Tell us how you feel about endings

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Hello, I took a little break for Thanksgiving. I went to my relatives in Indiana, and I had a ball. Well, today was the last day of the series and I am not sure what I am going to do next. I have not looked at Blogher to see if there is a December one yet. If I do it, it will not be everyday, I will have my own prompts on some days.
My feelings about endings. I do not adapt much to change. I do not think most people do. We,as humans, always deal with an ending of something, and it is a change. It may be a change in your routine, a change in in the family, your situation, anything that is something different. What's worse is I do not like doing the same thing over and over again, unless I start it.
When I first started blogging in 2009, I was not sure if I liked the idea of tying myself to something that the world will be looking at. There is judgement when someone reads something you wrote, be it personal or something informative.  It has to be something that will get a person to come back again and again. Sure, I had a journal which I wrote in the MS Word, but it was just me and the computer at the time, and I was not sure how anyone would perceive me. and as this blogging atmosphere grew, I started liking it, and in some ways I never want it to end. I guess that is what I hate about endings.
I have revealed that I love the blog like a half of a zillion times over the course of the series, but I have other things to do. I just figured out that my phone can be the perfect place to just talk into the microphone and just talk. So that is a change for me. So it is the ending of an old way of being tied to my desktop as I blog, and attach myself to the phone. Just what I need something else to attach myself to,LOL.  In this case, an ending can be a new beginning. I am also learning how to Vlog which is video blogging and will be starting that in 2014. I just need to find a way to mount my camera on things such as my car's dashboard in my head over my desk. So stay tuned. I also need a new stand alone, flash video, and a tripod. At this time I'm not sure if my dads tripod will work. Oh, I need so many things for that. Okay I am rambling.
So my conclusion, I need a lot of things in order to make this work to increase my blogging. In things are not my enemy, but a new beginning. I hate change, but welcome it as a new beginning. I think I will sign up for December thingy Ford block her. I love it so much, & I think I will register too. To block this time. Please comment below.

What R U Thankful 4?

Photo by http://www.squawkfox.com

You are not see a typo in the title.  I intentionally typed it that way.  The reason? None, except I am tired of see all the typos in Facebook posts, tweets, you name it.   People, especially people of color should happy and proud that there is an education system that is free to all, at least in America.   I understand the occasional missteps of the "I" before "e" problem, because I do it too.  No one is a perfect speller (is that right?) (Oops, forgot to capitalize that sentence.)  I am talking about spelling "da" for "the.”  Really?  Your mama taught you better than dat (oops, I meant "that").  
For those of you who think that talking and spelling this way is "so white,” ask yourself this question: why does it seem like I am not getting ahead?   Then again, maybe you are as far as school is concern, what about getting a job and communicating with customers?  The rest of the world does not talk or write that way.

I just found out some disturbing news (and I am not trying to be funny at this moment because I am quite upset about it):  According to a recent reading practice report (as of today), 58% of third graders in my city's largest school district (Columbus City) will not pass to the fourth grade.  This is based on practice test scores.  They take the real thing in March, and I am afraid that if half of these kids do not step up and master passing this test, they will not graduate with their class years from now.  This is a test that the State of Ohio decided they needed in order to see how well they are being taught how to read in the first place.   Now here is the real kicker.   I have a friend who happens to teach third graders.   The district wants her to teach them how to read, but according to my friend, they want her to focus more on helping them to pass the third grade reading test and less about the curriculum they gave her in the first place to teach them how to get to that reading level.   So now she has to devote extra hours to tutor them after school until 6 pm for the stuff she should have taught them during regular school hours.  Then she has to go home and do lesson prep instead of attending to her own family.  Luckily and thankfully, she currently has a husband and a 2 year old child, but what if she was along with her 2 year old and did not have any help?  Where are the parents in all of this?    They should spend as much time if not more teaching their children how to read.   Why are they spending so much time on social media or any other device instead of trying to sound out words?   I have thousands of questions, and no answers.

Parents, please do not depend on your child’s teachers to teach them everything.  I know you are busy providing for your child, such as clothing, food, and entertainment.  This leads to the question:  Why does your child have to be entertained all the time?   Think about that.  Education should be one of them, and it does not have to be private.  Your teacher is also busy.  He/she has to provide lessons that will motivate and help your child to learn.   In other words, take time out to teach your child basic K-8^th grade stuff.

I was a Pre-K teacher at one time.  This meant providing a lesson plan that will stimulate the child into learning something as simple as spelling their name, tying their shoes, counting and early math (1+1=2), learning the days of the week, and so forth.   Oh how I sometimes I wished that the parents who I interacted with would have taken an interest in what their child was learning, instead of saying “hi” and “bye” to the child.   I know there are demands at work, but I was mostly talking to moms who stayed at home.  Did they really had to get rid of their child that fast?  Oh how I wished that I could have a conference with them about their child.

So, getting back to the beginning of this post with the Facebook comments.  Please use spell check, ask a friend, an elder, dictionary, or just get a clue.  Go back to school or if you are in school please ask your teacher how to spell “the”, “that,” and a whole host of often phonetically spelled words, which should be memorized by the 8^th grade.   Learn how to read, learn how to spell, and learn how to write.  A note to any parent in the Columbus, Ohio area:  please help your 3^rd grade child to reach the potential so that they can pass this reading test.  It is mandatory, and it can be the ticket to your child reaching they dreams.

So, what do you think?  Where has our education system gone?

My week and the art of being Grateful

Hello-

I have been so busy the last couple of days, including some things that threw me for a loop.  Yes, I am still on BlogHer’s posting challenge, but for some reason, I did not do the one that asks you about a favorite outfit, and I will post something about selecting a book to read.   Maybe.  It will be alright, I do hope that Blogher will account for busy lives.  

photo by google

To make up for Thursday’s missed blog post, I would love to give you a synapsis of my week, which was the worst week to date in 2013.

Sunday was typical Sunday for me.  A friend of mine decided to provide lunch at church and today he will be providing dinner.  After lunch, I decided to go home instead of going to my parent’s. (After all, I had seen them at church.)  I decided to go and get sushi to go and added on Sweet and Sour Pork to the mix.

Monday was my Oops day and I will tell you why?   I had forgot that I had scheduled shopping time with one of my women’s groups.   I asked mom if she would like to go Sunday evening, but she later called that day and said Chacha, the cleaning lady was supposed to help her with the silver, so I said I will not go.   My sister called a short time later and needed a ride to work.   At the time that she called, I had told her that me and mom was going out, but seeing that the store was near her workplace, I asked her if she mind going with me, and she didn’t as long as we get to her job by 8 pm.   Done deal.  

