A lot of people have a lot of rules about what Christians can and cannot do. No alcohol is probably the one we’re most familiar with, although I’ve heard a laundry list of others: no dancing, no piercings, no tattoos, no secular music, no bright colors – heck, I’ve even heard people say that eggs and peanut butter are no-no’s in their congregation. For every restriction in Leviticus, I believe you can find a modern day “thou shalt not …”

If Jesus came to set the captives free, then it seems that would end the restrictions. His death on the cross ended ritual sacrifices, but it seems that we’ve found a laundry list of ways to bind ourselves up over.

The Ultimate List

It doesn’t have to be this way, because Christ did free us from most of the Old Testament restrictions. In fact, He drilled down the list to eleven items: the ten commandments, and to love one another as He loved us. He never mentioned drinking, dancing, dining, or anything else. In fact, Jesus didn’t give us a “don’t do” list at all. He says heed what God passed down directly to Moses, and love. That’s it.

So why have we developed a restriction list to our faith that rivals the Old Testament ways that we’re supposed to be free of? I think it’s humans doing what they always do – overgeneralizing that if it’s a problem for me; it’s a problem for everybody. There are too many people with a “if I can’t have it then nobody can” attitude, and they’ve managed to wrap this fatalism around false faith.

What You Own; What Owns You

In the  last chapter, I discussed finding your authentic self through surrendering your will to the Lord. If you recall, I closed by encouraging you to embrace what the Lord put in your Heart and to cast off worldly expectations. Now we get to identifying what’s wheat and what’s chaff.

It really comes down to a simple question: what do you own, and what owns you? Galatians 5:19-23 gives a good breakdown of what’s what and how to determine which side of the fence things fall on. Surrender helps you identify what you own; specifically, the combination of unique things that produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life and shine your light into the world. Anything that demonstrates love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control is something you own to spread light and life into the world. Conversely, anything done from motives of impurity, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, and envy own you, and is chaff that needs to be burned up. In fact, one good way to find truth of character is to see which of these traits people demonstrate more of. People walking in the Spirit demonstrate its fruits. People bound by the world don’t.

It seems quite simple and in reality it is, but as with all things, it comes with experience, prayer, and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You really have to know yourself to sort out what’s wheat from what’s chaff, because most things start out with good intentions that go awry. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions, because that’s the way it usually goes: the devil finds something good in you, and turns it to his purpose because, well, that’s what he does. He can’t create, so he has to twist all good things to wrong. It’s the job or volunteer opportunity that leads to the pride that turns you into a controlling tyrant. It’s the friendship that leads to co-dependency. It’s “being there” for someone having a tough time that turns into an affair. It’s the helping hand that becomes intrusive. I think you get the picture. We have to be so careful and constantly monitor our motives to make sure they stay true.

Good enough, but how do you do that? I recently heard that the average human has over sixty thousand thoughts a day. Do we have to stop and analyze all of them? Thankfully, no. There is an easier way, and we’ve actually talked about it already in Chapter 1.

Discernment

I believe the most overlooked virtue in humanity is discernment. The entire book of Proverbs extols all the good of wisdom, and it’s probably the most ignored book of The Bible, which is a shame because there’s no substitute for good, old-fashioned, common sense. I think it’s because our age of technology and reason has caused us to shut off our conscious and intuition in favor of the click of a mouse. Why think about it when you can look it up online? Why pray when you can post and have feedback in a few seconds? Who’s got time for that? It’s no wonder that people are addicted to their smartphones. We’ve turned them not into a surrogate brain, but a surrogate conscious as well.

Prayer and meditation may not be as fast or fashionable as a video or webpost, but it’s much more reliable and far more real. All that’s on the other end of that screen are human beings, with all of their flaws and weaknesses, and most of them don’t care to fix them because they’re pretty sure they’re right about everything and now they can tell the world that. For this reason, people will always let you down. Nobody’s perfect, and it’s unavoidable that at some point, people will fail. A personal relationship with the Lord and submitting yourself to Him is the only way to gain the wisdom you need to succeed in life and the peace that passes all understanding. Discernment is the Spirit’s gift of wisdom and understanding that helps you perceive and understand the world better, but you can only build it if you unplug from the world and plug into the Lord regularly. It’s not fast food. It’s an investment, and the more you put in, the more it returns.

Pruning

Sometimes, the Lord does call you to give up something that’s harmful or doesn’t serve a greater good in your life. I experienced this recently when I felt strongly compelled to leave Facebook. I like social media as much as anybody else, but I had a nagging feeling that it wasn’t good for me. I was spending too much and personal investment in it, and that wasn’t helping me move toward my personal goal of welcoming more positive energy into my life. In fact, after three months of prayer and meditation, I suspected that it was actually sabatoging my progress in that area. I finally admitted that it was doing me more harm than good and deactivated my account. I immediately felt better, and since that time my mindset has improved drastically. I find that I spend more time writing and reading too, and that brings me  more joy than rants about peoples’ day and pictures of their supper. I feel better than I have in a while.

