Family of Flavors
by LaShelle
Chocolate cake, warm, delicious, makes you feel good and cozy.
Vanilla Wafers, firm yet sweet, goes well with about anything.
Cinnamon, making the house smell good, adding spice and flavor to everything it touches.
Peanut Butter, smooth and sometimes nutty, leaves a lasting flavor.
Honey, sweetness added to anything, oozing into everything, making it better.
Walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, hard shell on the outside, soft on the inside.
Tea, steeped dark in the summer or hot with milk in the winter, making life happier.
Coffee with cream, fills you with joy and energy.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Old and alone
I had a moment today as I was working on a project and I am going to let my mind vent. Let me preface this post with this thought: This thought is totally my own, it is not a passive-aggressive blast at anyone, just my own mind working things out.
I want to live my life in such a way so when I am older, I will have people who love me. I want people to love me enough to hang out with me and spend time with me. Even when I am old and breaking down, I want to have lived a kind of life and raised the type of children that can't wait to come visit me. That want me to spend time with their kids and their kids' kids. I want to show love and concern now and throughout the next few decades so that when I get to the old and breaking down point, I will have surrounded myself with people who truly love me.
Is there a magic formula for growing old with grace and surrounded by loving family? I don't know, I'm only in my 30's. I know that any kind of peaceful life needs to start with Christ. I also know that I need to be a good listener and a good friend to have good friends who will listen to my nonsense. I know that I need to be the best parent to my children and a good grandparent to my future grandkids. I need to make myself available to my family and make efforts to keep in touch with those who are important to me.
What about you? Do you know an older person who is alone alot? How do you nurture your special relationships? Do you want to be alone when you are old or surrounded by family?
I want to live my life in such a way so when I am older, I will have people who love me. I want people to love me enough to hang out with me and spend time with me. Even when I am old and breaking down, I want to have lived a kind of life and raised the type of children that can't wait to come visit me. That want me to spend time with their kids and their kids' kids. I want to show love and concern now and throughout the next few decades so that when I get to the old and breaking down point, I will have surrounded myself with people who truly love me.
Is there a magic formula for growing old with grace and surrounded by loving family? I don't know, I'm only in my 30's. I know that any kind of peaceful life needs to start with Christ. I also know that I need to be a good listener and a good friend to have good friends who will listen to my nonsense. I know that I need to be the best parent to my children and a good grandparent to my future grandkids. I need to make myself available to my family and make efforts to keep in touch with those who are important to me.
What about you? Do you know an older person who is alone alot? How do you nurture your special relationships? Do you want to be alone when you are old or surrounded by family?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Should children be banned from certain restaurants?
A restaurant in Pennsylvania has banned children under 6 from their restaurant because of noise complaints. I am curious to hear your thoughts. A FB friend of mine put this as her status and a very interesting debate has occured. There seem to be 2 families of thought:
It is discrimination
It is age discrimination for a restaurant to ban anybody because of their age. Everybody should be able to go everywhere all the time. If we allow this ban then it will only escalate to banning all kinds of people.
It is justified
A private restaurant has the right to decide to serve only people ages 7 + because of the type of people it wishes to serve. If people aren't coming to their restaurant because of screaming children, it is hurting business and they have the right to preserve it the way they see fit.
Personally, I could care less if a business chooses not to allow young children. If I have my kids, we just won't be going there for dinner. But if I want a nice romantic night with my spouse, that restaurant would rank quite higher on my list. It is one of those "If you don't like it - don't go there" kind of things.
