DID YOU GET YOUR TICKETS?

For the Christians who keep slamming other Christians for not 100% buying into the Kanye West hype at the moment, allow me to share just a few of my personal observations and ask that you please forgive me for not hopping upon the Kanye West train just yet.

Do I think God is BIG enough and CAPABLE of reaching Kanye’s soul and transforming his life? Absolutely.
Do I think that is the reality of the situation?
Welllllllllll…… on this we might not agree….YET.

SAYING THIS LOUD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK: I am not going to pretend to know someone else’s heart and maybe Kanye is 100% legit chasing after God and if that is the case – he will have my full support.


HOWEVER.

A few things strike me as odd about the whole KANYEMANIA that has taken the world by storm.

Kanye’s “Sunday Service” is an exclusive star studded event that is all the rave right now! I mean, Brad Pitt, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom have even been in attendance!!

Nothing screams Christianity louder than having an A list celebrity following, signing non-disclosure agreements & wearing matching David Koresh outfits, y'all.

It’s also being reported that thousands of souls are being saved.

I mean, with all this positive press, it's no wonder that all the Christians are singing a little bit louder in the shower and pulling out their credit cards to purchase some Jesus merch. AMIRIGHT Y'ALL?

More people are apparently getting saved at one Kanye West Sunday Service than they are in an entire year at a regular Church!

And it only costs between $20.00-$30.00 to go get yourself saved (or even $100.00 depending on how close up to YEEZUS you want to sit) but please keep in mind that tickets sell out VERY QUICKLY and you can only purchase 4 tickets per household so if you have more than 2 kids, sorry - but you gots to leave one behind with a sitter. And did I mention you have to pay to go to Kanye's Sunday Service to hear the free word of God and get saved?
What a deal!

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE.

Now you can even purchase your very own JESUS IS KING sweatshirt off of Kanye's website for the very low price of $250.00.

Or if you prefer the bargain sweatshirt, this one is a steal at $170!!

Just pop on over to his website for more fun fashion options the whole family can enjoy. And remember.....nothing says I LOVE JESUS more than commercialization.

Although Kanye's album apparently is amazing and every single song has made it to the Billboard's 100 list, I have yet to hear any of his songs on the radio. Did everyone run to ITunes and purchase this album?
How did every single song make it on the 100 list without regular airtime?
Every. Single. Song.
Even On God.(have you read the lyrics to ON GOD?) I don't know how it all works. Really I don't. But it seems like a propgandy publicity stunty to me. (And yes I just made that word up.)

I just can't put my finger on exactly what it is about Kanye that strikes me as blasphemous and makes me hesitant to jump aboard the train based off his latest claims (and prices).

Hmmmm....

But I'm paying attention to see where this all leads.

1 John 4:1 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

That's all.

12 PRACTICAL INSIGHTS FOR STAYING SANE IN AN INSANE WORLD

1. Understand that everything that tastes good will eventually make you fat if you consume too much of it. Even wine.

2. You probably won’t ever win the lottery.

3. People *really are* that selfish and very few of them will ever realize it.

4. Higher expectations = higher risk of disappointment. No expectations = 100% risk of disappointment.

5. There is no such thing as completely unsubscribing from junk mail or email.

6. You will always have friends that you are there for, who won’t be there for you, but don't let that turn you into a bad friend.

7. Every good deed is immediately forgotten the second after a bad deed has been committed.

8. People will use you, gossip about you, & lie to you, but that should not change how you react to life. You control your own behavior.

9. You are not going to agree with everyone, and you can’t make everyone agree with you. But you don’t have to be a dick about it. And that's ok.

10. There will never be enough hours in the day. Cut the stuff from your schedule that doesn’t matter to you.

11. You might not accomplish every single goal you set, and that is ok. Life is not only about you. It's about the people we meet, the experiences we make, and the impact we have along the journey.

12. Life comes at you fast, but it can be taken away even faster. Remember to smile and not let the bad experiences in this world change who you are. Life is made up of good, and bad...and it's both of those components that make us who we are.

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW.....

Friendship.

This is a topic I’ve been debating with myself about posting for a while now, because there is no way to not offend people I know or have my friends asking themselves if they are the assholes I’m talking about wondering if I’m referring to them.

However, after some tragic news I received this morning about a co-worker’s son taking his own life due to bullying, I’m convinced that this topic has been placed on my heart for a reason.

How does someone get to the point where they feel like suicide is a viable option?

Bullying is a HUGE problem that does not seem to be getting any better and it can be very hard for kids to escape it, even after they leave school for the day… ESPECIALLY if they have a cell phone with all the trendy aps aimed at keeping them plugged in and connected to their peers forever and ever and ever. And ever.

Kids are mean...and parents can be oblivious to it or think that their child isn’t doing anything wrong when they hear them making fun of other kids in the next room with their friends, and I’ve even witnessed some parents joining in.

Self-Image impacts nearly every single human alive due to the unrealistic pressures put upon us by society to meet their defined stereotypical standards of attractiveness. But definitely more so to our youth.
Boys are supposed to be tall, muscular & athletic.

God forbid they hit their growth spurt late.

Girls should be thin, always look beautiful & be dressed in all the latest fashion trends.

If a girl is fat – dear lord please let her be funny.

Self Esteem plays a big part in our overall outlook on life and when you feel like you don’t measure up....it has an impact on your self worth.

Competition for a spot on a team or an organization within the school system is insane these days. If you want to join the cheer squad, you better have your standing tuck by the time you exit the womb or you’re outta luck.

If you want to play baseball or football, you better be able to hit a homerun or score a touchdown by your mother’s second trimester or don’t even bother trying out.

So many kids are enrolled in tumbling / dance or youth sports at such early ages in life, that they build their entire world around it & have expectations that are completely shattered if they don’t make a team in school, which can leave them feeling devastated, isolated and depressed.

