Thursday, October 28, 2010

Just Wondering...

Is there this sign hanging above my head or a look I am giving that says "HELP! Save me quick, from this weird and crazy family!! I need out NOW!!"?

If not what is this Obsessive–compulsiveness that has a good number of people trying to find someone for me? From milk costumers to long time friends, from people my age to those old enough to be my grandparents. I'm getting hints (sublet they may be, they are still there), or even out and out being told that they have the man for me!! Then there's the people who tell me that they have just the person (naming the person) and that it would be one of the best things I ever did if i "grabbed him real quick before he got away". (Great just what I want, to hold on to a guy tight so he won't run away from me! Please!!)

Just to let y'all know, I am happy to wait for God to bring the right man around. Yes, I am human and have had my times of doubting or wondering if I will ever get married, when I might get married, and to whom I might get married to. Do I know the guy? Have we met? etc. Yes, I have those days when I wonder, worry, and fret. Those are the days when I turn to the Lord in prayer and set down to the task that I have been given.

But thanks all for your caring enough to think about me and my future! Thanks for caring enough that you have to make sure the guy is good enough for me or else! I am blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of people who care about me, but could we please wait for God's timing in this matter?

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ma'am & Sir

All my life I've been taught to say ma'am or sir when talking to someone. Mainly when I say yes or no...Yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir, you get the idea. It's a way of showing respect to that other person. More often to someone older then you or in a place of authority over you.

But I have gotten into the habit of saying it all the time. I will say it to my sisters just added to the yes or no part of the answer. As well as saying it at other times such as to people at market, goat shows, church, etc.. And it's not just me, my sisters do it as well as other people I know, all my age, younger or older then I.

I never really noticed how often I say sir or ma'am until I got up here to New York and it's not said that often. My first week people kept saying "Don't ma'am (or sir) me!". Others would comment on how nice & polite I am, while other commented on it in one way or another. I don't know if I say it more often then other people around me do, but I do know I say it and apparently I say it alot.

And I have people say it to me. I have no problem when children I am teaching, baby siting, or who are younger then I am say it to me. I said to people who were over the age of 20 when I as under the age of 10. :D What really throws me off is when someone my same age says it to me. "Umm...Did you really just ma'am me?!?" Yep for some reason I can dish it out but I can't take it.

Now I'm up in New York where I have gotten so many comments about saying ma'am and sir to people that I can't even remember them all!

"Did you just ma'am me?"
"Don't call me sir!"
"When you call me ma'am it makes me feel old."
"Do you always have to say ma'am?"
"Oh, she's polite."
I even had someone at market tell me "Oh, you don't have to call me ma'am my name is ____, I know it's habit for you but it's OK of you just call me by my name."
And the one that really threw me for a loop..."When someone says ma'am or sir we feel like they are trying to be rude or flippant. Now when you say it we know you aren't but it sometimes gets annoying!"

Oh really? And where I come from we think they are rude when they don't say ma'am or sir. Since I've come up here it's obvious to everyone that I say it a lot and I've tried to curb it a little...To the point where I say "Yes ____" (the person's name) I don't do it all the time. In fact I do it one in every twenty tries. But, then saying ma'am & sir is something I've been doing for the past 21 years, so of course it's going to take more then two months to change...In fact I think it might take more then 4 months to change.

But, when I get back to Texas & say ma'am or sir and no corrects me or comments on it I will be very happy and enjoy it! lol Ah, the little things in life you tend to take for granted and not even think about...

Monday, October 18, 2010

"Respectable Sins"

Yes, I know an odd title, but hey I didn't come up with it! So where did it come from? I got it from Jerry Bridges' book called "Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate". It's a book that I enjoyed and yet I dreaded! One that I learned a lot from and enjoyed doing in Sunday School.

So what is there that is respectable about sins, as they are all disobedient to God? We all know there are the sins that are never pardonable by anyone even non-believers. But there are some sins that if we were pressed to look at we may not think of as sins, or ignore because we know they are sinful but do not want to change our lifestyle or point out to others that they just might be sinning, these are the sins that Bridges points out & talks about as being "respectable sins".

Jerry Bridges does a wonderful job of speaking of our sins that we as Christians see everyday & turn our backs on, more often then not without even thinking or noticing that we are doing it. He confronts these sins with stories (most of them his own) and Bible references, while pointing out where we have gone or are going wrong without condoning the acts or condemning the people who commit them.

As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have to.....When it comes to this book I am guilty of falling short & sinning in the ways that Bridges talks about in his book more then once. And an the other ways when I don't have a difficulty in following the 'rules' and abiding by them I am guilty of looking down at those who do not obey those rules, commandments, and instructions given to us. (Which is also covered in the book).

I have to say I learned a lot and yet it didn't seem all that new to me. I've heard about a lot of these issues being sins my entire life. But I had never really thought about them or some aspects of them and that is where it was new to me and where I learned.

I always knew pride was sinful, I get told that all the time as I have a MAJOR pride issue, but I had never really thought about my attitude of "look what I can do" without acknowledging God as the reason that I am good at it, as being prideful. I may not say it to often or show to much pride in what I am good at (which I believe to be a falsehood, as I am very prideful) but if I don't acknowledge God as the reason that I am the way I am then I am being prideful and thus sinning, even though I may not be meaning or intending to.

Jerry Bridges covers many sins that we look at and say "Well, duh of course those are sins! Everyone knows that, so why does he have it in here?". Until you get to the chapter and find he is not referring to the normal ways people sin with anxiety, frustration, envy, jealousy, & judgmentalism. He talks about the subtle ways in which people sin in these ways & and in which others turn their heads to it, thus sinning as well.

While in the first few chapters he expounds on the general idea of sin and how believers can deal with it...From the obvious of prayer, accountability, and scripture to the not so thought of why do these things help us to combat sin.

I highly recommend using this book as a group or personal bible study (I've done both, and my book proves it). And I am grateful to the people who have taken their time to write the book, teach it, listen to me talk about it, or discuss it with me. :-D It's a book I have read more then once & I've only owned it a year now.