Notice what I didn’t assume in the above paragraph. I didn’t say that social media is bad. In fact, I’m still on Twitter, have a website and blog running, and am on several other social websites, where I interact with others regularly. I don’t say that Facebook is bad and everybody should quit it. There’s nothing wrong with Facebook and if it’s a place that you find encouraging and helpful then by all means, knock yourself out. Just because it was bad for me doesn’t mean its bad for everybody, so please enjoy it if you like it. I just happen to prefer Twitter myself. It suits me better. Maybe it’s the introvert/extrovert thing.

One person’s virtue can be another person’s vice. The only “once size fits all” rules are the ten commandments and Christ’s encouragement to love one another. The bottom line: keep the commandments, act like a decent human being, and respect others. If you need a “don’t” on the list, then don’t be a jerk.

Sacrifice really comes down to knowing what’s best for us, and isn’t meant to be a burden. Quite the contrary, it’s meant to lift the burden so we can experience peace and joy in life. It’s really not rocket science or brain surgery, although some of us have managed to make it that way. Christ made it really simple but us being us, I guess we do have a way of complicating things. 

How are you supposed to develop a personal relationship with the Lord? People tell you this is the number one thing believers need to do, but they never address the elephant in the room of how you relate to a deity. Human relationships are complex enough with the people right in front of you. They take tremendous effort to establish and maintain, and the closer the relationship, the more work it is. And now you’re supposed to make your highest priority relationship with your Maker? To somebody new to this concept, it sounds like being set up for failure. Heck, as a lifelong Christian, it was a challenge to me in adulthood. It took a while for me to wrap my head around the whole thing, and to find a way that worked for me.

People tell you that the key to establishing this relationship is to read The Bible and pray, but they don’t say how this magic is supposed to turn into a relationship. I think it’s because of two things: they oversimplify the concept, and they forget one rather significant aspect to building this relationship that there’s no “how to” instructions on doing. It’s really not rocket science, but it’s not easy either. My hope is to take it step by step to give you guidance on developing your own process on doing what seems to be undoable.

Read the Bible 

This is really the only way to know the Lord, because it’s the only official reference guide that exists. The secret is to find a translation that works for you and to do daily readings. I know there are people that say the King James Version is the only “real” version. That’s hogwash. What good is it if you don’t understand what you’re reading, and what twenty-first century person can really understand that archaic language? I prefer the New Revised Version (NRV). It’s what my church uses, and it’s in plain, modern English, easy to understand. Get a version with footnotes to explain the things that are awkwardly translated, and you have a winner.

As for the time investment, about fifteen minutes a day can get you through the entire Bible in a year. I say “about” because that’s the maximum time investment they’re designed to have for daily readings. I have two Bibles with daily reading plans of this nature, and some daily readings are as little as five minutes (especially in the Psalms). There are many Bible reading plans available, but this is the one that works for me.

Bibles aren’t hard to find. You can read them online, and even sign up for daily readings to deliver to your email box every day. You can download free apps to your phone. And if you’re one of those “I prefer to hold a book in my hand” types, there are countless versions available, from $5 specials at discount stores to fancy large, leather-bound, monogrammed versions that you order at Christian bookstores.

I recently heard on BBN (Bible Broadcasting Network) that The Bible is the most sold and least read book in the world. There’s no excuse for that. With widespread availability, modern translations, and reading plans that can have you through a daily reading while you drink your morning coffee, everybody can find a way to fit it into daily living. It’s not that big of an investment, but it’s one that helps you build the foundation of an eternal relationship.

Prayer 

Certainly you should life up your concerns in prayer, but most people forget that it’s supposed to be a two way communication. How can God speak to you if you’re always talking? Every now and then, you have to quiet yourself and be open to the answers you seek and the insight you need.

God speaks to people in different ways – through thoughts and ideas, insights, music, nature, art, reading, things other people say, or even through mysterious circumstances. It really depends on what speaks to you and how He can reach you. I’ll cover more on uncovering your authentic self in the next chapter.

Many people talk about meditation, and I do believe there’s merit in taking time to withdraw from everything to be quiet and open to inspiration. It’s imperative to me to have at least a few minutes to myself every day; otherwise I get rather cranky because I haven’t had time to “center” and get myself “set” to deal with life and the world. Meditation doesn’t have to take long periods of time and in fact, I grab mine a piece at a time throughout the day: getting dressed in the morning, driving home from work, doing housework, taking a shower, and even taking a few quiet minutes before going to bed. Even five minutes of silence can work wonders for the soul. It can even be helpful to withdraw from the chaos if you find yourself overwhelmed. One frequent practice I’ve always had is to take short breaks for a walk during the workday. I call this my “purge the brain” time, and it’s ten minutes to walk outside and take in what’s happening in the rest of the world: the sky, the trees, the animals rushing around, the sunshine (or clouds), the feel of the air – just reminders that the world is still out there and turning just fine, despite whatever chaos is happening “in there.” God is referred to as “the still, small voice,” so the only way to hear is to turn off the distractions and open yourself to receiving. It’s like a radio: you can’t hear the music unless you turn it on. Well, this is the converse: to hear from God, you have to turn the world off.

