Monday, August 24, 2009

Tuckered Out

Ok, I'm defeated.... for today. I'm such a city girl. I was NOT built for the outdoors. I have the day off so this morning I thought, "I'd better get to the gym, then I'll come home and begin homework for my last semester of school." So I did. I went to the gym. It was arm day. Then, on the way home after a great workout I somehow decided that I can't stand the grass growing in our flower beds. I also noticed that the lawn guy hasn't been getting the side of the house. I asked Josh why, and he told the lawn man not to because there were wild flowers planted over there.

There were. Now it's just weeds, stickers and mess. I got the hair-brained idea that I would attempt to remedy the situation myself by weed whacking it all down. I've never used a weed whacker and I got my loving hubby teach me how to put gas in it and start it. Mind you, it's 12:30. Gettin' pretty hot out there and that thing is heavy and my arms are tired!

An hour and a half later, I barely put a dent in this small 8 by 20 area, and I'm feeling a bit faint. I over heated big time and I did the only thing I could do. I gave up. There are goat head stickers all over me. I had to stand outside by the dumpster and nearly surgically remove them from myself. DON'T weed whack stickers!!! I'm sure all you smart people already knew that. I have to learn the hard way. However, to give myself a break I didn't really know there were stickers in that grass till it was too late.

I guess I'll get to that homework now. (after a cold shower of course) I don't think I'll be weed whacking anything again any time soon. I will have to get the lawn mower out when it cools off a bit to get the rest of it. Come to think about it, I may just wait till someone else decides to do it. I'm tuckered out!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

For Such a Time as This....

Ladies of Childress, I will be hosting the new Beth Moore Bible study, Esther, beginning on Monday, Sept 14, at 6pm. We will be meeting on Mondays in the Methodist Fellowship Hall. I'd love to see ladies of all denominations in this class. If you are interested, let me know by Sept 1st so I can order books for everyone. This is going to be so exciting.

Beth Moore's newest Bible study is Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman. Going up against heavyweights bent on her destruction, Esther trusted God and landed a blow that saved her people. The Old Testament story of Esther is a profile in courage and contains many modern parallels for today's woman. Esther's destiny can be yours as you know more deeply the God who is in your corner.

Join Beth in an in-depth and very personal examination of this great story of threat and deliverance. She peels back the layers of history and shows how very contemporary and applicable the story of Esther is to our lives. If you've ever felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that seemed overpowering, this is the study for you. Just as it was tough being a woman in Esther's day, it's tough today. This portion of God's Word contains treasures to aid us in our hurried, harried, and pressured lives.


email me at karinrjohnson@yahoo.com or call me at 585.7417

Hope to see ya'll there!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Kiss My Astroturf! Healthcare Reform or Just Another Move Toward Socialism?

Let me start by saying that most of the people protesting the Healthcare Reform Bill are conservatives, but there is also a healthy dose of Dems in the mix that feel swindled. What is it that we don't like? We don't like the idea of a government that can't manage Social Security, Medicaid/Medicare, the Postal Service, or a cash for clunker program in charge of our healthcare. They also really screwed up Fanny Pack! (oops! I'm mean Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac) Or, it could be that we just think we need a smaller government. Seems like they want control over everything, from banks, car dealers, housing, and now our health!

I know Obama said that you can keep your old health care plan, but did you know that you'll be penalized if you do? Yep, Obama wants to tax your insurance payout. Let's say you have to have surgery that cost $10,000 and your insurance will only pay $5,000. You not only have to come up with the other $5,000 to pay for it, but they want to tax you on the 5 grand your insurance paid like income! The idea is to make it so difficult to keep insurance that you inevitably have to switch over to the government's plan. In one of Obama's speeches, he specifically states that he invisions a single pay government insurance within another 10-15 years.

Of course we're frustrated that our tax dollars will go to those who already take advantage of our government programs, but most of us are really outraged that our tax dollars will go toward funding abortions as well. What? That's right. Our tax dollars would fund abortions. Right now there is nothing in the bill to keep them from using our money in that fashion. You can read the bill yourself. The Dems will tell you that there is no language that specifically says the government will use your money for abortion. This may be true, but there is no language in the bill that prohibits them using your money for it either. Any lawyer will tell you that's a "fishy" loophole. They intentionally left it out so that they can say, "See, we aren't going to do this?" and then later turn around and do just what they said they wouldn't all while saying, "there is nothing in the bill that says we can't." The American Center for Law and Justice is working overtime on Capitol Hill trying to fight this now before it passes. You can sign a petition at https://www.aclj.org/Petition/Default.aspx?sc=3466&ac=1&Zip=*Zip They want to make sure the bill has specific language stating that this money will not go towards abortion.

