those items is from a different business. I have added up approximate totals, and it comes to more than what I pay for the room. Some things, I know what they cost. The BBQ sauce is $7.99. The two meals come close to $30. It is well worth it.<br />
<br />
I love the area, and am hoping the weather is nice enough that I can park and wander the streets of Berlin, my favorite town over there. There is a used bookstore in Millersburg, OH I discovered on my last trip over there, and I am planning on going there again.<br />
<br />
I always hit the majority of places Monday. You can't get in your room til 2, so I head back to the inn around that time. I relax, look over my treasures I have accumulated, then head for Mrs Yoders Kitchen in Mt Hope, and get their buffet......which has awesome fried chicken on it. I then head back to the inn and read and/or watch a movie.<br />
<br />
I get up Tuesday morning and hit the Dutch Valley Restaurant for their breakfast buffet. It is the closest of the 3 restaurants available for the free breakfast, visible from the inn. I then go out and hit the remaining places I haven't been to. The place offering the free fry pies is not open on Mondays, so I have to save it for Thursday.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Maybe I am the only one who needs an extra day, a day to get away from it all. Life has been rough lately. My depression is worse than ever, and that is with medications. The way so many have acted towards me for daring to oppose a president with an R by his name has made it worse, along with the constant praise and defense of such a corrupt bully. No one may understand why and how, but the whole politics and Trump over Christianity and how people are treated has torpedoed my faith. People in my own church who won't shop on Sunday or watch TV, along with a lot of outward stuff, don't care about honesty and attack anyone who disagrees with DT...false accusations and attempts to squash freedoms of speech abound from those who are supposed to be like Jesus, but act far from it. I have no confidence in my church or its teachings anymore, and evangelical Christianity has been hijacked by politics and a corrupt billionaire. Christians defend and are OK with adultery, strip clubs, sexual assault, vulgarity, etc.....and even what Trump is guilty of but got acquitted for.....yet still rail against the sin I battle daily....and for what? False accusations and attacks on me and others for daring to hold a politician to the same standards they used to. Losing my faith in my church, its teachings, evangelical Christianity, and the Republican Party hasn't all been bad.....it has shown me that Jesus is all that matters. Being a true Christian isn't anything to do with my church, its teachings, American Christianity, conservatism, etc....it is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So many Christians in my life have no idea what I am battling daily. If they knew, I hope they would change and stop the false accusations and lies......but the blind loyalty to a corrupt politician is an obsession so radical, that I fear nothing would change. I have true concerns about how obsessed so many Christians are with DT, to the point that defending him is more important than being like Jesus and how they treat people.<br />
<br />
Didn't mean to get political, but that stuff is taking a toll on me, and getting away from it is important and necessary.<br />
<br />
I need to get away from all that. Yeah, I have un-followed a lot of people and political pages......but I need a day for just me that I focus on having fun and mental health. I love the area over where I am going, and I love to shop. Hopefully my tax refund will have come by then, which will make it even better.<br />
<br />
February 24th can't come too soon.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-68657549778810437302019-12-17T16:16:00.002-08:002019-12-17T16:16:49.134-08:00December stuff It is almost scary how fast time goes. It seems the year barely started, and here we are 10 days from Christmas. Are you ready for it? I pretty much am. I need to mail my cards out, and wrap a few gifts. Most of my gifts are wrapped.<br />
<br />
I am going to attempt to keep this post shorter than my last few, and actually do have a few things on my mind. I may even publish it the same day I start it...a small miracle, if that happens.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Protecting the children.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
A Facebook friend did a post...actually several.....where she was ranting about adults attacking kids, and how kids should be protected and be off limits.<br />
<br />
Her main focus seems to be Greta Thunberg. Greta is a 16 year old Swedish environmental activist on climate change. In my opinion, she screams at everyone telling us a bunch of climate change crap that is baloney, as most of what those people say. She has been getting attacked on social media, and people are claiming it is an injustice and that she should be left alone since she is a kid.<br />
<br />
Sarah Palin's kids were cruelly attacked back when she was truly conservative and relative, yet Obama's kids were hands off.<br />
<br />
Here is my take: Kids like Greta are out there on the public stage spewing their bogus ideas, telling the rest of us how we should live. If she doesn't want adults firing back, then she should shut up and wait til she is an adult to play with adults. And yeah, no one needs to be brutal, but she is just another crazed climate change nut, and if she is going to scream at adults with her crap, then she is fair game.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) A president for all people</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
I have noticed similarities between Trump and Obama, and another occurred to me this week. I was actually thinking about Reagan, then my mind went to George W Bush, and I realized a similarity between those two men.<br />
<br />
Reagan and Bush were both presidents to the whole country. Think about it. I don't remember either man attacking citizens of the other party. I don't think they even attacked politicians in the other country. Bush was hated by liberals, but he never fought back, and thus didn't further divide the country. (And as much as I dislike the Clintons, I don't think Bill attacked the voters.)<br />
<br />
Now onto Obama and Trump. Obama was the first black president, and he could have united our country....but he was very divisive. He attacked conservatives, whites, Christians, Republicans, and cops. He constantly attacked any politician who didn't kiss his butt, and in my opinion divided this country like it never was.<br />
<br />
Trump came along, and further divided the country......but he also attacks those in the party he claims to be part of who do not support him (that would be people like me). And of course attacks liberals. He went a step further than Obama and divided conservatives and Christians.<br />
<br />
Obama nor Trump wanted to be president to everyone. They focus on making their supporters happy and accomplishing their agenda. Disagree with me? If they wanted to be president to all Americans and truly cared about all Americans, then neither would attack those who disagree with them and would work at not being so divisive.<br />
<br />
I wish we still elected men like Reagan president. A president for all people, not just those who agreed with him.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) The glue incident</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
For reasons that will be obvious, I am copying and pasting my Facebook status from yesterday:<br />
<br />
<b> I was getting ready for bed Friday night and was about to shave, so I removed my shirt. (that information is important). For some stupid reason, I decided to do a quick handy man job....which did not end well because of further stupidity.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>That stupidity ended in my stomach and both hands being covered in very hot glue. I immediately put my hands under cold water and dumped a glass of water on my stomach. I wasn't sure what to do. I feared the burns were serious, and there I stood in a pair of sweat pants with most of my stomach and my hands covered in the goo. I figured I should go to the hospital, but wasn't sure how to make that happen. I thought about calling my parents, but if I picked up my phone, that would have put a whole new meaning to "glued to my phone."</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>After panicking for a few minutes, I coated my hands in Vaseline and put sandwich baggies on my hands. I managed to pull an old t-shirt on, grab a jacket, my phone, and wallet and headed for the hospital I work at. I drove without my seat-belt, as I was trying not to have my t-shirt glued to my stomach.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I managed to get to the hospital without incident, and was seen quickly, though I was there a few hours. The burns aren't as bad as I feared, so no burn unit is necessary. They tried to get the glue off with mineral oil, but no luck. They finally sent me home after a tetanus shot and giving me cream for the burns.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The damages:</b><br />
<b>All of my fingertips are burned except my "pinkies"</b><br />
<b>My middle finger on my right hand is worst, and has a huge blister.</b><br />
<b>My left thumb comes in second pain-wise, and has a good sized blister...and fights for first place....it's throbbing at the moment.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ring finger on my right also has a good sized blister.</b><br />
<b>Slight burns on my right hand.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stomach: approximately a 6 by 6 area covered in glue, made all the more fun by me being a hairy guy. Parts of my stomach are very tender because of burns.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I bought nail polish remover with acetone, and have gotten some of the glue off my hands.....but it is no picnic peeling glue off burns.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It isn't very easy doing much...and I have typed this with my fingers that don't hurt as much.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I called one of my bosses last night (Friday) and called off, as I had no idea what the night would hold. A coworker volunteered to go in for me tomorrow (Sunday) for me, so I don't have to be at work again til Tuesday.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It is painful, and I have no idea how I am going to get the glue off my hands and even more my stomach...one male nurse told me there is a less painful way to get a wax....but I am thankful the burns were not bad enough for a burn center, and that it didn't get my face.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And just trust me on this...it was a dumb mistake that caused a small bottle of gorilla glue to explode on me.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> </b>Now:<br />
Some of my fingertips are still painful and I still have blisters on a few. It is made more painful by my trying to peel glue from burned areas. I did work for over an hour on my stomach and managed to get all of the glue off...a 4 inch by 6 inch spot. And there was a lot. It wasn't just a few specks, it was solid, thick in the middle, and thinner on the edges. And yeah...it hurt.<br />
<br />
It is still difficult to do stuff that requires much dexterity...unscrewing lids, typing, doing buttons and zippers....etc. Another blister appeared on my right pointer finger, and I accidentally popped the one on my left thumb, and also the left middle finger....which I don't remember being there.<br />
<br />
My parents felt bad for me and brought me a pizza last night from one of my favorite places and played a game of Scrabble with me. Hopefully everything heals up well and fast.<br />
<br />
I AM very thankful that it wasn't worse, and that I didn't get my face.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Susan</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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Even at this stage of my life, I struggle to believe people actually like me. Does one ever totally get over that kind of thinking? Some part of me knows there are people who genuinely like me. Another part of me struggle to believe that, and yet another feels people will only like me if I line up to their wishes and expectations....like voting like they want me to vote.<br />
<br />
There is a urologist who comes into my doctor's office 2-3 times a week to see patients. He has a super nice nurse/receptionist who is in her early 60's. Since my doctor's office is in the hospital, I see her often. She is a person who genuinely seems to like me. She found out at one point that I decorate my bedroom in patriotic/Americana decor, and started bringing me in all sorts of stuff: pillows, a metal star, a bear, and even a quilt. She gave me banana bread once and I got home made apple butter for Christmas from her last year. She asked me last week if I like pickles, so I am guessing she is going to give me some for Christmas.<br />
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<br />
She came in last Wednesday carrying a small garbage bag, and set a Christmas pillow on my desk. I assumed she was giving it to me, but said "that's nice." She pulled another pillow out that had an old fashioned Santa on, and asked me which one I wanted. If you know me very well, you can guess which one I picked. :)<br />
<br />
And I repay her by helping her. She has back problems, and sometimes pulls up at the door because she has a lot to carry in. I go out and get her stuff, including her purse, and take it up to the office for her. A few months ago, she said "You are such a good guy, I don't understand why you aren't married." So yeah, I guess she likes me. :)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5)</span></b> <b><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas vs happy holidays</span></b><br />
<br />
Every year there is a big hub bub about people saying happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas, and talk of a "war on Christmas." I have seen a lot of people mock the idea, and others insist there is a war.<br />
<br />
Whether or not you want to call it a war on Christmas or not, there has been a move to do away with using the word Christmas. There are schools that have banned it being called Christmas, and other examples of the push to do away with it being a religious holiday.<br />
<br />
Here are my thoughts:<br />
<br />
No business should tell their employees they can't say Merry Christmas, nor should they force them to say it.<br />
<br />
Any business making money off of Christmas should not do away with the word "Christmas" in their ads, nor call their Christmas music "holiday music."<br />
<br />
As for me, I will say Merry Christmas, forever and always.<br />
<br />
***And I am going to mention a pet peeve of mine: I hate, hate, hate to see "Xmas", but what I hate worse are Christians trying to excuse it by saying the "X" means Christ in Greek or some crap like that. Even if it is true, the people using "Xmas" do not have that in mind. So take your "Xmas" and explanation for it and lock it in a box to never be heard from again. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) The CD dilemma </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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I have a lot of CDs. That is most of them in the pic above. There are more upstairs. The one on the right is all Christmas, except the bottom 2 1/2 shelves which are Christmas music DVDs and other Christmas DVDs. As you can see, they take up a fair amount of wall space.<br />
<br />
Here is my dilemma: I rarely listen to CDs when I am home. I have a lot of music on my computer....like 8450 songs. I have my stereo hooked up to my pc and play music on my pc through the stereo, so no reason for a CD. The exception is when I get a new CD.<br />
<br />
I used to carry several CDs in my car, but since the purchase of my Chevy Cruz 2 1/2 years ago, I have been able to listen to music from my iPod, so I rarely take CDs....except new ones.<br />
<br />
So here is the dilemma: is there any reason to take up 58 inches of wall space in my living room for what I rarely use? But what would I put there, and where would I put the CDs? I just measured, and the wider shelf would fit fine at the back of my bedroom closet. (I have a bookshelf already in the spare bedroom closet).<br />
<br />
As for the Christmas CDs.....since I only use them a couple of months out of the year, I could put them in plastic crates. The shelf they are on will hold mass market paperbacks. Moving the wider shelf would free up 33 inches.<br />
<br />
I may explore the idea after Christmas. If you are reading this, feel free to offer an opinion. :)<br />
<br />
And yeah...maybe I need to thin the herd down too.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) Reading goal</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
I did say I'd try to keep this shorter, so I'll end with an update on my reading goal. I had set a goal of 200 for 2019, and passed that up months ago.<br />
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I am currently at 478 books.......and may attempt to hit 500. That is 22 books in 14 days. I may be able to do that. We will see. Remember, I don't have a life. :)Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-56175937914155485592019-12-11T20:42:00.001-08:002019-12-11T20:42:40.092-08:00Rants and ramblings Today is Wednesday, November 20. It is shortly after 10 pm, and I haven't done much since getting home from work around 5:20. Part of my evening was spent lying on my couch and listening to Christmas music by the lights of the Christmas tree and other Christmas lights in the room.<br />
<br />
To be honest, I haven't really felt like doing much. I am off tomorrow, so I am in no hurry to go to bed. I am actually a night owl, preferring to stay up late and sleep in, but when I start work at 6:30 am, I can't be staying up past midnight like I will be doing tonight.<br />
<br />
Blogging is something I finally decided I felt like doing, so here I am about to embark on another fascinating look into the mind of Mark Buzard (sarcasm intended). I have a few things on my mind, and it is possible and likely others will come up as I share my thoughts and invaluable (to me) opinions. :)<br />
<br />
**I started this blog post on November 20, and just ended it on December 11....so this is 3 weeks of "stuff". And yeah, that means it is long. If you are one of the few who read my blog, pick and choose. If you read it all, you deserve a special award.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Styles</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
A new tree skirt got me to thinking about styles. I have had a plain Jane green felt cheap tree skirt for years.....like at least 20. Since I put up two trees this year, I kind of needed two tree skirts. I love the old red truck decor and look, but I could only find them on line, and they are pricey. I checked at Walmart and found a different one that I liked for $19.98.....more than I wanted to pay, but I figured it is only the second one I have bought in my entire life, I might as well splurge a bit. As you can see above, it has a car pulling a small camper trailer, and there is a tree on the car. The message says "Oh, what fun!" It isn't the red truck, but it is me. It fits my style.<br />
<br />
I am glad we are all so different in our tastes and styles. What a boring life it would be if we were all the same. Is that something God worked out, that people would be different in things like that? What causes us to like certain things, and dislike others?<br />
<br />
I have long ago established that I am not your typical guy or bachelor, and why. My "bachelor pad" doesn't look like what one might expect in a bachelor pad. I am clean and fairly neat. My dining room and table are a slight disaster right now since Christmas gifts are scattered all over, but that is not the norm for me. I don't have empty pizza boxes lying around, nor do dishes pile up in my sink. I make my bed most days, complete with 5 decorative pillows.<br />
<br />
My style is my own:<br />
<br />
I like to decorate with lighthouses and other nautical decor<br />
<br />
I like books, so there are books and bookshelves all over<br />
<br />
I like the red truck look, and love to decorate for Christmas.<br />
<br />
My bedroom is patriotic/Americana<br />
<br />
I don't throw towels on the bathroom floor.<br />
<br />
I hang my clothes up, and throw ones I wore in the clothes basket<br />
<br />
I hate to dust. (so is dust part of my style?)<br />
<br />
I have two teddy bears and two snowmen as part of my Christmas decor.<br />
<br />
My tree is absent of the typical glass ornaments (the last 2 years). It is covered with a montage of nautical stuff, lighthouses, superheroes, Mario, red trucks, lanterns, and different rustic type ornaments.<br />
<br />
I prefer jeans, short sleeved button down shirts, and sandals.<br />
<br />
I have a plain grey sofa and brown recliner in my living room, set off by a long black stand with storage.<br />
<br />
I like Southern Gospel music and some country<br />
<br />
I have my own style, and you have yours. And isn't it amazing that God gave us all such different tastes, likes, and dislikes?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Frank Loesser, what were you thinking?!</span></b><br />
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<br />
Do you know who Frank Loesser is? He wrote one of the worst Christmas songs to ever be written in 1944. I didn't realize the song was that old: "Baby It's Cold Outside." It has been recorded as a duet more times than the last two presidents have lied combined. I think the worst is Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart. Or was. The song has reached a new low.<br />
<br />
Last year, the political correct idiots attacked the song. Yeah, it is a horrible song....but they attacked it because of the "Me too" movement, and claimed it encouraged rape or some stupid stuff like that. So...singers Kelly Clarkson and John Legend decided to see how irrelevant they could make themselves become, and recorded more politically correct lyrics to it. Here's a thought: let's stop playing the song because it is an awful song.<br />
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Political correctness is stupid. What next, banning God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen because it doesn't tell women to rest, or would the feminists be offended if it did tell them what to do.......<br />
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**Ironically, the Fifty Shades of Grey movies and books don't seem to be offending the same crowd offended by a stupid song.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) The invasion of politics </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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Ben Shaprio is a genius, and one of my favorite conservative writers. He wrote a great article today titled "<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shapiro-how-to-disunite-america?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mattwalsh">How to disunite America</a>." It was mostly about Chik fil a and the way the left has fought and bullied them. Here is part of it that I thought was really good:<br />
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<i><b>"But there’s something even more troubling going on here. In a free country, of course we get to choose which businesses to patronize. But is it good for the culture for us to segregate our business based on examining the politics of those who own our companies? Do we really want a country where we shop based on political affiliation? Where every decision, every day, is rooted in partisanship?</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>America’s social fabric is already fraying. Politics has invaded everything from education to sports, from movies to fashion. Should politics now determine where we buy a chicken sandwich? A country that punishes restaurants because its founders don’t openly celebrate same-sex marriage is a country destined to bifurcate. And that’s pretty fowl."</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>And he is right. It is sad how so much is influenced by politics and political correctness. My favorite superhero is Captain America. Chris Evans, long time Captain America actor, is retiring from the role, and will be replaced by a black guy. There are other TV roles that have had whites replaced by blacks, or men replaced by women... and characters suddenly becoming gay. And don't get me wrong....I have no problem with black people or black superheroes. I loved the Black Panther movie, which had a black superhero and mostly black cast. But why must we drag politics and political correctness into everything?<br />
<br />
I talked about Chik fil a caving to their longtime LGBQT bullies in my last post...which they seem to be backtracking on now....in my post, I was not at all telling people to stop eating there. My whole point was that the reason for their huge Christian and conservative support was because of the boycotts and because of their Biblical values, and if they caved to the LGBQT, the reasons for our support would cease to exist. No matter what, I wouldn't completely stop eating there. If I go to the one my nephew works at and he is with me when I pay, I get his employee discount. Pretty cool :)<br />
<br />
I believe the most important issue to Christians and anyone with a conscience is saving the unborn from being murdered in the womb. If I know a business or organization is funding the murder of innocent babies, that would be a business I would try to avoid.<br />
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But how far should we take that? I would imagine almost every business out there is giving money to something we would oppose. Does it make sense to even try, and does it really help anything? Does it make our country more united, or more divided? And if we aren't consistent with everything else in our life, does it make any sense at all?<br />
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The LGBQT mob has shown how horribly people can act when a business or people dare disagree with them. Do we want to be like that?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) The trans apocalypse </span></b><br />
