Ramblings from a born & bred Okie

The Next Great Praise & Worship Hit

2009-04-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

(Please note, sarcasm to follow)

Dancing in Love

Dancing across your alabaster waves
Singing the melody of my heart
Rolling around the fields of your grace
Swimming the river of your sea

Chorus: Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance

Gazing across your effervescent wonder
Looking at your spectacular love
Climbing the mountain of your joy
Your peacefulness enthralls my heart

(Chorus)

Skipping across the rainbow of light
Towards the thrill that is a pot of gold
Drinking your wine of intoxicating mercy
Resting in the arms of your love

(Chorus)

(Dancing in Love, M & M, 2009)

Now, compare the above "song" (and I use that term loosely) with the following:

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!’
Tis the long expected prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
’Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Christ the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

(Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted - Words by Thomas Kelly, 1804)

Have you ever noticed how songs that are sung, or rather presented, in church, er, worship, services today seem to not have a lot of depth in them? Heck, in fact sometimes they seem like they could be a better fit for a love song to a boyfriend/girlfriend? Just insert his/her name where he or him is and you'll see what I mean. In fact, I was joking around with DH a few weeks ago and started singing I Give You My Heart to him:

I give you my heart
I give you my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Oh, have your way in me

Can someone please tell me where the substance in this song is and how it pertains to God/Jesus/Holy Spirit? Is this what our "worship" services have sunk to? Can we not have any songs that have deep, theological meanings? As DH once said, I think I may have to toss my cookies someday.

Now, mind you, there's nothing wrong with songs about a relationship with God. However, to balance that out, we should be explanining WHY to have that relationship and HOW to get that relationship. Why are so many preachers and worship leaders/music ministers today so afraid to use "big" or "taboo" words like justification, sanctification, propitiation, substitutionary atonement, imputed righteousness, and hypostatic union, and, most importantly, the S word? Don't know that one...stay tuned, I'll reveal it later...

Nope, I'll go ahead and reveal it now, so I hope you're sitting down...it's Sin.

Haven't Gotten Rid of Me Yet

2009-02-24T09:05:00.001-08:00

Not that anyone is trying to...at least, not that I know of, anyway! I haven't blogged much lately - why, I'm not sure. If you ask DH he'll tell you I have a lot to say about a lot of things, but I can't seem to put them down on paper - or computer, as it may be. I wish I had some deep, philosophical, theological, meaty topic to expound on, but nothing's coming to mind at the moment; give it time, however, and it probably will.

DH & I got an XBox 360 & bought Guitar Hero World Tour. This game has taught me at least one thing - my goal in life better not be to be a guitar player. I am not the most coordinated person in the world, but I did used to play the flute & have sung in a few choirs in my day, so I can't use the excuse that I have no musical inclinations. I'm just not cut out to be the next Eddie Van Halen. DH, however...no, he's not either, but he has an entertaining time trying (keep an eye out on You Tube...just kidding, Mark. I love you!)

6 months we've lived in our house now...I love that saying - OUR house! It's not another individual's house, or a property management company's house, it's our house! That does make a lot of difference into how you take care of it, I've noticed. I didn't think it would, but it does. I'm almost to the point where I look forward to getting up on Saturday morning & do my share of the housework - notice I said ALMOST! :-)

Yep, I'm Still Here

2008-10-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, my adoring fans (all one of you, and you know who you are!), I'm still here. Actually, I forgot my password & couldn't get into my blog...but, obviously I've remembered it.

The big update - WE BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE! Well, new to us, anyway. It's the first home I've ever purchased (2nd for DH). As you may (or may not) remember, we used to live across from the country of TU (the best undefeated football team in the state, IMHO). At the end of June, we received a letter from yet another property management company that they would be taking over the management of our house. They were also changing the rules & were going to require all rent payments payable & due on the 1st of the month. This would be a big change for us as we normally paid by the 11th (per agreement w/the original private landlord). This only gave us about 3 days to pay rent, as we had already budgeted for DSD to attend Falls Creek for the first time. Well, that lit a fire under my tushy, so I walked over to QT the next day (Saturday), and picked up a paper that shall remain nameless for the World of Homes. I chose some open houses that I thought we might be able to afford and we spent the weekend looking. Now, mind you, we have been through some financial challenges in the last 3 years, so I had no idea how much we would be able to afford. For all I knew, a cardboard box would be our next home - no offense to those of you that live in one. Anyway, we looked at several homes over that weekend. On Sunday, we went to a open house of one of DH's parents' friends' house. The realtor was the same one that sold his dad's house. We decided to retain her as our realtor. She recommended someone w/Bank of America to contact about a mortgage. She told us that he should be able to get us a mortgage and, if not, would let us know what we could do in order to get one in the future. Over the next couple of weeks, we looked at houses and got our pre-approval letter. There was one day in which we looked at 5 houses, but kept coming back to the first one we looked at that day. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car house with a double driveway, large front porch and a covered patio. We eventually put an offer in on it, then found out there was another offer on the table. At this point I felt we should be on HGTV on either House Hunters or My First Place. The sellers decided to work with our offer and came back with a counteroffer. We countered their counteroffer with another offer, which they accepted. A week before we were scheduled to close, they found out the roof needed to be repaired. We already knew this & had told them about it. They had someone come out & do an estimate, then presented us with the option of a) repairing the roof and we would keep the brand new washer & dryer that were in the house, or b) they would have the roof completely replaced, take the washer & dryer with them, and add $250.00 to the cost of the house. Hmm, new roof or washer & dryer? I think I'll take new roof for 500.00, Alex. I'll save another post to go over closing day. We thankfully had enough money left over to buy our own brand new washer & dryer...front loaders, thank you very much!

So, it's been almost 2 months now & I really love this house. We've had one housewarming party for people at my work and will probably have another one for our Sunday School class & people from DH's work.

That's about it for now...I'll also update you on the denture situation later - can you believe it'll be a year tomorrow? Geesh, how time flies!

Paper v. Plastic

2008-04-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

So, I'm watching the news and, once again, the left coast wackos are trying to legislate crap. They now want to force people to pay to use plastic sacks at the grocery store or, in Seattle, ban both paper & plastic. It's something about the plastic being bad for the environment. Guess what, wackos - paper bags attract bugs, which I'm sure are also not good for the environment. Sorry, but I refuse to pay for using plastic bags and, besides, I do reuse them - guess what I use to take my lunch to work? You guessed it, plastic bags from Wally World. If that's not recycling, I don't know what is.

DH and Our Trip

2008-03-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have read DH's blog, you'll note that, yes, he got a tattoo. How do I feel about it? I'm proud of him; he's been saying for sometime that he wants to get one, but he could never get the nerve. Have I mentioned before that he's a wimp? He won't give blood, because he doesn't like the pain, so what does he do now? Go and get inked. It actually looks pretty good. It's an outline colored forest green. He plans to go back in the future & get it colored in. If you're wondering what a triquetra is... (http://www.apologetix.com/apologetics/apologetics.php) It's in the upper left corner of the webpage.

On a related note, if you get a chance, check out the group that has the triquetra on their website - Apologetix. They are a Christian parody rock band (think Weird Al).

Okay, outta here for now...

We Won!!!!!

2008-02-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, "we" didn't win, but I still feel like I was a part of it.

UNO THE BEAGLE WON WESTMINSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the first time in the history of Westminster that a beagle has won Best in Show...and it beat out 2 ugly poodles!!!! I'm with DH, I can't stand poodles. I was rooting for the dachshund, which I've never seen win the hound group, but I was glad to see the beagle win.

The sad thing is, I think I was more about excited about the dog show than I am about the presidential race. I'm not quite sure what to think about that.