Now, maybe you are pro-choice and you don't mind your hard earned money being spent this way. That's fine, but don't expect me to go along with it and pay for it. Don't I have rights and a choice too? I choose not to agree. I want that bill to clearly express that tax dollars may not be used to fund abortion. Call me crazy, but I don't see how anything in this bill is good for our nation.

Now all the bill specifics aside, I'm sure you've all seen the "angry mobs" that have turned out at town hall meetings filling your television screen. These people are mad and they are exercising their First Amendment Rights to freedom of speech and right to assemble. I have to say I'm appalled at the remarks Obama and speaker, Nancy Pelosi have given about the public's outrage. They are saying that the GOP is calling on Republicans everywhere to protest. This isn't true. I've been a member of the GOP for a long time and I've never gotten an email or letter urging me to do this. They are calling it "manufactured anger" and Pelosi said we were like "the Astroturf of the grassroots movement!" They want to insenuate that the public isn't really all that mad and that a majority of people are for this. What? As if we need someone to tell us to get mad and protest. As if we can't make decisions on our own? Um no, we REALLY are mad. All on our own! And believe it or not, it's a LOT of people.

It's not really in our conservative blood to rally and protest. That's always been reserved for the lefties, and seems to be one of their strong suits. Yet, finally we have something we feel is important enough for us to protest about and they are calling us crazy! Sheesh. We had to listen to the libs prattle on about how horrible Bush was, and we watched them rally and protest for 8 years. Give us some slack now that the tides have turned. This is complete hipocrasy. So now speaking up and protesting is only allowed by the left?

Final thing for me to rant about tonight; our freedom of speech. Our president is saying that there is a lot of "disinformation" going around about this Healthcare Reform Bill. He's getting scarily old East Germany on us. The White House blog specifically says, "If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov." They want names and email addresses. What are they going to do with this information? Put me on some crazy radicals black list and screen everything I do? Do it! It's not going to stop me from expressing my opinion.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Out with Capitalism, in with Terrorism

Read up... This is totally scary. Do people need to see more attacks on American soil before they wake up? How is this sort of stuff even going on here? It's taking place in Obama's back yard, Chicago. I'm fed up! There is a reason these people are banned from many countries. They are even banned from Arab countries because of their ties with terrorists. -Karin

Group Reportedly Linked to Al Qaeda Holds First U.S. ConferenceSunday, July 19, 2009

Protesters gathered outside a Chicago area hotel Sunday as an Islamic extremist group reportedly linked to Al Qaeda held its first official conference on U.S. soil in an attempt to step up Western recruitment efforts. Members of Hizb ut-Tahrir — a global Sunni network with reported ties to confessed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Al Qaeda in Iraq's onetime leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi — met Sunday inside a Hilton hotel to host a conference, "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam. "Hizb ut-Tahrir insists that it does not engage in terrorism, and it is not recognized by the State Department as a known terror group.

But some terrorism experts say it may be even more dangerous than many groups that are on the terror list. "Hizb ut-Tahrir is one of the oldest, largest indoctrinating organizations for the ideology known as jihadism," Walid Phares, director of the Future of Terrorism Project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told FOXNews.com. Phares said that Hizb ut-Tahrir, rather than training members to carry out terrorist acts like Al Qaeda, focuses instead on indoctrinating youths between ages of 9 and 18 to absorb the ideology that calls for the formation of an empire — or "khilafah" — that will rule according to Islamic law and condones any means to achieve it, including militant jihad.Hizb ut-Tahrir often says that its indoctrination "prepares the infantry" that groups like Al Qaeda take into battle, Phares said. "It's like a middle school that prepares them to be recruited by the high school, which is Al Qaeda," he said. "One would compare them to Hitler youth. ... It's an extremely dangerous organization. "Phares said Hizb ut-Tahrir has strongholds in Western countries, including Britain, France and Spain, and clearly is looking to strengthen its base in the U.S.

"The aim of this conference is to recruit within the Muslim community in America," he said. "The Middle East governments go after them, but in the U.S. they are protected, so having a base here is going to help their cells around the world. "Representatives of Hizb ut-Tahrir declined to comment when contacted by FOXNews.com. Oren Segal, director of Islamic Affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, said the conference is cause for concern. "While they're not, for the most part, engaging in violent activities, and they publicly say that they're against violence, there have been examples around the world where people who have spun off of this group have engaged in violent activity," Segal told FOXNews.com. "That's why they're banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries, as well as Germany and Russia."Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is one of the group's most famous alumni, New Statesman journalist Shiv Malik reported, citing intelligence sources.