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The whole transgender thing is getting out of hand. There was a video shared of a boy trying to be a girl crowing that he can now go in the girl's bathroom and locker rooms at his school because the idiots on the school board voted that way. A girl from the school was in tears over the decision.<br />
<br />
There are constantly biological males becoming "trans" and participating in women's sports and beating the women.<br />
<br />
Why are't people rising up against this insanity? Where are the parents of the girls in these schools? Where are the feminists when these sports crap happen? Is everyone so afraid of the LGBQT crowd that they are going to lie down and let them do whatever they want unchallenged? Has the LGBQT mob grown too powerful?<br />
<br />
Here is the blunt truth: You cannot change your gender. Any attempt to do so is to go against God's design, and only increases the chances of suicide. Yes, I feel badly for those who struggle in this area, but they need help.....not encouragement in their delusion. And why on earth is everyone bowing and surrendering to a small group of people while saying "screw you!" to the majority? Why do the feelings and rights of those outside the LGBQT matter? Why are their rights always mowed under for the rights of the LGBQT?<br />
<br />
I am attracted to other guys, and have struggled in that area for years....so I get the feelings that a lot of gay people have, and how the church and Christians have hurt so many. But we have gone so far beyond tolerance and it not being our business what people do in their bedrooms. I believe 100% that the militant part of the LGBQT crowd wants to destroy Christianity, and want to completely silence any dissent or disagreement....and especially anyone daring to say it is wrong or sinful.<br />
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The LGBQT crowd has screamed about intolerance for years, but they have become what they hate: intolerant. And bullies.<br />
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Will anyone dare stand up against their agenda?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Which is better, to not love, or love and have the love lost?</span></b><br />
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I spent years faking that I didn't want to get married, but it was just a cover so people wouldn't question or suspect why I have remained single. I have come to the point that I realize even married people and dating people can be lonely, and a relationship is no guarantee against loneliness. I have always been disgusted by divorce. Here are tons of people fortunate enough to be able to marry and have families, and they mess it up. Then there is me: desperately wishing I could have a family, but doomed to never have that.<br />
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Is it better to never love and be loved, then to have it and lose it? There is a man I don't personally know, but know of, and I also know a lot of his relatives. I don't believe he even had a serious relationship until he was in his late 30's. He married about a year ago at the age of 37, and lost his wife in a tragic car accident a week ago. Would he have been better off to have never dated and married than to be going through what he is going through now? Would those suffering the loss of a spouse through the evils of divorce be better off to have never dated and married?<br />
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No one knows. Life is lonely, but I'll never have to deal with the loss of a special loved one in my life. Am I better off for it?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) The danger of politics</span></b><br />
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I have discussed on my blog before how I believe Christians are too political. I have been seeing some things that truly concern me, but it seems that anyone who voted for Trump and support him are completely oblivious. Being on the outside of my political party gives me a unique view on things I may not see if I toed the party line.<br />
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It seems Donald Trump has become more than a president to many in the Republican Party. I don't say this to be rude or ignorant, but too many Christians act like Donald Trump is their savior, and not their president. There have been several referring to Trump as "the chosen one" lately. One lady shared that God was grooming Trump for years to be in the place he is in. Social media is flooded with what I have taken to call Trump apologetics. No man deserves the blind loyalty, constant praise and adulation, and over the top defense that he is getting from Christians. Too many are more vocal about praising him than they are God.....and God is the one they are supposed to be serving.<br />
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And truth has ceased to matter. If a post makes Trump look good, or makes a Democrat look bad, Christians will share the daylights out of it and also "like" it. Example:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJlF_j5-MCuG_7JS1tM8STqX25_HFQJvWRuq1iwohwsEkIxZRQLj70AOTupdIUHzoB8GlG787ocZqyG3V9Hq3DXLIuI9BbibgE6TZvCEug7qQxQELIZKu1Bv26ji2gUBYF7R6jEGyx5w/s1600/Trumpchristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="642" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJlF_j5-MCuG_7JS1tM8STqX25_HFQJvWRuq1iwohwsEkIxZRQLj70AOTupdIUHzoB8GlG787ocZqyG3V9Hq3DXLIuI9BbibgE6TZvCEug7qQxQELIZKu1Bv26ji2gUBYF7R6jEGyx5w/s320/Trumpchristmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A Christian shared this, and it was liked by others. But is it true? No, it is not. Obama was a horrid president, but he never banned saying Christmas. In fact, there are videos of him on YouTube saying "Merry Christmas", nor is Trump taking a stand the way the meme says he is. The meme is an outright lie, but since Trump is so loved by his supporters and it makes him look good, it will be shared a lot. There was one last year saying there were no Christmas trees in the White House while the Obamas were there, but now there are since Trump is there.....but that also is not true.<br />
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Has politics so invaded Christianity that truth doesn't matter anymore? There were times I was going to share something about Obama, did some research, and found it wasn't true.....so I took it down. I think I may even have shared some things I took down after finding out they weren't true. No one is perfect, but Christians should be really careful in this area.<br />
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Below is another eye roll meme:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcGZgRBePL1uE5oqc6g6FUxKgbW-vR_zFZIj9M3QoFBX0LHVYaKhg7L4WJaoTYWsx5U-sTPmnzpeyS0bx08zQxhR7FifBPCgTb0P5m57Ca5FFHxmsQfPnozzliZeToLP9FzRHCI8arOU/s1600/Trumpfamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzcGZgRBePL1uE5oqc6g6FUxKgbW-vR_zFZIj9M3QoFBX0LHVYaKhg7L4WJaoTYWsx5U-sTPmnzpeyS0bx08zQxhR7FifBPCgTb0P5m57Ca5FFHxmsQfPnozzliZeToLP9FzRHCI8arOU/s320/Trumpfamily.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>
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<br />
Now consider this logically. Trump was a liberal holding views opposite everything conservatives believed before 2016. Even if he truly changed all of his views (which I don't believe), do you really and seriously believe his kids also did? They couldn't even vote for him in the Republican primaries because they were registered Democrats....something I still find hilarious and awesome. They have been lifelong liberals. Ivanka has been trying to implement policies that are just like Hillary's. Her husband has all kinds of liberal ties and has his hands in some not so good and honest things. But some Trump supporters idolize Trump and his family so much that they don't even consider what kind of people they are or what their policies are....they are putting their hope and everything else that belongs to God in the Trump family. Barron Trump is like 13? No one has a clue to what his polices and values will be when he is old enough to be president. To want him (or his siblings) to be president because he is a Trump is complete idiocy, and is how the liberals act that we think are so horrible. Besides, we do not have nor want a monarchy.<br />
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Even the Make America Great Again slogan gets to me. Even if Trump isn't the godless corrupt arrogant narcissist I consider him to be, no man is going to make America great again. Only God and a return to Biblical values and principles will do that. I honestly don't believe a true Christian should be going around parroting that phrase or wearing the hat. It just shows that Trump has become an idol and/or god to many in the Republican Party. It is truly alarming to anyone who is paying attention at all.<br />
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Here's another one below that bothers me. (OK, there are a lot of pro-Trump memes and posts that bother me). I don't comment on every Trump meme or post I see....I'd never be done - but I do on some, and I did on this. It was posted by a Christian friend who posts way more about Trump than God. My comment was "Shouldn't the best part of waking up be that God is in your heart and that you are a Christian?" We argue a lot about politics, so she is used to it. But seriously. You may think the meme is OK and I am being dumb about it, but am I? Should a Christian post the best part of waking up is something so earthly as having any person as their president, no matter what he is like?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV0zj7gj2VS4evgcw-UmiROXK26Ocb5KnaJK9_VhqlenE0YgbxbybrvXj844xHRYucIv9x0j7r3UPtjuRu2YAOVYjgESBkCZUsMyeDBMvDOF4S_1Vu5JO_XllKEWhID5vi-OB8RUMbVs/s1600/trumpwake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV0zj7gj2VS4evgcw-UmiROXK26Ocb5KnaJK9_VhqlenE0YgbxbybrvXj844xHRYucIv9x0j7r3UPtjuRu2YAOVYjgESBkCZUsMyeDBMvDOF4S_1Vu5JO_XllKEWhID5vi-OB8RUMbVs/s320/trumpwake.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<br />
I could post more memes and give more examples of the over the top Trump mania, but I won't. Besides, I don't think it matters to many Christians who support Trump. It seems to me they are more comfortable and OK with having doubts about God and questioning God, than questioning Trump or expressing doubts about him. I don't call Trump the Republican messiah just to get a rise out of people. He truly has too high of a place of important in the lives and loyalties of Christians in the Republican Party. And I am not trying to be rude or ignorant. Trump supporters are unwilling and/or able to express any doubts or criticisms about and of him....yet I know of many Christians who have admitted to having doubts about God at different times in their lives.<br />
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The way Christians acted towards me for not voting for Trump, for still opposing him, and the over the top adulation, etc they have towards him has truly caused my faith to take serious hits. Is this true Christianity: badgering people to vote like you, deleting or blocking them for daring to criticize your politician, filling your social media with praise and adulation of that politician while putting down anyone who dares disagree with him? Is politics and winning elections more important than how we treat people and make them feel? Is it being like Jesus to be this partisan and political? And does the average Christian even care?<br />
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And yeah, I have my own faults and am not even close to perfect....I just hope and pray I never act with any person the way so many act with Trump. Obama and Trump have both shown how easily the anti-Christ will fool even Christians..especially if he comes across as a political savior.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) Black Friday</span></b><br />
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I went shopping at 2 pm on Black Friday with my youngest sister and her husband, my three nephews, youngest 2 nieces, and the youngest one's boyfriend. We met in Boardman, and I carpooled with the nieces and the boyfriend. My oldest niece and her boyfriend met us later for supper at Steak and Shake.<br />
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We had a blast, and I bought an air fryer, something I have been interested in for a while. I used it a couple of times already, and like it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) The airfryer</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FcAnkhMIh32mbDoF4p7_McPatVJbTm-JKZW5Zl6hsjVAX0ohpTAfjOakaAV7DdbLUP1QLSeeg1sO855_6hK7NSXQWxIxDaQzNVPQwap8gyWdcc5UQOoddXNK2mDMUE-uiYAAEAJFoFg/s1600/airfryer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FcAnkhMIh32mbDoF4p7_McPatVJbTm-JKZW5Zl6hsjVAX0ohpTAfjOakaAV7DdbLUP1QLSeeg1sO855_6hK7NSXQWxIxDaQzNVPQwap8gyWdcc5UQOoddXNK2mDMUE-uiYAAEAJFoFg/s320/airfryer.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have been interested in getting an air fryer for a while, and found a good deal on a 5.5 quart on Black Friday. Regular price: $120.00. Sale price: $49.99 with a $20 rebate, final cost: $29.99. I have only had it since Friday, but have used it 4-5 times already. I did chicken, pork chops, ham, french fries, and potatoes in it. I love it.<br />
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**OK, it is not December 7, and I have used it even more. I love it more and think it is going to be a serious relationship.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) Will morals matter in 2020?</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaldKDLlXqJc2ta7uGpm_1Wv-50hvaj531r66tGdDV8ZLRBRxXrI6vC5skPpfuHMHiSPQHYXeMUhVVKbSvVV_8m_kep6kAlNoMBCHZfWpKA_jDB7eLetAUPtEnu4GYfp3S7481-VI6ek/s1600/ethics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaldKDLlXqJc2ta7uGpm_1Wv-50hvaj531r66tGdDV8ZLRBRxXrI6vC5skPpfuHMHiSPQHYXeMUhVVKbSvVV_8m_kep6kAlNoMBCHZfWpKA_jDB7eLetAUPtEnu4GYfp3S7481-VI6ek/s320/ethics.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A friend did a post today thanking Pete Buttigieg for making evangelicals care about morals again. I admit the post was in response to a comment I made on a political post about Pete. I commented with the popular slogan of 2016: "we aren't electing a pastor." I am not trying to be rude or ignorant, but I have wondered ever since the 2016 election what effect it will have on moral issues in the future. Can any Trump supporter truly oppose anything immoral in a political candidate without being a hypocrite and having a double standard?<br />
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I mentioned it before, but two atheist friends of a friend of mine commented and said after seeing the way Christians defended and supported Trump, they don't want to hear a Christian bring up morals.<br />
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I tend to compartmentalize Trump voters.<br />
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a) First you have the ones I believe need to repent: They are the ones responsible for picking the most liberal and most morally reprehensible candidate for the GOP nomination. They are responsible for giving us two evils to pick between on election day, unless you did as I did and voted third party.<br />
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b) Then there are the ones who voted for Trump in the main election because he was on the Republican ticket, and they feared his buddy Hillary winning.<br />
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c) Thirdly, there is the enthusiastic Trump supporter, who didn't necessarily support him before he won the nomination, but once he did, they became an instant Trump apologist.<br />
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d) Then there is the quiet Trump voter. They voted for him, but steer clear of politics on social media, and most likely off of it. My friend Avis is one of those. She devotes her social media to encouraging and uplifting posts. I only saw one political post from her that I remember, and that was a few months ago when Trump announced he had matchless wisdom. She called him out for that. Imagine if we were all like her and used our social media to glorify God and encourage others. What a novel thought.<br />
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e) Lastly, the Trump apologist. This one can encompass some of the others. This person constantly defends everything Trump does and says, and spends their time on social media praising him and putting down anyone who dares criticize him.<br />
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I said all that to say I do not lump all Trump voters and supporters together. But let's refresh Trump's shortcomings that have been defended by way too many Christians in the Republican Party. And before I do, let me say there is no way the man is a Christian. The road is too narrow for the way he lives and the way he treats people...... and come on, a conversion right at election time, and James Dobson had to announce it instead of Trump himself?<br />
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a) His adulteries. He cheated on at least two of his wives, and I believe bragged about it.<br />
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b) Strip clubs in his casinos. I seriously thought this would be a deal breaker, but nope. It didn't matter to evangelical Christians.<br />
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c) He bragged about grabbing women by their genitals. Which is sexual assault in any book.<br />
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d) He paid off a prostitute.<br />
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e) He is vulgar<br />
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f) He is dishonest<br />
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g) He promised to further gay rights, was for genderless bathrooms, and appeared at a LGBQT rally for him where he held a flag "LGBQT for Trump."<br />
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h) His current wife cheated with him on his previous wife, and posed in lesbian pornography.<br />
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i) calling we #nevertrump conservatives "human scum". (Yeah, I had to put that in).<br />
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j) He was good buddies with Jeffrey Epstein. I only add that because so many like to point out Bill Clinton's friendship with him, yet ignore Trump's<br />
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I could come up with more, but those are the highlights. Now look at those and imagine a politician with a D by their name was guilty of all of those. Can you honestly say Christians in my party would be silent about all that? Would they defend the candidate? Would they say "judge not!" "We aren't electing a pastor!", etc. You and I both know that all would be ammunition against a candidate with a D by their name. Conservatives are still bringing up what Bill Clinton did. Imagine if Hillary or Michelle Obama had done any porn, especially lesbian. Would my fellow conservatives be saying they are classy?<br />
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So why is it all OK for Trump? Why is the indefensible defensible and OK for evangelicals? And how on earth can they bring the moral focus back when it comes to the other party? And why do Christians seem to love him more the worse he acts and the more he attacks people?<br />
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I honestly can't see how any Trump supporter can come up with any moral reason to not vote for Pete. Policies? Yeah, though I take issue with a lot of Trump's policies too. My reasons for opposing him are many.<br />
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And before you get your underwear in a twist, I am not calling all those who voted for and support Trump a hypocrite. All I am saying, is evangelicals who defend him and praise him so much, had better be careful what they call out the Democrats for. My party elected the most liberal and most morally reprehensible candidate to ever run on the GOP ticket. That will have repercussions in future elections.<br />
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One more thing: It is amazing how many Christians fill their social media with Trump praise and defense. It is like every other post, or every post some days. I challenged one guy this evening to post more about Jesus than Trump. I doubt he will do it, for it is almost like a disease. They must praise and defend him. And seriously, a lot of them do praise Trump and defend him more than they do God. Isn't that cause for alarm or concern? It seems like too many Christians almost consider Trump to be a political savior. Only God is deserving of that much praise and adulation. A lot of churches, mine included, have times when people stand up and give a testimony of what God has been doing for them.....it seems there are way more testimonies by too many Christians on social media about what Trump is doing for them....more than they testify about God.<br />
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Lastly, I'll let you in on a secret: I try not to argue on social media, and defense of Trump drives me crazy.....so when I do post the occasional Trump post or comment on a post about him, I don't read the responses, unless I do by accident.<br />
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OK, now lastly for real: I do intensely dislike Trump, the way he acts, and many of his policies. Now pick a politician you really dislike. I'll assume one I also do, Obama. Imagine you have several friends who are constantly defending him, praising him, and putting down anyone who criticizes him. Could you stay silent? Would you not be frustrated? Would it not cause you to dislike him all the more? Welcome to the world of a conservative who is anti-Trump.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10) Hermits have the right idea</b></span><br />
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There are days I get why people want to be hermits. Yeah, there are days I get depressed because there is no one in my life outside of family that I can call or text and say "want to meet for lunch?" But then there are the days I am off and don't leave the house, don't interact with anyone.....and love it. If I didn't have to work, I would probably spend a lot of my time at home. And why not? I love my place, and have it decorated like I want......and I have my own personal library.<br />
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It is possible that my depression plays into that. I also think a lot of days after I deal with people at work for 10 hours, I prefer to not be around people for a while. Like the t-shirt says "I used to be a people person, but then people ruined it".<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11) Not perfect</b></span><br />
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One thing I worry about when I do a "rant" about something or Trump, is people will look at me and think "he's not perfect!" Wow. What a revelation. I had no clue I am not perfect! You would not believe the list of shortcomings I see in yours truly. There have been times I have been asked to list some things I like about myself. You know all I can come up with? I am punctual. I honestly can't come up with much of anything I like about myself. I'd never talk to anyone else=the way I talk to myself.<br />
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And I have heard people say that is wrong, that you shouldn't put yourself down. Maybe that is true, but it doesn't stop me from telling myself what I think of myself......and it ain't pretty. So whatever you may be thinking of me because I dare criticize DT, it can't be as bad as I view myself.<br />
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Could that be a barrier in one's relationship with God? If it is wrong to call someone else an idiot, failure, stupid, etc, is it wrong to call ourselves that? Is it in essence saying God didn't do a good job on us?<br />
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None of us are worth of salvation and grace, but is there a danger of putting ourselves down too much?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12) What others think?</span></b><br />
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What kind of lives would we lead if we didn't worry so much about what people thought of us? Well, for one thing, I'd probably be even more vocal about you know who.....<br />
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And I don't mean this in a bad way. We can't selfishly live like we don't care what people think, but in a good way. I have been held back a lot in life by fears of what people would think of me.<br />
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Maybe that is one reason Jesus said we must be like children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Small children don't worry about what people think of them. At some point we lose that, and worry and fear what others think of us. It likely influences and interferes in our lives in ways we are not even aware of.<br />
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It has to in some ways even affect our spiritual lives. We are afraid to speak up about certain topics. We are afraid to witness to others. We are afraid to be and do everything God wants of us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13) Facebook jail</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDITXiSt6HNL6oarYOlOS9K6vWhHfSZtO5udfa05_7L_i7QhherXU64dklQDBWsbGC4Kea35CLYm6VPxOnCdAlq7lT8qT0TkbWr-z71FurFcbeupiNK9ODjH58PpLOX5O0msphb7kQCDQ/s1600/jail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDITXiSt6HNL6oarYOlOS9K6vWhHfSZtO5udfa05_7L_i7QhherXU64dklQDBWsbGC4Kea35CLYm6VPxOnCdAlq7lT8qT0TkbWr-z71FurFcbeupiNK9ODjH58PpLOX5O0msphb7kQCDQ/s320/jail.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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I am in Facebook jail for 7 days. For the same thing as last time: I dared criticize the religion of peace. On a news story about Lizzy Warren wanting more gun control after the shooting yesterday by a Saudi Militant, I commented "we just need to ban Muslims." Immediate jail for 7 days by the tolerant Facebook. I can guarantee if it was Christianity, they would do nothing.<br />
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**Only 2 more days left til I am out on probation!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14) The brother's bond</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
(This is a bit long, and sounds like a book review....but it really isn't. Well, kind of maybe.....)<br />
