Am I Alright?

I will admit I am having a hard time sleeping since someone came into our house when we were sleeping. Yes we did buy alarms on the windows and the doors downstairs we also bought stuff to block the windows so they can only be open so far.

Ever since it happened I go to sleep but do not fall into REM sleep. I am only sleeping half the way. Worried if I will hear the alarm on the windows or not if someone did try again.

Okay I will also admit that I am a little psycho or maybe a lot psycho too because I do not want to touch anything that they have touched. I don’t want to keep my purse or wallet so I will probably sell it on Craig’s List which really is a bummer because I really did like them. I did not even want to sit on the love seat that they stepped on to get into our home until I cleaned it okay my husband cleaned it.

I still am not angry with them and still feel really stupid for setting us up for something like this to happen. I just want to have a good night’s sleep again. I want to feel safe in my home again and not be scared if I am going to hear the alarm again. I am hoping that all this will pass in time.

I am not sure if there is anything wrong with me or not. But if you all have any ideas I would love to hear what you all think.

We're all just people!

Did anyone see the Emmies this past weekend? I have to admit that I did not and did not even have any desire to do so. Has anyone read the latest tabloid story about the stars of Hollywood?

I do not understand why we as a society have to be so interested in actresses and actors or any kind of star. Can someone please tell me why I have to know the latest about the latest stars and their dramas in their life that may or may not be true? Why do we treat them like they are more special then you and me or any other regular folk?

What would it be like if we spent as much time reading our Bibles and doing devotionals and praying to God or spending that time with our families not just glued to the TV or movies? Would our society be better or not? I don’t know the answer to that and we will never know the answer to that. I can say that my guess would be yes we would be a better society. I believe that we as a society tend to spend way too much time in front of the TV and not quality time with our families. If we spent less time watching TV and movies would we care as much about the Hollywood elite? My guess again would be no.

I do feel bad for them in a way. I would not like to be followed all day long with people trying to take my picture or being there waiting for me to make a mistake. We all as humans make mistakes and I do not think it is right for us to judge those who have their mistakes published for the entire world to hear. How would we like it if our mistakes were published all over the world? I know I would not. They are after still human. I know we like to think that they are above human, but they are not. They are just people trying to make money (in my opinion way too much money) for their families. There is only one God and He is the only true God. We should not make these Hollywood stars a God or an idol. Let’s just be who God made us to be and let them be who God made them to be. 

I challenge all of us including myself to take at least 3o minutes away from the TV and spend that time with our families. If you have kids read to them if you are married take that time with your spouse. If you are all single then open up a good book. I know one it is call the Holy Bible.

Good Intentions

How many of us have heard the saying “the road paved with good intentions.” Yeah I have to admit that I have a ton of good intentions that I want to do, but for some reason they just don’t get done. Can someone please tell me why this is? While you are at it can you please tell me why we have so many good excuses when it is us that don’t get our good intentions done, but how quick we are to judge and get upset with others who do not get their good intentions done?

Like I have said that I have a problem with this. For me it is that I just have to many good ideas and then the time just ends up flying by. How is it that time moves in our perception slowly or quickly  at different times? Should it not be moving and feel like it is moving the same no matter what the situations are in our lives? That is beside the point but I do wonder why it does happen.

I have found for myself if I make a list it helps. Yes I am a list person and yes I am very much a type A person. So anyway if I make a list of everything that needs to be done and even those things I would really like to get done, then I can see it on the sheet of paper and I can prioritize it. It has helped me to get my expectations of what I can and cannot get done in one day. Those things that don’t get done then go onto the next day’s list to hopefully be done by the end of the week. Yes there are a lot of projects that don’t get done for a long time, but to be honest a lot of those projects are not that important.

I do believe that sometimes okay a lot of times things don’t get done because I end up getting lazy as the day goes on or if I did not sleep well the night before. I have been feeling God wanting to deal with me on this and saying to me “Malinda you know that I will not be pleased with you if you only have the intention to do (whatever it is at the time) and don’t do it.” To me that hit me hard and keeps me moving when I do feel lazy and there is something I know God is telling me to do. All I know is that I don’t want to come to judgement with God and hear Him say to me Malinda you had a ton of great intentions it’s just too bad that You did not do them. I want to stand before God and hear Him say to me “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

God's Blessing Out Of Bad

I have to be honest it has been a very long day today. Today for the first time in our married life we had a cat burglar come into our house. We believe that the person just came in when my husband got up to go to work at around 3am today. Some things that happened made us think that.

They took a small amount of cash and my purse. By Gods grace they left my purse and the key for the van on the side of the house. I am so thankful for that because it would have been expensive and a huge deal to try and get another driver’s license since we live in Washington State and my license is from Florida. We called Florida before we found the purse on the side of the house. Let’s say they were less then helpful.

The greatest blessing from God out of all of this is; is that since they heard Jerry and the doggies coming down they just left quickly and did not try to harm Jerry, the doggies, or myself. I am so thankful that everyone is okay. We can live without the small amount of cash they got and a cell phone that is already canceled. Not that big of a deal.

I also have to say, because I am the first one to get on them when they do something really messed up, my husband’s work was very good and let him take the day off to take care of the Police coming, the forensic people coming, and to get alarms and install them.  That was very cool that they did care enough about our family to let him do that today.

I can see God in this not so great thing happening. We were STUPID and believed the builder when he told us in our walk through that our windows had a protection on them that no one could open it from the outside if it is in a certain spot. God showed us today that they were not right. He had someone that had no intention on hurting us they just wanted stuff they could grab quickly and get out. God had someone like that to show us that we need to be much smarter and safer instead of some of these people who would have hurt my husband to get whatever else they may want. God also made it so that I could get all my stuff back that I really did need such as my driver’s license, and military id. God so looked out for us today. I just want to say thank You Lord!!!!!

