Sometimes we use humor to cover our hurt. I know I am often guilty of this. Not sure why I do it, I just feel like it is my best defense mechanism. But there are times when even my great big ol funny bone is hurt too deeply to be funny. It is then I am like a little lost sheep with no idea how to respond. (Catching me at a loss for words is a huge accomplishment cuz I am usually so quick with a snappy comeback or something funny) What I don't understand, is why people want to go around hurting others. Oh I know sometimes it is inadvertent. Sometimes we are ultra sensitive, hormonal, whatever the case may be, but it seems like there ar epeople who want to hurt other peoples feelings. There is a person in my life who is always unkind. Nevre has anything kind to say or do when they are around me. Others say they are the same with them, and still others say they are not always like this. For the life of me I can not figure them out. And for many, many years, I simply played the game. Not if but when they were unkind I simply pretended not to notice. Or whispered to the children who were witnessing the act of unkindness that this person was showing them how NOT to act. I usually tried to handle it with humor.  Recently I have changed my tactics. I have decided that it is bullying and I am not gonna take it anymore. I will try to keep ya posted as to how that is working for me, (OR NOT).

Honoring the troops

I am thinking as I sit here, just how grateful I am to those who have or are serving our nation, in order to protect our right to be whom and what we are. Not a lot to say on the subject, just really feeling appreciative of those who have given me the freedom and right to complain about every little thing; while I really have got it made in all reality.

I love my God, I love my Country, I love my family, I love my children, I love my Husband, I love my State, I love my town. I honor, respect and support our troops, be they Marine, Army,Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Reservists, Whatever branch, I pray for you and I ask God to keep you safe from harm as you protect me and my loved ones.

May you be reunited with your loved ones soon and may you feel the love, respect 

and support I am sending your way.

Mislead?

I often wonder, Have we been mislead, or d0 we mislead ourselves?
What I mean is this. We often make mistakes, we often do misdeeds, sometimes we even set out to intentionally be dishonest. We are, afterall, human beings. It comes natural. The old saying "the Devil made me do it"  comes to mind. I know we all, whether we admit it or not, Have at some point lied. I also know that, again  whether we admit it or not, we have intentionally been dishonest. You may be reading this and thinking to yourself, "I have always tried to be as honest as I can about everything". Ok ask yourself this, Has anyone ever asked your opinoin and you "spared" their feelings by "spinning" your answer? Have you ever told your children about Santa, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny? Hmmm got your attention? Although these seem harmless lies, they are still lies. We all tell lies to spare someones feelings or to cover up things we do for someone. (eg: A surprise party.)
When the problem arises is when it becomes such a habit that we start slipping into telling "little white lies" more often than is really necessary. I do not think we will be bound for Hell, for telling a few little lies to avoid conflict or spare feelings. I am not trying to make you think I believe you are going to Hell. I just wanted to address the fact that we all think we are so honest, when we really tell more lies than we would care to publicly admit. We say thank you and your welcome, wehn we really did not even want or appreciate what was done and it is an inconvience to us. We say "Sure, come on over, I wasn't doing anything", when someone calls with a need. When we really were getting ready to turn in for an early night.
We say "sure I can help" when in all reality we need help ourselves. Why do we do that?  Well my personal opinion is that we do a lot of the things we do for approval. We long to feel a part of a group. We long for acceptance. We just want to "fit in". This is all well and good until it interferes with who we really are. Always be true to yourself. Yes, we need to do a little "spinning" and to a degree I beleive that it is perfectly acceptable, within the parameters of not hurting anyone or causing problems for someone , (Ourselves included). However I also believe that we need to use this part of our personal arsenal with a lot more caution than most of us do. If we end up telling lies to avoid something we really need to face head on, this will only cause us more problems in the future than if we had just told the truth and been an adult about the matter. No I don't mean to preach to you to tell the truth; I just wanted to point out that we need to be cautious. Falling into apattern of "little white lies" is how a lot of "Big black Deeds" got started. Just think about it. And the next time you think about needling your way out of something with one of those little white lies, Think if it is worth it and what the consequences will be down the road.
Until next time,
God Bless You And Keep You Safe.
Angela

