Friday, January 29, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. A common you can do this phrase actually is true. But it is the first step in 2,000,000 steps. Now that is a huge number. So many of us look at that step and say I will never walk 1000 miles. It won't happen. It is suggest you walk 10,000 steps per day for healthy living. Did you know to walk 1000 miles in a year you only have to walk 5,479ish steps a day (its .5 at the end). At the age of 23ish I started having sever allergies to things. At the time, no one bothered to allergy test me because I was a military wife and we had no idea where to start. My reactions were sever (ie ER visit severe) but nothing seemed to match up with what the common allergen was. I spent year (literally years) on and of and on and off steroids to try to stay off reactions. In the meantime my body was also having swelling due to constant exposure to allergens. I heard a Tv host make fun of someone who said their weight started when they got bit by a spider. A spider bite was my first reaction. It caused my body to develop other allergies and also caused issues with my immune system that are permanent. I wish I could say I am fat because I eat all kinds of junk food. Then I could just stop. It isn't that. I actually don't eat enough. I don't get hungry I forget to eat and in the past have gone 2 or three days where I maybe had a sandwich all day and that was it. God forbid my kids weren't around to remind me they were hungry. Seriously.
You don't know every overweight person story. You don't know what they have been through and you don't know that they eat all kinds of junk food. We don't go to the buffets because when I do I get one plate and I am full. I can't eat more even if I want to and I won't spend $14 on dinner to get one plate of food. My favorite foods are raw carrots and steamed broccoli and salad. Seriously that is my favorite. I don't like chocolate, cookies or candy really. If I am having chocolate its time for you to run because it is PMS.
I tried to be on the biggest loser. I thought it would save my life. They told me my food allergies were a liability. See one of my food allergies is Citrus. I can't even touch it or breath it. I will get anaphylactic. I couldn't believe it. I was mortified that even the Biggest Loser was saying I wasn't worth losing weight. That was 2010. Fast forward it is now 2012. I am watching youtube. I see this video. I am in tears by the end of it. I check out the site this program is on and it is expensive. I am a single mom, I am just making ends meet with no child support coming in and there is just no way I can free up that money. It isn't going to happen. I thought about writing to DDP and saying hey, um any chance you could like sponsor me a copy but I didn't. Yes I was too proud. Who knows maybe he would have jumped in and said sure. But, I wasn't going to ask. Here is the first video I saw.
Early in 2015 I was in the middle of a move and I saw a second video. I was like I want this so bad but we were in the midst of a move, didn't have a date for our permanent address. Tons wrong with ordering anything online. Then I wasn't working for 6 months. To say money was tight would be the understatement of the century. Then my son moved home, we got an exchange student, I started working, I was working A LOT then that job ended up a nightmare because I was bullied because of my weight. So I left that job because corporate said they were working on it but the bullying was BAD! So then another month or so with no income before I started training to work from home. Good because no commute bad because no interaction and I don't leave my room basically. Anyhow, I backburnered myself like so many moms do.
Here is the second video:
I knew this was what I needed. I knew it but, no way to afford it when playing mad catch up. Recently, my dad came to visit. I showed him one of the videos after he was showing me a workout he does that is hip hop and I explained that with my back issues something like that wouldn't work. Well he ordered me the DDP set. So sweet of him and I am forever greatful. Well a girl never wants to let her dad down so...lets be honest I don't want to let myself down. I have dreamed of this opportunity for like 2 plus years now and now it sits in front of me. I will not give my starting weight until I get close to my goal or hit a marker where I am comfortable telling that information. But, when I do I am hoping people will be excited for me! It is obvious I am over 200 lbs. So that is a no brainer.
So the journey of 1000 miles is starting. First step is on the ground. It is time to RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!! DDP I am ready to rumble. You have lots of videos of men. Its time for a video of a woman doing it in 12 months! 100 lbs. Oh and I am 9 days in to 2016 so I will need a few more steps a day. I am doing 1 virtual 5k per month so I need to get signed up and owrk out one so that i an get a medal. Best reward ever!
Friday, January 8, 2016
Yes I am addicted to all things Amazon..or Amazon keeps buying everything I am addicted to. I don't know the difference.
