Newtown, CT Shootings

My heart aches for those affected by this senseless act of violence. 

I pray for those parents who mourn their children tonight.

I can't imagine saying to my precious children as I dropped them off at school, "See you tonight!"  And, then never seeing them again.

God bless and comfort those who grieve tonight.  God bless those who lives are shattered.

God be with them, with the caregivers, the first responders, and with us all.

Loving the Neighbor Whose Dog Poops In Your Yard

It's funny.  It's easy to be resentful, greedy or envious and we can stay our same, wonderful selves when we justify it.

• I can't be forgive her, you don't know what she did to me.
• I can't love him, he doesn't treat you like he does me.
• I can't pray for her, she has more than I do.
• I can't be honest and repay the store, it was their fault they didn't charge me enough.
• I can't give to them, they believe and live lies.

We can always justify incorrect actions on our part when something doesn't sit right with us about another human.  It's convenient to withhold grace and love when people don't act or live the way we think they should.

But God doesn't give us an "out."  He demands we offer forgiveness and grace in every situation, with every person.  He doesn't say, well, not if you got your feelings hurt.  No, you must love your neighbor, even when his dog poops in your yard.

Yes, it's hard to pray for someone we believe is being selfish.  Yes, it's hard to love someone who steals from us.  Yes, it's hard to give when we feel depleted.  Yet, we must.

(Now, of course, we all know that boundaries must be set up with dangerous people, and certain people cannot be in our lives--I would never let a sexual predator near my family--and we remember that forgiveness does not mean forgetting, and that it benefits the forgiver not the one forgiven.  All that has been talked about ad nauseum, so no need to rehash it here.  I mention only to keep perspective.)

All this difficult toil is necessary for our own well-being.  We don't have to put ourselves into unnecessarily difficult situations, but we do have to offer our best to everyone.  That's what differentiates us from those who would rather wallow in the misery of selfishness, greed and anger.  Shun these things and peace can be found.  Pray for those who are astray, and happiness can be achieved.  Love those that hate, and find contentment.

I want to find reasons why I can't be generous or loving.  I want to lash out at those who persecute me.  I want to find fault with others' boasts and diminish them.  I want to hate my neighbor that allows his dog to poop in my yard.  That's my flesh, desiring the hatred and self-elevation that brings a rush of adrenaline and excitement--momentary satisfaction but with long-term misery.

God knows the best for us is a positive attitude and a positive view of others.  That's why He implores us time and again to love others as ourselves.  We mask our own failings when we acknowledge the faults of others.  Something about a speck and a plank, I believe?  It's not for us to judge, but for God.  He'll take care of what needs to be done, we just need to keep on living well regardless.  

Because, let's face it, we are sinners and other people are sinners.  Only one perfect man walked the earth and he beat death.  People will fail us.  People will frustrate us.  People will drive us bonkers.  But, love them, we will.  (Too Yoda-esque?)

God instructs us to love, to forgive, to offer up prayers for others not based on our own ideas of necessity or entitlement, but on God's.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  

~Ephesians 4:29-32

Post Script to Agree to Disagree

Here's the funny thing.  I gave up politics a little while ago, remember?  I don't pursue things political, and I certainly don't post on fb anything political.  

And so I'm just posting stuff that appeals to me, you know, stories, pictures, cute sayings, heck even a kitten photo.  

So, I guess that's why I'm all the more amazed that people can turn what I post into a political debate.  

A sad statement of our society: EVERYthing is politicized.

Interesting to note.  And, tiring.

Agree to Disagree

Post on fb about guns (I love sporting clays and targets whilst hubby is a competition shooter and hunter), election year politics (I'm a devout Libertarian), or my support of Israel (as Christians, Israel is our heritage), and my Leftist buddies will offer hot debates or intellectual discourse and comments up the wazoo.  Post a personal note about my mom's battle with Alzheimer's or such and it's just not "that interesting" for them to comment or interact.