At the store, I found a pair of PJ bottoms to wear when I go out of town, but I had good tops.  Besides that, I did not like the tops they had.  I also found a pair of footy socks and bought my sister a pair, since it was two for one.   I also purchased a jacket for the spring going into early summer to wear next year.   Total amount:  $87.50 after all the discounts were taken off.  Score!

We were running late, and we quickly dashed to the car, and when we were about ready to turn, a Ford truck ran into me.   Oh great!   On top of everything that was recently renovated in the house due to the sewage being backed up by a tree root, and new carpet, painting , revamping of both the security system and heater in the house, and a new valve being put on the engine of the car, now it needs a new hood and grill/bumper replacement.   That’s just wonderful.   On top of that, my sister was upset, and the police was behind the man who hit me.   So they asked us to pull into the parking lot of a store, and took the information.   No citation on my part, but a warning about being in the middle of turning lane on a yellow light.

I was trying to soften the blow to my dad, by calling my mom’s cell, who had gone to pick up my nephew at a friend’s house.   I finally texted my nephew to tell mom that we had been in an accident and no one was hurt.

Tuesday morning I looked at my damaged car.  I was able to drive it home Monday night after the accident report was taken, and now it was sitting in my garage waiting on the insurance people to say something.   I had some work to do, which kept my mind off of the damage.  Wednesday was another shopping day, and this time with my mom to a nearby mall.  I spent $77 on 2 sweaters, an infinity scarf, blanket for my couch (I love to snuggle under blankets), and a box of Moose Munch from Harry and David (my fav).   My dad had taken the car for an estimate, so before I drove it back home, I stopped by Starbucks for my annual Eggnog Latte.  (It was sooo good) I went to bible study that night and I usually ride with mom.

Here is a service announcement….Folks, in case you do not know, when you are in an accident, there are companies out there who will hunt down your accident report and call you so that you can total your car.   I received 4 solicited phone calls from mechanics who purposely looked up my accident report and asked me if I need a repair or to total my car.  “Well, if I needed one, I would have called you, so please talk to my father!”   This is what I wanted to tell each one of them as I answered the phone calls.  Talk about your intensiveness.  I was so mad Wednesday and Thursday, until I could just spit.   At least they could have asked was if I and my sister was alright.  Cars can be replaced, but we can’t.

Thursday was also the day that dad took the car in to be fixed.  So I was without a car.  I also was emotional.   Nope, it wasn’t that time of the month.  I was so over that at age 29.  I wrote a post about my first friend, and took it a little further and talked about my friend Lonnie.  You can read it here if you have not read it. 

Friday, still without a car, I did some business stuff.   Crazy stuff was going throughout the city of Columbus, including a man going on a shooting rampage.

Saturday, I got my car back, and it was bitterly cold outside.  Almost too cold for my new jacket, but dad asked me to take a look at my car, and it is beautiful.   The only thing that needs replacing is the emblem in front of the car.  It is still a reminder that I had the accident.  I finally got a chance to list some items for sale on my Etsy shop.

Now you see why I am grateful this week.  I am also thankful that my dad does not have a temper like I thought he did.  I am thankful that I, my sister, nor the guy was not taken by ambulance, I am thankful that the car nor the man truck was not totaled.   I am thankful for friends, family, and for a God I serve.   I have tons of blessings.

OK this at over 1000 words, so be blessed, and thankful my friend.

Tell us about your first friend.

Hugging Friends   By
Doug Mataconis

I had to think about this for a while.  After careful consideration, I want to explain this:   when I think about a person’s first friend, I can think about my cousins.   Yes, they are your relatives, but they act as your first friends and here is why.  They are the first people you are introduced to after your parents.   These are the people who can hold all your secrets from your parents.  You can laugh with them, play with them, and even hate them for a minute, jump back in as if you never had a hash word to say.

So without a doubt, my first friend was my cousin, Tammy.  She lives 4 hours away from me, and I do not see her much, because we are busy.   Tammy is only 6 months younger than me, and when we were little, she was my ying to her yang.   Total opposites.   I was military raised, while she was raised in Detroit.  She’s bossy while I was the quit one.

Our mothers are 7 years apart, separated by a sister and a brother who died at the age of 7.   My mother is older, while her mother was always accused of borrowing and never returning clothes.  I am in a lot of ways like my mother, while Tammy is defiantly like Aunt Liz. 

In a lot of ways, even though Tammy is younger than me.   I love her like a sister, even though we were not raised in the same area, we could always pick up where we left off.

I want to tell you about my second friend.   I met her when we lived in Southern California.  I was 3 and she was 4 and bossy as well (how did I end up with 2 bossy friends?)  Anyway, her name was Elondrea, Lonnie for short.  Our parents were friends, so that should make us automatic friends, right?  Right.   We lived in San Bernardino and she and her parents lived in Rialto.  I had fun spending the night at her house, because we did activities (not that we did not do activities at my house).  At one time, we both had the same type doll, but my doll had two names:  when she was at home, her name was Carol, but when I carried her over to Lonnie’s house, her name was Billy Jo (to Lonnie’s doll’s name of Bobby Jo).

We moved to McGuire AFB when I was 9, but Lonnie and her mother came to see us twice during that time.  That was the last time Lonnie seemed truly happy.   When we moved to Columbus in 1977, Lonnie came out to stay with us for a year, and she was a changed person.  We were getting into arguments, like any sister would, and while she was staying with us, she started experimenting with drugs, and became pregnant with her first and only child, Sequelia Olivet, Vet for short.   I was one her godmothers.  By then, Lonnie had moved back home, because mom and dad could not handle her.

In 1989 or 1990, Lonnie had taken to the streets of LA and started doing drugs very heavily.  After all, her mom took custody of Vet, so Lonnie felt that she did not have any responsibility.   She was also going with this guy during the time.  One night, Lonnie felt the need to steal some drugs off of him, and he killed her.  To this day, even though I live here in Columbus, it is still one of the things I have a hard time dealing with, and I am crying as I write this part of my post for Wednesday. 

I still miss my friend, Lonnie, but I know why.   Part of it had to with when she was 8, there were family members who started molesting her.  This was when I was 7, and that is something that no kid should ever have to go through.  I thank God that none of them touched me, and I think if they did, my father probably would be in prison and out of the Air Force, because no one messes with his little girl.  I guess when she started using, it was her way to numb the pain that she was felling.  I cannot relate to this. 

