Jude Stringfellow's Blog, page 31

Does Jesus Love Homosexuals? (There's a Verse for That)

 In the early part of 2016, I bought a tee-shirt that had a silly-looking Appaloosa horse on it, and the caption read "I have an App for that."  I did have a horse at that time, but I can all but guarantee that it wasn't an Appy - - though I love the stuffings out of those horses for sure. I really love those animals.

    Jesus is to be praised. When He closes a door, and it looks like there's no way out of whatever it is that we find ourselves in, we need to praise Him in the hallways until another door opens. It may sound all churchy, and a little naive to think that way, but let me just say it; when I gave up all of my worrying, I became so free and so relaxed it wasn't even close! I did NOT have to ask myself if He was going to help me. I did not have to wonder if He was going to see me through; He always sees me through, and He always provides. EVERY single time.

    Why do we think God will show up when we need Him to? Because He promised He would. He promised He would provide, He promised He would fight our battles for us if we just literally let Him have those reins and trust Him to do what He said He would do. LET GO, and Let God! It's not easy, but it does work. I know it, I am living proof of it. 

    That all being said, why is it that some people don't have the ability or don't feel they are close enough to God to be able to "trust" Him? Why do people still feel they need to get in there and make things happen? I've seen people who cuss and fuss their way through the day, and when they do make something happen they don't have the energy left to even celebrate; let alone give anyone other than themselves the credit for all the "stuff" or "rewards" they think they earned. People, you don't deserve to breathe; but here you are breathing. Try to do that without Him. Go on...I'll wait. 

    Many of my friends ask me if I'm such a good Christian, why is it that I say God hates homosexuals? I have not one time, never in my life, (and never will I) say that. It's not true. God (and Jesus of course) love men, women, and children, no matter what their lifestyle is. He died, LITERALLY for each of us. We (every one of us) are sinners, and He died for every last sinner. He loves every last sinner. Yes, God and Jesus LOVE homosexuals.

    Oh, but then those same people will say that homosexuality isn't a sin - it's a choice, or it's how they were born; not it's not. It is a choice yes, and it is a sin according to the Bible, so yeah, you do you, but I'm going to go with what the Word says. What does the word say? You know, there are 67 verses in the Word about homosexuals, but even if there were only one, it would be enough to settle the matter 100% completely, without any argument. Yes? (Yes)

    Let's take a New Testament verse so no one says I'm pulling out the old law.  Romans 1:26-28 says, "

26For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, 27and in the same way, also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. 28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done.DOES GOD (or Jesus) LOVE HOMOSEXUALS? Answer: YES, Can a homosexual go to heaven? Yes, any sinner can accept Christ. Will He provide a way for them to rid themselves of their sin? Yes, just like He does for those of us who had other sins in our lives before and after we were saved. Being saved by His Grace does NOT mean we don't sin. I wish we didn't. That would be awesome, but we do. We do, and we sin in ways we either know or maybe we don't know. It's up to us to learn what is sin, and what displeases God. No, really, I mean that we're supposed to learn about Him and find ways to please Him.  
    God wants to help us, lead us, guide us, provide for us, and bless us, but He also has to do what He said He will do, and He will not and cannot bless those who continue in their sin without trying to repent of it, give it up, turn it around, or surrender it. Will someone in sin die and go to heaven if they've accepted Jesus? Yes, but that's not the way we're supposed to look at it! The Apostle Paul said we are to confess our sin, give it up, turn from it, and leave it with God so that He can stir in us what He has planned for us.
    He really really does have a better plan for us - - one we can't even imagine, but no, we can't have that blessing here on Earth if we stay in our sin. If we have a sin that we love more than we love Him...yeah, think of that for a minute. Would you help someone out who loved you, but didn't want to trust you or give you their attention when you knew you had the answer? (and we're people, imagine how much stronger God must be. He can't go back on what He said He can't do, or from what He said He will do.) If God said He won't bless a person living in their sin, He is not going to listen to your prayers until you get rid of that sin that is literally standing between you and His peace.

    So, bottom line...because it needs to be said. God loves those who sin - - getting drunk, gambling, sleeping around, foul-mouthed people, people who refuse to obey traffic laws, and yes, homosexuality; but He can't and He won't assist and provide the peace that passes all understanding for that person until they walk with Him, and they on their own, realize that He is more important than their sin. I can't speak for you. I only know what I thought was more important - - and when I realized it wasn't, I was escorted into His peace. It took a minute too, let me tell you, it took a good long minute.
    
