Deception is rampant

 

TV is cheap entertainment, especially when you're retired. Though we don't pay for any cable subscriptions, we do stream and often find good things to watch for free. We like free! 

 

Yesterday was a dreary day, one of those early winter days when your body doesn't get much sunlight and it messes with your brain. That's one of the things I dislike most about winter - my body needs sunshine to produce a good level of melatonin. Melatonin helps your body know when to sleep and when to wake. These gray-brown days make me want to hibernate, but instead of doing that I just try to take it easy resting or catch up on reading. But sometimes, I don't feel like reading so I turn on the tube.

We have a lot of shows we enjoy but occasionally, I like to watch something that doesn't require brain power. On those occasions, I usually choose to watch something entertaining but creative, so I began looking for something in that category and came upon one of our old favs - Project Runway. We used to watch it all the time but over the years have found it becoming distressing. (If you've never seen it, it's a show where a group of creative designers are given challenges to make something runway worthy. They're given a specific amount of time, a concept, and a dollar amount. Then their work is judged as one by one of the designers are booted out. Eventually, a winner is declared.) It's always interesting to see what each designer comes up with and since I've always loved the arts, creativity, and sewing, I figured why not check it out again. 

 

Whoa...

 

The most recent season of the show available for us to stream was shocking. Not only have the designers changed, but also their concepts. 

 

We only watched one of the newest shows before turning it off. Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. It was disgusting. I couldn't believe the number of designers that had no idea who they were. There were guys dressed in skirts with polished nails. It was evident they worked hard at portraying femininity even though they were clearly men. The women weren't as blatant with their outward appearance, although a couple of them did appear to lean toward more masculine versions of themselves. It broke my heart to see these late 20-mid 30 people in such a confused, deceived state. Not only did they act proud of their persona, they flaunted it. 

 

One of the guys, who was clearly gay, sat with his legs crossed and would bring his hand up to his mouth while shaking his head slightly to toss his hair as if he were a distressed female. All I could think was you poor, pitiful thing. When did you forget who you were? What happened in your life to cause you to think you needed to be someone God didn't intend you to be? Do you even know God????

And that's when I realized this is the generation that's prevalent in our time - the deceived, the confused, the unsure. 

 

We've all heard the gender identity issues many in our society have accepted- children that think they're cats or dogs, boys who feel more comfortable dressing and acting like girls and vice versa. Satan has surely pulled the wool over the eyes of so many and instead of standing for truth, people just shake their heads and think c'est la vie (such is life.)! But not me, buddy! 

 

That's why I think it's so important that believers not only learn to love these confused guys and girls, but we also help point them to the truth. And that makes me wonder how many of us (believers) know who we truly are?

 

Our identity, as believers in Christ, is and should always be strong! The Bible gives us Scripture after Scripture that tells us who we are in Him. Look at these verses below and commit them to memory, and if you ever have a chance to encounter one of the deceived, don't be so harsh - remember they're not thinking straight. They need help but much more than that, they need God. 

 

We won't be watching any more Project Runway shows but I'm glad we were able to see the depth of the deception this generation faces. And that brings up one more thing (and I'm sorry this post is so long and so very opinionated, but it is what it is...) as believers, we need to be extremely careful of what we watch on TV or in movies. There's so much filth. Remember that little song from Sunday School - "Oh be careful little eyes what you see???" To keep that nasty stuff out of our minds, we have to guard it. Just think about putting an imaginary steel door at the forefront of your brain. See the steel rivets, the big metal bar across it, the huge lock...you get the picture, and only you hold the access to open it and before you do, you're going to shoot up a prayer to God asking whether or not you should, that's called discernment.)

Thanks for taking time to read today. I hope something I said ignites your soul with not only sadness but a desire to love the deceived a little harder. They need it so. And yes, you have to do it gently. You can't condemn. The Bible says judge not lest ye be judged...that's not what I'm trying to do here, although it probably seems that way. My goal is just to bring awareness. 

 

Do you know WHO you are? This is what the Bible says about you: 

 

John 1:12: "I am a child of God" 

 

Romans 8:16: "I am a child of God: I was chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, that I would be holy and blameless before Him" 

 

Ephesians 2:10: "God gifted you to fulfill His purpose" 

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Our physical bodies are no longer ours when we give our lives to Christ" 

 

Colossians 3:3: "The ultimate surrender and integration of our identity into Christ" 

 

Galatians 4:7: "You are free" 

 

2 Corinthians 5:17: "You are a new person" 

 

Philippians 3:20: "You are a citizen of Heaven" 

 

1 Peter 1:5: "You are protected by God" 

 

Isaiah 43:4: "You are precious to God" 

 

Galatians 3:13: "You are rescued" 

 

John 15:15: "I don't call you servants any longer. . . . I call you friends" 

 

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-7

 

Everyday Devotionals Bonnie Annis

Hope for the New Year

This morning, over coffee, I was perusing the internet and made a point of checking my various email accounts. In one of them, I found an interesting notice - our local Big Lots is going out of business. Mentioning it to hubby, we decided to take a jaunt over and see if there were any good sales.