This is why I urge all parents to please talk to your children daily.  Make sure you listen to all the clue of a drug problem, bullying, or even that they are being sexual, emotional, or mentally abused. Maybe they cannot talk about it, but be there for them, tell them that you love them, and get them help before it is too late.  Keep them from not ending up like Lonnie.  May 15, 2014 would have been her 51^st birthday.   I wonder what her life would have been if that family member would have kept their hands off of her at age 8.  Her daughter is in her thirties and probably would not have been born.  My parents have not heard from Miss Olivet, Lonnie’s mom in 5 years.   I know this post is long, but Miss Olivet, if you happen to read this post, my parents would love to hear from you.  Please contact them, their number is the same.

Be blessed my friend.  Same to you, Miss Olivet.  Patti.

PS:  Tell me about your first friend.   Comment below.

How much of the day are you plugged in? Do you consciously set aside offline time, or does it happen whenever it happens?

(c) 2015 by P. Lynne Designs

Ok, I must admit something….When this thing called the internet first came into the scene, I was not too thrilled at the thought of it.   Something changed to make me think otherwise and that was my job at CompuServe.   I was at the job for about a year in a half when it was all the rage in Columbus, Ohio.  People do not know that CompuServe was the first Facebook.  OK, I am going to stop right there, because I am aging myself.

Since I left that job in 1995, I have been trying to stay connected.  After I got rid of my free accounts for being an employee at CompuServe, I got an AOL account.   I still have it, but my father uses it.   I wanted more out of just being able to do a few select things.  It wasn’t until I got my account with Time Warner Cable’s Roadrunner that really made me take off in the internet world.   After that, I wanted to blog, sell items, and communicate more.  

2009 was a big year for me.  I started MDN Creates, the blog, I came face to face with Facebook, I opened a Twitter account, and a LinkedIn account.  I love it.  Add in a Pinterest account, a You Tube account that I actually started in 2007 with just viewing videos, and finally an Instagram account, you would wonder if I ever see anyone from the outside world.   As a matter of fact, I do. 

I do things with my family, with my church, and I take long baths (not too long).  I do sleep.   Most of my online presence in comparison to my off-line presence is about 50-50.  I work at home now.  My choice.  Some people still think it is an abomination to work at home while others say they wish they could.    My secret to being present to others is to set aside time for everything.   Sometimes I write it down and sometimes I do not.  My schedule is supposed to be:

• Business 9-5 (M-F)
• Home life (after 6)
• Family (after 6)
• Spiritual time (anytime of the day, because I need those pray moments, and God says not to put him on the backburner)

My schedule has been lately:

• Home life all day! I recently did some major renovations to the house and now I need to fix the car.  I had an accident last night with my sister in the car.  We are alright, but the hood needs replacing.  So there goes the 9-5 aspect, because mechanics are not going to see you after 5 (at least no body shops).  
• Business:  If I can sneak in a blog post or two, a writing assignment, or an ad campaign during 9-5, I am golden.   I would love to be able to contact a sponsor during the day.
• Family:  24/7  I have people who for the life of me cannot understand that if I was at an out of the home job, I would not be able to take you to appointments, go shopping, or have the repair person come into my home.  My purpose for working at home is to start a business, nurture it, and later on, if it gets too much to have it at home, I can buy a building and work from there. 
• Spiritual time:  I attend my church’s bible study on Wednesday nights, church on Sundays, and I try to sneak in a bible study reading or two.  Unfortunately I do not read the Bible in print anymore.  I have it on my Ipad and my phone.  It is more convenient.
• Sleep:  What’s that?   I am kidding.  I do get my sleep, including a power nap in my chair at the computer desk.   I do eat.  In fact, I am thawing out some chicken wings and tomatoes for my first “Everything but the kitchen sink” soup of the season.   It is basically a soup base, plus anything you have in your refrigerator and simmer.   Depending on your combo, it can be very delicious.  It is cold out there, and I need warmth.

Well I am at 730 words, so be blessed, my friend, and comment below your answer to this question about unplugging from your online friends.  

Tell us about a blog post that you didn't publish.

photo from Pinterest.com

Today, Blogher wants to know basically my failed attempt of a blog post that I should have published.    I do not think I have any.  They are one or two of them that are a work in progress, and I am in no hurry to publish them.   The reason are because they are a series of blog posts.  I am regretting that I am not publishing them fast enough.

I have a post that I did regret posting from the very beginning, until I saw how others felt about the same topic.   It was about Abby Lee Miller and Dance Moms on this blog (at the time it was called My Blessed Life.)   The only reason why I felt the way I did was because I did not think other people felt the way I do about the show.  I thing that Abby Lee is an over the top dance teacher, who is abusive towards her students except one, who is her prize student, named Maddie.  She hates the moms even worst.   You will have to read my review to see.  It has received 1112 pageviews to date, when means someone is reading it.  

On my other blogs, it is not as easy to say what not to publish, because I try to stick with the main topic, rather it is paper crafting (P.Lynne Designs), decorating and organization (Simply Organized Crafts), Disney (Traveling to the Mouse’s House), or talking about other products I sell with two direct selling companies (Tricia’s Baskets), there are plenty of posts that I did not publish, based on those blogs.   The blog that you are reading this post on, is sort of my let loose, no holds barred blog, with inspiration tied in, because everyone needs a little encouragement.  

Have I thought about consolidating my blogs?  Yes, because I have a blog coach who thought that I needed to have only one.   I asked myself if it would benefit to let go of 4 blogs, and the answer was no.   I started with one blog, I kept adding on to it, and then I decided to split it.  I just never though that I would split it 5 ways.  

So, this is a short post, so on that note, be blessed my friend.

November 16, 2013: a clean house is a happy house

No Blog prompt tonight.

Photo by P.Lynne Designs

I want to talk to you for a minute about my house.   My house was not a happy house a month ago.  It was very unhappy.  Why?  Well let me tell you.

My house was a prime example of mildly-looking hoarder house.  I am really too embarrassed to say this.  In fact, you may see a snippet of what it looked like 4 weeks ago.  I am calling myself out.   This is what happens when you let something go for what you thought was the good of something else.  In this case, it was my business.   I came up with every excuse in the book for not cleaning.  I did clean around the mess that I had.   What changed my ways?   

The first thing was a friend asked me to type something for her at the last minute.   I thought I was going over there to pick it up.  Not so fast, she came over to my home.   I had to run and hide the laundry, but it was still unbearable for her to see.  So I just grinned, bared it, and let it go.   The second thing was my sister and children came over.  The next day, I thought my niece stopped up the downstairs toilet.  It turned out that the main pipe to all four units was stopped up.  The result was a tree root growing inside, and the half bath, as well as another neighbor’s bathtub stopped up.  My father decided to get in all new carpet and paint the walls, and everything had to leave the house.  So while that was going on, I started weeding things, and now I have a clean downstairs, not messy clean.  I mean clean.

