Like Trump, like Obama.
Pro-choice, Pro-life.
City, country.
Rock, rap.
Tomato, tomahhhhtoe.
These are choices. You pick one or the other. Or maybe you don't like either. Perhaps you like both. Regardless, you use your own convictions and pick which side of the fence you will stand on. At least that's how it used to be. What happened to this country that we no longer can each have our own opinion, but instead believe that everyone must agree with us or die?
On a positive note, it is good to see people caring and speaking with passion. But we cannot let our emotions fuel everything that we do. In America, we can voice our opinions, we can even protest, but why does everything have to be a never-ending debate that goes on and on and on and on. Recently, I have seen choices lead to destroying friendships, breaking up families and just flat out causing major hate. I have only one thing to say about that... Come on people!
This makes me so very sad! However, I would've thought that after the inauguration we could actually get back to living our lives again, sadly this is not the case. Not for either side. The debating and the rudeness continues. Nasty pictures and bitter words flood social media. Protesters still flood the streets and even hang from high places trying to make their point.
Let me be clear, I am not against a peaceful protest; it's not how I would deal with something but if that is how someone wants to handle things it is their right to do so. But the nastiness and bitterness just needs to stop. We are showing no class and no love for each other. And yes, a lot of this is coming from Christians, why are we acting like the world?
We all have had our chance to speak. It's time to end the debates and end the nastiness. Can we all just be human again? Black, white. Democrat, Republican. Christian, Atheist. We all still have one thing in common; we are all still human. We can agree to disagree and live together in unity. Otherwise we will just kill each other off. There is far too much hate in this country.
I am speaking to myself as much as I am to anyone. I am very passionate about being pro-life. I know very personally the pain that abortion causes and I want to tell the world that this is about more than just a simple choice and a clump of cells. However, I have many friends that are pro-choice and who disagree with me. I don't hate the people who disagree with me. I understand that they are people with their own mind and convictions. That is how God made them and it is up to God to show them right from wrong, not me. I have to remind myself that I cannot let my emotions control me in my speech or deed.
I have caught myself recently sharing a post on Facebook or getting into a debate. I have to remind myself that while it's ok for me to speak my mind, there has to be a point where you say "enough is enough" and just let it die. The president will be the president regardless of how many times I stand and say whether I like him or not. People will disagree with others and want to say that they deserve more. People will march against something whether I agree or not and they will dress up in nasty costumes and say nasty things. But that doesn't mean that I have to share them; or even give them a second of my time.
The more times someone shares a post with these pictures or comments on a post from the media (which is a huge part of this problem, there is no debate about that) we are giving the troublemakers exactly what they want. It is time to stop giving these people the attention that they so desperately want. We are the ones keeping it alive. We have to let it go.
The Bible tells us that love covers a multitude of sins. That if we have an enemy we are to pray for them. That vengeance belongs to God. Let's let Him have it. Maybe we should stay out of the way and let Him do His work. Let us pray... instead of fight!
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Be You, Let Them Be Them
I am so sad to see all the division in our world today. Sadly, there have always been division lines between race or religion (which I totally disagree with, but I will get to that later.) but division is no longer against groups, it is simply against people. Everyone is an individual, but it seems that the current attitude is that all people are their own island and superior to each other.
This is a very dangerous belief. We live in a world where we have to communicate with others. Even if you live far out in the country, you still have to have relationships with others. Humans were created as social beings. When we isolate ourselves into thinking that we are better than everyone else we are essentially deciding that no one is worthy of social interaction with us unless we are in control. This has caused a self-absorbed, arrogant world.
We as a society need to get back to a place where freedom reigns again. Everyone should be able to be free to be themselves and to be accepted, appreciated and loved. God did not create us all the same; He gave us all different abilities to keep everything interesting, not so we would go against each other. We should celebrate the differences in each other and see how they cause us to fit together perfectly like a puzzle instead of mocking each other and thinking of others as less than.
The truth of the matter is we are all sinners. Not one person is perfect; we all have our struggles. One person is really good at one thing and really bad at another; this is a condition that is common to all humans. So we can stop picking on each other!! It shouldn't matter about anyone's skin color, religion or length of their hair. Where a person is from doesn't matter or how much money they have in the bank. You can always find someone who is better off than you, but you can also always find someone who is worse off than you.
I won't get into the reasons of why I believe we have become so divided. At this point, I don't even think the "why" matters anymore. All that matters is that we wake up and stop. Stop judging. Stop mocking. Stop thinking we are better or less than. Instead, we need to start! Start loving. Start accepting. Start finding ways to bridge the gaps and get along. Realize that we are all alike. Let us become one group of people, rather than individuals refusing to stand together.
This is a very dangerous belief. We live in a world where we have to communicate with others. Even if you live far out in the country, you still have to have relationships with others. Humans were created as social beings. When we isolate ourselves into thinking that we are better than everyone else we are essentially deciding that no one is worthy of social interaction with us unless we are in control. This has caused a self-absorbed, arrogant world.
We as a society need to get back to a place where freedom reigns again. Everyone should be able to be free to be themselves and to be accepted, appreciated and loved. God did not create us all the same; He gave us all different abilities to keep everything interesting, not so we would go against each other. We should celebrate the differences in each other and see how they cause us to fit together perfectly like a puzzle instead of mocking each other and thinking of others as less than.
The truth of the matter is we are all sinners. Not one person is perfect; we all have our struggles. One person is really good at one thing and really bad at another; this is a condition that is common to all humans. So we can stop picking on each other!! It shouldn't matter about anyone's skin color, religion or length of their hair. Where a person is from doesn't matter or how much money they have in the bank. You can always find someone who is better off than you, but you can also always find someone who is worse off than you.