Late night thoughts

Was just sittin here thinkin, I wonder if people really realize what a miracle it is that we are even here at all?
I don't know how religious everyone who reads this will be,( if anyone does read it) , BUT At one time this earth was void and empty. Then as it became a populated entity, Sin was so rampant that God destroyed most all of it.
Then he allowed it to be populated again. And the best I can tell it is such a sinful place now it is getting harder and harder to find the good in people. No I am not a pessimist. I am a true optimist, However, I am also a realist. See in our history we elected officials we trusted to lead us, and to make the best decisions for the majority of the people. Today it seems we elect the lesser of the evils. ( Sometimes) We used to know if we walked into a business that we could count on the product they sold us, and if there was a problem that it would be taken care of. If someone gave you their word, you could count on it as if it were signed in blood. We did not feel the need to lock our doors when we left home. We could trust the majority of the people we came into contact with to do their best to be a good person and to be good for their word, and fair. Our children trusted that their parents were teaching the morals and values that had been handed down for generations. Our friends were true friends. Having a friend turn on you was a very rare thing. Oh I know there has always been sin. And I know it has always been something people did behind closed doors as much as humanly possible. Today it seems to me there is no shame. I see things on the news I would never have dreamed possible in my lifetime. Parents teaching their children to shoplift in order to keep from being prosecuted themselves.  Parents lieing right in front of their children and then telling them it is wrong to lie. Setting that kind of double standard only sets out to confuse them and you can bet they are more likely to follow your example  and actions more than your words. The amount of nakedness in public that is accepted now is unreal. We can't talk about the Bible or pray in public without offending someone, yet we are supposed to openly accept others and their religions with little, or in some cases, no tolerance is reciprocated for the beliefs our nation was founded on. What happened to "We The People" What happened to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"? I wonder what our founding fathers would think of how we have "handled things". I think there would be great looks of disapproval. I think there would  be shame on the faces of our former leaders. I think we have no shame in the things that have happened because it was gradual. Each generation has let a little more slack in the rope of morals we were founded on. Now there is so much slack that it would be nigh impossible to pull her taut again. Honestly I think people today would not want it pulled taut.  It is easier to wallow in our sinful state than it is to "clean up" and be the nation God intended us to be. If I were able to start a revolution, it would not beso much  a religious revolution, but it would be one founded on good morals and values. Honesty and integrity. Love for self, love for others and love for country. The best I can do is post here and ask that when you read this you will pray. Pray for our leaders to make the right decisions. Pray that they will pray before making those decisions. Pray that our children do not grow up morally corrupt, and run rampant with all the "new ways" so much that they forget where we came from. Pray that family still means something in 100 years. Pray that salvation is still sought out and not thought to be an unnecessary or obtrusive way of living. Pray for one another. And pray that God will have Mercy on people and forgive our wicked ways, for we are only human and we are sinful creatures by nature.
Until next time.
God Bless You and
 God Bless America

My personal thoughts

My personal thoughts I hope they inspire some of you to take time to see the beauty life holds. Not just the beauty we see, but the beauty we can feel in our hearts.


Qoute


Beauty VS Personality: Barbara Ellison Inspiration 1925


"Nothing in the world has ever been beautiful merely on the surface.


Beautiful women hold their preeminence through a single unchanging possession-


An inexhaustible, rich store of vitality."






My Personal thoughts






If being attractive were merely a matter of good looks,


one might feel the cards had been stacked,


and a few fortunate persons had drawn all the aces.


But the appeal of beauty is transient.


Beauty is, as they old saying goes, in the eyes of the beholder.


BUT True beauty is never an optical occurrence.


True beauty is the heart that has been mistreated enough


to know how to reach out to someone floundering.


It is found in the oddest of places.


My grandmothers' old wrinkled hands, holding out a warm slice of fresh baked bread.


My mother in laws' cloudy eyes when she sings AMAZING GRACE.


My mothers' graying hair when the sunlight hits it just right.


The twinkle in a mothers eyes when her child smiles.


The dirty little face that, though covered in frosting, is smiling


and laughing while we sing the first birthday song to him.


The old worn piece of paper with the handwriting of a soldier, at war,


saying his I love you's to his family.


An old pair of boots that a deceased grandfather wore when he worked in the fields;


Now sitting by the hearth to celebrate the memory of his life.


A hand worn to blisters from earning a living to feed his family.


A faded and torn piece of lace from a great, great grandmothers wedding dress.


The quilt made from old dresses you remember seeing your grandmothers


and mother wear when you were growing up.


I am sure we could all add to the list of things we see real beauty in daily.


Stop and notice the little things that make life beautiful.


Remember to say please and thank you. And to say I love you.


We all should take a moment to see beauty in places that at first glance do not look so beautiful.


Maybe Grandma was right when she told me "Beauty is as beauty does!"






If You read this then consider yourself on my personal list of beautiful people.


And know that, although I may not see you often or say it as often as I should,


I LOVE YOU!!!!!


Angela R.S. Fulkerson