I have not lived

I was born and I am alive,

but I have not lived.

I breath air and blood flows through my veins,

but still I have not lived.

I have survived.

I have struggled and even had to fight.

I have loved and lost

but I still not lived.

I have danced and sang songs

but still I have not lived.

I need to do better than this.

God did not give me life to just survive, or to merely exist. Yet that is all I have done. I say it is time for another change in my life. Time to start living life and not just surviving.

John 10:10  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Gen 12:2

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you with abundant increase of favors and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing dispensing good to others.

Cutting Men Some Slack…

See, there's this thing called biology...

Something I can see much better today than I could when I was young, is how high women’s expectations  of men can be, how much responsibility we can pile on them. I think there’s some sweetness there, one of those biological truths that can be so delightful to discover and unwrap. However, things that are natural, biological, instinctual, sometimes go unnoticed, unseen, and can start to border on the irrational, the unreasonable.

I myself happened to marry Batman so the expectations on him are high, the burdens heavy. You can perceive that two ways, the woman hates me…..or she’s under this misguided impression she actually married a superhero. I would go with the superhero persona, myself.

When I was younger I had this “honey do” list, not just of chores, but emotional things too, spiritual things, lots of things needing to be done and fixed….like the entire broken world.

I…

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“The Force Is Strong With This One” – The Importance of a Villain’s Recognition

For the Star Wars fans in my life I think you will enjoy this post

The Artistic Christian

Luke Skywalker’s tiny X-wing class fighter skitters across the view screen, and despite his dark powers the sinister Darth Vader finds himself unable to get a clear shot. In one of the greatest movie moments of all time, Vader – the Dark Lord of the Sith who has the entire galaxy trembling at the mere mention of his name – mutters, “The Force is strong with this one.”

Talk about a turnaround! This moment is pure movie magic, as one of the greatest villains ever to grace the silver screen is forced to admit that this young hero is more powerful than he.

No matter which genre you prefer, these moments of recognition are the ones we live for, aren’t they? While engaging with fiction, we long for that moment when the hero comes out on top, good triumphs over evil, and the story’s villains have no choice but to…

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FAQ about Domestic Abuse

Little Bird Flies

1. What is Domestic Abuse/Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence?

• Domestic Abuse is an ongoing, cyclical pattern of coercive control in a relationship.
• Domestic Abuse is one person manipulating and controlling the other in an intimate relationship.
• Domestic Abuse is a crime
• Domestic Abuse includes 6 defined types of abuse: Verbal, Emotional, Financial, Spiritual, Sexual and Physical abuse.

2. Who are the victims of Domestic Abuse?

• ANYONE can be a victim!
• Victims are of all economic classes, races, sexual identities, ages, religions and education.
• 85% of domestic abuse victims are women. (Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, February 2003)
• One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the US. (Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1991).
• 15% of domestic abuse victims are men. (NDVH)
• 2 in 5 bisexual or gay men are victims of domestic abuse in their lifetimes. (NCADV)
• Women with…

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Kay Warren Choose Joy Day 20

Building joy, build people up and do not tear them down.

Romans 2:1

God’s Righteous Judgment

 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

 

Rant! Feminists, Protests and Jesus!

So you are a feminist. Can you tell me what is feminine about you?  I am a woman and proud to be one but I do not have to be loud or vulgar to prove that. I do not have to tear down a man to make myself feel better about myself either. I definitely do not have to wear profane costumes to show that I am a woman. I get respect because I respect others. Being disrespectful to anyone for any reason and then demanding respect gets you nowhere. You think you are better because you protest just about everything and think you are equal with people like Martin Luther King Jr.?  Do you think you are Joan of Arc? How many of you think you can endure what she did? Maybe you think you are Rosa parks and that your protests are in the same level as she did as she peacefully sat in a seat at the bus only saying she did not see why she had to move. For this she was arrested. Did she use vulgarity or flaunt parts of her body or did her quiet actions speak louder than you could ever yell? She is remembered with dignity what will you be remembered with?

