Mother's Day 2012 ~ It's All About Choices :)

Happy Mother’s Day! ♥

I spent nearly my entire morning doing things that were needful…which included spending a good portion with the husband of all husbands, the boyfriend to end all boyfriends, a friend above all others, and the lover of my soul, God.

Now I’m not sure how your conversations with God are, but mine are always real, thought provoking, heart rendering, soul edifying, often include humor, and sometimes down-right funny. It never ceases to amaze me how thirsty the soul is to have alone time with the Living God.

I walked out to Burke Rd- to Fairmont- to Strawberry- past Vista and Spencer to Strawberry Park, made one huge circle around the park, back up to Spencer, stopped and picked up a few things for homemade blueberry muffins for Beta Academy Muffins with Moms tomorrow, walked down to Burke and back up to my apartment—all in 1 hour and 12 minutes!

During that entire walk, you know what God spoke to me about? God spoke to me about dried plums (I’m a recovering prune hater) and life's choices. It's a weird combo I know, but that's what we talked about. Here’s a very shortened version of it…
As I left for ‘our’ walk, I downed four sizable dried plums for quick energy. I hadn’t looked at them straight out of the bag, which is a normal ritual for me…but the last one felt a little dry but when I stuck it in my mouth I could immediately tell that it was different. It was unusually dried out..at first I thought it was just a really-really dried out plum. Then it was crunchy; dried plums are not supposed to crunch! More importantly it didn’t taste like all the other dried plums I’ve ever had…and BELIEVE me, I was WAY too scared to spit it out and find that I may’ve been chewing on who knows what!
All I could picture in my mind was a Madagascar hissing tree roach or something and fought to choke it down with a bottle of water as I was walking down the street. It was that or spat it out and find out that it really was some horrid insect, which would cause me to be throwing up all over the sidewalk in broad view of every person driving…and then risk someone stopping to help the poor old, throwing-up, chubby lady...only to find she had really been throwing up a dried plum. Can you tell I have quite the active imagination?! (Hence, you can see why my food ritual usually includes a visual inspection before throwing things into my mouth.)

So, I made a choice and swallowed something when I had no idea what it was. (Yes. I prayed as it went down, and I am fairly sure it moved in my stomach...then again, that might’ve been my overly active imagination.)

Anyway, it was quite the sight as I walked and worked to keep it down. I'm pretty sure my guardian angel was chuckling at the sight.
And then God spoke. He spoke straight to my heart and asked "What are you doing?" Embarrassed I said :Um, Lord, you know I can't stand the thought of eating bugs and I think I swallowed one. He then explained that our lives are like that dried plum.

We go about daily living…often in the pace of habits and fast living and we swallow things that may or may not be good for us. We make a choice to willfully chew and swallow, or willfully chuck it up and spit it out. The bottom line of God’s conversation came down to choices...we choose to live under His grace and follow-after and search-out His perfect will and receive his blessings...or we choose not to.
It’s our choice.

What a wonderful Mother’s Day!

"I Choose This"

A friend sent me a link to a ‘wedding proposal’ that she thought was sweet and entertaining, and while it was, there was one line in it that has stuck with me all day. In the video the young man dances and sings songs to his intended fiancé. Then the words from one line says something that seems at first so simple… but when you really think on it, it is quite profound… “I Choose This”

We’ve all heard people go on and on about the need to hear those ‘three little words’…but I believe those three little words should not be “I love you.” You see, the word ‘love’ is so often misused today…’love’ has been used so commonly for ‘like’ that we “love” everything.

While God’s love is pure and all fulfilling, man’s love often falls short or is confused with like. However, everything we do, we choose. In fact, it’s the powerful act of choosing that sets our reasoning minds above the animal kingdom. Our ability to choose means that we do the things we do- with purpose. Good or bad, out of love or lust- we choose on purpose.

We cannot control what happens outside ourselves. We can control who we are, what we become, how we face difficulties, and overcome trials…it all comes down to a choice…even love- we choose it.