In addition to plotting the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he also is implicated in the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, the Bali nightclub bombings and the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.Malik's report, the public policy institute the Nixon Center and the counter-extremism think tank the Quilliam Foundation agree that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq until he was killed in June 2006, also was once a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. They say other former members include Asif Muhammad Hanif, a British man who blew himself up outside a bar in Tel Aviv, killing four people (including himself) and wounding more than 50; and Omar Bakri Mohammed, a radical cleric currently banned from Britain who praised the 9/11 attacks, raised funds for Hezbollah and Hamas and called for attacks on the Dublin airport because U.S. troops transfered there on their way to Iraq.

Segal said Hizb ut-Tahrir is becoming more active online in the U.S. — particularly on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace — and now it may be able to add a significant number of Americans to its ranks. But one place the group will likely not be recruiting is a local Islamic school that backed out of hosting the conference. The non-profit Aqsa school in Bridgeview said Hizb ut-Tahrir had deceptively portrayed the conference as a bazaar-type event where traditional food and clothing would be sold. "They misrepresented themselves and the event. We don't want to be in the middle of something like that," the school's business manager Rana Jaber, told CBS News. The conference's new venue doesn't seem to mind. Hilton Oak Lawn General Manager Rick Harmon said Hizb ut-Tahrir used its own name when it reserved the room for the conference, but the hotel was not aware of the content of the event, which includes lectures entitled "Capitalism is Doomed to Fail," "The Global Rise of Islam," and the "Role of Muslims in America," until after the contract was signed.

Still, Harmon said the hotel is open to all kinds of meetings, that don't necessarily reflect its position or beliefs."We're United States citizens and an American business — if it's legal, we're able to host it, as long as it's nothing that disrupts our other guests' privacy and security," Harmon told FOXNews.com. According to the Khilafah Conference 2009 Web site, the group aims to do neither. "Hizb-ut-Tahrir is convinced that change must start in the minds of people, and therefore does not accept for people, or societies, to be forced to change by means of violence and terror," it reads.The site, which includes a promotional YouTube video, says the group "does not work in the West to change the system of government, but works to project a positive image of Islam to Western society. "But former member Ishtiaq Hussain said Hizb ut-Tahrir is repackaging itself as a moderate organization as a tactic, while in reality it is "extremist."

"They don't recognize countries like Israel, for example; they don’t believe Israel should exist," Hussain, now a trainer for the Quilliam Foundation, told FOXNews.com. "Some of their leaders have denied the Holocaust, and they believe homosexuals should be thrown off the highest building. ... It's actually a very dangerous group."

Hizb ut-Tahrir itself has also published writings that seem to contradict its tenet of non-violence. In his book, "How the Khilafah Was Destroyed," Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zalloom, the former global leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, says anyone who rules by a non-Islamic system should "either retract or be killed ... even if this led to several years of fighting and even if it led to the killing of millions of Muslims and to the martyrdom of millions of believers. "Hizb ut-Tahrir's official ruling on the permissibility of hijacking planes says, "If the plane belongs to a country at war with Muslims, like Israel, it is allowed to hijack it, for there is no sanctity for Israel nor for the Jews in it."

And one of the organization's more recent leaflets, published in March, calls for the declaration of "a state of war against America. "Click here to read the leaflet.But, despite these threats and calls to action, Hizb ut-Tahrir remains off the State Department's terror watch list, and it is free to host the Khilafah Conference and any other event like it. "In other parts of the world where they're really very active, they've drawn tens of thousands of people to some of their events," Segal said."It'll be interesting to see to what degree they'll be welcomed here."FOXNews.com's Diane Macedo contributed to this report.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Adopted kitty gets re-adopted

A few weeks ago I brought home a starving little orange kitten that had been hovering around my mother-in-law, Nita's house. Of course he had to be an outside kitty since my indoor kitty is so used to being an only child. Another reason is because she has feline leukemia and it is transmittable to other cats through body fluids and the sharing of food, water, and litter boxes. I didn't want this new kitty to contract it. So, we had been keeping him in the back yard and I made sure to go out and play with him several times a day and feed and water him.
I hadn't had time to take him to the vet for shots yet. I was going to do that this week when we got back from our trip.

We went to Arkansas for a few days and my dad came over only to feed him once a day. He must have gotten lonely. When we got back my dad said that he hadn't' seen the cat in a two days and I was a little sad, but hoped that he had been taken in by someone since he is such a loving little guy.

Well, the night after we got back I was out watering the veggies when this little orange kitty came running over to me. I could see the excitement on his face. He was so happy I was back. He jumped on me and started purring right away. I noticed a pink flea collar on him with the name Dexter written in marker. I couldn't help but laugh. As it turns out, our neighbor took him in, which is just as well. They have a gray cat that he has befriended. I've seen them cuddling and cleaning each other. Also, they have kids and let him inside, which he can't do here. So, all in all it's for the best. He still comes over when we are working outside and plays with us. He hops in my lap if I'm sitting down. I love the little guy, but he's found a new home. I took all the food I'd bought him next door so they could feed him. Marylin couldn't eat it anyway. She's on a prescription diet. They thought it was kinda funny too. At least he's not so far I never see him. Just a good leap over the fence away.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Marriage...


