Government Shutdown

Now, what does that really mean?

To me, a shutdown is something that is completely turned off even if it is only temporary. That just means it has to be fixed. Because if it is a permanent shutdown then there’s no way of getting the thing to work ever again.

Maybe the “Government Shutdown” is something like a ‘Strike’? A Strike is where employees want something from their employer. But that means someone would have to negotiate terms of the contract as if in a union.

NO, that doesn’t sound right. I mean, how can the Government negotiate terms of their own contract? There is no one to be an objective observer to do that. So, it can’t be a Government Strike.

Also, union workers [or anyone else for that matter] on strike just don’t get paid. The employers are not known to be so generous to their employees if they aren’t working and earning their pay.They were hired for a reason, to be productive to their employer. That’s what they have to offer.

Does the “Government Shutdown” mean they won’t get paid for abandoning their job, their responsibility to serve the American people. How can you serve anyone if you’re not doing your job.

Really??? The GOVERNMENT is not hired to do a job. They are elected or nominated to do a job. These people in such high positions have a responsibility to all us little people to keep our country running as smoothly as possible. And it’s part of their job to make sure it does. Not to abandoned us to… What?

I don’t know about anybody else, but this sounds sort of petty to me.

I admit, I don’t understand or know what all this is about. I heard something about the healthcare plan. Whether that’s all of it or if there is more to it that we are not privy to doesn’t really matter.

What matters is the condition this “Shutdown” leaves our countrymen in. From the richer than richer to the poorest of poor, we are all affected in some way.

What goes through your mind when you heard that there was going to be a “Government Shutdown”?

How does that make you feel that the Government can shutdown for who knows how long?

Maybe the “Government Shutdown” is ???

I may not know what this is BUT GOD DOES. Pray for all these men and women in our government. They carry a heavy burden to do what is right for our country and not themselves.

Pray for any selfishness. All these people have such a great responsibility not to fuss and fight amongst themselves trying to get what they want.

Pray for guidance in all these situations and much, much more.

Pray for peace that they know without a doubt and are absolutely, 100% sure they are making the right and appropriate decisions for the United States of America.

‘GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE’

 

Finishing the Race

“Life is like a race. You have a beginning and you have an end. And, in the middle, all you can do is the best you can and hope that you leave something worth it for all your trouble.”

This might not be verbatim but it’s close to something that I’ve heard before. Not sure what kind of philosophy that is, but it seems to me that there is a lot of truth in that statement. There will always be a beginning and ending to life no matter what; just no getting past that fact. It is true.

The real question to life is “in the middle“. Who am I? What am I going to do? What are my goals? What do I want to leave behind when I die, what kind of legacy? All very important questions which, I’m sure, most everyone has asked at some point in their life.

What has all these questions got to do with Finishing the Race?

To me, life is not a race but more of a marathon. The distance and time it takes are very different.

Let me tell you about someone that is very special to me. My uncle. He’s family. He passed away 2 weeks ago today after a very lengthy battle with cancer.

He left behind a loving and faithful wife. She was devoted to him for 60+ years (there about anyway). She cared for him in SICKNESS and in health. She stayed with him whenever the times where bad, not just the good. She is the mother of 2 loving children.

My uncle not only provided for his family, but LOVED his family. The measure of it shown on the faces of family and friends.

I may not have been as close to my uncle to say exactly who he was or exactly what he did his entire life. During my briefs visits I know that he was a man of God. His belief and trust in our Lord was shown to me each time.

Hebrews 12: 1 — Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

I believe my uncle ran this type of race for God and he has now finished his race while all those who loved him have yet to finish. I believe my uncle stood before God to rejoice in His Words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

That’s what I want when it’s time for me to meet Him face to face. But until I do, I will rejoice with my uncle in Heaven. He has no more pain, no grief of any kind. He sits at the banquet table to feast with Jesus. What better ending can there be?

Matthew 7:7-8 —Asked and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

May God Bless You All!!!!

 

 

Called to Duty

There are more than a single way to Be Called to Duty…

For instance, I was recently summoned to jury duty. Personally, I think it to be an honor to be able to service the County and State in which I live. And to actually serve on a jury can be an extreme event in your life. It’s deciding the fate of a defendant, whether or not the State has provided enough evidence to really convict this person beyond that reasonable doubt. Of course, the other side tries their absolute best to put any and all kind of doubt in your mind. It can be a a if you don’t stick strictly to the facts of the case in which you serve.

Of course, the most common way to Be Called to Duty is in the military. If I wasn’t over 50 I might seriously consider military service now that my kids are all grown. But I wish they would consider it more carefully than they have.

I pray all the time that my children will learn to make the right decisions in their lives. Especially when it comes to serving God.

Yes, you can Be Called to Duty by serving God in so many different ways. We all have to find what way that is. Some may be called to be Godly parents and teach their children about the ways of God. In other words, how to be more like Jesus.