I won't get into the reasons of why I believe we have become so divided. At this point, I don't even think the "why" matters anymore. All that matters is that we wake up and stop. Stop judging. Stop mocking. Stop thinking we are better or less than. Instead, we need to start! Start loving. Start accepting. Start finding ways to bridge the gaps and get along. Realize that we are all alike. Let us become one group of people, rather than individuals refusing to stand together.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Perspective:The World Is What You Make It
As the world awaited the coming of the new year the same old expectations began rising up. As I watched Facebook I saw the typical phrases, "New year, new me", "Let's make this year count!", "January 1st is coming, we can have a new, fresh start, let's go!" It's the same every year and I'm used to it by now. However there was one that really got me thinking; "I hope 2017 is better than 2016!" I can assure you, the change of the year on the calendar will not make things better for you.
There was a time in my life (the majority of my life actually!) when I would have said the very same thing. But God has been working with me on those thoughts this past year and I'd like to share with you what He has been showing me.
The first important lesson is that life is hard. It doesn't matter what your situation is, rich or poor, white or black, busy or bored, life is going to have it's hard times. There will always be problems, there will always be deaths, there will always be drama. We can be sure of this just as sure as we can be that the sun will come up in the morning. Once we get a handle on that truth then we can better deal with problems when they come. Don't be surprised, don't let it catch you off guard, be expecting it, and be prepared, then it will be bearable.
The other side of that, and this can be just a surprising to some, life can be good as well! The hard ties may last for what seems like forever, but there are good things in this life. We take advantage of this so often. Even in the worst of times there are always things that we can reach out and grab a hold of that are good. Special blessings that we may not notice otherwise. A cool wind on a hot day. Running into a friend at the store when things are rough. A hug from an innocent child. Maybe even just a smile from someone you don't even know. Personally that has blessed me recently, just knowing that the whole world isn't against me and that things might just be ok after all. Sometimes we have to look hard for these blessings, but they are there.
With the knowledge that there are going to be both good times and bad times, you now have a choice. Where are you going to put your focus? Sadly, I have lived the majority of my life focusing on the bad. I complain about the cold outside and ignore the fact that I have a warm house to live in. I might feel sad that I can't have a steak but forget that I have a kitchen full of good food and the gift of being able to cook it. I get frustrated because my kids are loud instead of being grateful that they are here and healthy.
We have become a society of complainers, but we are blessed beyond measure. That is why we wonder every year if things will be better on January 1st than they were on December 31st. The answer to that question is that it depends on you. It is all in your perspective and how you see things. The old adage "There is always someone who is worse off" is so very true. Yes, you can always find someone who is better off than you; they could have more money, more friends, more security, whatever, but there is also always someone who is worse off than you. Do you want 2017 to be the best year ever? Start looking for the good in everything. Don't let the bad things get you down. Take your time working through the issues, then leaven them in the past and don't allow yourself to get bitter.
Would you like to test my theory out? Take a stroll through Walmart; smile and be pleasant to everyone you run into. Some will be rude, some will probably make you want to explode, but look at them, smile and say "Hello, have a great day!" When you walk out of that store, not only will you have made someone else's day brighter, you will notice that your mood will be better as well. I have tried it. It amazed me. Go ahead, make 2017 the best year ever! It's all in your perspective.
There was a time in my life (the majority of my life actually!) when I would have said the very same thing. But God has been working with me on those thoughts this past year and I'd like to share with you what He has been showing me.
The first important lesson is that life is hard. It doesn't matter what your situation is, rich or poor, white or black, busy or bored, life is going to have it's hard times. There will always be problems, there will always be deaths, there will always be drama. We can be sure of this just as sure as we can be that the sun will come up in the morning. Once we get a handle on that truth then we can better deal with problems when they come. Don't be surprised, don't let it catch you off guard, be expecting it, and be prepared, then it will be bearable.
The other side of that, and this can be just a surprising to some, life can be good as well! The hard ties may last for what seems like forever, but there are good things in this life. We take advantage of this so often. Even in the worst of times there are always things that we can reach out and grab a hold of that are good. Special blessings that we may not notice otherwise. A cool wind on a hot day. Running into a friend at the store when things are rough. A hug from an innocent child. Maybe even just a smile from someone you don't even know. Personally that has blessed me recently, just knowing that the whole world isn't against me and that things might just be ok after all. Sometimes we have to look hard for these blessings, but they are there.
With the knowledge that there are going to be both good times and bad times, you now have a choice. Where are you going to put your focus? Sadly, I have lived the majority of my life focusing on the bad. I complain about the cold outside and ignore the fact that I have a warm house to live in. I might feel sad that I can't have a steak but forget that I have a kitchen full of good food and the gift of being able to cook it. I get frustrated because my kids are loud instead of being grateful that they are here and healthy.
We have become a society of complainers, but we are blessed beyond measure. That is why we wonder every year if things will be better on January 1st than they were on December 31st. The answer to that question is that it depends on you. It is all in your perspective and how you see things. The old adage "There is always someone who is worse off" is so very true. Yes, you can always find someone who is better off than you; they could have more money, more friends, more security, whatever, but there is also always someone who is worse off than you. Do you want 2017 to be the best year ever? Start looking for the good in everything. Don't let the bad things get you down. Take your time working through the issues, then leaven them in the past and don't allow yourself to get bitter.
Would you like to test my theory out? Take a stroll through Walmart; smile and be pleasant to everyone you run into. Some will be rude, some will probably make you want to explode, but look at them, smile and say "Hello, have a great day!" When you walk out of that store, not only will you have made someone else's day brighter, you will notice that your mood will be better as well. I have tried it. It amazed me. Go ahead, make 2017 the best year ever! It's all in your perspective.
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