Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Actions and Choices...ugh!

One of my favorite iris shots for a couple of years ago.


Even if we justify our actions or blame someone else, we are still responsible for the choices we make.

Saying, "I can't help it." or "I can't control myself!" will not wash as a good enough excuse when we are face-to-face with the One who suffered and died for our freedom.

Wishing I wasn't "this way" is not an excuse.

Tell yourself "no." and make your flesh obey.  And if you're like me, tell yourself to shut up even now and again....

...because I have really been wanting to write Ashley Judd an open letter.  But that argument with myself is for another day.

Tulip petals

Monday, August 14, 2017

Monday!

Monday.
Today, I vow to not focus on weight loss or food. No counting of calories, worrying about fat grams, carbs, or protein.  
 
Today, I will seek to obey God’s commands:
  • I will feed on His faithfulness (Psalm 37:3)
  • I will taste and see that He is good and I will take refuge in Him. (Psalm 34:8)
  • I will not labor for food which perishes, but for the food with endures to everlasting life… (John 6:27)
  • …because He is the bread of life (John 6:48)
  • I will eat only as much as I need.
  • He is my shepherd (Psalm 23:1), and I will let Him feed me with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15)
  • I will remember that because He died for me, I am no longer a slave to sin. (Romans 6:6)
  • And I choose to NOT LET SIN RULE in my mortal body, nor will I obey its lusts…sin shall not have dominion over me. (Romans 6:12-14)
And as I do these things, I will reap what I sow, and weight loss will be one of them, but that is not first on my list. Foremost, I seek to have a closer relationship with Jesus.
Have a great week!

Friday, August 11, 2017

♪♫...It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world...♫♪



Transgenderism and Sports
Not surprisingly, this is only a real issue in women’s sports.  A man who is a woman in his head still has a man’s body.  Dysphoria is in the mind not the physique, and a man, on average, has greater strength in his legs and even more so in the upper body.  If you don’t like those facts, talk to God…that’s the way He made us.  How can it be fair for women to compete against men, no matter what the men think they are?

After all, if a man thinks he’s a bull, you don’t put him in the pasture.  You get him help and keep him away from the cows.  

Do I think gender dysphoria is real?  Yes, I do.  But the answer is not to dress them in different clothes and chemically or medically alter their bodies.   The answer is Jesus Christ. 

North Korea and President Trump
I remember when Donald Trump first announced his candidacy.  I said that if he did get elected, he’d have us in a war within three months…but at the time, I did not, in my wildest dreams, think he would be elected.   In the end, I voted for him, I support him, and I fully believe God placed him in office.  Oddly enough, I am less worried about Kim Jong-un now than I would have been with the previous administration.  I believe that Trump will do as he says, and removing the Kim regime is in the best interest of the world.   I do wish President Trump wasn’t quite so antagonistic with his comments…but we definitely know where he stands and what he intends to do. 

North Korea needs Jesus, and I am praying that the Holy Spirit infiltrate that country.  Ours, too.    

Reparations
There are more than one group of people who should be given compensation for past sins if one group gets it.  We should all hope that we don’t get what we deserve…that’s where God’s grace comes in.  What we need is forgiveness.  If you want money, work for it.


The so-called actress…who got her knickers in a bunch because someone called her “sweetheart” and said her dress was pretty…made a Facebook rant that was two and a half minutes long, which was two and a half minutes too long.  My best guess is that this is an attention seeking scheme because she realized her star has faded to the point of obscurity…floating around in oblivion (and you’ll notice her trying to wipe the smirk off her face in the beginning of the video).  

Some people don’t like being called sweetheart, honey, sugar, etc…I understand that.  But is being called “sweetheart” any reason to go to their manager…who, by the way, she :::gasp::: touched!  By her own admission, she shook his hand.   The manager may be like me and hate hand-shaking.  

There are too few compliments in this world.  Please stop subjecting us to your absurdity, Ms. Judd.  You are an embarrassment to womanhood, as you proved all too well in January.  You need Jesus.

Insults
Is there a moment when someone is giving you a piece of their mind (which they usually can’t afford) when you just want to say, “Are you talking to your reflection in my eyes?  You are describing yourself!”   