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My favorite genre' to read is mystery/suspense. Harlequin has a line of Christian novels they put out monthly: Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense. The first is just romance, and the second is suspense.....hence the word suspense in the label name. :)<br />
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I have taken to reading more romance than I used to. Though I am single for life due to what I deal with, I am a romantic. It does hurt a bit reading about something I can never have, but such is life. I started reading some of the non-suspense novels they put out, especially the ones with kids and families, but read some others too. One author has become a favorite, Linda Goodnight. The first book I read by her was titled the Christmas Child, an awesome book about an orphaned little boy who brought a school teacher and a very damaged federal agent together to make a family. Great story.<br />
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A few weeks ago, I was ordering on ebay from a seller who has a "buy 2 books, get one free" deal. In looking for a third book, I found one by the same author titled "A Season for Grace." It turned out to be the first in a trilogy titled "The Brother's Bond." Here is the series description in a nutshell:<br />
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Three brothers: Colin age 10, Drew age 8, and Ian age 5. Separated by the foster system. Colin stole food and did whatever he had to do to take care of the other two because of an absent drug addict mother and no father. For 23 years, he has been searching for his 2 brothers. He himself was in the system til he aged out, never being adopted, never having a family. Each book contains the word "Grace" in the title. God's grace definitely plays out in the books, but there is a double reason for the word: That is the last name of the boys before the youngest two had theirs changed.<br />
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Book one, A Season for Grace, is about Colin. Twenty three years later and now a police and SWAT member, he starts mentoring a troubled kid after being hounded by a pushy social worker (who he eventually falls for). He enlists her help in finding his two brothers in return for the mentoring. Towards the end of book one, he discovers his brother Drew died in a fire as a teen in a group home, and discovers the whereabouts of his youngest brother.<br />
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Book two, A Touch of Grace, is about Ian, the youngest brother. He is a minister who runs a home for troubled youth and he spends his time trying to rescue other troubled kids. His older brother finds him about 3/4 of the way through the book, a shock to him since meningitis at the age of 5 had erased his memories and he had no idea he was adopted. The reunion between the two brothers was very emotional. Yeah, that means I cried. The book ends with the two brothers gathering at Ian's adopted mother's house with their fiancees. Ian's fiancee is a TV reporter who did a story about the two brothers. The very last page has her getting a call from her station saying someone called the station and was positive the other brother was not dead.<br />
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Book three, The Heart of Grace is about Drew, the brother thought to be dead. He is married, but demanding a divorce from his wife because he feels unworthy of her because of his past and fears her finding out, and also because she wants kids and he is terrified to have kids because of his past. An IED in Iraq where is he doing photo work injures him and forces him to go home to her while he recuperates. She sees the story about Ian and Colin. By this time, she knows some of Drew's story, especially that he had 2 brothers named Ian and Colin, who he told her died in a fire. The 2 brothers have the same identical key chain with the Scripture that her husband wears around his neck. She calls the news station and sets the reunion of all three brothers in motion, along with the final healing and salvation of her husband, along with the healing and saving of their marriage. And yeah, did I ever cry at that reunion too.<br />
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The series was based on three brothers the author knew of who were separated by the foster system. She doesn't know what happened to them, but in her note at the end of book three said this: <b>"Somewhere out there are three little boys who inspired this series. I hope and pray that they too, have found a happy ending."</b><br />
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<b> </b>This series profoundly impacted me. It made me wish I could so something to help kids like those in the story. It made me wish I was like Ian, who did so much to help troubled youth and whose life revolved around his faith influencing everything he did....and made me wish a lot of things.<br />
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Christian novels, especially romance ones, get a bad rap from many people......but this series is one that shows how much can be in even a romance novel.<br />
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**update: I emailed the author about the series, and commented it made me wish I could do more to help kids like that...though I have no idea how I could. She replied, which made my day:<br /><br />
<b>Hi Mark,</b><br />
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<b>This is the kind of email we authors love to get, especially considering how long ago I wrote those books. The Brothers Bond series is one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite. I receive so many emails about it, and you might be interested to know, I hear from a number of male readers. I count all of you a blessing.</b><br />
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<b>I am humbled to know my words could inspire your desire to "do more". Frankly, the world needs more men willing to step up and make a difference, especially with young boys without strong male role models. My single adult daughter felt as you do and signed up for foster care, which resulted in her adopting a child last Christmas. She continues to foster other children. If fostering seems like too much, Big Brothers and Sisters are always in need of mentors, small churches need men to help with youth groups, and I'm sure there are other groups looking for men willing to make a difference in a young boy's life. God bless you for your compassionate heart.</b><br />
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<b>Thank you so, so much for emailing. I am blessed.</b><br />
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<b>Have a Merry Christmas!</b><br />
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<b>Linda Goodnight</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15) 2019 reading goal</span></b><br />
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As I mentioned before, I long ago passed up my goal of 200 books for this year. I am currently at 474 books. If I read 26 more, I will hit 500.<br />
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One problem this many books presents: every year, I make a top 20 best books of the year that I read. It is going to be extremely difficult to narrow the list down to 20 out of this many books. Plus, I am going to have to go through the list of books I read so I can remember which ones were the best.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">16) That stage of life.....</span></b><br />
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I probably shouldn't admit this on such a public forum, but I did something I never thought I would do. It is one of those "ugh, really!?" moments. I purchased a larger print Bible. Yeah, me.<br />
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I have glasses, and really hate wearing them. I wear them when I drive....because I have to, since I couldn't pass the eye exam without them last time I renewed my driver's license. I also wear them in church so I can see the pastor better and read the attendance board. My eye problem is far off. I can read the average book without them, but most Bibles tend to have smaller print. I can still read the Bibles I have, but bought one with slightly larger print in my favorite version so I can read it easier. And oh - it is not King James. :)<br />
<br /> Christianbook.com had some great sales going on. The one I bought was normally $64.99, and I got it for $16.99. I also bought several Christmas gifts, which was the main purpose of my shopping on the site. That, and the free shipping on $35 + orders.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">17) Gifts</span></b><br />
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Speaking of gifts, I was off today and got most of my gift wrapping done. I started off on the floor, and was finding that a bit uncomfortable. I debated about the dining room table, for it had accumulated a lot of "stuff" in the last few weeks. I decided to clean it off, made easier by the fact that some of the "stuff" was things I needed to wrap. In the midst of my wrapping, I found one gift I had lost. I only have a few things left, including some gag gifts.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">18) Mini vacation</span></b><br />
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I work 4 10-hour days, and always have 3 days off each week. Next week will be even better than that. I work the weekend, Friday-Sunday, have off Monday, work Tuesday and Wednesday, and then I am off for the next 4 days....Thursday-Sunday. Yay me! I think the reason for that is I had some holiday time I was going to lose, so they tossed an extra day off to me and used holiday time. Unlike our vacation (paid time off) days, holiday hours will expire. I am looking forward to it. I don't have any plans, but I am still looking forward to it.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-44518353592151442192019-11-18T19:08:00.001-08:002019-11-18T19:30:29.432-08:00November stuff(ing)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my third blog post this month, though the first one was started in October. Hopefully, I won't drag this one out so long. And I actually did a normal blog post on one subject. That is pretty rare for me these days. Most of my posts are multiple subjects, like this one.<br />
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I am starting this post Saturday evening, November 9. And I have no idea when I will finish it, or where it will go.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) The bear in the trunk</span></b><br />
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I ended my previous multiple subject post talking about the trunk in my living room. I decided to display it open, and had put one of my nautical pillows in it, but felt it needed something else. I showed the picture to the lady from my doctor's office who has given me so many patriotic/Americana decor. Her suggestion was an Americana teddy bear. Problem is, I don't have one. But I do have a white teddy bear. Now, you may be thinking "what is a guy my age doing with a teddy bear?" More on that later.....<br />
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So I took her suggestion, and really liked how it turned out. Today, I started decorating for Christmas. Yeah, I am one of "those" people. I am planning on putting my tree where the trunk is, and was going to put it in the basement for now.......but I gave it a Christmas look, and I like the look so well, I think I can fit it in the dining room.<br />
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Now back to the bear. First off, keep in mind that I am not a normal guy. I don't get into sports, hunting, and all that "manly stuff." I'm not even attracted to the right gender. But I am no sissy. And besides, who says teddy bears are only for kids and females? If a woman can watch football and rave about how wonderful the Steelers are doing, then can't I have a teddy bear?<br />
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Then there is the fact I didn't buy it. A few years ago, I did a blog post titled "<a href="https://markallansmusings.blogspot.com/2016/10/i-dont-want-to-be-normal.html">I don't want to be normal</a>." In that post, I discussed not being a normal man, and being OK with that. I listed some ways, and among them was this statement: "<i><b>I have stuffed animals........for decor. Except a teddy bear - everyone needs one of them (who said it isn't normal for adult men to have a teddy bear anyway?)...a stuffed Toad from the Mario games (gift from my nieces), stuffed Angry Birds (gifts from my nieces and nephews.....)"</b></i><br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>A very special lady from my church died back in April at the age of 59. It was sudden and unexpected. Becky Hartley exemplified love and Christianity in a way that all too few do. She was like a mother to the whole church, and to many outside of the church. She was among the first handful of people I told about my same-sex attractions, and she often checked up on me, telling me more than once she didn't want me to fall through the cracks as a lone single guy at church.<br />
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Why am I talking about this wonderful Christian lady? She read that blog post, and decided that I needed a teddy bear. I had to work this one Sunday, and when I came home, my mom handed me a gift bag. Becky Hartley had bought me a teddy bear, because she decided this single guy needed one. I will most likely think of her every time I look at it. And now, it has a prominent place sitting in my trunk, now part of a Christmas display. I had planned on putting the trunk in the basement to make room for the tree, but that isn't happening now. I need to re-think where the tree will fit in.<br />
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If more Christians were like her, this world would be a much better place.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Asking Jesus into your heart</span></b><br />
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It never ceases to amaze me the things that people make into a big deal. How people ask Jesus to save them is one of those things. I have read and heard many people take on this issue. They criticize the use of the "sinner's prayer", the "asking Jesus into your heart", and other methods. I have read what people have written, and comments others have made in response, and I have come to my own conclusions. I think my conclusions make sense, but then I wouldn't share them if I thought otherwise. :)<br />
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Jesus is so eager to forgive us and save us, that I cannot imagine Him being picky about how we do it or what words we say.<br />
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In the story of the prodigal son, the father in the story represents God. He was watching for his son to come back, and went running to meet him. He didn't stand and wait til his son said the proper words or groveled long enough, he embraced him and welcomed him home.<br />
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Brennan Manning in The Ragamuffiin Gospel put it this way:<br />
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<b>While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). I am moved that the [prodigal son's] father didn’t cross-examine the boy, bully him, lecture him on ingratitude, or insist on any high motivation. He was so overjoyed at the sight of his son that he ignored all the canons of prudence and parental discretion and simply welcomed him home. The father took him back just as he was . . . We don’t have to sift our hearts and analyze our intentions before returning home. Abba just wants us to show up . . . we don’t have to be perfect or even very good before God will accept us . . . Even if we come back because we couldn’t make it on our own, God will welcome us. He will seek no explanations about our sudden appearance. He is glad we are there . . . [He will say, like the prodigal's father,] “Hush, child. I don’t need to know where you’ve been or what you’ve been up to.”</b><br />
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<b> </b>Then we have the thief on the cross. Luke 23:<br />
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<b>39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”</b><br />
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<b> </b>It doesn't appear it took much for him to be saved and to gain eternal life.<br />
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So pray the sinner's prayer, ask Jesus into your heart.....whatever words or method we use, I believe Jesus is waiting to forgive us and that there are no right or wrong ways to ask Him to do it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) A True Family Christmas </span></b><br />
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I buy at least a few new Christmas CDs every year.....which might explain why I have so many Christmas CDs. It looks like I will only be buying one new one this year, and it is the new one by the Collingsworth Family: A True Family Christmas.<br />
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The last few years I have done a blog post with a brief review of each new Christmas CD I have bought. Since that is only one this year, I will do it here.<br />
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First, a listing of the songs:<br />
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Christmas Spirit Medley<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Sleigh Ride (piano)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
We Do Christmas Like We Mean It <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Home For Christmas Medley<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Another Christmas Closer <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
I Call Him Lord<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Carol Of The Bells (piano)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Isn't That Why He Came<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Mary Did You Know<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The Story Of The First Christmas<br />
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I was a bit disappointed in their first Christmas CD, Feels Like Christmas (2012). This CD is definitely better, and the song selection is better.<br />
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1) Christmas Spirit Medley: The Spirit of the Season, Caroling Caroling, and We Need A Little Christmas. This medley starts out the recording. They do it very well, and it is a great way to start out the CD.<br />
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2) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: a song that has been sung by many artists, and Phillip Jr does a great job. I always thought he should be featured more than he is, and he is featured more on this CD. One of my pet peeves has been the amount of Christian authors who sing the line "if the fates allows." There are a few who substitute "if the Lord allows", and kudos to the Collingsworths for doing that.<br />
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3) Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow: not one of my favorites, but they do a great job on it<br />
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4) Sleighride: This is instrumental piano. I would have liked more instrumentation with it, but it is a great solo piano version....with one exception. There are a few times when she does something that makes it sound like she is making mistakes, but obviously is supposed to sound like that.<br />
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5) We Do Christmas Like We Mean It: The only definite "no" on the CD. It just doesn't fit at all with their style, and I skip it every time. Every time. What were they thinking?<br />
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6) Home for Christmas Medley: The best track on the CD. They do an awesome job on "There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas" and "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays." A very pleasing medley.<br />
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7) Another Christmas Closer: A new song that is somewhat a sad song, but is a nice addition to the CD.<br />
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8) I Call Him Lord: They do a great job on this one. It isn't technically a Christmas song, but goes well on a Christmas CD. My only complaint: it is too similar to the most recent arrangements of this song by Mark Lowery and the Whisnants.<br />
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9) Carol of the Bells: Awesome instrumental version with other orchestration.<br />
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10) I Heard the Bells: My only complaint: They skipped the last verse. They do roll out a great performance on the song though, with different family members doing a solo on the first 3 verses, then coming together for a rousing finish on the fourth verse. They own the fourth verse.<br />
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11) Isn't That Why He Came? This is a new song, and is a close second to my favorite track (Home for Christmas Medley). It is just a great song with great lyrics.<br />
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12) Mary Did You Know? Yeah, everybody and their brother has recorded this. Phillip Jr solos this, and I felt it could have used more orchestration and that the family should have joined in before the very end. That isn't to say it is bad. He does a great job on it.<br />
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13) The Story Of The First Christmas: This is over 11 minutes, and is a medley with narration between the songs. I like it, but I usually find recitations or narration gets old after you listen to it so many times, so that is likely to happen.<br />
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The CD comes in at an hour and 1 minute, longer than most CDs out there. And worth getting. And the song I don't like is also on YouTube, but I am not putting it on here. Because I don't like it. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Christmas shopping</span></b><br />
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I actually started my Christmas shopping later than normal this year, but got a lot done last week on Lakeside Collections' website. They have some pretty cool stuff, and had an offer if you bought at least 6 items, you got 15% off, and free shipping. I put together a pretty good sized order, buying for all of my family members along with the 2 nephew wannabes' (that would be the boyfriends of 2 of my nieces) :)<br />
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There were two of the same item that I was afraid would not make it intact, but they did. And most of what I ordered is boxed, which makes it great for wrapping. Something I am not too great at.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Christmas decorating</span></b><br />
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I did start already. I can't help it....I am excited to decorate my new place. I did decide not to do lights in all of my windows. My back windows won't be seen by many people, since they just look out on a few neighbors behind me, so I am going to concentrate on the front and side windows, and my second window in my bedroom that is in the back....just to make my room uniform.<br />
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Most of my decorating is in the living room. I took down some of my nautical decor on the walls and other places, and put Christmas decorations up in their place. I have a pencil tree that I am putting in front of the hall window.<br />
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I wanted to decorate the porch, but am not seeing a way. There is no corner to stop a tree from blowing over, and the cement posts have no way to keep lights on. If I had a park type bench, I would put it out and decorate it like my parents' do.<br />
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I love the red truck Christmas decor, and bought a couple of new things for this year. They were part of the big Lakeside Collections order.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) John Crist</span></b><br />
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It is sad when something bad comes out on a public Christian figure. Crist is a Christian comedian. It seems he is guilty of sexual harassment and manipulation accusations coming against him, and his confession to engaging in what he terms as reckless behavior that “violated [his] own Christian beliefs, convictions and values. Article <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2019/november/john-crist-failure-and-warnings-to-heed-for-christian-leade.html?fbclid=IwAR2AKoF_m9AArKRHQwBD7NbmpnuSJgjXmDVXmI61W4O4g1Jl7aI7iudPo9A">here</a>.<br />
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I am not going to throw stones, but it should be a warning to all Christians how easy it is to get tripped up in the wrong things.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7) Christmas decorating 2</b></span><br />
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Today is November 14, and the second of two days off in a row. Since I am excited to decorate my new place.....factored in with the fact that I like to decorate early for Christmas...I did a lot of decorating on my days off. Hey, it is just me, and I enjoy looking at Christmas decorations. One of my favorite things: to lie on the couch in my living room with nothing but the Christmas tree lights and any other Christmas lights on as I listen to Christmas music.<br />
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I did work my tree in close to the front window. I have a padded bench/shoe keeper that I moved out of the living room for now. I decided the trunk needs to stay where it is. I was wanting a Christmas runner for on the black stand in my living room, and found one at the Corner Store for $3.49. I debated about it for a few minutes. It is a montage of several Christmas things: candy canes, gifts, snowmen, stockings, etc.....and Santa. I don't decorate with Santa. But I decided I liked the runner enough to overlook Mr. Try to take Christmas away from Jesus. Kind of kidding on that name.<br />
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Anyway, I think the runner looks pretty cool. As for Santa, I am pretty anti-Santa. I have a few Santa songs I listen to. My favorite is "Hey Santa" by Carly and Wendy Wilson. Don't buy the CD. The rest of the CD is blah at best.<br />