I have to post about a friend's blog.  She is spot on with her concern for the state of marriages today.  Visit Cowgirl's newest blog here.

I'll post my response to her blog here, but you should really check it out.  She's doing an awesome giveaway for those who participate.  Hooray for free stuff!

Here's what I have to say on the subject...

"Well, I have been praying for marriages too. I feel as though Satan is really working overtime these days in marriages, churches, and relationships in general. 

The best advice I can think of is work hard at communication. Always let your partner know how much they mean to you, and don't take them for granted. Always pray for your spouse every day, even if you're mad. Ask God to help you love them in the way they need to be loved, be patient, sit back, and watch God move. 

I'd have to agree with Amanda that it really helps if you marry your best friend, but if that's not the case, you can make it happen. You have to actively work at spending time with and communicating with your partner. Keep God first in your marriage. 

I've been really blessed and pray for continued blessings in my marriage but I also realize that Satan is always around, and that a broken marriage could happen to anyone. This is why it is so important to pray for your spouse and marriage even when things are going well. It is important to put on the armor of God and stick that shield of faith up every single day."

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Pop goes the Gaga...


It seems that I only feel the need to blog when I'm concerned or irritated about something. So hear goes my latest rant....

Ok, so most of you know that I am completely out of touch with the real world and don't know much about pop culture, by choice, mind you.  We don't have cable or even bunny ears for the TV.  I usually get my daily dose of news on the web.  I don't listen to local radio or anything.  I do peruse myspace and the web a bit just to keep up with some current stuff.  I'm telling you this because you need to know that I am not a reliable source of "what's hot."  I get perplexed easily when it comes to things mainstream.


So, lately I've seen these advertisements for Lady Gaga, and I know that some of you have added her as a friend on one of the social networking sites or have put her songs on your profiles, so I would like to know what it is people like about her.  I just don't get it. 


I decided to see what the hype was all about and I listened to her songs and watched some of her videos earlier.  She's kinda creepy. 


No, she's real creepy...


Did I understand her lyrics correctly?  Does she "want to take a ride on your disco stick?"


What the heck?  Really?  I suppose she'll never be known for her profundity with song titles like, "eh, eh", "Kaboom", "Shake Your Kitty" and "I Like it Rough".  


I was actually disgusted and even more shocked and appalled at the videos.  What a freak show.  She's not selling music... I can tell ya that right now.  I have to admit was a bit embarrassed for her and I felt really sorry for her.  How lost....


This is why I stay as free and clear from pop music as I possibly can.  It just puts me in a bad mood.  I know I'm getting old when I'm asking questions like, "what is this world coming to?"  


So, I'm sorry if I just bashed one of your favorite new songs or "artists", (if you can call her that).  I just don't see any talent other than possibly her impressive flexibility.  


But seriously, if there is something that some one really likes about her, comment back to let me know.  I would truly love to hear it....

Saturday, April 18, 2009

The Money Pit


Today Josh and I wanted to take care of some of the stuff around out house, and all we could think about was that old movie with Tom Hanks, "Money Pit."   He and his wife bought this big nice house, and it turns out that everything kept falling apart and needed repair.  It's a really funny movie.  

Josh and I were just joking about that a few minutes ago.  Being the wonderful little handy-man that he is, Josh grabbed his wrenches and other tools and set out to fix the guest bathroom sink.  We had noticed some corrosion on the pipe underneath, and we would like to repair the leaky valves.  As soon as Josh put pressure to loosen the pipe, it just crumbled fell apart.  It was corroded all the way through!  Now, we'll have to have new pipe run under the house.  I wonder how the rest of our pipes look.  We might as well replace it all in the older part of the house.  Sheesh!  

Since we'll have to call a plumber for that, we decided to trouble shoot our air conditioner instead; also in the older part of the house.  It hasn't been working for a while.  We had called someone to come look at it, but that was almost a month ago and they haven't even called us or come by.  The blower comes on just to re-circ the air that's already in the house, but the compressor kicks on for a few seconds only to turn right back off.  No cool air.  We worked on that for a while to no avail.  I guess we'll have to call Villards back and tell them we need them pronto.  It's been kinda hard to sleep in the heat.  At least it's not summer yet.  It could be way worse.  

To top it off, my bathroom and our living room are still sitting halfway done.  We planed to have that finished by now, but funds had to be re-routed to pay for a leaky new roof that had just been replaced before we moved in, and we had to pay good ol' Uncle Sam.  