Lifting up your requests, cares, and concerns is certainly a wonderful way to connect with God. Just be sure that He has a chance to speak back every now and then. Finding that time could be as easy as putting down the phone or shutting off the television or radio for a few minutes. You’d be amazed at the peace and inspiration you discover from the briefest retreat from the chaos of life.

Intuition – It’s Not New Age Mumbo-Jumbo

Intuition is often misunderstood as some sixth sense or mystical connection with the world, and for that reason it’s often not respected or used correctly. Some people grant it too much power, relying on it as magic. Others shun it as sorcery because Christians aren’t supposed to deal with that stuff. And neither side realizes it for what it really is: the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

The Holy Spirit is probably the most misunderstood of the Holy Trinity, because we just don’t get it. It’s a purely abstract manifestation of the Lord working in us, and for that reason we usually don’t know what to do with it. All we know is that the mind is sacred territory, and we don’t want anything in there controlling us.  Our thoughts are the one thing that only we are privy too, and to find out that something else has access to the most private part of ourselves is uncomfortable.

There’s really no need for this. If you read The Bible, you know that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to be a “helper” to us. That means it’s a non-intrusive guide that heightens your senses so you can act with wisdom, discretion, and discernment. Think about people you know that often ignore their intuition – what usually happens to them? They don’t use it, so they lose it. Eventually, it never speaks to them at all, and then they’re groping around, dependent on their own senses to navigate a complicated world. It’s like shutting off the GPS in a strange city. Maybe they’ll stumble upon the best thing; most of the time they don’t. It’s potluck. And that’s a heck of a way to live.

If you see intuition as God working in you, then there’s nothing to fear. In fact, it’s a great comfort to know we have a direct line to our Maker that can help us see what’s unseen and guide us on the best path. It’s better than a NOAA Weather Radio – it’s always broadcasting, it always tells you what’s coming up, and when it’s about to get nasty, an alert goes off so you can prepare. Jesus gave us a great gift when He sent the Holy Spirit to help His believers. It’s tremendously valuable once we know and use it correctly.  

On the surface, it can seem like a one sided endeavor. After all, God made you and knows you better than you know yourself, but we do have a choice and sometimes, we unintentionally shut him out. Building a relationship reduces this risk and keeps us open to His will for us, not only in life but in each and every day. One of my daily prayers is for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me through the day and whatever may come.

Building a personal relationship with the Lord doesn’t make you weird or wacky. In fact, I think it gives you the confidence to be the best you that you can be. It unlocks your personality and allows you the insight to find the best ways to invest yourself, your mind, and your talents in things that will build a better life, both today and in the future.

Think of this as building an antenna or constructing a satellite that will give you better reception. The more you try, the more you hear. Certainly it takes time and effort, just like all relationships, but its well worth it. Be patient, give it your best effort, and you may be surprised to find that talking and listening to the Lord becomes as natural to you as all the other things you do in your daily routine.  

This week’s Lenten journey brought me to the issue of obedience.

I know, I just heard my entire audience log off. Seriously, I once heard a popular minister say their sermons on this topic were not only their least popular, but least attended as well. And that alone should tell you something.

Seriously, the topic comes about based on my current Bible reading. It’s the final instructions Moses gave the Israelites before they conquered the Promised Land. Over and over, he exhorts them to follow God’s commands and to be obedient to the Lord’s leading. Well, if you’ve read the Bible, then you know exactly how that goes – straight into a downward spiral to 70 years of Babylonian captivity. It seems that obedience is an issue that people struggle with. All people. All throughout history. In all circumstances. None of us are exempt. Let’s face it – you know you feel that you have a right to master your own fate, and that nobody is “the boss of you.”

Ironically, a life of peace is beyond our grasp unless we are obedient. I won’t ask you to admit this to anybody out loud, but for just a moment, be brutally honest with yourself: how many times have you known, deep down inside, that you should do something, but didn’t do it – and then came to regret it later? Or worse yet, you knew you weren’t supposed to do something and God was screaming “NO!!!” so loud that everybody around you heard it and warned you off the path, but you stubbornly pursued it, straight into disaster? You know you’ve done it. We’ve all done it. It’s a big source of the one thing we say we don’t want in life – regret. And yet, we still ignore the Holy Spirit within us trying to keep us on the right path, because WE want to make the decisions. WE want to steer this ship and take it where WE want to go, whether we have any business there or not.

I think we’re all familiar with the saying “I’d rather be free in hell than a slave in Heaven,” but people with this attitude (and yes, it’s an attitude that our actions say if our words do not) don’t fully grasp the horror they’re embracing. Our every idea of freedom is skewed. We don’t fully realize what it means, because only God is free. The rest of His creation is bound one way or another, and our freedom is limited to choosing which way it’s going to be. Simply stated, there’s nowhere else to go. We’re free to choose whether to remain His, but we aren’t free to choose to BE Him. That throne is already taken, and He isn’t stepping aside to hand it to any mortal. So our freedom is limited to a very simple choice: to belong to Him and obey His will for our lives, or to break free of Him and live in the consequences of our choices.