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I put up and decorated two Christmas trees this year. Two years ago, I bought a pencil tree with boring clear lights. My intent was to do like my mom, and decorate it for different seasons and holidays. That didn't happen. I tried to sell it, but didn't succeed, so I put it in the upstairs hall by the window, and decorated it for Christmas. Part of the lights don't work, so I unplugged them and put colored ones on it.<br />
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Speaking of trees, last year my youngest niece told me it looked like I threw my ornaments on my tree. I told her if she says that this year, she is going to come over and redecorate it. :)<br />
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In addition to the other decorations in the living room, I put a string of blue lights on each side of the big doorway between the living room and dining room.<br />
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The bookshelf I decorated may have books on it next year, so who knows what I'll do with what is on it this year. I took some of my nautical decor off the walls to make room for Christmas. I am happy with how it all turned out.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) How would Jesus vote?</span></b><br />
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Ever think about stuff like that? I do. I actually find myself wondering if Jesus would even vote. I mentioned this in a previous post, but the only time I remember of Jesus getting close to politics, is when the religious leaders tried to trap Him by asking if they should pay taxes to Caesar. He of course got out of their attempted trap as He always did.<br />
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It is so easy for us to say who we should or should not vote for as Christians. In a comment on a Facebook friend's post, a man commented "voting 3rd Party is that last thing we should do as Christians". I don't comment on every stupid remark I see on social media, or I would wear my fingers out, but I did challenge him to back that up with Scripture, knowing he cannot.<br />
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I know it is about considered heresy to say this, but there is nothing in the Bible to indicate we should or should not vote. I am not saying we shouldn't, but I will say this: we would be better off to sit at home and not vote, then to act like politics has caused us to act these last few years. I do blame Donald Trump for a lot of it, but that doesn't remove the guilt from the rest of us. Just today, I had someone from the same church background as I am block me on Facebook because I am anti-Trump. And they are not the first.<br />
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If politics is going to cause us to argue, make false accusations, try to guilt or scare people into voting like us, cause us to block people and act un-Christ-like, we would be better off to avoid politics and voting and live under the rule of the worst kind of people on earth. Sound like a far out comment? Not really.<br />
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The Bible says nothing about voting. It says nothing about America. But you know what it does say? It has a lot to say about how we treat others. Thanks to politics, we don't do too well in that area.<br />
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During Jesus' earthly ministry, He was way too busy healing and loving people to be involved in politics. Wouldn't it be awesome if Christians today were the same? Oh, I am not saying not to vote...I am saying wouldn't it be awesome if we were so busy loving people and spreading the Gospel that we didn't have time for endless political posts and arguing? Wouldn't it be awesome if Christians spent as much time spreading their political views as they do spreading the Gospel? Wouldn't it be awesome if Christians worked as hard to win people to their Savior as they do on winning people to their politician and political viewpoints? This shouldn't seem like radical ideas, but they are. Because today's American Christians aren't like that. Politics has become equal and synonymous with our Christianity. The voting booth has become as important as our place of worship. The Constitution has become as important to us as the Bible, and I fear American Christians view things through its prism before the Bible.<br />
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The devil can use anything to trip people up, to get their attention and energy off of God and spiritual things. We tend to warn against things like porn, drugs, gambling, sex, and other sins. But what if politics is a better and more useful tool for the devil? It causes division among God's people. It causes bad attitudes. It gets the focus of Christians, and definitely causes Christians to ignore or set aside what the Bible says about so much.<br />
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We are so partisan as Christians. It is bad to criticize politician A, and you must pray for him. Yet it is fine to criticize harshly politician B and any others of the same politician persuasion. A Christian should not say anything bad about A, but feel free to say anything, no matter how bad, about B. It is bad if B does it, but OK if A does it. I honestly can't see Jesus badmouthing candidates of either party, can you?<br />
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I am of course including myself in this, but I believe politics above anything else, has shown how unlike Jesus and how un-Christian we American Christians can be. Sadly, it doesn't look like that is going to change any time soon.<br />
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In conversation a while back, I mentioned this to a friend, and I'll use you in this scenario: You are a Republican who loves Trump and has the same view of Hillary and other Democrats as most of we Republicans do. You have a friend who is not a Christian, and is a big Hillary supporter. She sees what you post about Hillary, calling her Killary, posting "lock her up", and the host of other many nasty Hillary posts that are out there. What do you think your chances are of ever winning her to Jesus?<br />
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Maybe we would all be better off steering clear of so much political talk. It doesn't really do any good. All of the pro-Trump posts are not changing my mind. My anti-Trump posts are not going to change the minds of any of his supporters. And the same goes for Hillary posts.<br />
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I'll close this part with this, as it fits here: A good friend of mine has a couple of atheist friends. They were horrified and disgusted at the support of Christians for Trump in light of.......well, you know. They said they never want to hear another Christian talk about morals after supporting and voting for Trump. And I only bring that up to say if so many people had not been so vocal about voting for him and why we should overlook so much, these atheists may not have known there was so much Christian support for him and so much of a push to overlook so much. But we Christians must let everyone know our political views......<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9) A favorite Christmas song</b></span><br />
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I love Christmas songs, and it is about impossible for me to pick one favorite. One of my all time top favorites would have to be Come On, Ring Those Bells by Evie Karlsson. I think she is the first to have recorded that song, which she did in 1977 when she was still Evie Tornquist. (Wow, that recording is 42 years old!) It has not been recorded as much as songs like Mary, Did You Know?, but it has still been recorded several times, and I have yet to hear anyone do it as much justice as she did 42 years ago. I have been listening to her sing it for many years now, and it still remains close to the top of my favorite Christmas songs.<br />
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Music is such an awesome part of our lives. Many people can hear a certain song, and are reminded of a certain time in their life and how they felt. There is a song by the Southern Gospel group the Nelons from their 1987 release that reminds me of a job I hated. Not sure why it is just that song, and not the whole album......but anyway, Come On Ring Those Bells by Evie remind me of good times and good things.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) Chik fil a</span></b><br />
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I am going to try to finish this post this evening, November 18.<br />
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Chik fil a made the news today when they announced they were going to stop giving to organizations and businesses branded "anti-LGBQT". Story <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-chick-fil-a-to-stop-donating-to-christian-charities-branded-anti-lgbt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mattwalsh">here</a>. This is disappointing after the stance they have had for so long, and have been boycotted and bullied by the very intolerant left and even more intolerant LGBQT bullies.<br />
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I can't see this not hurting them. Myself included, there are many conservatives and Christians who have supported them because of their stance and the boycotts. Their sandwiches ARE good, but they are also extremely expensive. Are the same people going to support them as much with this new stance?<br />
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Here's a few points I wanted to make:<br />
**And, yeah, I deal personally with the whole same-sex attractions/gay issue myself....but I believe giving in is wrong, and I believe what the Bible says about it. That said, onto my points:<br />
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a) The LGBQT crowd has raged about bullying and intolerance for years. And yes, both exist...but they have proven they excel better than anyone with their bullying and intolerance. They can't handle anyone disagreeing or saying they are wrong or sinning. They want 100% capitulation and they want dissenters silence and shut down.<br />
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b) After years of boycotts and hate from the left and LGBQT, it seems counter productive to suddenly give into the bullies.<br />
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c) The organizations labeled "anti-LGBQT" are not necessarily so. One is the Salvation Army. They do a lot of good, but to make the bullies happy, Chik fil a is suddenly stopping donations to this wonderful organization. Here's the thing: anyone who dares disagree is anti-LGBQT. Don't agree with gay marriage? You are anti-LGBQT...and so forth. I fear it will get worse, until we are one day fined or jailed for daring to speak out against anything gay.<br />
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(And don't sit on your laurels, Trump supporters. When he was running for president, he promised to further gay rights, was for genderless bathrooms, and appeared at a LGBQT for Trump rally with a rainbow flag saying "LGBQT for Trump." Don't think he'd take the part of Christians over the LGBQT mob.)<br />
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d) I have been reading a lot about the decision, and reading comments from both sides. There are already gay people saying things like "They are 15 years too late." "They waited 15 years, I am going to wait 15 years before I buy anything there." "I'm not eating there til they apologize and admit their wrongdoing." If Chik fil a thinks giving into the bullies will make them happy, that isn't necessarily true.<br />
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e) What is crazy, is all this hate came because the founder of Chik fil a said be believes in traditional marriage. Wow. Obama said the same before he became president, and they didn't hold it against him.<br />
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f) I do see this hurting them. I doubt there will be boycotts by Christians, but I can see these things happening:<br />
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A slow down of Christians and conservatives eating there.<br />
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Churches and Christian organizations pulling back from advertising them and using them for functions<br />
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Positive feedback from the Christian community.<br />
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Chik fil a may have cooked their goose. And those going there don't want goose. They want chicken.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11) Thanksgiving</span></b><br />
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Don't worry my "you're skipping Thanksgiving when you decorate early for Christmas" friends....I am still celebrating Thanksgiving, even with my early Christmas decorations up. I think it is great we set aside a time each year to focus on being thankful, but it is sad that we don't focus more on it the rest of the year. It is so easy to focus on the bad and what we don't have, while most of us are rich and have much compared to many in other areas of the world....even compared to some here in our own country. I am that way. Depression robs you of a lot, and that is one thing it robs you of: seeing what you have, and how good you truly have it.<br />
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Other years, I have done 30 days of thankfulness for the month of November, but I really dropped the ball on that this year. So I shall do that here. It will be a good way to end this post that needs a stopping place.<br />
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Every other year, my sister Vicki has to go to her in-laws, but this is a year that our whole gang will be together. My mom is worried we won't have enough stuffing, as it is a big hit. She still does it in the bird, and we haven't died yet.<br />
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By the way, what is up with some people calling it "dressing"? You don't dress a turkey, though the one I pictured above IS kind of cute dressed up. You STUFF a turkey. And I challenge you to go to the store and buy Stove Top Dressing. You won't find it. I assure you. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12) 30 days of thankfulness crammed into one</span></b><br />
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As promised....<br />
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1) My family. We aren't perfect, but we love each other, get along great together, and have fun when we are together.<br />
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2) Salvation<br />
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3) A job I like<br />
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4) Days off (even if you like your job, days off are awesome!)<br />
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5) Books, and time to read them. And shelves to keep them on<br />
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6) The Bible.....and different translations/versions of it<br />
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7) My mom's fried chicken<br />
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8) Music<br />
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9) My new place that I love<br />
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10) Lighthouses<br />
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11) Christian suspense, and the authors who write it<br />
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12) Friends<br />
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13) Food<br />
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14) Paid holidays off<br />
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15) The internet. Yeah, there is a lot of bad about it, but it is very useful also<br />
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16) My nieces and nephews. Yeah, they are included in #1, but I am very thankful for them and that they want to hang out with me. That usually costs me paying for lunch..... :)<br />
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17) Writing. I do love to write. I just struggle with what to write about.<br />
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18) Warm weather, sandals, and cooler clothing<br />
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19) Family vacations<br />
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20) A good and dependable car<br />
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21) Second (and more) chances<br />
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22) Days without snow<br />
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23) Being able to walk so many places in town<br />
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24) Thrift stores and good deals<br />
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25) Christmas, and all it means<br />
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26) Chocolate<br />
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27) Good health. Mostly<br />
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28) My bed. (It is very comfortable)<br />
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29) Jeans<br />
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30) My sense of humor. A lot of people may think my jokes are not funny, but it helps me in my worst times of depression.<br />
<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-20705404363382590982019-11-09T20:43:00.002-08:002019-11-09T20:43:24.482-08:00Truly He taught us........<br />
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One of my all time favorite traditional Christmas songs is O Holy Night. A piece of useless trivia: I have around 70 different recordings of that song on my iPod/iTunes. There are some I like a lot, and some that are just OK. If I had to pick my all time favorite recording of the song, it would be the 1983 recording by Sandi Patty on the first of her 500 Christmas CDs she recorded. OK, 500 is a big exaggeration, but she has recorded several Christmas CDs over the years. The Gift Goes On was her first, and is the CD that has my favorite recording of O Holy Night. The only thing I don't like about it: it is in a Medley with Jesu Bambino. They go well together, but she only sings one verse of O Holy Night. Check it out some time. I'll put the video below to make it easier. :) And yikes....that recording is 36 years old.<br />
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Do you pay attention to lyrics when you listen to or sing a song? I do, and I love good lyrics. That is another reason I could never listen to the kinds of music that you can't hear or understand the words. O Holy Night doesn't just have a great tune. It has some great lyrics also. I am one of those people who listen to Christmas music early, so I have heard the song several times already, especially my favorite. (By the way, country singer Colin Raye's is most likely my second favorite. The music they put with it does a lot for his version).<br />
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Anyway, the words of the third verse have been really sticking out to me lately:<br />
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<b><i>Truly He taught us to love one another;</i></b><br />
<b><i>His law is love and His gospel is peace</i></b><br />
<b><i>Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother</i></b><br />
<b><i>And in His name all oppression shall cease</i></b><br />
<b><i>Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we</i></b><br />
<b><i>Let all within us praise His holy name</i></b><br />
<b><i>Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!</i></b><br />
<b><i>His power and glory evermore proclaim</i></b><br />
<b><i>His power and glory evermore proclaim</i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>And especially the first part of that verse: Truly He taught us to love one another. His law is love and His gospel is peace. "<i>Truly He taught us to love one another</i>......" He may have taught us that, but have we learned it and do we practice it?<br />
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I was already thinking a lot along these lines, and then my best friend did a post on Facebook that caught my attention. Well, anything he posts catches my attention. He posts once to my 1000 posts. That may not be an exaggeration.... He posted this:<br />
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<b>"Referring to 1 Cor. 13, Charles Spurgeon says: "This love both covers and bears all things. It never proclaims the errors of others. It refuses to see faults unless it may kindly help in their removal. It stands in the presence of a fault with a finger on its lips." </b>I sarcastically commented: "That's in the Bible?!"<br />
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Myself included, Christians as a whole need to do better with loving everyone, and especially each other. If we truly learned what Jesus taught - to love one another - we would do a better job of it. And I am sure there are those who do it better than others.<br />
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If we truly loved each other, we wouldn't be so quick to argue with each other and put each other and our views and opinions down. If we truly loved each other, we wouldn't make accusations that aren't true. If we truly loved each other, we wouldn't let politics get in the way of doing that. If we truly loved each other, we would always think the best of each other and never the worst.<br />
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<b> His law is love....</b><br />
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When asked by the religious hypocrites of His day what the greatest commandment is, He gave this reply:<br />
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<b>“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)</b><br />
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There are a lot of modern day Christians who claim you don't have to keep the 10 commandments. I even had a Baptist barber tell me once you cannot even keep them all. I watched my wallet around him just in case the one about stealing was the one he couldn't keep......<br />
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But here Jesus is commanding us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That covers about half of the commandments, plus a whole lot more.<br />
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In 1 John chapter 4, it says if we don't love, we don't know God, because God is love.<br />
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<b><i>" 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (ESV)</i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>It would seem that it is pretty important to God that we love each other. It isn't just a line in a well-loved Christmas song that has been around since 1847. (That is even older than my friend Shirley Dye at my church....) It should be something we daily practice, work at, pray for help to love people....praying harder regarding some people.....<br />
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Christmas is about love. God loved us measly humans so much, that He sent His only son in the form of a helpless baby that would live in a human body for 33 years, and then be cruelly put to death so that we could have eternal life and be saved from our sins. We need to love others and show that love 365 days a year, but Christmas is a great time to work at it if we are slacking in that department.....and I am sure I am not the only one who needs help and work in that area. I have social media. I know I am not the only one.....<br />
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Make sure you spend time being thankful for what you have, because this is the season to be thankful....but work on loving people as you practice being thankful. Don't wait til Christmas, the season of love. Love now.<br />
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<b><i>Outside on a cold and lonely street</i></b><br />
<b><i>A homeless woman sleeps this Christmas</i></b><br />
<b><i>Tonight, there's a child that dreams of home</i></b><br />
<b><i>In an orphanage alone</i></b><br />
<b><i>For all they really need is a helping hand from</i></b><br />
<b><i>You and me</i></b><br />
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<b><i>CHORUS</i></b><br />
<b><i>The season of love</i></b><br />
<b><i>I really believe that this would be much better</i></b><br />
<b><i>And people would come together</i></b><br />
<b><i>If we share the reason for the season of love</i></b><br />
<b><i>The spirit of Christmas will change</i></b><br />
<b><i>This world forever</i></b><br />
<b><i>If we all play our part</i></b><br />
<b><i>Just by giving from the heart I know</i></b><br />
<b><i>Christmas will really become</i></b><br />
<b><i>The season of love</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Somewhere, underneath a Christmas tree</i></b><br />
<b><i>Is a simple manger scene this Christmas</i></b><br />
<b><i>And there lying on a bed of straw</i></b><br />
<b><i>Is the greatest gift of all</i></b><br />
<b><i>This Christmas let's let the world know</i></b><br />
<b><i>For all they really need is the love of God</i></b><br />
<b><i>To set them free</i></b><br />
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<b><i>REPEAT CHORUS</i></b><br />
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<b><i>BRIDGE</i></b><br />
<b><i>Though the holiday passes away</i></b><br />
<b><i>And the lights begin to fade</i></b><br />
<b><i>The spirit of Christmas will remain</i></b><br />
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<b><i>REPEAT CHORUS</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Mark Harris & Don Koch</i></b><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mVL3YBURroo" width="560"></iframe>Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-27248480106161152102019-11-04T14:25:00.000-08:002019-11-05T17:05:04.868-08:00October-November stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't believe it is November already, and that we are already four days into it. I actually started this blog post on October 2, and have been adding to it since then, never actually posting it. I thought about just deleting the post and starting all over, but decided to finish it and post it. Most of this is from October, and is definitely old stuff.<br />
