I recently had an "encounter" with someone that I once sort of knew in another time of my life and it has led me to some serious thinking about judging people. This person, who shall remain nameless, has very liberal views and is very adamant about her views. This is all well and good except that she chose to "attack" me on my views which tend to be conservative. It really doesn't matter to me how anyone feels about a great number of issues...everyone has had a different life experience and that will shape his/her opinion. For the life of me, I just don't get why it is okay to "attack" someone for having a different viewpoint. Yes, I am conservative in my views most of the time...I don't believe I am "led" by journalists since I don't really watch television, listen to the radio, or read news magazines. I am conservative in my views because I was raised in a conservative household. I married a conservative man who proudly served in the United States Air Force for 20 years and now works for the Veteran's Administration providing the exact same health care that he provided while on active duty. I am a Catholic convert (when I was almost 30 years old), but I don't agree with everything the Catholic Church advocates. There are things that I wouldn't do in my personal life that I believe is the right of others to choose to do in their personal lives. I truly try to live my life without judging or lecturing others about what is "fair/unfair", "right/wrong", etc. Everyone, even liberals, can be misled by the powers that be...it isn't just those of us who are conservative in our decisions that can be manipulated.
So, please don't judge me for my rather conservative opinions and I will not judge you for your more liberal opinions. Let's focus on making positive choices for ourselves and leave the negativity at the side of the road.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Keeping promises to myself
I don't know why it is so difficult for me to keep the promises that I make to myself when I so easily keep promises I make to others. I guess I assume that I'm not as important as other people but if I don't keep the promises I set for myself, then who will keep them? During the Daniel Fast, it is suggested that you have a goal that you pray about during the 21 days. I have a lot of things I could have chosen to work on, but I chose to work on making and maintaining friendships. On the surface, deactivating my Facebook account for the summer would appear to be working against my goal. I found, though, that I was more interested in what was happening online rather than in my little world. Several people have reached out to me to see where I have disappeared and why and I truly appreciate their kindness...I was pretty sure that no one would miss me so it is nice to be wrong in this case.
I have a friend that I saw once in a while and we'd say hello but we didn't have an opportunity to really touch base. She's a busy woman and while I'm not as busy, I have neglected this friendship. We were able to get together for coffee this past week and I came away from our hour together feeling happy that we had a chance to re-connect. She spends time with my young adults in a work environment but I have missed the chitchat times we had when she lived next door. It's been lonely in the neighborhood without her family sharing a property line! When we first moved into our house, we loved the family who lived next door and we were sad and apprehensive when they decided to move to Delaware. God had a plan, though, and we are so thankful that Libby and her family moved in next door! The boys brought such happiness to us with their enthusiasm and curiosity! When Ellie came along, it was such a joy to hold a baby girl again! Libby has helped us navigate the challenges that Patrick has faced and continues to face with his Asperger's Syndrome and anxiety. She has been a role model for Liz in her choice of study and career as well as just a really nice person to chat with "over the fence". We were sad when they moved to the other side of the subdivision even though we knew they needed a bigger house with a growing family. It was especially hard when Madeline came along and we weren't next door to help out. They have given us so much by allowing us to be a part of their "family" and it means a lot to be able to honestly chat with someone who "gets" it.
So, I have kept that goal and I am going to continue to reach out and strengthen bonds that I have allowed to go slack. When you live far from family, friends are so important to a happy, healthy life! I only hope that we give back as much as we get!
Liz had her four impacted wisdom teeth pulled last Tuesday and with the heat wave and her pain, she had a rough week. She is finally back to her old self again and the money that we invested in orthodontia has been protected!
I have really been pushing myself to get things out of the old house so we can get it on the market asap. So much "stuff"! Right now I am just shoving it in boxes and hoping that I'll be able to find what I really need before I need it! Things are progressing and I'm seeing more boxes labelled and stacked and less "stuff" scattered around the house. I don't even know what we have anymore!
I am trying to be mindful of what I eat...I had a bad day when I overindulged and boy did I pay the price! Funny thing is....what I ate was a normal "pre-fast" meal. I am trying to stay vegan as much as possible with the occasional meat meal and I have to have half and half with my coffee...but I'm trying and that is what matters.
