Happy New Year!

Ever been interested in New Year's Celebrations and where they came from?  Check out this link from History.com.

Have you ever wondered about the song "Auld Lang Syne" and it's tradition regarding New Year's Eve?  Check this article out and it'll give you some back story.

DO YOU MAKE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR?

When I was younger I used to think that it was the thing to do. Then every year it felt like I was setting myself up for failure.  As I got older, and a little wiser, I realized that self-reliance is what caused failure in this case and in most cases in my life.  You see, we can't do things on our own.  We wonder why in a culture full of so many brilliant people we are all depressed.  I truly believe, besides all the environmental issues-included the food we eat, that we try too much to rely on ourselves and not enough on God in our everyday life. When we lean on Him, things tend to go smoother.  We aren't AS disappointed in our failures because we know that He forgives and gives grace when asked.  We can start fresh and pick up our cross daily.  Luke 9:23-26

I'm not saying that making new good habits is a bad thing.  Positive change is always a good thing.  What I am saying is that be realistic with your New Years goals. Most people go around stating that it only takes 21-30 days to form a new habit.  Most scientific research has shown that this is mostly untrue. You see it depends on the person, their background, behaviors and circumstances. It can be anywhere from 60 days to 250 days.  That is significantly longer than 3 weeks to a month.  We tend to give up because we rely on ourselves.  In our secular culture New Year's is no longer a self reflection point like it was way back when. It is:  What can I do to make my life better?   

Looking forward to this year, make realistic goals for yourself and your family.  Are their small things you can change daily?  Can you commit to being in the Word more?  How can you make that happen?  More over, how can you ask God to help you make it happen?

As for me?  Well, I am going to try to keep plugging away at this blog and trying to Glorify God with decisions I make on a daily basis.  Ask forgiveness for my sins against Him and others and ask for Help from Him and others.  We only have so long on this world, life is fleeting and worth living, but living well.

So come along side me as I struggle just like others to get into good habits of praying, reading my bible, reaching out to serve and truly engaging with my savior-OUR SAVIOR.

Until next time, God Bless you in this New Year and try to think daily how you can change your life to honor Him and give Him Glory that is so richly deserved.

Thanksgiving-What does it mean to you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

You can check out the cool facts and video about Thanksgiving here at one of my favorite websites, History.com.  I just learned about the tradition for our president at this time of year.  Pardoning a turkey, seriously... like we have nothing better to do.  But alas, we all need a little something funny in our days I suppose.

Now that you may have learned something you didn't know, let's talk about what Thanksgiving means.  It will mean something different for everyone of course.  Those of you reading this from outside of the United States you might have a local holiday that shows Thanks for a different reason. It may or may not have a specific day to celebrate like we do, but the concept is the same.  Giving Thanks for something.  Here is an interesting article I found with some of them.

When I was a kid we decorated for Thanksgiving, we did crafts of pilgrims, indians(and yes I know this term isn't politically correct) & turkeys, we had plays where we dressed up like those things.  Nowadays, it seems like we skip right over this holiday. Schools have Harvest Celebrations. Once Halloween is over we move right into the Christmas season.  When did Thanksgiving become a time when we all just decided to go shopping? 

Our society today is one that rushes from one thing to the next, without resting and taking in the day or the month or even the year.  Those of us, like myself, that want to slow down a little feel overwhelmed.  It's so hard to slow down in this day and age. I wanted to do something special this year for Thanksgiving with our kids, and before I knew it we were a few days away from it and I hadn't prepared anything.  Life just got in the way.

While I am writing this blog post my kids are home from school for the day and they are just playing Legos with each other and listening to music. They seem to know how to slow down and just have fun, I am very Thankful for that.

Here is a link to a free Thanksgiving Countdown printable.  I never thought about this before.  This is a cool idea and something that can used throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving or whatever holiday you are giving thanks for around this month or when you read this post.

This year Thanksgiving comes with a special meaning for me, it's the year I received benign results from a biopsy.  It really does wake you up to the things for which you are grateful and thankful.  In the midst of the stress of waiting and trying not to worry, these types of things can bring us closer to God.  For me it made me realize how much I don't like to rely on other people and how much I need to in times like these, especially as I get older.

So this year, look around you and Thank God for all things in your life, the good and the not so good. 

I read a sign a couple of weeks ago that really hit home on this topic. 

Be Thankful for the things we take for granted for they are the things that other people are praying for.

After all, the pilgrims did come to American for religious freedom. If you aren't thankful for anything else, us Americans can still be thankful to be able to have religious freedom where in this world there are so many other countries that don't have this same freedom. If you aren't aware of this then check out my post on Voice of the Martyrs. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Here's a little something from Johnny Cash, it's old school but it's good.  Sometimes going back to the good old days is needed to put things into perspective.