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This is a long post. I have, as usual, said some things people won't like and will disagree with, and other things people won't be interested in nor care about.......but anyone can blog. And those who blog, write about what they care about and what interests them. So just look at this like a bag of trail mix where you only pick out what you like. Skip the ones you aren't interested in. Or skip the whole post. You might be better off doing that. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Day of prayer for Trump</span></b><br />
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My Facebook feed has been flooded the last couple of days with the announcement that Franklin Graham was calling for a day of prayer for Trump, today October 2. Graham is someone I haven't been impressed with for reasons I won't go into at this moment, so his name being attached didn't help my disgust with the request.<br />
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My points may echo or be similar to points I have made on other related subjects, but I have some questions to ask...and I'll leave it at that:<br />
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a) Should a person like Graham only call for a day of prayer for president he likes and who is claiming to be part of the same political party he is a member of?<br />
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b) If a conservative is going to post Bible verses that they feel command us to pray for the president, is it really Christian and right to just do that when they agree with the president and like him......and when he has an "R" by his name?<br />
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c) Should your prayers be any different or more fervent depending on the party of or your feelings toward that president?<br />
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d) Is it really what a Christian should do to push a day of prayer for Trump, but not Obama or some other Democrat with a "D" by their name?<br />
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e) Should you only pray and be vocal about praying for presidents you voted for?<br />
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f) If you didn't pray for and/or urge people to pray for Obama, then should you urge me to pray for Trump?<br />
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g) If you do not and cannot support a president, and wish he was out of office...what exactly does one pray for exactly in regards to him anyway?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) The weather</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
Don't get me wrong: I still loathe winter, and have feelings beyond loathing for snow...but I am enjoying the cooler weather. I'll take summer over winter, but I am not a huge fan of extreme heat and humidity.<br />
<br />
I have yet to turn my furnace on. Maybe my place is well insulated, but it hasn't gotten very cold inside. I'm still running around the house in shorts and a t-shirt, and have a fan running on me at the moment.<br />
<br />
I do think I would handle winter better if it wasn't for snow. I hate driving in it, hate shoveling it, hate cleaning it off my car....and anything else about it. I guess another advantage of living where I am now is if I want to walk in the cold, I can avoid cleaning my car off just to go to the store. And I can have pizza delivered here. :)<br />
<br />
To those who say I need to move if I hate winter that much - and people have - why would I move away from the only people who want to hang out with me - my family?<br />
<br />
I have had to wear a jacket to work the last few days, but not home. It is that time of year when you use your heater going to work, forget it is on when you go home and wonder why the car is so hot inside.<br />
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**update, October 13: my car had frost on it this morning, and the temps were in the 30's. I still haven't run my furnace, though I did dig out my sweat pants instead of shorts to wear around the house as I have been doing.<br />
<br />
I am still sock-less though. When I am home, I like to go barefoot.....but that changes in the winter. I also prefer sandals to other footwear and miss sandals when it is too cold to wear them.<br />
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**update October 29: I still haven't had to run my furnace, and am still running around the house without socks.<br />
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**update November 4: I actually kicked the furnace on two nights ago. It is set at around 67-68, and hasn't run a lot that I have noticed. I have upgraded on some days to socks and occasionally a sweat shirt instead of a t-shirt.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) Keep your word</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
Do we truly keep our word? Are we careful that when we say we will do something, to actually do it? How many times have I promised to do something, and either put it off too long or forgot all about it. And do we truly intend to do what we promise?<br />
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I'll give a few examples:<br />
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Over the years, I have had people say "we need to have you over some time!"...and they never did.<br />
<br />
About a year ago, a guy I was friends with on Facebook, who has his account deactivated currently, had made the statement that if anyone needed to talk, he was available. He had lived quite the wild gay life before getting back to God. I messaged him, and he said to call him. He was traveling and talked to me on the phone for over 3 hours, and had a lot of helpful things to say. He quoted so much Scripture, I was amazed by how much he knew.<br />
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Towards the end of his call, he told me to message my address, and he was going to mail me two books a friend of his wrote that would be helpful. I argued that he didn't need to, but he insisted...so I did. He never sent them.<br />
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And I am honestly not holding against him. That came to my mind when I was considering this topic. People forget. I do, you do. And I doubt God is going to hold it against us when we do honestly forget. I am sure I promised to lend a book or books to people and forgot to do so.<br />
<br />
But should we be more careful about that? If we promise something, we should first of all mean it, and maybe we should make a note of it where we will see it and be reminded. Christians should be known for keeping our word.<br />
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One thing that made me write on this, was talking about praying for people. Do we really pray for people when we promise to do so?<br />
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I had a cool thing happen at work recently. I was pretty upset about something and not having a good day. I talked to my bosses, and they were somewhat helpful about the issue, but I was still worrying and upset about it. A pastor and his wife came in who I chat with a lot, and I mentioned my problem in a generic way, and asked if they'd pray about it. She said "well, let's do it right now!" They both laid a hand on me, and she prayed about my issue. And knowing them, I would imagine they will do at home also. But do we? Would we have the courage to pray for someone in a hospital lobby, a restaurant, or wherever someone may ask us to pray? And will we do it when we part ways?<br />
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Do we keep our word? Is it important to us to do so?<br />
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And again, we do forget. But maybe we need to work harder on not doing that.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) The reading goal</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
An update on my reading for the year. Yesterday, I hit 400 books, which is double my goal of 200 for the year. It does help to not have a life. :)<br />
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**Since I gave that update, I read more books. Now I am at 442. Yeah, no life. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) The forgotten med</span></b><br />
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I am on 5 medications: depression, anxiety, diabetes, triglycerides, and blood pressure. I had tennis elbow for a few months, and my doc put me on an anti-inflammatory med for that, which didn't help, so he had me get a shot...which did help. I had been used to taking 5 pills, and ran out of one and didn't realize it til recently......because I was still taking 5 pills with the one for my arm. By process of elimination, I realized it was the one for anxiety. That would explain a few things. Fortunately, my pharmacy is a stone's throw from my place. Well, if I threw well. I don't throw like a girl, but I don't aim well. :) I weary of taking pills, but I guess they are a necessary evil.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) Disappointing breakfast</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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There is a restaurant in my new town I have been wanting to try, but they have weird hours: 6 am-2 pm, and possibly later Fridays. I heard their food was good, and one person was raving about their sausage gravy and biscuits....my favorite breakfast. I rarely get it, at least where it is really good, except on family vacations when one of my brothers-in-law makes it.<br />
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The first time I went for breakfast on my day off, they were closed for 2 weeks for vacation. So I finally ate there a week or so ago. The prices were decent: 2 biscuits and gravy, add home fries and it totaled $5.95. The waitress put it in front of me, and I took a bite, then another......and realized something was missing: sausage. It tasted OK, but it definitely was not what I expected. Had the lady at the register asked me how it was, I'd have politely mentioned that, but she didn't ask, so I didn't say. I doubt I'll go back. I'd rather hit the very good Chinese restaurant in town.<br />
<br />
And maybe I'll make my own. Though the only time I did that, I made twice the amount my sister and her husband make for their family of 5. It is hard to cook for one........<br />
<br />
I have known people who say they cannot cook, and I don't get that. My mom never really taught me to cook, but I saw enough of what she did that I got a good idea. I can remember the night after church when I was around 13 or so, my dad decided it was time I learned to fry my own egg.<br />
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Cooking is easy. I doubt I'll ever be able to cook as good as my mom, but I think I am a pretty decent cook, and not afraid to try anything. I make gravy... and it is good gravy. I make chili, soups, roast chickens, and more.<br />
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I eat a lot of chicken, and need to find some easy and low carb chicken recipes.<br />
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**update: I made my own sausage and gravy yesterday (October 10), and it was awesome. And it had a key ingredient that the restaurant's did not: sausage.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) Lumping people together</span></b><br />
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This is something a lot of us, maybe most of us, are guilty of: lumping people of certain groups together and making blanket statements about them. It happens in all sorts of situations and for all kinds of groups of people, but politics is where I have noticed it a lot lately.<br />
<br />
There are many Trump supporters who just paint anyone not supporting him as liberals, anti-this, anti-that, etc. I even got accused of being for killing babies if I wasn't for Trump. Yet, there are a lot of conservatives like me who are against him.<br />
<br />
Then on the other hand, there are a lot of anti-Trump people who make blanket statements about Trump supporters. Yes, there are a lot who are way over the top and say things like the Bible foretold Trump's presidency, etc...yet there are a lot of Trump supporters who aren't vocal about it and voted for him because they felt he was the lesser of 2 evils.<br />
<br />
A great example of an over the top Trump post: A guy I am friends with from El Salador is really over the top pro-Trump - odd since he doesn't live in the US - but anyway, he posted an article where a Rabbi claimed to have found a link between Trump and King David that shows Trump is paving the way for the Messiah. No joke. Sadly, there are a lot of over the top Trump fans out there, but I know they all aren't like that.<br />
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This isn't the first time this happened to me, but some man I never interacted with nor do I know, sent me a private message on Facebook full of the f-word and calling me a liberal because I made a comment against Trump on a political page. Yeah, I have had some ignorant things said to me by people in my own church, but it would be wrong of me to say all Trump supporters are like this man.<br />
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There are bad cops. There are racist whites and racist blacks. And so on. But we cannot take the actions, attitudes, words, etc of some and try to say that all in that group are like that.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) Compassion</span></b><br />
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Are we compassionate enough? It is a trait Jesus often showed, but do modern day American Christians show it and have it?<br />
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Is it compassion to say "Oh who cares if those druggies die." "Those kind of people deserve to get AIDS."<br />
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It is too easy to be disgusted by behaviors and sins, and not feel any compassion for those caught up in it. I admit it is an area I need to do a lot better in. Christians should be the most compassionate people on the earth, but too many are not.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9) The great commission</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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Jehovah Witnesses are wrong about a lot, and have a lot of false teaching. You have to give them kudos though for working so hard to get people to attend their church. I wouldn't want to go door to door like that.<br />
<br />
Though I did once. Several years back, my pastor asked me if I'd do him a favor. Since then, I have learned to ask what it is before I commit. But that day, I made a mistake and said "sure." The favor? The church had gone calling for Vacation Bible school the day before, and there were a couple of streets that still needed covered. I was going to help him. You have got to be kidding.<br />
<br />
It started out OK. We went to the first few houses together and he did all the talking. Those houses were across from some kind of business. Then we got to where there were houses on each side of the street, and I could not believe the words that came out of his mouth: "I'll take this side of the street, and you take the other side." I prayed for the rapture to happen. It didn't. I prayed for God to take me right there, right then. He didn't. With great trepidation, I crossed the street and knocked at the first house. No answer. Nor at the next. The third house worried me. There were two guys sitting outside watching me as I knocked on their neighbors' doors. If I remember correctly, they were drinking beer. This is how the conversation went:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Me: "Hello"</i></b><br />
<b><i>One of the guys, rather annoyed: "Are you selling something?"</i></b><br />
<b><i>Me: "no"</i></b><br />
<b><i>Guy, more annoyed: "Are you one of those Jehovah Witnesses?"</i></b><br />
<b><i>Me (praying again for the rapture or death): "uh, no....My church, the Salem Wesleyan Methodist Church on Newgarden, is having Vacation Bible School this week, and I was wondering if your kids would like to go."</i></b><br />
<b><i>Guy, in nicer mood: "Oh, sure. They went there last year."</i></b><br />
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Never again. Ugh. And that really did happen. I am not making it up or exaggerating.<br />
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But how serious are we about spreading the Gospel? How far out of our way will we go to reach someone for Christ? What are we willing to do to to fulfill the Great Commission?<br />
<br />
I have read of people who regularly go into restaurants with their Bibles, willing to talk to people who approach them. One man I read of puts a sign on his table that says "How can I pray for you?"<br />
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I have said it before, and it bears repeating: I fear too many American Christians are more concerned with wining people to their politician or political views than they are with wining souls to Jesus Christ.<br />
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The famous quote goes "Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." Are we concerned enough about people's souls? Are we too busy with other things to be of any use for God?<br />
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Are we working on making disciples of Jesus, or of our favorite politician?<br />
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By the way, since I have a young Jehovah Witness couple living in the other side of the duplex, I am hoping that gives me some kind of exemption from being called on by any. I can hope. "That guy in 120? Oh, I am sure Will and Paige got to him already since they live by him." I can hope......<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) Halloween</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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My sisters and I went trick or treating when we were kids. They took us to relatives and other people we knew, and didn't turn us loose in neighborhoods where we didn't know people. We went a year or two after they became Christians, but were getting too old for it, so we stopped.<br />
<br />
I have gotten to be very anti-Halloween. I don't make a big deal about it. If someone wishes me a Happy Halloween, I just smile. I am not wishing it back, but neither am I going to be rude and make a scene.<br />
<br />
There is so much evil around it, I don't want anything to do with it. Witches, goblins, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, etc. These aren't things Christians should have anything to do with. If I had kids, I wouldn't let them trick or treat, but I would do something special for them some time in the Fall.<br />
<br />
And there is no way I am giving candy out. This may sound rude, but why would I want to spend money on candy to give out to greedy little kids I don't know? If there is candy in my house, my diabetic self is going to eat it. And I am kind of joking....but seriously, I am not going to hand out candy to kids I don't know on a holiday I don't like.<br />
<br />
The kids in this neighborhood are really getting stiffed at my duplex. I don't like or celebrate Halloween, and my neighbors don't believe in celebrating any holiday. :)<br />
<br />
And look at it this way: I am doing my part to prevent tooth decay..........<br />
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By the way, I have the book I pictured. The guy did a great job on it, and it is very thoughtfully written. He doesn't use the term "greedy little kids." :)<br />
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I do, however, decorate for Fall. My two favorite decorations for Fall are below: My scarecrows with a wheelbarrow I bought on clearance when I worked at Hobby Lobby. They started out at $99.99. I got them for around or slightly under $20. The truck I bought last year, since I am into the old truck decor.<br />
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I also have a few fake pumpkins in the house, and a few real ones out front of my place with a scarecrow.<br />
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And a friend from church bought me the cool place-mat below, which I really like.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11) Coming out day</span></b><br />
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Today - I am on October 11 now - is National Coming Out Day. One of my Facebook friends was taking issue on Twitter with the site Desiring God condemning it as a celebration of sin. His point was pretty much that it is a day when people are more comfortable in coming out as gay and not being afraid. He is a celibate gay.<br />
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Personally, I don't believe Christians should celebrate/observe it. Too many people who come out are going to live a more dangerous lifestyle. Young guys are going to be targets of others who want to use them for sex. Many will get STDs and/or AIDS, and many will end up in hell for eternity. Should we celebrate that?<br />
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But I get his point. I hid my struggles in fear for years, then just didn't care anymore. I "outted" myself on this blog, but not on this day. It is a good and bad thing that people feel safer coming out. It is really tough living with that secret and fearing people finding out. It is freeing to admit it....so I get the day, I'm just not sure Christians should have anything to do with it.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12) Blogging ideas</span></b><br />
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Just throwing this out there. I don't consider myself great writer, but if you do read my blog and have any ideas for me to blog about, hit me up. At times I feel the urge to write, but can't think of anything.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13) Faith in.........</span></b><br />
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I did a post on Facebook the other day that didn't get a lot of reaction. A few people liked it and commented positively. One person commented and it seemed he deliberately misconstrued part of it, but I could be wrong on that.<br />
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The gist of what I said was that I fear too many American Christians put too much faith and trust in politicians. This is not another Trump post, but Ann Coulter did what is an extreme example of this. She wrote a book, I think in 2016, titled "In Trump We Trust." (She has since did a complete 180 on him.)<br />
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I don't care who the politician is: Trump, Rubio, Cruz, or Mickey Mouse. If American Christians are truly trusting God, then why do they act the way they do at election times?<br />
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If Christians are truly putting their faith and trust in God:<br />
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Would we make dire predictions, such as "if X wins, we will lose our guns!"<br />
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Will we badger people to vote the way we are voting?<br />
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Will our social media be a constant flood of why the other candidate is bad and ours is the one who must win?<br />
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I am not at all saying not to vote, though my voting days may be over. I am also not saying it is wrong to let your preferences made. It just seems to me that we are not trusting God enough when it comes to elections, and give the idea that if our guy wins, everything will be perfect and they will rescue us from the evil of the other party.<br />
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I personally believe there isn't much difference in the two main parties anymore. To me, the Democrats are more honest than Republicans. The Dems are open about what they stand for and fight for it. The Republicans say what they are for and against, but rarely do much, if anything, to fight for it or against it. Abortion is a great example. At the beginning of 2016, we had a Republican majority in the House and Senate, and a guy in the White House claiming to be Republican. I am not saying abortion could have been wiped out completely, but they could have done a lot more than what was done. They just don't want to.<br />
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Politicians are pretty much all corrupt to some point. They don't get in there without showing partiality, pandering to special groups, lying, character assassination, etc. So to put much faith or trust in any politician is naive at best. But to seemingly forget God is in control no matter who wins an election, seems to be par for the course these days.<br />
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And it applies to other area of life, not just politics. Do we truly trust God, or do we trust in other things instead?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14) Sports</span></b><br />
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One constant thing in life that wearies me, is being asked about sports. Almost everywhere I go:<br />
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"So did you watch the game last night?"<br />
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"Man, the Steelers bombed last night."<br />
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And so on. My response is always the same: "I'm not into sports." The response is usually one of surprise. After all, I am a guy, so of course I should be interested in overpaid immature guys playing with a ball.<br />
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Here is a thought that recently came to my mind: Why is a surprise when a guy isn't interested in sports, but not a surprise when women are?<br />
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Why is it an oddity when a guy doesn't like sports?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15) The Beth Moore and Jon McArthur controversy </span></b><br />
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This is one thing my Twitter feed and Facebook feed have been flooded with. Jon McArthur hit at Beth Moore pretty hard in a public setting, getting some laughs and cheering in reply. He is against female ministers, and decided to let her know it in a rather rude way.<br />