Lets see.  We had to replace the dish washer, and have our entire house re-plumbed for gas due to a huge gas leak.  At least we got those things repaired.  We are now saving money due to gas not escaping into the back yard anymore.  Come to think of it, we're saving money by not being able to run the air conditioner too.  We need to have Josh's sink valves fixed also due to leakage.  The list just goes on.  

Oh, we had to have the ancient wiring re-done, so that we could plug in cords with a ground.  None of the older part of the house was grounded at all.   That's safe!  We also still need to have our drooping eves and gutters repaired.  My, my, how it all adds up.  

I always heard that as a homeowner, the repairs would never stop.  There would always be something, but we really had no idea the extent of it.  We're just a little frustrated today. Everything that has needed to be done, seems to be just out of the reach of mine or Josh's expertise which is sad, since we both spent the last 8-10 years as maintenance technicians.  We just fixed different kinds of equipment.  

Now that all my frustrations have been laid out, I think that I should say that I'm not a bit sorry that we bought this house.  I love it.  I'm trying to keep in mind how it will be when we get it where most everything works.  In fact, I love to see how far we've already come with it!  I'd just like to have air, running water, and my two rooms where you can walk in them and not get hurt.  Is it too much to ask?  I know there are so many out there who do not have any of those things.  Man I'm spoiled.  God's really taken care of us.  Even if this house falls in around us, we'll be okay.  We're still blessed beyond measure.  

Monday, March 16, 2009

God can do what He says He can do!

So, Friday at lunch, I got a call from my mom saying that my dad was in the hospital and on a ventalator. He was not breathing on his own. After I freaked out right there in the restaurant, I went home and packed my stuff and came straight to Louisiana, where I am now typing on my parents "speedy" dial-up connection.

Let me start at the beginning...My mom has had the flu, and been sick for a while. So my dad, at the first signs of feeling crummy, went to the doctor Friday morning and got two shots. He'd had both meds before, so they gave him some prescriptions and sent him on his way. Well, he went to the local K & S drug store and noticed his palms icthing and noticed that he was having a hard time breathing. He was having a severe allergic reaction to the shots they's given him. The pharmacist asked if he was okay and needed help. The last thing my dad remembers before collapsing, was saying "something's wrong with me..." Somebody shot him up with adrenaline and they called the ambulance. My dad woke up in the hospital with a tube down his throat.

Now, those of you who know what happened several years ago to my dad when his heart stopped remember that he had a quadrouple bypass and he swore he never wanted to be on a ventalator again. Imagine waking up with that dang tube down your throat. I'm sure he was scared and thought he'd has some more heart issues. As it turns out, his heart is still doing just fine. Dr Tom had to explain to my father that this was reversable, and that if he'd needed it to sustain life, he would not have intibated him. Dad, with this tube in his throat, shook his head that he understood what was happening and decided to get better right there.

My mom and grandma had been praying over him since this happened. Meanwhile, I'm making the 10 hour drive in the rain to try and get there as fast as possible without having an accident myself. Well, dad started breathing on his own and they got to extibate him that afternoon before I even got there. I didn't get in till about midnight. I was so happy to see my dad sitting up in that hospital bed that I just started crying right there. Dad and I prayed together and I came home to see mom and grandma, who'd left to try and get a little rest.

They let my dad out the next evening (Saturday). Haleluja!

Dad was bound and determined to go to church the next morning. They regularly attend the early service which starts at 8:30am! I certainly didn't feel like getting up, but I wasn't about to deny my father his request. He just couldn't pass up the opportunity to praise God.

Now, every service there is a chance to offer up prayer requests, or you can just share your joys and praise. Before the pastor could finish his sentence asking if anyone had a joy to share, my daddy hops up out of his seat and commences to praising God for watching out for him. He mentioned that he could have had that allergic reaction anywhere, where no one would have noticed. He could have had it at home or in the car. If it had happened there, he would be dead!

Praise God for having him exactly where he was. The pharmacist had the adrenaline he needed!

Rewind a few years ago... Dad just happened to die at the hospital. He'd been fine; just went in for a check up when his heart decided to quit. They had to revive him with the paddles! God has had his hand on my father (and all of us really). I don't understand why we have to go through this junk, but it sure has increased our faith in the Father. We are all closer to Him as a result.

Some may want to say that my dad's had a run of good luck, but honey, I don't believe in luck. God's got it under control, and even if my dad hadn't lived through either one of those situations, God would still be getting praise and glory from my family. I can't express to you how awesome it's been to see my dad become even closer to the Lord through all this. His admiration and love for Christ is more than just about anyone I know. (Well, my mom's up there with him too.) I have to say thanks to them for teaching me what being a Christian really is. A follower of Christ. They truly get it, and I'm so thankful I have them as examples. I won't have them around forever, so I have to learn all I can now, and soak it up like a sponge. Thank you mom and dad, I love you more than life, and thank you Christ, without you, I'd be nothing.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

almost the weekend and I'm feeling random

After a long week, I finally got to take off a day and get some stuff done around the house.  I spent all day doing laundry and cleaning.  How do two people create so much clutter and laundry?  I just don't get it.  