    There's a man out there (well, he's in Scotland) who taught me what it was to be compassionate. I wasn't. That was my sin. I was not compassionate. I was rude, condescending, harsh, and even arrogant at times; thinking I had the answers (which I may have had but that's not the point). I learned, and when I prayed and let that go - - bam!! Doors opened...while others closed; thank you, Jesus. From this day forward, it's His sailing, I can't say "smooth sailing", but He calms the storms, and I am safe right where I am; leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus. If you want to read more about this and other promises, there's an app for that - - Here's a link.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bible/id282935706  
    I hope this helps. I know great great men and women who struggle with their feelings, their emotions, their inner belief that they were "born" that way - - not according to the Word. It is unnatural, and therefore, it is a choice. Like I said, there are 67 verses about this particular sin, but even if there was only one it would be enough to do the right thing because it was right to do it. May God's Grace abound and rest on your again, and forever.
Photo Credit: Pinterest

My Bad!! (My Mistakes)

 As a writer, I write. As an author I auth, but I don't like correcting my mistakes. I mean, yeah, I do it, but I don't like it. I don't (a) like to admit that I make mistakes, (b) like to find them, and (c) like to correct them.  When I write I type. I also write it out in longhand in some ways, but not the entire book; what I do is write out the plots, the twists, my storyline, or my thoughts in longhand, then I type them up on my keyboard into the computer using Word. I paid for Word. I think it should correct my boo-boos.

    I wrote five novels last year starting with January's release (or early Feb.) of "Of Kilted Pleasure" and then I decided to get the ball rolling on the Nick Posh thrillers, so I wrote "Murder Book" for an April release I think. Next came "Edinburgh", another romance book that takes place in Scotland, but it is a modern romance, whereas "Of Kilted Pleasure" is a Highland Romance that takes place in the 18th Century.  "Edinburgh" wasn't finished until July, which makes you wonder what I wase doing in May and June! I was studying to become a Claims Adjuster.

    In August or early September I released the sequel to "Murder Book", it is titled "Pinball".  That's a roller-coaster book for sure. Then, just before the year ended, I released another book, this time a drama/romance titled "Bay Sorrel Ranch".  BSR takes place in Oklahoma and it is set in modern times. It's a drama novel, but it has twists and peaks in it. There's a romance, there's a murder, there's an investigation, there is some travel, and yeah, there is sex. Not gonna lie about it.

    When I write I write. I make tons of mistakes, but I don't immediately find them. If they have red or blue lines under the words I see them, but if they don't, I don't. It's a fact.  I paid for editing with "Of Kilted Pleasure" and that didn't happen. I've made that mistake before, and again, before, it didn't happen. I don't know why I thought paying for editing the next time would make a difference. It did not. I didn't realize I had made over 30 mistakes in the book until it was released and I bought a copy and read it!! (and then subsequently corrected it)

    So, what I did with the next 4 books, having published "Of Kilted Pleasure" through a house, and having self-published the others, was to write the books, go through them before I have them published, and I did try really hard to make the corrections before sending them up to be published - - until it didn't work. I literally thought I sent up the right file for "Bay Sorrel Ranch" the one with the corrections, but NOPE, I did not. I sent up the one with the 84 mistakes. When I sent it out, it was published, and when I bought it and read it I found the 84 mistakes. I have since (yesterday) corrected them and resubmitted the book.

    It really isn't hard to make the mistake I made in sending up the wrong file to be published. I named it too close to the one that didn't have the corrections, and when I should have deleted the other file, I didn't. I sent it up to be published. Wow!! So, that's a good lesson for me to learn -- when I write a book, I correct it. When I make changes, and save the file, I should always delete the last one. I keep thinking maybe I will need it, but I should just delete it. I also save it 5 times on my computer on my desktop, documents, downloads, and on two different flash drives. JUST INCASE!!

    So, what I'm going to do now, is to go through all the files I have on my computer for all the books I've written. I'll save ONLY the corrected versions, and delete the others. I'll save the corrected versions on all the platforms, but only the corrected versions. Maybe my new book, "1211" will not suffer the same fate - - maybe my readers won't suffer the same fate. The good news (and it's not really that great of news) is that I haven't sold many books so it won't make that big of a difference. If anyone wants to exchange their book with mistakes for one without mistakes, I can do that probably, or they can keep it as a collector's item!!

    I did have to change the cover for "Bay Sorrel Ranch" too since it had a nasty back cover that was off-center, and the photo needed attention. I corrected it. It should be up on Amazon in a week. We'll hope the others don't get sold or if they do someone will reach out to me complaining and I can change books for them - - that's the hope. If it doesn't happen and they want to give me a poor review, well, I can't stop that. I know I make mistakes; at least I admit it when I do.

    Right now, I'm watching old movies to get ideas to describe things in my book "1211" since it takes place in 1930. I'm watching old movies and looking at the dresses, the men's clothes, the cars, the street signs, the house decor, and so forth. I want it to be detailed and authentic. I'll end up screwing up and adding something from the '40s probably, but hey, we make boo-boos from time to time - - if we didn't we'd be robots and there's no fun in that.

