Wisdom and then some

I was watching the show 16 and pregnant the other night and I usually just like watching the show not because it is all that interesting to see a 16 year old pregnant, but that so they can see it's not as simple as they perceive it to be with a baby so young and yet so naive. When the show comes on, I will call our 17 year old daughter in so she can see the show too so that she will know that if you get pregnant while living in my house, there will be cirumstances to pay. One episode I was watching really wanted me to jump inside the television and just shake some sense into this 16 year old whose baby had not turned one yet and then found out she was pregnant again with yet another child. (And I wanted to shake the baby daddy too)

Her boyfriend was saying that a condom just don't feel right and the young lady was saying that she forgot to take her Depo shot and didn't know she could get pregnant if she didn't take it. Girl you know. Stop acting like yall are dumb to the fact that you don't know stuff. I mean, it's our job to tell you but it's your job to listen. We, as parents, need to teach our children, the young men and ladies alike to keep their private stuff to themselves and stop trying to please every Tom, Dick and Harry. Young girls need to keep their legs closed and young boys need to stop trying to force them open.

I grew up with three sisters in the house (no brothers) and my mom told all four of us girls that she wasn't gonna follow us 24 hours a day but she also put the fear of herself and The Lord in us. None of has had no babies while we were in high school nor living at home. I'm not saying what my children will or won't do but I have told them they better not bring no babies up in here or they might as well forget going to games, hanging with their friends and all the fun stuff teenagers like to do and I'm not gonna be home sitting raising no grand-babies, I already raised my children.

The girl from the show finally agreed to have an abortion and it really made me sad because there are too many people who want children and can't have them. Then she wanted to say that after all that, she should have listened to her mom and waited. The only thing that is open at 2 a.m. is Wal-mart and legs. Do you know where your children are?????????

The way of the fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)

So remember, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7

Lovingly yours,

My money vs. your money

My mother had given both children a gift card to use wherever they wanted to. Our daughter got an American Express one and our son got a Visa. They were thrilled to have "money of their own." So when our daughter asked when we were going to get out of the house so she could look around, we decided that today would be a good day. It wasn't too cold outside so I and hubby went with her. She wanted to go to one particular store and so I agreed to do so.

When we got there, our daughter wanted to try on a few things and I sat and waited for her to do that and so she said, "So mom, this is what I want." I said ok and she put her stuff in the buggy and we looked around a little bit more before we decided to go to the check out. When we got halfway to the check out, our daughter was in amazement that I wasn't paying for her purchase. She said that if she knew she would be paying for it with her American Express gift card, that she decided that she didn't want it anymore.

Excuse me!! She said that it's different when it's my money and her money. She said that she just wanted to walk around with money on her card knowing that she had money to spend. I looked at her and told her that she will spend it when she get to the register and that I wasn't buying her anything. She began to look sad and so I said to her, "You either buy it or you won't get it." She was shocked that the sad face didn't work. She went and paid for her purchase and we then went on home.

Lovingly yours,

Huh???

I rarely watch news except to track a hurricane or catch the weather here and there. The news is for hubby and then he tells me what I need to know; but as I was getting dressed to take our daughter on an errand, I caught a glimpse of the news in bits and pieces and wondered what the sheezy fa heezy!

One person said that marriage is becoming too overrated and of course the old saying, "Why buy the milk when the cow is free" is really overrated. I mean, seriously, are you calling them a cow? Or that they are a milk-producing machine?

Another person on the news was talking about some sicko writing a book about how to be a freaking pedophile. This sick freak just left me speechless!

Then, there is the don't ask, don't tell mumbo jumbo.  I sort of turned that around and said to myself, "What if my boss came up to me one day and asked what I was doing. Could I use the don't ask, don't tell policy on her?" Boss: So, Barbara, you got a lot of things going on today? Me: Don't ask me, and I won't tell ya. Nah! Even though I know it would be used totally in the wrong context.

Then of all things I saw on the news is the one where Santa is about to get ready and start making his runs......PAUSE......SILENCE.....Are you serious? Are you totally, like, for-real?

And the reason why I don't watch the news is because it is either depressing or stupid TO ME. I'll just leave the news watching to hubby and I told him to just let me know if a hurricane is coming our way....OR NOT!!