We don’t like this. We want to believe we’re beholden to no one, but in the end we are responsible for our actions and where they lead. You can have your way, but you have to work to stay there, and do it without Holy protection of an unordained purpose. Or you can have God’s way and live under His protection, knowing that you can weather the storms because He’s got you. Some don’t mind this. They’re perfectly OK with struggling their whole life if it means that they have control of their life – but deep down, they’re miserable from constant struggles and pains they can’t rise above because they can’t do it alone and have forsaken the only One that can help them rise above to a new place they couldn’t have imagined. It reminds me of what Castiel asked Dean on Supernatural several years ago: “Do you want freedom, or do you want peace?” You can’t have it both ways. If you want freedom, you have to constantly work and struggle to keep people and circumstances from intruding on your will. If you want peace, you must be obedient to the Lord: obey His commands, and following the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your life in every way. This is a place where there’s no sitting on the fence. You’re obedient or you aren’t – and the rest of it follows from there.

We don’t like this. Just like the Israelites, we’re stiff necked people. Hard headed and hard hearted, and yet, Jesus still came. He still lived and loved and walked amongst us and chose to die for us. And to me, that’s the greatest demonstration of love of all – and the greatest mystery of the universe!

It’s amazing, really, that the key to happiness is so simple, and yet so hard to do. Pride really is a leech that sucks the life out of us.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a good rest of the week.

Bye!  

This Ash Wednesday, I just can't seem to find it in me to give up something for the next 40 days. After losing Ollie last week - no. I just can't bring myself to throw something on the sacrificial alter for the sake of piety after a reaper was circling my pet for 5 months. I remember what the prophets said about God hating sacrifice without sincerity, and I have enough respect for the Lord and myself not to do that.

No, I'm not an "it is well with my soul" type. I know that God has a plan and a purpose, but the simple fact of the matter is that there's only one reason I'll get for having to watch Ollie suffer and ultimately lose what seems to be a senseless battle. It's the same answer to all of the pain, suffering, struggle, sacrifice, and crap in the world.

And that answer is really three words: because I live.

Yes, that's it. As long as we live, breathe, and walk this Earth, we will see all the extremes that the natural order of chaos brings to this world. We will struggle. We will suffer. We will cry and weep and mourn, and then we will rise and find the mountaintop again. Today we remember that we are ash and to ash we will return. And yet, for the first time since Ollie passed last week, I heard that voice in my head. The one that won't let me quit. The one that won't let me despair for too long before I snap back to my senses and am brought back to life. The one that said yes, someday we all die but, as they say in Game of Thrones, what do we say to death? "Not today." And as long as it's not today, then this is still  our world, we still have a purpose, and we still have an obligation to all God created us to be to get out there and live life to the fullest.

Yes, I've struggled with a lot of things recently. No, I don't understand those struggles. I don't see how any good could come from it. But with the Imposition of Ashes, I realized: I'm still standing. I'm standing in the power of the Holy Spirit. And with that, I can do anything. So why be somber? Why dwell on death? No, I'm not perfect. I know I don't deserve what Christ did to save me. But I can have joy in my gratitude for it, and I can demonstrate that gratitude by living the best way I can.

I suffer because I live. I rise because I'm saved. I crawl out of the valley and start climbing the mountain because I'm forgiven. I have joy because I'm thankful. I know that all things are possible with Christ, and it's time to start making great things possible. 

Maybe I'm on a different kind of Lenten journey. Or maybe I have given up something. Maybe I've let go of fear and doubt that have plagued me for too long.

And maybe a different kind of journey is exactly what I need.

That's all today. Take care and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

On this, my 38th birthday, I find my self pondering the progress of the past year. I suppose this is a natural thing to do on a birthday. On first glance it could seem disappointing, as there are no "major" changes to report, but that's actually deceptive. There have been changes in the past year, but they've been more in the way of "shifts" instead of what could be clearly defined as "changed." I suppose this sounds somewhat elusive, so of course I'm going to explain.

The progress of the past year has actually been more in the way of building on things that have already been in motion. While it doesn't seem that much has changed - after all, life is progressing along very much the same today as it was a year ago - I can't say that I think about or feel the way that I did about life as I did one, two, or five years ago. In fact, as I ponder it, I notice that my paradigm has shifted quite a bit in the last 4 years. I suppose this is natural. My job changed and I finally broke into publication with my writing in 2010 - 2011, and while these things are "the norm" in my life right now, I see how incorporating those changes into my life has changed my view of life and the world. My basic morals haven't changed. That's not something that's likely to change. But the way you see the world around you and apply those morals can change, and I'm starting to see the evidence that it's happened. When you walk in faith long enough, you delve deeper into things, and that's certainly what's happened to me.

So how have I changed? For one, I'm seeing a whole new application of the concept of "reaping and sowing," as described in Galatians 6:7. You all know that this is one thing that my grandfather was a big believer in, and I took it to heart. But this verse applies to more than just relationships with other people and how you treat them - it also applies to progress and purpose in life. In fact, if you shift two more verses you'll read that "in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9) After several years of hard work to re-establish myself professionally in my current workplace and to get my writing established, I see the value of patience in all that we do. If life really is a series of ups and downs, reaping and sowing, then that has big implications for all of life. If we choose to only allow ourselves to be happy on the mountaintop, when we're reaping the rewards of our labors, then we're guaranteed to be miserable (or at least, withholding our own happiness) at least 50% of our life. Folks, that just isn't acceptable to me. That's not going to do it. Sure, there are some people that enjoy being miserable and whining and complaining to get attention, but that's not the way I choose.