So, I went to Amarillo for the first time ever yesterday.  Josh and I had a burial service, and once that was over we went to eat at Carino's.  Yummy.  Anyway, I didn't really feel like shopping.  I have felt fatigued lately and I just didn't want to shop.  We spent about 20 min in Dillard's, we got a few things in Sam's, and then made a really quick run through Home Depot. That was fruitless.  I can't seem to find the right light fixtures.  I'm probably over analyzing what I want or just being too picky.  So, Amarillo wasn't exactly what I thought it would be.  I had dust in my eyes all day continuously followed by the faint smell of cow poo.  I think I'll stick to Dallas shopping unless I have to go there.  I'm really not trying to be hateful, that's just how I feel.  

Anyway, I'm finally starting to feel a little more caught up and just a little bit less stressed.  I still have two more assignments to complete before heading to Dallas tomorrow.  I'm really excited about spending some time with my friend Tamara and her daughters.  We're going to have girl's night!  Dinner and lot's of talking and catching up... maybe a movie or two.   Yippie!  I can't wait to relax even thought I should stay home and take care of stuff here.  

Josh and I are currently watching Eagle Eye and laughing all the way through so far.  It's pretty funny.  Who knew it was going to be a comedy?  I've never been a huge believer of Big Brother.  I'm not saying the government can't watch what we're doing to a certain extent, but this movie is just unbelievable.  So far, they've controlled cranes, traffic lights, everything!  Oh, just now they shot themselves up with some crazy experimental drug to lower their heart rates, therefore reducing their need for oxygen.  Hehe.  Funny stuff I tell ya.  This movie actually reminds me of a mixture of the movie "The Game" with Michael Douglas, Kubrik's "2001 Space Odessy" and the book 1984.  I like Shia le "what's his nuts" but this movie is just plain silly.  It's almost as bad as Indiana Jones.  I know, it's just an action movie, meant to be entertaining, but it's not my style.  

Hope I don't sound like too much of a nay sayer tonight, but that's all I got for the evening. I think I'm gonna go do some homework and pack.  Hope everyone has a good weekend.  I  know I plan on it.


Saturday, February 21, 2009

Stressed to the max

I haven't had time to blog lately.  I haven't even logged in to read what others have written in a while.  I feel like I'm stuck in first gear just spinning my wheels and going no where.  

I used to be so good with keeping up with everything in my life.  I have always been good at time management.  Until now!  I'm behind on my school work.  I missed one  quiz and was supposed to turn in an assignment last night.  Well, we didn't get back from Dallas until midnight and I went to bed.  So, homework still hasn't been done.  I'll get points counted off for sure, if they even let me turn it in. 

What the heck happened?  I've been working a lot, I guess.  My house is a wreck and needs to be cleaned, but I can't find time to do that, because I'm never home and when I am, I just want to sleep.  I have clean folded laundry on the floor of the living room that has needed to be put away for almost a week.  I'm behind on my Bible study by two days!  I'm the leader of the study.   Not good.  

I don't have time to get to the gym anymore either so I feel huge.  Pretty much, I'm feeling horrible about myself lately.  Never felt like that before as much as I do now.  How do people with kids do it?  I can't even take care of myself and my husband so I suppose I should never procreate.

I think I have a bad habit of over committing myself which has to stop.  

Ok, so I think I'm done venting for now.  It's only 9:30 and I'm already stressed and off to a bad start.  Maybe I'm just hormonal and this will pass.  I sure hope so.  I could use all the prayer I can get to make it through the weekend.  Thanks for listening to my "out of normal character ranting and raving."  I hate Murphy and his stupid law!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

"How Now Shall We Live" - a book review by yours truly


How Now Shall We Live is one of my favorite books.  I have just read it for the second time and couldn't help but share about it.  I hope this would encourage some to go out and buy it.  So, without further ado, here is my book review....

How Now Shall We Live is one of the most brilliant and exciting books I have ever read.  It accomplishes every purpose behind its writing by sparking a fire of interest and motivation deep within your heart.  I found myself absorbed in every word.  Charles Colson keeps the book moving forward by telling moving stories to get his point across.  This is one thing that sets it apart from other books of the same nature.  

Colson starts off with a great story about a man who started a prison fellowship to get you hooked.  Then he proceeds to explain his purpose for the story in the next chapter.  He makes some very bold, yet Biblical statements.  The reader is taught why it is important to know about other worldviews.  It is imperative for Christians to be able to relate to unbelievers so that we can stand our ground when debating very important worldviews.  He talks about where some Christians have gone wrong in reducing our beliefs to “little more than private feelings and experience.”  When we understand that our religion is much more that just beliefs; we will be able to make a great change in the course of world history.  

