Guest Rant: I Hear A George Michael Song....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today's guest rant is more of a stolen blog from http://itsjustbecky.blogspot.com/ but since I was the reason she decided to write this blog I have no problem reposting it. =) So lets get to it.



"(KG suggested that I blog about my thoughts on faith.)

The Wikipedia definition of faith is: The confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept or thing. And from Dictionary.com: a belief not based on proof. So to combine them, it would be: The confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept, thing or belief that can not be proven.

The various things we have faith in are not provable. But am I not correct when saying they should still be able to withstand scrutiny? It says the person, concept, thing or belief should be trustworthy. So what if you feel that the person, concept, thing or belief that you are supposed to have faith in is not trustworthy? What if your experience shows that it is not worthy of your trust? If you had a friend that always told you that they'd be there for you but never was when you really needed them, would you consider that friend trustworthy? If you had a friend that told you they would never get mad at you, but then gave you the silent treatment, would you consider that friend trustworthy? When you scrutinize those two situations, you have to come to the conclusion that they are not. Therefore, you couldn't really have faith in them. They would be proven unfaithful. But what if you knew that a large percentage of the world would line up in front of you and testify that they are trustworthy - that they are the only people that you actually trust in all things. Would that not create cognitive dissonance? You know know they are faithful yet you feel they have not been faithful to you.

Okay. So what do we do about having faith in God? We can not prove God's existence. We have evidence of him in many things, but no proof. One of those evidences is the bible. The bible is full of promises to us. If I weren't so tired and lazy, I'd look up a few of them. But you know all the ones I'm talking about. So what do you do when you do not see proof of the promises made by God? If he promises you comfort, and you beg and plead for it but do not receive comfort, what does that mean? If he promises to be there for you when you need him, but then is silent when you DO need him, what does that mean? In the instances before, we decided that would mean that he's not trustworthy and therefore unfaithful.

But how dare I say God is unfaithful? We go to church and are reminded every time that God is faithful to us. But does that mean He is? We're told he would never abandon us, but what if he does? What if when you really need him, you get none of the help or comfort from him that you beg and plead for? What are you to think? Can we really have faith in those promises? If something is true, it's true. If it's not, it's not. I believe in God. I do. But I do not understsand him. I feel as if I shouldn't be able to trust him right now, because I feel none of the comfort or support that he has promised and that I so desparately need from him.

When I bring this up, I'm usually told, "No, to have faith in God means you just trust him to do what's right for you and accept his will." But where does it say that? I don't see that anywhere . Maybe it's just that none of those scriptures are coming to mind at the moment. But that's not one of the definitions of faith. Someone must have said that once and it just hung on.

And what do you do when your faith goes unacknowledged? How do you keep hoping (related to faith) if your hope is never rewarded? Do you just hope that one day it will be, even though it hasn't so far? I don't understand. I sure wish I could, because it would be so much better to be able to have faith.

But I can't right now. When I need him the most, all I get is silence. Time and time again. Everytime. Silence from the heavens. How do you trust someone that's let you down? (And I know a lot of you should know because I know I let a lot of you down. So how do YOU do it ?)


Becky"

Be It Ever So Humble, There's No Place Like Home

Welcome to Wednesday. Only days until Spring Break, and it still feels like the middle of Winter outside! Brrr.


But enough walloping on that deceased equine. I don't really want to rant today, rather I'm going to overstate the obvious. Yesterday I had the privilege to volunteer in a local homeless shelter. This shelter is unique as it allows entire families (fathers, mothers, and children) to sleep together in a semi private room. But the shelter also sleeps single men and women, in separate areas of course.

I'm painfully aware that most of us are no more than a missed paycheck or two away from being homeless ourselves. And I'm not saying that everyone that is homeless is in that situation because of their own choices. But what did frustrate me was to see the families with small children that were in the situation they are in because of the choices of the parents.