Photo Credit: Me (but I'll change this cover since I need to reword the blurb on the back a bit)

    

    

"Murder in the Blue Room" (A good old funny film)

 I decided to watch a couple of older movies that deal with murder so I can get a few ideas for my new novel "1211".  It's going to be to research this way; I love old cheesy movies anyway, and those that have murder as a theme make me smile. I'm not smiling because there's a murder, per se, but you know what I mean. There are always detectives wearing Fedora hats, and women with stupid expressions! I love it.

    Universal Pictures put out a film in 1944 with June Preisser and others. The movie is "Murder in the Blue Room", and it didn't disappoint. It was cheesy, it was lame, it was one of the worst films out there in terms of actual acting, but let me just say I loved it. I'll recommend it to anyone who wants to spend an hour of their day watching dance routines, listening to old tunes, and trying to figure out the plot.

    I'll admit, I knew who the killer was almost right away, but I didn't see some of the twists that were thrown at me. I didn't particularly like the "ghost" as he was not only faker than fake, he was just too - - well, lame. I can't find another word, even though I have already used it. The ghost was lame for sure. He's not needed or necessary, but he's there, and it does make you shake your head and giggle - - so maybe he did his part.

    June Pressier is the smaller of the three "actors" who come and perform for the guests in the house. She is an amazing acrobat and performer. She used to dance in the streets to get money for her family back in the late '20s. Just such an amazing soul - - look her up on Wikipedia and learn something fun. Here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Preisser

    When you have nothing else to do - - and you're not even writing a sequel to a murder book, you too can watch the movie on YouTube and just laugh a little. I'd suggest grabbing some popcorn and making a thing of it. Don't expect too much, OK? Don't think it's gritty, gutsy, or even glamorous. It's pretty...well,  I shouldn't use the word "lame" again, but there it is. It's lame, but it's amazingly so. I loved it.

    Now, I can come up with a few cheesy things for my characters in "1211" to do or say. I like having real inspiration and being able to credit it. I will too!! I'll write something in the book about the movie, even though the movie doesn't take place until 1944 and my book is placed around 1931...I can figure it out. I can make it happen. If nothing else, I'll leave a link in the back of the book - - and I guess I can leave it here too. Enjoy! ("Murder in the Blue Room")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsHnvXj22FU

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / YouTube

Perfection in a Dish. (Orange Chicken over Rice)

 So, if you know me, you know I cook. You also know I write, and there are times when I compare cooking to having sex - - usually when I'm writing, and trying to hold the attention of my readers. Today, joy of joys, I'm just going to talk about cooking and leave all the bedroom innuendoes where they belong - - which is in the bedroom. Today, because I can, I'll talk about making perfected orange chicken over rice. (It's not hard)

    First, you make a choice to either buy the orange chicken in a bag at Trader Joe's (they do a great job) or if you're going to make it yourself using the raw ingredients. If you go the T.J. route, the entire thing only takes about 20 minutes once you soak the rice and you're done. I'll start with this method.

Buy the long or jasmine rice.Buy the bag of orange chicken.Soak your rice for 10-15 minutes and rinse twice.Refill the rice cooker with enough water to only cover the rice that you're cooking. You don't want too much water. Start the rice cooker.While the rice is cooking, not soaking, you open the bag of orange chicken, remove the duck sauce packets and you spray a pan so you can load the pan and put it into the oven on 400  for about 20 minutes. (The rice will just about be done when your timer goes off.)  Once your timer goes off, remove the chicken, put it into a bowl mix it with the duck sauce, and place it back on the pan/cookie sheet to warm in the oven you just turned off while you make sure the rice is actually ready.Wash your mixing bowl so you can get that out of the way.When the rice is ready, you take the chicken out of the oven, and you stack the rice on your plate, add the chicken, and if you need more duck sauce you squeeze the little packets you were about to toss into the bin.    OK, now for the real way, the more satisfying way in my opinion. Preheat your deep fryer and get it ready with new grapeseed or olive oil (extra virgin is best, and you don't need to fill up the fryer, if you're using a smaller fryer that's better anyway, you only need to use about 2" of oil) You do NOT want your oil to be too hot. You want it to be hot enough to fry but not to burn the meat on the outside. (Check your instructions on the machine you use, if you use an open pot on the stove, be sure to not plop your pieces into the oil. Lower them with a slatted plastic spoon.)
Buy your rice and chicken.Buy flour, eggs, and milk too. (to make a good batter)Cut the chicken into small pieces (1" pieces or smaller)Soak your rice for 10-15 minutes. Rinse twice, and fill up the rice cooker to the point that your rice is covered, but no more. Start the rice cooker.Mix the flour (1/2 cup, 1 egg white, and some milk) into a bowl, and give the egg yolk to your dog who by this time has realized you're in the kitchen and should be there to help you.Dip the chicken pieces into the batter and get them all battered up and ready to be fried.Put the chicken CAREFULLY into the deep fryer, a few pieces at a time. When they are floating, let them turn golden brown, remove them, and add more chicken pieces.This process takes about 8-10 minutes, so be sure and time it correctly so your rice is not still cooking. You want both the rice and the chicken to finish at about the same time. (I could absolutely have added a sexual comment right there, but I am refraining. Have you noticed how many times I have possibly restrained?)When the rice and the chicken are both done, you can start the duck sauce. It's really fun.You'll need: orange or apricot jam, chili or cayenne sauce, soy sauce, a bit of white vinegar, and garlic. It's 100% up to you as to how much of each you use. I use the following:1/4 cup of jam1/4 cup of soy sauce1 tsp garlic1 tsp cayenne pepper3 tablespoons of white vinegarMix the ingredients together, and pour them over the chicken or keep them as a dip, it's up to you. Once you top the rice with the chicken you can say your prayers and enjoy your meal. I hope you have learned something today - - if nothing else, you have learned that I don't always have to mix my fantasies with my recipes, but you also know me well enough by now to know I did so in my head.  That invisible Scotsman who often likes to join me both in the kitchen and the bedroom made his appearance at least a couple of times during this blog -- he is just too cute for words.  Sigh....oh...Craig! Not here, wait...sigh. Photo Credit:  Me