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To my knowledge, she is not a pastor. I thought she was more a teacher than anything, but what do I know.<br />
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The church I grew up in - which is the same denomination as the one I currently attend - had female evangelists several times for revival. I never had a problem with them. The church I now attend had a woman for its first pastor more years ago than I am alive, and was named for her for several years. That did change.<br />
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I personally am against women pastors. I think it is a bad idea for a woman to be the pastor, but I don't make a big deal about it. There are women pastors who come in the hospital often who I chat with and even tell jokes...but I am not sure the Bible lends to the idea of women pastors. But I admit I could be wrong.<br />
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There are cases where God did use women to minister: Phillip had evangelist daughters, there was a woman judge, and there were prophetesses. I do think we should be careful to condemn those God is using in ministry if they are not teaching false things....male or female.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">16) I am human scum</span></b><br />
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In a Tweet on Twitter last week, Donald Trump said we conservatives who do not support him are human scum. I am pretty sure this is unprecedented for a president claiming to be a Republican to call those in the party he claims to be in "human scum."<br />
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What bothers me the most is the silence from his supporters. I remember the outrage when Obama called conservatives things. Maybe Trump supporters agree with him. After all, how dare we oppose him?<br />
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I can understand people voting for him because they feared Hillary. I cannot understand the constant defense and praise of him, and the ignoring of so much that would be condemned if he still had a "D" by his name. I am truly disappointed in so many people. Why are they not calling him out for his human scum comment? Did they take a solemn vow to never question or criticize him? I swear even some people in my own church would question God before they questioned Donald Trump, and would react less to criticisms of God than of Donald Trump. Why can this man get away with so much? Why does his past not matter, yet other politicians' do? Why do they question the Christianity of Hillary and Obama, yet insist Trump is one no matter how badly he acts? Why can't they see what I and so many other "human scum" see?<br />
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I have come to the realization that I dislike Trump more intensely than I did Obama. Obama was a horrible president, and he seemed to hate white people and Christians. Yet, conservatives fought his bad policies and called him out for his bad actions and words. Trump? They never, ever criticize him, and are more bothered by we who point out hid bad actions and polices than by his doing them. I honestly wonder if there is anything the man can do that his supporters would criticize. He said he could shoot people on 5th ave in Manhatten and not lose any voters, and I do believe he is correct.<br />
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There are people who call it a cult. I am not going to lump all Trump supporters together, but some do act like they are in a cult. Now by sharing this below, I am not saying Trump supporters are a cult. All I am saying is some of them exhibit the same behaviors.<br />
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One last thing. Consider this: the man praises and gushes about his Korean leader buddy and how wonderful the dictator is who has killed many of his own people. Yet Trump calls us human scum. So I guess we are worse than an evil dictator/killer. What a sad, petty little man my party voted in.<br />
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Before this insane comment, I doubted I would ever vote for him. Now I know I never will. There is no way. Besides, does human scum even vote? :)<br />
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And I am more amused by his comment than irritated. I think it shows he is worried about his reelection chances. What bothers me most is that I have yet to see any Trump supporter call him out for this idiotic comment. But then they never do criticize the man for anything. That is kind of scary.<br />
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I wish my friends were as loyal to me as they are to the corrupt liberal in the White House.<br />
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And can you imagine Regan or George W calling people in their own party human scum? I can't. I can't even imagine them calling Democrats human scum. The bar has been set really low with these last two presidents.<br />
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I can remember when we conservatives and Christians were criticized by and had some not so nice things said about us by Obama. And it mattered. Trump calling Republicans who dare oppose him human scum? It doesn't seem to matter. Maybe the average Trump supporter agrees.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">17) Kayne West</span></b><br />
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The internet is all a buzz about the conversion of Kayne West. Is it genuine? Will it last? People are debating and arguing.<br />
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I am not saying it isn't genuine. It isn't like he needs a last minute conversion to get Christians to vote for him......<br />
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But here is the truth of the matter: true Christianity costs. It requires complete surrender. It requires change. I am a bit cynical of celebrities and politicians having the true relationship with God that being a Christian is all about. Jesus said the way is narrow. And contrary to what some seem to believe, there is not a separate set of rules and requirements for celebrities or the president of the United States. God expects the same things from all of us.<br />
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So is his conversion genuine? Only he and God knows. And only he and God knows if he has what it takes to be a true Christian, and not a celebrity Christian.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">19) The party</span></b><br />
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My whole family got together last Thursday evening (Oct 24) to celebrate my oldest niece's birthday. Her boyfriend and my youngest niece's boyfriend was also there, making a total of 15, though my oldest nephew left early to meet friends.<br />
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The menu was home made pizza, chicken pizza (salsa, cooked chicken, and cheddar cheese), taco salad, DQ ice cream cake, and German chocolate cake. Later, we carved pumpkins: Me, both brothers-in-law, my two youngest nephews, all 3 nieces, and the boyfriend of my oldest niece. My youngest niece made her boyfriend get a pumpkin, and he did clean it out (kind of gross), but never carved it, so her dad did.<br />
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The designs were varied. We had 4 traditional jack o' lanterns...mine being one. It is on my porch with a tea light in. One niece and nephew each carved a bat, one upside down. They didn't plan that. My nauseatingly talented brother-in-law Paul carved a house and tree freehand. We had a beach scene and turtle. It was a lot of fun. I had never carved my own. We did them when I was a kid, but my parents always helped. It may become a yearly tradition.<br />
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**November 4<br />
And by the way, I bought the DQ cake and had it in my freezer for over a week, and did not touch it. Miracles do happen. The DQ in my town sells their cakes half off every Tuesday. I did buy my own last week, the log kind, and made it last a few days. Awesome stuff. And I didn't have to share with anyone.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">20) Social media fast</span></b><br />
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Today is November 4, the first November addition I made to this post. I went on a social media fast Thursday evening that I will most likely end today or tomorrow. I de-activated my Facebook account, and have stayed off other social media sites for the most part. I did go on Twitter a couple of times. The fast was partially to do with politics. I am really weary of Christians saying I am for the other side if I am not for Trump. I am weary of having my Christianity questioned because I don't support him.<br />
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Here's the thing. This may be a bit blunt, and I have tried to be careful about what I say about Christians who support Trump, but here goes: I didn't change anything. I still have the same requirements for the kind of politician I support and vote for. If the Republican Party puts up that kind of candidate again, I will vote for him. But it doesn't appear my party wants a conservative and Christian candidate any more than the Democrats do. I shudder to think who they will nominate next. McCain, Romney, Trump... they keep getting worse and more liberal. Give my party time, and they will be nominating candidates like Hillary and Obama.<br />
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If being a conservative and Christian mean having to support and vote for Donald Trump, then I don't want to be either.<br />
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But here is the truth of the matter: even thought too many people seem to equate Christianity and conservatism with being a Trump supporter, that is not the case. You do not have to support and vote for any candidate to be a Christian. Newsflash: you don't even have to vote or support ANY politician to be a Christian. Imagine that!<br />
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Back to the fast: though I did go off social media for a few days because of politics, there was more to it than that. For one: I think we can spend too much time on social media, and that largely played into my fast also.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">21) Day off, romance books....and my weird habit</span></b><br />
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Today (Nov 4) is the first of two days off in a row for me. I love days off. OK, who doesn't?! I am a night owl, and I usually stay up til 1 or 2 am if I am not working the next day, and sleep in til between 8 and 9.<br />
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Today, I woke up around 7:30 and just enjoyed lying in bed, not having to get up. I read a while, then got up a little after 9. One thing I will miss when it gets really cold, is walking around town. Today is a decent day, so I walked. I picked up a prescription at my pharmacy and dropped another off, walked to the new restaurant in town for breakfast, then to the Dollar General for Shout. I came home and vacuumed the whole house, and then did laundry. While my clothes were washing, I did something that may sound weird.<br />
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I don't know if other book lovers do this, but I like to take books I have previously read and liked, and re-read the endings and other parts I liked in the book. I have some totes of mass market books in the basement, and I stood some, sat on the steps, and sometimes on the rug on the floor doing just that. As my clothes washed in the next room (yeah, my basement has rooms), I smiled, laughed, and cried as I read parts in books I have previously read. And a lot of them romance.<br />
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It may seem weird for a guy to read romance books. I did for years, then quit except for romantic suspense. I used to joke that I could handle some romance in a book as long as someone was trying to kill someone. That was kind of true.<br />
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But then I started getting back into it. I think part of it was approaching 50 and being so depressed that I was still alone and always would be.......no wife, no kids. Just me. I started reading a certain kind of book, and still lean towards that kind: ones that involve kids and families.<br />
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I'll give an example. It is also an example of re-reading parts of a book. I read the book yesterday, but it was so good that I was lying in bed this morning re-reading a good portion of it. The book is titled "The Prodigal's Christmas Reunion." It is the 6th and last book in a series about cousins. Their grandfather died, and as part of his will, all of the cousins have to come back to their home town and live for a year...or none of them get a penny.<br />
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The last to show is 25 year old Lucas, who walked out on the town, his family, his girlfriend, and his faith 7 years before. He shows up with a traumatized four year old little boy. The kid's mother died of a drug overdose, and the father - Lucas' college room mate - was shot in a drug deal gone bad. The shooters grabbed the boy. The father hung on long enough to ask Lucas to find the boy, rescue him, and adopt him. The book IS a romance, so that plays a lot into the story, but it also focuses just as much on this young guy trying to be a father to a 4 year old boy who he feels ill equipped to father.<br />
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One of my favorite scenes in the book: Lucas' ex-girlfriend was babysitting Max, the little boy. As she and Lucas are in the kitchen drinking coffee, a shrill scream pierces the air. They rush into the living room to find Max in the throes of a nightmare......something that happens occasionally. The kid is upright on the couch, rigid with terror and crying, his eyes focused on some unseen threat. Lucas sits on the couch, quietly talking to the boy, and wraps him in his arms, just holding him until the boy quiets and comes out of the nightmare. After it is over, Lucas is bemoaning the fact that he has no clue what to do when Max has one of those episodes. "He doesn't respond to me when I talk to him. I can't distract him." he sighs "It's like there's a wall between us. He can't see me. Or hear me. The only thing I can do is set him on my lap and hold him until he comes out of it." His ex replies "it sounds to me like you know exactly what to do."<br />
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It really is a cool story. As the title suggests, Lucas is a prodigal. These kind of books can get a bad wrap from some Christians. I have heard "Christian novel" said in the same tone one might use for pornography....yet many books like these carry a great message. In this book, the pressures of fatherhood and dangers to his little boy and other family members drive him back to God and prayer.<br />
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I was actually encouraged a lot by this very cool story. Yes, it is fictional, but the realities of how God works in the lives of His children - even His prodigals - is a reality and not at all fictional.<br />
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The bad thing about this book? It is #6. I didn't read the other 5, and now I want to. But I can't buy every book I want....can I? :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">22) Gay and politics </span></b><br />
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There is something a lot of gay people do: their lives revolve around their sexuality. They hang out with other gay people, go to gay bars, boycott Chik fil a, constantly post on social media all things gay.<br />
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And some Christians who are gay and use the label, but live celibate, are like that also. They may not go to gay bars, but some watch gay TV shows and constantly post about gay stuff, and making everything revolve around their sexuality.<br />
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But we are so much more than our sexuality, whether gay, SSA, or heterosexual. Sexuality is just one part of us, and it is sad when people make their lives revolve around that.<br />
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It hit me that Christians are the same with politics. There is no Bible verse that says how much Christians should talk about politics, or how many social media posts we should have about politics. It just isn't there. Jesus stayed away from politics. He didn't even criticize the rulers of the day. John the Baptist did. He called out the king for his adultery. (Bet he wouldn't be popular with Republicans if he was alive now....) Our lives and social media revolve way too much around one part of our lives: politics.<br />
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But Jesus wasn't political. When the religious leaders tried to trick him about taxes, He simply said to give to God what belongs to God, and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Could that apply to more than taxes? Do we give too much to politics? Do we give too much time and energy? Do we waste too much time on politics on social media instead of doing something better with it?<br />
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If Jesus had a Facebook account and actually used it, how many political posts would He do? How many posts would He do putting down people who didn't support his favorite politicians? How much time do you think He would spend arguing politics? How much time do you think He would spend trying to win people to His political views? How often would He post things like "if X wins, we will lose our guns and the Supreme Court will be filled with liberals"?<br />
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You know the answer. He wouldn't. Yet we who claim to serve Him and are supposedly striving to be like Him do all that. Why? What good does it do the Kingdom of God? What good does it do for God? Does it win anyone to God? And do we act any different from non-Christians when it comes to politics?<br />
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I have said it before, but I'll say it again: I am not blameless. I have a lot of anger and a myriad of emotions and feelings because of things people in my own church and church background have said because I dared to not support the GOP nominee for president. Untruths have been said. False accusations have been made. By those claiming they want to be like Jesus. And I have fought back.<br />
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But what good has it done? None. I still say Obama divided this country, but Trump divided Christians and conservatives. But that can only happen if we let it. And we have let it. I have grown to hate politics and my political party. For reasons I won't go into, I dislike Trump even more than I did Obama...though Obama did more damage to our country than Trump has so far.<br />
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One thing it all has done: it has shown me how easy it is to put our faith in the wrong things. Jesus is the way. He is the only one to have ultimate faith and loyalty in......not America, a political party, not a politician, not a church, and not even other Christians. People will let us down. Politicians will lie and let us down. Political parties will let us down. Churches will let us down. But God? He's not in the business of letting people down.<br />
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And imagine if we spent as much time talking to people about God, as we do about politics......on and off of social media.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">23) Day off 2</span></b><br />
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I am drawing to an end of this very long post. I had two great days off in a row, and do not want to go back to work. I work the next 3, and then have the weekend off.<br />
<br />
Today was a cool day. I slept in again, and again enjoyed lying in bed, knowing I didn't have to get up early. I did have an 11:00 appointment to have the back brake pads on my car changed. I was really hoping and praying the rotors weren't bad, as the brakes have been squealing for a while.<br />
<br />
I dropped the car off at 10:30, then set off in the rain with my umbrella to shop before walking home. I hit Rite Aid and picked up some great gag gifts for Christmas from their clearance section, then hit the grocery store and the Dollar General store before walking home.<br />
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It turns out that I not only didn't need rotors, I didn't need brake pads. The guy said dust can get in them and make them squeal. They even checked my front ones, and just charged me $10 for checking them. I thought that was pretty honest of them.<br />
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Did I mention I am not ready to go back to work? I like my job, but feel like I need a vacation. Or sabbatical. A big part of it is my job is very people oriented.....a lot of people contact, constantly having to smile and help people. And I want to be at home. Not around people. But one can't make money sitting at home.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">24) The trunk</span></b><br />
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I may be a guy, but I like to decorate. My place doesn't look like what some think a typical bachelor's place looks like. I am no Martha Stewart (I'm actually glad of that....I'd be a woman and an ex-con!), but I do like to make my place look nice.<br />
<br />
One of my furnishings is a trunk that I bought cheap on clearance when I worked at Hobby Lobby. I have it in my living room where it will reside except for Christmas......I think I will put the Christmas tree there.<br />
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I have been displaying it closed with a nautical pillow on top of it, but decided to be different and open it. I have seen them that way. I feel it needs something though, and am not sure what it needs. It has some pullover sweaters I haven't worn since Bush was in office...and no, I don't know why I still have them......there are a few throw blankets in it, and obviously the pillow......but it seems like it needs something, but what? Maybe I should email Martha Stewart. Instead of WWJD? it can be WWMSD? :)<br />
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Would something like a nautical towel hanging out work......or no?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">25) Christmas decorating </span></b><br />
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Speaking of decorating, I am not sure what I will do at my place. I have more windows here, a total of 12, not including the two doors. That is a lot of windows to put lights in. I'd like to put lights on the porch, but there is no railing, just a couple of brick posts that don't seem to have a way of having lights attached. Neither does there seem to be a way to put a tree out there. A bench to decorate would be cool, but I really can't afford to be buying one at the moment. Especially to just decorate.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">26) The end</span></b><br />
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In closing, though Jesus didn't talk about politics, He did talk a lot about how we are to treat each other. A great place to read about that is the Sermon on the Mount. Maybe we should all focus more on that than the latest bad or good about politicians.<br />
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<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8541750424301079707.post-38609048746892619012019-09-28T20:07:00.002-07:002019-09-28T20:07:21.699-07:00September stuff take 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Keeping with my promise to blog more often whether anyone reads my ramblings, here is another of my "where it will go, even I don't know" posts. Enjoy. Or not.<br />
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I know I am more blunt than some people like. I know I talk about things they'd rather I didn't. I know some people think I don't have a filter, and that I shouldn't say I don't like a certain hymn, president, etc.<br />
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But this is me. I am not you or anyone else. And the cool thing about these multiple topic posts I do: anyone bored or brave enough to read my blog, can skip any they want.<br />
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This post: not every hymn is good, Trump and gun control, reminder you are loved, homophobia, Christians and pornography, and other sacred cows.<br />
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The views and opinions expressed are my own, and are unique to me.<br />
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And a 3rd post in the same month. Wow.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1) Old and new</span></b><br />
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Here is a few truths to think on: just because something is old does not make it good. Just because something is old does not make it bad. Just because something is new does not make it good. Just because something is new does not make it bad. That should cover it.<br />
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I could be wrong on this ( I may be opinionated, but I know I am not always right. Just most of the time....) :) - in regards to music, it seems there are no really great Christian songs/hymns being written today that will stand the test of time. Where are the songs like Amazing Grace, Rock of Ages, Because He Lives, etc?<br />
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Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of good songs being written today. But not that many that will be around forever like these songs I mentioned and others. A lot of the modern praise and worship songs are shallow and will be forgotten in our lifetime. Yet there are some that are better.<br />
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Yet not all hymns are great, or even good.<br />
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Some people in my denomination put together a hymnal that we thankfully don't use often titled something like "Wesleyan Methodist Heritage Hymns". Here is the thing: the majority of the songs in this hymnal are unknown or unfamiliar to most of our congregation. If they were part of our heritage, wouldn't they be as familiar to us as "Amazing Grace"? If they are part of my heritage, then why on earth did I never hear of most of them?<br />