2 more sports items of note: NASCAR officially begins this weekend with the Daytona 500 (go Jeff Gordon!) and, more importantly...pitchers and catchers report to spring training tomorrow!!!! Gee, can you tell I'm a sports fan?! :-)

Magster 5000 v. 1.0 - 3, Old Sparky - 3

2007-12-31T21:24:00.000-08:00

Shortly before the ice storm, we had a new, albeit unwanted, addition to our family - a small, grey, four-legged animal with a thin tail. Yep, we had a mouse, and its name was NOT Mickey, Minnie, or Jerry. Let it be known that I HATE MICE!!!! Just ask my DH, Okie Rambler (more on that momentarily). I never knew how many ways there were to kill mice until I did some research. Whoever made the comment about building a better mousetrap knew what they were talking about. However, before we had the opportunity to purchase one of these fine products, we discovered we had one right under our nose - the Magster 5000, version 1.0, otherwise knows as Maggie, our miniature dachshund. We had come home from work and discovered her handiwork on the kitchen floor. Thankfully, the only mess to clean up was the body of the departed -- score one for the Magster! A couple of nights later I went into the kitchen and what did I find? Another corpse. Now, remember...I HATE MICE!!!! So, what did I do at 1 in the morning? The same thing any self-respecting married female would do: I woke up DH and had him dispose of it. I'm so glad he loves me, otherwise he might have made me take care of it! I went back to the research and discovered a trap we've affectionately nicknamed "Old Sparky." The proper name for it is the Victor Electronic Mouse Trap. It is an enclosed, battery operated box that sends an electric shock to the mouse, killing it in approximately 20 seconds, hence the title "Old Sparky." The best part, for me, is that I never have to see the mouse! You just go and get your DH and have him dump the mouse out, reapply the peanut butter or bait of your choice, and wait for the next criminal. As of this writing, Maggie has rid the world of 3 mice, as has Old Sparky. I thought we had gotten rid of them, but, alas, about 5 minutes ago (Happy New Year!), I saw a live one in the kitchen. So, if you need to rid your house of mice, we could probably make some sort of deal to rent you the Magster 5000...or you could spend about 20 bucks for Old Sparky.

The Nerve of Some People...

2007-11-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

...and I use the term people loosely.

DH & I have been busy at church lately with our Christmas drama; tonight was opening night. I thought things went extremely well...this was the upside to our evening.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, we live in the neighborhood across from Skelly Field @ Chapman Stadium (or whatever they're calling it now), which is always interesting on game days. Tonight was the Jenks v. Union 6A state championship. We got home from the play @ approximately 10 PM and what did we find, but some pickup truck parked in OUR driveway. I had to park in the driveway across the street from us (with their permission). She said she had problems earlier in the evening with a male from Jenks. When she asked him to move his van because he was blocking her driveway, he said "whatever, I don't have to do that," and tore the ticket off of his windshield. He, of course, was from Jenks. At least an hour later, someone finally came and moved their vehicle out of our driveway. I followed them as they pulled out of our driveway and the passenger rolled down her window and looked at me as if to say, "Can I help you?" I advised her that next time they may want to park in the street as they were parked in our private driveway without our permission and, upon our return, we were forced to park in a neighbor's driveway. She looked at me, without taking attention away from her cell phone, and said, "Sorry." The driver then continued backing out of the driveway as I reminded them again to not park in people's private driveways (I guess that's how things are done in Jenks - you can just pick a driveway of your choosing to park in). DH heard the commontion and came out of the house, raised his voice a bit, and advised them to go ahead and go back to Jenks. (Oops, forgot to mention they had a Jenks Trojans license plate on the front of the truck & that they appeared to be high school students?) The female driver yelled "shut up" and drove off like she owned the place.

To this day I will never understand why some people feel they are better than others simply because of where they live...

Week 2 (or so) Update

2007-11-05T21:28:00.001-08:00

I think I'm finally getting used to having dentures. Most of the time I forget I have the uppers in, and I'm now able to wear the bottoms on a pretty consistent basis now. I'm now in the process of retraining my mouth how to eat. I have begun to eat some solid foods. We went to Furr's over the weekend and I had some fried fish and a bit of hamburger steak. I'm looking forward to the day when I can eat a cheeseburger and/or a steak. I keep telling myself I just had surgery two weeks ago and I need to pace myself.

Sorry I don't have any deep theological or political insights for you; if you're looking for those, check out DH's blog. The last I knew, he was writing a series on why to study and learn about the Reformation.

1804 Brouhaha

2007-10-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me, but does HB 1804 mention the word "Hispanic" anywhere? I was under the impression that it targeted "illegal aliens." I don't know about you, but in my dictionary if you look up the word "Hispanic", the words "illegal aliens" are not to be found in the definition. Could it be that those against it are having their consciences tweaked just a bit? I don't have a problem with Hispanics; I do have a problem with illegal aliens.

I saw the news tonight about the rally held against 1804 and noticed they were pinning up ribbons. DH had a good idea (I'll beat him to it & put it on my blog before he does his!) - what about ribbons for the victims of the crimes caused by illegal aliens? What about ribbons for the millions of dollars spent by legal citizens of the United States to support the illegal aliens living here illegally? Again, I'm all for people coming from other countries who arrive here and make a decision to become a legalized United States Citizens My beef is with those who want to have their cake & eat it, too, those who want to work here & get all the benefits without the responsibility.

Update After Week 1

2007-10-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a little over a week since I began "the first day of the rest of my life." Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but nevertheless, I've embarked on a new journey: life with dentures. Have you ever realized how much you use your teeth? As I write this, I'm only able to wear my top dentures. The swelling is finally beginning to go down on my bottom gums, thanks to the steroids (on a side note, maybe I should try out to be a pitcher for the Rockies - can't do any worse than any of the others in the Series). I go back to the dentist on Wednesday to have the stitches removed.

It's nice to know that I'm a pioneer - my extractions were the first ones that took the dentist two days to perform. Apparently I have a strange body in the fact that it metabolizes the numbing medicine at a fast rate, so much so that he was unable to extract the bottom teeth without a great deal of pain (okay, an inordinate amount of pain). In fact, even when I was completely numb, he still couldn't, so he had to numb each tooth individually. Anyway, after this exciting adventure, I spent most of last weekend taking Lortab and holding ice packs to my face. I made it for my first public outing on Monday - off to the dentist to have stitches out. Could anything go "normal" for me? Of course not. The gums were still too swollen to take them out, hence the steroids. They do seem to be working, thankfully. Now, back to the question I posed earlier - did you ever realize how much you use your teeth? My diet consists of Slim-Fast shakes, Carnation Instant Breakfasts, soups, cottage cheese, yogurt, and jello. I have made a couple of recent discoveries, however. I can handle baked potatoes, eggs, M&M's, and Reese's Pieces. My immediate goal is to try and get the lowers in for church in the morning; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Oh, on another side note, I do not wish to receive a copy of the Koran, in case anyone is wondering. I know that I wasn't asked, but I figured I'd head it off at the pass. If they have the right to offer it, I have a right to reject it.

This Isn't Called "Ramblings" for Nothing

2007-10-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

I feel like I need/should blog, but I can't think of anything pressing at the moment, so y'all are going to get to hear what's going on in my life at the moment. I'll try to balance the negatives with positives, rants/raves, so to speak:

Rave - I got a promotion at work! As previously stated, I work for the company that Mr. KIT owned until recently, when he sold it to Enterprise. Heck, with the moolah he made he could build himself and KIT their own pedestrian bridge to nowhere, but I digress. After a change in management, I was not happy with the way things were going in our department, so I took the initiative and attended a 3 day class to learn about insurance. This class would prepare me to take the Oklahoma Adjusters Licensing exam, which I did and I passed, thank you very much. The next week one of our claims adjusters left for greener pastures so I knew my time was at hand. I've been biding my time until this past Tuesday, when I was informed that I got the job, which comes with a nice raise! I am going from an hourly position to a salaried position. I've never had a salaried position before, so this is a whole new realm for me. This will take effect Friday, 10/19/07, but will I be there? No, and why, you may ask? See next paragraph --

Rant/Rave - I am going in Thursday for dental surgery. I'm having my teeth extracted and getting dentures. Don't I just sound excited as all get out about it? I'm too busy being nervous about the pain I'll have to endure, though the insurance coordinator assured me that my teeth are probably in bad enough shape that once they start the extractions, they'll all fall out with no problem. I'm picturing a row of dominoes all lined up; the first one gets knocked down and the rest follow. I knew my teeth were in bad shape, but I didn't think they were that bad. Word to the wise - get your yearly dental checkups and save yourself from this down the road. On the surface, I'm not jumping for joy in the fact that I'm 42 and will have a full set of dentures, but I know in the long run it'll be all good. I'll be able to eat what I want, I'll feel better, and I'll be much less self-conscious about my looks. As an added plus, I'll lose even more weight because I won't feel like crap for about a month and everything will taste like plastic (so I hear). As for another positive, this will help me make my weight loss goal at Weight Watchers faster.

In regards to one of my earlier posts, I'm still in a wait and see mode with the ORU situation. I'm not sure what to make of the fact that Billy Joe Daugherty has returned to the Board of Regents. I know we should continue to pray for them, that God will work through this situation and bring them to a place where they can discover who God really is and they will be able to see the errors of their false teachings.

Since coming out of the Charismatic/Word Faith movement, I've had to basically start over again in learning about the Christian faith. I've had to realize that it's not about what you want God to do for you, but what God wants you to do for Him and what He can do through you. This has not been an easy journey as I've had to discard many of my former beliefs; in fact, it's been quite earth shattering at times - just ask my DH. There have been nights I've cried because I've been so confused; I felt like my foundation had been shattered. I've become a little more discerning about who I listen to and read now and who I let influence my beliefs. I've discovered that there's more to know about the Christian walk than meets the eye. I've learned that between the book of Acts and the present day, there is a rich church history waiting to be discovered by many Christians. I've learned how important foundations can be. I'm also learning what those foundations are and how important it is to be grounded in them. For anyone else who might be going through this situation, I recommended some books in an earlier post.