We got to the store and were shocked to find the shelves almost bare! Good heavens, word travels fast, but I guess these days, everyone's trying to stretch their dollars and a good deal is hard to find.

Up and down the aisles I went, looking for everyday items like cleaning supplies...I know, most people would be buying Christmas stuff for the upcoming year and while they did have a good selection of those things, I wasn't interested. I grabbed some fabric softener and Swiffer pads for my power mop then headed for the stationary section. I only had one goal in mind really, and that was to buy a new wall calendar. I always get mine prepared with all the important family dates and medical appointments before January 1 but it's hard to find ones with big squares. Luckily, they had a few and after digging, I found the perfect one.

Heading to the register, we fell in line with about 10 other shoppers, made our purchases and headed home.

After lunch, I spread out my new calendar on the kitchen table, pulled out my colored Sharpie markers and got to work. (Yes, I color code my stuff - red for doctors, purple for birthdays, blue for anniversaries, and green for vacations.)

When I was done, I flipped through the pages thinking I'd done something productive for the day (even though I had intended to read all day, I couldn't keep my typical type A self in check for hours on end.) And that's when it hit me, another new year will be upon us soon.

I had to pause and ask myself what goals I had for the upcoming year. I usually try to set a few but hadn't thought of a single one thus far.

To me, the new year has always seemed like a clean slate. When I picture it in my mind, I actually see it as one of those old hand held slate chalk boards with the thick jute string on it and tale tell traces of leftover chalk dust from a quick swipe that didn't get the board entirely clean. So I tried to pull out a piece of mental chalk and jot down a few things of importance:

1. This new year I want to be more diligent about keeping a gratitude journal. Even if I only write down one or two things a day, I think I need to focus on God's goodness more intentionally.

2. I also want to spend more one on one time with family and friends, and I don't mean on the phone. I mean face to face. Life is so short and I want those personal connections to be strong.

3. I want to quell negativity in my life and seek joy daily. It's so easy to find the things that bug us, but what about shifting to focus on the little happy moments? The grayish brown doldrums of January and February make it challenging, but I think if I try hard, I can find some rays of sunshine somewhere.

4. I'd like to travel to both familiar and unfamiliar places and while doing so, document those trips by honing my photography skills more. I've always loved photograph but have become lax lately. My "big" cameras sit in the bottom of my office closet most days but my cell phone is always with me. I want to get back to using the skills I learned from New York Institute of Photography more. I need to do that. God has given me 2 good eyes to see with but He also gave me a love of creativity and photography is one of my favorite ways to incorporate the things I see and experience with artistic license.

I think I can handle those 4 goals and I'm happy I finally took time to write them down. Of course, I'll continue working on some children's books I've let slide by the wayside for a while and get those published for my grands and who knows, I may write another memoir.

What will you do in the new year? Is there a new skill you'd like to learn? Something on your bucket list you want to cross off? Start thinking! I'm sure you can come up with something.

No one knows what the future holds but as the new year draws near, I feel a stirring of hope in my heart - hope for new experiences, new friendships, new adventures, and of course, a closer walk with the Lord. (Did you notice I saved the best for last?!)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

It's almost Christmas

Baking cookies

It's almost Christmas, can you believe it? I can't! I don't know how this year has passed so quickly. It seems the older I get the faster the days, months, and years go by. Do you feel it, too? Why is that? Maybe it's because the older we get the more we realize there are fewer days ahead of us than behind us. 

My decorations are up, the presents are wrapped, and I have nothing left to do other than prepare the meal for our family on Christmas day. Thankfully, this year, the kids will help by bringing side dishes. It's tough when it all falls on me and I'm finally realizing it's smart to delegate and accept help when you need it. I've always struggled with that. 

Today I was thinking about all the people who aren't with us this year and who won't be with us on Christmas. It's so sad my parents, my brother, and my in laws are no longer with us. Christmas won't be the same without them. And I won't get to have all my children and grandchildren with me either, but I'm trying not to dwell on the negative. I'm thankful I'll get to have 2 of my 4 children here and 1 of my 9 grandchildren with me. Without any of them, it would be a very somber day. 

 And then I think of dear friends who've lost loved ones this year. In particular I'm thinking about 2 who've lost their spouses recently. I can't imagine what they'll go through this year without the love of their lives. I pray God will give them the strength to get through the day and that they'll be surrounded by other family members or friends who will love on them throughout the day. 

My parents, no longer with us

There's so much build up to Christmas each year. All the commercialism contributes greatly to it. People spend so much time, energy, and money to do the best they can to have a nice holiday often to the point of it becoming stressful. It's like a great crescendo of expectation and then, as the day winds down and they get ready to face the day after Christmas, a feeling of overwhelming despair hits them. Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we always need something to look forward to? 

I know several people who live from event to event. I don't know how they do it. What I'm finding, as I slide closer to 70, is that just making it from one day to the next is enough to celebrate. 

