Alarmist

I never thought I was an alarmist, but lately I've noticed a lot of alarmists out there and it's making me rethink how I react to issues. Often when I learn something that I have a strong opinion about, I react as an alarmist. I panic; my mind races; i'm easily agitated; I share the opinion readily with others; I expect others to react like I do. That is the definition of an alarmist. It's an unrational reaction to a nonsensical issue. It's also called a knee jerk reaction. With careful thought and consideration, a rational and intelligent person can view the issue with nary a wince. A logical person will evaluate both sides and arrive at a conclusion that requires little to no elevation in blood pressure.

After seeing the increase in alarmists in the world lately, I have to reevaluate my own tendency to do the same. For example, the swine flu. Every day we hear in the news that more cases are being diagnosed, schools are closing, people are quarantined and some even die of the illness. We also hear that there is a vaccine but there is a shortage or it hasn't been released yet. Oh!....the panic and pandemonium this is creating! Now let's look at the other side. The swine flu is not much different than the regular flu. Aches, pains, fever, lethargy. The vast majority of those who have gotten it in the US have fully recovered. Those who have died had compromised immune systems that would have died with any communicable disease they would have been exposed to. Sad, but true. The vaccine? From what I've heard, the long term effects are not known yet, since there has not been enough time to test it. We do know that too many vaccines are not good for us. It introduces too many toxins in the system and THAT weakens our immune system that we are trying so hard to protect. And what's with the shortage? Is it a way for the government to hold back as leverage for healthcare reform? Are people supposed to beg for it? Is the swine flu intentionally being put out there for the alarmists to do their job and get us all worked up about the pandemic and create a desire to have this unattainable vaccine that hasn't even been fully tested?

It reminds me of the time when I was a child and I was on a summer vacation with my family. We were outside on a very hot day on a tour that seemed to last forever (as it always seems when you're a kid). I was getting thirstier and thirstier as the time dragged on. At the end of the tour we hit a cafe and my dad ordered sodas for all of us. I grabbed the first one that got set on the counter, and chugged it until my thirst was quenched. It wasn't until the glass was half full that I had realized that I wasn't drinking a cola, but a root beer, which I hate!! It tasted awful after my desire for drink was satisfied. Had I not been so desperate to drink something, I would have taken the time to notice what drinks were being set on the counter. I would have selected the right one for me, based on logic and patience and not out of desperation.

After that episode, I try to way out the pros and cons of every decision and do my research carefully. A knee jerk reaction can hurt not only ourselves but others. Patience is a virtue
Ecclesiastes 7:7-9 (NIV) reads "Extortion turns a wise man into a fool,and a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

God bless!

My Daytimer

Everyone has their vices. For me, it's dry lips. I have to have lip balm within arms reach wherever I am. I probably have about 10 sticks in strategic places throughout our small house and then one in each car and of course another in my purse.

Another vice I have is my Daytimer. I can't go far without it in my hand. The cover is black leather with a zipper to keep loose contents together. Inside it, I have an old mechanical pencil with my name on a piece of tape wrapped around the top. The pencil is over 20 years old. The leather has lost it's luster from holding it so much and the zipper has finally given out. This is probably my 3rd cover in over 25 years of carrying one. I get the refill every year around this time for the next year. I think I'll have to order another cover this year too. This daily planner that is only about the size of a woman's wallet, goes with me from room to room in my house and then gets carried off to most anywhere I go when I leave the house. I even have to make sure that when I purchase a new purse, that it will fit comfortably inside it.

One time I misplaced it for about a month and nearly went out of my mind trying to figure out what I had to do day to day. You see, I use it to write every detail of my wherabouts, plans and to dos! It knows me better than I can remember myself. It's my secretary, my event planner, life coach, and my brain. I've replaced the lead in the pencil more than I can remember. (I don't keep a record of that.) Often, I wonder how anyone can live without one! They must have an incredible capacity to recall events, appointments, and important things to do. Not me!

My particular design has a full week on two facing pages. I can see at a glance what my week will look like. It also has times imprinted down the middle of each day so I can enter events at the precise time that they occur between the hours of 9 and 5. I also have my personal method of using it. I put lists on the left side of each day. Personal events to the left of the times and family events to the right. Then what happens in actuality gets recorded further to the right on each day. Some say it's a little OCD to put everything on paper. I consider it my own brand of organization. It works for me and it's fool proof.....that is if I look at it. You would think after 25 years, I'd be accustomed to looking at it frequently. But there are times that I get so busy with a routine day's events that I forget to review it to see what's next. I guess I'll have to write that in somehow.....'look at Daytimer!'