See, I told you this blog wasn't titled "Ramblings" for nothing.

Change of Pace

2007-10-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

Now that the river vote is over with, I'm tackling another local piece of news, the lawsuit brought against Richard and Lindsay Roberts. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Larry King interview them. Is it me, or do they sound like politicians? They were not able to give straight answers to any questions that were asked. I think my favorite response was regarding the text messages to troubled males. Lindsay answered the direct question in a roundabout way and blamed it on her teenaged daughters and their friends. Richard chimed in that "they have a ministry to these wayward young people." Like I said in an earlier post, I'm sure Lindsay was just sending them Scriptures.

Right, and Jimmy Swaggart was just ministering to the prostitutes, males buy Playboy Magazine to read the articles and then go to Hooters for the wings...

Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes, Roberts family. I'm trying to do my best to keep in mind "innocent until proven guilty," but I'm finding it really hard. Richard mentioned how he received an overwhelming vote of confidence from the ORU Board of Regents. Has anybody checked the Board of Regents lately? The last I knew, it was filled with the who's who of the Word Faith movement and, unfortunately, I don't think most of them know the meaning of the word "accountability." It is said that you are known by the company you keep. What shames me the most is that not many people seem to be surprised at this turn of events. Is that what most people think of Christians? I pray that we can use this time to examine our own hearts.

Tuesday

2007-10-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to get out and vote on Tuesday. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm voting NO. If they had a space for HECK NO, I'd vote that way. This city does not need another tax; it needs politicians who will handle the money already given to them instead of misspending it then asking us for more. We also need leaders who know the meaning of the word "prioritize." Wouldn't you just love to go to these people's homes and look at how their budgets are handled? Are they spending their money on "wants" instead of "needs"? Isn't that what they're asking us to do? I don't fall for the idea that our city, nay, our region will completely fall off the face of the earth if this tax doesn't pass (sarcasm fully intended). Also, who's to say they'll actually spend the money on the river? They'll probably spend King George's 117 million then use the actual tax they take in on the arena or some other "need" they see fit. I'm thinking we need to buy our politicians a dictionary for Christmas.

On an upbeat note...

BYE BYE YANKEES!!!!

I'm not upset in the least to see the Yankees beaten by the Indians. I've been a Yankee hater for as long as I can remember. Why? I think it's because my mom liked them, so I felt the need to create a rivalry and have hated those da** Yankees ever since. Since my Cubs didn't make it, I'm rooting for the Rockies since I've seen several of them play when they were with the Drillers.

A New Talent

2007-10-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Yes crowd has a new talent - they can see the future. The quote is that "we won't have this chance again for a long, long time." Bull hockey. I'm sure if/when this one doesn't pass, they'll reorganize and try to shove it down our throats again and again and again until it passes; look how many times the Vision 2025 ideas were thrown at us until we fell for it. I admit it, I was guilty and fell for the "it's better than nothing" mentality that was fed to me by the local media. Thankfully, since then I have discovered the alternative forms of media since then and have become better informed.

Guess what? I can see into the future as well. I predict that, if/when this tax passes, they'll come back to us sometime soon with a road tax/bond proposition...and, we'll fall for that, too.

On a happier note - OU 28, Texas 21

BOOMER SOONER, BABY!!!!

I know, my Cubs are down 2 games to none...don't remind me. I'm starting my "Go Rockies" chant...and the Yankees are down 2 games to none as well, so we're in good company.

My Take on Happenings at ORU

2007-10-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

I'm surfing along and what do I see on Yahoo! News, but the headline "Scandal Brewing at Oral Roberts U." Now, living in Tulsa and knowing that a lawsuit has been filed by 3 former professors, seemingly stemming from Richard Roberts need to have RPM (Randi Miller) as Mayor, I was curious. I about blew up when I got to this section:

Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors' expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.
She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."

As a former Charismatic and onetime member of Victory Christian Center (pastored by ORU graduates the Daughertys), I feel that I need to translate these items for the less initiated. I'll take them accusation by accusation:

A) Illegal involvement in local politics: "I've had a word/revelation/new thought from above - get involved, because the way to get the people saved and onto our team is through the leaders."

B) Numerous home remodeling projects: "I want our mansion on earth to look just like our mansion in Heaven; we're worth it, because we're children of the King."

C) Using the university jet: "It will get us where we need to go quicker so that we can witness to more people." Side note - the plus being they won't be treated like Joel Osteen's wife was after she went ballistic on a public airplane.

D) Luxury automobiles for Lindsay Roberts: "I'm a princess of the King; God would want me to have them so I can show others what they can attain when they get saved."

E) Spending sprees on clothes: "I'm a princess and I need to look like one."

F) Scholarships to children's friends: "We are called to help the less fortunate. The Bible said the poor you would always have with you, but that doesn't mean you have to be one of them."

G) Texting of underage males: "I wanted to let them know that I was with them when they most face temptation (1-3 a.m.)." I'm sure she was just sending them Scriptures.

For those of you who think I'm just a bitter ex-Charismatic who's mad because she's not living in a mansion and driving a fancy car, let me set some things straight. I never completely bought into the "name it and claim it" theology. I couldn't tell you why at the time, but I knew that something about it sounded fake. I so wanted to believe in it, especially the Scriptures regarding healing. I had some health issues that I knew (well, was told) that God would heal if I just had enough faith. I struggled with that the entire time I was in the movement. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, but eventually just settled it in my mind that it was my cross to bear. Yet, I was always analyzing and searching to see what sin I had in my life that I needed to get rid of so God would heal me. I look back at this now and think how self-centered that view is, rather than being God-centered, which is really how He wants us to live. I thank God that I was not in the movement when my mother in law was diagnosed with cancer and six months later went home to be with the Lord, at which time she received her ultimate healing. I'm sure they would have told her that she didn't have enough faith or there was some sin in her life she needed to deal with that was not allowing her to release her faith and enabling her to live in victory. My MIL was probably the Godliest woman I've ever known. She left a legacy of love that lives on through her family. She accepted and adopted me into her family before I was even married to her oldest son. If that's not a picture of Jesus adopting us and grafting us into His family, I don't know what is. There are times that I regret the time I spent in the Word Faith camp, but then I realize that it is a part of who I am today. Going through that and realizing that life is not always hunky dory and doesn't always work out the way that we THINK it should but the way He KNOWS it needs to be. We are here to glorify Him, He is not here to glorify us. I pray that these leaders will see the errors of their teachings and are one day able to strip away all of the trappings and get to know the real God, the real Jesus, the real Holy Spirit. How will they do that? By reading the real Bible thoroughly, not just the parts they want to see that will tickle their fancy.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not one of those Christians who believe that by living in abject poverty, we somehow glorify the Lord. God has not said that life would be easy and that we would just sail through until we get to Glory. He has said, however, that He would be with us every step of the way. Another benefit of having come out of the Word Faith movement is that it has given me a deeper longing for His Word and a desire to get back to the basics. I have found several books on that topic:

Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry Chafer and John Walvoord
Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament by Irving Jensen
Encountering the New Testament by Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough
A Popular Survey of the Old Testament by Norman L. Geisler

If you need more recommendations, feel free to contact me and I'll look through our books at home and see what I can come up with for you.

I've also discovered Bible teachers such as John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Charles Swindoll, John Piper, and John Barnett. You can find most of them on http://www.oneplace.com/.

Updates from the Rambler's Household

2007-10-03T21:23:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to say that I was able to put my computer desk together - all by myself, thank you very much! Mind you, I had to purchase a battery powered screwdriver because the glue wouldn't hold, but, hey, it's working and I got to use my first power tool!

Also, DH now has a blog (see the Links section) - please view! He's got a lot to say and he's not afraid to say it! Just one of the many things I love about him!

As we speak, my Cubbies (NL Central Champs!) are in the process of losing game 1 to the Diamondbacks, but, as Scarlett would say, tomorrow's another day.

The latest commercial I caught for the river tax (before muting it) showed kids and their dreams. You know what one of my dreams is (other than starring on Broadway and writing the Great American Novel)? It's to live in a city that functions effectively without being bribed and held hostage by the so-called philanthropists and one that knows how to wisely spend the money alotted to them. I know, it's a pipe dream, but it could happen -- couldn't it?