So, I took about a month or so off to spend time with my family for the holidays plus I started a new real life job. (Yeah fun! I get to work from home but I have a real job! It's nice!) So, one thing I started doing at my old job when I had to be able to listen to things was I started using Audible. Now, I have always been the NO I WANT PAGES TO TURN person. Not going to lie Kindle is not my favorite thing on earth but, if I can get a free book on kindle to take up my time, it sometimes is just as good as flipping through a book with pages that would have cost me $20. So it's nice!
That being said I really really really started liking audible books. I loved that I could listen to books that honestly, I just don't have time to read. So often I have been like oh that book looks so good and I walk by and Im like well shoot. I don't have time to read. But I now I can listen to them while I work out, while I take a bath, when I am driving, all kinds of places and times. I love it. I have the app on my phone.
If you have been hesitating to go all in for a audible book, maybe just try it and see what you think. You may be seriously surprised at how much fun it is to get back into reading. I am always so busy I can't even deal with the time crunch and knowing that I have a book I can at least listen to, is really really nice. I am very happy that I decided to try it. I am even happier that my first 30 days were a free trial before I decided to join.
I did find a link where you can also try 30 days of Audible. This is the only banner I could find to post it with for the audible link. So try it out! See what you think. I'd love for you to comment below with what books you have already listened to (if you already have it) or if you sign up what your first book choice was, why and what you thought of it. I am always in the mood for a new book!
That being said I really really really started liking audible books. I loved that I could listen to books that honestly, I just don't have time to read. So often I have been like oh that book looks so good and I walk by and Im like well shoot. I don't have time to read. But I now I can listen to them while I work out, while I take a bath, when I am driving, all kinds of places and times. I love it. I have the app on my phone.
If you have been hesitating to go all in for a audible book, maybe just try it and see what you think. You may be seriously surprised at how much fun it is to get back into reading. I am always so busy I can't even deal with the time crunch and knowing that I have a book I can at least listen to, is really really nice. I am very happy that I decided to try it. I am even happier that my first 30 days were a free trial before I decided to join.
I did find a link where you can also try 30 days of Audible. This is the only banner I could find to post it with for the audible link. So try it out! See what you think. I'd love for you to comment below with what books you have already listened to (if you already have it) or if you sign up what your first book choice was, why and what you thought of it. I am always in the mood for a new book!
Monday, November 2, 2015
Lost Love lessons...in retrospect
When I was younger I had a boyfriend. We were together for years. He went to the Persian Gulf the first war. We had gotten 'engaged' before he went. It was actually pretty amazing. I was working for his parents. He came home on leave. He showed me his leave paperwork and it said his leave reason was to get engaged. I remember being so in love with him. I remember I was in high school. I was head over heels. I was sure we would get married. I knew I loved him. What did I love about him? Everything. I loved his smile. I loved that serving our country was something he was proud to do. I loved his honor and his integrity. I loved being around him and I missed him when he was gone. I remember writing these letters to him while he was serving. Using my work money to buy paper and stamps and spraying the letters with perfume (not realizing he could get made to do extra stuff when he got them). Sealing them with a kiss and sending them off. Waiting for a letter from him. I only got a couple. I was worried but understood. He was in the Army. He couldn't write all the time. Then came the call just after a Christmas break. I was so excited that he was going to be home in time for prom. I couldn't wait to start planning prom together. I hadn't been to a prom and I was ready to celebrate my prom with the man I loved.
I got a phone call. A man said that my fiancee (He used his name and did not refer to him as my fiancee) had given him my number. Said that he was moving to the area and was hoping I could show him around, show him where the fun places were to go etc etc. I told him absolutely! He stated they had served together. We talked for a little bit and then he said the words I will never forget, Yeah when I was at his wedding.....the world stopped. My world stopped. I remember him asking why I got quiet. Then he realized that this guy and I had been more than just friends. He apologized. I never heard from him again. I remember falling to the floor. I remember my chest literally hurting. I remember a few days later getting a call from my ex...yes my ex. A married man can't be your fiancee. He told me he hadn't gotten any letters from me. He figured I had moved on. I made a decision at that time that for me life was over. I thought about ending it. I thought about a lot of things. I wasn't anyone without him. I was no one. I was heartbroken.
