I didn't forget.....OKAY it slipped but there's always time and room for the tips, so here they are:
1. SMILE. (easy, free, can be done anytime/anywhere)
2. Help someone at the supermarket, mall, wherever you may be. Get the door, return their cart for them, LET THEM GO AHEAD OF YOU IN LINE........(GASP). yeah, just try it. It can mean the world to the mom w/ 3 kids under 4 behind you or the elderly person with only ONE item when you have at least 20.
3. Call your church or ANY organization you may belong to and find out what benevolence needs there are. They are abundant and you may have exactly what someone else needs (material items, money or time). If you don't "belong" to something, call the local homeless shelter, orphanage or family and children's services.
REFUSE to do NOTHING!!
Here's to the 3rd week of October; make it count!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
prospective
I am not in a good mood at the moment....doesn't that want to make you read on? However, I do think maybe I have a message, guess we'll see. I'm upset. I've already cried and I hate crying. I'm not even sure why. Other than I let myself sleep in later than I should, didn't brew coffee (on purpose), and Ella tells me at 7:30 she would like a lunchbox instead of the menu options and follows my frusteration with her own tears which tells me I'm outta line. I get them there on time but a minute or two later than usual. on the way home i could tell somethings not right and by the time i'm coming upstairs i'm losing it, and not understanding why. i've been distant lately from my quiet time with Jesus. I know thats probably the main reason everything seems like its falling apart. why can't i just make adjustments easier? and be more balanced w/ my time? if i'm cranky b/c my morning isn't going as planned, why can't i just quit it with the expectations and say to myself: "self, this morning isn't going to go exactly as you would like, but acting like a 2 year old isn't going to help." thats not to say that we don't get passes once in a while to shed tears and feel down but i can't help but think that by doing that i could end up down for a long time and thats not what i want at all. so here's what i'm thinking now. i deserve an emotional MOMENT if i want one, all alone. i can't take things out on a 5 year old that really isn't at fault when we didn't discuss the menu last night (as she reminded me that she didn't know until this morning). and i can't be so fragile over my so very blessed little self just because things are hard. or tough. or lonely. maybe God is allowing me to feel something just so i can keep prospective. just as i headed up the stairs and felt the tears coming, i was reminded of some things. first of all, i am privaleged (sp?) enough to have driven my children to school this morning, clothe them well, and had food for the lunchbox. i came home to a garage to park my vehicle in and a home thats more than enough, clean and warm and has everything i could possibly need for today in it and around it. i have the freedom to go and do as i please for the most part, and 4 more bags in my laundry room to take to the needy. i have abundance!!!! only because the good LORD has blessed me in so many ways! prospective...keeping it real. its like I just need a reminder and some time spent w/ Jesus and the Holy Spirit for some adjusting of my mind and attitude. i can feel myself slipping.....and it wasn't just this morning. i've been without my peace for a few days, and it stinks!! i don't know if anyone out there will even understand this but here's hoping. we're all in this together. whomever may be reading - you're not alone. no matter whats going on, you aren't alone! thats an important message, and I need to hear it too.
COME UNTO ME, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Matthew 11:28.
COME UNTO ME, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Matthew 11:28.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
LOVE REVOLUTION TIPS
LOVE REVOLUTION TIP OF THE WEEK: www.joycemeyer.com/revolution
You don't need tips from me to begin your revolution but I figured I'd share some ideas, so for this week:
Go through your closets, rooms, and storage for a CLEAN SWEEP. We ALL have things that we don't need and you will be AMAZED at what you find and the space you will FREE UP! There are many people who can use your extra stuff! You can visit your local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, goodwill, salvation army, etc. Keep in mind this time of year the warmer the clothes the better and don't forget blankets and sleeping bags, socks, and thermal clothing, gloves n hats. I promise you it will go to good use and you will get so much out of it. :0)
Happy Thursday!
Make it count!
You don't need tips from me to begin your revolution but I figured I'd share some ideas, so for this week:
Go through your closets, rooms, and storage for a CLEAN SWEEP. We ALL have things that we don't need and you will be AMAZED at what you find and the space you will FREE UP! There are many people who can use your extra stuff! You can visit your local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, goodwill, salvation army, etc. Keep in mind this time of year the warmer the clothes the better and don't forget blankets and sleeping bags, socks, and thermal clothing, gloves n hats. I promise you it will go to good use and you will get so much out of it. :0)
Happy Thursday!
