5 Pages of Thoughts on Media... :D

Sometimes we must leave the well-beaten path and forge our own thoughts, standings, and opinions on topics that swirl around us. While I admit that I am a sheep-only in the sense of the sheep belonging to and following the shepherd. I am not a sheep to social media, the news, or any other information portal which portrays the views of the world. I, in this situation am an open-minded, intelligent, naive, independent thinking citizen. Luckily for me men and women have died for me to have this privilege. It is not a right, it is not standard, it is not universal. It is a privilege that American citizens are given. We are afforded the opportunity to choose our religion-and then participate in it, despite being under attack for being religious at all. The simple act of getting up and going to church is taken for granted so frequently that people often view it as a chore or unwelcome commitment. I am guilty of grudgingly rolling out of bed on Sunday morning (all mornings for that fact) slapping on my church clothes and dragging my hiney to the car. I shouldn't be! I should be incredibly thankful that I am allowed to do this without fear of being killed for going. ((Sadly, this is not the direction I am going... more on this later though!))

I am not a sheep of this world. I am not a sheep to the news, the media, the society, the culture, etc. I am me. I am free to be me. And this is what I think...

Our society as a whole are becoming brainwashed moguls who have very little true concept of reality. Sure, I frequently look for the good and positive in everything, but I understand that everything isn't flowery and rosey. I fear that our society is, at least initially, believing everything they see, read, and hear. It is sad but more-so, it is terrifying! With all that goes on in the world, outside our confines of comfort, we have to be alert to the liars, the sneaks, the stirrers, and the infidels. Everything you read in a newspaper, magazine, website, Facebook, etc.-be skeptical! None of these places are required to tell you the truth about anything. They may claim they provide researched topics and support for the information, but how many people actually ask for it? My guess-zero!

With this post, I am not saying there aren't terrible things happening in the world-because there most definitely are. I am more questioning the timing and references of said terrible things. For instance, (I'm going political/religious here) the...happenings...in the middle east. We are being flooded with horrible pictures and stories of massacred families, women, children, and infants. We are being told of the awful conditions in which one group of human beings are attacking another group. I'm not saying these things aren't happening-I am certain they are. What I want to point out is that they have BEEN happening for a very long time now. There has only been an idealogy of peace in the middle east, there has never been peace the way we think of or see it. Men, women, and children have been persecuted for their faith for a great, many, hundreds of years. They have been made examples of for being Christian in a Muslim world, Muslim in a Hindu world, Buddhist in an Atheist world. It doesn't matter which religion is attacking the other-simply stated, there has been turbulence in the area for centuries. My question is why now? Why now is the mass media making it known? Why now are we seeing and hearing the horror stories when it's happened for so long with so little attention? I don't believe for a second that no one noticed, no one alerted the media, no one shouted it from the mountain top. If you dig, you can find it-but it was never made into a “hot-spot” for the media, never made the headlines. So, why now?

I, as always, will search for ulterior motives. I don't believe that the government (ours and others') has no part of the media. I believe as with everything else, they have their hands in this honey pot too. So again, why now? With just recently pulling troops out of a war-torn, killing machine, oil rich country, why now are we back staring into the faces of the middle east? It certainly isn't because there isn't news elsewhere. It isn't because that's what we all want to see. So why now, is the media presenting this to us on a silver platter over, and over, and over?

And as always, I have an opinion. I am blessed to live in a free country where I may express my opinions. If yours do not align, you disagree, or are otherwise differing, please, feel free to write about (preferably on your own page, under your own name, and utilizing only your own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.) I believe that there is a reason for the media now presenting the horrible situations there. We recently pulled troops from Iraq, although I do not believe it was ALL of them. With having no troops there, no connections inside, our political leaders have essentially had their hand pulled from the honey pot. While I don't believe that oil is the ONLY reason to be involved, I believe it holds a very high key to it.

Our American society is so advanced that we can cook a pie in under 2 minutes, we can grow vegetables in buildings, we can fly massive cargo planes over continents and oceans. We can ((reportedly-:) )) put a man on the moon! Yet through all of this, we cannot come up with a sustainable resource to utilize for transportation? Seriously!? Gasoline is practically the only thing that we have used in the same ways over the last century. We have made some other uses for it too, but it essentially has the same function-running motors. For a century, we have become dependent on other countries' natural resources. We have relied on friendly exchanges and sales. Frankly, I think the political party is tired of relying on other nations for something so vital to their own economy. The word economy is very nearly always placed along side some reference to the price of gasoline and oil. We are led to believe that the fallout of the economy is due to the rising price of oil coming in from other countries. So what better way (sarcasm to follow) to increase the economy than to reach into the honeypot and take it for ourselves? Again, sarcasm. I don't believe that the economy is tied to oil, not entirely at least, as we've been led to believe by the wording and order of articles and newscasts.