Another man I loved and adore I met a few years later. I wanted nothing to do with him. He was the brother of one of my friends. He was also in the Army. I made it very clear I wanted nothing to do with him. But his smile kind of got me. I pretended like it didn't. I tried to friend zone him hard. But he asked if he could write to me and I said ok. He started writing to me with a card. All it said was I love you. Yeah for me it had been love at first sight but, well, I didn't believe in that either. But when I got that card....it felt destined. Yes I was a hopeless romantic. A college student. We talked all the time. We wrote letters all the time. I moved up to college and a horrible situation happened. I got raped. From that rape I later found out I had also become pregnant. I had a lot on my plate. He went out drinking and somehow found himself married to some woman he got married to when he was drunk. He couldn't handle that he had not been there for me.
I felt like I was back with the first person I loved. A man who would just go off and marry someone else. He got his marriage annulled which took a while but I really thought we were back on track. I went down to visit him. We talked about our future. Then I came home. I advised him I wanted him to take one week. Make sure he was ok with raising this baby I was pregnant for because I refused to have an abortion. For me it was not an option. Since I didn't have my actual parents growing up adoption was also out of the question. So I was raising this baby. I said take a week. Make sure you are ready for this. Then let me know. We had a plan. I was going to finish out the school term and then move with him. It was a plan or so I thought. We talked. He told me he loved me. I thought everything was on target. Until......he apparently had been home for Chrsitmas. I never saw him. Didn't know he was even in town. I had bumped into his sister when I hadn't heard from him in December. Here I am ready to tell my family I am leaving...and nothing. Then his sister said, yeah him and his girlfriend came up to visit for Christmas. I said oh that's nice. I hadn't heard from him. And a comment was made and she said his girlfriend is very nice don't screw this up for him. Obviously saying the family was not open for me to be part of it. So I stepped back. I let him have his life. I literally married the next guy I dated.
My life was over. He abused me, was arrested once. I went to a church and started waking up a little and then I wasn't allowed to go to church any more and No one from church checked on me. Even the women who knew I got abused sometimes. Why wouldn't they have checked on me. I was so alone until I finally woke up one day and finally figured out a way to leave where he wouldn't realize I was leaving and I ran for the hills. I dated some guys. None were the man of my dreams. Many were just users and such. I made a lot of wrong moves looking for someone to love.
I met a guy online. He seemed really nice. He was absolutely against abuse against woman and had been cheated on so I was sure he woudn't do the same to someone else. Guess again. Not only that when I started calling him on his cheating, he started accusing me. Telling everyone all around town I had boyfriends etc etc. Never did. He got his reputation kept clean while smearing mine. In comes husband number 1. Says he is going to fix everything. That he understands what he had done 10 years before. There I am being shunned by my former friends. Not knowing that the one friend that I thought I had had been sleeping with my husband as well. Just didn't know what else to do and was so lost I went for it and moved to Colorado. I thought I would be able to start over. At least my son would get to know his dad who had been absent and I figured I was in a better place if he started abusing me again. (crazy isn't it that it would seem normal that someone might abuse me?)
Yeah I was not mentally well. The way I saw it the two men I had given my love to completely had both seen fit to just move on to someone else that they married. I wasn't good enough. See I got myself into an unworthy head space. The rape did NOT help me. I felt like I was worthless. I should preface that my first boyfriend ever also cheated on me and is now married to her. And the boyfriend I had in the middle there also cheated on me with a friend of mine. So I learned really quickly that in the end of it all, the guys that I gave my heart to only wanted to screw it over.
I look back now and I think, why didn't I value me. My mother lost custody of me when I was little. When my grandmother got mad at me, she would tell me I was a liar like my mother when I wasn't lying at all. I learned that I was useless. You know what saved me from myself. God did. Yes, I will always be somehow in love with the two men that walked away to someone else. If they came back to me and said I love you and I want to be with you....it would be hard to not at least entertain that idea. I loved them completely and with everything I was. I loved them with everything I knew. My love for them was legitimate.