I'm not sniping at my Liberal fb friends, I'm really not, but it's amazing to me how people feel very free to let their political opinions heard on MY timeline as I post about things dear to me, but I look at their timeline and they're so lightly politically active there.  Maybe one or two comments or links, but mostly, like all of us, posting pics of friends, events, trips and anecdotes about their daily life.  Of which, I comment and "like."

They seem to have a radar about MY hot-button issue posts.  They zero in to admonish my beliefs with lightening speed.

I know, I know that sounds totally paranoid.  And, I'd have to agree with you...if I weren't living it.

I'm not upset about it, really.  Well, maybe a little miffed they aren't playing fair in their commenting more often on my timeline about politics than their own timeline.  

To ensure I'm not paranoid--and, because today's a holiday from school in our house so I have ample time--here are my stats.  Hubby says that facts are important because they take the emotion out of a problem by concentrating solely on the numbers.

For the numbers below, "Own" is the number of charged issues they posted on their own timeline, and "Mine" is the number on my timeline.  (For as far back as I had time today to go.)

Liberal Friend #1 

Own: 4  Mine: 8

Liberal Friend #2 

Own: 2  Mine: 10

Liberal Friend #3 

Own: 7  Mine: 6

Liberal Friend #4

Own: 3  Mine: 4

That's just with my top Libbies, and I've deleted some of the posts now because that stuff just doesn't need to be there.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate and encourage this discourse.  I love my Liberal friends, because they help me see the debate from the other side, so I can reassess and adjust my own beliefs and/or remain stalwart in them.  

Since I'm getting up in age, my beliefs are pretty firmly set, though.  This is not due to stubbornness, but rather due to a solid commitment to God and a multitude of experiences in a long and varied life.  It IS very true that you get wiser with age.

I just find it interesting that people on a whole would rather have a political fight to prove their right, than humble themselves to agree to disagree.  I have a cherished Liberal friend who often says that to me, "we agree to disagree." It's so delightful!  

At some point, we all must concede that no more words will make a difference.  And, that's what people fail to understand.  Sometimes you just have to realize that you can't see eye-to-eye and you must let silence settle over an unsettled issue.

JC Penney and Gay Marriage

I posted on fb a bit about JC Penney coming out saying they were closed on Thanksgiving (unlike Walmart and Target, et. al. who are choosing to open their doors on turkey day).

A dear, sweet Christian friend private messaged me to tell me that JC Penney has a history of "coming out."  She wanted to inform me that JCP openly supports gay marriage and uses gays in adverts.

Oh boy.

If you know me, then you know my history, and you know the difficult line that people like me walk when many Christians attach a status of leprosy to gays.  I want to tell them, "Don't worry, you can't catch it!"  

My cousin was gay and died of AIDS two years ago.  My best friend growing up came out gay.  Having lived in San Francisco for many years, I have many gay friends, some of whom are married. 

I don't condone their lifestyle, but at the same time I know them as humans.  I love them as God as told us to love all sinners.  They know I'm a Christian, and they know my beliefs.  I try to be the best example of a Christ-follower to them because they hear so much hate preached against them from Christians, who were told by Jesus to love their fellow man.

I think that's the important part that most Christians miss.  Jesus was clear: 

1. Love God

2. Love Your Fellow Man.  

Period.  

We don't have to love what people do, we have to love people.  We are to love people where they are.  We don't have to support sins, but we have to love those THAT sin.  

After all, aren't we ALL sinners?

Face Off with Facebook

I'm an admitted and addicted fb poster.  I go there everyday, multiple times a day, and probably post or share a minimum of 2 to 6 times daily.  It's consuming.

I am working on cutting down my fb time. I only have so many hours in a day and I really need to get the laundry done, or at least take out the recycling.  I would love to quit fb, but now it's part of my social calendar, too.  Can't have a meeting without an "events page," ya know.

I do see the lunacy in it.  Just because I'm in daily contact with a friend I haven't seen in 25 years doesn't mean we're close.  I know what she ate for breakfast and who she voted for in the election, but could we even survive a lunch together?  I don't know.