If you would rather purchase drugs and alcohol instead of paying rent, that's your choice. But when you are a parent you forfeit the right to be selfish, and you need to do everything in your power to provide for your children. Even if that means going hungry yourself!

I met some great people that work at the shelter, and some that live there as they try to get back on their feet. As I talked with them, especially those that are there as employees or volunteers, they all said the hardest thing for them to see was the families that were there because of the bad choices of their parents. I had to agree.

I'm sure you all have different opinions about homeless people, and I'm sure some of you refuse to give money to them when you see them at the grocery store because you feel "they're just going to buy booze" but I personally will go out of my way to stop to give them some money.
I'm not saying this to toot my own horn by any means. The biggest reason I do it is a selfish one. Flower is usually with me when we go to the store. And every time she sees me give money to a person in need she will ask me why I've done that. After answering her several times I now just ask her back, why she thinks I did. And to hear her answer back every time " because they need the money more than we do, and it's what Jesus would do" is reward enough for me. For all the bad examples I do and am for my children, I hope the very few good ones are the ones they remember and imitate when they grow up.

A side comment to those people that really do believe that homeless people are just going to spend the money on drugs or alcohol: I would rather gamble my money on the chance that they will waste it rather than miss the opportunity to help someone that really will buy food for them or their children.


KG

Guest Rant: I Heart Boobies!

Hello kids, ya' miss me?

Well, I'm still not back 100%. I don't quite have the $400+ it would cost to fix my laptop, and this little netbook I am using is too small to type a decent rant. But thanks to an eager volunteer today we have a guest rant that I'm sure will get some interesting comments. I can't personally empathize, but this is definitely a topic near to my umm ......heart. =)

Enjoy


"I want my boobies back!

Breastfeeding sucks the life out of boobs. "They" say it's not the nursing but the pregnancy that robs innocent mammaries of their structural integrity. Well, maybe "they" didn't describe it that way, but that's how I just did. I don't know if it happened to me during the three times I was heavy with child, or if it occurred amid the 4 collective years I breastfed my babies (This is not per child! I said collective years). All I know is somewhere along the way my boobies died an unjust death. What once were voluminous, fleshy peaches converted bit by bit into deflated, listless sacks of flesh.

After the baby is weaned, the milk dries up and takes with it every last drop of a naked young mom's dignity. I don't know if this happens to all women after nursing is suspended. I obviously haven't asked everyone (I'm shy like that) , but I kind of hope I'm not the only one whose boobies suffered ignominious damage as a direct result of carrying out my motherly duties.

I would think that after enduring nine months of discomfort during pregnancy, compounded by the the incomparable pain that takes place at birth, followed by round-the-clock milkings...after all the sacrifices mothers make for the welfare of their offspring, shouldn't we at least get to keep our beautiful boobies, maybe as a token of appreciation for a job well done? Nope...

Many smaller-busted mommies are thrilled with their expanding jug size as a pregnancy progresses. Then after the baby is born and the milk gates are opened, their breasts become astonishingly large and engorged (this varies, of course). It's far too uncomfy and hurts too much to fully appreciate them in that phase, but it is still sort of an ego boost (even though they look really fake and about ready to erupt). All one can do for relief is stand in the warm shower for a few days until the milk volume stabilizes. The size of the breasts at any point in the duration of nursing is usually substantial, but when the mom discontinues the practice she is soon going to realize that her bosoms will end up smaller than they were before she ever got pregnant. Any hope she had of maintaining a bit of the pillowy fullness she'd grown to appreciate is soon shattered by the cruel reality of fate.

So there is some major renovation that breasts inevitably undergo. And when I say renovation, I don't mean a boob make-over. I mean a boob screw-over! A woman starts out with nice, sound boobies. Then they swell to astronomical proportions. Then comes the gradual draining of all life and substance, with the sad end result of more skin than filling. They are goners. There is pretty much no hope of ever reuniting with the pre-baby boobies again.