Yes I am married now. I have a great husband. He is very kind he doesn't beat me and he doesn't cheat on me. But somehow I wonder sometimes where the love is that I felt for Mr. 1 and Mr. 2. Sometimes I feel like a best friend or roommate in my own home. I pray daily that god will show this man the desire I need for him to have as my husband and the things I need. I try to tell him but it always comes out wrong because I feel like I am being selfish. Do I love him. Yes I do. Is that deep love that you feel for someone only for people who will treat me wrong? Is the love I feel for my husband an adult love? Something different than that severe happiness you have to see someone. Maybe it is because 1 & 2 were gone a lot. When we did see each other, it was more get as much time as I could in. Im not sure. Maybe no one really understands love. Maybe no one really ever teaches you what love is supposed to feel. The movies show that love I had for 1 and 2 but that is all just theater and drama. I don't know that I know the answer.
When you feel love for someone, what is it. Is it just happy to see them or talk to them. Does true love feel like a best friend you can tell anything too? Or does it feel like a person that you can desire and you smile just thinking about them. Or is it the person who drives you absolutely insane. I don't know the answer but I am curious what my readers take is.
Not gonna lie. I will always love Mr. 1 and Mr. 2. They will always have a piece of my heart. They took it even though they broke it. I don't know why. Maybe its because they were truly someone I love everything about. The broken pieces and the healed pieces of them. Their eyes when they smile and their smiles when they laugh. I love those same things about my husband. But if I was put in a room with either of them and him I don't know I would love either of them more than the other. Ironically the things I adore and love about one are completely different than the things I love about the other. Yeah it sounds bad I guess that I would even think about it. But I treasure these past relationships. I treasure the love I felt for them. I treasure them.
Before anyone says anything. No I am not saying I would leave my husband for them. I am just publicly wondering why love is different as an adult than it is when you are younger. I met my current husband when I was 37. I do love him. But there are things I would improve. I always ask him if there is anything I could do differently and he says no I do everything he would ever want a wife to do. I feel selfish sometimes wishing for some things that don't happen. And some of it is stuff that most women never have an issue with. Part of the problem probably is my husband has never been married before. I don't know how to teach him to be a husband in some of the ways a man should be a husband because well his family was a little different. Things weren't done the normal way. Maybe part of it is wishing for some of the things when I was with them that made me happy. Little things they did or said. Without knowing how much it meant. I just miss those things. That is what is missing. But is that grown up love or is that just things someone needs to learn. I don't want to ask for flowers. But I'd like some. I don't want to ask for a just because card, bud I'd like one.
I got a phone call. A man said that my fiancee (He used his name and did not refer to him as my fiancee) had given him my number. Said that he was moving to the area and was hoping I could show him around, show him where the fun places were to go etc etc. I told him absolutely! He stated they had served together. We talked for a little bit and then he said the words I will never forget, Yeah when I was at his wedding.....the world stopped. My world stopped. I remember him asking why I got quiet. Then he realized that this guy and I had been more than just friends. He apologized. I never heard from him again. I remember falling to the floor. I remember my chest literally hurting. I remember a few days later getting a call from my ex...yes my ex. A married man can't be your fiancee. He told me he hadn't gotten any letters from me. He figured I had moved on. I made a decision at that time that for me life was over. I thought about ending it. I thought about a lot of things. I wasn't anyone without him. I was no one. I was heartbroken.
Another man I loved and adore I met a few years later. I wanted nothing to do with him. He was the brother of one of my friends. He was also in the Army. I made it very clear I wanted nothing to do with him. But his smile kind of got me. I pretended like it didn't. I tried to friend zone him hard. But he asked if he could write to me and I said ok. He started writing to me with a card. All it said was I love you. Yeah for me it had been love at first sight but, well, I didn't believe in that either. But when I got that card....it felt destined. Yes I was a hopeless romantic. A college student. We talked all the time. We wrote letters all the time. I moved up to college and a horrible situation happened. I got raped. From that rape I later found out I had also become pregnant. I had a lot on my plate. He went out drinking and somehow found himself married to some woman he got married to when he was drunk. He couldn't handle that he had not been there for me.