As a Christian, even though we stumble and fall so many times on this road, we still need to strive to set ourselves above the sin we fall into. Does that make sense?

We have choices or decisions to make each and every day of our lives. Some are good, some are not so good, and some are bad. How do we constantly make the right decisions? Simple. We pray and ask God to lead the way. In a nutshell, that’s what a true follower of Jesus Christ is to do.

I know that I have sort of rambled on and not really making a point.

The point is… To serve on a jury you deliberate according the to instructions given by the judge who is presiding over the case. You do what you are told to do.

The point is… To serve in the military you are given orders by your superiors who are also given orders to follow. You do what you are told to do.

The point is… To serve in employment you are given certain duties by your boss that apply to your position. You do what you are told to do.

The point is… Why should it be any different when you are Called to Serve God. You do what you are told to do. And all you instructions are in the Bible.  Let the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God, lead you through scripture and prayer.

May God Bless You Today and Every Day.

Anonymous – who? me?

Anonymous – of unknown authorship or agency; bearing no name.  [Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary]

I was recently researching reviews of some popular books that looked interesting to read. I was amazed to see out of the first 20 reviews only 3 had actually signed their names.  Imagine reading reviews signed Anonymous.

If it was a bad review I could sort of understand that signature. You really wouldn’t want anyone else knowing you really didn’t like this book, especially if it was by a predominant author. I guess you might not want to cause any friction with someone you know who really liked the book.

Yet, most of the Anonymous reviews were very good. They liked the book immensely. So why sign it that way? Don’t you want others to know you liked the book?

But, in all honesty, I have never written a review on this site. At least, not yet although I am planning on getting around to it one of these days. When exactly that will happen, who knows?

NOW THE REAL QUESTION! Are you Anonymous?

Do you feel like you are the UNKNOWN AUTHOR in your life? Do you feel like you are the bearer of NO NAME? Is it intentional or not? OR has life been such that you feel like you continuously Fall Through The Cracks?

THE BIGGER QUESTION! Do you want to be Anonymous?

I may feel like I “fall through the cracks” quite a bit in my life, but I am definitely NOT ANONYMOUS. I may be ‘shy’, ‘quiet’, ‘reserved’ or whatever you want to call it, but I am definitely NOT ANONYMOUS. I know I am not an “outgoing” person who attracts people left and right.

But I am who I am and if you don’t want to get to know me, it’s your loss. Sounds harsh, I know. But you can’t force people to like you. You either ‘click’ or you don’t.

God Almighty has found me worthy to be called to Him. To be His loving daughter and Sister in Christ Jesus to ALL His people. I am the bearer of His Name for I am His child. And for that reason alone I will never be Anonymous.

I am not a famous author known for my writing like so many others. I am not a famous evangelist like you might see on TV. I am not what you call a “Hero” in my community or known for my good works.

I AM a mother, a sister, a friend. I AM a human being that has to rationalize events to make sense of them. But in reality, it just confuses my mind. It gets me worried and doubtful to the point of an anxiety attack. Then I can even start questioning my trust in my Lord Jesus to see me through whatever it is I’m going through. (and right now it seems like a barrage)

Then I get mad because I let Satan “flick” his finger in my head to let these notions in. How can I be so foolish to let Satan take my peace with God away? How is that trusting God?

Enough of my ranting and raving. I probably sound like some sort of lunatic with it. I’m really not. Only sometimes.

A DEVOTED LIFE [another wordpress blogger] just wrote about “The War of Trusting God” – http://boyslumber.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/the-war-of-trusting-god-mar-6/ – I could hardly believe what I was reading today.

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, HE SPEAKS LOUDLY at times. And He definitely was speaking to me today as I have been berating myself for letting Satan poke his fun at me. Like I said, “How is that trusting God?”

This IS a Spiritual Battle that goes on day after day after day. All we can do is just put one foot in front of the other and trudge forward. One day at a time; One step at a time. Jesus has already won that victory.

I love dwelling in God’s peace. It is safe and secure for what evil could ever befall me that I don’t let happen.

I am a sinner, I confess. I believe Jesus Christ is the one and only son of God, he died to save me from my sin. I accept God’s grace so I may live with him in heaven one day. Lord, lead me closer to you day by day, step by step.

Everyone has a voice. No one is Anonymous. You can do the same thing.

May God Bless You with His Light of Truth

Who do You let Influence You?

What a great question. Do we really even think twice about who we let influence us in our decisions?

You know, I used to not think so. But this past year I’ve come to realize that sometimes I let other people (mainly my children) influence my decisions. I have made decisions to help them out of some sort of jam or another. I’ve given in to their needs and wants rather than looking out for me and what I need to do.