Make it count!
this is one line we will NOT be in.....whats your stand?
AP Poll: Third of parents oppose swine flu vaccine
Buzz up!398 votes Send
ATLANTA – As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
Some parents say they are concerned about side effects from the new vaccine — even though nothing serious has turned up in tests so far — while others say swine flu doesn't amount to any greater health threat than seasonal flu.
Jackie Shea of Newtown, Conn., the mother of a 5-year-old boy named Emmett, says the vaccine is too new and too untested.
"I will not be first in line in October to get him vaccinated," she said in an interview last month. "We're talking about putting an unknown into him. I can't do that."
The AP poll found that 38 percent of parents said they were unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school.
The belief that the new vaccine could be risky is one federal health officials have been fighting from the start, and they plan an unprecedented system of monitoring for side effects.
They note that swine flu vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccines that have been used for years. And no scary side effects have turned up in tests on volunteers, including children
On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed for widespread inoculation against swine flu, vouching unconditionally for the vaccine: "We know it's safe and secure."
The AP poll, conducted Oct. 1-5, found 72 percent of those surveyed are worried about side effects, although more than half say that wouldn't stop them from getting the vaccine to protect their kids from the new flu.
Giving flu shots to schoolchildren is also an idea many parents are still getting used to. It was only last year that the government recommendation kicked in for virtually all children to get it. Seasonal flu vaccination rates for children last year ranged from about 48 percent for toddlers to about 9 percent for teens.
It traditionally takes a while for parents to learn about and accept a new vaccine and years for immunization rates to grow, said Dr. Matthew Davis, a University of Michigan Medical School associate professor who has overseen polling on flu issues.
Special swine flu vaccination clinics at schools are being planned in many states. Children are the main spreaders of infectious disease, and if large numbers are coming down with swine flu, there are ripple effects for everyone else.
The AP poll found 59 percent are likely to let their kids be vaccinated at school. But the kind of concerns voiced by parents could put a dent in public health efforts.A survey Davis directed for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Michigan suggested one reason for rejecting the vaccine is that about half of parents said they did not consider swine flu any worse than the seasonal bug.
"Basically, the swine flu is the flu. I'm not overly excited about it," said Julie Uehlein, a Tullahoma, Tenn., mother who is against swine flu vaccinations for her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
"My concerns about the vaccine are what are the long-term effects," she added.
Some, like Shea, recall the 1976 swine flu immunization campaign that vaccinated 40 million Americans against an epidemic that never materialized. Worse, many who got the shots back then filed injury claims blaming health problems on the vaccine, with some reporting a paralyzing condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Health officials did not find evidence the vaccine caused the condition, noting it occurs naturally anyway and would be bound to show up in such a large group. Many people were unjustifiably blaming all sorts of health problems on the vaccine, some health experts believe.
That's why the government is already trying to educate people about how common many health problems are, and why it's handing out cards telling people how to report any side effects.
For some parents, fears are compounded by worries about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that will be in roughly 60 percent of the 225 million swine flu doses ordered for Americans.
The preservative is not in the FluMist nasal spray, which can be given to healthy kids age 2 and older. But it's in many injectable doses, which are packaged in multi-dose vials that require thimerosal to prevent bacterial contamination.
Fears that the preservative or something in vaccines themselves can lead to autism remain entrenched in some quarters — despite no evidence from the most rigorous scientific studies.
Some autism advocacy groups echo parents' concerns about swine flu vaccine, and also argue it's a bad idea to spend so much time and money on the new flu.
"We're flipping out over swine flu, but it's only affected a few thousand people. Why isn't somebody freaking out about the autism epidemic?" said Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association.
Vaccine makers are sensitive to demand for preservative-free shots. Parents can ask their doctors to order preservative-free, single-dose vaccine for their kids, said Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
As for his own two school-age children, Frieden said in a recent interview: "I would have no hesitation about getting my kids vaccinated by thimerosal-containing vaccines."