Latest Goings On

2007-09-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was attempting to put together a computer desk (more on that in a bit), when I overheard the latest begging to get us to vote Yes for the river tax. Actually, the only statement that I can remember dealt with a child attempting to guilt me into voting yes. Is this what that side has stooped to? I am sometimes ashamed to admit I live in Tulsa - this would be one of those times.

As for the aforementioned computer desk...I finally was able to purchase a desktop computer (HP, for those of you taking notes) and purchased a desk for it. I'm ashamed to say it, but I was bested by the desk. Who knew it was so difficult to keep screws straight? Thankfully, DH has a friend who loves putting things together, so he'll be over tomorrow evening to put it together.

Commonalities

2007-09-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

KOTV had a story tonight about how the River Tax Yes people were going to have a hard road to travel to convince people outside Tulsa to vote yes for the tax. They showed a 23 year old male who had returned to Tulsa after graduating from OU. He made a statement that there was nothing exciting to do here; that there weren't any young people here. When I heard that statement, I thought of the seeker sensitive church movement. Isn't that there same claim? That the only way to get younger people in is to have programs for them, to play with and manipulate their emotions? We know there's no substance in the seeker sensitive churches; could we say the same thing about the Yes River Tax movement?

Just Say No

2007-09-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm already fed up with the ads trying to guilt us into voting "Yes" for the river tax. If these philanthropists want to improve the river, why don't they pay for it themselves and not expect the government to subsidize their "donations"? I guess that they don't have to drive on our roads; they can just use their hovercrafts to get from point A to point B. What am I thinking? They have people they pay to do that for them!

Before anyone gets the idea that I all I do is rant and rave about things I don't like about Tulsa, let me tell you, I love Tulsa! I'm originally from OKC and have been here since 1988. I missed the MAPS Projects, so I can't shed any light on those. I would much rather live up here than down there; at least here I can get the brown dirt out of my clothes.

I've heard a figure of 9,000 jobs floated around, but it sounds like those would only be temporary jobs and they would disappear as soon as all the work is done. Has anyone from the Yes crowd been able to substantiate the numbers they keep throwing at us? I haven't found anyone that can.

In their latest commericals, they use the old standby idea "do it for the kids." I would rather have smooth streets, or at least passable streets for my DSD (darling stepdaughter) then a river that she might not ever go to. Besides, if the streets stay in the shape they're in, no one will be healthy enough to enjoy the river. Everyone will be on pain meds for their injured backs and necks.

On a side note, and a much happier note, it's September and my Cubs are in first place!

Deep Thoughts While Driving

2007-09-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

As I was driving by what was formerly Bell's (hope you're enjoying your new parking lot, RPM), I saw the "Tulsa State Fair" sign. I realized that, although I am in Tulsa, I don't feel that the fair represents me as the people that run it are not, well, fair. I put my thinkin' cap on and came up with a new name for the fair - The M/M Fair. It could be the Murphy Miller Fair, or the Miller Murphy Fair, whichever works for you. That way, the name is a true representation of what lies behind it.

Count my family in as ones not attending the aforementioned fair. I've read some suggestions from people regarding attending the fair and wearing a certain colored shirt to show support for a "NO" vote on the river tax. I have another idea. Instead of giving $$ to M/M, why not just boycott the fair completely and stand outside with signs like "Don't forget Bell's", "Where's your business plan, Randi?" and statements like that. I would think that would get your message across clearer than wearing a certain colored shirt, and you don't have to give you $$ to M/M.

And, who knew KIT liked baseball? I was listening to a Drillers game last week and who made their way into the press box but KIT herself. So that meant that Mark Neely, one of the best announcers around, had to stop describing the game to give KIT airtime. How many games had she been to before that? I'm guessing not many.

Back to the previously mentioned trip to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market...I was behind a lady in line who was holding up the line because she couldn't get the kind of cheese she wanted because it wasn't the kind of cheese that WIC approved. That, however, is not what got my attention. I understand that some people go through hard times and need assistance. My DH and his first wife were on it for a short time after their daughter was born. What frosted my cookies was the comment one of her three daughters made. She was probably about ten to twelve, sitting next to the candy display in the aisle reading a teenybopper magazine. When her mother and older sister went to leave (the youngest was an infant in the basket), she got up and said, "Can I take this with me?" Her older sister, probably fourteen to sixteen told her, "No, you have to pay for it." The pre-teen stomped her feet a couple of times and said, "Why? Don't you just swipe the card like we do for everything else?" Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on her, that attitude seems to be prevalent among our young people. I guess it just rubbed me the wrong way because I'm paying for her anyway, so shouldn't she feel some sort of responsibility? Either that, or I was waaaaaay too hungry and took something personal that I would have otherwise blown off. Yeah, that's probably it.

Oklahoma State Fair; Spiritual Issues

2007-09-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

I did a little research and, from what I could find, Murphy Brothers has nothing to do with the State Fair in OKC, so guess where we're headed? If I have my way, I will never set foot at Expo Square again. On that note, I hope the Drillers do move so that I won't have a reason to go to that plot of land again.

I saw RPM (Randi "People-pleasin' Miller) was on KJRH the other night pumping up the river tax. I didn't watch it, so I don't know if Russ McCaskey got answers to any questions that he asked.

We had communion at our church yesterday; first time under the new pastor. I appreciated how it was handled. He taught about it and explained it, rather than just assuming that everyone knew what it was about. He also offered to speak with anyone after the service who had any questions about it. I didn't become a Christan until I became an adult, so I obviously didn't grow up with a lot of teaching on spiritual and biblical issues. When I first starting going to church, I felt like I was missing out on something. The church I got saved in was not big on teaching or instruction but focused more on what God could do for you. I didn't realize how much I was missing until I met my husband, who has a heart for teaching. He was quite eager to show me what I had been missing out on all those years. He grew up in the church and I envy his stories about camp, fellowships, and the like. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do on spiritual items. He is very patient with me and answers any questions I have and is faithful to point me to the Scriptures for the ultimate answers. I've noticed recently that my desire for the deeper things in life is growing. I mean, who would've thought I would ever volunteer to teach a lesson on the Intertestamental Period...and am thinking about volunteering to teach the lesson on Titus and Philemon...talk about a miracle!

And one more thing...we have finally moved into the 21st century and have a home computer! Now I can blog whenever I want (I'm sure my work will appreciate this!).

Global Warming Solved

2007-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks, we have finally figured out what causes global warming. According to an article I found on Yahoo, it's due to...

Moose (mooses?) belching. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070822/sc_afp/sciencenorwayclimate

There, I said it. What will these freakin' liberals come up with next? So, let me get this straight, if we just get rid of Bullwinkle, the global warming problem will be solved. Who knew the solution would be that simple?

Next topic:

Raise your hands if you're going to the Tulsa State Fair this year...

Thank you, I thought as much. DH and I are not going and have told DSD that we're not, but that we might go to another fair. We're thinking about checking out if the Oklahoma State Fair in OKC has Murphy Brothers attached to it in any way. Hope you enjoy your new parking lot, Randi. As for asking to make Bell's business plan public, are they also going to view the Tulsa Drillers, Fair Meadows, Expo Square/QT Center plans public as well? Why is there such a vendetta against the Bells? Is this what happens when it seems you're trying to impede progress?

Just some random thoughts...

It's All in the Timing

2007-08-13T10:55:00.001-07:00

I read over the weekend that some houses are getting ready to be moved from the I-44/Riverside area to Sand Springs, but that had to wait until the PGA Championship was over. Just exactly how long has the city known that the golf tournament was going to be here? How convenient that the red tape took up just enough time to tell the movers, "No, I'm sorry, you'll have to wait until Tiger, Phil, and the rest of the golfers leave before moving the houses."

I also saw where Tulsa was on a list of most adventurous cities; surely that's because of our splended roads and bridges that you have to play "Dodge the Pothole" on everywhere you go. It could also be from trying to avoid panhandlers and the homeless camped out in front of QT; just where were they hidden last week?

On a brighter note, I see that Tulsa Transit has come around and started up the bus route to Cherokee Industrial Park again...yippee!!! Now DH and I will have an alternate way to get to work.

My father's service was very nice and eye-opening (at least for some in the family). A singer sang "Amazing Grace" and "Just As I Am", and we played Josh Turner's "Long Black Train." I was able to hear a bit of my dad's testimony of how he came to Christ in the last few years of his life. The minister said that my father wanted to make sure of his decision, that he wanted to make sure it wasn't just with his head, but with his heart as well. On the way to the cemetary, my aunts and DH had a discussion about the "altar call". My aunts were not in agreement with
it, but DH told them that he was all for it. I believe his quote was "I want people to hear the gospel at my service, because that may be the only time they'll hear it. I want them to see Jesus in the music played and in the eulogy given." That's my hubby!

