JC is in the HOUSE

Week One DOWN.

Good news…I lost 4 pounds my first week on JC (just to be cool I am using acronyms). That’s a pretty good week. If I can do 3 lbs per week I am going to hit my goal much faster that I initially thought…so wish me luck on that.

It’s been a pretty rough week to say the least…I threw my back out last Friday carrying groceries of all things! I actually went to the hospital; I was in so much pain. They gave me a shot in my back of something I cannot pronounce, and three prescriptions (stupid jerks, that means THREE dispensing fees!). I will admit, I didn’t follow the prescriptions over the long weekend and I paid for it. It’s now been a week, and I am JUST getting over it. I have had to tilt all my chairs (car, work) and have been taught a stretch that really helps. It will probably be a lingering pain for awhile…but at least I am doing something about it now.

Sadie FINALLY got into the school we wanted…but not right away. First, I got a call from the school saying that she was not able to squeeze Sadie in and she would have to go to the school across the street from our house. I was polite, but let her know that it wasn’t good enough. Then, I had our friend who would be picking Sadie up every day meet with the principal and let her know that it wasn’t good enough either… BUT, it wasn’t necessary because the principal had already left me a voicemail to say that she had felt terrible not letting Sadie in, and had reconsidered. So Sadie got to have two first days of grade one at two different schools! Even better, she is in a grade ½ split class with our buddy’s son. Week one down, and so far so good! No notes home, no visits to the principals office, and no parent complaints that Sadie is being mean… YAY! (I kid, I kid…she’s a great kid!)

This weekend is home repair weekend when we can fit it in! We have a 1st Bday party to go to (ooo I have to get a present!) and MY birthday dinner at my folks. E has hockey so he won’t be coming :-(

Next week is the luau… WHO’S IN???

Books, books and more books!

I was reading a blog the other night that I go to occasionally. The man is a "Literary Agent" so there is a lot of interesting information on there about books and what's out and what's coming and good things like, "How to write a proper 'Query Letter'" and other interesting facts and such for writers. It's just good to check out once in a while.
For instance....did you know that there are 14 NEW books out just about "Princess Diana" right now? Good grief. Enough already people.

The other day this man posed a question.....which I thought was a great one.
"How many books have you read this year?" or something to that sort of wording.

So I started thinking about how many books I've read this year and I've sort of kept track even on my blog. Yet I read alot of articles and news items as well, not counting....magazines. Ugh. I read a TON of stuff on the web. Information and such. Current events, etc.

I read a few of the comments people posted.....some of these people read up to 250 books a YEAR! YIKES.

I can't force books down peoples throats. We can merely suggest can't we? I read many books because of the recommendation of another person. That is a good thing really.

I am an avid reader and I WISH more people were because there's lots of good stuff out there to read.
I myself come from a long line of readers. I've been reading constantly since I was very young.

My Aunt Pat in Missouri is currently in TWO book clubs....she's retired of course.I used to read a lot of her books she had during the summers I had to spend in Missouri as a child and teenager.
Then my Mother and sister Jerri read tons of books. My other sister Jenny doesn't read at all. I've tried forever to get her to pick up a book and read it and she does scan the occasional "John Grisham" book from time to time but that's about it.

My own husband and children don't read much anymore. My husband used to read tons of books but now reads only the most important of books.....the Bible. He just doesn't have time to read the other tidbits of good that are out there right now. Only on occasion and that's rare. He did a good bit of reading when we took a trip this summer but that's been it for now.

My kids don't read. Gabe is in college so he does that reading that pertains to his subjects.....he was the biggest reader I had. He read TONS of books as a child and early teenager, then that dropped off.

I calculate that I read a book a week or more. Maybe up to two books a week.
Here's something that happened to me this week though. So I won't even count this book. It was of no value to me of any sort. BLAH!

Example: I started a wretched book...Sunday night and finished it last night..never trust those "Oprah book club" selections...ugh...some well meaning soul gave me this book to read. I HATED IT! But I was in it and had to finish it to see if this guy really did kill the friend and he did. No brainer. What a waste of my good reading time. I could have had a V8. A book with some kind of redeeming value.

I've been known to start reading a book and IF it's too slow or boring or whatever.......to cast it aside. But in the past year....I've "pressed through" many a muddy beginning of a book for it to turn out to be fabulous in the end.
Thus was NOT the case in this weeks book. Ugh!

So....tell me friends.....what are you all reading and how much are you reading??? Are you challenging yourselves in reading??

I was at a conference one time where the man speaking.....and he was a great leader....said that a person should...."take speed reading lessons/courses so that they could read more faster, thus in taking vaster volumes of information."
I thought the guy was NUTS!!!
But as I get older I understand his reasoning.

We ought to ever keep on learning, all throughout our lives.

Grab a book......and read.
Get something good though....out with the "muck."

I'm starting a new book today.
Beth Moores "Get Out Of That Pit."
I believe it will be good.

Oh and let me plug the "PUBLIC LIBRARY" right here. I have gotten more and more books from the library in the past year or so. That is sort of why we have them right? FREE BOOKS TO READ. Great concept.

Books are expensive lets just admit it. That is why they are a huge "investment" at times. The drawback to the library is that you can't always find the current books that are out or the new releases there that you want to read right then at that moment. You can order them in and then wait......and it will be a long time. I still have TWO books I am waiting for the library to get in for me. It's been months that they were put in for. I don't know if they will ever get them.

That's when Amazon comes in handy if you can wait a couple of days because you can usually get a "used" book for a good price.

I always PASS my books on to others after I am done reading them anymore. I am not one to read a book over and over and over. I know people who do but I'm not one.