Health officials and many parents are strong believers in the vaccine, and warn about the potential dangers of a virus that has caused at least 9,000 U.S. hospitalizations and at least 600 deaths, including 60 children.
Jennifer Barnes enrolled herself and her two children in one of the government studies of the new vaccine, seizing an opportunity to get them all immunized before the illness became widespread.
"I thought, 'This is an opportunity to get the kids vaccinated, and I better jump on it,'" said Barnes, 32, a speech language pathologist who lives in Decatur, Ga.
Barnes said she gets her kids vaccinated against flu each year not only for their own health but to protect others. "My kids hang around kids who might have lowered immune systems. I would hate for them to get something and pass it on," she said.
Shea said she appreciates those arguments, but she's hesitated to talk about swine flu vaccine with other parents, who seem polarized on the topic. "There's the crunchy granola group" against flu vaccinations, she said, "and the very staunch, follow everything group" who extol them. She also worries that swine flu could become more widespread and dangerous than it is now. If that happens, she said, she would probably try to get her son vaccinated, though she's aware there are risks in waiting, too.
"It's one of those things where you're almost damned if you do, damned if you don't," she said.
The AP-GfK poll was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,003 adults age 18 or older, contacted by telephone on land lines and cell phones. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for all adults, 5.2 percentage points for parents.
___
On the Net:
U.S. government swine flu Web site: http://www.flu.gov
Related Searches:flu shots autism Buzz up!398 votes Send Email IM Share Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks Print More...
Health Video: Helping Parents Cope With Teens' Addiction ABC News Health Video: The Bottom Line on Health Care ABC News Health Video: Local Researchers Make Breakthrough In HIV Vaccine CBS 11 Dallas
Buzz up!398 votes Send
ATLANTA – As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
Some parents say they are concerned about side effects from the new vaccine — even though nothing serious has turned up in tests so far — while others say swine flu doesn't amount to any greater health threat than seasonal flu.
Jackie Shea of Newtown, Conn., the mother of a 5-year-old boy named Emmett, says the vaccine is too new and too untested.
"I will not be first in line in October to get him vaccinated," she said in an interview last month. "We're talking about putting an unknown into him. I can't do that."
The AP poll found that 38 percent of parents said they were unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school.
The belief that the new vaccine could be risky is one federal health officials have been fighting from the start, and they plan an unprecedented system of monitoring for side effects.
They note that swine flu vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccines that have been used for years. And no scary side effects have turned up in tests on volunteers, including children
On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed for widespread inoculation against swine flu, vouching unconditionally for the vaccine: "We know it's safe and secure."
The AP poll, conducted Oct. 1-5, found 72 percent of those surveyed are worried about side effects, although more than half say that wouldn't stop them from getting the vaccine to protect their kids from the new flu.
Giving flu shots to schoolchildren is also an idea many parents are still getting used to. It was only last year that the government recommendation kicked in for virtually all children to get it. Seasonal flu vaccination rates for children last year ranged from about 48 percent for toddlers to about 9 percent for teens.
It traditionally takes a while for parents to learn about and accept a new vaccine and years for immunization rates to grow, said Dr. Matthew Davis, a University of Michigan Medical School associate professor who has overseen polling on flu issues.
Special swine flu vaccination clinics at schools are being planned in many states. Children are the main spreaders of infectious disease, and if large numbers are coming down with swine flu, there are ripple effects for everyone else.
The AP poll found 59 percent are likely to let their kids be vaccinated at school. But the kind of concerns voiced by parents could put a dent in public health efforts.A survey Davis directed for C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Michigan suggested one reason for rejecting the vaccine is that about half of parents said they did not consider swine flu any worse than the seasonal bug.
"Basically, the swine flu is the flu. I'm not overly excited about it," said Julie Uehlein, a Tullahoma, Tenn., mother who is against swine flu vaccinations for her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
"My concerns about the vaccine are what are the long-term effects," she added.
Some, like Shea, recall the 1976 swine flu immunization campaign that vaccinated 40 million Americans against an epidemic that never materialized. Worse, many who got the shots back then filed injury claims blaming health problems on the vaccine, with some reporting a paralyzing condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Health officials did not find evidence the vaccine caused the condition, noting it occurs naturally anyway and would be bound to show up in such a large group. Many people were unjustifiably blaming all sorts of health problems on the vaccine, some health experts believe.