Veteran's Day-Remembrance Day

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are called children of God
Matthew 5:9

Today we honor our Veterans!

I have a lot of people from my family who have served in a branch of our military. I have a few friends that are currently serving.

I want to take a moment to Thank them for serving. It's hard to even think about where we would be today if we didn't have people who were and are willing to serve to protect our nation in times of war and in times of peace.

And as usual, from one of my favorite sites to share; here is the link to History.com and how this holiday of remembrance came about.

If you've never seen the wreath being placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, here it is from 2016. 

You can also check this out: Honor A Vet  with Instagram or Twitter and History.com will donate $1 to TEAM RUBICON up to $25,000.

It is often that we don't think about those that have served our country and what that truly means. We truly are the Home of the Free, Because of the Brave.

There's really not much more for me to say about this, Thank someone you know that has served or is serving.  If you don't know anyone, next time you see someone in uniform Thank them for their service.  It only takes a few seconds.  Be proud of our country and those that serve to keep it free.

Thankful for Hindsight and Wisdom

Does everything happen for a reason?

I often hear this from others and think it myself as well. I don't know.  But what I do know is that we have to learn from our past decisions and experiences, good and especially bad.  

I do know that the bible says in Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Of course that doesn't mean that the life of a believer will be all good things, just that in all things that happen to us God will use them for his purpose.  For someone who likes control, like myself, this can be a scary concept.  How do I let go?  Well, using Hindsight certainly helps.  There are things that have happened to me, in the midst of them it was like Hell on earth, but when I look back at those times I have learned so many different things from them and can use those experiences to not only have wisdom for the future but also to pass that wisdom down to my kids and others around me who can benefit from it.

There is an Irish saying that goes:

May you have the hindsight
To know where you've been,
The foresight to know 
Where you are going,
And the insight to know
When you've gone too far.

The lyrics of the song below from MercyMe really hit home for me.  If I could tell my younger self not to do certain things to avoid all the pain, would I and which things would I tell myself?  The problem is that if I told myself those things then I wouldn't be the person I am today, and how would I know what I would be like.  So, speculation is just that, coulda-shoulda-woulda...   We never know how the future will turn out, but I know I would like to spare some people, especially my kids certain types of pain that I went through.

Psalm 118:28
You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Werewolves

Ever wonder where the Legend of the Werewolf came from?  Check out this article from History.com and you will read all about it.

Why a post about werewolves?  Well, it is October and in true step with my interest in holidays, I figured I would try something tied into the month.  In October we tend to decorate with scary things, we include harvest related things like scarecrows , hay bales and pumpkins of course, but we also include all kinds of creatures that are known to go bump in the night.  

I was talking to my daughter, who is 8, the other day about Halloween.  She asked how it came about.  Well, I have a post for that here from last Halloween. I explained about the All Hallow's eve and why we dress up today.

So, werewolves.  Are you a person who has a hard time controlling their lust for killing people or animals?  Probably not.  But there are times that our blood gets boiling, right?  You feel the need to lash out, scream and just wanna kill someone(hopefully not for real right?)

Jesus spoke about the 6th commandment. Matthew 5:21-25

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Anger Management

Gary Chapman wrote a book called Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion.  My husband read it a few years ago and he said it really brought to light a lot of things for him.

Gary Chapman also has a nice little quiz that shows you where you are at with some suggestions that point to his book.  In an effort to be transparent this is what my results say:
   

You are doing well, but can improve
Your results are indicative of someone who likely handles your anger well in many situations, but there are still times when your anger is handling you. Recognize the areas where you are doing well in handling your anger, but also be cautious that your anger is not getting out of hand in other ways.

Think about the situations where your anger comes out most often. Is it with loved ones? At work? What happens when you react angrily? Are you a shouter, or do you turn your anger inward? What words do you tend to use? What feelings tend to come out when you’re angry, and how do those feelings find expression, in good ways or bad? Consider the following possibilities for future action:

Action Steps
You would benefit from better understanding the distinction between good anger and bad anger. Definitive (or “good”) anger, as Dr. Chapman describes it, is a normal response to genuine wrongdoing, injustice, or mistreatment. Distorted (or “bad”) anger, on the other hand, is our response to others when we have incorrectly perceived a construed wrongdoing, injustice, or mistreatment. We don’t have all the facts correct in distorted anger. Learn some other key differences between the two responses in chapter four of this book.

Some people look like they have it all together on the outside and rarely appear out of control due to anger, while underneath the façade they tend to simmer with unexamined anger. This “implosive” anger can be characterized by brooding or withdrawal, among other expressions. Dr. Chapman identifies key strategies to deal with implosive anger in chapter six of his book.

Whoops!

Looks like I should read the book huh?  I think we all could use more strategies for anger management in our lives. I'll try to get on that and give you a book review sometime in the next 6 months. No promises though. :)

In the meantime, take stock for yourself here.