Here are a couple of posts that I have read about taking a stand and about these current protests that have been going on in the world today.

https://mitchteemley.com/2017/01/30/take-a-stand/

https://atimetoshare.me/2017/01/30/kathy-rant-2/

Today women say they want equality when they seem to be lowering themselves more and more with each passing day. Women who do not need a man to degrade them because they are doing the job just fine by themselves. Women who are angry because the tax dollars will no longer be paying for your right to kill an unborn child. Then if a woman stays home to raise her children you put her down saying she has no influence or power. I will tell you that it takes a strong woman to leave the work force to raise a child especially in this day and time. Women who struggle to raise her children to be respectable and caring people. These are the children who will grow up to be productive, compassionate and giving adults, even though they live in a selfish world.

The world has become populated with overgrown children throwing destructive temper tantrums.  Women are not alone in this all the other protesters who have rioted and looted based on racial prejudice. Well our new President has members on his staff that are both men and women and have different racial backgrounds, but you dismiss them because they do not fit in the little peg holes that fit you so called violated rights.  Blaming everyone else for the condition of this world and taking no real responsibility for your own actions.  What is heart breaking is these protests say they want peace, love and equality but are spewing out words of hate and division.

Jesus died to pay the price for the sin of every man, woman or child regardless of their race or background. He gave His life even when rejected by those He loves, yet you protesters say that God is vengeful and demanding and you want nothing to do with Him. Yet even while you are doing all of this protesting, using vulgarity and hate, He still loves you. He waits patiently for you and wants so much for you to receive His love. Jesus did not demand His rights as He hung on a cross after being beaten and mocked. Instead He said, ‘Father forgive them, they know not what they do.’

True equality will only be found In Jesus Christ for in God’s eyes we are neither male or female and He does about discriminate because of the color of your skin. He created us all and loves us all equally.

Okay my rant is done for the day.

a link to a biography for Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr and Joan of Arc

http://www.biography.com/people/rosa-parks-9433715#ordered-to-the-back-of-the-bus

http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086

http://www.biography.com/people/joan-of-arc-9354756

Take a Stand

Mitch Teemley

I’m short on time this morning, but long on thought. My gut reaction to the current tumult in the world and in my country is to call for dialogue, for peace, for efforts to understand one another’s views. And I would have dashed off something to that effect if this quote by Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel hadn’t burned a hole in my conscience. We must always take a stand against oppression, no matter where it comes from, from high or low, from within our own families, or, yes, even from within our own compromised hearts.

“Who will rise up for Me against the wicked? Who will stand with Me against evildoers?” ~Psalm 94:16

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What Are Three Steps You Can Take To Become As Successful As The Clouds?

Michael J. Fite

successful

“When you have the mentality of a cloud, you become efficient and you can accomplish your goals with no problems.” -Michael J. Fite

Keep this in mind whenever you think about a cloud.

If you are reading my quote and think I am crazy for suggesting that a cloud has a mentality that you can learn and use, I encourage you to check out my questions below and see how you do this very thing.

What is wrong with clouds?

Clouds may not be fun to watch or be around. In terms of watching it may appear boring to watch a cloud just float in the sky. In terms of being around it, you may not want to be around clouds because it may negatively affect you physically and mentally.  Whatever the reason may be, clouds get a bad reputation for efficiently doing what they are supposed to do.

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Could You Forgive a Murderer?

I do not know if I could do what this woman did but what she did is amazing and proof the love of Jesus is definitely in her heart.

Even In This

Could you forgive someone who killed your loved one? A few years ago, I reconnected with a long-distant friend on Facebook and phoned her to catch up. She told me about her husband’s heinous murder and the heartache that followed his death which included her grown son’s drug addiction. I sat there, glued to the phone. But it wasn’t the details of his murder or her son’s addiction that captivated me as much as her response to these events.

Time passed and I was inspired as I watched my friend get involved in prison ministries. I asked if I could write her story and share the message of God’s grace and forgiveness with others. This is Wendi’s incredible story Inside Job that was published in the online magazine: Now What?

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Choose Joy Day 19

Perfectionist?