Why's It Got to be Like That

Did anybody else's momma teach them that if they didn't have anything nice to say, not to say
anything at all?

Mine sure did. I didn't always listen, but she sure told me. I

And I know I have taught that to my kids. Again, they don't always listen, but I tried.

So, question, have people quit teaching this? Have we quit believing it? Or do we just not care anymore?

I'm all for freedom of speech. Everyone has that right. Say what you want, but there isn't freedom from consequences When your freedom to speak your mind willfully & purposely hurts someone else, that freedom has crossed the line.

We all have different opinions on just about every single topic under the sun. Can we not discuss those topics without trying to make others feel ashamed because they believe differently? We should be able to because that's part of being an adult.

Most people try to avoid "hot topics" while in unsure audiences. But then some throw several word bombs right in the middle & just wait for the explosion. While that's all fine & good as long as every party is being respectful, someone usually starts slinging some mud when they realize they are losing whatever battle they tried to fight.

You love the president, you hate the president. You think he has the greatest ideas ever, you think he's dumb as a rock. Or, you're like most normal people & fall somewhere in between supporting him, but not liking some of his actions.

You go to church, you don't go to church. You tell everyone about your religion, you tell everyone that religion is a joke. You love everyone, you only like people that think & believe like you do.

You only breast feed your children, you have tried every formula invented.

You think public school is dangerous & satanic, you think that homeschoolers are weird & unsocialized.

You believe a woman's body is her own, you believe abortion is murder.

There are so many things that people have always argued about.

We get it, ok, everyone has an opinion & everyone is entitled to it!

Add now to that ever growing list, how you live during a global pandemic.

Seriously, we've heard everything from the Coronavirus is going to kill everyone, to it's just like the flu, to it's a made up conspiracy because it's an election year. We need to shut the country down & shelter in place, we need to open everything back up because the economy is crashing.

We need to stay 6 feet apart & have no more than 10 people in one place, who cares I'm going to have Covid parties so I can boost my immunity. We need to wear masks everywhere we go (including our car), the masks are more likely to harbor germs. We need to wear gloves & sanitize everything, these germs cannot live long on surfaces.

We need to continue to support our community, we don't need to leave our house unless its an emergency. Don't go to the hospital or doctor because it increases your risk of exposure, everyone needs to get tested so we can keep up with the numbers. Buy up all the toilet paper, don't panic buy.

You can't go to church because there are too many people in close quarters, have drive in services. Only have church online, if you're caught at church you will be arrested.

Continue making your children do their schooling online, don't worry about school anymore the grades won't count.

Y'all I feel like I am watching the biggest tennis match ever & my head is spinning. My heart hurts from the continual bickering. Why can't we all just get along?!

We don't have to agree, but can we not at least respect each other. Seriously! Stop being so judgmental & start accepting each other for who we are & what we believe, even when it doesn't line up exactly like you. Stop making others feel guilty for the choices they make regarding themselves & their families.

Nothing but love & positivity here folks! Make the world brighter by your presence, not gloomier!

Justice...Maybe, Maybe Not

***This is a VERY sensitive topic. If you want to comment, great. Keep it clean! If you have a different opinion, that's fine, but this is my blog, my opinions, please be respectful or I will delete your comment.***

I really don't follow the news quite as much as I probably should. In fact, most of the time, I'm relatively clueless as to what is going on around me. "This is my little world. I'm the queen here. Its ok, because they like me."

I haven't been so far out of the loop that I missed the George Zimmerman trial. It seems that everyone else crawled out from under their rock long enough to watch it too. That's ALL I have heard about. Wikipedia even has its own record of events!

The whole situation is sad. Two separate families have had their lives altered beyond belief. The Martin family lost a son, a brother, a friend. The Zimmerman family will have to live with the consequences of a situation that lasted less than 10 minutes.

I'm not saying whether the jury was right or wrong in the decision. I don't really have an opinion one way or the other about the outcome. I do however, have many strong opinions about how America is dealing with this whole mess.

Constant marches, protests, gatherings, blocking of highways, railroads tracks, & businesses. Fights, fires, broken windows, even burning the American flag! Many people are blaming this on racial issues (even though Zimmerman was part black himself). A little boy holds a sign that says "Don't shoot. I'm just young & black." A little girl holds a sign that says "I feel bad for Treyvon". Well, I do too, but you don't see me out here trying to tear down this country!

Its been a L O N G time since America has gotten into such an uproar over a court case.

Is our judicial system perfect? Is our country perfect? Not by a long shot! But the last I checked, we live in AMERICA! Land of the FREE! Home of the BRAVE! We are innocent until proven guilty. We are ALL entitled to our beliefs & opinions. But this is STILL AMERICA!! Our flag is to be honored, not desecrated, wrote all over, & burned. No matter what your belief - THAT is NOT acceptable! You choose to continue to live here. If you think this country is so wrong, feel free to MOVE!