I know from experience that there are blessings in every day because I've been through the major life changes when I looked back and realized that there were little blessings that I took for granted, and I was sorry for it. An example: before my writing was published, I used to do counted cross stitching and wrote short stories. Much to my surprise, I find that I have very little time for that now, between promoting my published works and creating new ones. I love my writing and pray daily that it will continue to grow and reach more people - in fact, I'm prayerfully striving to make a break into science fiction with Splinter this fall - but there are some days when I miss having the time to cross stitch, or to goof off on Writing.com with short story contests. I didn't realize how much time these things filled in my life until my writing grew to the point where I had to make decisions about what stayed and what went. I still stitch occasionally, but large projects are out now. And as for short stories, they take me longer to write, prepare, and complete than they once did. And ditto for the work move. I was glad to make it and still believe it was the best, but I didn't realize the little things I took for granted, like talking to a couple of my friends when things got slow, the great walking paths on the State House grounds, a covered parking spot or those outstanding subs for a great price on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yes, I've gained a lot through both changes. I wouldn't undo either of them or the world because I gained a lot more than I lost. But I did learn to not despise the small things, and to appreciate the small blessings that go with each day as well as the big things we work so hard to cultivate and grow in our lives.

Some people say this means to "enjoy the journey on the way to where you go," but I think there's a deeper meaning than that. A devotion I read recently said, "God doesn't want you to be happy. He wants you to do what's right." That really hit me and helped me to get a grasp on my own paradigm shift. I used to think that the point was about being happy, and I actually worried for a little while, wondering if I'd ever be happy like I was before. I see now that I won't, because happy is a side effect. The purpose of life is not to serve our feelings, but to do what we're supposed to be doing and work hard to do what's right for our purpose in life. If you are faithful in well doing and obedient to the spirit, there's a contentment to your life that nothing - situations, circumstances, or other people and their attitudes (because that really reflects on them more than anything else, but that's a pondering for another entry) - can affect. You can rest in knowing that you're doing all you can, and that allows you to enjoy the blessings of every day, large or small. And contentment is better than happiness. It's more stable, because you can still see the blessing in what you have even if a thousand aggravations are bleeding out of them. It's built on a firmer foundation that gives you the patience to hold out for the "bigger picture" even if you don't understand what the point is (as is often the case). It's built on a trust between you and the Lord and nobody else can put their hands on it. And that can give you the courage to do what's right, even in the face of ridicule, opposition, or doubt. Happiness is transient and comes and goes with circumstances. Contentment is faith in action.

No, the earth hasn't moved in the last year. Things look much the same today as they do every other day. But I know they aren't. I see how the work at the everyday levels is building to something new and better. I might not know what yet, but when it is revealed then I'll reap a reward in due season, and be glad I didn't lose heart.

That's all today. I hope you have a great week.

Bye!

I got a copy of my performance evaluation this week and cringed at the opening paragraph. The evaluation was good, but it seems that every one I’ve had for the past 3 years opened with “Since Sherri transferred from her former department, she has …” I sighed as I filed it and said to Chloe (because she was on my shoulder and it would be crazy to talk to myself), “am I destined always be preceded by this note that I’m different from every other employee?” I shook my head at it. I’m always different. I always have been and always will be. 99.9% of the time, it doesn’t bother me because I’m proud of how I’m unique from the rest of the world. But every once in a while, it does get to me.

Then the next day somebody told me about a friend that was irritating them to death with frequent telephone calls. Her friend envied her hair and kept calling to ask how she got her hair to look that for an upcoming event. “It’s ridiculous and she’s driving me crazy!” my friend said, “and she’ll never get it to look like mine. Why can’t she accept it?” My friend is right. One of them has straight hair and one has curly hair. They’ll never have identical hairdos because it’s literally impossible. And then the light went off over my own head: it seems that the desire to be normal actually causes MORE problems than being different. As I ponder this further, it’s true. There’s a lot of strife in this world, and most of it goes back to 2 things:

1. People are jealous and envy what others have; or

2. People don’t understand what others are doing because it doesn’t seem “right” to them, so they object.

And in both situations, there’s no way to have a good, functioning relationship with people. So they  argue. They fight. They try to force and coerce others to doing things the way they believe is “right” and refuse to accept people for who they are. What’s more, many of these people are in church every Sunday, and yet the concept of grace and having enough of it to respect the wants and needs of others goes right past them. It’s like it doesn’t even exist. 

