Why Do We Have Christmas

I love Christmas for many reasons, not all of which are religious. I love giving gifts, I love baking, I love decorating the house with lights and many trees. But, I also love how people are more generous this time of year. People are nicer in general.

I make sure to remind my children that if Jesus had not been willing to die for us, He never would have been born. God loved enough that he sacrificed His only Son. I have a son. Honestly, I don't know that I could let him die to save others. Of course, Jesus rose and is alive in Heaven. Maybe that would make it a smidge easier. But to have to watch your son die and beg for you, and you turn your back. Wow. That is enough to make any parent say "turn the channel".

I am grateful for Mary and Joseph who were obedient. If they were not, would God have had to find another way?

As you sing songs like Silent Night and Away In a Manger, think about the words and what they truly mean.................and Merry Christmas.

What America Learned by 9/11

Everyone in the United States remembers what they were doing when the terrorists attacked those 4 planes. Everyone remembers seeing the towers fall, and hearing about the brave passengers who went down in that Pennsylvania field to save others. All of us get chills when we really think about it. It makes us sad when our children ask us why we are in a war and we have to tell them.

America learned so much from that day. First, we learned just how brave we as Americans truly are. It started with the passengers who knew they were going to die anyway, so they went down fighting. Then, with the emergency personnel who rushed into those towers and the pentagon to try to get people out. Lastly, seeing how brave the people inside the buildings were trying to help the disabled get out, and dying in the process. American loyalty is strong. We Americans can do what needs to be done, in any situation. We are the land of the free and home of the brave.

America learned that our world is not the same as it was when we were children in the 1970’s. People now have the technology to do lots of damage from very far away. They can use satellites to keep tabs on us from the other side of the globe. They have missiles that can be programmed for a target that will NOT miss. Most importantly, there is hate like there has never been before.

America learned that we have never truly appreciated our military like we have since 9/11. We have become true patriots. When I see anyone in uniform, I always say thank you to them. I want them to know how much their job means to us. We sleep peacefully at night because they help protect our world. That has nothing to do with whether you agree with the war or not. You should support their efforts anyway. They have to be there away from their spouses and kids. They need our love and support. Shame on you if you think otherwise.

The last thing we have learned is that as Americans, we are the most hated and the most admired county in the world. Everyone wants something from us when they are in trouble. But, when they are fine, they hate us for our freedoms and our prosperity. People are afraid of what they don’t understand.

9/11 will go down as one of the darkest days in history, right along side with Pearl Harbor. The good thing is, we are stronger and more united than our states have ever been.

Why Jesus Was a Conservative

Jesus was one tough dude. He did not accept any excuses for failure. He did not put up with any junk from his buddies or anyone else, and he would always call them out on it.

This is how I know Jesus was a conservative. He did not give out handouts everyday and then not expect people to take responsibility for themselves. As a matter of fact, the “learn to do it yourself” theme was everywhere in Jesus’ teachings. This is definitely NOT a Democrat way of thinking. Democrats prefer the people to be dependant, and helpless. Jesus gave power to the people.

First, Jesus knew He would not be on the earth long. He told His disciples to learn to do what He could do. That way, Jesus knew when He was gone; His disciples could carry on the ministry. Jesus was not a dictator wanting all the power for Himself. He knew that teaching others His abilities was the only way. Democrats usually want the people to be ignorant, to depend on them for money and benefits, and don’t want them to learn to think for themselves.

Jesus expected the people to learn from their mistakes and not make them again. When Jesus healed people, he always told them He forgave them, but before they left, He told them to go and sin no more. THAT is a change. Not more of the same behavior. He let them know they are responsible for their own actions. Liberals do not take responsibility for any of their actions. They like to blame the results of their own bad decisions on the conservatives. ( Look at the $700 billion bailout, for example. Thanks President Carter and President Clinton). Democrats are also telling the people that it is not their fault they cannot get a good paying job. The Democrats say “so what” you dropped out of high school, “so what” you can’t read well enough to fill out a job application, “so what” you wear flip flops and a halter top to a job interview. It is the rich business owner’s fault for your plight. Give me a break!!  The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians, if a man does not work, he does not eat. Jesus did NOT believe in the welfare program. Also, there is the old adage: Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Now, which one reminds you of liberals?