After the walls were painted, the carpet was put down, and the downstairs was organized, one of the carpet installers cut one of the wires to the security system, so a new panel had to be installed, because the old one was super old, and they told me that motion detectors are less efficient.   I thought I was done.

The next to go was the heater.   It quit on me Monday.   How did I know?  I smelled smoke, and it tripped the fire detector.   The heater repair person said that wires that helped the Frankenstein heater (that is a new technical word, folks) had burned out.   So my father decided to Frankenstein it back to health. 

One thing that I did not mentioned is I have been without a dishwasher for two months, You see this whole string of DIY projects really started with the garbage disposer.  I must have dropped a spoon or something in there that cause to reset button to not reset the disposer.   Before that was my computer, and in January, it was my upstairs toilet and stopped up bathtub.  This house has gone through a major transformation, and I have not tackle the issue of wanting to fix up my second bedroom into a craft room.  This is a want, not a “need to hurry up and fix this” job.   My stuff does not come in “3’s” as they say problems comes, they come in “5’s” and “6’s”, but I am glad that the money was available when I needed it.  Thank God for that.

So are you tackling a DIY project right now?   If not, what do you want to do in your home?  It does not have to be a single family home, nor you do not have to own it (just get the landlord’s permission first.)

Have a blessed evening my friend, and sorry the video is too embarrassing to show.  Maybe one day.

If you could quit one bad habit instantly without difficulty, which would it be?

New topic, I cannot answer this one honestly.

Friday night ramble….

From Goggle Images

I cannot think of a thing to write about, honestly, so this is Friday night ramble.  After all, this is my writing blog and I can write about anything I want to.  I am going to try to limit myself to 500 words or less, so here goes.

Facebook and the number of things you do not know about me game…

It seems that there is a game going around on Facebook, where you are tagged and given a number.   Let’s say my number is 7.   Now the object of this game is very simple, you have to name 7 items that people do not know about you.   Once you are finished, it is your turn to tag the next person in your circle of friends.   I am going to be honest….no one has tagged me, and I am feeling a little salty and lonely.   Of course it is a stupid game, but I like it when I am doing something other than seeing if I can get to the next level of Candy Crush or plugging my businesses.  Next topic….

My heating issues….

Well I have a Frankenstein heater now.  I had a Frankenstein heater when it quit on me Monday.   I now know what it is like to be in a deep freezer.  Thank God for parents.   My dad had the repair man on time, I spent Wednesday night at their house, worked on some pocket pages for a new mini book in my old room, and I was good.  My house is now nice and toasty.  Next topic…

Want to learn how to write better?  Keep a journal…A tip.

Honestly, this is how I had the guts to start writing online in a blog.   I write in a journal.   It is actually a word document, and I write about anything that I have an issue with, my hopes and dreams, my insecurities, my aspirations, my successes, and letters to people that I hope will never receive what I really feel.   I write almost daily, and I change the title of the journal when I feel that Word has run out of bytes for that document, then I start a new one.   Your journal does not have to be digital, it can be written the old fashioned way of taking pen to paper and just start writing.   A friend started me, and my first part was on a 3.5 floppy disk (I since then pasted it onto the second part).  I even read my journal sometimes.  If you have not started a journal, you should try it.   Last topic….

My ever changing blogging life….

So far, I have been following Blogher’s blogging prompts.   I did not think that I would enjoy them, but I do.  They make me think and explore a side of myself that I really do not think about.   What about you?   Why not give blogging prompts a try if you cannot think of a topic to write on.  It does not have to be from me or from Blogher.  There are plenty of blog prompts to go around.   Now I am over 500 words. 

Good night, and be blessed, my friend.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Photo by www.marksdailyapple.com

Well, well, well, it looks like Blogher is running with a theme.   It is a challenge that I am willing to take.  I answered the question in my last post, which was published moments ago with my favorite hour, and they are asking me if I am a morning person or night owl.   Well, I am a night owl.   Whoooo!  Whoooo!  I would leave it at that answer and this would be the end of my post, but for some reason I do not like short posts.  So with that, I will give you my reasons for being a night owl other than what I said in the last post….

1.      No phone.   After all, no one calls me at night, except my sister who thinks I am asleep.  Since she now has a job at that time of night, I do not hear from her.

2.      I get uninterrupted bouts of time with Candy Crush.   Ok, see there is this thing called, “numbing the mind,” and I like a moment of that. 

3.      Infomercials.   I would like to give a shout out to AT&T U-Verse for this one.  1/3 infomercial, 1/3 interactive (Which I have not tried, because I am afraid of that extra charge that I got from Time Warner Cable), the rest, taped shows.

4.      Bejeweled Blitz.   See #2.

5.      Facebook, Twitter, and the rest.   If you are not careful, you can spend lots of uninterrupted time posting about stuff.   Can someone answer my question about what to expect on my first Disney Cruise or tag me for this silly answer game going around?   I am not really begging.   No, really.

Last week, I actually cleaned my house at 2 am.   Who does that?  Oh yeah, people like me.    Even when I was working out of the home, I would go to bed at 1 am to get up at 6 am for a 9 am job.   Who does that?  Ok, the night owl.  

Do not judge me, for I might become the opposite when I get old and grey.   I heard of something like that.  I am only 49, so I have a ways to go before that happens, if it happens.   For now, I will enjoy my night owl ways, while every once in a while rise with the chickens (as my grandmother used to do), and grab my cup of coffee or stronger, and pretend like I love getting up.   It is the least I can do for you morning people.

So who are you, morning person, or night owl?    I just need one simple answer.   I am taking a survey.    This is your writing assignment for tonight.

Be blessed, my friend, whoever you are.

What is your favorite hour of the day?

I am behind a day, so I am blessing you with two posts.  I am still dealing with my heater, and the repair person is working on it as I am writing the first of two posts.  I spent the night with my parents in a nicely, toasty, warm bed. Brrr, it is cold in here.  Hummm, tonight I may have to pretend that my heater is out again tonight, so I can spend one more night, before my sister and her daughter commodores the bed on Saturday night.

Anyway, yesterday, Blogher asked the question, “What is your favorite hour of the day?”   I will say without a doubt that it is nighttime.   Here’s why:

I work at home.  My family as a whole, thinks that work at home means you can drop whatever you are doing, and see to their needs.   Here is one thing you may not know about me:  I have no husband, no partner, and no children.   In other words, I am single.   Working at night reduces that need to getting mad at them for asking, and I can still do the things I want and need to do, which includes making things for my online store on Etsy, write in my blogs, or advertise in the different venues online to name a few.   