I might not be popular, but at least I have freedom. I don’t envy others because I’m too busy attending to the business of my own life. And as a result of that, I usually don’t spend too much mental energy forming opinions of how other people are leading their life unless they intrude on my time/space/territory (then it’s fair game, because I do have a right to determine what is and is not acceptable in my own life, and I can give you the name of a few witnesses that will attest to the fact that I will indeed do just that if you invade my life). I might not understand things, but one thing I’ve learned in adulthood is wisdom is gained from mistakes, and experience is, in many instances, a greater teacher than words. I remember what J.R.R. Tolkein wrote in The Lord of the Rings about the burned hand taking lessons of fire to heart. I also remember what C.S. Lewis wrote in The Screwtape Letters about the prayer the devil loves the most is “make me like everybody else.” That’s Satan’s playground, where every deadly sin has a place to take root. I see the point.  If “everybody is doing it,” then that’s reason to stop right there and ask if it’s wisdom or just the next foolish net laid for this season’s catch.

I know I have too many rough edges for some people to deal with, but I’ve found that they deal with being real and honest a lot better than being fake. I’ve also learned that, as the saying goes about birthday’s, “it’s a matter of mind over matter – if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Being true to who the Lord made you to be not only guarantees that you will find and fulfill all of your purposes in life, but that the opinions of others really don’t matter to you. Things tend to turn out for the best if you stay true to yourself, anyway. Yes, people still shake their head at me occasionally. Yes, I get frustrated with the lack of understanding from time to time. No, I’ll never be popular. No, I’m not in any cliques. I go my own way and do my own thing. But people know my personal policy, and that they can trust me to always do my very best, no matter what. And a funny thing  happens when you stand your ground – people are more comfortable being their real self when they see that you aren’t afraid. They open up more and worry less, and in turn you develop stronger relationships based on mutual trust and respect. That’s just not possible in cliques based on fake conformity, masks, and facades. They can have that, because I don’t have time for what’s fake. Give me something real or get outta here. That’s my stand.

Last week, I read an interesting line in my weekly devotional. It said “God doesn’t want you to be happy. He wants you to do what’s right.” That’s absolutely true. I’m reading through The Bible, and one thing that strikes me is God’s repeated statement to “obey my commands.” Not “do whatever and you’ll be okay,” but “obey my commands.” This is usually followed by a list of how people will prosper if they do and suffer if they don’t. Furthermore, Jesus went on to say that He wants us to have life in all its abundance – but you have to do what’s right to get it. Jesus didn’t say “have an okay life.” He said “life in abundance.”  It seems to me that if you do what’s right, then happy is a side effect.  Too many people are hung up on their feelings these days. They want happy, but don’t understand what it takes to get happy. It’s like they’re feasting on French fries and leaving the steak untouched. Doing right = happy. Do wrong = hurt. It’s the simplest equation and yet, through all of human history, we still don’t get it. I think it goes back to the Mark Twain quote that “opportunity is often missed because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” True enough.

I think this is why unique people are happier in the long run. They aren’t caught up in the trappings of “what everybody else is doing” and “what should be” like others are. They aren’t afraid of who they are or of the hard work it takes to accomplish their dreams. They’re playing the hand they have and making the best of it. And after a while, you learn to play it to win – even if it’s a hand full of jokers!

That’s all today. Happy Friday to you and  have a great weekend.

Bye!

It seems there was some misconception from my last entry. Apparently, there were some that read it and thought "oh good! She's on a religious journey so she won't fight things. Everything is okay with her so I'm going in and telling her how it is."

Well, I'm in the process of cutting the head off that snake right now. Step carefully, folks. As Bryce said in Move, I'm fixing to make a terrible mess here, and I  pity the ones that must clean it up. Because I won't be the one cleaning up this one. The people that built this house of cards in their heads will. Welcome to my world, folks. That's a bitter taste, isn't it?

Let me set one thing straight now: NOBODY has a right to come into my home or my life and tell me how it's going to be. I'm an educated adult that is responsible, works, pays my taxes, and supports myself. If you want something from me, you WILL be respectful or you will NEVER get it from me. If you're stubborn or demanding, I will break you.

Furthermore, I have no respect for quitters, whiners, or lazy people either. Jesus died to save the world, so I don't have to worry about that job. Get your eyes on Him and making yourself better and off others carrying you on their coattails. I'm not The Avengers and The Justice League rolled into one. The Lord is. Get that right. Stop depending on other people and rise, darn it. I'm not the only one He calls on that journey. If you're a human being, you're called to it too. So if you're around me then lace up the hiking boots and get moving. It's time to rise and I'm not carrying you on this journey; I'm giving you what you need to walk it yourself. I'm sick of other peoples' decisions changing my life. It's something that's become a pattern in my life, but I have a right to say what is and is not acceptable in my life, and this is 100% not acceptable.

And lastly, I will not buy the lie that I don't have a right to be angry. There are times and situations when it's acceptable and justified to be angry, and in fact that anger leads to positive momentum in a better direction. This is one of those times. Yes, I will have to work through it, and I will. But I won't be told that I can't be mad, or that I don't have a right to it. I do. And the people that really and truly care about me and what's best for me know this, understand this, and are willing to help me work through this. In fact, it's times like these that define who makes it into my inner circle. And prunes the outer ones as well.

For those of you that have been following me on social media, I do apologize for spilling this. I know I said a week ago that I was going to log off, and for a few days that worked and it seemed to be alright. But then I posted that last entry and it seems many people saw open season and the serpent came after me with a vengeance. I know what I must do: I must cut off the head and make it die. And when it's infected systems of how things run, I must take on the old Brainiac persona (oops, I wasn't supposed to know that's what my former colleagues called me) and set forth a corrective virus in the machine.