Suffice it to say, Jesus would stand for the side of truth no matter what party affiliate was attached to it. However, we all know which party wants people to NOT be responsible for themselves and which party wants people to know they can create their own destiny. I said all this to say again, in my humble opinion, Jesus was a conservative.

My family just got back from a vacation at.......(drum roll, please) Colonial Williamsburg. I love, love, love history. This was truly a dream vacation for me....and I just let my family come along. The kids had fun, and the hubster had fun too.

We stayed at a hotel that is owned by Colonial Williamsburg (CW) so there is a shuttle bus that runs to the hotel. We were 5 minutes from the place. The hotel had free breakfast buffet and a free 18-hole putt-putt golf course (that was lit also, if you wanted to play after dark).

At the end of CW, there is a market place that consists of modern shops and restaurants...including a college bookstore. Beyond that, is William and Mary College...which is gorgeous. Lots of brick sidewalks, brick buildings, and trees. It has the oldest college building in the USA on campus.

IF you have never been, you must go. Feel free to email me for details on prices and where we stayed. We were across the parking lot from the CW Visitors Center, so it was very convenient.

We stopped at the Visitor's Center across the VA state line. The people working told us about some ferry ride we could take to Historic Jamestown..which is 15 minutes from CW. The ferry was out of Surry, VA....so we did that. The kids loved the ferry. On the way home, we came back that way. We spent 9 miles on I-295 before we got off at Hopewell, Va. From there, we went thru beautiful countryside to Surry.
This is a terrific vacation, if you can forget all the fast paced junk of Myrtle Beach. Vacations should be away from all the technology, and TV..it should be family time. Now, go think about that.....

My Friend's New Book

One of my besties has written a book, and it has been published. Her book release date is November 4, 2011. (It is called Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star by Deanna Polito-Laughinghouse) I am so excited. She and I have been working on her press releases to promote it, plus brainstorming other out of the box ideas. We have come up with some real good ones, I think.

She humbled me by saying no one has ever helped her like this before. My response was that 1-I love her, and that is what friends do, and 2-the book is like my God child, I have been there helping her from the beginning.

True friendship is wanting the other person to succeed and do well, and being joyful with them....honestly. There is no jealousy in true friendship. Go think about that......

Remembering my friend....

A dear lady passed away last Wednesday night. She is now with Jesus. I don't think we could talk her into coming back now even if we wanted to.
I have been reflecting on how she touched my life and the life of my children. She will be missed truly.

It just reminds me how short a time we have on this earth....so what are you doing with yours? Go think about  that.....

Recipes for Healthier Living

Hello.
One of my friends is having open heart surgery on Thursday. That prompted me to remember 2 years ago when my Mom went thru the same thing. I had to find sodium free recipes and we learned to healthen up stuff we already made.
It was enlightening to say the least. Look at the amount of sodium in items next time you go to the grocery store......it will scare the mess out of ya.

I have discovered a homemade taco seasoning. Yum. I have made homemade broccoli soup, potato soup, chicken noodle soup...and tomorrow will make tomato. Oh, also, tomorrow I am making homemade pimento cheese. I'll let you know how it tastes.....

Sad News...

Well, a friend of mine told me her and her hubby were seperating. Wow, I was heart  broken. Still am. For both of them.

Coming from a divorced home and growing up like that, I am NOT an advocate of divorce. If you need to seperate and start dating again while you counsel with your church pastor..that I am an advocate of.
So, I told her that behind her back I would be praying for reconciliation. Which, technically is NOT behind her back, since I told her to her face I would do it. LOL..funny.

I notice that nowadays (sounds old, huh?) more people spend more time on a WEDDING than a MARRIAGE. The wedding lasts a few hours, a marriage is the rest of your life. If Hollywood would understand this, they would be much happier.

This is NOT a bash of my friend. Her news just got my wheels turning. I got to thinking of the good times in my marriage of 16 years and the bad times. No one ever said...not even God....that marriage would always be fun.Never did He say it would ever be easy Nor did He say I would be walking in bliss every moment and never want to smack my beloved. LOLOLOL....or that I would not drive my hubby crazy.