I need my Daytimer like I need my lip balm. Without them I would shrivel up! So next time you see me, all you have to do is ask me where my Daytimer or lip balm are, and I can draw them out faster than a cowboy in a western draws his pistol!

The future for my kids

When I was a child, I remember my parents always watching the 10pm news on TV and always reading the daily paper that was delivered to our door. They spoke about current events over the dinner table which always sounded more like 'blah, blah, blah'. The importance of it, nor the passion they had of the issues never made a large enough impression on me to really care. I think I spent more time at school than I did at home and my education had a larger impact on shaping who I was and what I believed than my own parents. The education system was attempting to lead me into the direction of seeing things differently than my parents did. It was subtle yet an agenda that was succeeding. Throughout my teens and young adulthood, I was forming opinions based on what I had learned at school. Not that everything I was taught was bad, but there was a political and social message that was lying beneath the surface of the subjects being taught. It wasn't until I became an adult with responsibilities that I noticed how the events of the world impacted my life every day. From the price of gas changing daily to why the cost of renewing my driver's license doubled in 4 years to how my job's 401K fluctuated in value every quarter. It was no less than politics that affected everything in my life. When I became a parent, I realized even more so how politics affected my decisions. I couldn't just hold my baby in the car while my husband drove. She needed to be pinned down in a car seat that was securely fastened to the auto. The crib needed to fall within the guidelines created by some legislative group. How I disciplined her in public had to be restrained because of laws that were being created to protect children. I prayed real hard that she would never disobey me in a public arena for fear that I might have to scold her in ways that might 'offend' others or cause them to call the discipline police.

We seem to have accepted all these little subtle regulations because they come in the form of 'best for our safety and welfare.' We see it as a good thing without thinking about what's really happening. We are slowly moving toward accepting more and more regulation. I can see the point in requiring everyone to wear seatbelts when in a car, but when you think about it, isn't it our decision on whether we want to secure ourselves or not? If we are injured or die in a car accident, isn't it our own fault we weren't wearing it? Why should I be 'required' to put it on? If I choose to walk barefoot in the street and step on a piece of glass, isn't it my fault for not wearing shoes? Will I soon be 'required' to wear shoes outside my home? Is it possible that in the future, I could be issued a fine for not wearing shoes in public? How about getting fined for drinking coffee in a coffee shop that doesn't have a lid on it? Afterall, I could burn myself, especially if I'm texting someone while trying to take a sip!

My point is, we need to STOP accepting these little subtle regulations being imposed on us. It makes it all that much easier for legislators to impose even bigger regulations on us. Our freedoms can be taken away so easily, it's scary. I fear for my children's future here in America. Who knows what they'll be up against when they become adults. It's because of our next generation that I ask that when the opportunity arises to speak out or make a stand, do so willingly. Let your voice be heard. As citizens, we outnumber the legislators and we can do something!

When you pray, pray that we not only accept the plans the Lord has laid out for us, but also pray that He gives us the strength, courage and voice to make a difference for the sake of our children's future! I know He doesn't want us to sit on our laurels and watch us get run down. He has always called us to action! (Romans 11) He gives us the where-with-all to fight!....His fight!!...for His people!!!

Let's do this!!...for the Glory of God!

It's been awhile since I last posted, although in my life, it's not like I have a whole ton of new news. Life can be pretty boring at times when your life is dedicated to raising children and taking care of a husband. But I remind myself that my job is one of the most important jobs that one could be given. I have the awesome responsibility to raise a few members of the next generation. I pray each day that they will grow up to be different than what the culture expects. I want them to grow up to..... 1st - love the Lord and serve Him before serving others. 2nd - to uphold the highest of standards of integrity as they seek to uphold the principles that God has written for us. 3rd - to do all things for the glory of God and to know that God will always provide to those who are faithful.
It's a tall order, but I think I'm up to the challenge.

Pray for me as I press on to the race before me. Here goes another day of challenges.

The Nut House

First let me tell you a little about our home. I'm a stay at home mom of 2. We homeschool our kids and they are with me 24/7. My husband supports our habit by working M-F 9-5. There are days when I wonder how I got into this mess, but for the most part I have no regrets for being here. Our children are 11 & just turned 10. We are a double digit family now. I plan to be able to share the many adventures of our lives and hopefully you'll be able to laugh and cry with me. Perhaps you can even give me a tip on how I can do things better. Read along as we continue with our lives. Somedays it truly is a Nut House!