New Name for KT

2007-08-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's taken me over a year, but I've finally come up with my nickname for Mayor KT - it's Mayor KIT. You've most certainly heard of KITT, the talking car, but I've chosen KIT for her. It stands for Kathy "Image" Taylor. She is more obsessed with image than most Hollywood stars, and that's saying a lot.

I have a feeling that our city will vote "yes" for the river tax. We have yet to see a tax we don't like. I admire Broken Arrow's mayor for taking a stand for his city, no matter how it affects his image. DH and I will, of course, proudly vote NO.

I saw in the Whirled that most of the city councilors are going to run again. I would, too, if I knew my job entailed agreeing to whatever my boss said and not questioning anything. Oh, how I miss the days of the "gang of five." Now all we seem to have are yes men (and woman). I hope that some people with principles run and that, if they win, they will stick to those principles.

I will be off line for a few days. My father passed away Friday evening, so DH and I have traveled down to southern Oklahoma for the funeral on Tuesday. He was 84 (would've been 85 next month); he had a stroke and went into a coma just before the fourth of July. His health had been declining since the first of the year so, although it wasn't necessarily a shock, it's still something you're not ready for. I do take some comfort in that he became a Christian a few years ago, so he is now in Heaven with his Heavenly Father.

Sprucing Up, Part Tres

2007-07-31T17:36:00.000-07:00

I have a question - if KT wants us to spend 60 minutes of our time sprucing up Tulsa, why would she schedule the time during the work day when most of us are working? Does that mean that all the people who, for whatever reason, will be the ones out picking up trash? Also, don't we have inmates who need to be productive; could we not have them out sprucing up, or would that not fit our image?

Update -- I heard last night that Saturday is also a "Spruce Up Tulsa Day;" right...my DH has enough trouble getting me up early to clean our house on Saturdays, do you really think KT will be any more successful?

Sprucing Up, Part Deux

2007-07-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

No sooner have I posted about sprucing up our city, then KT comes out and wants everyone to help pick up trash because it's good for our "image." And it's just in time for the PGA Championship - no, that's not coincidence at all, is it? On top of that, the KTCC (Kathy Taylor City Council) now wants to increase the fine on people placing signs on right of ways...why? Because it's bad for our image for people to advertise garage sales and open houses, apparently. Geesh! I have never seen anyone more image driven than KT. Can someone remind her that she is the mayor of Tulsa and not Palm Beach?

I've also discovered that hitting a golf ball is not as easy as it looks. I think I'm going to have to take some lessons before I actually play a game. Tiger, Phil, Annika, and the rest all make it look so easy. I'm afraid I'm going to jar something when I hit the ball and I think I threw my back out! Golf for Dummies and the Idiot's Guide to Golf, here I come!

Yet another discovery I've recently made...Harry Potter. I actually picked the first book up a few years ago and put it back down after reading the first chapter; I just didn't see what all the hoopla was about. With hearing so much about it from my DSD (darling stepdaughter), I figured I'd try it again. I bought the paperback and read it in four days and will now be out hunting for the next one. That teaches me not to listen to all the pundits and know-it-alls and discover things for myself...that's why God gave me a brain, right?

Something else I'm reading about...the intertestamental period. Our Sunday School class is studying a workbook titled Through the Bible in a Year and we're on the Psalms right now. To go along with that, I purchased a book at Mardel's titled Encountering the New Testament, which has helped my study along (I'm a sucker for anything that looks like schoolwork - I'm twisted, I know). It had a chapter on what went on during that time and I've become fascinated with it, so much so, that I'm teaching that section in our class when we get to it! (Side note, DH will be teaching on Daniel - everyone's invited!) It's always interesting when you have to tell the worker at the local Christian bookstore why you're looking for books on that topic and why you'll be teaching it...talk about an object lesson.

More on this later...

Sprucing Up

2007-07-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, let me get this straight - we don't have the money to fix our streets or hire enough police officers, but we have the money to take police away from their main job (fighting crime) to direct traffic around Southern Hills for the PGA? Does anyone else believe that our mayor is all image and no substance? We want to look good for Tiger, Phil and their crowd, but who cares about the people that live here day in and day out? I guess we don't matter. I hope she realizes that the PGA crowd doesn't get a vote (unless, of course, they have a house in Florida and one here, I guess), so she'd better make darn sure she's trying to "impress" the right people, 'cause I personally don't know anyone who's impressed with her so far...except maybe the Council, who seem to do her bidding; but, hey, at least there's no bickering and we're all getting along, which is good for our image, I'm sure.

On a personal note, wish me luck; I'm going to the driving range for the first time this weekend. DH likes to play golf but needs someone to be his eyes; I've seen it on TV and it looks like it could be a good stress release (or the cause of much stress, I'm sure). I'm willing to give it a shot, so if you're anywhere near LaFortune and see this crazed woman on the driving range, just duck.

Amazing what goes through the mind at midnight...

2006-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's midnight, & here I am, sitting at my father in law's computer, attempting to get sleepy. Why would I be at the computer, better yet, at my father in law's house? BECAUSE WE HAVE NO STINKIN' ELECTRICITY!!!! Yep, we were at the north end of the "microburst" that hit Tuesday morning. According to the Whirled, there were category 1 hurricane force winds....does that mean I get a trailer? And where's my $2,000 voucher card? Mayor Katie (KT), are you listening? Hmmm...could it be reverse discrimination because it hit in the "midtown" area? Why aren't Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton here campaigning & getting on PSO's & the city's backs because they're not doing enough & what they are doing they aren't doing it quickly enough?! (Side note...if you understood that sentence, you deserve a medal!) I'm kidding, of course...it's midnight & I'm running on fumes, what did you expect, a deep, theological debate? I don't think so; however, I am grateful that no one was seriously injured in the story & I know that PSO & the city are doing the best they can with what they've got, but, if you happen to see a PSO truck just driving around tomorrow/today, could you send them over to my neighborhood, please?

There was an article in the Whirled earlier this week about East Tulsa; surprisingly one name was omitted (in error, I'm sure)...Jim Mautino. I saw where Theresa Buchert & Dennis Troyer were sure to be there for the photo op. How quickly people forget those outstanding public servants who paved the way for others.

I'm trying to think of other things that have frosted my cookies lately, but nothing seems to come to mind, so I'll just shut up while I'm way behind...

Later, y'all!

Don't blame me, I voted for Medlock

2006-04-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

I think I might try to start manufacturing those bumper stickers now. I would love to have one on the back of my vehicle as I pull into the Vanguard parking lot...

I was sorry to see that District 6 voters went with Dennis "GOB" Troyer instead of Jim Mautino. Jim was a councilman who represented his district with fervor that others could learn from. His heart & his passion was (& probably still is) District 6 & it showed in how tirelessly he worked for them. I hope that Mr. Troyer can learn from that & learn well, for we'll be watching. I know that DH & I are going to start making a concerted effort to attend the City Council meetings - we've watched them on TGOV & are looking forward to seeing them in person. Anyone want to start an over/under as to how many meetings Mayor Taylor (that doesn't flow) will attend?

I am happy to see that Maria Barnes won our district. She is another one who seems to have a heart for neighborhoods & should be a refreshing face on the council. Also, congratulations to the other newest member elected last night, Cason Carter.

I think this election showed just how much can be done when people put their mind to things, good or bad, right or left. I guess the left was just more united than the right.

Also, Mayor Taylor, don't forget that almost half of the city didn't vote for you - it'll be interesting to see how she handles that part of the voters. Heck, she probably won't even notice. Guess this means I should now start calling the Mayor's Action Line & ask for Tulsa Transit to start operating a bus out to Cherokee again...just a thought.

Trolley Schmalley

2006-02-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, let me get this straight...we don't have a decent bus system, but we want to make sure people have an easy way to get to clubs & entertainment? Here's a radical thought...if people can't get to work, they won't have any money to go to clubs, restaurants, the Aquarium, the Zoo (since I'm still boycotting it, not a problem for me!), etc.

DH & I work in Owasso. I actually work for the company that Kathy Taylor's husband owns...no, I haven't seen her here...or him, either, for that matter - though a few others have...where's my Medlock for Mayor bumper sticker when I need it! My DH works for Verizon Business (formerly MCI, formerly World Com, formerly LDDS World Com...) & he is visually impaired so doesn't drive. Before we got married almost 5 years ago, he depended on Tulsa Transit to get to & from work...until 2003. At that time, TT decided there weren't enough people who worked out @ Cherokee Industrial Park to justify a shuttle out here. Thankfully (for my DH), we were married by then, so I drove him to & from work every day -- which was not much of a problem, until gas skyrocketed...QT & I become good friends, as I still worked in Tulsa at the time. In 2004, I was hired on by Vanguard (aforementioned company), so I only had to drive from Tulsa to Owasso once a day. Of course, shortly after they cut that shuttle, they started one to the Aquarium...again, someone explain to me how people will be able to afford to go there if they can't get to work! Mind you, there were several people on the route who took the bus out of necessity (disabled, didn't have a car, etc.) I'm so not enjoying the commercial I've seen w/the lady that comes from BA to Tulsa to & from work on TT. TT, you might want to consider reinstating the shuttle to Cherokee...we've gained an additional 700 employees @ Vanguard, thank you very much!