Loving yours,

Where are my pills?

Ok, I must admit that I am really laughing at myself. Why? Because I really think that I am beginning to act my age because I have missplaced something and don't know where the heck it is. Our 17 year old daughter said that I am just getting old and that very well may be true, but getting old is mandatory; growing old is optional. Ever so often I may get a headache and I will need an aleve to quickly get rid of the pain. My daughter also needs one right before she starts cramping. So she came to me and said, "Mom, I need an aleve bad." The first thing I would do is just reach for my purse and give her one.

I started reaching in my purse and digging and digging. You would have thought that by the way I was digging that I was digging a grave. So I emptied everything out on the bed. No aleve! Hmmm, where are my pills? I thought to myself. I sat for a minute and pondered and tried to think that maybe they were in another purse and I hadn't changed everything out. I just sat there. Our daughter then exclaimed, very loudly I must say, "MOOOOOOMMMMM, I NEED AN ALEVE!!" Oh wow, Cruella Deville has just been released out of her. I calmly said, "Hun, I don't know where my aleve's are and besides, Jesus dealt with pain." I sort of kind of think that was not was she was hoping to hear. "MOOOOMMMMM, I AM NOT JESUS!"  Was she yelling? Bah humbug, nahhhh, she was just in pain. But it didn't help either when I burst out laughing. It was like she was the devil and any minute she was gonna say that her name was Legion, meaning many devils.

She asked me if I was trying to torture her. I really wasn't, however, that was a good idea. But I really do declare that I didn't know where my aleve were. She said, "Mom, I think that since you don't have cramps that you like me to be in pain." Nah, I would never wish pain upon anybody, except...........nah, just kidding. But I told her that if I wanted her to be in pain, then I wouldn't be sitting there trying to find my aleve. She said she was just kidding though about that but needed some relief. I told her that she may have to take some advil or midol or pamprin and I already know that she has tried them and the only thing that works for her is an aleve.  Poor child. I have gone through other purses and I guess my aleve just got on a reindeer and jumped ship and left. Oh well, off to the store I go to get another bottle.....and I just bet that just as soon as I go and buy some, the other ones will show up.

Lovingly yours,

Christmas in my heart

Society has made Christmas too commercialized and we fall right into what they are marketing and selling. Our children see stuff on billboards and television and all we hear is, "ooooo, I want that, I'm gonna die if I don't get that." Well yall might as well get ready to come to a funeral  because both my children will be in their graves then. True enough, we celebrate Christmas and go with the traditon of getting this or that for the kids, but we are not about to go in debt and break the bank because we know the real true reason for Christmas is Christ. No Virginia, there really is no Santa Claus. Boohoo, cry me a river!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend asked me if I was ready for Christmas. I told her that I was ready January 1 of this year because I celebrate Christmas every day. She gave me that puzzled look and I said, "Girl, waking up is a gift all by itself and for that, I'm already grateful. She agreed. I told her that Christmas should be in your heart and not about buying this or that. I mean, think about it, we get stuff all year long. There is Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Birthday, Anniversary....and really we do have ENOUGH stuff.

Not only with life, but health and strength, food, clothing, shelter, bills paid, color tv's, cameras, indoor plumbing, more cars to drive than there are people to drive them, floors with carpet, central heat and air, fake hair, fake nails, security alarm systems, private jets and so forth and so on.WOW! But yet, we still want more, and more and more. This isn't Christmas. When are we going to wake up people!!

I once told the children, "Why would I buy you all this stuff and then you won't have anything to buy when you get older and get your own job." The reply was, "Moooooooooooooooommmmmmmmm!!!!!! Ugh, Ugh, Ugh!

Keep Christ in Christmas and let it shine in your heart. Remember without Christ, it MAS not be. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Lovingly yours,

God's Favor

Well, well, well....I've taken finals and now I am just waiting on my grades to be posted. But in the meantime, let me talk about the favor of God. Here goes:
After being at work all day and hen going to school at night, I'm mainly exhausted by the time I get to classes. So I basically prefer the instructor to talk and say what she gotta say instead of me having to talk as much. I mean, if I feel that there is something that I don't understand, I can e-mail her. Simple. Right? Ha! This past August when another semester of classes began, I went in to my Wednesday class thinking it was gonna be somewhat laid back like my Tuesday night class. NOT EVEN!! My instructor had the mind set that this is how it was gonna be, end of discussion.