Now, to add more fuel to this raging inferno, President Obama filed for Federal charges to be brought against George Zimmerman. REALLY?!

Is all that necessary? NOW, I believe it is a racial thing. Just where was Obama when Casey Anthony was set free?!

Like I said, the whole situation has been a tragedy from the start. Maybe Martin was hanging around houses trying to find some trouble to get into. Maybe he was just taking the scenic route home. Maybe Zimmerman is prejudiced & reacted on that. Maybe he was fighting for his life & shot because he felt he had no other option.

I can't help but wonder what happened in that 2 minute span from the time Zimmerman disconnected the 911 call until police arrived on the scene. More than likely, we will never get the WHOLE story. The REAL second by second detail of that night.

One Lone Wolf

I have always had a fascination & respect for wolves. They are beautiful, mysterious, & deadly creatures of habit.

Occasionally, you will find a lone wolf who has either been forced out of the pack or one who has opted to venture off on their own. But for the most part wolves stick together. They fight fiercely for what they consider theirs, claim far more territory than they could ever need, & hardly ever accept a new comer into the pack.

Did you know that wolves will rarely attack if the prey stands its ground? They enjoy the rush & the chase entirely too much to just pounce on something. 

I see so many parallels between wolves & people.

There are a lot of things going on all around me right now. Things that I have to be completely vague about. Things that have caused harsh words, broken friendships, numerous tears, countless questions, & endless prayers. Things that truly don't have anything at all to do with me, but somehow have sucked me down into the swirling vortex of them.

I am watching people's lives being ripped apart as choices are made. I am watching people making snap judgements without knowing the whole truth. I am watching a beautiful, sacred institution on the verge of being ripped apart & I am screaming on the inside how wrong this is.

Justin is one of the few people who sees things from my point of view. But do we get involved when clearly the lines have been drawn? Do we state our beliefs about fairness even though we don't know the truth? Do we risk it all just to make a point?

I remember being thrown to those wolves just 3 years ago. What I wouldn't have give for someone, anyone to stand & fight for me then.

That deserted island looks better every single day.

Make Sure You Read The Entire Book Before You Decide How Its Going To End

We are all guilty about judging people on their appearances, whether we want to admit it or not.  The man in raggedy clothes standing at an intersection begging for money ~ could he really be homeless and hungry, or "I bet he is just going to go buy alcohol".  The young girl who is obviously several months pregnant ~ was it a one time slip up with the boy she thought loved her, or "I bet she has been sleeping around".  The man in a decent suit & tie ~ has he just had to bury someone he loves or "I bet he is a professional businessman & an upstanding citizen with lots of money".  The young boys in slouchy pants skateboarding down the street ~ are they just boys having fun or "I bet they are punks up to no good".

We see people every single day & subconsiously, we decide, without ever meeting them, what kind of person they must be. People have been guilty of this for centuries, & unfortunatly, I do not see any signs of change anytime soon.

I don't consider myself to be a judgemental person. I try not to make my mind up about a situation until I know all the facts, but sometimes, I am bad about making quick assumptions.  Before we are so quick to pass judgement, we need to take a few minutes to reevaluate our own situations.

I heard something on the radio today & it made me stop & think.......don't you just love those "slap on the forehead" moments. 

A young man who was slightly down on his luck decided to attend a church service.  He was dressed in the same clothes that he had been wearing the day before & he hadn't had the chance to take a shower that day.  He sat through the whole service noticing that the woman who was sitting on the same pew would glance over in his direction & then quickly look away, but she wouldn't even say hello to him.  This young man hung his head in shame & quickly walked out when church was over.  No one shook his hand or told him how glad they were that he could join them. No one really even paid much attention to him, at least not while he was watching.  Plenty of people noticed him, but they were too full of pride to lower their standards & welcome the stranger into "their" church with its padded pews & expensive stained glass windows.  This young man knew how he looked, how he smelled, & it made him sorry that he had foolishly thought he could be accepted at such a nice church.

Excuse me, what is wrong with this picture?!?!  When did Christians become so self righteous that we stopped being nice, stopped reaching out to the less fortunate, stopped trying to win souls to God?  Jesus himself went out in the world to teach everyone about His Father.  He was always tending to His Father's business.

Does a healthy person really need to go visit the doctor?  Does a bald man need to get a haircut?  Of course not, we only use certain services when we need them.  Who needs to hear good solid preaching more ... a saved person, who KNOWS he's going to Heaven or a lost man on his way to Hell?  Yes, God does instruct His children to assemble themselves together for worship, but if I had to give up my seat just so someone lost could have the opportunity to hear God's Word & get saved, I would like to think that I would gladly do it!

When we were at our lowest, our dirtiest, God still loved us!  And through all of our mistakes and stupidities, God still loves us!  He sent His son to die for us! 

Next time you see someone who doesn't "meet your standards", reach out to them, tell them about God's love, & just simply be nice to them.  It will not hurt you & who know, it could even brighten your day as well as theirs.