I believe that the fall in the economy is due to exportation of jobs. I don't mean closing down one plant in southern Virginia and moving it to Louisiana. I don't mean relocation of plants, manufacturing, warehouse, and other type employment throughout the states. What I mean is the relocation of said facilities to outside the United States, employing that countries population to make good strictly for American citizens. I, for example, feel that Wal-Mart has the ability to end the recession (yes, we are still in a recession-in my opinion.)Currently, we are at the unemployment rate which we were in when the current recession began in 2008. If large-chain stores like Wal-Mart, Meijer, Target, etc. employed and purchased goods made mainly in the United States, employment, wages, income, etc. would increase. I also think the government could aid in this by “encouraging” stores to buy, sell, and employ American made, or at least North American made (to incorporate the NAFTA.) So many items we buy now are made in China, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, etc. that it is actually rare to find Mexican or Canadian made, and exceptional to find American made. If you think about it, how are we expected to thrive? We (as a nation) live off the goods, supplies, and textiles from other countries but are the “ultimate” consumer. That trend can only continue for a period of time at which point, it will collapse. We produce hardly anything we consume, we manufacture very little, yet we purchase and use all the things made elsewhere. Put in simple terms it doesn't make sense. Sure there are other professions-doctors, lawyers, etc. but even still-their books, medicines, etc. are produced elsewhere and these are very limited fields. They are strict and if there is a huge influx of people in these professions, the “ideology” of them would decrease causing them to become as routine as a city worker, teacher, etc.

Wow, I don't know how this got so far away, but that's just how I roll. Yes-I think for myself. Yes, I believe that the government has ulterior motives for streaming media to us at a certain time regarding a certain place. Otherwise we would have a stream of information available throughout time and we wouldn't be “surprised” at the turn of events. Stop taking everything said, written, or expressed as fact. Think for yourselves and question that which goes on around you. Be a sheep to the Lord, but an individual to society... Whew.

Fear of Hell is NOT a Plan for Success.

Not sure that header is worded quite the way I want to express what's on my mind. With the topic of suicide floating about with the death of actor Robin Williams, I am seeing several comments on the fact that suicide is a sin. It's likely unforgivable, at least as far as our earthly bodies are considered-there is no way to seek forgiveness and repent. It is the final sin. Beyond that, I've already commented on the fact that I, as a Christian, feel responsible for an individual when they end their life because we, as a whole, did not do as we were asked in this instance. The Bible instructs us to love one another as He loved the church. In instances of suicide, I don't believe that we loved them like He did the church. We can play the blame game-circumstance, demons, drugs, past, etc. but it all boils down to them seeking the ultimate fulfillment, whether they know it or not, God. In instances of suicide, I feel as though I have let them down because I didn't show them the love that He has showed to me. I feel as though I wasn't “Jesus to the least of them.”

Moving beyond that, for a great deal of the population and a vast majority of the Christian population, the biggest detraction from suicide is that it is an ultimate sin that will result in an eternity in Hell. Getting this straight first thing-yes, I agree with this statement. I believe that the result of suicide will be an eternity in the depths of the deepest, darkest pits. Of course, there is a but. BUT, as human creatures, I don't think that fear of Hell should be a reason to do or not do anything. Love for our Father and Creator, as well as fearing him, is a reason, but to fear the consequence is almost an abstract thought.

I will compare us to children (in essence, that's what we all are anyways.) When raising children, we train them by consequence. The child will commit an action with either good or bad consequences. They will either be praised for their work or punished. In the largest sense of the meaning, punishment is intended to alter behavior, receive a different result, and educate a child on appropriate behavior. As a child, if I talked back, I would get spanked. If I cursed, my mouth was washed out with soap. If I was out past curfew, I was grounded, and so it goes on. As a parent, I am certain that my parents had no intent to continue punishment through adulthood and beyond. The negative consequences of my actions were meant to deter me from said action to take a different approach.