So, my advice is many fold. One, do not let the devil win. Cast him out of your marriage and start speaking the Word over it. Second , in the immortal words of Jim Valvano: never, never, ever give up.
Now. go think about that....

I't's not my fault.....

If I hear one more person say "It wasn't my fault," I just may take off my shoe and pummel them.
Newsflash people: no one controls you but YOU. No one makes you get angry or overreact. No one makes you sit on your bedonkadonk and do nothing either. Everything you do or do not do in life, is your own choice.....yes, it is!
Don't tell me how bad your childhood was, or how mean someone has been to you...and don't tell me all the things wrong in your life. No, you cannot control what someone else does to you, but you can control how you react to it, and what YOU do next.
When you meet someone on the street, you have no idea what kind of life they have had. You are not the only one with problems. But, you may be the only one that can't get over it.
(OK, I warned you that the faint hearted need not read this. This is tough love here, and if you get upset or cry easily, then move along quickly)
When Jesus met people who had awful pasts, what did He do? I'll tell you...He forgave them, then told them to "go and sin so more." ......translation: I have forgiven you. Now, go forgive yourself, forget about all of your past, don't repeat the stupid stuff....and have a good life.
I know, it is too simple. I picture Jesus giving people  the Gibbs head slap, and telling em to go on and stop being stupid.
Which means do not drag all your baggage around. Leave it at the feet of Jesus and WALK AWAY. How many times when you meet a stranger in line or something, do they tell you all about how much medicine they take, and all their ailments, and what's wrong with their family? That person wears their junk around like a badge of honor. Puh-leeze!!!

But, this is not the real reason for my rant. Everyone needs to be more considerate of others...stop being so needy that you are a drain on your friends and push them away. If someone does something nice for you, do something nice back. Don't always NEED something. Be a giver too.
If you go to a group like a Bible Study, and take your kids, offer to help watch them once a month. Do not make the same people have to miss the discussion cause you are too selfish to help out. Be a blessing to others. If you go to an event where you know there will be food, then take some to help out. And help clean up too. Do what you can when you can. Eventually it will be your turn.
If we are all takers, then eventually the givers will stop giving. Who will you abuse then?
There are times when you don't call a sitter, you do it yourself. There are times when you miss the bible study cause it is your turn to watch the little kids. If you don't, pretty soon there won't be a bible study....and you will have the nerve to wonder why? Duh.
In this great country where everyone wants to come and live...we have freedom. Freedom to go to school and get an education. Freedom to work more than one job to make more money. Freedom to start our own business and banks who will lend us money to do it. Heck, the government gives out money to help poor people while they look for a job.
So, you may not control that you grew up poor and on welfare, but you can control whether or not you get a job, and go to Wake Tech at night to get a degree so YOU don't live on welfare.
Think about all that....

Summer

Okay, only bright colors will do for a summer post. My children will be out of school soon. Friday is their last day. I soooo need a break. I will say for a  "stay at home mom", I have  never been so busy. When I worked full time I was never this busy. My hat is off to mom's who work full time out of the home, and then still take care of their family at night. Kudos!!


As you know, God is always telling me stuff, and I try to do it. Pretty simple. Well, how many of us just do what God says, when He says to do it, with no complaining, balking, or questions? Do you wonder why things may not be going just how you think they should? Could it be you have an obedience issue? God is our Father, and we are His children. When He speaks, He expects us to trust Him, listen, and obey. NOT HARD!
It is like God is at the top of a large hill. We can only see so far up it, and He can see far beyond it due to His vantage point. We have to trust that since He knows what is over the hill, He will only help us to stay safe. He won't tell us anything that will hurt us, or be bad for us. So why do we constantly question Him?
Just a heads up.....my next post will be on personal responsibility and using others because you are lazy or selfish. Be forewarned...the weak hearted need not read it. It's gonna sting.  Now, back to my point....listen to God, say "okay Lord", then (like NIke) just do it. See how amazing God can make your life when you obey. Now, go think about that.....

Kicking it up a Notch...

