SRKindredSpirits

I'm human.... big shocker, I know.... No, seriously, I struggle with forgiving as much as anyone. But today, 2 Timothy 4:14 stood out to me and it made an impact... I told the hubby and kids, from now on, when ever I feel wronged by someone, I am gonna say "...the Lord reward him according to his works." So many times, we hold grudges against people, fretting over how we've been wronged, etc. When in reality, if we just leave it in God's hands, we can know that God will take care of it fully... "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: You also must beware of him..." - 2 Timothy 4: 14-15a It is a certainty of life, that sooner or later we will be hurt by someone else. Sometimes people hurt us accidently, other times it is intentional. Sometimes they hurt us by their actions, other times it is by their words. At times, the wounds are superficial and heal quickly and at other times they are deep and scar us fo

My 12 year old was to take either a pink or red snack for her Sunday school class. No problem.  Most ' normal ' moms would go buy a snack or make a snack.  And that would be the end of the story. Easy.  Oh, but not me.... You see, I am about the farthest thing from normal you'll ever find! (I really don't mind being "not normal"... I just don't enjoy stressing over every little detail, and all the what ifs make me exhausted on a daily basis).  I live with Chronic Stress ( along with multiple autoimmune diseases and cancer ). I know most people say they are "stressed out". But for me, the term "stress" has a much different meaning. My body is actually unable to process stress.  There are medical terms - but the easiest way to understand it is simply know what the effects of stress can do to a normal person - then multiply it by 100 - that's what stress is like for me. When my body is stressed - it attacks my cells and literally tries

When Mr. Nihar Suthar contacted me to review his new book, 'The Hope Raisers', I honestly wasn't sure I'd be interested. But I love this book and the idea that all it takes, is for a few good people to do something they believe in and they can inspire and have a lasting impact on so many more people than they will ever know! As, a teen, my Grandparents started a Misson in Kenya, Africa. And I have heard many stories and saw lots of pictures of how the Kenyans live... this book took me right back to watching my Grandpa's picture slides, listening to his stories, and singing 'Nothing But The Blood of Jesus' ('Hakuna kitu ila damu ya Yesu') in Swahili! Ok, back to the book....  This story is told honestly, without tiptoeing around the crushing poverty experienced by the Characters. They have never known life outside the world of poverty and slums they were born into.The hardships of unemployment, scant education, water and food scarcity, gang violenc

Today has been hard for me.... there were alot of tears.  I don't like getting old, and I don't like that people I care about are dying... our friend and neighbor passed away this week.  Brooklyn_speaks  went home to be with Jesus today....  another friend of ours is losing his battle with ALS and got his feeding tube put in this month... I feel overwhelmed that for me, I know my place in that line will come sooner than later.  My death sentence makes me angry... I have kids that need me. I want to travel and see the world. I want to watch my kids grow up... to see my grandkids and great-grandkids. I want to enjoy retirement with my hubby. I want to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary together. I want to do something good with my life. I get tired of fighting with doctors, getting pricked with needles and the ever changing doses of medication. I'm tired of being exhausted every single day. I feel guilty for just about everything I do, and everything I don't do. I fee

My husband listens to Jarrin Jackson on YouTube , and the other day I overheard this statement:  "Neutrality is a myth....."  It stopped me dead in my tracks. What a dynamic and profound statement spoken in truth.  This saying has been playing over and over in my head since then and has been a main subject of my hubby and my conversations. Let me say it again... "Neutrality is a myth." You see, when some of my siblings and mom was fighting over my dads care and who dad chose to be his Medical POA, there were a few siblings who would say that they were 'neutral' ...that they were not picking a side, which ultimately made matters worse, because they would not stand up for what was right or truth.  "There is no such thing as neutral. There is no position, no placeholder, that doesn't carry with it some subjectivity based on our experiences in the world." My hubby and I have always believed that life is black and white. There is always two sides a

  I know just about enough to be dangerous.... that right now is my whole take on religion.  You see I was raised very conservative ( think Amish, without the buggy ), and was taught conservative beliefs my whole life.... and there was alot of good that came from being raised that way. But, there was also alot of bad.... as my husband says, "if he wasn't already a Christian, seeing the way my conservative family and churches I was raised in act, he wouldn't want anything to do with God if that's how he was introduced to Christianity." Which is sad, but I agree with him 100%.   I joined an Independent Fundemental, KJV Baptist church ( which is pretty conservative ) and though I would say my belief aligns with a conservative Baptist, I am tired of the church politics, rules, and people acting one way on Sunday and another through the week.... the 'whatever' attitude of the Christian faith is off putting to me...... On the other hand, I was rebellious in my

My Dads funeral was on a cold winter day.  The actual funeral service really didn't mean much to me. It seemed the preachers just talked about random stuff ( like sexual assault and how we shouldn't be cremated -it was weird). My mom made it very clear which kids she wanted with her and those of us that were not welcome....  Anyway, it was probably the weirdest funeral I've ever been too, and I've been to alot! (My ex husband and I used to manage a Cemetary and help at the funeral home, so I do know a bit about funerals.) But, when we got to the graveside, the most beautiful, big snowflakes were falling all around us. The little country Cemetary was covered in a white, fluffy, blanket of snow.. it felt like God made it perfect just for me!  The graveside service and story about my Dad, ment more to me than any other thing that was said during the funeral.  The following poem was read by my Dad's long time customer and preacher friend, at the graveside service.     T

Happy 15th Anniversary to my ONE friend, my lover, and my hubby! I love you Stephen! "One Friend" I always thought you were the best I guess I always will I always felt that we were blessed And I feel that way still Sometimes we took the hard road But we always saw it through If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you Sometimes the world was on our side Sometimes it wasn't fair Sometimes it gave a helping hand Sometimes we didn't care 'Cause when we were together It made the dream come true If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you Someone who understands me And knows me inside out And helps keep me together And believes without a doubt That I could move a mountain Someone to tell it to If I had only one friend left I'd want it to be you Someone who understands me And knows me inside out And helps keep me together And believes without a doubt That I could move a mountain Someone to tell it to If I had only one friend left I'd wan

I was raised conservative, and although church politics, and a total disregard and respect for God from so called christians, keep me away from attending church regularly, I am Independent Fundamental Baptist in my beliefs.   But when it comes to reverence and worship, Catholics know how to do it right . This post may get a bit deep and longer than usual, but it's something that I think is important.  The problem with new-style churches, weather small or mega, isn't just that they're ugly - they actually distort the Faith and lead people away from God. Yes, it is true that the Church is a group of people, rather than a building, and that Moses worshiped in a tent, but to talk of churches as theologically little more than rain shelters is misleading. The Mid West, the Far West and the South are dotted with churches that are simply atrocious that have gone up in recent years. The traditional church communicates the Faith, while the modern one simply doesn't - it is a dang