Colson introduces three questions to ask when analyzing any worldview.  This will become very important though out the rest of the book.  We are to ask about Creation; “where did we come from and who are we?”, the Fall; “what has gone wrong with the world?”, and Redemption; “what can we do to fix it?”  These will help us dissect any view and tell us how rational and functional they are in the world.  

In the beginning, he attacks the Naturalist and Postmodernist worldview.  Colson describes in convincing detail how humans were created in God’s image for His purpose.  He explains how evolution is impossible and all scientific information actually points to Creationism no matter what major textbooks say.  He goes on to explain how Intelligent Design works and how for many years scientist have been fudging their data to prove otherwise.  However we are seeing a slow moving trend in the right direction which only proves that God will prevail in the end.  

Since people are believed to be good at birth, Utopianism in various forms has been very popular yet proven over and over again to be a fallacy.  It is ludicrous that these worldviews have led to no absolutes.  “Tolerance has become so important that no exception is tolerated,” making it the only absolute.  No matter what the worldview, there is no explanation for right and wrong, which is leading the word into a chaotic order. It has made it very difficult for our court systems to make judgments because of this.  If right and wrong is a personal opinion, then judges can make up laws and change rulings to suit there own agenda’s.  This is a whole different subject presented later on in the book.  Colson’s story about a real Florida cult really drove the Utopian idea home and explained how things go wrong.  

Socialism is derived from this Utopian ideology and the Utopian idea completely contradicts what we know to be true from personal experience.  Colson explains that people are not born pure, but into sin, causing bad things to happen in this life.  People continue to look for circumstances that make people bad instead of seeing it as a problem with the soul.  This means there is no need for redemption.  These are not new problems the world faces.  There are many different worldviews that share these same twisted ideas in one way or another.  The same issues we see today were seen in the Garden of Eden, which is the cause of it all: the Fall.

Colson attacks many important issues that almost every unbeliever asks.  He explains why suffering happens if God loves us so much.  Suffering comes from the Fall and the fact that we have free will.  All of His creation was affected because of it.  Since God is perfect, He made a perfect world with perfect free creatures.  These perfect creatures have used their freedom to do wrong.  He goes on to say that we would not be fully human if God hadn’t given us this freedom.  We would be no different from any other creature.  We would be just like the cogs of a machine as the Naturalists believe.  

This takes care of two of our three questions; creation, and the fall.  What about Redemption?  Colson says that it is a logical conclusion that since God is perfect and loving that He would provide us with a way out of despair.  He would even give His life and bear the punishment His creatures deserve since he is the only one who could overcome it.  People naturally have a longing to believe in something and to be redeemed by something.  That is why every other worldview offers both.  Even if the belief is in nothing there are still a variety of products on the market aimed at meeting our “needs.”  Some people believe that science is the way to salvation while others go so far as to believe that sex liberates them.  There are even some strange ideas about how our genes are like little gods and they have created us. After we’ve died, our genes will live on, ever evolving.  Christianity has the only answer to sin; Redemption.

Once these main three points have been made about Christianity, Colson continues on with picking apart today’s society.  He warns readers about the dangers of the New Age movement and how many of its philosophies are inter-weaved into our everyday lives and our schools.  He warns that it is just another “Escalator Myth,” designed to make people feel good about themselves.  Society has become scarily selfish and that has caused major problems in our public and private school systems because we put more emphasis on feelings instead of academics.  In the context of schools, children are never made to feel wrong.  Too often we do not teach our children the difference between right and wrong and then lovingly correct them when they mess up.  Other countries are outsmarting Americans in academics because of this “enlightened” idea.  It is a new way of thinking and it is our duty as Christians to stand up against these false ideologies and restore God’s idea of learning.  

After a story about a converted convict who went on to be a chaplain in his old prison, Colson changes gear again.  He explains why it is important for Christians to scatter out and start making changes in every walk of life.  Restoration to our higher calling and purpose is prominently stressed from here on out. As redeemed creatures we are free to fulfill our purpose.  Colson urges us to “bring all things under the lordship of Christ.”  It is important to display and apply our Christian values at work and home as well as at church.  It will take Christians of all races and backgrounds to make the point of impact and feel the power of the gospel worldwide.  

  He goes on to say that it’s good and right for us to take the blame for our own mistakes.  Today’s society is full of people who are all too quick to point a finger in any direction since there are no moral absolutes.  We must be held accountable and remain humble.  Most of today’s problems are a result of moral choices but most people do not want to admit this fact.  Once again, it is our duty to point out false teachings and set records straight by showing that we are not tolerant of the way things are going.  The story about a police officer on Brooklyn streets is a perfect example of how we can make a difference.  It will take determination and involvement but it can be done.  

