This is a wonderful article from a woman who I credit with saving my sanity and offering some practical wise and heartfelt advice. Rachelle Katz totally rocks and having her article make CNN is an incredible honor. I am proud of her! More than that, I am grateful to her!
Keep Me From Stupid Sins
What a way to start a day!
Psalm 19:1 God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. 2 Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening. 3 Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, 4 But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere. God makes a huge dome for the sun – a superdome! 5 The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape. 6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith. 7 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. 8 The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. 9 God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree. 10 God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. 11 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. 12 Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? 13 Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. 14 These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. – “The Message”
Gift Registries
Here’s a question I received from Frances:
Susan! I have a friend that is having a graduation party for receiving her Masters Degree and she has created a gift registry for herself for the occasion. I have my own opinions on this but would like to hear your thoughts! Also, as a note, she didn’t send the registry to all the invitees, only her close family and friends. Thanks!
Big Sigh! You kinda knew this was coming didn’t you? I mean, we start off early, you get paid to toss the trash because it’s your mom’s job and if she delegates it then it should cost her, you get paid for grades, you get paid for mowing the lawn and we parents do all this for you because you are entitled to get paid for your self-esteem. So what’s next on the list? You send out graduation announcements because you want the money people send, or you register for the gifts you want because after all you’ve been taught that you are entitled.
Only, what is a gift?
Gift ~ noun ~ something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.
When I give a gift, I think about that person. I try to be thoughtful in my gift giving. I try to find something that would be meaningful to that person. Buying off a list doesn’t appeal to me at all.
I think all these registries are over the top, and believe me, I’ve seen them for everything, even children’s parties. When you have a gift registry you are telling the person that you expect them to give you a gift, and you are telling them that not any gift will do, but that you want them to give you specific gifts of your choice. At that point the definition of gift ceases.
It could be worse though, she could have stated on her invitation that she didn’t want gifts only money, then your friendship would have been measured by your worth, and her basically telling you she doesn’t trust your judgment on gift giving. In any case, if you’re going to go on with your tacky self and do a registry, you never put the registry in with the invitation, and only pull it out if you are asked.
And this is why this generation is called the Entitled Generation or the Me Generation, and it’s not their fault. It’s ours, the parents of this generation who didn’t teach the same basic manners we were taught.
Hell
74% of Americans believe in heaven. 59% of Americans believe in hell. Yet, the majority of Americans are sure Osama Bin Laden is in hell today. Newspapers are making that their headline. Facebook is off the charts with this declarative statement. It makes me wonder if in fact, we don’t believe in hell, or if we think we are safe from it?
Baby Sprinkles
Haha! If you’re like me the title of the blog made you think of something else didn’t it? Actually, Baby Sprinkles is the new term for baby showers for baby #2, 3, 4 etc… And well, I’ve already voiced my opinion on that!
Either way you slice it, a baby shower by any other name is still a baby shower. I think what makes me feel sad about this is that there seems to be gift grabbing mentality going on. People register for each baby they have. You’re asked to bring gifts that are expensive. You’re asked to bring extra diapers for a raffle. What happened to having your second child when you could afford to do so?
I was beginning to feel pretty old fashioned and Grinch-y for feeling this way until I found a site that I absolutely love. It’s called Etiquette Hell. There are people who feel like I do! For a second baby and beyond, I bring a gift for the baby after they arrive on the scene. I’m all for throwing a party but the mandatory gift based on your registry is just too much for me!
Bring Me A Plate!
From time to time I write about Etiquette on this blog. For some reason manners are missing in my world and the more I read and hear, the more I think they are just missing. Period.
So here is my tip of the day. If you couldn’t bother showing up at a dinner party, for whatever reason, even worse if you weren’t invited, you are not entitled to a take-home plate UNLESS the host/hostess offers, please notice the word OFFERS, to send you one. It’s not okay, to send a loved one to ask for a to-go plate for you. That’s what drive-thru is for. It’s not okay to announce, “My sister couldn’t make it, but she said to bring her a plate.” Hello! Entitled generation much?