So she mentioned on our very first Wednesday night what she expected of the class (keep in mind that this is August) and that she wants us to read the info in advance and then get to class and she go over a little here and there, but in the meantime, she said that she would just randomly call on us for us to answer questions. My mind was like, "Great! Just what I was hoping she was NOT going to do." So after that first class, I prayed as I was driving home and MY GOD said to ask for the desires of your heart and so I began to ask the Lord for favor in this class and that after work, I was tired and did not want my instructor to call on me but that at the same time, I wanted to be able to understand what she was saying in my own little way. 

The following Wednesday, I went to class and sure enough, she called on people left to right, but she didn't call on me. So after class, I got in my car and thanked God for his favor that night. The following Wednesday after that, the instructor pulled out her roll and started calling on people again, and she looked my way, but she did not call on me. I thanked God again for showing me his favor. As time went on, each Wednesday would come and go and the Lord kept showing me favor.  I was not called on and each Wednesday night after class, I would thank God again. Well, right smack in the middle of the term at the 8 week mark, my instructor came to me in the form of the devil after class and said, "I see you sitting there and I know I haven't called on you, but I will." I didn't say anything except, "Yes Ma'am" and then I left.

Yall, I wish I could make this stuff up but honest to goodness truth, week 9 came, week 10, then 11, all the way to the 16th week and not one single time in a 16 week period did my instructor call on me. Not once! And each single time I saw where the Lord showed up and showed out, I thanked him yet again because He didn't have to do it. When I mentioned it to my co-worker at the end of the 16 weeks, she then said to me, "Yeah, yeah, you got away this time, but watch and see that you will have to speak out in class next semester." I was like, "Get thee behind me, Satan." I don't know how God will work or when he will work. It may be for a semester, it may be through the entire time I'm in school, but this I do know is that what God has for me, it is for me and not for anyone else. I thank you Lord for favor.

Lovingly yours,

Stranger Danger - A must read!!

Everybody ain't good people and we, especially parents, have to let our children know and instill that in them that even though there are some good people in this world, there are still very bad people too. With that being said, this morning hubby needed to take me to work so he could use the car. No problem. So we walked out the house and got in the car that hubby had already warming up. As we sat for a minute or two, we waited for a school bus to pass us and pick up a few elementary children that had been standing at least two houses down. Right before hubby put the car in reverse, we heard a sound that was screaming...."Wait, wait." We thought it was one of our children but when we looked at the door, no one was there, and then hubby said to me that a young boy from down the street was screaming wait. He had missed the bus and this young boy, probably no older than 8, was running as fast as he could behind the bus. He had his backpack on his back and he was going as fas as he could.

Just when he thought he had gotten closer to the bus, it left. I saw this young kid just fall to the ground and started crying. I don't know why he didn't go back home and tell his mom he missed the bus or even if someone was home to take him, but it was cold and he just stay there in the middle of the street crying. Ya'll know I felt so sorry for him so when we backed out to head to work, I asked hubby to pull up beside him. I rolled down my window and asked him what school did he go to. He told me the name of the school and it would have been just maybe 5 minutes out of our way to just drop him off.

Hubby told the young boy to get in the car and that we would take him to school. The young boy got in the car and I'm thankful that we were just kind and decent people, but this boy didn't know us from Adam and Eve. He got in and was very manerable and kept saying, "Thank you sir, thank you so much." Hubby told the young boy our name and that we live on this street and that we would get him to school safely. Hubby asked the young boy what his address was and he told us his address. Hubby mentioned to me later that he was just going by his parents house to let them know what happened and that we could have been anybody and the parents wouldn't have known where their child was.

When we got to the school, the young boy was still thanking hubby. I thought about that young boy as we continued to drive and thought that every parent don't teach their children the way we have taught our children about strangers. True enough, we were trying to help but that young boy could have only seen us with decent clothes on and that we were nice. But yet, we are still strangers to this boy. He wasn't reluctant about getting in our car and he didn't know where he was until we pulled up at the school and he said, "yeah that's the school", even though we did know where it was. I am grateful that it was us who was able to help him and not someone who was a bad person.

Lovingly yours,