Well, at least there’s that...

I heard someone say something very profound today. “Your opinion is none of my business.”  They were talking about aggressive hearing. In other words, listen intently, but also protect your heart. Never accept someone else’s opinion without evidence I’ve written a lot about owning your own opinions.. Right now I’d like to talk about NOT owning other peoples opinions. Most of my life I’ve been busy trying to adapt to other people thought. I thought I was supposed to take criticism to heart. I failed miserably every time I attempted to change other people’s minds so I learned to change mine.  My responsibility should not be a reflection of what someone else expects of me.  There is only one of me. Don’t laugh and say, “ thank God,” ha! I  fully believed that  the opinions of other people were more valid than my own. Have you ever done that? I was certain that somebody , well everybody, was smarter than I  for only one reason: they weren’t  me. I knew my faults and I judged myself b

I went on a search today. I thought I would easily find what I was looking for: a straw hat to decorate. How many of you would have joined me in  a tour of the several local craft shops?Thats what I thought.  I mean, I didn’t want pre-decorated hats.  I wanted hats in the raw! I also wanted some bright colored ribbon! How hard could it be? Isn’t this summer...almost? You know, bold colors and straw hats. I guess nobody got the memo. You would have thought I was searching for gold. I was even willing to pay more than I normally do. I needed inventory! I went to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joanne’s, nothing.   As I was walking through those stores searching for what should have been “ captain obvious” to well...I thought everyone... I met a lady looking for something similar. Neither of us could find what we were looking for. So, I looked at her and said, “ they are going to make me go to Walmart!” So, on my way home on a blistering June day...felt like July...I see a Walm

No! People do not like tragedies! I don’t either,  but they will come. Your children may get off on the wrong path, they may make unwise choices, you will face failure.  But... what will you do?  Will you wait or will you fall? Let’s talk about King Saul in the Old Testament. God asked him to do one thing... wait. He even told him for how long. He also told him what was expected at the end of his time of waiting. Have you ever been in the midst of a time of waiting? You knew what was supposed to happen next. You knew the promise, but you couldn’t wait. Welcome to the Bible   Saul, Moses, Abraham.. they all failed to wait. When we fail to wait there is a price. Jesus was even tempted not to wait. What? No really. Remember when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness? Jesus knew the outcome of the cross. He would gain authority over the world.  There will be a day when all nations will bow and worship Him as King. What did the enemy offer Jesus on the top of that mountain? He offered

Decisions, decisions.... as life moves forward we often look back and see that what we once thought was actual fact was in reality only partially true. The opinions you accept will determine your view of truth. I wonder how many people are involved in influencing your truth? Childhood.... it’s a wonder that any of us make it out alive. There are contradictions at every turn. There are things I do at home that I would never do in public and sometimes there are things I go along with in public that I’d never do in my home. So how are we supposed to know the “final answer?” Good question. My Bible even talks about knowing the right answer at the right time. Solomon said that there was a time for everything. Paul said there was a time when he saw and spoke like a child, then he grew up. If I saw a 5 foot statue when I was only one year old I would think it was really tall. Especially if I’m only comparing it to me.  Let say that someone 6 feet tall stands beside a 5 foot  statue? W

I have to give kudos to my little sister, Mary. It can’t be easy having a sister named: Barjeana . Our names match our personalities perfectly. I usually say that she’s country and I’m rock and roll . She’s the one that’s lived in the same area since she went off to college. She’s the one who rules...The World; Super Wife, Super Mother, Super Organizer, she can leap  tall buildings in a single bound and arrange the furniture on the top floor while she’s at it. She either knows how to do things, knows who to ask, or where to find the information. Her and her wonderful husband have raised two exceptional young men.  They learned to drive tractors and they've always worked hard. They will both go far in life and I have to give my sister and brother in law a great deal of credit. They taught them to be self sufficient, to do whatever they did the best they knew how and to be ethical and courageous. She was tenacious. Her tenacity often showed up as determination. For example, when