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Last Sunday night, a man in our congregation requested we sing a certain song out of that book. I thought he was doing it as a joke...it sure seemed like it. He even made the remark that it should give people hope that even John Newton didn't always get a great song...or something like that. (John Newton, writer of Amazing Grace wrote it). It was a horrible song. After one verse, our song leader asked the musicians to play a verse so we could get a better idea of how it went. I said out loud "That isn't going to help", bringing chuckles from people around me. The song is titled "How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours." Google it. It is bad. (really bad!)<br />
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I posted on Facebook later that it isn't often we sing a song that describes itself in the title: "How tedious and tasteless." The gentleman who requested it didn't seem to be as amused as I was, and among his comments pointed out that the trio (or was it 4?) of people who compiled the song book: <i>"Evidently, they observed enough in this song to include it along with the other great hymns of Methodism in our song book, Wesleyan Heritage Hymns</i>" )Ah, that is the name of the book!) I replied that I had some good comebacks, but I would be nice and not post them. But here is one: Since I know none of the people who compiled the book do not drink alcohol or do drugs, they must have come across this song after being up really, really late, and were extremely sleep deprived.<br />
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Seriously, not every hymn is a good one, nor is every one worth singing. That one does not help a worship service at all, and I hope we never sing it again. :)<br />
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I don't know it if is the oldest song in either of our hymn books, but I think it is: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was penned by Martin Luther in 1529, at least that is the year given. That is a very old song that is really great.<br />
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Trivia: I am not sure what possessed her to do so, but in 1983 on her first Christmas CD, Amy Grant did a medley of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God and Angels We Have Heard On High. If you figure that one out, let me know.<br />
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Personally...I wouldn't mind some country flavor to our singing in church. I love the country sound and flavor. :)<br />
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And who knows....instead of harps, maybe we will be playing banjos and fiddles up there......<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) God sent?</b></span><br />
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I posted this on Facebook, brought on mostly by Christians claiming God sent or chose Trump:<br />
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<b><i>"We tend to think and claim that "God sent" or "chose" a leader or politician if they do enough politically that we agree with, and if we like the person.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Newsflash: If God does send or choose leaders in our country - and I am not convinced that He does - it may not be one we like or approve of. He or she may NOT do what we agree with politically.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>In fact, God may send a leader who does evil and causes us to seek God more.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>God is not Republican or Democrat. He isn't even political. He cares more about souls and the Gospel being preached than He does about our freedoms and comforts.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>He does not do a poll and send or choose leaders based on what will please certain of his followers, and not please others."</i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>It came after some deep thought - and yes, I am capable of that. (Yeah, I surprise even myself sometimes!) We do tend to think along these lines. If a president or any politician does enough politically that we agree with, we tend to think God sent him, or God answered our prayers by giving us that leader.<br />
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If you know much about Israel's kings, God sent some pretty bad ones. Those serving God sure didn't approve of some of them, but it didn't remove the fact that God sent them. He sent the Davids and Hezekiahs, but He also sent the Manassehs and Ahabs.<br />
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America is not Israel, and I think we sometimes have the idea that America is more important to God than any other country, and that all that applied to Israel also applies to the USA. I am not sure God sends us leaders. We vote on them, and I am convinced if every Christian voted the way we should, we would have godly and conservative leaders. We would not have to choose between 2 evils, because we would never nominate evils.<br />
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What about Christians in other countries where there is persecution. Why isn't God sending them a leader who does more politically to help them? Does God love Christians in America more than the ones in China or Saudi Arabia?<br />
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This is not about Mr Trump, but it is not really wise to claim God sent a politician when we like them or mostly agree with what they are doing. By doing that, we are doing what I have had my eyes opened to: putting politics and Christianity on the same level, or at least intertwining the two too much.<br />
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God does care more about souls than our freedoms and comforts. What if the only way for revival to come here in America is for an evil leader to take over who destroys more of our freedoms and makes it more difficult to be a Christian in America? What if God sends that kind of leader?<br />
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To say God sent a political leader, is to know the mind of God...and no one knows His mind.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3) You Are Loved</span></b><br />
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Which is more important: To win people to your political persuasion and to brag on your favorite politician, or to win people to God and tell them the Gospel and how much God loves them?<br />
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I hope you picked the latter, but one wouldn't know that by the way we act, especially on social media.<br />
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One of the most important things for people to hear and know is that they are loved. First and foremost by God, but also by others. Are we making people feel and believe they are loved by God and by us as we post and argue about politics?<br />
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I don't think I am off base when I say we need to spread the message of God's love more. We need to show it more also. Yes, there is a hell to go to. I heard tons of messages about that growing up, was in many altar calls where preachers told scary stories and used every tactic except God's love to get people to the altar...so they could make one more notch on their belt. (OK, that was a bit cynical, even for me.)<br />
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A few years back, the Booth Brothers recorded a great song that is one of my favorites of theirs:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What The World Needs to Hear</span></b><br />
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<b>There’s a teenage mother who’s left all alone</b><br />
<b>Waiting for someone already long gone</b><br />
<b>There’s a lonely old man whose children don’t care</b><br />
<b>And a black sheep who’s knocking but nobody’s there</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What the world need to hear is John 3:16</b><br />
<b>That God loves them just as they are</b><br />
<b>His grace is sufficient to bring them to Him</b><br />
<b>Wherever they’ve been; no matter how far</b><br />
<b>There’s hope for the lost and the helpless</b><br />
<b>Faith will replace every fear</b><br />
<b>The gospel of Calvary – that‘s what the world needs to hear</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>To the sinner who thinks he’s too bad to save</b><br />
<b>To the dad who just put his young son in the grave</b><br />
<b>To the man with the bottle who can’t let it go</b><br />
<b>To the wife of a soldier who will never come home</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What the world need to hear is John 3:16</b><br />
<b>That God loves them just as they are</b><br />
<b>His grace is sufficient to bring them to Him</b><br />
<b>Wherever they’ve been; no matter how far</b><br />
<b>There’s hope for the lost and the helpless</b><br />
<b>Faith will replace every fear</b><br />
<b>The gospel of Calvary – that‘s what the world needs to hear</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Salvation’s story of Christ is the solution for all</b><br />
<b>Oh wherever you are, He’ll hear you when you call</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There’s hope for the lost and the helpless</b><br />
<b>Faith will replace every fear</b><br />
<b>The gospel of Calvary – that’s what the world needs to hear</b><br />
<b>The gospel of Calvary – that’s what the world needs to hear</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
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<br />
More recently, another favorite group of mine recorded a great song along the same lines. I have been listening to Jeff and Sheri Easter since 1988, and have around 28 CDs of theirs. On their latest one, they wanted to record a song to remind people that God loves them. It has a country sound, so if you aren't into that, you might not like it. And if you aren't into that, then what is wrong with you?!<br />
<b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">You Are Loved</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I know you're hurting, I've seen you cry</b><br />
<b>Struggling with your doubts and fears, still you wonder why</b><br />
<b>It's OK to question, you have the right</b><br />
<b>But don't forget God knows your value, and you are precious in His sight</b><br />
<b>And there's never been one day that you weren't loved</b><br />
<b><br />Chorus:<br />God's love for you is strong and everlasting</b><br />
<b>Before you took one breath you were enough</b><br />
<b>You are fearfully and wonderfully created by His hands</b><br />
<b>His love will give you strength to rise above</b><br />
<b>So don't you ever doubt, you are loved</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>You've been in hiding, feeling so small</b><br />
<b>To keep you safe from careless words, you've built the walls</b><br />
<b>But now it's time for believing, you do your part</b><br />
<b>Dig deep and find the treasures hidden in your heart</b><br />
<b>'Cause there's never been one day that you weren't loved</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Chorus:</b><br />
<b>God's love for you is strong and everlasting</b><br />
<b>Before you took one breath you were enough</b><br />
<b>You are fearfully and wonderfully created by His hands</b><br />
<b>His love will give you strength to rise above</b><br />
<b>So don't you ever doubt, you are loved</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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That is so much more important than who we like politically... so why don't posts about that outnumber the political posts of the average Christians?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4) Something needs to change</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuVQYNDrGM3lDP5PWnHL1a-2-WT3cxgPyp_khkmv4CUcoq-ZgUxH2MqjT1A0Lyz6TaXFqDxMWM1v1aCbnMxBgrj1Rwd0MVSCjQFb2Txm6DcS-HT6-4hbKKJ_5YWcJjIxCc8jc_NSPK-U/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuVQYNDrGM3lDP5PWnHL1a-2-WT3cxgPyp_khkmv4CUcoq-ZgUxH2MqjT1A0Lyz6TaXFqDxMWM1v1aCbnMxBgrj1Rwd0MVSCjQFb2Txm6DcS-HT6-4hbKKJ_5YWcJjIxCc8jc_NSPK-U/s320/book.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
There are few non-fiction authors I keep up with, but David Platt is one. I just reviewed his newest book, Something Needs to Change. It was interesting and convicting. It causes you to take a mirror to your own Christian experience and realize how good we have it here, and how shallow American Christianity is.... and what we are willing to do for God.<br />
<br />
For instance, he related the story of their 20 year old translator they had on the trek he wrote about. When he was a little boy, his dad remarried, and his stepmother didn't like the boy. After a while, the father began disliking him. He would take hot sticks out of the fire and beat the boy on his back. They would chain the boy in the barn. The man who organized the trek Platt was on stopped for a meal and was given lodging in the barn. Hearing what he thought was an animal, he discovered an 8 year old boy chained up. He got the boy away from his cruel parents, and he was fostered or adopted by a Christian family. After he grew up, he ran onto his father coming down the mountain with one of his younger brothers for medical help. The father asked him to go take care of his sick step mother while he was gone, and the young man did.<br />
<br />
Could we do that? WOULD we do that? We block and un-follow those who have different political opinions and views than we do. There are people who still hold it against others for not voting for their candidate, but here is a young man who was beaten with hot sticks and chained in the barn going and taking care of the woman responsible for it happening. How would our Christianity measure up against his? Mine wouldn't measure up too well, and I'd wager a guess that most American Christians wouldn't either. We are too shallow, too petty, too political.<br />
<br />
Another thing that impressed me: they met with some Christians for church. Many of the people walked 2-3 hours up the mountain for church. Over 50 were crowded in a small room, some sitting on top of others, worshiping and praising God. No a/c, no fancy seats or programs, no hip worship team. (no outdated hymnals!)<br />
<br />
Prayer requests were given. After prayer, a couple of women volunteered to help one woman with the need she had expressed. One young man was suffering persecution at work after sharing the Gospel with a co-worker. Two men who had gone through that went to him and shared how they had had similar experiences and offered advice and help on how to handle that. Can you imagine those things happening in our churches? No, I can't either.<br />
<br />
I definitely recommend the book, but warn it could shake you out of your comfort zone and could be life-changing.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5) Tattoos</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
It wasn't that many years ago, that nice people didn't get tattoos. Now everyone gets them, and there seems to be no limit to how many people get, or where.<br />
<br />
I can't see there ever being a reason I would ever get something so permanent on my body, but if I did, it would be where I could cover it if necessary. And I can understand someone getting one small tasteful one, but I can't understand getting so many that your whole arm is covered, or when people get them on the neck or face...that is beyond stupid. A teenage boy came into Sav A Lot one evening when I was working. He had a tattoo peeking above his collar I asked him about. It was a soccer ball with wings. He got it to remember his best friend who was a soccer player who had died. OK... kind of cool, but I hope no one gets a tattoo to remember me by. Just buy a book. Or eat a chicken.<br />
<br />
Anyway, back to tattoo sleeves...what sane person...much less a Christian.... wants a whole limb a different color than what God made them? And wouldn't it be cheaper and less painful to stick your arm in a vat of ink?<br />
<br />
I have my beliefs about Christians and tattoos, but all I will say, is I can't imagine why a true Christian would want to go to the extremes of sleeves and multiple tattoos. They make men look like gang members and make women look trashy. And if you see pictures of gang members, they are covered with tattoos. No matter what you believe, Christians should look decent and not like a circus freak or gang member. Nothing is taboo or off the table for Christians anymore.<br />
<br />
And it is OK to not like tattoos and not want a waitress or nurse covered in them. It isn't like a birth defect. People go out and spend a lot of money to cover their bodies and stick out from the normal...then they get mad if everyone doesn't just embrace their extreme body decor. We don't have to like it. Will I be your friend if you are covered in tattoos? Sure. But that doesn't mean I like them or approve of them.<br />
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<br />
There is a popular meme people with tattoos like to post that says to the effect that some of the nicest people have tattoos and some of the meanest people go to church. That may be true, but there are also a lot of evil people covered in tattoos, and a lot of nice people in church.<br />
<br />
And something people with tattoos hate to hear, but is a great point: Imagine what they will look like when they are old and everything is sagging.<br />
<br />
Like them? Get one, but for the sake of decency, don't go to extremes.<br />
<br />
And for the record, I like people with tattoos as much as ones without, and have friends with tattoos. I just think they are nuts for getting them. :)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6) The bedroom</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
My place is pretty much how I want it, but there are a couple of things yet to do in my bedroom. I would like to get dark blue (navy) curtains to go with the patriotic/Americana theme. Or one pair and do a tie back on each of the two windows. (pic of the quilt above is at my old place)<br />
<br />
However, I am having difficulty finding the right size. Ideally, I need curtains around 70 inches long. 78 inches would hit the floor. The sizes I am finding are 63, 84, and longer. Nothing between 63 and 84. 63 is too short, and 84 is way too long<br />
<br />
I also have a quilt I don't know what to do with. It is a patriotic one that measures 60 inches by 49. A lady at work gave it to me who gave me a lot of patriotic decor. At my other place, there was a boarded up window at the head of my bed, so I hung the quilt on the wall to cover it up. However, here I can't use many nails and have no way of hanging it with just a couple of nails or push pins - what I used at the other place. I have a nice quilt on my bed already, not that it would cover the whole bed.<br />
<br />
Right now, it is residing folded up on the bottom shelf of the bookcase in my room, but I'd like to display it somehow in my room.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7) Walking</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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I am really enjoying being so close to so much here in town. Unless I am in a hurry, I typically walk most of the places I go. I made the mistake of waking to the grocery store last week. Google says it is 2/10 of a mile. I only needed a couple of items, so I walked. However, they had a kind of tea I buy and they rarely carry the diet in it. I bought 4 64 ounce, plus a few other things I didn't intend to buy. It was a pretty good load to carry the whole way home. But good for me.<br />
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And East Palestine, OH is a very nice town to live in and walk around in.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8) Red flag laws</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
It doesn't matter how far you stick your head in the sand, Donald Trump is not pro-second amendment.<br />
<br />
Let's recap:<br />
<br />
1) Told the Republicans in Congress not to be afraid to buck the NRA. The NRA still supports him. Kind of like chickens voting for Colonel Sanders....<br />
<br />
2) Wanted to raise the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21<br />
<br />
3) Banned bump stocks<br />
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4) Wants to ban silencers<br />
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5) Said to go after the guns first and skip due process later<br />
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6) Wants red flag laws<br />
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Sometimes I think I have lost my mind. Trump said and has done all this, but his supporters ignore it and keep being outraged by what Beto and other Democrats with a D by their name says about gun control. It seems as long as Trump does something, it is OK. I have Trump supporting friends who keep bashing the Democrats for wanting gun control, yet they are silent about it from Trump - can you understand my frustration? Some even do laughing emojis when I point out Trump's gun control.<br />
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Example: several months back, I brought up the first two points above to a big Trump loving friend of mine. She said she has felt for a long time that the age needs to be raised to buy guns, that no 18 year old should be allowed to buy one. Then this past week, she posted a meme that said "Democrats want to raise the age to buy guns to age 21, yet want to lower the age to vote to 16." Uh.....She is also OK with the red flag laws because "no psycho needs a gun."<br />
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Here is the thing about red flag laws: even if you trust the current administration - which I do not since he has had such liberal policies and still does - what happens when an extreme liberal is president and they deem the religious right and/or conservatives too dangerous to own guns and come after YOUR guns. If you are OK with red flag laws under a president you support, would you be OK with them under Beto, Warren, or another such politician?<br />
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When a law like this is floated, a wise person really thinks about the implications of it, and especially down the road when worse leaders are in power. Anyone who is OK with red flag laws and the other things Trump has proposed and done are not pro-second amendment. They only care about their gun rights when a politician with a D by their name mentions gun control. Then they are outraged.<br />
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One of many reasons I am so frustrated and angered by this, is because a man from my church harassed me by text trying to get me to vote for Trump. He, and others, told me if Hillary won, she would go after our guns....yet their guy won, and he has already done more gun control than Obama even came close to doing, and wants to do more... and Trump supporters are silent. It seems they are bothered more by we who criticize his gun control than by Trump's gun control.<br />
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I did see one avid Trump supporter urge people to call the White House switch board about the red flag laws, but most are silent.<br />
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I am more worried about our second amendment rights under Trump, than I was under Obama. A lot more worried. All Obama had to do was mention gun control, and conservatives rose up outraged and gun sales soared. Trump talks gun control, does gun control, and there is silence from conservatives. When a shooting happened and Obama talked gun control, conservatives were outraged that Obama was standing on the bodies of the dead and using them for his anti gun agenda. Trump does the same thing....and crickets. Infringement is still infringement when the guy is hiding behind an R.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9) The Bible: supporting your agenda</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
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It never ceases to amaze me how people can use the Bible to support their political agenda and views.<br />
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When Obama was in office, he liked to use the Bible to claim we had to open the borders and give free health care to everyone.<br />
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More recently, pro-wall/anti illegal immigration folks like to bring up the fact that God had Nehemiah build a wall, and that Heaven has walls. But just because God wanted a wall around Jerusalem, does not mean He wants one around the USA. And this is definitely not Heaven.<br />
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On the other side of the issue, those against a wall and think we need to just let the illegals in to stay have been quoting verses to support that idea. One is the verse about taking care of the stranger within your gates. The problem with that: That was addressed to the Israelites and would have meant fellow Israelites within their gates. If you paid attention in Sunday School class, you will remember what God had them do with the countries around them: exterminate them. So are we to do that? :) Also, is the person willing to take in illegals in his own home? For that verse is for individuals, not countries.<br />
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I feel either use is wrong, and is using and twisting Scripture to support your own political views and agenda.<br />
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Me? I am all for better border security and for sending illegals home. I won't go into all the reasons. A wall? I don't believe Trump intends to ever build one. The more he talked about it, the more popular he became with Republicans. If he wanted to build it, he would have started when Republicans controlled the House. He is only bringing it up again since election 2020 is looming close. He needs to keep that support.<br />
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I do think it is sad that a wall seems to be the most important issue to so many people. The most important should be the killing of babies.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">**Warning, heavy sarcasm ahead!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10) I wish I drove a semi or motorcycle </span></b><br />