“I Choose This” is a powerful statement- one that states a purposeful, personal choice. In hard times, we choose to hold on or let go. During the days that roll black and thunder roars, you must choose to embrace your trust in God or turn your face away from it. When your relationships seem shaky, you’ll need to choose what is really important. You see…we can choose to hold onto anger or walk without that heavy burden. We can choose a lesser walked road or we can walk the road that is comfortable and well-worn. We can choose which future to build on or leave it all to chance. We can choose to hold onto hatred or we can choose to extend love.

God has given you the ability to choose…the next time you make a choice remember how profound every choice is. When you get ready to tell someone you love them, remember it’s a choice…”I Choose This.”

It's just a simple thought.
†=♥

Abolish Planned Parenthood- Give My Taxes to Ethical Oragnaizations

The following were two recent post from a Planned Parenthood (PP) dire-hard, Kathryn Aberle on the Facebook page of GovPeeper at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/GovPeeper/174994805873425 :

“We at Planned Parenthood would like you to adopt and pay for the kids that people can't afford.” …and… “Stuff it! Get off the Planned Parenthood website! We're not interested in the garbage you're mired in.”

The following is my reply:

Get off it Kathryn Aberle! The tax payers are already paying for 1) PP and 2) for children with no parents and single parent as well as two parent families---it's called Welfare and Medicaid!

3) Please stop throwing around false information. "Every day 1000 women die of complications of pregnancy and childbirth. This leaves over a million children motherless every year." Where on the earth did you get these numbers? Really- over a million from just 1,000 women? Do you know how to use a simple calculator? That would be 1000 babies per woman!

Sadly, millions of women do die every year globally. The truth is that the majority of these precious women do not die for lack of abortion choices! They die in the actual process of labor or pre-labor care...because they do not have or get proper medical care or nutrition during their pregnancy. Here's a note for you-- get credible sources! My word!

The lifetime risk of women to suffer from this tragedy, in industrial countries, 1 in 4000! Of ALL the world's pregnancy related deaths, 99% occur in underdeveloped countries..that leaves only 1% for all industrial countries and that includes the U.S.! 1%! Let's remind our selves that PP is not a global organization so it is focusing on less than the U.S.'s share of that 1%.
http://www.unicef.org/factoftheweek/index_39707.html

PP loves to tote the life and death issue banner as their harrowing act of humanitarian service, but the absolute truth bears out the facts- the vast majority of abortions are elective NOT life or death choices.
Here's a better plan, help these woman and children to have better health care during pregnancy and in their lives then we will see a serious decline in the problem. Instead of throwing energy and resources into a murder-mill, they should be put to work helping women survive and thrive. Join a movement that is ethical and one that helps improve the quality of life and reduces true suffering. There are several great organizations- PP however is neither an ethical organization nor a true help to women who have no choices; death is never an option and again, don't throw up the life or death choice because we already clarified that the vast majority of PP abortions are elective.

You further show duplicity when you state that "These children are far more likely to die..." again, it is not right that PP propagates these things because deaths by starvation is a sad condition in other nations, but not in the U.S. Do we have far too many children who live in poverty and who will go to bed hungry many nights, yes. Again, join an organization working to stop this and to improve the daily nutrition and lives of these children and their families.
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/child-hunger-facts.aspx

PP does ZERO to help with child poverty and malnutrition so please spare us your diatribe about how abortions solve this problem. One more time, the majority of U.S. abortions are elective!

You also stated "Why don't you focus your energies on correcting this situation instead of restricting others' rights?
Really? PP is being funded by my tax dollars and the tax dollars of ALL tax paying Americans! It is against our will, but PP gets those federal funds. How dare you say such a ridiculous thing! SO not only are my tax dollar being wasted on PP, but the good citizens are also funding out of our own private resources, organizations that DO make a difference and are working to help pregnant women have healthier pregnancies and finding loving homes for "unwanted" children, and are feeding America's poverty stricken communities.