I felt like I was back with the first person I loved. A man who would just go off and marry someone else. He got his marriage annulled which took a while but I really thought we were back on track. I went down to visit him. We talked about our future. Then I came home. I advised him I wanted him to take one week. Make sure he was ok with raising this baby I was pregnant for because I refused to have an abortion. For me it was not an option. Since I didn't have my actual parents growing up adoption was also out of the question. So I was raising this baby. I said take a week. Make sure you are ready for this. Then let me know. We had a plan. I was going to finish out the school term and then move with him. It was a plan or so I thought. We talked. He told me he loved me. I thought everything was on target. Until......he apparently had been home for Chrsitmas. I never saw him. Didn't know he was even in town. I had bumped into his sister when I hadn't heard from him in December. Here I am ready to tell my family I am leaving...and nothing. Then his sister said, yeah him and his girlfriend came up to visit for Christmas. I said oh that's nice. I hadn't heard from him. And a comment was made and she said his girlfriend is very nice don't screw this up for him. Obviously saying the family was not open for me to be part of it. So I stepped back. I let him have his life. I literally married the next guy I dated.
My life was over. He abused me, was arrested once. I went to a church and started waking up a little and then I wasn't allowed to go to church any more and No one from church checked on me. Even the women who knew I got abused sometimes. Why wouldn't they have checked on me. I was so alone until I finally woke up one day and finally figured out a way to leave where he wouldn't realize I was leaving and I ran for the hills. I dated some guys. None were the man of my dreams. Many were just users and such. I made a lot of wrong moves looking for someone to love.
I met a guy online. He seemed really nice. He was absolutely against abuse against woman and had been cheated on so I was sure he woudn't do the same to someone else. Guess again. Not only that when I started calling him on his cheating, he started accusing me. Telling everyone all around town I had boyfriends etc etc. Never did. He got his reputation kept clean while smearing mine. In comes husband number 1. Says he is going to fix everything. That he understands what he had done 10 years before. There I am being shunned by my former friends. Not knowing that the one friend that I thought I had had been sleeping with my husband as well. Just didn't know what else to do and was so lost I went for it and moved to Colorado. I thought I would be able to start over. At least my son would get to know his dad who had been absent and I figured I was in a better place if he started abusing me again. (crazy isn't it that it would seem normal that someone might abuse me?)
Yeah I was not mentally well. The way I saw it the two men I had given my love to completely had both seen fit to just move on to someone else that they married. I wasn't good enough. See I got myself into an unworthy head space. The rape did NOT help me. I felt like I was worthless. I should preface that my first boyfriend ever also cheated on me and is now married to her. And the boyfriend I had in the middle there also cheated on me with a friend of mine. So I learned really quickly that in the end of it all, the guys that I gave my heart to only wanted to screw it over.
I look back now and I think, why didn't I value me. My mother lost custody of me when I was little. When my grandmother got mad at me, she would tell me I was a liar like my mother when I wasn't lying at all. I learned that I was useless. You know what saved me from myself. God did. Yes, I will always be somehow in love with the two men that walked away to someone else. If they came back to me and said I love you and I want to be with you....it would be hard to not at least entertain that idea. I loved them completely and with everything I was. I loved them with everything I knew. My love for them was legitimate.
Yes I am married now. I have a great husband. He is very kind he doesn't beat me and he doesn't cheat on me. But somehow I wonder sometimes where the love is that I felt for Mr. 1 and Mr. 2. Sometimes I feel like a best friend or roommate in my own home. I pray daily that god will show this man the desire I need for him to have as my husband and the things I need. I try to tell him but it always comes out wrong because I feel like I am being selfish. Do I love him. Yes I do. Is that deep love that you feel for someone only for people who will treat me wrong? Is the love I feel for my husband an adult love? Something different than that severe happiness you have to see someone. Maybe it is because 1 & 2 were gone a lot. When we did see each other, it was more get as much time as I could in. Im not sure. Maybe no one really understands love. Maybe no one really ever teaches you what love is supposed to feel. The movies show that love I had for 1 and 2 but that is all just theater and drama. I don't know that I know the answer.