That's why the government is already trying to educate people about how common many health problems are, and why it's handing out cards telling people how to report any side effects.
For some parents, fears are compounded by worries about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that will be in roughly 60 percent of the 225 million swine flu doses ordered for Americans.
The preservative is not in the FluMist nasal spray, which can be given to healthy kids age 2 and older. But it's in many injectable doses, which are packaged in multi-dose vials that require thimerosal to prevent bacterial contamination.
Fears that the preservative or something in vaccines themselves can lead to autism remain entrenched in some quarters — despite no evidence from the most rigorous scientific studies.
Some autism advocacy groups echo parents' concerns about swine flu vaccine, and also argue it's a bad idea to spend so much time and money on the new flu.
"We're flipping out over swine flu, but it's only affected a few thousand people. Why isn't somebody freaking out about the autism epidemic?" said Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association.
Vaccine makers are sensitive to demand for preservative-free shots. Parents can ask their doctors to order preservative-free, single-dose vaccine for their kids, said Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
As for his own two school-age children, Frieden said in a recent interview: "I would have no hesitation about getting my kids vaccinated by thimerosal-containing vaccines."
Health officials and many parents are strong believers in the vaccine, and warn about the potential dangers of a virus that has caused at least 9,000 U.S. hospitalizations and at least 600 deaths, including 60 children.
Jennifer Barnes enrolled herself and her two children in one of the government studies of the new vaccine, seizing an opportunity to get them all immunized before the illness became widespread.
"I thought, 'This is an opportunity to get the kids vaccinated, and I better jump on it,'" said Barnes, 32, a speech language pathologist who lives in Decatur, Ga.
Barnes said she gets her kids vaccinated against flu each year not only for their own health but to protect others. "My kids hang around kids who might have lowered immune systems. I would hate for them to get something and pass it on," she said.
Shea said she appreciates those arguments, but she's hesitated to talk about swine flu vaccine with other parents, who seem polarized on the topic. "There's the crunchy granola group" against flu vaccinations, she said, "and the very staunch, follow everything group" who extol them. She also worries that swine flu could become more widespread and dangerous than it is now. If that happens, she said, she would probably try to get her son vaccinated, though she's aware there are risks in waiting, too.
"It's one of those things where you're almost damned if you do, damned if you don't," she said.
The AP-GfK poll was based on a nationally representative sample of 1,003 adults age 18 or older, contacted by telephone on land lines and cell phones. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for all adults, 5.2 percentage points for parents.
___
On the Net:
U.S. government swine flu Web site: http://www.flu.gov
Related Searches:flu shots autism Buzz up!398 votes Send Email IM Share Delicious Digg Facebook Fark Newsvine Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Twitter Yahoo! Bookmarks Print More...
Health Video: Helping Parents Cope With Teens' Addiction ABC News Health Video: The Bottom Line on Health Care ABC News Health Video: Local Researchers Make Breakthrough In HIV Vaccine CBS 11 Dallas
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
THE LOVE REVOLUTION!!
become a part! www.joycemeyer.com
NOW is the time, come together!
JOIN THE LOVE REVOLUTION! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !
NOW is the time, come together!
JOIN THE LOVE REVOLUTION! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! !
Thursday, September 24, 2009
...eh...