Yesterday I bought a new book to read and it cost nearly $20.00 and it's not that thick at all....it's outrageous really and I know WAY too much about the new trend in Christian circles about writing. I know some REAL writers "out there" and they write various things and are published through both Christian and Non Christian Publishing houses. I have learned about the "market" out there via them.

It's maddening and somewhat "unethical" what is and has been happening so I don't even trust some of these people when they "say" they wrote this book or that book, because more than likely they didn't and are PAYING someone to ghost write it.

Which is fine. That does happen but....

Then these "authors" stick their BIG TICKET name on it and sell a bizillion copies to us well meaning ding dongs who haven't got a clue that they didn't even really write it or nor have they really "experienced" what was written in the book probably. I have a problem with that when people are Christians because this boarders along the lines of DECEPTION....which basically is "lying" right?

Hummm....here they are trying to tell US what to do and don't even do it themselves. Interesting.

Right now...there is a HOT "new trend" for Churches and Pastors to write books.
I personally know of three various Pastors that are writing books right now....there are probably about 500 thousand more out there doing the same thing but I know these people and it's disappointing that they too have fallen into the clutches of this "thing" whatever you call it.

They are doing this mainly because "they've been told by so and so (who has written a 45 page paperback book themselves) that they should." Whatever. I'm not "judging" them...because I myself have never wrote a book and can and do applaud them for trying their hand at writing. IF they do actually write it themselves.

Frankly, I won't be purchasing it though. There isn't anything much that I want to hear from most of these people because it would be like opening a like a box of frosted flakes actually and then choking them down with no milk. Can anyone please be ORIGINAL and break the barriers of such temptations to be celebs and just do some real or basic writing.
From the heart maybe? There's a good start.

People......listen to me...please write books because you have a passion inside of you. Write things, whatever it may be.....be creative.....do blogs, letters, articles, books, whatever you wish. Just DO this because there's something bottled up in you that must come out in the written word.

A story, be it fiction or non fiction it doesn't matter.
Maybe you have a conviction, a solution to a problem...possibly a world view or first hand perspective on an issue, and you HAVE GOT TO GET IT OUT in the open into clear view for others to see. To maybe educate or inform or even WARN others.

Maybe it's your message to society.
THAT is the key that will turn the lock to many areas that could be so crucial in peoples lives.

Don't do it for money...although money comes I'm sure when the MOTIVES are right. DO however, do it for the cause. Whatever that may be.

There are many good writers, and some not so good that are writing some awesome things right now. That is the entire point. Not even being the BEST at it but attempting something so that you can bring light to a matter or some story.

Some of these people out there are just kicking out "stuff" to keep their names in lights and bucks rolling into their personal coffers. I say "kicking out" because they have no real substance or purpose to what they are saying....just choose a hot thought..any hamster could do that.....and they now have signed contract to "turn out" so many books within a certain amount of time.

Seen it.....heard it. Know people doing it.

So does that mean I am against "book series"....nope. In fact I love a series and I've read many, many.
Also....IF I like a writer..I will READ ALL THEIR STUFF. I've read every book out there nearly by two authors that I will name.
Max Lucado, is one.
I think he's highly genuine. Do I agree with ALL the states in his writings....nope we aren't always of the same "persuasion" of thinking but that's okay. What I is his "heart message," and his honestly, and I do like his writing style. All his books are good. He's a man with a Pastor's heart. He just stepped down from his Senior Pastor position at his church recently because he has a REAL heart aliment. He will stay on staff as their "resident writer." Cool.

John Grisham, is another.
Very good, suspenseful writer. Gives you lots of information, makes you think.
My favorite book by him is....."A Painted House." All his books mainly deal with the South and with "corruption" or some sort of social injustice.
The man WAS a real lawyer from Mississippi you know, I'm sure he has seen and heard a lot.

I can recommend tons more to you. Writers and books. Time doesn't allow me to at this moment. But there are many, many, that haven't bowed to the pressure of just writing some lame book because "everyone else out there is doing it."


I personally knew of someone that wrote a book and I best not name the subject because it was a popular topic...one of the MOST searched topics in the bible. It is even mentioned in countless verses over and over.

People FLOCKED to this writer's meetings....in a weird flocking sort of way...because once these people write the books then some of them got to "promo" them in churches or where ever and they get speaking engagements that way as well.
It all depends on whatever their "schtick" is.

Yes, I do know a bit of "Yiddish."
See what reading can do for a person?

I went with a friend who was into this Lady's stuff and my friend was even beginning to travel places with this woman..to "events."
I went to one such event as a "friend to support a friend." I was not amused.

During this meeting what I saw I already knew and it was this.....
the woman's life...did not match up with her message ( and yes you can research many people's lives on the NET if you don't have "SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT" just use wisdom!!!) which she CO-WROTE with another man of a greater name...and this lady who wrote the "visions" then went on to write more and more and more fruity "visional" books because she needed the money obviously.

The thing is....people want to read that kind of malarkey. It's a quick fix. OR they feel like they can "pass the book" on to someone and they will get saved. I hope that works for them. I mean it could...God works all kinds of ways..... I'm not so sure on this one...or this book I should say.

Instead of having their own "experiences" many readers just follow someone elses. They want to eat it up and they don't even validate it with scripture or with the persons life that "had the vision" or whatever the case may be.

I'm not against agreeing with things people have "experienced" when it's real and possibly even "some" of what this lady saw was....but then it got out of control.
It became BIG business. Big $$$$$ and gifts and other such luxuries.

That is why I share REAL things on this blog. So you can judge for yourselves. Not take my word or anyone elses. "TRY" the spirit people, we are told to do that. Check things out okay? You should be doing that.

