Harry Potter Vs. The Wardrobe

Okay, let me start off by saying that I am promising to get here more often to blog, however my blog will be changing a bit. I tend to see the chance for ministry in most things and want to share how folks can get out and impact their community! So be on the look out for that! That being said, here goes another one of my ramblings that might entertain you! LOL I have been very convicted lately about things I watch and read not being of God. But were do we draw that line? Ok so from what I understand (and please know I haven't heard of this book until the other day) "50 Shades of Gray" is NOT something I would enjoy nor something I should even be reading, so this would be the complete opposite end of the spectrum I am dealing with here. Where I am confused is on the entirety of excluding books from our reading list. So many have issues with the Potter series. So that being said, that is the direction I am heading, mainly because that is just a point of reference for me. The Potter novels have been read by most in our home. My oldest has read them more than once and we have all seen the movies, ok my baby girl has not seen the last movie, it is a bit over the top for her. Here is how I see these books, fiction; based in a fantasy world; mythical creatures; good battling evil, good winning; promoting being yourself when you aren't accepted; promoting staying true to who you are created to be; written by a mom. Lets compare this to the Narnia Series: fiction; based in a fantasy world; mythical creatures; good battling evil, good winning; has a witch as a main character; promoting being yourself; based on the book of John, however not obvious to the nonbeliever; written by a Christian. So..maybe its just me I am not seeing much of a difference here other than the author's beliefs. However, time and time again as believers we are told that we shouldn't read the Potter books, my children have been taught this lesson multiple times. To be honest, I have read the entire Tolken series, The Di Vinci Code and other books that most would be appalled that as a Christian woman I read. Ok, so in the very distant past I have read some books that I can't believe I even read, but thank goodness for the past! My question here is where do we draw the line? Clearly there are some books that just should be out of the question for everyone, however it doesn't make you BAD for reading them. Sometimes getting a different perspective on things is a help. I can see where some novels can offend some folks, but should we completely weed whack our library to include only Christian authors? Clearly, CS Lewis and Rowling were on the same track with their writing. How do humans get an understanding of diverse cultures and beliefs without exposure to them or at least some knowledge of them? How do you effectively witness to others when you have no clue to what they BELIEVE to be true? At some point you have to know what is out in the world so you can be armed to explain why it is not Godly. Knowledge is power, reading gains knowledge. It is our job as parents and as children of God to recognize the difference between fact and fiction and to teach that. To limit our world to only certain elements would be a loss of knowledge. Some things are merely entertainment, lets not let self righteous, well meaning, thought patterns exclude us from learning what is going on outside our worlds. Let's use those things as tools to understanding humankind.

Bullying, Who's to Blame?