Just something to ponder...

Which one is next?

2006-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

I was reading the Tulsa Whirled over the weekend (Sunday, I think) when I saw a story about the woman who had the face transplant. It was a small story on the inside of the paper that talked about her recovery, which apparently is going well. From the time that I originally heard the story, I'd wondered what horrible accident she'd been in that required this type of operation; well, here it is...she was attacked by her pet labrador! Quick, Paul Westelhoff, put them on the banned list! Oh, and you better add the chihuahuas since a wild pack of them attacked someone in California. And, while you're at it, better add Dachshunds to the list, as my inlaws had one that bit my toe (never mind it was purchased from a backyard breeder & was probably an inbred).

This is a subject that hits close to home, as I own a miniature Dachshund (Maggie) & DH owns a German shepherd (Tessa). Now, I know that shepherds somewhere along the road obtained a reputation for being fierce, but not our Tessa...she's scared of our calico cat, Samantha! And, to appease my DH, I'd better add here that my Maggie was scared, rather, terrified, of a statue of a German shepherd I bought him to put on his desk at work. Okay, so she wasn't actually scared of it until I made barking noises while sitting behind it.

Better yet, instead of banning certain dogs, how about banning owners? Isn't this similar to the statement that guns don't kill people, people kill people? We have a five day waiting period for owning guns, why not a waiting period before obtaining a pet? We could also set up a division of DHS to come & survey the home & the surrounding neighbors to make sure that the potential owners are "worthy" to own a pet...just kidding, you can't legislate stupidity...or vote them off the island.

A special "thank you" to Michael Bates from batesline.com, who chose my suggestion of Beatrix Alicia Bates for a name as the winner in his contest. I'm sure his son will be eternally grateful to him for not having to go through life with the name Beatrix.

I got that name from a series of books called Trixie Belden that I used to read...okay, still do. I've mentioned them in a previous post & I highly suggest anyone with a young girl (heck, a young boy) should start them reading the series, which is being republished...whoohoo!

Okay, enough babble for now. There was something else I was going to comment on, but it escapes me at the moment.

Later, y'all!

Things that make you go hmmm...

2005-12-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

Let me get this straight...someone FINALLY wants to develop East Tulsa, but has to back out because they have to line of credit??? I wonder...did all the developers downtown or those associated with Vision 2025 have to do the same thing? My guess would be...nope. Why is East Tulsa treated like the red-headed stepchild? Doesn't anyone remember that it was the East Central Cardinals, located in, you guessed it, East Tulsa, won the 5A state championship? Congrats, because in the near future, I doubt if you'll have enough students left to field a football team!

I'm partial to East Tulsa as that's where my DH grew up (EC class of '91) & where his father still lives & where we lived when we first got married almost 5 years ago. We lived there when the councilor was Art "blame everything on OKC" Justus. Every time he had a town hall meeting & someone asked why things weren't being done, his reply was "all the money went to OKC." Finally, people saw the error of their ways & voted in Jim Mautino. When we were in his district, he attended all our neighborhood association meetings (Wagon Wheel/Rosewood) & was very approachable & helpful when it came to getting things done. It's obvious he has a heart for the district he lives in, which, oddly enough, is the district he represents...

I know he has worked hard to bring development into East Tulsa & it appeared that they were going to see results. Alas, it was not to be, thanks to the GOBS (good ol' boy systems).

I have an idea...maybe Catoosa or Broken Arrow can annex East Tulsa...that way our regional mayor will want to do something there!

On a side note...congratulations to the Bates family (see www.batesline.com) DH & I are very happy for you!

On another side note...everyone have a safe, happy & blessed New Year! And, to quote one of the best television shows ever, "Let's be careful out there!"

Merry Christmas

2005-12-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe, blessed, & Merry Christmas!

It'll be strange around our family this year. Christmas is, was, my mother in law's favorite holiday, so it's really odd here not being here. However, one good thing has come out of the situation (I'm sure there's a lot more, but this is the one I'm focused on for now) - my DH & his dad have grown closer & I'm thankful for that. It's not that they were ever at odds, just 2 different people, Mark being more like his mom, talkative & outgoing, his dad, more laid back & a bit of an introvert.

My hubby is also not having a good year when it comes to sports...his poor Packers, while I, on the other hand, am quite excited about my Broncos making it to the playoffs...now if I could just figure out why the Cubs want to trade Mark Prior...

On a local note, it appears we will have a new council representative come next year. Our "illustrious" councilman, Tom Baker, has annoucned he's running for mayor. Good luck!

Again, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to y'all!

Been a while

2005-11-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a while since I blogged...sorry about that. I got assigned a new job duty at work which takes up most of my day, so I haven't had time to blog.

Hubby & I are moving into enemy territory! That's right, we're moving from Chris Medlock's district to Tom Baker's district...can't wait to get our "Medlock for Mayor" signs to place prominently in our new front yard!

On a more somber note...my mother in law passed away from brain cancer yesterday morning. Her viewing is Friday & memorial service is Saturday. She was a wonderful example of Jesus's love who will be missed, but we're rejoicing that she's in Heaven with the Lord; in fact, she went out singing "Jesus Loves Me." We spent today as a family gathered with their pastor talking about our memories of her; it was bittersweet, of course, but I'm glad we did it.

Needless to say, it may be a bit of time again before you hear frome me.

A chuckle

2005-11-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

I was visiting the Tulsa City Council website & noticed its slogan -- "your voice in city government." After all the shenanigans going on, I think it should be altered to read "your voice in city government...providing you're a member of the good 'ol boys network, of course." Sometimes I wonder if there's anyone out there who speaks for the common man (other than "the gang of four", of course).

Second item on the agenda...

DH & I drove to Owasso after work last night & were quite amazed with all the development going on...and not a casino in sight! I wonder if anyone from Owasso (or Jenks, or Bixby, or Broken Arrow--you get the picture) bothered to send a thank-you note to Mayor M. for all the growth we've caused. You'd think we'd get a share of the profit or commission or something.

News Flash

2005-11-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is directed to the "protesters" @ 71st & Memorial yesterday...

I don't believe that anyone is putting a gun to your head & forcing you to stay in America. Do you not realize that the men & women in the armed services are fighting to protect your right to disagree? If you dislike it so much, why don't you move to a country more in line with your feelings...say, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, etc? Oh, that's right, if you lived there, you wouldn't be able to say what you believe!

A comment on "political correctness"...

I heard on the radio yesterday that some idiotic high school has determined that the term "freshmen" is considered detrimental to the children, so they will now be referred to as "ninth graders." Give me a freakin' break! It was detrimental to my mental health when, in middle school I was referred to as "WD-40", but I didn't complain about it. Okay, so I further retreated into myself & was no fun to be around, but it was my own doing. (As an aside, I no longer have that nickname. My parents were getting divorced & this was 1976, so there wasn't much of that going on, so my self-esteem dropped off the radar, etc...you get the picture.) Are there not better things that the government could better spend their time doing, like, I don't know, legitimate probes of failed airline deals & probes of goverment employees who may not be paying taxes on fuel used @ their airport? Oh, what am I thinking...that's a pipe dream! I forgot, governments are there to fund pocket parks & haunted arenas.

Gee, anything else get my goat today? I'm sure something will come up later...

New title?

2005-10-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

I think our mayor is trying to create a new title for himself...world mayor. Can't you just see him, standing on the corner of the arena (okay, standing on a mound of dirt) & yelling "I'm mayor of the world!" (Sorry, thought Titanic was a cheesy movie.). Picture it with me...as he's standing on the mound, you see a mist out of the corner of your eye. What is it, you might ask? It's the ghosts of all the poor souls that were buried there, of course! (Sorry, had to get in the Halloween spirit there!).

This all stemmed from a news story I saw last night. Apparently, we now have ANOTHER sister city...some town in France. Personally, I think it's just an out in case Mayor M. needs to vacate the premises in a hurry (oh, I don't know, because the ghosts chased him out of town, maybe?) & he'll have yet another place to retreat to. Lord knows, he probably doesn't have enough places in his own city to go. Is anyone keeping track of how many sister cities we actually have? Do we have one on each continent now? DH suggested (jokingly, of course) that maybe our mayor's the anti-Christ, but I couldn't figure out a way to get 666 from his name. Remember, that was tried with Ronald Wilson Reagan, but I guess he proved them wrong last year when he died.