And do not even start about how PP is correcting anything! If they are "correcting" things then how on THE earth is it that they are servicing more women and teens than ever yet the problem with "unwanted" pregnancy is at an all time high...yet PP is receiving unprecedented funding! WHERE is all that PP money going then? It is not because more women are finally liberated to get an abortion, the money is funneled into the pockets of its employees and its chief officers.

Lastly, at least for this moment...
PP ranks with one of the single worst decisions our government has ever made and I for one an tired of funding it. I want a choice where my tax dollars go when used to help Americans and it is not PP.

The Anti-Corruption Pledge

Click here to take: The Anti-Corruption Pledge

We must make our government be a government of the people, responsible to the people of America and not to corporations or career politicians.

Each of us must act in good conscious to work toward a positive tomorrow or no doubt there will not be a happy tomorrow for our children and grandchildren, and all future generations.

Stand up- speak out. Do what is right, not what is easy.

Click here to take: The Anti-Corruption Pledge

A Reflection

We live in a world filled with turmoil and woe, a time when folks' hearts are in one of two conditions- deception or anticipation...daily my heart focuses upon God's goodness and His ultimate act of love. During Easter, when the world looks toward and celebrates a bunny, my heart turns toward the only occasions that are marked by more controversy than any other single event...the birth and death of a Savior.

It's officially the Sunday before Easter. The Sunday Jesus entered Bethany. 

Thank you Lord...for doing what I could not.

"The Promise came in the form of a baby.
The baby's cry broke the silence between the Testaments.

In that very moment the tide of all history turned; the long-awaited promise had been fulfilled.

Simeon held the infant and declared, "For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."~ Luke 2:30-31

The Promise keeper had kept his promise."*

For thirty-three years, God in Christ walked among men. And then...

He arrived in Bethany on Sunday and went on to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Monday He irritated the chief priests, protesting the exchange of money within the temple.
 

On Tuesday, He explained the Greatest of the Commandments and announced the day of his execution while in secret Judas agreed to betray him.

He called the religious leaders out as hypocrites and vipers and then mourned Jerusalem's rejection and impending destruction on Wednesday.
 

By Thursday, He sat for a Last Supper and then prayed alone in Gethsemane.
 

Early Friday morning He was betrayed and stood trial six times before ungodly men.
 

He was beaten, ridiculed, and rejected.
The Creator was accused by the created and condemned to die; the sinless One for the sins of all men.

He endured humiliation on the path that led to a criminal's torture and put on public display on Calvary.

"It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining." ~Luke 23:45-45

 

At the same hour when sacrificial lambs were slaughtered, the heavens darkened, the earth shook and trembled, and the King of all Glory, the sacrificial lamb, died.

 "At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split" ~ Matthew 27:51

"When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”~Matthew 27:54

That same evening godly men buried Him in a borrowed tomb.

By Saturday, soldiers were ordered to guard it.

And then... all creation held it's breath in anticipation of Sunday...

* E. Hindson (2003). Courageous Faith. AMG Publishers. TN: Chattanooga 

Reducing and Removing Chemicals from My Diet

GUILTY~ For years we’ve all known that there are all kinds of chemicals in our foods. Even me...I feel a bit guilty for buying things when I had no idea what long-term effect the products would have on our health. I, like millions of others, did what was convenient and cost efficient.