Ok so bullying is such a hot topic. Schools take time out of learning to talk about it. My experience with that, well not mine but my daughters, is that they aren't really DOING much about it. The bully has "rights" and "feelings" and they are asked to leave the other child alone, warned to stop, ect..however our solution was to contact the child's family directly. To our surprise they had NO clue anything was going on. The child left my daughter alone from then on out. Ahhh, but I digress from my point. So the root of bullying. Lets see, do you watch television? Like at any time, do you watch television, read magazines, listen to the radio. Bullying is all around you. Adults are bullied just like children in school. We aren't thin enough, pretty enough, our teeth aren't white enough. Our cars aren't fancy enough, houses aren't big enough, jobs aren't good enough. You get the point. Unless we are super thin, super rich, have the best vacation spot and a 401K you are dirt in the eyes of society. They market us pills, spas, gyms, you name it to make us "fit in". Who are we trying to fit in with and where do we fit? How do you stop bullying among children when we are all bullied daily. Our government has joined the bandwagon. If your community doesn't like something or thinks something just doesn't make them "appear" to be classy enough to fit society, they just pass an ordinance or a law to stop it. Now don't get me wrong some of these ARE actually for the greater good, but some are just flat out telling you that you live wrong. Oh and the kicker of all bullying is the health care bill, but that is another topic all alone. Still bullying, and by the same adults that are telling your school systems to teach against bullying! So if bullying is going to stop, the stopping has to start with adults. We have to set the example for our children to follow. We have to step up to the plate and let our children know that it is ok to be different. That is is ok not to have the best of everything, that those things don't make the person. That it is what is on the inside that counts. We as consumers need to stop the constant bullying we receive from marketing agencies selling products. If we want it to end it starts with us....all of us...banded together to tell the world that being imperfect is ok. That different is ok. Sadly I think this is a dream. Tomorrow someone will try to keep up with the Jones', get their "fake n bake" on, whiten their teeth, get lipo and a face lift, use the most expensive face cream to remove wrinkles, ect...all the while teaching their child that they are not perfect, never will be perfect, well until they follow their parents example and listen to the bullying!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to be thankful just on Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for so many things. How lucky for you to get to read about some of them! LOL
First there is my wonderful husband. He works tirelessly for our family everyday. He loves us all unconditionally, which I am so sure is hard some days. The poor man lives in the estrogen ocean and has the patience of Job! Not to many men I know can work on a remodel project with the help of two ADD women and never lose his temper!! He is my strength, my best friend, the man God designed just for me. He is the outward reflection of God's perfect love for me and I am so thankful for everyday we have together. I am thankful that we get to spend more time together than most couples and thankful that when we do have to be apart, my heart still flutters with excitement when he gets home. He is truly one of the biggest blessings in my life.
I am thankful for my beautiful children. They make life less serious. Now realistically everyone knows kids can be exhausting, challenging, and frustrating, but then they turn around and say those magic words "I love you" and BAM you forget that mess! I am loving seeing my oldest grow into the Godly woman she was ment to be. We always said she would be out spreading the Word of God one day, she sure seems on that path! Our youngest...well...she will be spreading cheer and humor, at least if she stays on the path she is on. She is a clown and doesn't really care what anyone thinks of her. She marches to the beat of her own drum, I love that!!
I am thankful for Audrey, aka Tini. She has been a joyous addition to our home and brought with her a wonderful Mom and Grandma to share. We have all taught each other, loved each other, lifted each other and cried with each other. She is truly family and we are blessed that she came to just visit one weekend, that seems like forever ago. God truly brought her here to share our lives and we couldn't have made it thru the past few years without her.
I am thankful for the special angels God has sent thru a series of unfortunate events. I have learned to view life from an entirely new perspective and can see the hand of God truly "working all things for His glory". I am thankful for following stories such as Alex (The Boy Who Went to Heaven) and Tripp Roth, these two amazing little men have shown the world the love of the Lord thru extraordinary circumstances. Courtney Roth, Tripp's momma, has shown the world the strength of a mother thru suffering. I truly can say, she is the first mom I can compare to Mary mother of Christ. Her demonstration of faith is amazing to me and I only pray I have that strength one day. These two special little boys have shown the world God's love. If you have never heard of them please search them out and read their stories, you will be blessed by them.
I am truly thankful for my inlaws. My father in law was a challenging person, to say the least, but he taught my husband strength, perseverance, and what it is to work hard. Not to mention when he was funny, he was flippin FUNNY!! I was never blessed enough to meet my mother in law, yet I feel I see her daily. The seeds of kindness she planted in my husband have grown into a mighty strong tree and she is looking down so proud of the Godly man he has become. Yet again, examples of how God can turn all things to work for His Glory, each step in my hubby's life has brought him to where he is now.
I am exceptionally thankful for my parents. They truly love me unconditionally, thank goodness because I have done some really STUPID things! LOL They have been the best parenting examples and I pray I can be as good of a parent as they were to me to my girls. They taught me not to judge others, that diversity is a good thing, that life takes work and to take things in stride.
I am most thankful for my Lord and Savior. He rescued me from the pits of Hell before I even knew Him. He guided me right where He wanted me, back on His path. Without Him I would still be lost in the world. My relationship with Him has been life changing and I am thankful my children have known Him from birth. I pray He keeps them from making the mistakes we have made, but I know that if they do He will guide them back on His path. He is my Rock, my Comforter, my Strength, and my Light in the dark world. I can't wait for the day of His return!! PRAISE HIM!!
May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving. Enjoy a wonderful feast and remember all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for. BE BLESSED!!

We The People, Inc.

"WE THE PEOPLE" Ever stop to think of these words? I have been thinking about them a lot lately. Our elected officials seem to have forgotten them completely. I am sure that the internet as tons to do with the fact that almost daily we are bombed with an official gone bad. Sex scandals, theft, mail fraud, you name it its there.
In my opinon We The People cast the vote; We The People pay taxes; thus We The People sign your paychecks. In We The People's world he who signs our paychecks is called the boss! So, that being said, here is my message.