When you feel love for someone, what is it. Is it just happy to see them or talk to them. Does true love feel like a best friend you can tell anything too? Or does it feel like a person that you can desire and you smile just thinking about them. Or is it the person who drives you absolutely insane. I don't know the answer but I am curious what my readers take is.
Not gonna lie. I will always love Mr. 1 and Mr. 2. They will always have a piece of my heart. They took it even though they broke it. I don't know why. Maybe its because they were truly someone I love everything about. The broken pieces and the healed pieces of them. Their eyes when they smile and their smiles when they laugh. I love those same things about my husband. But if I was put in a room with either of them and him I don't know I would love either of them more than the other. Ironically the things I adore and love about one are completely different than the things I love about the other. Yeah it sounds bad I guess that I would even think about it. But I treasure these past relationships. I treasure the love I felt for them. I treasure them.
Before anyone says anything. No I am not saying I would leave my husband for them. I am just publicly wondering why love is different as an adult than it is when you are younger. I met my current husband when I was 37. I do love him. But there are things I would improve. I always ask him if there is anything I could do differently and he says no I do everything he would ever want a wife to do. I feel selfish sometimes wishing for some things that don't happen. And some of it is stuff that most women never have an issue with. Part of the problem probably is my husband has never been married before. I don't know how to teach him to be a husband in some of the ways a man should be a husband because well his family was a little different. Things weren't done the normal way. Maybe part of it is wishing for some of the things when I was with them that made me happy. Little things they did or said. Without knowing how much it meant. I just miss those things. That is what is missing. But is that grown up love or is that just things someone needs to learn. I don't want to ask for flowers. But I'd like some. I don't want to ask for a just because card, bud I'd like one.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Rant: Agendas need to stop before we lose our country and our lives......
What is our world coming to? Here is the thing, I am a Christian. I have friends who are Buddhist, Jewish, Agnostic. I don't judge people by the religion they follow for the most part. I will not post my views on Islam or Sharia law here. I do not want to become a target or someone who is injured by others based on my feelings for how they treat women or how they view me and anyone who is not Islamic. That being said, the only time I have ever felt attacked about my religion has been by specific people over specific topics.
For example, I very much believe that any private religious organization should be allowed to display things that reference their religion in a public location if they pay for it. I would have no problem with a Jewish statue or display, I have enjoyed seeing Kwanzaa displays during Christmas etc. When I grew up the multiple faiths would display things everywhere and it was nice to see diversity in action living together in harmony. Then, one day a woman decided that since she was atheist, there should not be a moment of silence in the morning. And the judges said, "oh if your child feels like they are being forced to pray then no they shouldn't have prayer." Growing up I went to a public school. We always had a moment of silence in the am. For some people it was a time for prayer, for others, it was a time to just center themselves and get ready for the day. It was a nice thing. It was turned into something horrible.
Now, religion is under attack. Since Christians are the largest religious group in the united states they are starting big figuring the smaller ones will fall quicker if we fall. They started quietly a little thing here and a little thing there. Religion was taken out of schools and yet public colleges are installing footwashes for Muslims to pray. Well why can't we pray then? Accommodations are being made in public schools with high Muslim enrollment to have a room to pray their times during the school day. No, if a Jewish person, a Buddhist or a Christian can't pray neither can you. We may not have assigned times to do so, but still prayer is prayer. We can't have the Jewish prayer books etc or books about Buddhism or Christian topics in school libraries but books about the Muslim tenants are being found in every school library. It is all or nothing people. If you are going to allow Muslims to pray then it is time to let everyone pray.
I have seen where people attend Private Christian college and then ask that they not be able to preach that being gay is a sin. Here's the deal. OK so you are a sinner. If you are OK with who you are then why does it matter. You sin in other ways too. I sin. Daily. I don't wear white cotton. I love shrimp. I have many failings as a person. Just because you don't want it to be a sin doesn't mean in any way that it is not a sin. And until you sue a Muslim bakery for not making your cake stop suing Christians. Seriously. I do have to add that I personally have a number of friends who are gay. All of them know I am a Christian. We all sin and we all sin differently. I don't judge them by their lifestyle. I just know that if someone feels it is against their beliefs to perform a service for you, you just need to move on. My husband and I were told we couldn't marry at the Catholic church because I am divorced. Even though we were abstinent before marriage, we were told because we shared the same address, we could not marry in another church. We didn't get mad. We just found another church. That is their beliefs. That is how they function. I moved on. So don't say I don't understand being told your marriage isn't right.