Recently, we took our whole family to Applebee's for dinner. We sat in a corner booth for big parties and everybody behaved well. Unfortunately, a family of 3 was sitting at the table next to us, 2 parents and a 3 year old little girl. The girl kept twisting the rod to the blinds (that I was facing) so they would shoot open blasting me with sunlight and then shutting, putting us in darkness. After this happened 3 or 4 times, I was ready to complain to either the parents or our waiter. I was facing that window and the sun was shining directly in and it was very uncomfortable for me. My husband, calm and patient (darn him) told me I couldn't complain and just to let it go. Had the parents just gently admonished the child, we could have all eaten in peace. Instead, their dinner was ruined because she wouldn't sit down and be quiet and we were being strobe lighted. In this instance, a ban on children under a certain age would have been quite welcome : )
I think businesses have the right to cater to a certain crowd of people as long as it doesn't become discrimination. We as people also have the right to not eat somewhere if we don't agree with their practices. Being in an interracial marriage, there are some establishments my husband and I don't go to because we don't want to be in an uncomfortable situation. As a woman, there are places I am not going to go to eat like the Gentleman's Gold Club. I am not going to take my kids to Hooters because I don't feel like dealing with boobs. I realize those businesses haven't banned certain ages or people but they have set up their businesses to cater to a certain crowd and it keeps most other crowds out. This restaurant in PA has set up their restaurant to cater to a more upscale group of people and screaming children are not welcome.
What do you think? Do you think it is discrimination? Or do you feel it is a justified ban? Please voice your thoughts but keep it friendly.
It is discrimination
It is age discrimination for a restaurant to ban anybody because of their age. Everybody should be able to go everywhere all the time. If we allow this ban then it will only escalate to banning all kinds of people.
It is justified
A private restaurant has the right to decide to serve only people ages 7 + because of the type of people it wishes to serve. If people aren't coming to their restaurant because of screaming children, it is hurting business and they have the right to preserve it the way they see fit.
Personally, I could care less if a business chooses not to allow young children. If I have my kids, we just won't be going there for dinner. But if I want a nice romantic night with my spouse, that restaurant would rank quite higher on my list. It is one of those "If you don't like it - don't go there" kind of things.
Recently, we took our whole family to Applebee's for dinner. We sat in a corner booth for big parties and everybody behaved well. Unfortunately, a family of 3 was sitting at the table next to us, 2 parents and a 3 year old little girl. The girl kept twisting the rod to the blinds (that I was facing) so they would shoot open blasting me with sunlight and then shutting, putting us in darkness. After this happened 3 or 4 times, I was ready to complain to either the parents or our waiter. I was facing that window and the sun was shining directly in and it was very uncomfortable for me. My husband, calm and patient (darn him) told me I couldn't complain and just to let it go. Had the parents just gently admonished the child, we could have all eaten in peace. Instead, their dinner was ruined because she wouldn't sit down and be quiet and we were being strobe lighted. In this instance, a ban on children under a certain age would have been quite welcome : )
I think businesses have the right to cater to a certain crowd of people as long as it doesn't become discrimination. We as people also have the right to not eat somewhere if we don't agree with their practices. Being in an interracial marriage, there are some establishments my husband and I don't go to because we don't want to be in an uncomfortable situation. As a woman, there are places I am not going to go to eat like the Gentleman's Gold Club. I am not going to take my kids to Hooters because I don't feel like dealing with boobs. I realize those businesses haven't banned certain ages or people but they have set up their businesses to cater to a certain crowd and it keeps most other crowds out. This restaurant in PA has set up their restaurant to cater to a more upscale group of people and screaming children are not welcome.
What do you think? Do you think it is discrimination? Or do you feel it is a justified ban? Please voice your thoughts but keep it friendly.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Who's with me?
So, a friend of mine called me the other day and told me about all the trials her family is currently suffering. It is unbelievable the amount of things that are going wrong! Her marriage, finances, car, are all under fire and some things I can't even mention. We got to talking about faith and she said something that made me think. She told me that her and her husband decided years ago to start this ministry and they feel very led to continue it even though it is time and money demanding and they really don't have either. She said that when you step out in faith to follow the Lord's leading (and have a ministry) you put yourself in a position for Satan to try and stop you. I think what she meant was that when you follow the Lord, you put yourself right in Satan's missile path. She is being attacked from all sides because her family is obeying what they feel is the Lord's will for their life. It got me thinking. (oh no! here it comes!)...