Let’s forget that the FDA regulates these chemicals for us to eat—they let us ingest all kinds of junk for one reason- food is a BIG business…period!
Just one tiny example is yellow 5…found in hundreds of products such as commercial eggs (it’s the dye in poultry feed to make the yolks yellower), most candies, cake mix, gum, sports drinks, and on-and-on...anyway, it is tartrazine, a benzene product…benzene is naturally found in, and synthesized from, the processing of petroleum, which of course comes from crude oil. It used to be used in gasoline but The Fed made them stop using because it is a known carcinogen. But they can put it in our food—right?!
Enough of that for now, back to the point…

Well, I recently really applied myself to making an all-out consorted effort to eat freshly cooked meals and reduce chemical in-take as much as possible. Of course, unless I make everything from scratch and make sure to use one hundred percent organic (not in my budget) foods, I won’t be able to remove every chemical, but buddy…I can greatly reduce what we’ve been putting in our mouths. Hopefully I can be rid of some horrible headaches that I get every once in a while and help our bodies cleanse out the build-up of chemicals in the process.

For the sake of JMC and what growth time he has remaining, my grandgirls and grandson as well as my own health, I have made changes for a better, healthier living.

I found this awesome website, Center for Science in the Public Interest, that has a ready list on their Chemical Cuisine page…a “Summary of the Safety of All Additives”, which helps me to look for chemical that are safe, chemicals to cutback, some to use with caution, and those to avoid altogether. Click here for their Chemical Cuisine page:  Center for Science in the Public Interest

If this small post helps even one other person, it has served its purpose.

Healthier choices mean healthier, longer lives. =}

To President Obama - Come on!

Dear President Obama,
(Not formal formatting in order comply with a White House limit of 2,500 characters.)

I am an American citizen, & I have never been more ashamed of the office of President. I’m still shaking my head in disgust & bewilderment. Just how foolish & ignorant do you believe the American people are? How many insults are we expected to take? 

I don’t believe a single word that came out of Ms. Fluke’s well-versed “testimony” & neither do most Americans; that you would call her is embarrassing! 

The law students at GT can’t afford contraceptives? Really? There are numerous places to obtain contraceptives around GT. Some young women suffered incomprehensible harm from lack of access to contraceptives, really? She WAS a law student- show us the well-disciplined study & research that proves her claims. I'd like to ask their families "Your daughters & sisters were so gravely ill & you didn’t help pay for medicine that would have kept them healthy? Really?"

I’d tell those families, Ms. Fluke, & you, Mr. President about my sister. When she was ill we, her family, stepped up to help ease the financial burden so that she & her husband could pay for other parts of her medical care. No one called my sister anything, but she sure would have felt better if the President had called her to give her a word of comfort...she was FAR more worthy of a call from the you than Ms. Fluke will ever be. My sister died on the day she was to have a double lung transplant because there was not enough coverage left on her insurance to go forward with the surgery. (And no, I do not want mandated insurance!) 

My sister, Lisa, 1958-2007

Why did you call Ms. Fluke? 'Cause she was called a bad name, because her feelings were a little out of twitch? Really? Then WHY didn't you call Michele Bachmann after she had (and continues to be) called slanderous names publicly; by multiple media personalities as well as many members of the democratic party?? Both of these women are U.S. citizens who should be able to give their opinion as well as express their thoughts without being shredded to pieces by defamation of character. Yet Michele Bachmann, a mother of small children and a member of the United States House of Representatives for crying out-loud gets nothing? Where are the apology and call to comfort a woman who truly has been morally based, truth bearing, & patriotic?

Our government has become a big business & is way off of its plum line. Is it any wonder our government is so far off center when you are so far out of touch with the vast majority of Americans & care little for Constitutional liberties?

Lord Jesus Christ, help our country!

Stop All Bullying

My sweet young friend, Megan White, posted this onher FB status a short while ago and it bears repeating...it may sound harsh, but bullying is nothing more than hatred with a lesser name. Bullying is a harsh reality for those who know its pain and is all too often brought to public attention after after the fact. As we've witnessed in many school shooting cases, the root cause of escalated revenge has been bullying. Thank you Megan for reminding all of us.

From Megan (not the original author):

"The boy you punched in the hall today.
Committed suicide a few minutes ago.

That girl you called a slut in class today.
She's a virgin.

The boy you called lame.
He has to work every night to support his family.

That girl you pushed down the other day.
She's already being abused at home.