Sometimes I think that’s why I am this place where I don’t particularly want to be. I would rather continue to help my children when they need it even if it does put a burden on me because I’m not doing something that I should be doing.

As parents we go through all sorts of learning stages starting when our kids are born. We are the responsible ones. We make the decisions that will nurture our children to grow up to be good, responsible adults just like us.

What we conveniently forget during these growing years as parents is that we were once just like them. We were babies that needed everything taken care of for us. We were children learning how to walk and how to talk. And as we grew up into teens we had our own way of thinking. In reality, by teens we thought we knew just what to do and how to act and it didn’t matter what our parents thought. We were going to do what we wanted to do.

That’s right! We made our own decisions for, usually, no one but us. It’s called Me-Itis. At least, that’s what I call it. But it didn’t stop there. My me-itis got me into so-o-o-o-o-o much trouble, just like it did my children.

Now-a-days I can so relate to my mom in so many ways. She was also a single mom, but she had boys and girls to raise where I only had boys. She made it through all of our rebellious years just like I did (and her other kids). And she still makes sacrafices for her children just like we do for ours.

Yes, our kids still influence our decisions to some degree. The problem is we can let them influence us too much that we make the wrong decision regarding what’s best for them AND what’s best for us, individually or as a parent.

I look at the decisions that have led my children down a path that I did not want for them. And through all my trying to guide them in the right direction they decided differently. That’s doesn’t necessarily mean they were BAD decisions that would put them on the wrong side of the law.

“They ain’t mudering thieves!”

But they aren’t where God wants them to be. Sometimes I feel exactly that way about me. I make my own decisions and I alone am responsible for those decisions. Right or Wrong, I pay the consequences of those choices Just like my children do.

I Want to Follow Jesus Christ. I want to walk with him into Heaven one day and have God Almighty say to me “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

This is what I want most in my life, no matter the cost. And there has been some cost this past year. But I AM growing through it one day at a time, One step at a time with Jesus. He even carries me through some of the most difficult times when there is no one else to lean on.

God is with me. God will always be with me. God will show me where I should be IF I LET GOD BE THE ONE TO INFLUENCE ME.

Think about it. Who do you let influence you in what you do or think? Are they right? or are they wrong? Who is this good for?

May God bless you with His light of love and mercy.

WARNING! Contents of this blog may be…

WARNING! Contents of this blog may be offensive to some readers. The views expressed here are mine and mine alone.

Why would I give such a warning? Simple. TODAY I wish to speak on politics. This is not my strongest subject since most politics goes straight over my head like a low flying airplane. It just zooms past as if it were in a hurry to get somewhere leaving me in the wake of it’s dust.

I like things honest and straight-forward. So political campaigns can be very perplexing to me. But, now that the election is over and we have a new re-elected President, I wish to express the following opinion and statement of facts.

FIRST OF ALL it doesn’t matter who likes it or not, Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America for another 4 years. As an American by birth or by willing citizenship it is our responsibility to support our President as best we can.

I don’t know what that means to most of you, but for me it means that I stay in prayer for President Obama on a daily basis. Of course, that includes everyone under the President all the way down to this city’s elected officials. They, too, need our prayer support to make the right decisions no matter how difficult they are.

NO ONE can please ALL the people all the time. 

Someone will always fall through the cracks in the system.

SECOND… That is why I hope… NO CHALLENGE every single child of GOD All Mighty who sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to give His life on the cross to we may live a life of abundance to support our elected officials in prayer.

Our rich lives are not of the material wealth that many speak of. We are spiritually blessed each and every day with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to guides us in all we do.

Psalm 143:8 — Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

This is my personal prayer for me daily because there is nothing I want more than to do what My God wants me to do. To know He is always with me sometimes is not enough. I want to relish in His presence, to feel Him with me all the time so I have no doubt what-so-ever that I am in His will for me. It’s an exhilarating feeling that I don’t want to ever lose.

And since I know My God is always with me I know He cares for me and watches over me in everything I do.

Psalm 92:11 — For He will command His angels concerning you to guard      you in all you do.

My God has protected and provided for me and my family for years upon years. He has never failed me even when I have failed Him.

My God has revealed Himself in scripture time and time again. There have been times I haven’t listened, BUT when I do it’s glorious. I have grown stronger in my faith and what God is leading me to do. I AM SO BLESSED.

FINALLY, THIRD… I will pray these 2 beautiful, meaningful scriptures for President Barack Obama, his staff at the White House, and all the people under his command that God will show them the way they should go. To be honest and upright with Americans and foreigners in our land and abroad. And when he has to make the hard, tough decisions that God will lead him to the right one and he will listen.

I will pray My God watches over our leaders to guard their thoughts, words, and actions in all they do so they may be upright whether or not they believe in our Lord. I will pray for their salvation so we may once again be One Nation Under God.

My prayers go out to all my readers. May God Bless you in a special way that you know His Glory.