Now this. I am so angry that this teacher first of all brings up God, any God, and then requires her students to denounce God or fail. The fact that the board of ed seems to be like well the principal will handle it is horrible. They should have immediately been acting on this. If for no other reason than schools are not supposed to be a place to discuss religion unless you go to a religious school. This poor little girl who is in 7th grade was attacked by a grown adult over this. Not OK. Not only should this teacher no longer teach she should be forced to apologize to these young people she attacked with her words.
No child should be told that they will fail a class if they don't agree with the teacher. Period. I pray for this little girl and her classmates who stood in their faith at such a young age. Most religions believe in a God. Although we may not believe in the same path to that god or the same guidelines, we believe in a God. This obviously atheist teacher needs an education in how to be a human.
For example, I very much believe that any private religious organization should be allowed to display things that reference their religion in a public location if they pay for it. I would have no problem with a Jewish statue or display, I have enjoyed seeing Kwanzaa displays during Christmas etc. When I grew up the multiple faiths would display things everywhere and it was nice to see diversity in action living together in harmony. Then, one day a woman decided that since she was atheist, there should not be a moment of silence in the morning. And the judges said, "oh if your child feels like they are being forced to pray then no they shouldn't have prayer." Growing up I went to a public school. We always had a moment of silence in the am. For some people it was a time for prayer, for others, it was a time to just center themselves and get ready for the day. It was a nice thing. It was turned into something horrible.
Now, religion is under attack. Since Christians are the largest religious group in the united states they are starting big figuring the smaller ones will fall quicker if we fall. They started quietly a little thing here and a little thing there. Religion was taken out of schools and yet public colleges are installing footwashes for Muslims to pray. Well why can't we pray then? Accommodations are being made in public schools with high Muslim enrollment to have a room to pray their times during the school day. No, if a Jewish person, a Buddhist or a Christian can't pray neither can you. We may not have assigned times to do so, but still prayer is prayer. We can't have the Jewish prayer books etc or books about Buddhism or Christian topics in school libraries but books about the Muslim tenants are being found in every school library. It is all or nothing people. If you are going to allow Muslims to pray then it is time to let everyone pray.
I have seen where people attend Private Christian college and then ask that they not be able to preach that being gay is a sin. Here's the deal. OK so you are a sinner. If you are OK with who you are then why does it matter. You sin in other ways too. I sin. Daily. I don't wear white cotton. I love shrimp. I have many failings as a person. Just because you don't want it to be a sin doesn't mean in any way that it is not a sin. And until you sue a Muslim bakery for not making your cake stop suing Christians. Seriously. I do have to add that I personally have a number of friends who are gay. All of them know I am a Christian. We all sin and we all sin differently. I don't judge them by their lifestyle. I just know that if someone feels it is against their beliefs to perform a service for you, you just need to move on. My husband and I were told we couldn't marry at the Catholic church because I am divorced. Even though we were abstinent before marriage, we were told because we shared the same address, we could not marry in another church. We didn't get mad. We just found another church. That is their beliefs. That is how they function. I moved on. So don't say I don't understand being told your marriage isn't right.
Now this. I am so angry that this teacher first of all brings up God, any God, and then requires her students to denounce God or fail. The fact that the board of ed seems to be like well the principal will handle it is horrible. They should have immediately been acting on this. If for no other reason than schools are not supposed to be a place to discuss religion unless you go to a religious school. This poor little girl who is in 7th grade was attacked by a grown adult over this. Not OK. Not only should this teacher no longer teach she should be forced to apologize to these young people she attacked with her words.
No child should be told that they will fail a class if they don't agree with the teacher. Period. I pray for this little girl and her classmates who stood in their faith at such a young age. Most religions believe in a God. Although we may not believe in the same path to that god or the same guidelines, we believe in a God. This obviously atheist teacher needs an education in how to be a human.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Visiting the Alabama Gulf Shores - You MUST VISIT The House of Jerky!
