#1: My First Real Date

            Due to abandonment issues and relationship fears, I never gave much thought to dating in high school.  In fact, I avoided it.  I really only dated one wonderfully sweet guy for four months.  But I didn’t have any feelings for him.  I dated him because my mom liked him so much and made me go out with him.  Which was precisely the reason why I broke up with him.  (But honestly, Rodney, you were such a nice, sweet guy.  I’m sorry for what I put you through.  It wasn’t fair, and I wish you the best.) 

            Other than that, I only went on a very small handful of dates, and it was never with someone that I really liked.  (Okay, it was two dates.  Once to a homecoming dance and once to our town’s fair with a group of friends, so I don’t even know if you can call that a date.)  If I really did have a crush on any guy, I would never let it turn into anything.   

The Humility of Parenthood

"Gender Neutral" Nonsense

Racism in America Again!?! Thank You, Media People!

It’s incredibly sad to me that we are back in a place of racial tension.  I can’t believe this is an issue we are facing again.  Racism is inexcusable.  From the pit of hell.  For someone to believe that our skin color makes us different or that it makes one group of people better or more human than another is horrifying.  An offense against the Creator Himself, the Maker of all colors, all people. 

And while there are many contributing factors to this crisis, I think there is one factor that no one talks about.  (And maybe they never even noticed it.)  I think a contributing factor to this current racial strife has been the media and the celebrities and TV-people who were upset that Trump got elected. 

For weeks after he won, all I read and heard from celebrities and talk-show hosts was “I can’t believe Trump won.  I can’t believe there are so many racists in America.”  


Over and over again.  (If you didn't hear it, it might be because you supported Hillary.)  

Over and over again, they labeled all Trump supporters as “racists and misogynists.”  Over and over again, the media spread the idea that half the country was racist and that everyone who voted for Clinton was better and smarter, more loving and more decent.   

Is it any wonder that we have racial trouble nowadays (combined with political trouble)?  The media constantly tells us that racism is everywhere.  And all they report are racially-charged stories and potentially racially-charged crimes and police stories.  (Do people never call the cops on white guys anymore!?!  Do police only ever accidentally shoot black guys!?!)



Even if a story probably had nothing to do with race, they speculate that it might be ... "Could this be racially-motivated?  What if it was a white guy (or black guy)?  Would it have been handled the same way?"



And they have continually spread the idea that all Trump supporters are racist.



(Those talk-show hosts who threw around all-encompassing accusations about half the country should have been fired.  I know they were hurting and angry, but it wasn't right or fair.  And they have helped create the bitterness and strife we are now dealing with on a bigger scale.  You know that if it was a republican talking against Hillary or Hillary-supporters, they would have been fired in a heartbeat.  But the Hillary-supporters ... they get away with saying whatever they want about Trump and Trump-supporters!  Totally unacceptable!)  

Is it any wonder that our country is in the mood and the condition it is?  If you keep telling people that something is true, they will start to believe it and see it everywhere.  


ARE YOU MEDIA-PEOPLE TRYING TO CAUSE DIVISION AND HATRED AND MORE RACISM!?!  

While, yes, there are racists and bad people in America, which is terrible … I think that, to a degree, the media and TV-people have created the very troubles that we are now seeing.  They have helped create the news that they report.     

(Now go back on click on the red phrase.)

How Would You Spend Your Last Day?

Okay, so today is the beginning of the end of the world, according to a Christian numerologist.  As I went to bed last night, I was thinking, "What if the world really did 'end' tomorrow?  How would we choose to spend our last day?"

As I laid in bed by myself last night watching Gilmore Girls for the 832nd time while my husband and kids watched a show together in the other room, I thought about how we all had eaten dinner together earlier (homemade BBQ chicken pizza) and how hubby and I had our "mommy and daddy" time and how we were all just chillin' now with each other, hanging out in our normal low-key way, eating mint chocolate chip ice cream. 

And I thought, "This is exactly how I would want to spend my last day.  If the world ended tomorrow or if the rapture really happened and Jesus came back and took my family out of here, I would be happy to end my time on earth like this." 

Actually, I can think of a few other things I'd like to do to really make my last day perfect.  And so if I could choose what to do for my last day, it would look like this ...

For Glass-Half-Empty People ...

If the glass looks half-empty,

pour it into a smaller glass and quit b**ching.

(This quote was shared by the speaker at a seminar ... and I LOVE it!  I need it.  I am such a "glass-half-empty" kind of person.  And while I wish I could give credit to the person who wrote it, there was no name attached to it.  So "thank you" to whoever it was that wrote this, reminding me that I don't have to keep using the same too-large glass, being discouraged that it's not full enough.  If the glass looks half-empty, maybe it's not because you don't have enough, but simply because your glass is too big.  Sometimes, the best way to deal with disappointments is to simply pour everything you've got into a smaller glass, shut up your complaining about what you don't have, and be content with and thankful for what you do have.  That's a lot better and more productive than sitting around complaining about the empty half of a too-big glass.)

Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome is so much fun!

            I wanted to share this in case anyone else is dealing with it and is wondering what’s going on.

            A couple years ago, I began dealing with something called Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome.  It’s a mysterious “we don’t know what’s causing this or what to do about it” kind of thing. 

            For me, it presented itself as getting a severe stomach cramp (which felt like incredible hunger) and then needing to throw up the rest of the night.  Also, lights and sounds and smells would bother me and make me feel sicker, so I would have to hide in a dark room whenever I wasn't hugging the toilet and crying.  But in the morning, I would be fine.

            The thing is … it always happened right before my period.

            The first couple times it happened, it was the night before my period.  But eventually it shifted to the week before.  And this happened for a year.

            As I researched what could be causing this once-a-month vomiting spell, I ran across Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome on-line.  Apparently, it’s like an “abdominal migraine,” which would explain the sensitivity to lights and sounds and smells.  But they have no idea what causes it.

Goodbye, Cassini

Okay, now I know that stress is getting the best of me … I found myself wanting to sob this morning about Cassini’s dying mission, plunging into Saturn’s atmosphere in its final moments, sending back a final picture of that beautiful giant planet.  I had to wipe the tears away and wave at my eyes to dry them so my husband wouldn’t catch me crying about a spacecraft. 
 

Goodbye, Cassini! Thank you for two decades of service.

 
 

So what kinds of crazy things have made you cry when you’re emotional or overwhelmed?

Thank You, Lord

Thank You, Lord, that my family in Florida is all safe and that there is minimal property damage (unless more storm surge comes in). 

I bet we could all use a break from the natural disasters (and civil strife and nuclear threats and terrorist concerns and wildfires and economic concerns, etc.) for awhile.  Let's pray that the worst is behind us this year.  

In fact, let's just pray.  Let's pray that God would have mercy on us and put a hedge of protection around us.  Let's pray that the hearts of the people would be turned back to Him before it's too late.  

            2 Chronicles 7:14-15:  “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”  

 

            1 Peter 3:12:  “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

  


(Okay, back to the more light-hearted stuff on this blog and the more faithy stuff on the other blog.  At least for now.)

Kicking God Out