My friend was in a position to "see" first hand just how wacky this lady really was. She finally got a grip on what was happening and walked out of that circle and stopped traveling with her to meetings and otherwise. Thank GOD! Many times we can easily get caught up in the wrong things with the RIGHT motives.

These are just a few examples of many injustices in the catagory of "Christian" writing.
I think we could spend our money wiser..but people can write what they want and people can buy what they want. Welcome to life.

Oh right and let me mention this small matter.
I even saw one guy had a "Board Game" (like Monopoly) to go along with his best selling Christian "Self Help" book......I might add that it was on the lowest clearance section area there at Books a Million when I saw it.
People really don't care about all the gimmicks.

Obviously people ARE searching and they are searching for truth so why can't we just give them that??? Is it all that hard? I guess it doesn't sell as well as say......
never mind.
Onward Joyce....onward.

Back to lending books.
I know people who will NOT do this because they are part of their "library" and they cost big bucks. I don't blame them one bit though because sometimes people never give you back the books you "lent" to them.

I always let them know they can pass them on to someone else if I don't want it back.......otherwise...I DO expect my book that I lent you back. There may be a valid reason as to why I want it back. It may have some information in it that I want to use again later as a reference or whatever.

It's quiet rude not to give people their books back unless they tell you that you don't have to return them.


Keep that in consideration when lending out books because they may not come back home. Just count it as a "gift" if that happens and do not be offended.
Life is short.

Check out your local public library and DO support "good" Christian authors.
There are many of them out there.

As far as all writers.....especially "non believers, etc." I don't hold them to the same high, standards that I would hold a "Christian" writer to.
I think we all know why.
Cheers.

Google EARTH

Google Earth.....
Have you tried it out yet?? If not you might want to download it and check out some sites. It's free.
I've been all over the world. HA! HA!
The very first site I went to look at was Darfur (Sudan) to see what was going on over there.

Then of course.....I went to London.
Had to do that one forsure.
Since then I've been on top of the Eiffel Tower and looked all over Paris....I've been to Holland, checked out some things there....and back to England many times.

I know you must be thinking...."She doesn't have a life does she? HA! HA!
Well I actually I DO or I'd be going to more sites and personally......I would be there in PERSON if I could be. Time, money and family do not allow me to do that in this season of my life.
Seasons come and go all the time.....I waiting on some new ones to kick in gear in more ways than one.

For now......I will have to settle for "google earth."
Oh and I have FINALLY learned how to insert a link......duh.
Sorry these things don't come easy to me! Thanks for bearing with me.

Now and Then....very scary!

Who knows better than me that all kinds of bizarre things are discussed on this blog?
Here's something new to discuss.
Peter Frampton.

No he isn't here or anything but I saw something the other night briefly on TV....maybe it was PBS, who knows but whatever it was...it was about him and what he's doing.

Yeah so did you see his photos I posted? Whew. That got me thinking....."MAN he looks really old!!!" Which made me take a tiny memory trip.

Venture with me back to 1976.....alright I hate to date myself here but I must for the sake of "journalism."

My BFF "Jackie" and I LOVED Peter Frampton.....at this point.....we are Sophomores and about to be Juniors in High School. We had been friends since elementary school and then....we both were going to Thomas Jefferson High School and we were out to make this the greatest year of our life.

We liked all kinds of bands and groups back then but FRAMPTON was hot right about that time and he was VERY cute....we loved his hair!! Plus we liked his music and did I mention....we thought he was VERY cute??

Now....some background.

My friend Jackie had been raised pretty much in a Christian home ALL her life. However, myself...I was being raised by wolves. Well sort of and we were heathens and we didn't go to church basically. So I didn't have a clue. I was absolutly lost as a goose and didn't even know it.
Jackie on the other hand had some church history, in fact.....her ENTIRE family like BOTH sides were major Pentecostals and some of them were "powerhouse Christians" too....as I would find out about 5 years later.

Me and my friend Jackie were a bit wild as most teenagers like to be at that age.
We really did get into all kinds of trouble. We wanted to be "popular" so we were in all the cool crowds. We mixed with all sorts of personality types of people which was interesting. We were "Pom Pom" girls at our High School and we did that together.
We even worked at the same place together too a little "drive in" fast food place called of course "Arnolds."
We were pretty inseparable during those years.
Thank GOD for his "protection" because she and I both know that "HE" was looking over us for those years while we were "out there."

Especially like the time we had a very bad car accident on the way to school one morning and long story short....Jackie and both were injured and SHOULD have been very seriously hurt...but we weren't. She had a broken rib, I had whiplash and a back injury and I actually couldn't walk for a couple of days...and so lucky for us ....we got to use that as our excuse to back us out of running "Track" which we had signed up for right before our accident. I think we had been to like 1 practice and it nearly killed us. Thank goodness for that new excuse of the "wreck" because we hated track. We were not even cut out to do it but we had signed up because all the "jocks" were doing it. Dumb idea!

One time I went to church with her family.....I was probably 15 at the time and again..her parents went to an old timey Pentecostal church. I remember the Pastor did an alter call that service for people and of course....after that kind of message.....who wouldn't raise their hand??? I sure didn't want to go to hell.

I was not used to that kind of church or Pastor that was for sure. The whole thing was scary to me but my friend Jackie said we could just "kneel and pray in our pews" so we did that because we didn't want to go UP to the alter area.