God has been dealing with me about our sign choir. There are things I am certain we need to do, and there are things I am not sure how to accomplish.

God and I have been brainstorming, and I will keep praying until I know for sure what to do about some things.

I know we need more credability...both in our church and in the community. To achieve this, I am going to enter us into some competitions and see if we can win some awards. That would help us get in the door of some places that may not even give us a second glance otherwise. It would also prove that we are a viable group and ministry. I'm not sure how many people take us seriously.

I want more adults in the group, I want us to do non-Christian events so God can use us, I want to do more in our own church. I have a group of people who really want to change the world for Jesus, and starting in our own back yard is a good idea.

The world is what we make it. So is our church. Go think about that....

Sign Choir

Hello. If you missed our sign language choir at Garner Relay for Life...you REALLY missed it.
This is an amazing group with hearts for God. They performed 4 songs and I was so proud of them!!
God gave us a good time slot, so many people saw us and that gave God some time to work in their hearts.

God has been faithful to this group and is blessing us every day. I have been told there is a competition for Christian groups and I am looking into it. Winning something would give our group credibility with non-Believers. It also may provide us with more ministering opportunities. :) That is what it is all about.

The only way you can change the world is ....if you go out and change it. Go think about that....

Obedience causes blessing

I want to say THANK YOU to a friend of mine who was obedient to God when she asked me to teach sign to her homeschool daughter.
She took the step of faith, and I prayed and took the step of faith. Now, God has given me many open doors and many amazing opportunites to teach and help provide for my family while also being available to my children.

Now, I find out several of my sign students want to do something with sign language as a career. Now, tell me that isn't God. You can't and even if you tried, I would not believe it.

God revealed to me that I was obedient to Him when I started the sign choir, and it led to sign classes, and that led to kids making life choices. It also lets us minister to the community and tell people about Jesus.

So, what I want you to remember is this: you may not know why God wants you to do something, but you should always do it. He does not have to tell you His plan...you should be excited to wait and see what He has in store for you. God uses us to touch others in ways we may not ever see....but He uses us just the same. Don't ever tell God no....for the obvious reasons...but also because He may need to you to make a life difference for someone else.

It is not all about you or me....it is all about HIM. Now, go think about that......

Good Things Happening

God is soooo good to me!! Of course, I could stop right there...but I won't.
God has given me a gift of teaching. God has also given me a love of sign language. NOW, He has combined them to allow me to teach sign classes to homescholars.

Next week, when my precious kiddos track back into school, I will begin my next class. How often do people get to do what they love, and make a little cashola for doing it? God knows I needed a job, and now He is providing me with one in which I can make my own schedule, so I can be there for my kids when they are tracked out of year round school. Now, that is love!!

I get that song in my head: OH, how He loves us so. Oh, how He loves us....how He loves us so!!! (David Crowder Band, fyi)

So, I know my Father loves me, cause He blesses my socks off!! How has God blessed your socks off? Go think about that......

Fishers of Men

Sorry it has been a while. Lots of things have been happening, of which I will post later.

But, for now, God has been stirring me up in the area of outreach. I am talking about right in my own town outreach. I am the director of my local church Sign Language Choir and God told me we need to focus on churches this year. He said that "the church" has become complacent, and He wants to stir us up. I pray He uses us to do that.

Then, we had a guest speaker two weeks ago. He ministers out west to native Americans. He told us that for three days, they give away clothes, shoes, and food to meet the needs of these people. Then, they give a concert, THEN they tell them about Jesus. He said they have to earn the right to share the Gospel. Than just affirmed what was already in my Spirit.

Our Pastor said he wanted to focus on outreach. I'm all for that. One of my buddies gave me some ideas for church outreach, and God gave me more. I am in the process of sending the ideas to my Pastor.

Needless to say, if God is really putting this on my heart, how many others in my church is He doing the same thing?

So, talk is cheap. That is my point. People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Sound trite? Oh, well. Truth hurts. No one wants to know how much Jesus loves them, if the ambassadors of Him don't care. Jesus was always in the middle of the scruff, feeding and healing, and loving.

That should be our shining example. Who can you minister in your community? Are you afraid? Then do it afraid. Go think about that.....