Earthquakes in Diverse Places. (Like Oklahoma)

 It's been several years now, but one day I was in my apartment living right here where I live now as far as apartment complexes are concerned. I lived upstairs and I had a really sweet neighbor whose son had just moved back with her for a few weeks to save money to get into his new house. Well, I poured myself another cup of tea and was just about settled into my cozy couch to watch the OU/OSU Bedlam game, when that man decided to make so much noise that it literally shook my apartment!

    I jumped out of my skin, to say the least, and I ran out to the balcony of my unit to glance down to have a good holler at the man when I saw him flying out of his apartment below me and he was about to fuss at me for doing something to interrupt his game watching too!! 

    Both of us just sort of stared at each other, and I said something like, "Wait, that wasn't you?" He retorted, "No, I thought you did something bad enough I was gonna have to come save you or something."  Then we both sort of felt something else, but this time without the noises; it was just the rumbling of the ground...EARTHQUAKE!!  That was in 2015 I think. I would have to go look it up to see how big it was, but it was in Edmond, Oklahoma which is about 15 miles north of where we were living.

    Today, just about noontime, I was again, sitting in my cozy chair reading a book with my dog by my side and though I'm in the same complex, and I'm still living upstairs, I felt the livingroom shake -- I wasn't sure if the whole apartment shook, but again, I thought maybe the neighbors below me were playing hockey or something; maybe crashing into the walls with their pick up truck. I just wasn't sure. 

    Today's temperatures plummeted from 62 degrees yesterday to about 11 degrees today, so that can cause the earth to make really funny noises and it can cause disruptions in or near faultlines as well -- and that's what it was! Up there in Edmond, Oklahoma again, the world was coming to an end! We had a 4.4 Mag Earthquake, and then a few minutes later there were a couple of smaller aftershocks; one of them right up under my brother's house and the other under my sister's nose!

    My dog and I just sort of hung out in the chair blaming the neighbors when one of my friends posted something about it on social media, and I put two and two together. I called my daughter out from the other room to let her know we had survived the earthquakes. She was happy to know it, and we did the little praise dance; as it really is a reason to thank God when you are spared the tragedy that some are not spared. 

    If you look at Oklahoma on a map, you'll not only see that we are plumb right on top of Texas, which is where God intended us to be, but we are also nowhere near a fault line of any sort whatsoever -- so why do we have Earthquakes? Some say it's fracking, and I don't doubt that one bit - - but whatever the reason, we have had a few rather good shakes and it makes me think of the Bible verse that in the End Times, there will be earthquakes in diverse places.  The Bible doesn't say ONLY those places with fault lines -- it says diverse places. We count!

    Now, if we're having alien sightings, which some say we are, and we're having earthquakes in weird places, and we're about to see Damascus taken out to the point that no one can ever live there again (think nukes) - - then maybe we're looking at the last days of the last days, and we're about to go home soon! Wouldn't that be awesome?  Say yes, because if you say no you're literally saying Jesus isn't as important as whatever it is that could possibly keep you here on this earth. God really needs to twist your spirit if you're thinking that way.

    LET'S GO HOME!!!  That's what I'm thinking. That's really really really what I'm thinking. For now, I'll just keep the dog close, the book pages turning, and my ear to the ground -- I mean, it could have been my weird neighbors too, but this time, it was legit.  The ground moved.