Do I get sleep?   Yes I do, and so far I wake up between 7-11 am, depending on what I have to do the next day.   Last night, despite the fact I was spending the night with my parents, I brought my work with me.   I sat in the guest bedroom and made 10 pocket pages for a mini book.   I will decorate later.   The parents were asleep, and I was in my element, even though I did not have everything with me.   No, I do not get my adequate amount of sleep.  The average American does not get that 6-8 hours of sleep needed.

I also do things during the day.  After all, the day is when businesses are awake, and I have to deal with it.   I need services too, like for instance, I cannot call the heating repair person to come at 1 am.   My friends value sleep, so I cannot call them to do something at 3 am.  So I have things when it is convenient for everyone else.   I am better than I was 6 months ago.   During that time, I basically stayed up until 6 am, and went to bed.  Suffered on Sunday, because church service was at 10 am.  That meant I had 2 hours of sleep.   All of a sudden, January 2013, I had that sudden urge to go to bed at 11 pm, and it lasted until April 2013.   Now, I am back to my nighttime ritual, but it ends at 3 am, unless I had coffee or something that was pressing on my mind, and then it 4 am.   I am working on going to bed no later than 1 am.

So what is your favor hour?   This is your writing assignment if you choose to take it.   Comment below if you want to spill the beans, or keep it to yourself.   

Be blessed my friend.     

Name five things inside your refrigerator right now and how you feel about them.

Photo by Real Simple Mag.

They say that you are what you eat and at the moment, and I am trying to atone from my former 1-2-donuts-a week-on-second-give-me-fried-anything-as-long-as-I-have-chocolate self.   It is a hard habit to break, and some days I am successful, while other days, forget it.   I am a lot better than what I was for a lot of reasons.  That confession is for a later post.  For now, let me tell you about my fridge.

Food item #1:  Almond and soy milk.   I love milk, but I have learned to love the vegan forms of milk, soy, and almond.   Now I am one of those people who, let’s face it will never be totally vegan.  I was raised a meat eater and will die a meat eater, period.   But I also believe in never say never, and I will say that I love both of these milks.   I still get the dairy kind, because I need my liquid cream for my coffee (flavored), and I love authentic chocolate milk.   There is nothing better than authentic chocolate vitamin D milk.  Whole milk and all.

Food item #2:  Veggies.   I am now eating more fruits and vegetables.   I had a period of time where I could not and would not eat vegetables.   I think it was because I was now living on my own, and I basically said screw it to what my parents taught me, but for some reason, it kind of bit me back.   For one reason, and I really do not fault my parents on it, but I ate a lot of canned veggies in my life.   I started reading about what happens to a person who does not have a balanced meal.   I have now learned to love fresh veggies.

Food item #3:  Cheese.  I love cheese, and it is one of the food habits that me and my father share (seafood, chitterlings, pig’s feet, and hot sauce are other food loves).  We have both learned to eat this stuff in moderation (the pork products), so it is a once a year treat now.

Food item #4:  Condiment bottles:   I have too many.  Enuf (enough) said.   I need to pair them down.

Food item #5:  Meatballs.   Last night, well yesterday, I took them out of the freezer and thought I would cook the whole package.   This is what I am talking about.  The butcher who carefully and lovingly made these meatballs, need to make meatballs for a person of one.   Twelve meatballs are enough for 2 people.  This is what’s wrong with the country.   It is not what’s in the stuff (like meatballs), it is the portion size.   Now I do not mind breaking down a larger package to get two meals out of it, but they do not make it so you can break down things such as meatballs.   So now I have to cook the other half of the package.   It is all about portion control.   No, I did not have to buy the package, but there are very few products out there for a person of one, because the food producers want you to believe that you can eat for two.  It is not right.

So you see, this is my fridge, and I love going grocery shopping.   What I did not talk about was the sushi that I ate two weeks before, or the chocolate that I buy once a month (down from 5 times a month ).   My doctor tells me that I am allowed to eat things in moderation, and as long as they are done that way, I am a happy non-vegan with vegan ways.

Be blessed my friends

Who want to be a guest Blogger?

OK, today, I am not doing Blogher’s topic of the day, which is, “If you had to be trapped in a movie for 5 days, which movie would it be?”  OK, I am going to be honest for a moment and say this woman does NOT want to be trapped in a movie for 1 day, let alone 5 days.   I like Disney movies and I like musicals (modern day), and being trapped with the likes of Timon and Pumba from The Lion King or Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz would  drive me insane enough for me to dislike Disney and musicals forever.   Do not pin that one on me, Blogher.

Instead, I am going to find out if anyone has a taste for being a guest blogger.  Yes, I am running with a theme, so bear with me for a moment.  

I am going to ask you a couple of questions and depending on how you well answer them, it will determine if you have the knack to be a guest blogger.

photo by Get snazzy.com

Do you have a post stuck in your head?   In other words, do you have a topic you know something about, and you have all the resources lined up and have put your thoughts to electronic pen to electronic paper (AKA a good word processing program). 

If you do have one, is it ready for the type of blog or website you are looking for?   Let me clarify…. An example would be I have a blog about organizing the home and I am looking for a guest blogger.  The type of post I am looking for has to do with organizing a child’s playroom, because this is time of the year, when children receive lots of toys, and mom does not have the time to step on or over every piece of toy (old and new) the child takes out to play with?  Would you have a solution for my reader who happens to be a mom?  The post has to be copy ready to submit. 

One of the misconceptions about being a guest blogger is you need to have a blog.  No so, but it would help.   You could be a first-time writer looking for exposure.  If you write to a popular blog, you can add this to your resume.  

Another important thing is that you are a good writer.  

• Is it well-organized? 
• No misspelled words, grammar mistakes
• You must writing it in the language of the owner, unless they have a multi-language blog.  Yes, there are translator software out there, but do not count on it.
• Another thing is do not depend on the spell-checker either.  Both may not be up-to-date with current rules for spelling and grammar.   
• Non-Americans, there is a difference between words like favor/favour, color/colour, and organize/organise.  Americans do not use the Queen’s English, like the rest of the world does. Sometimes we have be reminded that a lift is an elevator and a flat is an apartment/condo. 
• Dates, do not get me started on the difference between July 21, 2013 and 21 July 2013.  We just know that any date past 12 is the date, because there are 12 months in a year.   
• Watch your flow, and be careful that you do not have a run-on sentence because these things can be a bit messy when a person is trying to read and they do not know when to STOP!  (Yes, that was intentional, are you out of breath yet?)
• Finally, we have not gotten use to the metric system.  the government tried, and we failed miserably.    