Dear Elected Offical,

You have been employed by us for quite some time now. You have seem to forget why we elected you. Remember your campaign? Remember those fliers, slogans, debate answers? Remember those babies you hugged, hands you shook, the donations to your campaigns? Remember those faces smiling up at you as you pledged to change our world for the positive? We do!
You are not holding up to your end of the job. We are disappointed in quite a few things, and frankly, if one of us "We The People" did even the smallest of things you are doing on our job, we would be unemployed.
Now don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that you deserve (and should have the right to) to have a personal life. I am not much concerned with what you chose to do in your personal life, off the clock. I do, however, not intend to pay for your meals, trips, ect. If I can't afford those meals or trips, I am not interested in paying for you to enjoy those things, use the paycheck we give you and pay for those yourself! When you are on the clock, you work for us, do your job. Most of us put in, at the very least, a 40 hour work week. This usually includes some sort of lunch. I think and hour for lunch is acceptable. Take two 15 minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Vacation time and sick time is allowed, but shouldn't be greater than what the general public would receive.
Please remember this, when you have a bill, law or ordinance to vote on and you represent 51,000 people (let me be clear, this is just an example, we elected you figuring you are smart enough to "get this") say 50,000 call you against said motion, use your head! Don't side with the 1,000, you were elected because majority rules around here, put that in motion. Quit siding with "he who offers you the most". We The People pay you handsomely to represent us, we EXPECT no DEMAND that you quit taking bribes, lunches, trips ect so that someones life becomes easier and you mess the rest of our lives up.
Quit taking advantage of the position we hired you for, do your job! Start practicing good work ethics, because when you come up for review you may very well find yourself out of a job. Trust me, out in We The People land jobs are hard to come by. Bosses don't tolerate the behavior you have been used to. The bills, laws and ordinances YOU passed because someone gave you a treat (sorry, just realized that made you sound like a trained pet) to vote for just may come back to bite you in the butt. If you need help filling out the 16 pages of information needed to get food stamps, I am sure We The People can help you out, after all by then you will be one of us again.
Sincerely,
WE THE PEOPLE

Oprah Says Goodbye

I know its been awhile since you have had the chance to hear my thoughts. That can be good or bad, you either didn't miss me or needed a good laugh at the crazy lady! HeHe!
My thoughts today are on Oprah. Yes, you read that right, Oprah. I have to admit that I rarely watched her show in the past years. I had seen them growing up, watched the Christmas give away show, but for the most part I didn't really give a second thought to watching. I am currently watching her last show on the DVR. I know, if I never really watch, why DVR the last one? Well, her show is part of television history and I wanted to see how she went out. So with that being said, here are my thoughts on Oprah, for what its worth.
Oprah has come under fire so often. I have to admit, she has said some things that made me turn my head...things that make you go "WHAT did she just say?" She has come under fire for such things as her public view on God (I say public because we all have to remember that she is broad-casted on Network TV and they have rules ya know), her clothes, her weight, her love life....oh heck I could go on and on. No one has focused on her positives. Not even me, until now.
Oprah has brought to mainstream life problems most if not all women have faced. She has given women and invisible support network. That warm fuzzy blanket of "I am not alone". From Post Postpartum depression to PMS she has exposed it to the world. From date rape to romance in your marriage, her road trips to her give aways, its been out there for the world to see. She has taught us that "you are responsible for your own life" no more blame, it isn't your parents, boss, husbands, or children's fault. She brought to light things that were shameful, embarrassing, and unspoken of. Women didn't feel alone, ashamed, afraid or embarrassed anymore. They reached out for help, became proactive in their lives. Many stepped out and went to school, got therapy, and improved their lives in some way.
She started a school for girls, ok so it was in Africa, but that was where the need was greatest. Some scoffed at her for this, "what about America?" they asked, well what about it? She reached out time after time to the people of our nation as well. The school in Africa was just hot news at the time, which overshadowed her local accomplishments.
So, I say farewell to the Oprah show. A woman, who based on her raising, should be grateful that she walks upright has become one of the richest women in the media business. No chump change there, that realm was dominated by men! She had climbed the corporate ladder one rung at at time, kept climbing even when she slipped back down and made it to the top. Can you imagine what the rest of us could accomplish if we put just a pinch of the umph Oprah has into our lives? If we take anything at all from her 25 years worth of shows, it is this...don't give up, don't discount yourself. You are somebody special, hold your head high and believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything!

Learn Your Role, Know Your Place!