Photo Credit: USGS.gov

Southern Women Rule (You Need to Know This Fact)

 I am an American. I say that proudly, and I will never give up my American citizenry. I may end up moving to Scotland, but I will go back and forth as long as I can, and I will always be a Southern American woman when someone inevitably asks me where I'm from. They can't not ask; (double negative) it's in my voice, it's in my actions, it's in my demeanor - - making me a bit de-meaner than some I suppose. 

    Having fallen in love with Scotland, and all things connected to the great country, I can't help but want to visit it as often and for as long as I can each time I go. I can't tell you the heartbreak that happens when I have to leave it. I implode to a degree. My daughter has a VR set and she'll look up videos and 360s of Scotland and I'll just sit there for 15-20 minutes and stare - - wish, dream, think.

    Today, because I'm so very connected to all of my roots, I decided to make a great Southern breakfast for myself and think of all the Scots who would pay me good money to bring this particular meal to their neck of the woods. I made myself biscuits and sausage gravy. Now, in the US when you say "biscuits and gravy" it's always (almost always) assumed that the gravy will have pork sausage in it.  Mine is a bit different. I put a little gravy in the sausage. I'm going to pile that sausage pretty dern high up on top of my biscuits and you'll see the gravy of course, but you'll know the main characters for sure. For me, and maybe it's because I'm not only a Southern woman but also an Oklahoman, I will pile that sausage right up there.

     I tried a dozen times to make scones, I promise you I did, but it just never worked for me. I wanted to do it - - I did. I followed YouTube videos and I watched so carefully. I read up on it, I Pinterested the subject, but no matter what, my Southern oven just wouldn't do it. The ingredients just felt too close to those of a good old-fashioned biscuit, so that's what comes out of my oven each and every time I tried to scone it up for good measure. I have come to grips with it; I may be 48% Scottish, and even another 47% English, but I am 100% Okie, and there's just not going to be a high-topped floured treat in my life...unless I buy it.

    So, today, and other days, I decided to make biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast. I have the cutest little tiny food processor that processes the one cup of flour and 4 tablespoons of butter that I need to make 8 good round biscuits. I added the other ingredients as well, but of course, the milk comes last. I really do prefer the food processor to me trying to fight the slicing and the blending. It's more even, and though my Granny and my Aunt Wilma may give me a stare or two from above, I'm satisfied that some things are better in 2024 than they were in say...1924.

    I will say that I remember my Granny being able to make taller biscuits than me, but I was quite a bit younger at the time, so maybe it's just a visual perception. I don't know. What I do know, is that I can't scone for anything. I just can't. I have given it my last go - - until I decide to try again and become just as disappointed as I usually do. The thing is, I wanted to make scones so I could say I did it - - and to be able to split one in half without it falling apart. You can't do that with a biscuit, not a good biscuit. They crumble when you try. That's the basic difference I suppose.

    Maybe my biscuits have more flour. I could play around with that, but in the end, it's the same. I like thinking of scones with clotted cream and jam, and I end up doing the clotted cream and jam, but only with biscuits, and it's not as "regal" or pretty. It's flatter and more crumbly - - broken up and pathetic really. They do taste good. I will say that, the biscuits with the clotted cream and jam do taste good -- they just won't win any awards for aesthetics.  My biscuits and sausage gravy may not win any beauty contests either, but I will say that mine are better looking than those that have only bits of sausage in the mix - - yeah buddy! 

    So, there you go - - ask me -- I'll tell you, I was born in the United States of America, right in the middle of Oklahoma City. I was raised in a good old-fashioned Baptist home (we eat a lot) that believes in being able to make food for the congregation from an early age. I was under the age of 10 I know, when Aunt Wilma dragged me into the basement kitchen of the 40th Street Baptist Church to peel potatoes and boil them. She would have tanned my hide if I had cut myself too; just telling you the truth. No blood in the water! She would have spanked me good if I had bled without permission!

    Growing up in the South (Southwest) meant that we ate a lot of biscuits. We ate them with gravy, with butter, with jam, with bacon, with meals, with eggs, and just all by themselves. There are few ingredients, and they're cheap to make. A good biscuit can last a week if the weather isn't too hot outside; but you do have to sort of heat them up now and again - - please don't tell my Aunt or my Granny that I use the microwave and a wet paper towel to make that happen. I think Granny put a damp cloth over the pan and let it steam the biscuits on lower heat. 

    There you go - - Scones will be purchased or eaten if someone else can make them. They will be gloriously appreciated as well. I don't have to worry if anyone likes my biscuits. I never have a single one to heat up again unless I'm making them for myself. I can't seem to use less than a cup of flour, which makes about seven or eight.  I've been on the other end of that where we used over 10 pounds of flour to cook enough for all the people at the church who were counting on the kitchen ladies to feed them on any particular Wednesday night. I miss those days. I really do.