i haven't titled this entry. i think it's because i have so much on my mind that i can't come up with a proper one; or because there are so many things it could be. but i haven't blogged in so long that i'm entitled to a post that i can't title or give any inclination of length. a lot is going on. here's the deal though. it aint about me. and thats the best part about it. i'm not even sure how to organize all of this so i'm just gonna go for it and tell you a little about my week and see where it goes. my intention is awareness. awareness of some issues that need to be talked about whether we want the gory details or not. and, because i am the type of reader that can't stand to sift through a bunch of words that don't really mean anything to me, i will propose to write that way. PEOPLE ARE STARVING. EVERYWHERE. they aren't just the typical ones we see (although they will get mention later) around town who maybe have skipped a meal or two. I'm talking about children around the world who are STARVING TO DEATH BEFORE THEY REACH 5 YEARS OLD. their parents are WATCHING THEM DIE. and there's nothing they can do to stop it. now, before you get all political on me hear me out a minute. does it really matter HOW THINGS GOT THIS WAY? WHAT THEIR PARENTS AND ANCESTORS DID OR DIDN'T DO? these children didn't asked to be brought into this life, or lack thereof. so there. shut your mouth and quit thinking about all the JUNK that has been put in your head regarding the issue. Here's a thought, out of all of Jesus' stories we hear a/b in the Bible (and for the religious in sunday school) which one of those went a little like this: "hello, I'm Jesus. I'm here to help you with whatever you may need. Are you hungry? Thristy? Naked? Hurting?" "well, yes, i am a little hungry for whatever you may have to spare and my kids could use some sandles." Jesus: "well.......let me think........hmmm.....let me just ask you a few questions a/b maybe why and how you got here, your history, your parents and grandparents or for heaven's sake why aren't you out working the fields instead of begging for food?" "and these kids you got here, well, i don't know if i have enough to feed you AND the kids....geeez man!" ......... okay, for those of you who know ANYTHING a/b our Saviour - come on! you know thats just crazy, right? last i checked, he made it a point to go out and about and seek and help and save and feed! and thats the only example i wanna follow. he didn't ask them to fill out a form or to have to prove who they are and why they are where they are, 10 forms of i.d and by the way if you want any assistance you will have to go through a 3 week program first. see, we are ridiculously SCARED. we are just SO SCARED. we freeze in fear. fear of downtown, fear of parks, parking lots, alley ways, the hood, the projects, broken down apartment bldgs. you name it WE ARE AFRAID OF IT. so, what happens then? no one gets helped. no one is seen because we are simply just too uncomfortable to go there. so nothing. nothing is what happens. nothing is what gets done. and let me just say for a minute its a lot easier that way. easier to "bury your head" as i like to say and pretend it doesn't exist, or that someone else will pick up our slack.( I know...I did this). someone's hungry, naked, homeless, jobless but we'll just stay in our own little world and worry about the new car we don't have, the bigger house we can't buy and the clothes line we can't afford and even the newest greatest electronic device that our kids won't be getting this year. ( i could go on but i won't). because anyone with 1/2 a brain can see where i'm going. so we've established this much: 1. we are all scared to death 2. we are all so stinking selfish we can't see past ourselves. no i do not have every answer. no i am not at the point where i get up daily and rush to meet someone else's needs, but i can say i'm on my way. on my way to making SOME kind of difference in this world. after all, isn't that why we are here? and here's something else - are you ever offended by a beggar? turned off? annoyed? something to consider. if we all SHARED just a LITTLE of what we HAD, we probably wouldn't have beggars. did you know that the 7 WEALTHIEST people in the world have enough money to END world hunger? completely END it. 7 PEOPLE????!!!! there are BILLIONS of us!!! i think where we went wrong is this: at what point did we decide everything we have is ours? that "we work hard so we deserve whatever we want" mentality? something occured to me and i've tried so hard to live it out. I OWN NOTHING. MY NAME IS WORTH NOTHING IN THIS WORLD. I DON'T OWN MY KIDS, HUSBAND, THE CAR I DRIVE, THE HOME I LIVE IN. NOTHING. I DON'T EVEN OWN MY UNDERWEAR OR SOCKS. But my father does. I have a RICH DADDY in heaven who OWNS IT ALL AND SEES AND KNOWS IT ALL AND HAS MY BEST INTEREST AT HEART!! thats enough to shout. really. but back to my point - it's not ours. we are BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE WITH WHAT WE HAVE. but we have NOTHING if we can't admit that HE owns it all and we are lucky enough God sees fit for us to borrow it a little while! so here's an idea: it aint mine anyway,and i won't miss it and God calls me to be responsible and He's got another blessing in hand for me, so why not go on and give it away? and whatever level you can give or do is fine. God doesn't judge us based on amounts or some being able to give more or any of that stuff. He just asks that we take care of one another. thats it. however and how much ever you can. uncomfortable? yes. at times. unfamiliar? always. different? definately. worth it? you