I know I said in my last post I was going to share about our friend Jesse...but I think I'll wait a day or so to gather my thoughts about that...instead I want to share what our Pastor talked about today in church.  He is teaching about the 7 churches in Revelation.  This week he shared about the Church of Smyrna. (Revelation 2:8-11) This is one of two churches in Revelation that nothing negative was written about.  Here's a church that truly was persecuted.  We as US Christians whine and complain about our churches being persecuted and we truly don't even know here in the US about persecution.  We think because the government has taken prayer out of school we are persecuted...Did you know that according to Wilkipedia (under the word religious persecution)...It is estimated that over 1.5 million Christians have been killed by the Janjaweed, the Arab Muslim militia, and even suspected Islamists in northern Sudan since 1984. ???

Can you even image?  I truly can not!  It's funny because last week at church the youth are doing the Sarmaritian Purse Shoeboxes.  Our family decided to do 3.  Yesterday we went shopping.  I think it was some what of an eye opener to my children and myself about how truly blessed we are to live in a FREE country.  Some of these countries live in condition we had over 200 years ago. Maybe they live in even worse conditions than that.  We as Americans forget HOW truly blessed we really are!  Not only do we live in a blessed society physicallyand PTL a modern society, but overall I think we live in a blessed society religiously...yet how often we forget that (I'm preachin' to myself mostly). 

Not sure what else I need to or want to say about this...I might be coming back and editing (adding to it) this later...

Blessings!

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I think I'll do this, but I'll have my passenger do the taping. Doesn't that make this guy not such a good driver too? DUH

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=49750&cl=4221193&ch=49799&src=

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Some builder is building a house across the street from me...that does NOT make me happy!!!  Our house was the only house on the street for quite sometime-which I was perfectly fine with. (we live in a small, rural, retirement community outside of Austin)  Then a few houses came along...I was okay with that.  BUT THEN...this builder starts to build a house directly across the street from me!!! (now the purty deer aren't over there, wandering through the Cedar trees that were there) AND if that wasn't bad enough...last week the electric company came out and drilled a huge hole next to my driveway (the property next door is not developed and we always use the cleared area for extra parking).

This morning-UGH!-I walked out to the electric company's two huge trucks in the street.  One was directly behind my driveway and the other was in the cleared area about a foot away from  my ds's basketball net (and that is in my property).  They are here to install those huge electric poles in the holes.  Well I gave a disgusted look and got in my van to take my dd to work...(she didn't feel well yesterday so I picked her up instead of her driving her car home)  I'm backing out and there's this electric guy trying to direct me out of my driveway...now I'm sure he thought he was being helpful, but I was terribly annoyed by him!!!  I've probably spent more time and miles driving than he ever will.  (this past year alone I've put almost 40,000 miles on my van)  I REALLY don't need his help on how to back up out of my drive way...anyhow...so then on the way in from dropping dd off they are  IN my driveway!!!  ACK!!!! and there's another guy trying to be helpful...apparently he doesn't realize I live here and is going to direct me around the huge electric truck to drive down the street.  I point to my house and he's trying to figure out what to do so I can get in my driveway...I roll my eyes, cut across the grass (that part of the grass is always ran over anyhow) and pull into the driveway.  I get out of my van and look over at all the electric guys and say...You're not going to be HERE long-are you? One of them shook his head and said NO!  and I'm thinking it's a good thing!!!  Needless to say...I REALLY wonder, do those people that move in, will they REALLY need electricity??? 

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Today, I received a bill from Directv...I had charges on there that I KNOW, no one ordered from here, (which has happened a lot) I call trying to get my bill straighten out.  The gal (from another country, that speaks broken english...) tells me they will credit my account $30 of the $40 charges in $5 payments for the next 6 months and I will get Show time free for the next two months free...(like I want Show trash...I just want to be able to watch the Food Network...) I said that will be fine (why did I say that???)I tell her then that I won't be able to make my payment until the 26th.  "All right I'll make a note of that and you'll have 4 days after that to ame a payment so that your service won't be interrupted."  Me-"Thank you I really appreciate that."  "Anything else I can help you with?"  Me-"No, thank you for your help" 

A minute later I'm being summoned by my dh asking me why the satelite isn't working. I have a message on my screen that says call x721. I again call Directv and after an hour of them going on trying to figure out why my service has been interrupted they proceed to tell me that it's because I owe $66.  I go through the whole explanation again and tell them I made arrangements to pay on the 26th and the gal on the phone told me that wouldn't be a problem.  Blah blah blah...they proceed to tell me I will not have service restored until I pay the $66.  My bill in't even due until the 24th.  After speaking to a supervisor I basically got nowhere!!! I told them I want my service shut off starting today.  The supervisor tells me she can't take care of that, I have to speak to someone else...I don't have time to speak to someone else...I need to go get my dd from work and run some errands.