Photo Credit: Me. (The gravy back there only has a bit of sausage now, I added much more later)

    

New Routine! (Love it)

 As previously discussed in another blog, I have decided to do more in terms of relying on God, and less of relying on myself. This has been the most free-feeling event of 2024. I can, without lying, tell you that I feel really safe, secure, and taken care of. I don't necessarily feel as if I'm in control of anything because quite literally, I gave up all of my control. (Not that I really had that much of it to begin with, mind you.)

    So, one of the new things I'm doing is something I did about three years ago actually, I'm choosing to spend about an hour of my day listening to my preacher Charlie Garrett. It's not hard to do; let me just say that right off the bat. Charlie has probably 3000+ sermons out there, so yeah, spending an hour listening to him on video (YouTube) isn't difficult. The hard part is knowing that I'm only 1/3 of the way through the Genesis sermons. There are 130 I think -- then we go to Exodus. I'll be here a while.

    Charlie was preaching in Genesis about 12 years ago, I think these videos are from 2012. That tells you straight up that the rapture will happen before I get through to the end of these Bible teachings, but hey, that's OK, eternity is a very long time, and I'll sit and listen to him preach in person when we get to Heaven. He'll still be doing it, and he'll still be barefoot on some beach somewhere. That much I know.

    Listening to him go into deep and dedicated detail of whichever verse he's preaching on in whatever video he's preaching in, I find myself learning stuff. I find myself saying to myself, "You know, I remember my other preacher talking about that, but Charlie thinks further, farther, wider, deeper, and he just won't let something sit on the surface. He digs."  I learned today, since we're talking about it, that Abraham didn't sin or show a lack of faith when he asked his wife (who was also his half-sister) to say she was his sister - - so the Egyptians didn't kill him to keep his wife.

    Abraham, according to Charlie, actually acted in faith because he didn't tell her to lie; she was his half-sister. He did it so that he could guarantee his safety, as God had promised him that he and his wife would bear children; they hadn't yet. He didn't want to end up dead; so he bought himself some time. As it turns out, the Pharoah gave him much in terms of a stipend for allowing his beautiful wife to be in his court; there was no inappropriate behavior reported. Most preachers just jump to conclusions and say things - - they don't dig. Charlie digs. I like that.

    So, I'm finding that spending an hour or so every day listening to the Word is good. I know it is, but I'm discovering it all over again. I learn every single day, and I look forward to the next chapter -- or verses; whatever is going to be taught. I also find that I can pause Charlie when I need to, take a break, eat, walk the dog, whatever I need to do, and come back to the video without missing anything really cool. You can't do that when the preaching is live you know - - just sayin'.

    Most of you already know I pray inside a real closet, and I take my dog and sometimes my cat if he's hanging out in the closet before I get into it to pray.  The dog sees me take off my glasses at the computer, and she knows I'm about to hit the closet. She jumps onto the chair before I can get there; it's hilarious. She's a keeper. Two hearts, one mission. She loves Jesus too. It does make me think that I was right in my assumption that animals are actually angels -- they are God's detectives; they tell Him exactly what we're doing!!

    Anyway, this is my new life, and it's a worthy thing I'm adding to my new life. I need it. I want it. I look forward to it. If you need encouragement, or enlightenment, even if you just need to learn more about God -- tune into Charlie Garrett with The Superior Word on Sundays and Thursdays. He's on Rumble. I'll add the link.  The YouTube sermons are the older ones. I'll link those too.  Yes, he looks like he belongs on Duck Dynasty -- and no, he really doesn't wear shoes. He's barefoot most of the time. 

    Charlie was in the Air Force, and spent many many years in high maintenance and development of wastewater management around the globe; he's one of those smarty pants you hear about. To think he's a preacher now, and living on the beach basically down in Sarasota (in a house with his wife of 39 years and their 8 Chihuahuas) you'd never know he has had such a diverse life...but he has. You'll like him, you can't help but like him. I hope you'll listen to him too.

LINKS:

https://rumble.com/c/TheSuperiorWord

https://www.youtube.com/@SuperiorWord

The Genesis Sermons:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=charlie+garrett+genesis+sermons

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

Oil Pulling (Trend? Maybe it Works)

 If you were like me, and you had never heard of oil pulling, you wouldn't know, as I didn't know, that this very basic and simple (ancient) ritual, is pretty cool. 

    I still don't pretend to know all about it, after all, I've just learned it even existed. I'm studying it, researching it, finding it to be both inexpensive and doable, and I'm asking myself, "Why not?".  That's basically the stage I am in right now. In fact, I am actually oil-pulling while I write this blog so that I can do it longer than I have done in the past three days. 

    This is my fourth day to oil pull, and the first three days were around 5-6 minutes. Today, because I'm writing, blogging, and basically not thinking about it, I'm able to keep the oil in my mouth much longer.  According to the gurus online, you're supposed to do it about 20 minutes a day. I don't know if I'll do it that long, but maybe 15. We'll see.