Righteous Anger

This article from gotquestions.org talks about righteous anger versus sinful anger. 

The Point?

Take stock the next time your blood gets boiling and before you turn into a werewolf and have blood lust, try managing that anger in an appropriate way.  I know it's hard.  If you look at where you are at in your life and what your triggers are, there are ways to make changes so that you don't get to that boiling point anymore.

Trust that God has a plan for you and that He will come along side you if you ask for his help in this area.

Until next time, try not to howl at the moon too much.

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day

Okay, since I like to write about each holiday I felt like I needed to write a little something about this one and of course learn a little something in the process.  

Did Columbus Really Discover America?

When I was a kid we learned in grade school that "In 1492, Columbus sailed the blue" and discovered America.

Then in Junior High(they didn't have middle school back when I was that age) we had an amazing social studies teacher who really got us all excited about learning about history!  Can you even imagine?  One of the things I remember most about his teaching on Columbus was that he straight out told us "Christopher Columbus was a scumbag!"  Of course being 7th graders , this put us in an uproar of laughter and intrigued us.  He explained that he was a man who was sent to look for gold , ended up in the wrong place and once he landed and found the natives he enslaved them, even cutting their hands and feet off as a typical practice.  I think he got scolded by the principal because one of my classmates told on him.

Well, I've learned a bit more about this since then from various sources.  Ever heard of Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism?  You can check out this article on Khan Academy to understand their meanings.

You see, I have no doubt that what Columbus did was heinous according to today's standards in our culture, but do you know about the culture he was a part of at that time?  How about the culture that he landed into?  His culture were conquerors as most were in those days.  The culture he landed into, natives were at war with each other and one or more of the tribes were cannibals. Let's just say most of us today can not really relate to what it was like to be on either side back then.

Enter in the notion of Indigenous Peoples' Day in some places in this country.  I have no issue with marking a day of remembrance for Indigenous People, but why change Columbus Day, why not just have their own day?   Why keep Columbus Day at all?  Here's an interesting article about Indigenous Peoples' Day.

If you look back at why Columbus Day was instituted in the text of the link at the top of this blog post, you will see that a lot of people originally celebrated it to honor Columbus' achievements and the Italian-American heritage. Then controversy started and other states and countries chose to celebrate it a different way and call it something else.

So, My Point...

Well, I don't really have one.  I do want to say that we as people, not just Americans, have to learn from our past mistakes and those that have come before us.   

When I read the bible it seems very foreign to me, it's violent and the culture is so off.  But when you sit down and research those times and cultures, you understand the context of each book.  Sometimes things make sense and click, other times even when I understand , I can't make sense of what happened.  

But, we learn.  We learn that even with our mistakes God loves.

So, if you have the day off, enjoy it with friends and family.  In the end, it's really just a day off.  Reflect on the past and learn from it.  Find your mistakes and learn from them.  Ask for forgiveness and repent.

Or Maybe I do have a point: There was and is only One who was Perfect-Jesus

Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.




I love the below song lately:  It has spoken to me a lot these past couple of weeks when I've struggled with some personal issues.  I hope it speaks to you too in whatever way you need it today.

Who says you gotta have it all figured out
Who says you'll never feel alone in the crowd
Who says you gotta be like everyone else
Who says?

Labor Day & Contemporary Slavery!

You can learn all about how Labor Day started here with a cool 5 minute video.  Some of these facts I knew and some are new to me.

It's nice that we in the USA get a federal holiday and all, but I often wonder about those countries that still have slave labor and horrible working conditions. Some global estimates state that there are still upwards of 40-50 million people in the world who live in "contemporary slavery" in the 21st century.  This includes forced labor, but also includes human trafficking, sexual exploitation and other forms of illegal enslavement.  I got this from an article I read here.  It's scary to think that we live in a world where this still happens. Even in the "Land of the Free" we have human trafficking.  Here is an article from CNN that talks a little about it.

Okay, I don't want to take away from the fun of a federal holiday, but I wanted to remind you (and myself) that even though the majority of the USA doesn't face the Labor Issues it did back in the 1800s when Labor Day was established, doesn't mean that as Christians we shouldn't be thinking, praying and doing all we can do to change this in other countries around the world.

Here is a link to the US Dept of State on ways to help fight human trafficking locally. 
And of course from one of my favorite go to websites, gotquestions.org, What does the Bible teach about human trafficking?

While we sit back and enjoy our long weekend, our BBQs and for some of us(myself included) the fact that summer is over and school has begun;

Remember this: Every life is of great value, and God loves all individuals.

I pray that all who are enslaved that they know God and be brought out of slavery.

I pray for those that do the enslaving, that their hearts can be changed and open to God's will and desire for all people.

No one is beyond His saving grace.  "Come as you are" by Crowder.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.