Teacher Strike in Tacoma

Okay I am again WARNING those of you who are for teachers in Tacoma please do not read this blog.

I am sorry but I heard on the news they are the 4^th highest paid teachers in this State and have one of the worst performance rates with the students in the State.

Before I get started on my soap box on this one, I want to make it clear I am totally for teachers and I agree they need to be paid fairly and yes if possible class sizes need to stop growing. I agree with them.

Here is my point: one it bugged me more than anything that they can sit there and chant  “we teach Tacoma!”  when they are on strike. No you are not teaching. If you taught Tacoma you would be in the class room doing your job.

Two: that they kept saying that they were doing this for their students. I am sorry I have a really hard time believing that. It felt like they were using the students as pawns for their strike.

Three: if you’re going to strike do it before you start school don’t start school for a week or less and then decide that you are going to strike. REALLY!

Four: When the average teacher makes 60,000 which it was reported they do please do not be greedy. When the State has no money they have no money.  Sorry but be glad you have a job. Which brings me to the last point: When the economy is so hard why on earth would you go out and be striking? Instead of striking how about thanking God that you still have a job when millions of others do not?

Okay I could be totally wrong but I just get really ticked off when I see unions encourage their members to strike when so many others do not have a job and have honestly been looking for a job for a really long time. I do understand that not just anyone can be a teacher but the point is still the same please just be thankful you have a job and get back to class. Do your job and teach Tacoma.

Weather, love or hate it, it will be what it will be!

I don’t really know what the title of this one should be. I guess the best title would be weather love it or hate it; it will be what it will be!

WARNING to all those who love the hot sun key word there hot sun and hot temperatures you will not want to finish reading this blog.

I am a person that HATES hot weather. I do love the sun at mild temperatures not hot temperatures. I tend to get very cranky when the weather is too hot. It’s something that I do believe God was working on me with the past two weeks. My husband and I decided that we were going to stay in the Northwest United States because it normally does not get very hot and when it does it does not stay around for long. I love that! So what is up with the past two weeks? Really we have mid 80’s to upper 80’s in September? What ? I don’t get it. Thank You God for bringing back the upper 60’s. I am so grateful.

Seriously we can love or hate what the weather is but there will always be someone else out there that likes the opposite. And really the truth is if we love it or hate it we are powerless to change it. So why is it one of the most talked and complained about conversations we have with others? I don’t know the answer I just find it interesting.

 For those of you who love the heat it will come back, and for those of you who are like me that love the cooler weather it is also on its way here.

All I know is the weather will be what God says it will be and we can complain about it or we can be thankful that we are still around to enjoy it no matter what it is. This is the lesson that I believe I just learned from our abnormal heat wave.

Friends

In my life I have had friends that are really great friends.  In fact they go into family category. These are those friends that are there for you no matter what. They are friends that act like what most healthy families act like. You can be the real you around them and they still love and care about you for who you are. These are very very rare to find, but when you find them I suggest that you hold onto them and not take them for granted. I personally can count the friends that I have like these on 0ne hand and I still have a finger or two left over.

Then there are those friends that are more like acquaintances. They are really not there for you. They only get in contact once in a while and most of the time it is when they need you to do something for them. They criticize you and your choices you and pretty much all you do. They are never really supportive of you. It is pretty much a one sided relationship “what can you do for me” type. I hope that you are like me and also have very few of these in your lives. I have about the same number of these types of friends as I do “family” friends.

Then there is where most friends are: in the middle somewhere. Hopefully, and in my case closer to the family side of the scale then the use acquaintance side of the scale.

I forgot one type, those are the friends that you never talk to but they are on your friends list on facebook or some other social media site. One of my very dear, in fact “family” friends did something I need to do and that was cut her friends list down and put only the friends and real family that she still talks to on a normal bases. One day I will get there with my friends list.

Now where do you fall as a friend to the friends you have? I am in the process of doing that right now. I am saddened to say that if I am being honest I am in the middle with most of my friends and I go back and forth between.  I know that I need to work harder at being a good friend. So I was thinking what does make up a good friend? And this is my list. I do believe it can change and be different for everyone.

A good friend is someone who will be there for you no matter what time it is or what they are doing.

A good friend is someone who will not put you or your ideas down.

A good friend is someone I don’t have to explain myself to.

One if not the most important to me is someone who will be honest with me. Yes that does mean telling me the truth even if it hurts.

Someone who cares about me and who I am as a person and does not try to change me to fit into what they want me to be.

Someone who calls me or is in contact with me on a regular basis, not only when they need something.

Someone who encourages me when I am down.

Someone who is not negative all the time.

Someone who won’t play the stupid high school games we all hated when we were in high school. (Yes that has been many many years for me but still the point is valued.)

Someone who does not stomp on you when you are already down.  (Yes I have a friend who does this)

Then I was thinking okay I have a lot of work to do with a lot of my friends. Then it came to my mind those less than a hand full of friends that do use me or not treat me very nicely. What should I do with them? Get rid of them all together? Then I heard this soft voice say to me two words. You may be asking what are those words. Well they are simple words and words that for being so simple are so hard for most of us to do. Love and grace. Just show them God’s love and grace.

Now I don’t know about you all but I know I have a lot of work to do to be a “family” kind of friend to most of my friends. I also have a lot of work to do in showing those of my friends that fall so short on my scale God’s love and grace.