In the years between those “molding” years and early adulthood, I pray that our children have learned the deeper meaning to why those actions were negative. The consequence as an adult is ((hopefully)) far different than that of a child. If I curse at someone, it causes them pain and sadness, it is hurtful, demeaning, and un-Godly. I can also never take back what I have said to someone. The consequences as a child taught me to think before I speak and then to speak carefully to not cause unintentional pain. As a child, I didn't want to curse because my mouth would have soap put in it, which was greatly unwanted! As an adult, I don't want to cause pain, sadness, or otherwise inflict unintentional harm. The consequence as a child no longer applies once an individual has grasped the true deterrent to the action.

The same is true in terms of appropriate, acceptable, “good” behavior. As children, we seek validation, praise, and on occasion a reward. The difference is that this sustains through adulthood. When we work hard, we earn more. When we are kind, others return the kindness (the majority of times.) When we give greatly, we receive abundantly, and on and on it goes. We are no longer rewarded with candy and hugs, but rather in finances, love, friendship, material things, and other emotional/heartfelt things. I don't get rewarded for cleaning my room anymore, but I do get rewarded for donating my unused goods and welcoming others into my home.

I feel as though the same applies to the fear of going to Hell. I know in the depths of my heart that I am not deserving of the Heaven that God created for me. I let him down regularly and that does cause me great sadness. I am unworthy-yet he still loves me! He sent Jesus Christ to pay for my sins so that I can live with Him in Heaven. I don't do good because of the fear of Hell. I do good for the hopes of going to Heaven. I do good for the love of my Father. I do good because I want to be Jesus to the least of them. I want to show everyone the light and walk the walk to show how much love He has for them. I want to tell the world that when you don't think anyone else cares, He does.... And so do I. I may not know you, but I have a love for you that is a love that comes from sharing a creator. I have a sister's love for each and every person. And I am greatly saddened that some people never feel the love of God. For that, I feel responsible. I know that I wouldn't know God's love without His children showing me and leading me to Him. I feel great sadness that even one of His children didn't share the love or sincere caring to these people.

It's not about feeling good about yourself, even though it does happen when we freely give. It's not about monetary or physical gain. It's not about fame, friends, family or anything else. It always boils down to one thing and one thing alone. Love. Love for God, our Father, our mighty Creator. Love for His creations-especially His children. Love for mankind. Love for humanity and everything within the bounds of our universe. It always comes down to Love. Simply Love. L-O-V-E. Love.

To Forgive or To Be Forgiven... Yes Please!

My momma kindly informed me that my posts get a little.....lengthy when I haven't “let it out” for a few days. I will try to correct that, not that it will ACTUALLY make them any shorter... But please, feel free to stop reading, this is more for me than you and more for expression than interpretation anyways. Social media is a great way to get out your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and everything else too. Of course I don't mean drama, bullying, he said/she said, all that teenage stuff... So here goes today...

Tonight I am thinking about forgiveness. For some reason (literally, Lord knows!) forgiveness has come into my mind so often over the past few days. It is such an integral part of our daily life and being a true, loving Christian. I don't think we notice how often we forgive or begrudge in our everyday lives. Whether it is driving down the road and someone pulls out in front of us, standing in line at the grocery store and someone cuts, or even someone forgetting to return your call. We always have the option to forgive. Sometimes we hold on to the anger and grudge for far too long-holding onto it at all is too long. Other things we find so many reasons to hold on. Whether it is pride, anger, resentment, offense, etc. there is no reason good enough to hold onto it.

I see this example taken so much further in families. One person offends a family member (mother/child, sibling/sibling, etc.) and then one or both holds onto it for years, frequently forgetting why it ever started. The age old example is the “Hatfield's” and “McCoy's.” We've all heard they were a dueling family but never really know why. From my stance, the why is not now nor ever was truly important. The greatest, grandest, largest offenses deserve forgiveness. No matter how cruel, mean, or ruthless the other party was, refusing forgiveness hurts you more than anyone else. Refusing to give forgiveness is painful, energy required, and just torture on the soul. We are made and meant to be forgiving and forgiven.

Taking example from God, we see the ultimate forgiveness. We offend our Father and creator every day. We know His love, his requests for us, and everyday we offend him. We are rarely in line with everything he asks of us, yet his love and forgiveness never waivers. He constantly forgives us without hesitation. Because of Jesus Christ, we are freely forgiven and guided into grace. We are given chance after chance to prove ourselves and our love for him. We are allowed to repent and try again. The greatest love, greatest example for us is unconditional.. Yet in our everyday lives we choose to ignore forgiveness in light of success and pride. I'd like to embrace forgiveness and rebuild bridges. I'd like to show love, support, and forgiveness to my enemies and truly mean it. Let's repair relationships and move past the grudges. Let's embrace unconditional love. Let's follow THE great example.