At some point.....the Pastor came over to pray for us...I hid my head under my arm and I started cracking up because he was saying some crazy things according to my heathen mind. I made it seem like I was crying but actually I was laughing SO hard because he was saying....."Breath on her Jesus" and I had NEVER had someone ask for Jesus to breath on me or anyone else for that matter. That was some of the funniest stuff I had ever heard at my ripe age. Whew......finally....that was over and I stayed "Saved" all of probably 24 hours because I had no way to stay intact basically......no church, no teaching, no fellowship. Etc. etc.

So me and Jackie kept to our same lifestyles...two crazy teenage girls living life to the fullest.

That summer of 1976....we found out that Peter Frampton was coming to town!!!! YEAH!!
Well, not our town because we lived in a smaller town but all big groups came to Omaha and it's right across the Missouri River bridge. I mean you cross the river and your in a huge town and we always went to Omaha for everything....concerts....shopping...going out to eat at nice restaurants.... hanging out....whatever....so we were GOING that's all we knew.

We already had his albums and this was just going to be great. I had started going to concerts the year before and we had gone to a lot of them.
Ummm......WHERE WERE MY PARENTS?????? WHAT could they have been thinking??? Duh!!!

Well.....that summer was great and we went to that concert and to many others.....this Frampton one was just a "landmark" event in our eyes.

That was many years ago and Peter Frampton went on to sell more copies of "Frampton Comes Alive" than any other album that has EVER been sold. Guess he's set for life huh?

Peter Frampton he's older....and living in Cincinnati. They say his city loves him because he "give back" to the town, he does book readings at the public library and such. I heard that somewhere. I can't find much more about him but he seems like a nice guy and all. Not the long haired cool younger man we all went to see. Of course we aren't the 16 year olds we used to be either. I can't even imagine all this now because fact is...my own daughter is now 16. Ouch.

I still keep in touch with my friend Jackie, although I haven't seen her "in person" in years. We mainly communicate now through e-mail. My how times have changed.

She's now got kids and so do I and we DO NOT LET our kids go to concerts and out to do the things we did. HA! HA!! We aren't dumb.

I always tell my kids when they whine to me about me not allowing them to go do something that I am not feeling so great about, that......"you can't con a con!!"

Like I mentioned a few years later......my life changed radically, and I DO mean radically in a big way.

I've never regretted making the decision that I made nearly 5 years later on a hot, summer night on the 12th of July....to give up my own life and to follow Jesus.
My husband and I made that decision at the same time too, hand in hand beside our bed in our bedroom in our little home.

My BFF Jackie came along pretty close behind us too. So that felt good knowing she was in the "fold" as well.
Now we all went to a to a different church than the one she had attended as a child with her parents. I have to say that this church was very loving and kind and was a great place for us all to be in.

Those were some of the BEST years of my life as a Christian in a local body.
Plus my friend Jackie was related in some way or another to EVERYONE there nearly....ha!! Even our Pastor!

It's been a journey for the past 20+ years for all three of us....we are all older now. We've been in this race for awhile now. Jackie and her husband, and Don and I.

It's not always been easy, we've all had our share of ups and downs.... but I can say this...even on the worst of days....it has SO been worth it and it will SO be worth it in the end!
"Do you feel like I do?"

Cute huh? Not a care in the world for those little duckies.

I'm not feeling so great right about now. Sore throat and glands, head thing going on. This has been trying to attack me for a couple weeks now. Tonight though, I'm feeling very weird and achey, then add in my "regular" pain issues.... BLAH!!
I hate that.
Here's your new tea thought:

Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary. ~Chinese Proverb

I guess I need to fix myself a hot cup of tea and climb into bed. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz
Cheers.

Reflections

My most beloved Pastor, Stanly Riche, the man that my husband and I were tutored under, taught Christianity 101 and so much more from, died of lung cancer.

My husband was one of the 6 "Young Minister's" at our church that he had wanted to carry him to his final resting spot should the end come. And it did. After a year of prayer meetings and total faith in God and His divine will for Br. Riche and all of our lives....God blessed "B.R." as we called him lovingly at times......with the "Ultimate Healing," he went to heaven. Home to be with Jesus, the one who he had loved and had served and taught us all about.
We were very mixed about this but accepted it as "God's plan."

This loss of such a fabulous man was extremely devastating to many.
In fact our church went through a most terrible time after his death. I won't totally "go there" because it was painful, but it was some of the worst "church stuff" I have ever seen and encountered in my entire life. Many bad things happened, many people hurt each other in various ways and many BAD "spirits" and I mean spirits, came into our church as a result of this deep injury on the body. There always has to be an open "doorway" those things have to come in by and they WERE allowed in during this time.

Sheep really don't know what to do without their loving Shepherd and this man was a true Shepherd......he was always beating the wolves away from the door of our hearts. After his death....a "wolf" tried to take over the church from within....ultimately he failed but triumphed in destroying many in the church and without as he had a reputation for already but ......our Pastor believed in "Restoration" and before Pastor Riche became so ill.....he had been in the process of "Restoring" this fallen younger Pastor from another church.

Pastor Riche told us at a prayer meeting one night that this man and his family had come to our church for "help"...that they needed "healing and restoration" and we all agreed.....by the raising of our hands that we would accept him and them into our loving fellowship to help them and love them and restore them. Things went well for a while....then Bro. Riche became ill and this man took on more roles of responsibility in the church. He never really was able to finish his "restoration" process and to this day.....our old church, and our old town have never been the same.

Once Pastor Riche passed away..... a huge power struggle ensued and it was amazing to see how our church began to divide over men and over issues arising from this new man who wanted to take over the position of our beloved Pastor. Our church was very large for "back in the day".....we had about 700 people on a SUNDAY night. That was amazing for then. It was a very family like church.....and now suddenly it was divided. Over two men. One who was dead and now one who was alive and Don and I were under pressure to choose a side.