Xman used to tell the best jokes! He kept people laughing for hours. But there are two I remember about married people. The first one is about a preacher who did his job and preached for 15 minutes. The people loved him and hired him. The next week he did the same thing. All was right with the WORLD.  However a couple of Sundays later he preached for an hour and a half! The Deacons took him aside and said, "What happened?" To which the preacher replied, "I got my wife's dentures mixed up with mine this morning." Oh come on that's funny preacher humor. Then there's the one he told every year. "We've been married X number of years, but it only feel like X number of minutes...under water." People really laughed at that one. I laughed too. One final joke he loved to tell. A young preacher marries this beautiful woman that can sing and play the piano for church. They are the perfect couple. Years pass... one day he turns to his wife and says

I grew up in a VERY Christian home. I mean my mom was so intent on playing the piano at church that the pastor had to beg her to go to the hospital when she was having me. I jokingly say that I was born under the piano. She just knew that she could finish the service.  Well  thank God for common sense. As I was growing up I admired my mothers ability to play the piano. I found out that while I was an infant she would put me under the piano while she played for the service.  Doomed from the start to be a musician! Thank God she didn’t milk cows or race cars, who knows what I would have become. Maybe the first cow baby or the first race car baby? I mean my mother is definitely committed to whatever she’s doing. Very project and purpose oriented. While growing up she used to sew our clothes, dresses, hats, coats, etc. SUPER MOM. Until one day... I’ll never forget it. She was sewing away and I was young enough to be home and hear her scream and tell me to go get the neighbor.

“If you aren’t ready to be criticized by people, You’re not ready to be used by God.” Craig Groeschel. Wow, when I heard that I thought, "I can't handle it!" Then I realized, "Wait, that already happened!" People will only criticize you for doing two things: Something or Nothing. Yep, if you do something you will offend someone. Like if you write a blog about your life someone will get upset about it. Tada! If you don't do anything...you just sit around and exist...then you're lazy and worthless. Don't you ever want to look people in the eye and say, "WHAT?" Remember that old saying... "damned if you do, damned if you don't". It's true. Oh by the way...this message is brought to you by a mind that is being saved through knowing Christ. So, disclaimer...not perfect! Wow, now that we got that over with. I'm going to make you a promise. I will offend you. Will I do it intentionally, probably  not? Will I do it anyw

Oh you think that’s funny do you? So do I. I’ll turn one year older when this is published. I have a new perspective and I thought I’d share it with you for my birthday.🎂 All of my life I thought birthdays were a secret. It was kind of like a game. If I didn’t tell you it was my birthday, but you remembered it... tada! You have proven that you love me. It’s funny how things sound when said aloud instead of just in your head. A birthday card doesn’t make me any more or any less loved by the one who made me in the first place. You don’t win a prize if someone remembers and it doesn’t make you less alive if someone forgets. So, for this.... insert number here...birthday... ha! I’m taking it back. This is my birthday! Wow! Mine!  God gave it to me! He gave me a life all those years ago today. He trusted me with it. He trusted me to find Him and then tell you about me finding Him. So, in order to honor the giver of all life and to celebrate the trust He has in me... let me tell you

The title of this blog comes from the old TV show “ Different Strokes”. Frequently said by Gary Coleman. On the show  "Good Times".J.J. Walker would say.”.Dynomite!” Google it. Lol So, I've been thinking about this blog and I had all sorts of different titles come to my mind. In case you haven't noticed, I have a very interesting  mind...yep. I own it! It makes me happy, others, not so much sometimes, but that's okay. I wrote a previous blog about salvation and asking Jesus to come into a persons life. But I didn't mention the X factor. There are many X factors in this world. There's; generation X, X-mas (uh oh), Cross roads (X). X's are everywhere. Of course I use the word X-man. My X is literal and it keeps that person anonymous. But I forgot to mention the biggest X in the world! Sin! Oh no! Sin? Yep. You see, I thought about mentioning sin and repentance, but then I thought...oh why? Won't that turn people off from Jesus? Really? Really?