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I assume you read the warning....<br />
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I wish I drove a semi or motorcycle. People do a lot of Facebook posts lambasting we lowly peasant who drive cars because we make it less safe for the motorcycle drivers and semi drivers. It must be nice to be perfect drivers of those vehicles who never, ever do anything unsafe with their vehicles to put themselves and we peasants in cars at risk or in danger. And all we peasants do is make their lives at risk. After all, it is entirely we peasant car drivers' responsibility to watch out for those driving unsafe vehicles - motorcycles - and our responsibility to serve truckers and stay out of their way.<br />
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If only I was perfect like them.....<br />
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OK, got that out of my system!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11) It is OK with God to treat people badly when politics are involved. 3 Peter 2:1</b></span><br />
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I was thinking about some of the teachings of the Bible that we toss out and disobey at election times and even other times when politics is discussed.<br />
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Commands/teachings like these:<br />
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<i>Blessed are the peacekeepers</i><br />
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<i>Turn the other cheek</i><br />
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<i>A soft answer turns away wrath</i><br />
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<i>Do unto others as you would have them do to you</i><br />
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<i>Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another</i><br />
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<i>Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.</i><br />
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<i>For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "corbel" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law</i></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "corbel" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And there are many more that would apply. It seems Christians don't act any different than non-Christians when it comes to politics, and people from my church don't act any different than non-Christians. That doesn't mean every Christian, of course.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I don't exclude myself. I feel I started out pretty well around election time, but I did have a lot of crap said to me and about be because I dared oppose the guy who somehow won the nomination in my party. The worse it got, the angrier I got. So I fought back. I still have a lot of anger, but try to hold back. I definitely post a very small percentage of my political thoughts. A very, very small percentage. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But seriously, do we subconsciously think we can ignore the Bible at election times, except when it fits our agenda, like "pray for our leaders." That is a popular one. The verses I mentioned above? Not so much.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I have shared this before, but back at election time, a certain preacher I didn't know, did a post comparing Trump to Sampson. He tried to make the point that God used Sampson even though he did a lot of wrong...so Christians should vote for Trump because God could use Trump. He ended it with saying anyone who didn't vote for Trump, and voted third party was just throwing out their vote. Several of my friends shared that, and one even tagged me...to my disgust and annoyance. Voting your conscience is NOT throwing your vote away. At best, that is a manipulation tactic, at worse it is an outright lie told by a pastor.<br /><br /> This same preacher came to my church for revival. How much help do you think I got out of those services? I don't believe preachers should be political like that. It is their job to spread the Gospel, not guilt people into voting the way they want them to. One pastor I already didn't think highly of was crowing on Facebook that he had convinced a woman to vote for Trump who wasn't going to before. I don't remember seeing him post about convincing someone to choose Jesus.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And maybe that is true for all of us. Should we be that political and ignore spreading the Gospel and treating people as God would have us treat them, because it is election time?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>12) Christians and pornography</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> We Christians and conservatives love to point out the hypocrisy of the liberals in Hollywood as they scream for more gun control, all the while producing and appearing in violent movies that contain all sorts of shooting and gun action. (And while having armed security for themselves)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> That IS hypocritical of them, but what if conservatives and Christians are being just as hypocritical?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Answer these questions honestly:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>a) Do you believe pornography is OK?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>b) Do you believe Christians should view pornography?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>c) Would you be OK with your child viewing porn and/or being in porn movies?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>d) Do you believe pornography exploits the people involved in it?</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>I hope if you are a Christian, you answered 3 no's and then a yes. Well, even if you do not profess to be a Christian, I hope you answered that way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> It has bothered me the filth that professing Christians watch. One biggie is Game of Thrones. Full disclosure here: I have never viewed one episode of the show. I have, however, read concerns of many Christians who do know what the show is like, and they all say the same thing: it has lots of nudity and sex. Hmm...kind of like pornography...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /> Any time this is brought up on social media, Christian viewers of the show come out of the woodwork to defend it: It has so much history! The acting is so great! I learned a lot! (What, how to have sex?!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> There was an article on Facebook that sparked this part of my blog. "<a href="https://thebridgehead.ca/2019/09/06/why-many-christians-cant-stand-matt-walsh/?fbclid=IwAR3IiHcwgcxrk7EeCEVbl0QeH0r6QV4_WiqOVCQsPG-_leW7xlVbRIStfRE">Why so many Christians can't stand Matt Walsh</a>." I don't agree with Walsh on everything, and the fact that he is a beer guzzling cigar smoking Christian bugs me..... but the guy isn't afraid to tackle anything, even the sacred cows of what Christians view. In the article, it is discussed what he said about Christians watching horror movies. The author of the article then quotes something another Christian blogger and pastor, Tim Challes wrote in an article titled "<a href="https://www.challies.com/articles/are-you-godly-enough-to-watch-smut/">Are you godly enough to watch smut</a>?" He is discussing a popular Netflix show, Stranger Things:<br /><br /><b><i>"To create Stranger Things a group of people filmed an actual eighteen-year-old girl actually taking off her shirt and actually simulating losing her virginity to an actual teenaged boy. They did that for our pleasure, for our entertainment, so we could see it. What on this side of hell could justify me, a nearly forty-year-old man, watching a production that involves an eighteen-year-old girl—someone’s daughter, someone’s future wife—disrobing and writhing her way through simulated sex with a manipulative, hormone-driven boyfriend?"</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>Does that sound like something a Christian should view? Does that sound like something a Christian opposed to pornography should view? (by the way, I read the full article, and it is worth reading)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> And here is a question to ponder: Is pornography limited to complete nudity where you can see the sexual organs of one person entering the other and everything that goes along with filming an actual sex scene, not a simulated one? Could scenes like the one described in Stranger Things and the scenes from Game of Thrones be classified as pornography in the actual definition of the word? Are the actors and actresses in these shows being exploited any less than the ones in actual porno movies?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Are Christians so addicted to entertainment, that they must feel themselves with this kind of filth? What is more important, being more holy, or being more entertained? And can a person become more holy by watching this stuff,or is it going to hinder him spiritually? My money would be on the latter.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> More disclosure: My church does not believe in TV and movies. After my parent became Christians in 81, we never had a TV in our home. We lost everything in a house fire, so we never actually got rid of the TV we had.... My views and beliefs have changed over the years, and I don't agree with my church on everything these days. I watch movies, but I try to be careful about the ones I watch. I try to avoid ones that have a lot of bad language, especially the "F-word", but I do that in my reading also...which I do more than movie watching.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> And my being a bookworm all of these years was most likely influenced by not having a TV.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Anyway, I said that to say this: Watching movies and TV is not necessary in life. Entertainment is not a need. It isn't wrong, and we all need to relax and do something fun... and entertainment is one such way to do that.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> But TV and movies? We may all be better off not viewing that at all, but if we are going to do it, should we not do our best to be careful in what we view?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Can a Christian keep his mind and thoughts pure while watching TV shows and movies that contain nudity and sex scenes? What effect will it have on his or her soul and relationship with Jesus? Could they watch that stuff with Jesus sitting beside them in a physical form? Can they stand against porn while watching things that are so close to being porn, and could very likely be classified as that if they were honest about it? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Imagine the scene:<br />Dad to his teenage son: "I am so disappointed in you for viewing porn!"<br />Teen: "But you watch Game of Thrones, and it has nudity and sex!"<br />Dad: "That is different. It is educational and historical. And the acting is great!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> Taking the excuses Christians do use to watch GOT, then I guess an actual porn movie would be OK if it is set in a historic setting, the acting is really good, and they learn something.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> From what I have learned and read about the Game of Thrones show, there are a lot of scenes where women appear topless, including in a lesbian relationship...and a lot of sex scenes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> That brings up another question: How are TV shows with topless women any different from viewing Playboy? And what kind of woman has no problem with her husband watching a TV show (or movie) with topless women?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> I honestly don't mean this to be judgmental, but anyone who watches these shows tend to be defensive about it, and that is how I will likely be viewed for bringing it up.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> But seriously, if Christians are going to watch TV and movies, then shouldn't our viewing habits be different from those who do not serve God?</span></span><br />
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Psalm 101 is titled "I will walk in integrity." Verse 3 has been quoted a lot over the years, but verse 2 applies here too:<br />
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<b>KJV: 2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.</b><br />
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<b>3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.</b><br />
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<b> </b>And my current favorite version:<br />
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<b>ESV: 2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.</b><br />
<b> Oh when will you come to me?</b><br />
<b>I will walk with integrity of heart</b><br />
<b> within my house;</b><br />
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<b>3 I will not set before my eyes</b><br />
<b> anything that is worthless.</b><br />
<b>I hate the work of those who fall away;</b><br />
<b> it shall not cling to me.</b><br />
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<b> </b>I wonder what Jesus and His disciples would do if they were walking the earth during our time. Can you imagine them watching Game of Thrones? "I know you need healed, but this sex scene is sooo awesome. Hold on a few!"<br />
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Could it be Christians in general waste too much time on entertainment (yeah, reading too!), then on doing what God might be wanting us to do?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13) Social media</span></b><br />
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Sometimes I wonder if social media is really a good thing. It tends to bring out the worst in us, and we do things we would never do in person. Well, mostly. Example: I know there are people even from my own church who "un-follow" me on Facebook, yet they would never ignore me off of social media. True story: The guy who texted me constantly to get me to vote the way I wanted, was surprised to discover I was moving.... yet I discussed it a lot on Facebook and put a lot of pictures on there. I already suspected he didn't follow me anymore, and was really tempted to tell him if he didn't ignore me on social media, he'd have known it. But contrary to what a lot of people seem to think, I do not say everything I think. Honest!<br />
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Pluses:<br />
a) I keep up with relatives and friends who I wouldn't hear from otherwise<br />
b) I have made friends and gotten to know relatives I would never have known otherwise<br />
c) I keep up with favorite authors and win books and other things on social media<br />
d) I am a member of some groups for people with same-sex attraction, which has given me a lot of help, encouragement, and fellowship from others dealing with the same things I deal with.<br />
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This may sound pathetic, but it is the honest to goodness truth: Outside of work and church, I have no one I interact with off line, other than family. Now before you attribute that to social media, let me explain:<br />
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I have never really made friends easily. To this day, I struggle to believe people actually like me, mostly still because of bullying in school. I don't have any friends, as in the regular hanging out and visiting kind of friends. That is one reason I love being with my family so much. They are the only people I hang out with, and it doesn't happen often enough. No guy my age is into shopping, reading, and hanging out a home. I am single, and fifty years old. It is my reality.<br />
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So I enjoy social media. I get to interact with people other than at work and the little bit of interacting I do at church.<br />
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There was a period of time where I had my own house and lived all alone. My life was a little different then. I was in the Big Brothers program, and that filled a void...but there were still a lot of lonely times when it was just me in that house all alone, not interacting with anyone.<br />
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Social media can drive me crazy at times, but it also helps me. But I'll take time with my family over it any day.<br />
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Tomorrow (September 29), our whole gang is going to my mom and dad's for Sunday dinner to celebrate two birthdays: My oldest nephew, Josiah, who is counting down the days til October 3 when he will be 18. Man, I feel old. And it doesn't help that he keeps reminding us of how many days it is til he is 18. We will also celebrate the birthday of the newest addition to our gang: Todd, my oldest niece's still fairly new boyfriend. And I am already looking forward to it and anticipating the great food and fun we always have when we are together.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14) Reading</span></b><br />
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An update on my reading: I had set a goal of 200 books, but bypassed that long ago, as I have put on here. I am currently at 398, only 2 more til I double my goal. I am a bit surprised at how many I have read, but reading is how I fill a lot of my spare time.<br />
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I have learned a lot even by reading fiction. I have been to places through books that I will never see in person. I think it is a great way to fill my time.<br />
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The spare room may be a reading room for me once it gets cooler. I don't have central air, and use window units. I didn't want to mess around with putting an air conditioner in that room, so it doesn't stay very cool. I think it would make a good reading room though, so I may spend some of my reading time in there.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15) Homophobia</span></b><br />
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The word homophobia gets used a lot in the wrong ways. If you say homosexuality is a sin, you are homophobic. Oppose gay marriage? Homophobic. It is all too often used in the wrong way.<br />
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True homophobia is fear and/or hatred of gay people. I have shared this before, but it is an example of homophobia: It has been probably 10-11 years ago now that my Sunday School class was discussing different issues in class such as abortion and homosexuality. I was way, way in the closet at that time. There were 2 guys that were pretty brutal in what they had to say when there were comments. One said he would rather have a murderer around his kids than one of those perverts. THAT is true homophobia.<br />
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There is a man, I have no idea of his age, who reads my blog and comments occasionally. He deals with same-sex attractions, and I think hides it from most or all people. And I don't blame him. Our churches have countless people in them who deal with this very tough issue, and are scared to death to tell anyone. The answer is not to toss out what the Bible says, as liberal Christians and churches do, but conservative Christians and churches need to do better.<br />
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Could you be friends and hang out with a gay person? I don't mean gay as in someone who is living for God, abstaining from sex, but using the gay label. I mean a gay person who is having sex and is out and proud. Could you do it? Jesus would, and aren't we supposed to be like him?<br /><br />
I have a Facebook friend who shared an experience in one of those Facebook groups for people with same-sex attractions that I am in. I don't imagine he wants it spread, so I will be very general in what I say, but it bothered me a lot, and led to this part of my post. "John" was introduced to and befriended a couple who I think was new to his area. They had a common interest in something that was good for the county. At some point, the guy contacted him. He had found out John's story, which had a very public discovery and scandal because of and due to his sexuality with a lot of severe fallout and damage. He told John he thought it was weird that he just wanted to hang out, and they needed to set some boundaries, such as his wife always present when he met with John. There was more to it, but that is the gist of it.<br />
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I personally feel this guy was a jerk about it, and John is better off ignoring the guy. But I am sure it hurt. Here he is coming back from a bad mistake he made, serving God, and just trying to make friends with this couple. Man. Is it any wonder so many people in our churches struggle with this issue in silence?<br />
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For years, I struggled in silence, scared to death of people finding out. How far I have come. Now I honestly don't care who knows. I am probably talk about it too much for some people. But I know what is like think you are the only one. If just one person gets some encouragement from what I say, even just knowing they are not alone, then it is worth everything I have gone through because of this struggle.<br />
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Of course the acceptance nationwide of being gay has helped. It is a double edged sword. It gives more people courage to admit the struggle, but it also encourages people to pursue that lifestyle.<br />
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I honestly don't know if people knowing about me has changed anything. The same people still greet me and occasionally chat with me at church. I never had people lining up at my door wanting to hang out, so I don't know if anything has changed. I do wonder how many people at church do know. I wonder if I am ever the topic of one of the acceptable sins: gossip. Back during the election, one lady from my church who skips more than she goes made a comment on Facebook before deleting me. She said Trump's serial adultery, strip clubs, vulgarity, and bragging about sexual assault shouldn't bother me with my past. This woman doesn't know me well, so I don't know what she thinks she knows. Does my being attracted to other guys mean I should be OK with adultery, strip clubs, vulgarity, etc? It sounds like she could be one to have issues with my SSA.<br />
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How would you react if a good friend or a relative sat down and told you they were gay, or that they were attracted to other guys? Would you be a safe person to come to, or would they be hurt and wish they had kept quiet? How would you deal with gay neighbors? How would you deal with a gay couple coming to your church?<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">16) Gay identity</span></b><br />
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I have discussed a Christian truly living according to the Bible and Biblical sexuality using the gay label, and even worse: queer. I have strong opinions on that, but know others don't agree. I have discussed it on here before, and have a little more to say about it, due to someone I follow on Twitter. I may stop following her, as she drives me crazy. She is supposedly a celibate lesbian, and goes around advertising she is a lesbian. Then she gets on social media and whines because she feels she has to explain to people that she is celibate and is not having sex with other women.<br />
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Here is where I really have a problem. I know not everyone is like this, and in fact had a comment with someone on my blog who disagrees with me, and is someone I would not put in this category: Some of the people, mostly the side B and Revoice people, have the attitude that the gay militants have: "We are here. We are queer/gay, and you must accept us on our terms." If they are going to go around using the queer and gay terminology, they are going to have to explain some things. Because whether I am right or not in how I feel about the words being used, most of the world and church alike are going to assume you are gay/lesbian/queer in the full meaning of the word if you use those words to describe yourself. Even "gay Christian" has so long been used by the pro-gay theology that people are likely to assume the user believes you can be gay - as in having sex - and be a Christian.<br />
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By the way, one guy who is a celibate gay side B guy who also calls himself queer, was complaining on Twitter because he gets called "faggot" occasionally. So why is queer in, but not faggot? Both seem very crude and mean words to use for anyone.<br />
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As I said, maybe I am wrong about the gay label and identity, but using it may require a little explanation.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">17) Author "swag"</span></b><br />
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#17 is just to end the post on a positive note. I try to not rant too much, and that is why my topics are so random and varied. I do talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind when I am blogging.<br />
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I review a lot of books on my other blog, <a href="http://thoughtsofasojourner.blogspot.com/">Thoughts of a Sojourner</a>. Some of these books are through the publisher, and some via the author for a "launch team." The launch team usually has a Facebook group with personal interaction with the author. Some of these authors send some extra things with the book, often referred to as swag. Lynn H Blackburn, author of the <a href="http://thoughtsofasojourner.blogspot.com/2019/09/one-final-breath-dive-team.html">book I reviewed</a> today, sent a key chain, refrigerator magnet, and a couple of other things. I got the newest launch team book yesterday in the mail, and the author sent bookmarks and a canvas bag. I love it when an author does this, as it shows they appreciate you reviewing their book and getting the news out about their book.<br />
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Until next time.<br />
<br />Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12218349188104332410noreply@blogger.com0