My heart is heavy when it comes to this subject. Why is it we choose to complicate God? Why is it that once we are saved, or rededicate our lives to the Lord, we feel the need to isolate ourselves from the unsaved? Why do we feel the need to ONLY associate with others in our church? Why do we feel the need to neglect, ignore, and not to be salt and light to a dark and lonely world?
Jesus came to save ALL of us. Let's think about the church for a moment. Not the church as a whole, I am talking about our individual houses of worship. MOST of us in our church are there because we have a relationship with Christ. Ok, not always is it a perfect relationship, some of us are working on it. We learn more and more daily! That is a wonderful thing. It is great to have a place of worship where we can bond with a church family, like minded, building each other up. We provide each other with accountably, love, understanding, prayer, and support. It is wonderful and we look forward to each meeting. Now, lets look at our church from a different perspective. Imagine if we could see each other like we REALLY are. Come on, admit it, it's Sunday morning, you are rushing to get the kids ready, running late, running out the house to get to service on time. Chances are you are yelling at everyone and everything in your path to get out the door. You dash into children's church, drop the kiddos off, dash into the sanctuary and BAM someone says "How are you today?" STOP, REALLY? What is your answer? Go ahead, be honest, no one is listening (well God is and He already knows the answer) "I am wonderful, it is a beautiful day in the Lord!" or something to that effect. Come on you know you do it! Inside you are thinking, I just ran a 40 yard dash to get here on time, I am starving, exhausted already, and just feel gross because I was rushing like a crazy person. Or, I have had a really cruddy week, nothing has gone right, I really need someone to vent to, but "I am wonderful" is your answer. REALLY?! If that greeter could see the real you they would see someone bandaged and broken who needs a huge hug and a warm cup of soul revival!!
Now...we stay entangled with our church family. Cutting off everyone who is not Godly. Everyone who does the "wrong thing", we get full of ourselves (cause we just have this Jesus thing going on ya know!) we preach at (yes I mean to say at not to) others that they are sinners! Some of us even look down at other Christians because they just aren't doing it right! REALLY???? Jesus didn't come to this Earth and hang out with only believers. He found the sinners, I know GASP right!! Yes, news flash, Jesus hung out with sinners!! He is called the Great Physician, sick people need doctors! If we don't associate with the ungodly, how will they ever come to know the Lord? Not to mention, the way some Christians act why on Earth would nonbelievers WANT to know your Jesus? You present him and mean and unloving!
"Hate the sin, Love the sinner!"...Jesus loves all of us, yes all of us. Not just you but the sinner down the road. He wants that sinner to repent and come to Him, curl up in His lap and ask for forgiveness. The sinner down the road knows the name Jesus, ok so that person might think that Jesus is just the pizza delivery man, but everyone certainly knows God. They might believe in God, they might not. Do you think that if Jesus, (the real Jesus, not the pizza guy) knocked on "sinner down the street" door and they answered with a cigarette in one hand and a Bud Lite in the other, would tell him ALL about himself? I think he would calmly befriend the man and in love (oh there is a novel idea) SHOW him what a relationship with Him would be like. If the man wasn't receptive to the teachings, would Jesus unfriend him on Facebook? Would he shut him out completely and give up on him? I doubt it!! He would (yep again) LOVE him! Not condone the sins but LOVE the man.
Be on fire for God! Love the Lord! Shout it to the roof tops!! But get off your high horse! You to are a sinner!! You too are the son or daughter of Adam!
"As the scriptures say, "No one is good, not even one." Romans 3:10
"For all have sinned,all fall short of Gods glorious standard" Romans 3:23
Remember ALL have sinned, ALL fall short. You are part of the ALL!! You were born a sinner, we ALL were!! Help bring the lost to the Savior in LOVE. If someone is messing up LOVE THEM!! SHOW THEM LOVE!!! SHOW THEM THE LIGHT SO THEY MAY COME TO KNOW THE LIGHT!! QUIT MAKING JESUS LOOK BAD!!

Puppies and Other Insanity!!

I know it has been a while since my last blog. Usually it takes me getting stirred up about something to fire off a good one. Lately I think I have been to exhausted at the end of the day to get stirred up about anything worth blogging about. Or at the very least, getting stirred up about anything that is "bloggable"! Trust me, I still get bugged, but can't blog about THOSE things!
As I wrote before, we have puppies. Two very cute, about 10 week old, puppies. I forget that it is like having two two year olds running around the house. If there is a speck of paper around, they will find it, wires...yep those too! The things they find to chew are unreal! Shoes, they can sniff those out from someone else's house! There isn't a moment in the day when there isn't something to be cleaned up that they found! Oh, now don't misunderstand, as my darling daughter is pointing out; these little messes have an older brother doggie that is willing to help them find trouble!
Now, with two little puppies, (who I must point out DO NOT like to be confined and loudly protest when locked up) come not so cute little "messes". Our wood laminate floors don't like to be wet for any length of time, so we are constantly going through tons of paper towels. Personally, I am not liking my floors. They are beautiful, if you put them in a house no one lives in! I can't figure out how to really clean them (if anyone knows please share!), you can't mop them in the traditional sense. I do a lot of spray bottle cleaning with peroxide and a dry mop! (In case you didn't know this about me, I hate GERMS!!)
Lets add a new business going on around here, which is quickly becoming super successful! GOD IS SO GOOD! Which is causing scheduling issues, trying to get organized as everyday something new crops up! Now add homeschooling to the mix. Can you see why I am to exhausted at the end of the day to have the energy to let much make me go crazy!
Life is never boring, always GREAT, and each day brings a new blessing.
Well I am off to strip the couch to wash the cushion covers....I don't even what to know what is on them!!!