On a serious note, if you keep all of these things in mind, you can be successful as a writer and a guest blogger.   Oh, and another thing.  READ ALL OF THE BLOG OWNER’S RULES AND REGULATIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING A POST.  Nothing irritates a blog owner more, than when a guest blogger submits a post, and the blog owner has to say no the guest blogger, because rules were not followed.   Rules are there for a reason.   Before you submit, if you do not see the rules, ask the blog owner if there is anything that you should watch for when writing.   It is common courtesy and the end of the day, when you submit a post, and you can imagine the blog owner reading your post, smiling because this is the one day they can rest and not rush.  This the point where you can also relax, because you have been published, and it feels good.   Who knows, they may ask for another one, and another one still.  Just be ready to submit it.

Be blessed, my friend, and write on.

I Have No Heart for Christmas.

I have no heart for Christmas, tho snow is dusting sweet

Up and down the silent town, whitening the street.

For I am all but homeless; my wages are reduced.

What be the treat if I must meet my friends in rags unspruced? 

I have no heart for Christmas, for jolly present giving.

It’s been a year of shifts austere; I’ve been through quite a sieving.

The government spreads folly, the people whine and slink.

Corruption stands in many lands, refreshed with food and drink.

I have no heart for Christmas; its meaning is concealed

By bearded guys in cheap disguise with candy canes congealed.

Better to forget about the chants and boundless junk

For tawdry sale through hill and dale – I’d rather be a monk.

I have no heart for Christmas – but stay!  What’s this I feel?

Kindled slow but like a blow from some great bell’s first peal.

My heart is but an organ; it cannot stop the Spirit

Of Joy sublime this Christmastime, if I but choose to rear it!  

About the author:  Tim Torkildson is an editor of online websites, including Scripture Poetry. http://www.scripturepoetry.com/  

Guest Bloggers R Us

Today, I am taking a break from journaling blogging for Blogher, because for one, there is not prompt for today. (And the last one I just posted a few hours ago because I was late.)  Anyway, I am on here to introduce a Guest blogging post.   I did it before, and the results were not so great.   I gave my requirements, and people gave me posts that were not right for my blogs.   I went ahead and published them anyway.   One post I got like over a hundred hits, because it talked about internet marketing, something I never covered, except in a two month old blog that never amounted to anything.   Are people that interested in making money on the web, I asked myself.  

Photo courtesy of www.transitioning.com

Anyway, this time, I went on Blog Linkup to request guest blogging for the holidays.   These reason is clear, we all need encouragement and a little plug in our lives, and I hope to do that for all 5 of my blogs.  

So if you want to submit something, let me know through my email address, plogan721@att.net (subject:  Guest blog) with your idea, or if you are or want to be a Facebook friend (TriciaLynn Logan) or through Twitter (DM @tricia721).

The next post is by Tim Torkildson.   I hope you like it, and show him some blogging love by going to his blog and follow him.  I will have rules for guest blogging on a separate page.

Be Blessed, my friend

Tricia 

Tell us what you've learned so far about daily blogging.

Today, is the 6^th day of blogging daily, and the hardest so far.  First of all, I love blogging, and I have made a commitment to blog at least 3 times a week.  Some weeks are the hardest, because I can be easily distracted by other things in my life.  Some people think, why blog if it hard?  To that, I say, that is the fun part.  I want to teach, to vent when I do not like something, to encourage someone who thinks they do not have it all together when it is really the opposite, and get someone to think and try something new for once.   This is the why I blog.

A week ago, I decided to give myself a challenge and that challenge is to see if I could keep this up on a daily basis.   After all, the experts say that is how you gain traffic, right?  So far I have learned that you need to have something to say, before you gain a following or traffic.  I have learned over the past 5 years that I have been blogging, a following does not necessarily constitutes traffic, and unless you put your blog on an RSS feed, you are considered a pass through.  Your content has to have meaning and promotes an interest with people.   You know what else I have learned from this experience?

I have learned that you need to set aside a time that you are comfortable with, that does not interfere with me time, family time, and the all-important meditation time.   For the moment, I must admit that I have not found the perfect time to sit down and write a post at the same time each day. (Like morning time) In case you are wondering how I started blogging and how I blog, you will have to check out a post that just popped into my head on my SimplyOrganized Crafts blog.   By the time you all read this, I would have posted it there, but I will have a back link to it on this post.

Other things I have learned:

When you do not have to come up with a topic is not part of your planning phase, life become much easier.  I do recommend you sit for a few minutes and have a planning pow-wowwith yourself.  Do not just start writing, because you can become easily distracted and next thing you know, you are talking about pink elephants in tutus, instead of talking about the meaning of “the elephant in the room.”  Believe me, I have been there.

Lastly (Hallelujah, it is short post tonight), I have learned that you are going to get some days where you look at your pageviews and see that 400 people like what you have to say about the Justin Beiber’s brothel scandal, because you have said exactly what they wanted to say, and then there are days where people do not care what you have to say about it, because they are tired of the topic.  That is the day where you will see 0-20 pageviews, and you want to quit.  Do not worry, as a friend once told me, pageviews do not matter.  What matters is that you got your point across and you are posting on a consistent basis.

Be Blessed, my friend.

Day 5: If you had to switch your first name, what name would you choose and why?

Pick a name.  Any name.    Photo from Google images.

What is in a name that is so sweet?   Ok, I am not exactly quoting Shakespeare, but it is a line in the play Romeo and Juliet.   (I switched the word “tis” for the words “that is.” ) I have never been big on the thee and thu) (or the spelling apparently).   Anyway, Blogher has thrown me a curve ball on this one.

Switch my name?  Who me?

I had to learn to love my name.  Back in the 1970’s, there were so many girls named Patricia, until one 7^th grade English teacher of mine, named Mrs. Toth, had to call me “Logan”, when she wanted my undivided attention.   No Patty (we were all Patties it seemed), and to call me “Tricia” (which by the way is my preferred nickname now) was unheard of.    If you call me Pat or Patsy (a name which one neighborhood family insisted on calling me) I may have to resort to violence in the worst way.   I do not like neither nickname.

Does anyone remember an SNL skit where a person named Pat was a featured character?  You did not know if it was a man or a woman.  I felt like that come mail time, because once a month, I would get the iconic, “Mr. Pat Logan” mail.   I would mumble to myself, does this person know that I am and will always be a woman?

For most women (and girls) named Patricia, you got one of two middle names, Lynn or Ann.  My middle name is Lynn (spelled with no “e”), at least that is what I thought most women named Patricia had for a middle name.   I have a friend, whose name is Patricia Lynell. (Well, it was close to Lynn).  Mom said she loved the name Lynn, so she had to come up with the iconic name to fit Lynn.  Well, she had two boy names that she and my father agreed to, Reginald and Ronald.   I could have been a Regina Lynn or a Ronalda Lynn, but she did not think of it that way.