Colson continues on with several different scenarios and real life stories that really help to instill his point of making Christianity a way of life and not just a set of rules to be followed on Sunday.  He gives the reader specific people to look up to and demonstrates how one person can make a difference in every area of our lives.  He talks about crime prevention and the government with fervor.  He explains the broken window theory and how we can restore our neighborhoods and instill community values in them.  Colson then ties in how even our workplace can and should be used for God’s purpose. 

 I believe one of my favorite chapters is toward the end.  It is about popular culture.  He compares it to junk food.  A little will not hurt you but a sordid diet of it will ruin your appetite for learning about God.  He even goes on to explain how it actually depraves the mind of thinking.  He teaches us how to recognize anti-Christian bits of culture that sneak into our lives and how to stand against it.  We can win back our culture one song and painting at a time.   

With all of this said, I will definitely read this book for a third time, or until its thoughts are thoroughly engrained in my mind.  In my experience as a reader, I have found it very common to disagree with at lease a few points made in this type of book.  However, there was only one point that I did not completely agree with.  That was one sentence which stated that Colson has been known to “bribe” his grandchildren into not watching television.  I am not sure what he meant by this statement but keeping children unaware of what is going on around them could be dangerous.  To be prepared and aware are the reasons Colson wrote this book.  People who are sheltered and unprepared to tackle the issues of the day are the people Charles Colson wrote this book for.  

I must say that this book has caused me to look at almost every aspect of my life in a different light.  I view work, television, music, art and even the way I will raise my future children differently.  I have a better understanding of my own religion.  I think this is a book that should be used in every church across the globe for bible study groups.  It really gives a challenge to society and I feel that if we each take the time and effort to stand firm, we can truly make a difference and help lead our world toward victory in Christ.  


Sunday, January 4, 2009

Scattered Sunday Thoughts

So, I haven't been on blogger in quite a while.  We've been so busy lately and when we're not busy, I don't feel like being on the computer.  I just like to chill with Josh.  I guess I should fill in where I left off last blog.
We had an excellent holiday.  It was so nice to have both my parents and his parents together for Christmas.  I hated that my parents had to go back to Louisiana.  I wish they'd just suck it up and move up here.  We also enjoyed watching the niece and nephew open presents.  They are so cute.  I love watching them with the twinkle in their eyes and excitement all over their faces.  They get so worked up over each present and they are so innocent.  Who knows, maybe kids are in our future, but for now we'll just keep enjoying everyone else's. 
New Years Eve was pretty fun.  Ryan and Marci had us and Matt over and we played Catchphrase until we started to get the same words over again.  That's really a fun game, but you'd think they would have more words and phrases in the memory.  I mean, you could probably fit thousands of words on what little memory that chip has, but we only played for about 4 hours and we started getting the same words again.  Cheap! Seriously.  
Today Josh and I went to church and Tom talked about the Apostle's Creed.  He spoke about how we should not make saying that each Sunday just another liturgy, but make sure we mean it and understand what we're quoting.  I've always tried to really pay attention to the words and let them come from the heart so that it's not empty worship.  I've also done a few studies in the past on the Apostle's Creed, but Tom made some excellent points this morning.  He talked about how in the creed it states that "we believe IN"  not "we believe THAT".  There is a difference between believing that God exists, but believing IN Him implies relationship and that we rely on Him.  
There is a difference in "knowing" something like being able to quote churchy answers, and actually believing.  I mean, I "know" God loves me and wants to help me when I'm down, but sometimes we have a hard time "believing".  If we really believe then we walk in his light and really live our lives to glorify Him.  True belief leads to change.  
 So, being Methodist is new to me.  All this liturgy stuff has really been an adjustment.  I'm not knocking it, but it just not how I roll.  I'm used to my old non-denominational church.  We said the Apostle's Creed sometimes, but not every Sunday like now.  I guess that's why there are different flavors of denominations.  People are different and like to worship in different ways.  I think I'm starting to get used to all this liturgy a bit more.  I'm growing to find more meaning in the words.  God's been showing me to really step out of what's comfortable and adjust to make this new way of worship special to me.  I do miss praise and worship songs though.  Music is my favorite way to worship and I'm not used to the older hymns.  I like them, but I still miss the other stuff.  I guess it's just what one is used to.  
Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of Tom's series on the Creed.  I'd like to know why the Methodists leave out one of the lines.  Maybe he'll touch on that one week.  
Well, that's all the randomness I have right now.  I gotta get back to church.  I've started helping with the youth.  I love those kids.  They are great and most of them have a deep desire to know Christ more.  I love seeing that in them.  It gives me hope for our future generations.  It's getting harder and harder to be Christian, especially with the peer pressures on teens.