We were told by many....."you can't ride the fence on this issue." Either.....we could be loyal to Br. Riche,and his teachings and the way he had wanted the church to go.....or accept this man who had all of a sudden after Pastor Riche's death tried to elevate himself into that vacated position. It was understood that he was never to become the "Senior Pastor" of the church until he was restored.

Yet it never fully was able to happen because our Pastor couldn't work with him the way he needed to because he was fighting for his own life. So this man with all his " fallen background" and his "new" ideals and very fancy "Preacher clothes".....slipped into the pulpit while the Pastor was home and sick. This was subtle at first then went full scale. All under the guise of....."we need him to help fill the pulpit until Pastor Riche can get better."

There was alot of political "posturing" taking place through out all that time that we didn't know about. Alot of secret meetings and "dinners" with board members and leadership that we along with many others had no clue was happening. Plus we were young and innocent and had not been exposed to church politics up to this point.

Now....it had come down to this...."would we allow him to come in and take over Br. Riche's pulpit and our church and change things we were all acumstomed to in the church even though he had never been fully restored?" It was not an easy thing to deal with. Because we wanted to exhibit "forgiveness" as we had said we would in that initial prayer meeting.....yet....due to the circumstances...the process of his healing wasn't finished and most of us knew it. There hadn't even been time for him and his family to heal. They were damaged.


We as a church so were not used to this type of behavior in a Pastor anyway so we were trying to accept this man and his flamboyancy in the first place. He was a good preacher.....but because Pastor Riche and his wife were NOT "materialistic" people nor did he or she act or dress overly fancy. It hindered many people. Not that the Riche's didn't dress nicely but they were not flashy and didn't draw attention to their clothing or their appearances at all.

In fact.....Pastor Riche and his wife lived very modestly in the church apartment that was across the street from the church and they drove a very modest car. In fact.......when he bought it...he asked the Church "PERMISSION" so as to "not offend anyone" or cause them to stumble. He had driving a "Nova" and was having problems with it and he also had an artificial leg and needed a different type car more leg space to help him get in a out of.
So they bought an "Impala."

I hope you see where I am going.

We had been new Christians and in our new "Full Gospel" church for nearly 3 years when Pastor Riche was diagnosed. He never took chemotherapy or any type of treatments. HE believed the Lord could heal him. Plus the Dr.'s said it wouldn't have really mattered much and he decided to let his faith help him through that time and we all believed for his healing.

This man so impacted our lives that we attribute most of who we are and what we've learned to him.....we are thankful to him even now for had it not been for all the strong teachings and wonderful things he taught us and instilled into us.....I don't know how we would be able to "stand" seeing and hearing and living through all we have in the past years in "Christendom." Not counting all the things yet to come. WE are so thankful for the "good foundations" he laid in our lives.

All I can say is......"Please God give us STRENGTH and GRACE and more men and women of God like Pastor Riche!!!!" I've had the "best" of some of the best when it comes to Pastors.

I have unlike many out there in the church world had a "GODLY and good example" of a man and woman of God in the pulpit. I know that in today's day and age......things have changed and people rate the "Man of God" on "how much they possess, or how they dress and how many times they travel and how many cars and homes they have"...I my friends don't need to see all that to judge how they represent God. I just need to see how they live their lives according to the words that come out of their mouths. I want to see them back up.....say.....the book of Acts......or the book of Hebrews. How do their lives compare to Apostle Paul's?
Do they have to be perfect. No way. Was Paul's life perfect. He himself said it was.

At least Paul was honest and the SAD thing is.......no one in the body of Christ says anything. No one stops the madness. We don't want to "be negative" or "Touch God's anointed"......first ask yourself. ARE THEY GOD'S ANOINTED? That will help you in this.

Many people are communicators......or speakers......or whatever. But they ARE not anointed. There is a big difference.

I feel like....the kid in the Hans Christian Anderson story......
"The Emperors New Clothes".....I always have.
People see the Emperor and he's buck naked and actually he's been deceived into thinking that he has on the "most fabulous set of clothes that's ever been made"...the people around him.....his leaders.....don't say anything....don't want to "expose" him or be negative. His country men don't want to say anything...but then some little kid in the crowd says......"He's not got any clothes on!!!"
This example goes far deeper than not having clothes on. Being "naked" in biblical reference has always meant to be "Spiritually blind or naked" so this story is just for you to get an understanding of what I am trying to say. No one wants to accept the fact that maybe we are naked???

It's understandable because we may become an outcast as a result of saying it.

I said all that to say this..."restoration" is biblical and Godly and it's needed. Thank GOD for restoration. I want it in my life. I've had it in my life. I want it for others. But do those that NEED it want it? Do they even recognize that they are naked and need restored??

In light of the recent "church world news".....there were two such articles ( and all these dramas were on the news and on the Internet already for the past week so it's old news by now)in yesterday's Baton Rouge newspaper about MAJOR ministries that are going through ....let's call it "trauma." Because they are bleeding out.
Now.....are they stopping to get help? Has anyone said...."Bro.....Sister.....you need to STEP DOWN from what your doing and get some restoration and some healing in your life before you proceed with your ministry"......nope. These people act as if nothing is going on and it's......"Church as usual."

Give me a break. This is UNBIBLICAL and the bible says to "mark" these people and we don't do we? They are causing division in the body by their sinful lifestyles.

What has happened to us? We want to be politically correct???? Is that it? Then let me ask you....."do we please MAN or God." You choose. Because He already has told us what to do.