So let’s address me switching my name….

Given all of these elements that I felt had troubled my name, I really do not have a true reason to switch my name.   I love playing with my name.  My sister’s name is Schaundra, (Pronounced like Chandra) given to her by her biological mother (I am my parent’s only biological child).  My brother was named after my father when he was adopted.   So I cannot be a Sydney (female spelling of the Sidney (my father’s spelling)).    I could have been a Latricia, but I would have to congratulate my uncle and his ex-wife for naming their eldest daughter that name.   He forgot that I was a Pa-Tricia.  I guess calling me Patti or Lynn all those years did not click in their heads, since people in South do name their daughters Patty.  

If you really want to push the issue, I like the names Mariah, Tamara, and Maranda.  Those are the names I have reserved for my daughter, should I get to adopt.   I also like the name Sidnea (pronounced Sid-ne-a) and Imani.  My niece has an interesting name, Nine’na.  (Pronounced like it is spelled.)  

No, I have grown to ask people to call me Tricia, and not too many people named Patricia who can ask others to call them that.   It means noble, and that is good enough for me.  So what is your desired name to switch to?   Comment below.

Be blessed my friend, no matter what your name is.

Day 4: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

From Google images

Today, Blogher is asking a somewhat difficult question.  What would I change about myself, and it has to be one thing.  Before I give my answer to this question I do want to say this:   If you were to ask me this question about 25 years ago, I would have given you more than one thing.   I did not like myself as far as the way I looked.  I wanted to be someone else.   I always thought I was beautiful, but as a child I wanted to model, become a professional dancer, and an actor.  To get the most money out of these professions, you have to be tall enough, and I was told on several occasions by family members that I would never be tall enough to do these things.  On top of that, my forearms are short, so that also would have put a damper on my plans. 

In these professions, people are looking for long lines, not how well you can show off a dress, deliver a line, or execute a move.   They want to know if they put you in a photo shot, play, or dance number how well you look with others.   In other words, these professions will do the old “school yard” trick, where they taunt and tease you for your looks, before they praise you for your talent.  What they do not realize is that a person who is 5 feet can display objects and do well as a person who is 5 feet 10 inches.   So, what do you think my answer will be in the next paragraph or two in today’s question?

My answer is not a physical change.   I stopped growing at age 13 like most girls, and the doctors told me that due to a couple of bone problems in my arms at birth, my forearms were not going to get any longer.  Only pixie dust and a bit of magic could change that.   Leave that one to Tinkerbelle, another Disney fav of mine. 

My answer is simply about how I open my mouth.   I have always been a quiet person.  I get that from my mother.   I would love to be able to talk a little more and I have gotten a little better.   I do not like talking over people, because I feel like I am not getting my point across when a lot of people are talking at once.  Is it frustrating? Yes it is, because I often do not get a chance to say what I need to say. 

A perfect example was Sunday.  It was All Saints day, and during the sermon, my pastor asked members of the congregation to list the saints who have go on and have help that person to be where they are today.  I stood up at the last minute, she did not see me.  She went on with her sermon.   Mommy urged me to speak up, but I said no.  I was going to mention my grandparents and a friend who had died in 2002.  If I had been a little more aggressive about it, I would have interrupted before my pastor could go on, but I did not.   This is the time I needed to change.   I would have said, “Excuse me, I have something to say, “And said my peace.

Sometimes, being quiet is a good thing.  I can listen to someone, without interrupting, and say something after that person has vented, cried and basically get it off their chest.  Sometimes all a person needs is for someone to talk to and to listen to them.  If you always have something to say, you may miss things, because you are always talking.   This is what I always tell my sister, who is the opposite of me.  She is also taller too. 

So sometimes, wanting to change something may be a bad thing too.  I learned to accept the physical things that are wrong with me, to love myself.  I had often wondered if I had the opposite problem of being a tall girl, what that would be like?  That problem came to a girl I knew in the 5^th grade.  I was the shortest and she was the tallest at 6 feet.  We were both teased.   So think about it?

Comment below, and be blessed my friend, and love yourself the way God intended you to be. 

Writing Prompt Day 3: Tell us about your writing space. Where do you write your blog posts?

www.home-designing.com -

Today, I am being asked by BlogHer to tell them about my writing space.   Before I go into where I write, I want to talk about writing space in general.  This is what I love about writing.   Finding a space to write is so non-constricted.  You can take an old beat-up typewriter or computer and find a space for a desk and write there, to cuddling up in a chair with just a pen and piece of paper and start writing.  In fact, I am coming up with some challenges for the first of 2014 (January) for people to do, and one of the challenges is to write out of your comfort zone.   Well, enough of that, and there will be more details later.

Where do I write my blog posts?

I write my blog posts at a desk in the corner of my office/dining room.  My home has technically 10 rooms:  kitchen, dining room, living room, and half bath downstairs; master bed, master bath, and second bed for upstairs.  The 9th room is the garage (yes, they have now declared the garage as a room for your car, spooky).   There is a 10^th room, and it is my patio (the decorating experts declared that as a room too).  I have turn my split my dining room in 3:  dining room/office/downstairs craft room, and I have split my second bedroom into a bedroom/upstairs craft room.  The half bathroom houses my washer and dryer.   My computer is in the corner of the dining/office/craft room combo, and I pen my posts there.

Later, I will tell you how I pen my posts.  For today, I decided to behave, and just write about the writing space.  So comment below:  If you blog (or write at all), where you write?

Be blessed, my friend.

Day 2: Who is your favorite character of all time?

OK, it is day 2, and I am playing catch-up.   I submitted my blog post for Friday just a couple hours ago, and now I am running.  Today’s prompt ask me what my favorite character of all time is.  

First of all, I hate to admit it, but I am a big Disney fan.   Yes, I am that big kid people have warned you about, lol.   Disney is not the only one with characters.   I have lots of characters that I love for different reasons, but real and fiction.  So I am not going to name my all-time favorite character.  I am going to name my favorite characters, both real and fiction.   Let’s start with the fiction:

In Disney, I love Minnie Mouse.   The reason is she is fun, cute, and she is going after her man (Mickey Mouse) no matter what.   She may get mad at him for a minute, but she loves him anyway. (What woman (Ummm mouse) wouldn’t?) She does get annoyed with her girlfriends (Daisy duck and Clarabelle Cow), but does not stay mad long.

Next there is Princess Tiana.  First she was determined to open her restaurant, willing to work two or three jobs.   When they said no, she was trying to find a way to get that building, when she was thrown into an unusual situation:  kissed a frog and was turned into one herself.   She overcame voodoo, an idiot prince, and the like to not only get her business but to change that prince as well.