Following many months of recovery, and I'm talking 8 or more, some semblance of firmness has mercifully been restored to mine. They are acceptable at best, but only from the front view, after a bit of necessary fluffing, and definitely only when it's below room temperature. ;) I'm trying to deal with the fact that my "girls" are never going to be the same. If it were up to me, all women who sacrifice their time, strength and boobs to feeding their young would be blessed with a rack at least twice as nice as it was before.

I realize all women - not just childbearing, breastfeeding mommies - inevitably deal with progressive chest changes. Women of all ages should be entitled to this one (well, two...) constant assurance-- good, unaltered boobies for life. Is that really asking too much?"


Shannon
http://randomshannon.blogspot.com/

Blogalkers

Hello strangers. Even though I am still on my court ordered Facebook hiatus I thought I should at least write a rant.


Today's topic doesn't really apply to me, but I have a friend that is thoroughly bothered by this concept. Blog Stalkers, or Blogalkers as I'm going to start calling them. Some people put a lot of time and energy into writing their blogs ( I'm obviously still not talking about me) and then feel somewhat let down when nobody comments.

On one hand, I don't really see why this would bother anyone. Personally I write my blog for myself, because I have something I want to say. Occasionally I write because I get tired of the bitching and moaning from that one person that complains whenever I don't rant, you know who you are. But either way, I don't write for public accolades. That may just be me. I'm also the kind of person that doesn't wear clothes to get compliments. I only wear clothes that are comfortable and only because it's still frowned upon to trot around naked in public.

On the other hand, I can see my friends point of view. She feels like she is baring her soul to the world and would like to know that at least one person cares enough about her to say "atta' girl".

So my short little message today is for all you Blogalkers. While surfing around spying on the private lives of thousands of people, would it kill you to say "atta' girl" once in awhile?

Now lets see how many of you smart asses write "atta' girl" in my comments.


Cya when I cya.

Meet The New Year... Same As The Old Year

Hello again.

With the new year often comes the stupid tradition of making resolutions. Promises to ourselves that we are going to learn a skill, perfect ourselves, win the lottery, or some other lofty "wish". If you haven't already figured it out, I'm not a fan of the new year's resolution superstition.

So here is why I don't like these new year's hopes. People often set unattainable resolutions, wait until December, and then become depressed about their lack of "achievement". It's almost like people think if they make a resolution it will automatically come true. Like asking Santa for something.

Also, it is extremely annoying, for those of us that regularly work out at a gym, to show up the first of the year just to find all the machines we like to use are taken by resolutioners. Luckily this only lasts 2-3 months, but it is annoying none the less.

And the increased weight loss ads make me want to gouge my eyes out! Thank heavens for TiVo. These ads must work or I doubt companies would spend the millions of dollars, but seriously! If you're fat and you want to do something about it do you really need a television ad to tell you? The ad should say " you're fat cause you're watching TV instead of out riding a bike". The commercial that really gets my goat is the one tells people it's not their fault that they are fat. "But for 42 easy payments of only $700,000 you can take a pill that is guaranteed to make you lose 200 pounds *results are not typical, you are likely going to stay fat or get even fatter*" Ok. enough about the morbidly obese nation we live in, that's another rant entirely.

Now, I'm not against setting goals. In fact I think everyone should set goals. But on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Not on January 1st never to be revisited until December 31st. If your new year's resolution is to lose 30 pounds this year, just say "my goal for January is to lose 10 pounds". Then break it down it further. Say your goal for the first week is to lose 5 pounds then 2 pounds each week after that. Then do something about it. Set daily goals to use more calories than you consume. I'm sure goal setting all sounds elementary but if it really was there wouldn't be any fat, poor, stupid, or unhappy people.

So to all you that have real resolutions that you intend on keeping, good luck to you. For those of you that are just making wishes I suggest getting a head start on the disappointment and depression, why wait all year. =)


Cya in 7