It's not pleasant, and I hate it's come to this. I really wish people weren't so stubborn and selfish that I had to go in and make a mess like this. I wasn't being a smart alec on Facebook earlier today when I said I envied the sweet people that were always so nice and nobody ever felt compelled to be mean, rude, or challenge them. I can't let my guard down for a minute or people try to walk all over me. I'm a bada** because I have to be if I want to be the person the Lord willed me to be. People keep trying to put me down and trap me in a box. So the dragon wakes - and then they aren't glad that they did that. 

Yes, these seasons where we're called to ascend to higher levels are hard. They're painful and it hurts to have to deal with so much. You question yourself a lot and other people see this and try to take advantage of it. They don't realize that attacking when someone is down can actually result in them getting more hurt than if they would have been patient and civilized. In fact, some stubbornness and sassy attitudes have me revoking some privileges, and that's going to be a very ugly and nasty surprise. I hate being like this, but correction is necessary and I'm more concerned with doing what's right and making sure the lesson sinks in nice and deep so it needn't be taught again than being held hostage to emotions.

So there you have it. Spiritual journey doesn't mean wimp that can be molded to selfish desires. And now you know.

That's all today. Have a good week.

Bye!

Well, my coworkers learned not to get me started on some things yesterday. Someone said there was a raffle prize for anyone that could tell her what easter eggs symbolize. So I told her they're paganism. Then I went straight into my "easter thing."

Yea, I've got a thing when it comes to Easter. A few years ago, some people shared some facts about some of our well loved traditions revolving around the resurrection of our Lord, and it turns out that, well, they have absolutely nothing to do with Jesus at all. In fact, some of it made my hair stand straight up.

For example, do you know where the term "Easter" comes from? It's derived from "Ishtar" who was the ancient goddess of fertility. This has roots in the Tower of Babel. The name morphed to "Eastre" with the Anglo-Saxons and it drifted into Christian use when the early believers were trying to spread the faith in terms that pagans could understand. They wanted to seperate themselves from the Jewish roots of the faith (because let's face it, people have always been fighting against them) and thought the faith would have a better chance of survival if it aligned more with the "Gentile" than the "Jewish" tradition. It seems to me they would have done better to stick with their roots, but alas what happened, happened. So they taught the pagans about how Christ rose from the dead and gave us eternal life by Christianizing their spring fertility festivals and there you have it - slapping a name on the greatest give God gave that is actually reflective of the root of offences that lead to the flood. Brilliant folks, just brilliant. So pardon me if I prefer to refer to it as Resurrection Sunday than, well, the other word.

And what about Easter Bunnies? Personally, I always thought they were creepy and I wasn't far off the mark. The Easter Bunny is the sexual symbol of fertility for Ishtar. If I get any creepy comments or links from porn sites for this then I will get mean and call out your stupidity on social media, so back off before you start! I'm just stating a fact and not inviting you creepy morons in. Anyway, we all know that rabbits are prolific reproducers and it appears this has been known since the beginning of time.

As for the Easter eggs, the ancient Babalonians believed a great egg fell from heaven into the Euphrates River and Ishtar hatched from it. What? A goddess needs to hatch? Ponder that as you take your kids on the egg hunts this Saturday. Throughout time, eggs have continued to symbolize goddesses of fertility.

Now folks, I'm realistic enough to know that some things simply aren't worth getting worked up over. If you're heart's right and you truly mean well, then God knows it and won't fault you, especially for things you don't know. But knowing all of this, I'm more than a little disturbed by how an event that's the cornerstone of Christian faith is innundated with pagan rituals, some of which are clearly spoken against in The Bible. Even the name we call it has absolutely nothing to do with Christ.

I'm not afraid to come across as a Bible beating igit on this one. We do a lot of things wrong on this holiday, and we need to clean it up. I understand that people could claim ignorance for a long time, but that's not true with the abundance of resources out there to tell you the truth. The Internet is all over the world. One site where I got my information is http://www.hebrewroot.com/pagan_origins_of_easter.htm . Another great site is http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm .

It's up to you whether you believe me. I know many people don't and can't understand why I'm "being this way." Well folks, I'm "being this way" because I love Jesus and appreciate all He did and all He is. I'm not perfect, but I want to do my best by Him. And I certainly don't want to offend Him by watering down his magnificant sacrifice with rituals of dead (or radically minority) traditions.

So there you have it. I know a lot of people out there are on the gay marriage thing. Well, this is my thing. Celebrations of The Resurrection are pagan and offensive to it's true meaning.

And now I shall step off my soapbox.

I wish you a meaningful comtemplation of your faith during these Holy Days and a joyous celebration of The Resurrection of Christ this Sunday.

Bye!