OK, this next person is going to age me a bit, but I will assure you that I am not that old.   I choose The Bionic Woman’s Jaime Somers for this one.   (Yes, I am at least 45, LOL).  Look at this:   you go on a date, have an accident that have you plummet from the sky, only to be told that you cannot hear out of one ear, use one arm and cannot walk one minute, then given technology to help you do the impossible the next.   I call that strength and courage to tenth degree.   I have to give it to the acting talent of Lindsay Wagner, who did not want to see Jaime become some ditzy woman.  She wanted Jaime to have a purpose in life, and not just go on some stupid mission for OSI, but to make a difference in someone’s life.   This is the reason why I did not like the 2007’s version of the show.   It ruined the reason why Ms. Wagner fought to have her version of Jaime the way she was.   Bright, smart, and cheerful, not bitter and dumb.

OK, I have a few moment for the real people, so let’s go…

Ruth and Naomi:  two woman in the bible who did not deal with each other after Naomi’s son and husband were killed.  They could have gone their separate ways, but God brought them together, and Ruth was more than just a daughter in law to Naomi, but a true daughter.   They teach you that family does not have to be blood, and after Ruth marries Boaz, Naomi is still in her life.

Mary, the mother of Jesus:   This was a teenager who was told by god that she was to have a son, without, I repeat, without getting married.   This is why I do not talk down to single mothers, because when Mary gave birth to Jesus, she was not married, and God choose her anyway.   A person should not judge any woman who decides to become a mother, no matter what the situation is.

If you notice my favorite characters, they are all female and they have endured.  It does not matter if they are playful (Minnie), resourceful and strong (Jaime, Princess Tiana, Ruth and Naomi), or was in God’s favor (Mary), these are all characters that I would love to see more of in me.   I may have not have dated a mouse, granted super-human strength, dealt with the loss of family, turned into something I wasn’t, or given birth to someone greater than myself, but these are strengths that I most admire.

So who is your favorite character or do you have a group of characters you can draw from?   Comment below and be blessed my friend.

If you found one million dollars in the morning and had to spend it by nightfall, what would you do with the money?

I am taking part in Blogher’s NABLOPOMO for November, but I have a confession to make.   I did not have one for Yesterday, and I have already written one for today, so you are being blessed with two posts.  

The title says it all.  If I found a million dollars and had to spend it by nightfall, what would I do with the money?

First of all, I would call up my favorite charities a total of $600,000.   That would leave me with $400,000 to work with.   Next would be my church for $100,000.  This leaves me with $300,000.  Invest 100,000 of it.  (it did not say anything about I cannot invest).   $10,000 towards bills.  This leaves me $190,000.   The rest I would spend paying off my up and coming trips (March and June 2014), helping my businesses, updating my wardrobe, getting a new car, and a down payment on a house.  I will throw in some gifts for the family too.

Note:  The instructions did not say that I cannot hold on to it in some ways.  What about you?

Be Blessed, my friend.

Ye who is without sin cast the first stone….

I have been obsessed with the whole, “Burn in Hell” type concept, and I want to take a minute to address that to those Christians who feel the need to “cast the first stone” and judgment.   This has been on my heart for several weeks now, and it has me a little upset.

First of all, if you are reading my blog for the first time and you are a Christian, I am one too.   I want to ask you a couple of questions to answer to ONLY yourself:  What is a Christian and am I being the best Christian I can possibly be?  If you are reading and studying God’s word and understanding what God is trying to tell you, that’s great?  Good for you.  I attend my church weekly bible study, attend church on most Sunday, and I am active participate in my church’s activities.   I will admit that I do not pick up my bible everyday like I should, and I have access to not only a printed bible, but also a bible on my Android and Ipad.  So, I cannot say that I do not have an excuse to not read and study His word, but that is the fairly easy part.

The next part should be easy; Do you except Jesus as your Lord and Savior?   If you said yes to that question, done.   You cannot get to heaven on just God alone.   Jesus is God’s son, and I do not know how else to put it, because God did send Jesus to save the world.   To those that believe that Jesus was just a mere prophet, you are dead wrong.   People back then during his time believe that, but those who were touched by his healings and miracles knew Jesus was much more than just a prophet, and this included his disciples.  I accepted Jesus at the age of 11. For those who think that was a little young and think that I did not know what that means, no it is not, because I have been attending Sunday school since the age of 3, so I knew exactly what I was doing when the base Chaplin baptized me.   Does that mean I have days that are easy and fun?  No it does not, but I know where to go when I am having those bad days.   More on that in another post.

This last part is what I have a problem with.   Extreme Christians and showing God’s love.   I realize that there are sin being committed every day.   There is gambling, cheating on anything and anyone, extreme sex, lies, embezzlement, bearing false witness,  and the list goes on and on.   Did you know that judgment is one of them?   I am pretty sure it is one of them.   Let me give you an example: 

You have a friend.  Let’s call her Diane.  Diane is in love with this person she just met.  They are her moon and stars, and they complete her.   Did she forget to tell you that he is married with two kids?   Did she also fail to tell you that one of those kids is in her preschool child’s class?  The same kid she had with an unmarried man 4 years ago.   How would you minister to her? Now Diane has not be in church since she was a teen, and her parents did not push the issue, even though they are regular church goers.  Extreme Christians would have her in “burning hell”, splashed Holy water on her, without telling her why it is wrong for her to act the way that she does.  A Christian, on the other hand, would have loved her the way she was, asked if she know who Jesus was, and have taken baby steps with her, because she may have accepted Jesus before all of this came about, but lost her way. 

But what if Diane did not want to change at that moment?  Love her anyway.  Eventually, something would rubbed off on her to get her to change, but you are still not judging her for her actions.  You pray for her, and you show her the kindness that Jesus would have showed her if he was standing right in front of her. 

This is just the personal aspect of whole judgment bit.  Let me throw in when people take kids trick or treat, acknowledge Santa and the Easter Bunny, or if someone decides to drink.   My question is what are you doing in your own home and in your own community that makes you “Holier than thou” from everyone?  If you do not like the whole concept of “Trick or treat”, have alternatives by throwing a party.  Same thing with Santa and the Easter bunny.  This may be a good way of introducing Christ to people who do not know about him, without forcing the issue.   For drinkers, have a virgin party (same type of drinks without the alcohol).  They will not miss it for one night.

John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  We are not perfect.  Only God is perfect, and he understands.   It is our job on this Earth to minister, but not stuff God’s word down people’s throats.  This is how you lose people, if you minister in a fire and brimstone method.   Showing God love by just being there sometimes may actually change the hearts of some of these people.  Sometimes it just takes time.    

Be Blessed, my friend.