I have a friend that I saw once in a while and we'd say hello but we didn't have an opportunity to really touch base. She's a busy woman and while I'm not as busy, I have neglected this friendship. We were able to get together for coffee this past week and I came away from our hour together feeling happy that we had a chance to re-connect. She spends time with my young adults in a work environment but I have missed the chitchat times we had when she lived next door. It's been lonely in the neighborhood without her family sharing a property line! When we first moved into our house, we loved the family who lived next door and we were sad and apprehensive when they decided to move to Delaware. God had a plan, though, and we are so thankful that Libby and her family moved in next door! The boys brought such happiness to us with their enthusiasm and curiosity! When Ellie came along, it was such a joy to hold a baby girl again! Libby has helped us navigate the challenges that Patrick has faced and continues to face with his Asperger's Syndrome and anxiety. She has been a role model for Liz in her choice of study and career as well as just a really nice person to chat with "over the fence". We were sad when they moved to the other side of the subdivision even though we knew they needed a bigger house with a growing family. It was especially hard when Madeline came along and we weren't next door to help out. They have given us so much by allowing us to be a part of their "family" and it means a lot to be able to honestly chat with someone who "gets" it.
So, I have kept that goal and I am going to continue to reach out and strengthen bonds that I have allowed to go slack. When you live far from family, friends are so important to a happy, healthy life! I only hope that we give back as much as we get!
Liz had her four impacted wisdom teeth pulled last Tuesday and with the heat wave and her pain, she had a rough week. She is finally back to her old self again and the money that we invested in orthodontia has been protected!
I have really been pushing myself to get things out of the old house so we can get it on the market asap. So much "stuff"! Right now I am just shoving it in boxes and hoping that I'll be able to find what I really need before I need it! Things are progressing and I'm seeing more boxes labelled and stacked and less "stuff" scattered around the house. I don't even know what we have anymore!
I am trying to be mindful of what I eat...I had a bad day when I overindulged and boy did I pay the price! Funny thing is....what I ate was a normal "pre-fast" meal. I am trying to stay vegan as much as possible with the occasional meat meal and I have to have half and half with my coffee...but I'm trying and that is what matters.
Monday, July 2, 2012
The Daniel Fast--the Final Days
I did it! I finished the 21 days without giving up or "cheating"! I don't have a good track record with diet restrictions, so I was not sure that I was going to be successful this time. I believe that the emphasis on the spiritual part of my life helped me with the physical part of the fast. I stayed positive, I drank the gallon of water daily, and I really didn't have any serious cravings until the end was in sight. The last two days were especially hard because I was really craving bread, meat, and coffee. But, I did it with the help of God and my family! Today I had my first cup of coffee in almost a month and instead of gulping it down as usual, I savored it. Liz and I went to see "Magic Mike" and got frozen yogurt to celebrate. I did feel light-headed for about 45 minutes or so after all that sugar, but I had a smaller serving than I would have gotten last month and I enjoyed every mouthful. Tonight Liz is making Chicken Parmesan for dinner...I think she will continue to practice making dinner throughout the summer. My mom never really let us help in the kitchen so I was really unprepared when I was out on my own. Liz will be able to follow a recipe and eventually come up with her own recipes! Good for her and good for me! Speaking of Liz, she is getting all four of her impacted wisdom teeth removed tomorrow morning, so please say a prayer if you get a chance. She is going to be sore and swollen for a few days but I am hopeful that she does okay. She is like her father when it comes to these sort of things...she doesn't handle any sort of procedure or anesthesia well. Thankfully, Patrick is like me when it comes to that sort of thing...we wake up feeling well-rested and hungry...lol
As for Facebook, it has been hard to be without it, but I am adjusting. I don't want to become obsessed with it and a break through the summer will not only force me to do the things I keep putting off.
As for Facebook, it has been hard to be without it, but I am adjusting. I don't want to become obsessed with it and a break through the summer will not only force me to do the things I keep putting off.
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