My sweet friend, Jack

And social media really contributes to a lot of holiday depression, don't you agree? Seeing everyone's "perfect" gatherings, happy families, and posts about how wonderful their lives are present a standard not many can live up to. Sometimes I get so tired of it. I've taken month long Facebook fasts to remove my self from the fakeness many times but as the year draws to a close, I may delete my account entirely. I don't really want to do it because that is one way I can keep up with distant family members and old highschool friends, but gee whiz...is it worth it? 

I'm thankful I have a place to vent now and then. At least I can do that and spewing venom helps me stay sane. 

I'm sure we'll have a wonderful day this Christmas, we normally do and the kids always bring such a marvelous energy with them when they come. I love that. 

Tomorrow evening, our church will host a candlelight Christmas Eve service, I'm sure that will help push these early feelings of despair away, gathering for corporate worship always helps put the silver lining back in my cloudy sky.

So come on and ring those bells, light the Christmas tree, Jesus is the King...born for you and me. And if you're struggling a little bit, like I am this year, give yourself grace. Christmas isn't just a day, it's a heart felt sentiment that should carry us throughout the year, especially if you're a believer in Jesus Christ! 

Have a Happy Christmas!

A precious childhood memory

Christmas memories are often either some of the very best or the very worst memories a person can have. I'm thankful I can say that most of my Christmas memories have been extremely pleasant and most of them have revolved around selfless love given to me by others. I'd like to share one of my childhood memories with you today in hopes that it might encourage or bless you during this emotionally charged time of year. 

I don't remember exactly how old I was the year I received my most prized possession but I must have been between the ages of 8 and 10. That Christmas, like most others in my childhood, centered around just being together instead of focusing on what was underneath the tree. 

I distinctly remember turning in a Christmas list to my mother earlier in the month. I'd talked with my next door neighbor (who was a little older than I) to find out what the most popular gifts were at the time. I'd asked her what she was going to ask "Santa" for and she showed me pictures from the Sears catalog of all the beautiful Barbie dolls and accessories she'd added to her list. I took home that empowering information and rewrote my list knowing all the while that my parents could never afford such luxuries. Although I would have loved to have found a Barbie dream house, Barbie, Midge, Ken, and Skipper under my tree, I knew I'd be lucky to receive one doll, if any. 

On Christmas morning, as my brother, sister, and I, sat patiently on our living room floor waiting for the signal to begin, I glanced at the packages beneath our tree. There were less than a dozen which meant there were probably only two or three a piece for each of us. This was nothing new. Each year, we were very thankful for whatever we received, but as a child, it was only natural to hope that year after year, things would get bigger and better. 

When Daddy came downstairs, Mama gave permission for us to begin opening our gifts. As we scrambled to find the gifts with our names on them, our parents sat back and watched with anticipation. Great thought and time had gone into the choosing and even though money was scarce, there was no shortage of love in our household. 

My brother, sister, and I were busy opening our gifts simultaneously. I have no idea what they received that year but I do remember my special gift. The box was bigger than a shoebox and I had no idea what might be inside. It was too small to be a Barbie Dream House and too big to be a Barbie doll. I hadn't asked for anything that was even remotely that size, but as I continued unwrapping the box, the mystery was revealed. 

Through a clear cellophane window on the front of the box, I saw a beautiful Italian doll. Her velveteen bonnet and dress were a deep burgundy in color. Her hair, perfectly coifed, was coiled into individual blonde ringlets framing her angelic face. 

I stared in awe as I beheld this wondrous gift. I felt so loved! Where on earth did my mother find it? I'd never seen anything so gorgeous in any of the stores we'd visited before Christmas. 

Carefully, I removed the wire ties that held the doll securely in the box. After she was free, I held her close and examined every inch of her loveliness. Glancing up from the doll, I looked into my mother's face. Tears of joy stained her cheeks. 

I didn't realize it at the time, but the purchase of that doll was a huge sacrifice. Surely she had cost more than any other gift under the tree and had been picked out just for me. 

For years, I cherished that doll only holding her once or twice a day for fear of soiling her loveliness. She was the most special material possession I owned. 

I don't know whatever happened to that doll. More than likely, as I grew older, she was given to a needy child in the neighborhood or donated to a charity but the memories of her will be with me forever. 

Last night, as I was perusing Ebay, I saw a photo of a doll very similar to the one I loved so dearly. It sparked all these memories and made me realize how very loved and cherished I was to my parents back then. It also made me realize how very much we take for granted in our lives. 

If I could have a "do-over," I'd make sure to let my parents know how very much I appreciate them not buying me a Barbie Dream House that year. Their gift was so much better because it was chosen with love. 

We don't always realize our blessings until they're gone. And while a Christmas doll seems so trivial, it's symbolic of a greater gift. Just as our parents want to give us their very best blessings and take joy in giving us our hearts' desires, so our Heavenly Father wants to shower us with His abundant blessings. 

This Christmas, don't focus on the "things" that make the day merry and bright. Instead, focus on the hearts and love around you. Most of all, remember the most beautiful, priceless gift of all...the sweet gift of God's one and only Son, Jesus, handpicked especially for you.

©️ Bonnie Annis