I remember when people "fell" several years back...and the Christian bookstores "shunned" them and took their CD's off the shelves and these people couldn't get a "gig" anywhere and some of them were "Dove award" winners. Their ministries and singing careers were for all parts, ruined. You don't hear of them and rarely see them today. Yet, if that had happened now.....they could just apparently go on and be famous and keep singing, preaching, whatever and have no consequences.

Now they can goof up.....and not REPENT....see that is the key right there.....there is NO REPENTANCE...and they just go on and start a new ministry or keep on preaching or whatever they do. Remember though, that isn't how it works in God's economy. Every decision affects us...and others..for good or bad. When you are in a Ministry position of any sort....it's worse. People are watching. People want to see how you are going to react and how the church world is going to react and how GOD is going to react.

Here's the deal......it's not all bad. It's painful but it can be fixed when it's done properly. That doesn't mean their lives will be the same because many will not.
Their ministries may fail but more than that........their souls can be repaired.
Just look at the life of David in the bible if you want an example. He went through some horrible because of his sin......but he had his heart right in the end.

It's all about restoration. We have got to do it and have it. But there has to be repentance before restoration can happen. Otherwise.....there is nothing to restore.
Otherwise.....their lives and ministries will account to nothing any more. They will be powerless. But they don't think so, they don't see it because they are blinded by their own self made fame and the need to hang on to what they have and possesses.

Repentance according to Mr. Webster means this:
1 : to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life
2 a : to feel regret or contrition b : to change one's mind
transitive verb
1 : to cause to feel regret or contrition
2 : to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for
Or and it's a VERB so that means "action" correct?

Unfortunately.....some of these people don't think they've done anything wrong so that is an issue.
Some of these people have done these "mistakes" over and over........like several times....like it's documented. Did someone "restore" them after the first incident?"

See what a tangled web we weave?

When things are not biblically addressed and surgery done in a biblical way.....then you leave the door open for the devil and believe me...he will take that door and then you deal with this issue over and over and over AND hundreds of people will be affected and INFECTED.

It's wrong and the sad thing is we KNOW IT'S wrong.

The Emperor is naked and we allow it because we are scared.
We don't want to be "too hard."
"We don't want to "offend" anyone." I've head THAT exact line said in churches by "leaders."

PLEASE, PLEASE....someone get some guts and clean this wound out or else the sickness will spread and spread. That is why we are in the mess we are in now.

Churches are full of sick people and the people can't get any healing.....they get sweetened up messages of encouragement when what they needed was a radical "amputation" of something in their bodies to cut out root sin issues.
God forbid. We don't want to offend someone....because maybe that person won't ever come back and they are well known here in town and own a successful business and we have to pay for all this stuff you know all these ministries and all this staff.
We need to "keep" the people coming. I've HEARD it folks, I know people that have heard it. Don't think it's not being thought of and said behind closed door church meetings because it is.

So we compromise. I've seen it done for years. Well intentioned men and women of God who won't do surgery on their church bodies due to fear and compromise. They all started out right and swore they would never compromise the world of God or let God down. Now they reason it all away.

It's all over the nation too.
I have ministry friends all over the country and they too have fallen "victim" to the "knife" that "cuts" out staff members that speak against these Pastors soft messages and flamboyant lifestyles. These people on ministry/church staffs try to hang on as long as they can because at one point they believed in the Pastor and the church and what it was doing and then something changed. The church took a "new" direction.

Finally true to their own convictions these staff members, many of which are Pastor's themselves, either have to leave these churches or they get fired because they "aren't supporting the vision of the house" or the "Pastors vision."
I've heard it all and my husband and I have wept with some of these people and wept because we know the Pastor's that are changing and putting themselves, their families, their ministers and staffs and churches in harms way and don't see this happening in their lives. Or don't care.

I say I would rather eat pork and beans with men and women with backbones and Godly convictions, than to eat steak with these wimpy leaders and Pastors who "appear" to have it all. They are weak and lame and they WILL STAND before God as to how they have cared for their church and their sheep.

How the mighty have fallen and will continue to do so. Why is this?
BECAUSE GOD CARES about the "worker" not the "work." He doesn't need your big buildings and all your land and your programs. He really can get it done in a bamboo hut. He really does have people that haven't bowed their knees to foolishness all over the world hidden away somewhere preparing for the opportunity to go and serve Him in some foreign land or even here in America.

Don't fool yourselves into thinking we have to have all this STUFF and do all this stuff. Don't let anyone else fool you into it either.

The gospel has been preached for years overseas without the help of our great modern day "cathedrals," cutting edge media and fabulous clothes for years. Men like Reinhardt Bonnke are still packing them in in Africa with a "no thrills" platform. There are no "smoke and mirrors" or fancy platforms with him....and he's a hard hitter. People are still responding to his messages and he's STILL humble about it.

But we here in America are very busy having celebrities like Donald Trump and others on our platforms and our Christian talk shows and ALLOWING ungodly people like them teach the church how to get "rich."
Give me a break. That's really helped us now hasn't it?? Might want to check out their lives.....just because you own Trump towers or live in them doesn't make you successful.

Ask yourself "What is success in Gods eyes??" If you can hear from Him.....He will tell you. Or you could read it in His word. That is still in print too for that matter.

Why doesn't anyone put some "Prophets" on stage in our churches.
Bring in David Wilkerson.
He's my favorite preacher in the entire world....he never allows anyone to call him a prophet but he is one. Humble man. He's getting old and that makes me sad because there aren't many left on the planet like him.
Pastor's don't have him into their churches because that would be way to scary I guess because he might expose something in our lives like...say...oh right sin???

Oh by the way......the last time David Wilkerson was in this town.....he did in fact give a warning to some one and guess what??? It came to pass. I lived here when it happened and it can be validated.