As the bewitching season draws upon us with the arrival of Halloween next week, I have to ask: have you ever noticed there are some things that freak people out for no good reason? It always catches you by surprise because it’s stuff you think nothing of, yet people act like you’ve unleashed a doomsday weapon on them. For example, I’ve had people freak out on me over:

1.Coughing or sneezing. In the south it’s common for people to have sinus and allergy problems (especially in the spring or fall), but do it more than once and people are asking “OH MY GOD ARE YOU SICK?” and threatening quarantines, Lysol attacks, or snapping “can’t you DO something about that?”  or “don’t you want to go home?” Ok, and who’s going to do the work while I take a sabbatical in the spring and fall while my bad  sinuses are acting up? Yea, that’s what I thought. 

Bottom line: Anybody that’s battled sinus and allergy problems their entire life know the difference between overactive antibodies, viruses and infections. Do your part by washing your hands and taking care of yourself and we’ll do our part to be responsible enough to take care not to spread germs around.

 2.Food allergies. The allergy is merely inconvenient because you have to watch what you eat, but what really makes it difficult is the hysterical reaction you get from others when you disclose it. I’m allergic to pecans, and every year about this time I have to deal with it. One time, a woman actually stopped an entire holiday party with a screaming fit demanding that every item on the buffet had to be checked because “OMG SHE COULD DIE!” after my husband asked if any of the desserts had pecans in them. That was so embarrassing that I decided it might be more helpful for me to carry a tranquilizer dart than an EpiPen to social functions in the future.  

Bottom line: My food allergy is my responsibility to deal with and I deal with it. I’m not trying to get attention or asking people to feel sorry for me when I disclose it – I’m trying to take responsibility for my allergy and prevent problems. I'm the only one that needs to adjust to this problem - not you.

3.Having a CWP (Concealed Weapons Permit). It’s funny, because people having firearms in the south is pretty common. In fact, it’s safer to assume people are armed around these parts. But let me tell you, people that have problems with guns are not shy about letting you know all about it, and why they have the problem. We learned this one day last summer when Rick was asked for ID to joined a preferred member club at a store (that shall remain nameless) and accidentally pulled out his CWP instead of his drivers license. Oh, the drama. The woman started out by screaming “I DON’T WANT THAT! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!” and proceeded into a fit of how she couldn’t believe anybody could be ok with having a gun near them, that she didn’t like that there
was probably one in the store right now and (*gasp*) pointing at me and screeching “MY GOD SHE PROBABLY HAS A GUN IN HER PURSE!!” Hyperventilation started at that point and a co-worker literally had to hold her and “talk her off a ledge” while I pondered whether I should talk to Hawkeye or Oliver Queen/Green Arrow about how to get and deliver a tranqualizer dart in these recurring freakouts I keep witnessing. Thank goodness the store wasn’t crowded.  I wish I were telling a story, but folks, I can’t make this crap up. This really happened. 

Bottom Line: People with a CWP have gone through extensive training to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms and are capable of handling firearms properly and responsibly. And furthermore, you should be glad to have them around. Because they aren’t the ones you need to worry about – it’s the bad guys that got them
on the black market and are using them to commit crimes that you need to worry about. Because CWP holders are doing it legally and are registered. The bad guys - well, who knows?

And by the way, I’m not commenting on whether or not I have a gun in my purse.

4.Being married and not having children. And the longer you’ve been married, the further the jaws drop. People just can’t believe a couple can be married for more than 2 years (or be in their 30’s) and not reproduce. “Are you
kidding? No kids? I mean, where are you at in life?” I’ll tell you where we’re at. It’s at the corner of “all our business” and “none of yours.”

Bottom line: Nobody asked you to justify why you have kids and we aren’t required to justify why we don’t. 

Of course, there are a lot of other misconceptions that go with being a childless couple. Let me tell you, people think some crazy  things about you when you don’t have kids – but this is best dealt with in a separate blog entry.

5. Turbulence. I've only recently begun to fly and one thing I have noticed is that people don't seem to understand that air moves at high altitudes just as much - perhaps even  more - than it does at ground level. And sometimes, it doesn't do nice things either. The good news is that pilots are well trained and know how to handle it. The bad news is that when the Captain says "we're experiencing a little rough air," it seems the passengers around me hear "IT'S COME TO JESUS TIME! REPENT, BE SAVED, AND BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS FOR ALL THE GOOD IT WILL DO BECAUSE YOU WILL SURLY DIE." Well, they acted like that's what they heard, anyway. On the way back from San Francisco people were looking around for their life preservers and Dad and I were laughing saying "good grief, it's just AIR!"

Bottom line: Ok, I understand how it can be tough to remain logical when you're bouncing around in a pressurized tube at 30,000 feet like you're in a clothes dryer but please - you expect people to trust that you know how to do your job right? Well, trust the Captain and Co-Captain to do theirs. And besides, I've been in turbulence twice and I'm not dead. Not that I know of, anyway. So as long as you're not trying to fly through the Frankenstorm, don't worry about it.

I have to say, I don't get it. Why do these things freak people out? I don't know. Maybe I missed a memo somewhere, as the saying goes. Or maybe I'm just one of those freaks that doesn't know well enough when I should be spazzing out.

That's all today. I hope you've enjoyed this fun look at the zany things that make me go hmm. Happy Friday tomorrow and I hope you have a great weekend.

Bye!