Topic #2--

I was listening to KFAQ & listening to them talk about Carlton Pearson & his bankrupt church now meeting at Trinity Episcopal when a comment struck me. "Jesus died for the whole world, so He couldn't/wouldn't send anyone to Hell." Here's my problem with that statement...Jesus isn't sending anyone to Hell; people choose to go there. God created man with free will. He didn't want to have a relationship with robots, but with living, breathing humans who choose to have a relationship with Him...breath that He provided, I might add.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

The stupidity of people...

2005-10-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Never ceases to amaze me. I work for a car rental company in the claims department. We also have another claims department in Boca Raton, FL, which is, of course, closed due to Hurricane Wilma. I have taken more calls today from people who are upset because no one is working on their claim. Hello! They were hit by a hurricane & they have no power! I really don't like people who live in their own little world, insulated from the world around them by their own selfishness. I just want to tell them, excuse me, but I think the Floridians have a little more to worry about than the $200 damage our renter did to your vehicle! Do the words "loss of life" mean anything to you people?

As you can tell, I have no patience with stupid people...of course, people who know me (especially DH) would say that I don't have patience with anyone!

On to other topics now that I have that off my chest...

Hubby & I have already seen 2 LaFortune signs out...it takes everything he can not to write "Mis" on pieces of paper & tape them on the signs.

I'm looking forward to this Friday. DH & I joined a new church & they're having a women's retreat. I'm excited as I'm looking forward to getting to know my new church family. I've never been on a retreat before, so this will be a new experience for me. DH is excited as that means he gets to have lunch at India Palace, his new favorite restaurant (mine being Jamil's). I'm not fond of spicy food, so I don't think I would like it, so every chance he gets, he walks down there & enjoys their lunch buffet. I recommend it if you like Indian food. I recommend Jamil's if you enjoy steaks!

All of this to say...see, you knew there was a reason I titled my blog "Ramblings".

Out for now!

Translating the Gobbledegook

2005-10-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe I didn't spell it right, but you get the point...

DH & I were on our way to work this morning listening to KFAQ. We heard most of Michael DelGiorno's interview with Jerry Buchanan, chairman of the Tulsa Republican Party. Michael brought up the recent poll by soonerpoll.com & commissioned by KOTV & the Tulsa Whirled (thanks Michael Bates for that title!) that showed less than half of 500 likely Republican voters (38% to be exact) would vote for Mayor M. The other two-thirds are either undecided, voting for Chris Medlock (my choice for mayor), other candidates, undecided or refused to answer. Michael asked Mr. Buchanan if he believed there was a split in the Republican Party &, if so, what was going to be done about it. Mr. Buchanan replied that he didn't believe there was a split &, when Michael questioned him on other issued, he answered as a true politician schooled in the Misfortune school of responses---he talked about everything but the questions asked. It reminded DH & I of our former Sunday school class--few people saw there was a problem & when it was brought to everyone else's attention, no one wanted to admit there was a problem or wanted to fix the problem...after all, admitting there's a problem is the first step to solving it. I don't want a cheerleader or yes man as the head of any organization I'm involved with. I want someone who is passionate about the organization, but can see the problems and wants to work to fix them. After all, didn't our current mayor run on a platform of being a uniter, not a divider? I'm trying to discover exactly who or what he did unite...oh, now I remember; he united all those opposed to him & his regional, not local views.

On another topic, now that I've figured out how to add blogs, websites, etc., to my blog roll, I'll be listing more blogs. Please read these often for insightful & informative comments on topics regarding the world we live in.

Here's my "deep thought" for today taken from "The Office" calendar...

"I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter."

Working in customer service, that's my underlying motto.

Out for now!

Happy Friday, Y'all

2005-10-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

I know, not a very witty title, but I'm not always witty.

My latest "obsession" is with ghost stories & haunted places. Who knows? Maybe it's the season coming up. I'm a Christian, so I don't believe in ghosts & goblins, but I do believe in angels & demons. My theory is either most of the stuff is made up, or there are demons/demonic spirits there. Anyway, on www.batesline.com, he has a link to a route 66 blog, who lists haunted places in Oklahoma, so I spent some time reading about those. Good to know that my hometown of Yukon does not have any on the list. Also, I never knew there were so many "crybaby bridges" in Oklahoma. Then, I got the crap scared out of me while watching "Night Stalker" last night. Now, let me preface this with the fact that I've been reading mysteries since a very young age; actually read the book about the Boston Strangler as a child (okay, actually my friends & I sat in a dark stairwell with a flashlight & read it out loud), so it takes a bit to make me jump. I think The Night Stalker has to be one of my new favorite shows (ABC, Thursday nights, 8:00 CST, just after Alias--one of DH's favorite shows). The subject last night was about these people who were being killed by their worst fears (literally being "scared to death"). This was all brought about by some secret college society who held their meeting in a house that a family was murdered; somehow the fear had "attached" itself to them. Like I said, I don't subscribe to these beliefs, but it makes for good television. Who doesn't like to be scared every once in a while?

As for batesline.com, I highly recommend you check it out for information on local politics & events in Tulsa. He is very knowledgeable & informative on government happenings, political stories, etc. You can also hear him on Monday mornings (I think) on KFAQ & he has a weekly column in Urban Tulsa (a fine magazine in its own right). I've told hubby that he should start up a blog, especially to voice his opinions on local issues.

When is it appropriate?

2005-10-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, latest item going on. Hubby has contacted some people who used to attend the same church as his parents (actually, they're the former youth pastors...I think) to let them know about his mother as they've been gone from the church for some time. The first time he called they were at church, but one of their kids was supposed to give them the message. He called again last week & was able to let them know about her, but the couple had company & told him they'd call him back...they never have. He's made the decision (which I fully support) to not try & contact them anymore. I suggested he only call them in 2 instances: a) when she passes away & b) if it is truly the end. Now, mind you, they have, in the past, offered their support for things he's gone through. It's not like he had to call them; in fact, I don't even think he told his parents that he called them. What to do, what to do...

Second topic...our city is going to hell in a handbasket. You'd think this was Chicago or New Orleans with all the corruptness & good ol' boy networking going on around here. Our mayor (Mayor MisFortune, as hubby calls him) is more concerned with every other city in the area than ours. I'm sorry, but I believe I, as a citizen of Tulsa, voted for a Tulsa mayor, not a mayor for Owasso, Bixby, Broken Arrow, Skiatook, Collinsville, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, and any other town that may remotely be affiliated with Tulsa. Rumor has it that our mayor has an 8 year plan: 8 years as mayor, 8 years as governor & 8 years as president. God help us if that were to happen. I mean, this is the same state that elected Brad "I'm a nice guy, so vote for me & help you gamble & tax your way to prosperity" Henry for governor. I have a different plan for our Tulsa mayor, it's called the 4 plan: 4 & out as mayor of Tulsa, then you can move to each of the surrounding cities & serve 4 years a mayor of each of those cities...you've done more to help them out than you have your own city (Tulsa, remember?) Just a suggestion...and, hey, if he goes, can he take our daily paper with him? They're pretty much just as corrupt as he is...in fact, sometimes I think they're actually the ones controlling things around here...or maybe they just want us to think that. O, for the day that we could have another daily paper which would actually report fairly on all the stories & not just the ones that don't involve them. Also, if you get a chance, click on to KFAQ's website (www.1170KFAQ.com) & check out the link of a recent city council meeting. It shows a reporter for the paper (the "not my Tulsa World" as I'm calling it) cheering on a city council member who's verbally attacking another councilor). I thought reporters were supposed to be fair & balanced?

Okay, rambling over for now...

Later, y'all!