If you are not struggling with something hard, are you really stepping out and following the Lord? or Do we have to be struggling with awesome life problems to be following God? It made me think about my own current present life. I am not currently struggling with anything big. I always have small things but nothing major that would cause me to be on my knees begging God to intervene. Am I doing what He needs me to do? Or is this just a resting period before the storm? I don't know. I am not struggling with anything big but I have to be honest, I am not doing anything big for God right now either. I am laying low, taking a summer off of everything. I am not ministering to anybody, witnessing to anybody, taking any churchy classes, nothing. I am taking a walk everyday, hanging out with my kids, cleaning, and watching alot of BBC movies. I am not inviting people over to share Jesus with them. I am not going on mission trips (although I did support our church trip and I prayed for them). I am not doing anything that would cause me to be uncomfortable or feel tingly or anything!
Now, before I get emails from people setting me straight, I am not saying that trials mean we are following God. Nor am I saying that if we are following God, we have to also be struggling with something. But it did make me think about my own life. I want to serve God with my whole being. I also want God to refine me into something He can use for His glory. But nothing is going to happen if I sit on my butt and don't go out there and talk to people! Or if I am only hanging out with my saved friends and not attempting to reach out to people. I know God can work through my laziness but is that what I want to be shown when I stand before Him? No! We had a guest pastor at our church this past Sunday and he said something like this: "Do we want to leave buttprints on our couches or do we want to leave kneeprints on the floor and teardrops on the couch because we were praying? Do we want to leave empty bank accounts because we supported ministries and ragged clothes because we were working so hard for the Kingdom?"
I want to work hard for the Kingdom. I do. But I need to cast aside my laziness and my fear and get out there and do! Who's with me?? Who's ready to cast off the lethargy of summer and reach people for God? Who's ready to be put in Satan's missile path because we are considered lethal threats? (puts on super cool sunglasses) Let's do this.
If you are not struggling with something hard, are you really stepping out and following the Lord? or Do we have to be struggling with awesome life problems to be following God? It made me think about my own current present life. I am not currently struggling with anything big. I always have small things but nothing major that would cause me to be on my knees begging God to intervene. Am I doing what He needs me to do? Or is this just a resting period before the storm? I don't know. I am not struggling with anything big but I have to be honest, I am not doing anything big for God right now either. I am laying low, taking a summer off of everything. I am not ministering to anybody, witnessing to anybody, taking any churchy classes, nothing. I am taking a walk everyday, hanging out with my kids, cleaning, and watching alot of BBC movies. I am not inviting people over to share Jesus with them. I am not going on mission trips (although I did support our church trip and I prayed for them). I am not doing anything that would cause me to be uncomfortable or feel tingly or anything!
Now, before I get emails from people setting me straight, I am not saying that trials mean we are following God. Nor am I saying that if we are following God, we have to also be struggling with something. But it did make me think about my own life. I want to serve God with my whole being. I also want God to refine me into something He can use for His glory. But nothing is going to happen if I sit on my butt and don't go out there and talk to people! Or if I am only hanging out with my saved friends and not attempting to reach out to people. I know God can work through my laziness but is that what I want to be shown when I stand before Him? No! We had a guest pastor at our church this past Sunday and he said something like this: "Do we want to leave buttprints on our couches or do we want to leave kneeprints on the floor and teardrops on the couch because we were praying? Do we want to leave empty bank accounts because we supported ministries and ragged clothes because we were working so hard for the Kingdom?"
I want to work hard for the Kingdom. I do. But I need to cast aside my laziness and my fear and get out there and do! Who's with me?? Who's ready to cast off the lethargy of summer and reach people for God? Who's ready to be put in Satan's missile path because we are considered lethal threats? (puts on super cool sunglasses) Let's do this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)