My dh calls and tell them the whole story.  From beginning to end.  Explains those aren't our charges, my wife stayed on the phone for an hour. blah blah blah...the kid on the other end tells my dh, your service isn't interrupted, it's a technical problem.  My dh says my wife was on the phone for over an hour trying to get it worked out.  They had her go through technical all the way up and back down again...and they concluded that until we pay $66, they will not restore our service....I want to know what my bill is right nowas of today.  I am discontinuing my service after 5 years.  I have always paid my bill, etc, etc...

round and round...
If you have Directv look out for those bills!  and if you don't...please don't waste your money if you want a satelite server. 

From one unhappy customer!!!  I am on a crusade to let every person I know not do business with Directv!!!!!

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We have some friends that live up in Rhode Island that call me and my husband Wal-nuts...When we lived there we would go on and on about how much we loved shopping at Walmart.  Well I'm here to say I'm no longer a Wal-nut anymore...why you may ask?  For several years now I've had this love-hate relationship with Walmart...but this last thing has become the love-hate to a hate-hate relationship and I will not take it anymore!

Recently Walmart announced that they had actively become part of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Congress.  YES, this is the thing that has pushed me over the edge.  No, I don't have anything against gays and lesbians personally, GOD's WORD says that homosexuallity is a sin.  Therefore it's not them personally, love the sinner/hate the sin.  But I can no longer watch Walmart continue to make bad decisions.  This being another one of them.

Others include...

1. Moving to a town and then because of their low prices shut all the other stores in the town down.  Then Walmart closes shop and moves 30+ miles away.

2. No longer mostly USA made products.

3. Doing away with benefits for their full time employees by putting them on a point system.  and hiring part time employees so they don't have to pay benefits.

4. Getting rid of their Layaway Dept

5. Those automated self chek out lines! 

6. The employees that don't care...I guess that's almost everywhere now a days...

I'm sure my list could go on...but I'll stop there...

I realize no matter where I shop there will be homosexuals that work there or for the company, but I can not shop at Walmart anymore knowing these things.  I'm not saying you should stop shopping at Walmart...(you might want to read my post on convictions) but I can no longer support Walmart the way I have for the past several years.  I'm sure I won't completely stop shopping there...but it will become the last place I look instead of the first!

I'm editting/adding this November 4th...I meant to say it when I first wrote this blog...

 I know I'll be spending extra money...but, I think if we honor GOD, HE will provide the extra money to shop else where.

Psalms 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is GOD; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gathes with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everylasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

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I know a dear, sweet, precious lady.  Everytime I'm around her I leave thinking, "I need to be more like her"...

While I was cleaning the kid's bathroom...I started thinking about this...

Other people's convictions may not be YOUR convictions from GOD.  When we allow other people's convictions become our own we could actually be putting ourselves in bondage and become legalist and religious.  All things JESUS came to set us free from.  I'm not saying that someone's conviction is wrong for them-if GOD told them to do/not do something.  But it is wrong for me to assume that that conviction should become my conviction, unless GOD tells me do/not do something. 

 It's taken me a long time to understand this.  I would hear preachers, pastors, etc. and  I then thought well I need to do this or that...I would get so upset...I would allow his conviction to become my conviction and I would become miserable!  I would become depressed and angry and in turn I was putting myself into bondage.  Who was I angry with?  GOD? He never told me to let that become my conviction.  MYSELF? Was I angry because it was something I didn't want to give up?  If I were really suppose to give it up why was it so hard?  GOD's WORD says "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."  OTHERS? Was I angry at others because they made me feel condemned?  There is no condemation for those that are in CHRIST JESUS. What was I doing?  I was actually being condemned by the devil is what was taking place and then I would fall into sin because I was angry and depressed. 

I'm still learning, but over the years I'm beginning to slowly grow and understand.  What a great feeling not to be bound.  We are free in JESUS!  We are not bound by other people's convictions, only those GOD lays on our heart!  What a blessing!

Psalms 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is GOD; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gathes with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everylasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

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this was an advertisement banner across the top of my site meter...advertising for an investment company...how ironic...we should be making an investment in our lives everyday...looking for the right lighthouse...but there's only ONE lighthouse...HE's the right lighthouse...and if we invest our time with HIM, what shining lights we will be. Are you investing in the right lighhouse today? 

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So today, I'm at the grocery store in line to check out...there's this mom with a daughter around 4-5 years old...this kid is being a brat...disrespectful, talking back, etc...her mom says to the grocery clerk, "The things she learns at school.  I don't know what to do!"  And all I can think is you could always homeschool, and spank her!  Okay, maybe not the thing I should be thinking...but I really have a hard time with disrespectful children...

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