You see this is why I love Missionaries and Missions work so much......they are (usually) so opposite of how the Pastor's and whoever else live in the church world It's bare basics and bare necessities with missionaries. They MUST depend on God oh and the few "small crumbs" that churches throw to them to work with and on and compared to how these Pastors live and how fat their churches incomes are...it is mere crumbs. Especially when a building program takes place. I've seen it and heard this a million times from missionaries and from church leaders/Pastors......when a church goes into a building program.....churches ALWAYS "cut" missions. They need that money to do "missions" right here where we are at.
Sick.

We could give so much more for the gospel around the world if we could cut out some of the FAT in the churches.

Please stop the games and I mean games we don't have to do all this and everyone knows it.

Scale back on your employees. ENOUGH said on that.

How about cutting out some of their upscale cell phones and techy things that Leaders and staff members have..I mean IF and only IF they are needed for the benifit of the "church" and for getting a perticular job done.....and not for the entertainment of the person using them....fine then use them but if it's a trendy thing...then stop the nonsense at church people's expense...
..
PLEASE toss out the "pink" or "gold" or whatever color is hot at the moment paper goods for parties and opt for "plain ol' white" at a cheaper price..look, I like nice floral patterns on plates too when I host a party.......but who's paying for them?? If I pay for my own stuff that's one thing....IF we are ALL paying for the church things....then let's stay low budget okay, that is unless you get some kind of "remarkable bargan."

Many of us who do TITHE want our TITHES and OFFERINGS put to better use.

OR what about fancy snacks and drinks and furnishings in our "Pastoral lounges" or other places where the staff and leaders can go hang in before and after services. They do exist.

My husband and I were "guests" of some Pastor's we know in another state once and we got to go to their "Pastoral lounge" one Sunday and that thing was FABULOUS.....
I mean FIRST CLASS.......every kind of flavor of coffee and sugars and creamers you would ever want.
There were professional machines of all sorts for juices and teas or whatever. IT was exactly like being in an upscale coffee house, REALLY!!! Leather furniture....beautiful cherry wood tables and wonderful cabinets and top notch appliances it was a huge area and decorated wonderfully.

There were fresh Danish and fruit and you name it......it was GORGEOUS and there was even a security guard at the door so as not to allow any of the "church people" in to disrupt us before the service. We were like Royalty. I wondered if God was bothered by all that?
Especially when a great amount of the world is starving.

But this happens every week in churches all over the world. Crazy huh?? What did Pastor's ever do before "Pastoral lounges???" I guess they had to use their offices. I don't know??? But that's what my husband had to do. I wonder what they do in the jungle churches....God forbid.

What about this ideal....there are way too many printed pamphlets and programs on this or that handed out any given Sunday or whenever your church events are. All this stuff that we "think" we have to have to hand out to people that is crazy. I usually just pitch it anyway after I read it if I do. I have way too much stuff to keep track of.

Keep it simple folks.....one or two things sure...tons of stuff and throughout the month....it just piles up. I bet they can't even keep track of it all.

Here's a concept...."KEEP it GREEN" that's trendy huh??? GIVE the information on the overheads or let kids write it on their hands or arms with washable pens in Children's Church (be creative okay) and give the $$$$$ instead for some village to have clean water.
This is so wrong of the church world.

All this wasted stuff...stuff that outdates itself in 5 minutes but we "HAVE TO HAVE IT" don't we? We want to "fit in" be on the "cutting edge"....fit in "Where?? and with "Whom"...and on the edge of "What" I ask you??

How about we work on some REVIVAL instead of some of this other stuff???

We can do things "simple yet elegant".....I believe this and I'm for anyone looking like we are the "hillbilly" church, although you know me I believe the hillbilly's have to have a church too. It just won't look the same now will it???

I like nice things as much as anyone but there comes a point where some of this just doesn't really matter does it?? Not when people are dying from AIDS and malaria all over the world and we are out of control in our churches with all their decadence.
Besides.....if I recall it correctly....this will probably all burn up right and we can't take anything with us.....just PEOPLE!!!

I'm totally grossed out by our selfishness and self righteousness while we act like......"oh we gave this much $$$ to missions."
Right well then again you spent thousands on matching paper plates and cups that you THREW AWAY in the trash.

You could have given so much more had you cut the pork and it was all for looks.
Sad.

Church budgets today are astronomical but no one knows this because there aren't any reports or business meetings. When things are reporter and handed out it's on odd nights and things are so foggy, pie graphs, etc. that you can't really see where YOUR money is totally going.
You don't know how much your Pastor's salaries (plural...figure that one out)are or how much that he spent on trips last year or whatever, I'm just grabbing in the air here.

A person doesn't really realize how much money goes for printing costs or food expenses for staff events, recording or TV costs or whatever things your church is primarly involved in doing.

Missions and benevolence......that's an important figure. Those are the figures I always check first. Do you know how much the church is using out of its budget for those things?? I hope it's a MAJOR portion.

YOU will stand accountable for this issue. How you gave your money and to where and how it was used.

Do we realize this? I'm not saying that you have to be a control freak about it. Don't go and rampage at the accounting door on Monday mornings besides most church offices are closed which I am for.....so don't do that same act on a Tuesday....but you should know.
You should have some sort of knowledge about this issue.
This isn't the "People's Temple" you know..or it shouldn't be.....there should be some accountability given for church monies...and how they are used and spent......that includes little churches and big churches, little ministries, big ministries.

In the end, our church back home fell apart.
It split....some people left on their own over the heartbreak...and the other man took some of the people and started his own church.

Our church was severly damaged from the hit it took...people were hurt and embittered....who wouldn't be?