    So, what is it? Simply put, oil pulling is using oil (coconut oil specifically) to pull the toxins out of your mouth, and by doing so you'll help your body rid itself of bad bacteria that can cause bad breath, tooth decay, and all the other things that bad bacteria does to you; you know, bad stuff.  Does it work? I don't know. It can't hurt! I mean, think about it, you're swishing coconut oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes a day. It's not like you're swishing something around in there that isn't 100% organic and natural to begin with.

    Unlike swishing water, the oils pull from the sides of your mouth and get in between your teeth to get to the gritty ugly stuff in there as well. Some people say it's helped them break up plaque. OK. I'm OK with that too if it works. I'm just not seeing a downside to all this. I only see good. It's not as easy as it seems either because your mouth does become sore if you're not used to doing it, but you do get better at it. 

    You don't swallow the oil, that's important because if you do, you're swallowing the bacteria right along with it. You spit out the oil into the trashcan, not the sink or toilet. It is oil after all, and you don't want to start the makings of a clogged-up sink since you're doing this every single day.  I looked it up, you can do it every single day.   The oil appears white and foamy when you're finished and it's good. You can almost feel that you did the right thing just by looking at the discolored oil - - I use 100% organically cold-pressed coconut oil. I think I paid $7 for the jar. Super cheap. 

    You can use coconut oil in your coffee or tea to help you lose belly fat. You can work it into your skin after a bath. You can soak the tips of your fingers in it (heat it for a few seconds) and then after a few minutes of soaking you can massage your fingers, and file them, keeping the cuticles clean and your hands softer. There's just a lot of things you can do with coconut oil. I also use it to make soaps. It's the main ingredient I think, or one of the first 2.

    Lots of fun, lots of uses. Go look it up for yourself, and even if the dental industry is trying to say there isn't enough evidence to say whether it works or not, consider who's saying it -- someone who doesn't want us to stop paying them for dental care. I think it has to have some benefits. I'll give it a good 30-day try and if I like it, I'll keep it as a daily thing.

Who knew? (about 8,000,000,000,000 people from the yesterdays)

Photo Credit: Golden Dental Wellness Center

Unfair Treatment - - Shouldn't Be This Way.

 I think it was the first of November, and my daughter and I were coming home after I picked her up from her job, when I was pulled over by an Oklahoma City police officer. The funny thing is, I saw the cop behind me (in my rearview mirror) and I remember him sort of smiling. There was a car in front of us that literally ran a red light, and I joked with my daughter Laura and said, "Well, you know, the cop is behind me, and doesn't want to take the time to turn around in the middle of the street to stop that guy I guess."  

    When the light turned green for us I proceeded, but then out of the blue, seriously, out of NOWHERE, the cop turned on his lights and bleeped his sirens at me. That sort of bleep bleep that they can do to get your attention. He pulled me over. When he came to my window he asked for my license, which I had already dug out, and I was going through my phone apps to find my most recent insurance ID card as well. I thought I could at least be proactive.

    I don't get stopped. That should be told right off the bat, because I drive slowly, cautiously, and sometimes overly careful, and if I'm being pulled over there's a real issue. Apparently, there was a real issue. My license decal was missing from my tag. WHAT? That can't happen. It occurred to me that it may be out of date though - - it was November 1, and I was a day out of paying for it. It was due in October. Surely, I thought there was NO WAY this guy was going to give me a ticket for ONE DAY!

    No, he was telling me he was giving me a ticket because there was NO decal sticker to show the year I had purchased the tag. He went into his system and it came up that I had not paid for my 2022 tag but I had. He gave me a ticket and asked me to get the tag replaced to lessen the overall charge of the ticket which was something like $178.  I got charged $178 because someone stole my tag and because the tag agency that took my money in 2022 didn't record my payment! I had the receipt, but without it being recorded they said I could have generated the receipt on my own computer. (They don't know me. I can't do tech.)

    So, the next day, November 2, I went into the tag agency, and my tag was paid for, but not just the 2023 tag, oh no, I had to pay for the 2022 tag as well. That was WRONG. I showed them the receipt, but they had no record of it. The receipt (they said) was probably out of the machine that doesn't register the money because I probably paid for it in cash. I don't remember, but it's not beyond the scope for me to do that. They had a guy who was stealing cash and not reporting it - - so I got stuck. 

    Anyway, the thing was just so wrong on so many levels. I would think that I should be able to force the tag agency to honor my receipt, I should be able to file a police report showing the tag was stolen, and I should be able to get a new tag to replace the stolen one - - and yes, pay a fee for being a day late, but not have to pay the $178 for the ticket, nor the $275 for the two years of tag plus penalty! Penalty for not having the tag registered - - and they are the ones who didn't do the registration. It was and is wrong. 