Back in September we were looking through a listing of stores located at the Wharf in Ocean Beach. The Wharf is a great place to go with your family as it has great places to eat and shop! It also features a HUGE Ferris Wheel. (I won't go on it because there is no way I am going that high up in the air). That being said we had noticed one that intrigued us. The House of Jerky! We were like hmmm we need to check it out. That day we were stumped for time, but this past weekend we finally got down there!
Currently it is located just off the roundabout. If you are coming in past the ferris wheel you would want to go to the right on the roundabout and you would see it on your right and side. Easy access is street parking or continue past those stores and you can park in the parking garage which allows you to walk through a breezeway just down from the shop. If you are coming in off the Exspressway bridge you will turn right before you hit the main road and just stay on that road till you come to a T. Then turn right. Stay on that road till you come to the roundabout and then follow the roundabout past the main entrance road and go sorta straight from where you came from. Then same thing road parking or follow to the parking garage at the end of the building.
You can easily see the store by the hanging sign as you are walking towards it or by the big House of Jerky wood sign over the entrance. And when you get inside you are in for a treat. The owner works his shop almost every day they are open except a couple where he has someone cover for his shop so he too can have a day off. The owner is very friendly and always has some samples available. Usually a beef sample. The fish samples are not usually available because they do smell very fishy!
He offers an amazing variety of jerky. You can get: Beef, Buffalo, Pork, Turkey, Pineapple (yeah who knew!), Alligator, Mako Shark, Salmon, Python, Elk, Venison, Wild Boar, Rabbit, and Kangaroo. He also features Biltong which is South African Beef Jerky. You really can try it all here! The packages range anywhere from 8.99 to $20. You can also get mutlipacks in the store that will offer you a great variety at a discounted price!
We purchased Python in a bag, Mako Shark in a bag, Terriyaki Buffalo in a bag and Black Pepper Kangaroo in a bag, we also got Hot and Spicy Gator in a stick, Wild Boar in a stick and Hotter than Hell Elk Stick. The sticks run about $3. So if you are only a little adventurous you still can try some amazing stuff! The jerky is not hard. It is a nice easily eaten jerky. They use a smoke to jerky the meat instead of an air dry method. So it does make it chewable. So often you buy a jerky and it is just rock hard and you have to like suck on it or break a tooth to eat it. Not the jerky from that store. They also have other items in the store like travel mugs, Kangaroo skin hats and Salt Water Taffy
We really enjoyed talking to the owner while we shopped. He is very sweet. I had such a good time hearing about the different types of jerky and how he picks where he orders from and how they make the jerky. He also really liked explaining the flavors and textures of the jerky he didn't have available for testing. He also asked questions to help match you with a jerky you may really enjoy. For example, he has a ghost pepper jerky. It is a sneaky spice. It will sneak right up on you and then doesn't go away. I am personally a Ghost Pepper lover when it comes to seasonings. We didn't get it this time but we live here so there is always time.
You can find them on Facebook here.
Not visiting the area or visited and want more? You can buy online here.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Arctic Water Wars Water Balloons
I know that it is winter. And really people are not checking out water balloons for the most part. But I really wanted to tell you about the fun we had with the ArcticTM water balloons. I got them for a discounted price on Amazon through a review offer, however when I went to the website to do my review on how much we had fun and how great these autofill balloons were, the item was gone on Amazon. I really hope they bring it back. It doesn't say why it is not on sale any longer it just gives me a page error. Makes me sad.
The colors are purple and blue. They are on 2 sets of easy fill straws each. You put a little water in the bottom of a plastic bin, rest these in there and turn on your hose. They self seal. We had a few fatalaties but overall these stayed together more than other brands we have tried. The kids had a ton of fun.
Keep your eyes open I hope these come back!
The colors are purple and blue. They are on 2 sets of easy fill straws each. You put a little water in the bottom of a plastic bin, rest these in there and turn on your hose. They self seal. We had a few fatalaties but overall these stayed together more than other brands we have tried. The kids had a ton of fun.
Keep your eyes open I hope these come back!
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