Time they say heals all wounds. But does it?

Through the years it has gone through many Pastors. It's never been the same nor has it impacted the town the way it did during those years when Pastor Riche was alive and preaching. Had the other man been properly restored, like he was supposed to be I don't think any of that stuff would have maybe ever taken place.
Or he could have left and gone somewhere else to get his family healed...but he wouldn't finish the process. He didn't see the need and he felt he was fine at that point.

Later on, while Pastoring the new church, he and his wife finally divorced, their family was divided. That church has never impacted the city and I don't think it ever will.
Hurt people, hurt people you know.
Until they are restored and healed.....unless that happens....the journey just goes on and on and on.

Let's face it....Churches, Pastors, Ministries do goofy things okay.
They hurt people and they do some things wrong from time to time. It happens.
I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying it happens and we can't stick our head in the sand about it.

These operations are are led by mere mortals and they tned to mess up at times. I don't condemn them for this. People get off course at times......their compass gets messed up. I'm not against anyone that fails or falls...or goofs up because it can happen to the best of people...even the most GODLIEST of people. What I DO condemn them for is not "changing" things in their lives and or ministries when they realize they've goofed up.

I know.....that many of these men and women lay in their beds at night and think to themselves...."This is not how I wanted it to be. It all started out right but now it's off track and I can't get it back to where it needs to be." This is because of pride. They can't stop doing what they are doing because they can't admit they are wrong or made a mistake and sadly......they are in danger of loosing it all at some point if they have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and don't stop and repent and change things.

Pride comes in and all of a sudden.....we think WE know what's best and we change the "marching orders." We've all seen it or maybe even been a part of it.
Some of us have been victims of it. Some will be in the future if things don't change.


Yet we must forgive and press onward and pray for healing and restoration for these people and those that have been damaged.

This is why my friends, we have to do it right when things go wrong.....no matter how bad it hurts upfront. Correction is a must in our lives if we are Christians. I'm not sayig YOU are the one to correct the Emperior....yet you are the one to say that the "Emperior" is "naked" in your heart and deal accordingly with it.

Not that you challange the person...you MUST pray for that person...but once you realize in your heart that they are naked and you have to challange yourself about being in that type of boat. Some must get out before it sinks or before they become negative and bitter in the midst of the nakedness yet still staying, trying to hang on...... best to get away sometimes.

Just know though....It WILL cost you something. Maybe even your position in or at that ministry.

Don and I have THREE remarkable friends that this happened to in the past year. All live in different parts of the country...none were connected in any fashion in their ministries....things went awry in all their settings due to main leadership...and they've all realized at various times that they could no longer sit in the seat of compromise.

They had to make decisions to leave their positions at their churches. It has cost them dearly but they have gained the respect of God and man. They didn't rebel...they didn't cause a hullabaloo.....they just resigned their posts and left.
They are all rebuilding their lives now.

Another friend of ours was fired.
Fallout can become ugly you know especially depending on who you are friends or allies with. They too become targets for paranoid Pastors/Leaders, etc. etc.

All these people we know have been damaged by leadership. All these people were innocent. They didn't deserve the treatment they recieved by the "brethran."

All these people are now in the forgiving and healing process and I am proud of them for moving onward in a difficult situation. That's all we can do. Either sit with the naked Emperior and admire what he's doing or.......deal with the nakedness.

God is a forgiver and a restorer and HE will do the work if we allow Him to and not try to tell Him, the creator, what to do. It just doesn't work that way does it?

God give us strong men and women of God who are Shepherds, who love us but will teach us, who will lead us, who will correct us but who will also rebuild us...who will impart Psalms 23 to us and so, so, more.
Help us Lord we are needy. We need to repent. We need restoration.

We need to get back to some basics.
In this age of "instant gratification"...
We need to "re-dig the ancient wells of our Fathers."

Very "Cheeky" indeed

Yesterday marked the "10 year Anniversary" of Princess Diana's Death. I cannot believe that it has been that long. Over the course of those 10 years many inquests and searches of all manner have been made into what caused the accident that took the lives of not only Diana but of the other 3 occupants of the car they were riding in. Only one survived and he's not talking.

Her boys William and Harry have now grown into handsome men. I know they must miss their Mum deeply.

Included in this posting are some photos of not only Wills and Harry...but of some very TACKY "commemorative" tea cups. Some of which I would never own.

I saw a news report last night that showed "Princess Diana" tea sets. How rude. I mean can you actually imagine drinking a cup of tea out of these things. I can't even fathom what possesses the people that come up with these ideals to do so....other than the fact of earning the the almighty dollar. Or pound, depending on where you are.
How would you like your deceased Mom on a tea cup?

It's downright cheeky.

This next part is in memory of the strength of a very weak person......
no not me......although it could be me couldn't it? For I know I am a weak person and without God's help and grace...I just couldn't make it alone in this life.


"Women are like tea bags, they don't know how strong they are until they get into hot water." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt Oh yes....how fitting of both Diana and myself. HA! HA!
Any other takers??

I first saw this quote stenciled all along the four walls of the "ladies room" of a British Tea Room in a suburb of Omaha Ne. called "Benson." I was impressed. Not only with the bathroom...but the quote. HA!
The tea shop was appropriately named..."Lady Caroline's" after the owner "Caroline" who was from Nottingham England.
I had taken my Mother there on one of my trips back home so we could make a special memory together. It was right about the time of Queen Elizabeth's "Jubilee" so they had a special meal at the time in celebration of that as well....so we ordered it!
IT was grand. Cooked cherries over chicken and other such good things..including of course...scones and tea...very yummy!