    Again, I am blessed, I am blessed, I am blessed. I was given extra time to come up with the payment, as it was hitting me at a time when I was unemployed. Laura was about to pay it for me, but then lost her job. God is so good. He allowed the city to let me wait, and I was able to pay for the ticket today. They did take off $20 for having purchased the tags within 10 days of the ticket. If nothing else, I have that.

    Still, I should have been able to speak with two separate supervisors and explain that I have never not paid for my tag, I have never been pulled over for poor driving, I really do take my citizenry seriously, and though I was ONE DAY late getting the new tag, I shouldn't have needed to pay for a tag I had already paid for. Their system should not allow someone to give me a receipt and not register the cash. How is a citizen to know that? We can't. We just smile and say thank you, and we leave the office with our decal.

    It is a lesson I learned that cost a bit, but it is also a lesson to be shared because if it is happening to me, it is happening to others. I asked the cop if I could file a report with him and he told me no, because he was pulling me over. The city told me that he lied. The city told me he should have offered to take my report. Again, I'm not upset with the Oklahoma City Police, but I am upset about that one cop not being diligent, so yes, I reported him to his supervisor; who knows if it will come to anything. 

    Bottom line - - we need to be kind. We need to do our jobs. We need to be compassionate, and understanding. We need to realize that things happen and even bad things happen to good people. We need to be open to listening and working with people. Maybe no one will care, but I do. I care. Maybe no one will pay attention, but I do. I pay attention. I made sure everyone in my apt complex knew about the theft. There were at least three others who had their tag decals stolen as well. Maybe I stopped them from getting pulled over. Who knows?

    Just this: be good to each other. It really does make a difference in this cruel and ugly world.

Photo Credit: Me.

The Great William Ginn (Oops, Maybe I Shouldn't Use His Real Name)

 Among us, mere mortals (humans) walks a man who is by far, by so very far, greater and more radiant than any of us has a right to consider him or herself.  His name is William Ginn. No, this is not a Billy, Bill, or Willie, this man is the real McCoy - - or Ginn. He's a real Ginn.  He's apt to be titled really, maybe deserving to be called "Sir William Ginn", which now that I think about it, he very well could have been. His mother may have actually called him that as a child, which would explain at least a little of his behavior.

    I worked with the man, the legend, for only a few short months between May 2015 and March 2016. We were officed in the same space and we worked for the same agency through our state's government. I'll protect him further now, by not telling you what agency it is, but he is a full-blown Director. He's that important; we'll just leave it at that.

    When I worked there, he was a director as well, but I didn't work for him, only with him. I would have given anything to have worked for him because then I would have given him the title of my favorite boss. He does hold the title of my favorite co-worker, and that's saying something considering how many jobs I've had and how many co-workers I've worked with. To be #1 takes a lot of conning and let me tell you, this man is that man.

    The director I worked for, and subsequently, the same man that Ginn worked with (not necessarily for) was a con artist in my humble opinion, and I couldn't stand him. I couldn't stand to look at him. I couldn't stand to hear him. I couldn't stand to say I was his admin - - he repulsed me. The ONLY thing that kept me at the office every day was the bright and sunny smile of the man whom I give homage to; Mr. William "Sassy Pants" Ginn. 

    Ginn would show up and we'd have a bit of a ritual every day, several times a day. We'd say certain things to make each other laugh. He had a particular chair in his office that he would fantasize that a certain someone (I won't give his secrets away too easily) would one day sit in. I would pretend to be that woman, and make him giggle. Ginn could giggle. He was a master of the craft.  When I say I only stayed to be near him I mean it. I wasn't in love with him, (sorry William) but I was in love with his heart, his mind, his intellect, his being, his attitude, his moxie. 

    If we never meet again this side of Heaven, we will be linked arm and arm up on Glory Street, skipping and laughing, I know it. He has traveled the entire world by himself, and on his own, taking with him his can-do attitude; sometimes scaring the living tar out of me when he would travel about because he couldn't text or use a smartphone to save his life. Here he would go into the depths of the forests and wildlands of Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil, and other places....Peru, I think, and he would do it without a means to communicate!! 

    When I met the man he was OLD...we'll just let that one sit right there. He knows it, I know it, we all know it. He started working for the state when he was just out of high school I think, right around the time Teddy Roosevelt signed Oklahoma into statehood in 1907. Don't quote me, but Ginn is over the hill, OK. He's old. The thing is, I'm about to go into semi-retirement and he's working every day. He told me today that he's working to pay for his traveling; he's got more to do apparently.

    Well, just so you know, and you should know, I wish the best for my buddy, my pal, my tea-drinking friend of yesteryear. I can't wait to skip the golden streets with him and make silly faces at those we never believed could have made it to the pearly gates!! I'm that type, and thankfully, so is he!

Blessings my friend. Enjoy your next 178 years!!! You Rock!

Photo Credit: Displate.com  (This is the best picture of William Ginn I could find)