Teen Pregnancy
Gaby Rodriguez did a experiment at her school. She pretended to be pregnant for six months to see the response. She got to feel first hand the reaction of her peers and her teachers. A good student who had never had trouble in school before, hers was a story everyone had an opinion about. I believe she taught us all something about ourselves. How we view others, how we really don’t know what it’s like to walk it out in their shoes and how gossip never helps anyone.
This seems to be a hot topic among the high school crowd. MTV has a reality show about teen moms and according to news reports some girls are trying to get pregnant to be on the show. Sadly, being famous at any cost is the reality of our day. So the question becomes are the shows there to deter pregnancy or to glorify them and the answer probably is both. While I don’t think the show’s creator set out to glorify a teen getting pregnant because honestly, who would do that? I believe the show’s creators probably set out to make an informative show on what not to do with your life. The mere presence of a television show using real people makes real people do some pretty crazy things to get on the show.
As a woman who was a teen mom, there isn’t any glory in it. Your life is forever changed. The dreams you once had for your life are changed permanently. Poverty is higher, joblessness is higher, children of teen parents suffer the consequences of what happens when a home is not prepared in advance. Grandmothers get put into the role of mother and then resented because of it. It’s a mess.
Maybe the real reality show should be to follow moms who were teen moms and see how their lives unfolded. If we’re looking for a deterrent then maybe that is the way to go! Watching a 32 year-old mom handle her 16 year-old child puts things a little bit more in perspective of what it will be like. To see the challenge of living your life out in spite of circumstances may be the real key here.
Hmmm maybe I should stop writing this blog and go pitch a new show!
Washington Teen Gaby Rodriguez
This was an interesting experiment in an age where teen pregnancies are becoming the focus of reality television. Be sure to watch the videos that follow the story. I’ll write about what I think about it all in my next post!
The Details
I’ve become aware of my life. It sounds weird but I’ve began seeing where I spend my time and how I spend it. I’m not so, ‘go with the flow and forget about me’, as I once was. This realization of what adds to and takes away from my life is enlightening me. I knew certain things with head knowledge but really didn’t know them in my heart until I started to examine my time and how I spent it.
I knew that God was interested in all the details of my life. I knew that he was with me always. I knew he was just a conversation away but I don’t think I really realized it as I do now. He really does care about the little things I do all day. Anything from washing dishes to what I buy at the grocery store to what I listen to on the radio.
God is in the simple and the mundane as much as he is in the profound. Have you ever stopped to realize how he is there in every single conversation we have with ourselves AND with others? Would my inner self-talk change if I realized my creator was listening to what I had to say to myself? Would I be so critical of myself, of others, if I understood that simple truth? Would I be so quick to complain about the little irritations of life, if I stopped and considered that the One who ordered my day was standing right there listening? My decisions and my direction change when I am aware that I am being watched over in the details. I am not being stalked or judged, I am be cared over. I am being cried over, I am being laughed over, I am being cheered over and although as believers we know it, I wonder if we understand it?
I am becoming more aware about the details of my life. The fact that I am part of something that is so huge my brain could never wrap itself around it, isn’t overlooked or put to the side to me these days. The details, each little move I make, counts for something. What will I make it count for today? What will you make it count for today?
Dressing Your Daughter From A Dad’s Perspective!
I love when a father takes his rightful place in a family. Hallelujah! May the Lord bless LZ Granderson immensely for speaking the truth! Maybe Mr. Granderson can teach some men how to be a dad! Here is a story from CNN.com Opinion. The story highlights are as follows:
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
LZ Granderson: Some parents dress their young girls in provocative outfits
Retailers have encouraged this behavior by marketing inappropriate clothing
He says it’s OK to blame retailers, but it’s parents who are ultimately responsible
Children need parents who will set rules, not be their friends, he says
Pastor Susan 