The election did me in, as far as posting my political views on fb.  It was a nightmare and I even ended up "unfriending" a recent addition to my friends roster.  She felt my timeline was her posting venue for all things far left, including wacky conspiracy theories.  She left link after link, but no real substantive debate.   

Even my waaaay liberal friends know that you comment, have a little discourse, and then you move on.  She never moved on, she moved in.  I tried the nice approach, explaining to her both publicly and privately the rules I have for my timeline, but she just didn't understand.  Or, maybe she didn't want to.  I'm not sure, but I am sure that I don't need more of that.

There's only room for one conspiracy theory nut on MY timeline, and it's me!

I have a love/hate relationship with fb.  I couldn't live without it, I'm sure.  How would I know what events to attend without the event calendar?  How would I know what Mahayla fixed for dinner?  Or what trending cartoon Bob just posted?  And, let's face it, we all love the kittens.  Bring on the kittens.

God Doesn't Belong to a Political Party

This chick?  No more politics!

Okay, okay, you think I'm only saying that because my guy lost, or because of the negative attitudes and adverts, or because my liberal friends hijacked my Facebook timeline.*  

While those things were certainly annoying, they are not the reason I'm giving up politics.

I'm giving up politics because God has made it VERY clear to me that I'm to follow HIM, not a political agenda.

It was actually like a warm wave washing over me, I felt so relaxed and content in my release of all things political.  I eschewed Fox News, CNN, talk radio, and anything political on Facebook and Twitter.  The most I've done is scan the headlines to see if there's anything important--and there never is.

I haven't taken the slightest interest in the latest Washington sex scandal, the healthcare debate as it pertains to pizza, or which side will push us off a fiscal cliff.  I really don't care.  I can't control it, so it can't touch me. 

The politicos have led us to believe that we are important in the process, we count, our vote matters.  

In truth, it doesn't matter one bit.  Not a particle.

Let's face it, the politicians in Washington are after two things: money and power.  They care little of what happens to us, and even less about our causes.  They USE our pet causes to advance their careers.  They don't care about gay marriage or family values or gun rights or entitlements.  Maybe they do a bit, but in regards to their careers, they don't.  They use those hot button issues to drive voters to the booths so they can keep a steady stream of blood flowing into Washington to satiate their vampire hunger.  They need blocks of voters (regardless of issue) to vote for them so that they can do two things: stay powerful and rich.

In a similar vein, one must also reason that the press also benefits from this political warfare.  They stay powerful and rich as long as the voting blocks are riled up.  MSNBC and Fox News have determined their core markets and have gone after them with a vengeance.  While certain personalities on either side of the spectrum may fervently believe in one cause or another or one side or another, what ultimately matters is the money and power they receive from pandering to their audiences.  If the winds shifted to cause bank rolls to move in another direction, you'd see them follow suit, too.  The press uses the voting block just the same as the politicians.  

In the end it really doesn't matter if the Democrats or the Republicans win or lose.  It doesn't change my life one iota.  Sure, you can argue that the Democrats will turn our country into a socialist regime or the Republicans will set us back socially 50 yrs, but in reality neither of those will happen when their sides win.  We'll continue to teeter-totter on the triangle of a governmental system designed to support and encourage averages not fringe elements.  Things will change, but that will have more to do with us as a people in our society and daily interactions than what is regulated in Washington.

So, with such little control over things I used to think were so vital, so necessary for our country, I have turned to God. Solely to Him to meet my every need.  I worship, pray, and read the Bible instead of delving into the political spectrum.  I find His word and His direction so much more appealing and satisfying.  It is ultimately God not politics that will change MY world.

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*Just kidding liberal fb friends, there was only one person I had to "unfriend" due to the fact she felt my timeline was her personal posting venue.  She needed to use her own timeline as her pulpit not mine, so I benevolently gave her that opportunity.  The rest of you presented wonderful discourse, and I thank you!