In a funk

2005-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

(WARNING, RAMBLING AHEAD) Yes, I'm in a funk & I'm not sure why. I think part of it has to do with my creativity. I dabble in writing, but haven't written anything in a while. I've noticed that I tend to get focused on one thing, stick with it for a while, then move on to something else; lately, I've been stuck on Trixie Belden books. For those of you who don't know who/what she is, she's a younger, but much cooler, Nancy Drew type. I never did like Nancy Drew; she was too feminine & frou frou for me; I was more of a Hardy Boys fan (even before the TV show...Shaun Cassidy, yum, yum!). Anyway, Trixie Belden was a series of books which was originally published back in the 50's (I think)--my mother in law remembers reading them when she was growing up then. She was 13, lived on a farm (Crabapple Farm), had 2 older brothers (Mart, 11 months older) & Brian (2-3 years older), and one younger brother, Bobby (6 years old). She meets her new next door neighbor, Honey Wheeler, a girl who's her age & the exact opposite of herself. Whereas Honey was tall, thin & had "honey" blonde hair, Trixie was short, "sturdy" & unruly curly blonde hair. During their traipsing through the area around their houses, they come upon a young boy, Jim Frayne (15). He's escaped his cruel stepfather & has come to look for his uncle who lives in the neighborhood; however, the frail old man was transported to the hospital earlier & eventually passes away. To make a long story short, Jim is adopted by Honey's rich parents (who actually knew his real parents), Brian & Mart come home from camp, & the group is eventually joined by two other kids: Diana Lynch (13) & Dan Mangan (14-16). Can you tell I got really involved in these books? :-) Anyway, I've recently discovered them again, after buying about 15-20 of them on Ebay (wonderful invention). Now, I've discovered that there are fanfic sites about them! I always love discovering people who are more obsessed about things than I am! I don't have much room to talk, however...I've got 2 websites up devoted to Law & Order & Homicide:Life on the Street! I refuse to give hubby the links because I don't want him to see the horrid writings I did before we got married. I had to be the sappiest writer ever to write anything. I think I used writing in my younger days to escape from reality safely, as a retreat from the world around me when I got tired of reading. I'm good now at coming up with little scenes in my head, but not being able to put them down on paper. I have a couple of books that are supposed to help with writing, but I just get writer's block when I pick them up...oh, well, I guess I should start & see what I can come up with! I figure even writing on here helps! I know when I used to write on a regular basis, it was great therapy, so I might have to try it again with everything that's going on in my life.

Sorry this post isn't as deep as my previous ones, but I guess I'm just not feeling real deep at the moment.

A little disappointed, but focused on the future

2005-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

We attended what may be our new church for the 2nd time yesterday. Hubby & I both have good feelings about it, but we're (okay, me especially) trying to be cerebral about out. I come from a charismatic background (who knows how I got mixed up in that?!), so I tend to put TOO much emphasis on feelings (plus the fact I'm a female) & hubby is logical & tends to discount feelings; so, hopefully, like the Diamond Rio song, we'll "meet in the middle." Hubby had a nice talk with both the pastor & his wife (wife Friday, pastor Saturday). The best part is, there seems to be places both he & I can get involved. He plays the soprano sax & they do have a small band/orchesta (2 guitars, drums, piano, keyboard) & he has a heart for divorced Christians. The pastor is very open to starting up a divorce group at the church, which is something hubby did at our previous church & quite enjoyed it. It's always a blessing to see people with new outlooks on life! I asked the minister's wife Sunday (they're our Sunday school teachers, so they're easy to reach!) if they ever had women's Bible studies. She said they do throughout the year, then asked me if I taught! I told her I hadn't, but would be willing to. After the service, she said she would introduce me to the head of the Women's ministry after Barbara returned from eye surgery. Here's another God thing...I'd mentioned to hubby Saturday night that I wondered if they ever had women's retreats and, lo and behold, what do they mention in Sunday school? A women's retreat at the end of the month! I'm looking forward to it so that I can get to know other women in the church better...and I'm getting a new CPAP mask sometime this week, so I'll be a pro at the sleep machine by then!

The reason I'm disappointed is...no one else ever responded to hubby's email to our previous church. Do they not realize this is when we needed them the most? His mother's dying of brain cancer, & no one through this process (with the exception of maybe 2 people) ever asked how she was doing!!! Heck, in our Sunday school class yesterday, the pastor's wife asked him if he had a update on her!!! For those of you who read this (yes, right now I know it's only 2!), here's the update (of course, hubby's one of them, so you already know the update). She's completely bedridden, has lost the use of both her legs & her left arm (she's left handed), and has not had a bowel movement in 2 weeks. It's sounding to us like her body is shutting down. Please continue to lift her up in your prayers, that God will comfort her & my father in law during this time.

Well, almost time to go home now. Have a good evening, y'all!

Me

Well, it's official

2005-09-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

We have officially broken ranks with our church. My hubby sent an email to the prayer distribution list, hoping to open some eyes to some of the problems, but all he's received is one person asking him to remove her from "his" list as she didn't give permission for her email address to be distributed, another one that was heartfelt but didn't seem to recoginize there WAS a problem, and a third from someone who wasn't even in our Sunday School class! Hers meant the most, as it seemed to make her see that she might not have been the best Sunday school member. Now, I'm not saying that DH & I are perfect; we have our misgivings, too. Our problem seemed to be that we didn't fit the mold of what "they" thought a Sunday school member should be: Hubby's been married once before, I can't bear children, he has a daughter from his first marriage who doesn't live with us, we BOTH work outside the home (apparently I don't work in the proper profession - teacher, day care, etc.), we didn't grow up in the church (well, he did, but didn't get saved until he was a teenager; I was saved as an adult), we don't live in a 4 bedroom, 2 living room house, we drive a beat up used car, etc. Mind you, we're not the only ones who don't fit the mold, but I'm trying to figure out what happened to God's grace? A friend of my husband's put it well...Jesus died for you, so that means I have to tolerate you. Is that really what being a Christian is all about? Again, hubby & I take some of the blame, as well, but no one else seems to want to even admit that there's a problem. I'm beginning to wonder if he & I should just start our own 2 member church, but then the Bible says don't forsake the assembling of believers, so I just keep the faith that there is a church out there for he & I. Yes, G & E, yours is on the list!

If I don't get another chance to blog today, have a great weekend & we'll see you back here on Monday, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

Not much to say

2005-09-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

For those people who know me, the above statement is something new to them. I'm usually a real gabfest, but I don't have a whole heck of a lot to comment on today. I think it's probably due to my allergies/cold/sinuses (take your pick, I can't ever seem to tell the difference).

I have sleep apnea & am supposed to be sleeping with a CPAP, but I'm having trouble getting used to sleeping with something stuck up my nose. Last night I just skipped it all together since I was already having trouble breathing. It's frustrating when you can't sleep through the night. My usual habit is to go into the living room @ about 10 pm (when hubby goes to bed, cause he can't sleep with the TV on & that's the way I go to sleep), stay there till about 11 when I get sleepy, go to be for about an hour, get back up for 30 minutes to an hour, go back to bed & sleep for a couple of hours, wake up when Maggie, my miniature dachshund, jumps off the bed & decides she needs to go do her business, then it's back to bed until 5 am. Man, I'm exhausted just reading that! I did actually notice over the weekend that, when I did sleep with my CPAP on, I felt rested, even with the about sleeping schedule. I know, most of you don't care about my sleeping habits, but it makes me feel better writing about it. Besides, I'm not putting a gun to your head to make you read this, now am I?! Unless your my hubby, of course...:-)

Questions

2005-09-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

I attend a weekly Bible study knows as BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). This semester we're studying Genesis, so I pose this question: Was the earth created in 7 literal days, or was it over a longer time period? Personally, I believe that God could've spoke it into existence in an instant, but He wanted to set an example for us. No, not that we can speak things into existence (I'll save that for a later rambling), but that we are to take one day out of the week to rest, give ourselves a chance to recharge, and focus on Him. After all, don't you think there's no one that knows us better than our Creator? He's made the world to show His very existence, His very being, and so many of us choose to ignore what's right in front of our face. I heard it said in a sermon one time, something to the effect of "The rocks will cry out if we don't, and I don't want to be outdone by a rock!" Think about it, our God chose to create us to have a relationship with Him. He wasn't lonely, He's God! Then, when we screwed up the plan, which He knew we would do, He chose to send His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to come down to earth and die in our place for our sins, and be resurrected, so that our relationship with our heavenly Father could be restored...and the best part? Jesus willingly did that! Actually, the best part is that it's a free gift, He won't force you to take it; all you have to do is ask Him for it.

First entry

2005-09-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

I know, real original title...sue me, I'm new at this!

Well, a little about me. I'm 40, married, 1 step daughter, a Christian, work for a car rental company...that's about it for now. I'll figure out later on where I can put this on the blog. I'll be using this to vent. What would an Okie have to vent about? Gee, our mayor (Mayor Misfortune, as my darling hubby--otherwise knows as DH--likes to call him), the bought & paid 4 1/2 members of our city council, our family's church situation...and the fact that my mother in law is dying from terminal brain cancer.

We went to see my MIL this weekend. She was diagnosed back in May, went through a round of chemo & radiation, but it didn't stop the growth. In the past 2 weeks, she has lost the use of both of her legs & is losing control of her left arm (she's left handed & the tumor is on the right side of her brain). The blessing in all of this is that she is a Christian, so we know that God is in control. I wish we knew what His plan was, but I just try to keep in mind that He has one.

Well, time to shut it down for now...part 2 tomorrow.

God bless y'all!

Shel