And by the way, when someone is being unfair or baiting you, you do not have to answer the phone, read the text, acknowledge the comment, or remain in the room…walk away…unless you want to fight.  Some people do enjoy a little scrapping.  Maybe some would argue that I insulted Ashley Judd.

The reason I bring up insults is the musings above have a way of getting people riled up, and riled-up folks are not always nice.  They need Jesus.  I do, too.  More and more every day.


Monday, August 7, 2017

My Completely Erroneous Diet Rules


  1. You can only start a diet on Monday. 
  2. You can’t start a diet on Monday if you know you are going out to eat on Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday…or any day that particular week. 
  3. If you have a Jack’s biscuit (of any variety) for breakfast, the day is shot, eat all you want. 
  4. If you eat candy as a pick-me-up in the afternoon, the diet is over. Start again next Monday. 
  5. If you are going on vacation, put off all dieting until the second Monday after you get back. 
  6. If you lose 3 pounds in a week, reward yourself with a Jack’s biscuit and refer to Rule 3. 
  7. If you eat too much for lunch on Tuesday, do not skip supper. In fact, the diet is shot, eat all you want, plus dessert! Start again on Monday. 
  8. Have a plan, think only of that plan, feel guilty even if you think of anything but that plan. Beat yourself up for eating a marshmallow; refer to Rule 4, then wonder how much you can eat before Monday. 
  9. On the days that you are doing great, judge others for what they are eating. If you know them well enough, judge them out loud and to their faces. 
  10. On the days that you are not doing so well, pester those people you judged the day before until they give in and eat the pizza buffet with you for lunch. (Make sure they leave as miserably stuffed as you.) 
  11. While on a binge, when you eat (which will be most of the day) remind yourself constantly that you’ll get started on Monday. 
  12. While binge-eating, eat fast. It won’t make Monday arrive any quicker, but you can eat more that way. 
  13. On Monday, try one of the plans you’ve already failed at 170 times. 
  14. Spend half of your paycheck on one of the various diet plans, chemical concoctions, gym memberships, or “diet” food. 
  15. And finally, weigh every day and agonize over every ounce that is gained, even if yesterday you weighed naked in the morning, but today are weighing fully clothed at night.




Sunday, August 6, 2017

An Uninformative Update...

I haven’t blogged this summer.   Have you missed me?   I know you have!   I have no reasons and no excuses, just no energy.   Could be the heat, could be the carbs…but I won’t tell you about that in this post.

I went to a family reunion in Texas in July…it was absolutely wonderful seeing everyone.   It’s been a whole month, and I have still not sent a thank you note to my host-cousins.   That’s just how I roll…I’ll get to it this week…I hope.  

Last weekend, I went to Gatlinburg, TN, and Maggie Valley, NC.  It was really nice, and for the last weekend in July, the weather was pleasant.   The devastation from the fire in Gatlinburg wasn’t as bad as I had envisioned, but that does not mean it wasn’t bad.    Homes and businesses destroyed and lives lost...it’s heartbreaking.  But if you are thinking of not going to East Tennessee because of the fire, they are up and running, and would love to have you visit. 


Once upon a time, I envisioned myself as “amusing,” hence the blog domain of “AmusingMargaret.”  Over the years (I have been blogging over 15 years) I have realized that between politics and crazy antics by crazed people that I feel compelled to address, I find not so funny anymore.   So I bought another domain:  MargaretsMusings.com.   I’ve mentioned it before, but I am seriously wondering what to do with it.   I mean…all the world needs is one more blog, right?  And…uhm…I don’t have just ONE more blog, I have several.   

While in Texas, my phone went haywire.   After lots of tweaking the settings, several resets and much frustration, I bought a new phone.   My grandson got the old phone (which wasn’t that old), put his SIM card in it, and it works perfectly.  Go figure.   My new phone’s camera is pretty good…here’s a small sample of what it can do…

Apple Valley Stores and Cafe, Townsend, TN

Streets of Gatlinburg
Streets of Gatlinburg

Streets of Gatlinburg
 

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