That girl you called fat.
She's starving herself.

The old man you made fun of cause of the ugly scars.
He fought for our country.

The boy you made fun of for crying.
His mother is dying.

You think you know them.
Guess what? You don't."

The only way to turn the tide is to stop the insanity. If you witness bullying (this includes adult bullying) and do nothing to intervene you are part of the problem. If you know a bully and you don't try to reach them with understanding and wisdom or at least tell an adult or someone who can help, you are part of the problem. Silence is the worst enemy-- speak out for the sake of those who are too fearful to speak out for themselves. Situations do not change on their own- people make choices first and then things change.

I am a teacher and I've been teaching a long time. I have always had a zero tolerance policy against bullying. How about you?

 

Children learn to bully and that their poor behavior will be tolerated well before they begin attending school. If you know a parent whose child is exhibiting bullying behaviors, talk with the parent or redirect them to professional parental counseling to get help. Let's stop bullying before it reach kindergarten.

Citation Note: Ok, I do not know who the originator of the poem is; however, should it be you and you can prove it, simply message me the proof and I'll be more than happy to give you the appropriate credit due. But it nevertheless deserves to be shared.

Yes- The Government Gives Free Phone and Cell Phones to Entitlement (Welfare) Recipients

There's a big hew-rah-rah on FB about the free phone program for those on entitlement (welfare.) It is a real program, but it is not a new program.

Peeps, we've got to educate ourselves and stop saying things that make us appear ignorant. We cannot settle for complacency to appease our laziness and keep from being involved as well as uneducated. We, Christians, are not called to stick our heads in the dirt or carry a government banner, but we are called to carry God's banner of righteousness (not self-rightness)... but truly- how can it be righteous to allow ones self the failed and vain luxury of ignorance. You're not a Christian? Well, you still have a responsibility to your families and your fellowman to follow after what is right for the sake of the future.

Discussing the Federal free phone program (Lifeline Assistance and Lifeline Link-Up) the editor from NewMediaJournal.com sates:
" 'Editor's Note: We would like to see the citation to the Bill of Rights that denotes the right to "peace of mind." We know that the inalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are enshrined, but we haven't seen anything about cellphones. This is a perfect example of how the federal government wastes money under the guise of "helping the poor.' "

Just to clarify...the actual phone program was launched under Clinton and remained intact under Bush because the Democrats would NOT budge to have it repealed. Since our current president took office this program has bloated to an unprecedented size; as have all other welfare entitlements.
It’s another extremely sad commentary of our times.

If you are an unbeliever-- go read it for yourself; here are some links to save you a little time:
http://newmediajournal.us/indx.php/item/2462
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_749344.html

A Socialists’ twist on the continuance of the program? Here you go: http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/obama-phone




Become part of the solution in helping America to return to her greatness once again! Vote to reform our government by limiting its power, reducing our national debt, giving states back their Constitutional power, limiting political terms in office, removing politicians' lifetime benefits, and maintaining a free market economy.

Speechless - NO WAY!

Ok. So y'all know me by now. A friend shared this video link with me via Facebook and I HAD to...I was compelled to respond to the video-- not my friend :). So here is my reply to what I have entitled--> What's really at the heart the socialist democrat.movement? Watch, listen, and learn!


I can see why Maxine Waters is speechless (she has no 'right' answer)..., but I am not speechless! THIS--- this is NOT the kind of government our ancestors imagined when they fled socialist-theocratic-monarchy forms of government- NO WAY!

Let’s get this straight and keep it straight—AMERICA fought and won its independence during the Revolutionary War to be FREE from the form of government that the socialist are attempting to re-shackle Americans into again!

Millions of Americans are making it clear they will neither fade into the night nor go down peacefully with the ship; they are not in agreement with a government bent on stripping away our freedoms. We are not about taking from the rich and redistributing anything-- if you want something go after your dream, do not steal what you did not earn or pour your financial investment into. 