bet. so here's my challenge: how will you help? be creative. i started with bottled water this summer and let me tell you its a blast. this week, i went and dropped off a case at Miller Park and a case outside Patton Towers. i don't tell you this so that i can brag about what Amy's doing but just to help put it in prospective. its NOT HARD. (and all you really have to do is take a drive and you will see) those people love it.its just water. i mean, 3-4-5.00 water!! and you know what else? i tell them they have to pass it out, they have to share it. it's not just for one or two of them. there's power in that. in having THEM be the ones to SHARE. it does something, i know it does. so real quick, let me tell you what happened Tuesday. the girls were outta school and i had an errand downtown, so i figured i'd do the drive around the park and see what happened. there were people everywhere. i stopped and took the case of water to a few fellows, explained to them what to do and a sweet lady in a wheelchair stopped and asked for a hot sandwhich. i had NO food in the car whatsoever and appologized. next, i drove around to Patton Towers, explained what i had and remembered i also had 2 bags of clothes in the trunk. i didn't think too much of the clothes b/c of the fact that i had left them, and the waters with a gentleman. (the clothes were mine so they weren't his size and there were a few childrens items) but let me get to the good part: we drove around to get the way we needed to in order to head back to the interstate and i looked over and said "Girls, look at that little girl!" there was a precious little one about 2, sitting on a park bench there with her mom i suppose and the gentleman whom i'd left the bags of clothes with! they were looking through them! i was delighted! i said a prayer and said, oh God, let it be something they can use. see, it's that simple. and by the way, i haven't forgotten about the sandwich lady....i suppose next time i'm out, i'm going to have to plan for some food. wanna join me?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
sabbath
Okay, now that I've gotten your attention, we all have our own opinions don't we? what is sabbath to you? think about it for a moment......why was it created? why does God bother to mention it? and beyond that, i happen to think He makes a pretty big deal about it. like, one of the 10 commandments. so if we believe and want to obey God and walk in all He has for us, then its something we need to explore. my intention is not to tell you what your sabbath should mean or should be in your life. after all, i am just another being on this planet that doesn't claim to "know" much of anything. my intention is to try and make you think. growing up, i knew no better than to just believe that the sabbath was sunday. (which is an different topic altogether!) you went to church, worked in the nursery, sang in the choir, attended sunday school. you spent time with family, (and thats if there wasn't any fried chicken after service) you went to choir practice and youth and bible study and training and prayer meeting , along with volunteering, and back to church. hear me out. those things are GREAT. those are some of the things that made me who I am today along with countless others. but lets face it. you WENT. you DID. you WORKED. let me say that again. you WORKED. now, i am not saying that some of us are not called to that or that there is anything wrong with it. i can only say what i'm learning and exploring for me. thats what it became for me. thats all. i'm simply encouraging you to take the time and ask God what should sabbath mean for me? there are plenty who must work on sunday (or saturday). take your minister or preacher for example. sure, that is part of their job. but ask them and i bet you will find they are observing their sabbath on a monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday or saturday. and if they aren't, they should be! we can only DO, WORK, and TAKE so much in a given week. take it from someone who knows. it is so very easy to keep on keepin on to the point that we are absolutely no good to anyone including US. wanna know something? i haven't "attended worship" in 4 weeks. yep, 4 weeks. is God still speaking to me? ministering to me? using me? helping me? you bet! i don't plan to stay out of "church" for another 4 weeks but if He called me to spend my time doing something else, i might. or like today, He put it in my spirit to stay home and REST and guess what? it was wonderful. it was what i needed. i was where i was supposed to be. so, how about you? following God is a daily, sometimes moment by moment thing. do you believe that God can call you to family time or alone time on a sunday (or saturday)? i do. i've seen it over and over again. we cannot make a religion out of attendance. thats what we have done as a christian society. religion, requirement, habit, job, etc.... i may not always understand what God is doing. i certainly don't get everything He asks of me! but i do believe that my part is obedience. to be open and available to do what He wants me to do. (no matter the day or time of the week!) and to trust Him. can we trust Him enough to miss sunday (or saturday) worship? can we? forgetting what our minds may be telling us (because of the way we are conditioned)? forgetting what someone else may think or even SAY?? forgive me, Lord because there's been plenty of times I condemned. i just simply didn't know any better. now, however, i do know better. and at the end of the day, who do i have to answer to anyway?
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