A government cannot run a free market better than the citizens of its country...just look at Greece, Syria, Egypt, the former Soviet bloc, Indonesia, Nigeria… just to name a few of many countries who have mistakenly gone down that well beaten path.

Still a non-believer that governments can't operate business efficiently and effectively? I am not making this up-- use the governments own information. Look at the numbers for yourself at http://www.bls.gov/ or http://www.bea.gov/ and then balance it out with a bit of reality from http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/. We're spending nearly as much on welfare as on the entire budget for national defense! The U.S. government is trying to be a business and it is an utter failure. 

Our government is larger than at any other time in history yet it is the most unproductive and the most expensive! When is the last time you went into a federally run office? The service is horrid, attitudes pretty much stink, and only the employees are considered worthy of any true value or worth...they are the only incentive they get. Government employees, unlike employees in the free market place, get no incentives...promotions are not incentives in the dog-eat-dog world of government career growth.

Do you know how many federal agencies there even are? There are approximately 479! Still don't believe it? Go count them for yourself at http://www.usa.gov/directory/federal/index.shtml-- but be prepared. There are so many that they are listed A-Z and only one letter loads up at a time! In addition, this does not include any of the hundreds and hundreds of small agencies that subsist under these agencies. 

Not including the U.S. Post Office or those enlisted in military service, there are just under 2 M federal employees! TWO MILLION civil employees! The best thing the government is doing is employing people while providing worse and worse service and/or service related products. What's worse? Most federal employees make ridiculous salaries, have equally ridiculous benefits, and pensions.

Me, stay silent? NO WAY!

The end of January 2012

I can hardly believe it is the end of January 2012 already! I'm thinking it's probably just me and getting older, but time doesn't crawl along anymore. My days are filled with teaching and night classes, finishing the raising of my seventeen year old son...all truth be told, he's pretty independent--except for the occasional reliance upon me for eating and a bit of sage wisdom... it seems life after 50 goes by far too quickly.

Anyway. I kind-of eased in January 2012 with my boys (Matthew is 26 started with now and soon to be wed in April) and my very best friend, Ahmad (Mod- as we refer to him now since that's what Punkpunk calls him.)

It's been a busy month of helping Mod pack..ok, watching Mod pack and move his things into storage. He's lived at this complex for twenty years and is forcing himself to give up his apartment because he wants to be serious about finding a house to finish growing old in. Anyway, he got all of his "junk"-- that's what I call everyone's stuff...if mine is good enough to be called "junk" then so's everyone else's. I drove him to the GBIA (airport) on Sunday. He'll be in Iran tying up loose ends, selling family property, finding a new house for his sister and mother-- who by the way is 91! Red tape in America is a pale shade of pink compared to the red tape in other countries so he'll probably not be state side again until nearly summer break. But we're both hoping, and I prayed before he left, that he would be home in time for Matthew and Belinda's wedding in April...we'll see.

My students are in full swing working on projects for open house, daily assignments and generally attempting to not drive me insane. That...in-and-of-itself...is pretty difficult to master for middle school students-- they thrive on driving their teachers nuts. But I bear it like a badge of honor because I love these kids! They'll be singing Glucose, Glucose (with the music from the Arches Oh Sugar, Sugar song... check out this link it's pretty cute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78BMJ7D68I) for the parents and guest.

College classes drag on. I think I know what it feels like to be a professional student. June 2014 will not arrive soon enough! 51 and trying to get your degree is not the optimum way to securing a career future. lol My current classes, macroeconomics (yes- yuck..it is as awful as it sounds) and business communication have offered little in the excitement department. I'm ready to sink my teeth into some serious business classes but all good things in their own time.

Well, that's the prattlings-- a bit boring, but then again, my mind is partially fried from sitting here far to many hours already. I have to go take the Lily-monster for a walk. She's 87 pounds now so some times it's more like she is walking me.

Night. =]

Next time we have to discuss our republican president nominees.
Oh boy!