Isolation is entirely preventable & so often ignored in general, by adults & children alike, that it’s no wonder a child can feel like there is no one to talk to.

I am an introvert and meeting new people can be an overwhelming and daunting task…unfortunately my oldest daughter inherited this trait from me, so I’ve gotten to witness a lot of moments in her life that have reminded me of my own sour childhood experiences. Isolation and feeling disliked DOES have an impact on someone’s overall feeling of self-worth, even if they put up a tough exterior.

We can try and compartmentalize the contributing factors of suicide, we can talk all day long about how we live in a society that doesn't value life, and that video games let a person die a million deaths but you can always go grab a sandwich, come back to life and play again (which can skew reality for our children) and we can say that no one should think suicide is an option to any of life's problems....but what can WE do, individually, to combat this problem? You know, besides talking. What actual action can we take to ensure that we aren't contributing to the problem?

What can be done? How can we help someone who feels insecure, isolated & alone avoid thoughts of suicide?

FRIENDSHIP.

Having friends can make all the difference in the world, especially to someone who feels isolated, bullied & unwanted.

How can we teach our kids to notice when someone is being bullied, and go talk to that person and show them kindness. If they see that someone is eating lunch under the staircase all alone, reach out to them and ask them to join you. If someone is crying, acknowledge them and give them a tissue. BE AWARE and THERE for someone! It could make all the difference in that person's life. Humans are not meant to be alone.
How can we, as parents, teach our kids how to be better friends? Well we can definitely teach our children by condemning their gossipy & cliquey behavior, teach them how to treat people behind their backs as well as in front of their faces, teach them to include people & reach out to those who are alone and we can definitely teach them BY SETTING A BETTER EXAMPLE OF FRIENDSHIP FOR THEM!! Even as an adult I'm still caught by surprise at how totally self absorbed, thoughtless and rude some adults are. I am A PERFECT FRIEND not without my own faults, nobody is....but acknowledging that we have a responsibility to teach our children how not to be an asshole to be better people can start today.

For example, if you notice that your child has cliquey tendencies & tends to make fun of people from their school with their friends a lot…..SHUT that shit behavior down. I don’t care if you think your child is a bully or not…..if they are making fun of people with their friends in your home, you can be sure it goes to school with them as well. Parents need to realize that gossiping IS a form of bullying, and the thoughts that come out of your child's mouth on a Friday night with their friends do not stay at home while they leave for school on Monday morning. Parents should know this and realize it will affect their behavior away from home.

Start early on & teach them! I personally prefer a more “hands on” approach and have personally shamed my youngest daughter & her friends (several times) and lectured them on all the possible things that could be happening in that child’s life, behind the scenes, and made them feel like hideous tiny human beings for talking bad about the person. Even if they only felt that way for 5 whole seconds. Consistency is key.

I have volunteered in several capacities for various youth sports organizations for over 10 years and invited many kids that my kiddos didn’t necessarily like to their birthday parties, movie trips, or any type of gathering where a child might have heard about it later on and gotten their feelings hurt if they hadn’t been invited.
Why?
Because I was the child that didn’t get included and I have wiped many tears from my own children’s faces after being excluded. Can I just say that there is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a tiny little face full of tears and disappointment because they weren’t included?

If my kids didn’t like it, I said tough shit and explained to them why we were not going to do that to someone...and guess what – they survived it and are better people because of it.

I’ll admit, the minute my kids started to get excluded from parties after I extended the olive branch…..I learned for my next party who I could omit from the guest list. I’m not Jesus after all.

Even as an adult, I still witness adolescent behavior out of other fully grown adults. Dance moms that gossip with other dance moms about another dance mom, or worse....the dancer, right in front of their daughters, or dads that make fun of smaller & weaker boys on their son's sports team right in front of their sons. What kind of effect does this have on your child? What kind of effect does it have on the other child? Is this kind of behavior helping the bullying problem?
Anyway I guess my point is that if we want bullying to stop - we need first and foremost stop ignoring bullyish behavior. We need to teach our kids to be better people. We need to be better people. We need to do better.

Kindness costs NOTHING and it goes a long way.

PEACE OUT.

.

HYPOCRISY - IT'S NOT JUST YO MAMA'S PROBLEM ANYMORE

I’ve never been a very political person, but being a concerned citizen of our great country, I’d like to share some things I've learned from the Hollywood scandal. So grab some popcorn and try not to get your panties in a wad.

1. This Weinstein scandal only further confirms that influential people have the ability to control the media. NO ONE should have the power to tell a news reporter what or what not to publish....and when entertainers such as Matt Damon or Russell Crowe are successful in pulling it off, you would have to be a complete nitwit to think politicians (of all parties) do not, are not, and have not done this. When the news we see can be manipulated - we should all be concerned, regardless of political affiliation.

2. Every time something is happening that should concern American citizens....the news gets preoccupied with another topic which completely dominates the limelight. When was the last Las Vegas massacre update you heard?? It’s like an Easter egg hunt trying to find updates on it because all news stations, social media outlets and radio shows are preoccupied with the Weinstein scandal. Weinstein’s behavior was widely known in Hollywood for decades!! How convenient for it to be ‘breaking news’ just one or two days after all the inconsistencies in the Vegas massacre were starting to be noticed. I don’t know if Weinstein was just a lamb to the slaughter to distract us from more sinister and disturbing news, or if Hollywood *just now* decided to grow a conscience (even if it did happen on the coattails of a tragedy and basically overshadowed the victims of the Vegas shootings). But either way. That timing though.

3. Hollywood film stars, who are made famous by their uncanny ability to convincingly portray a wide variety of different complex characters found in their scripts, should NOT be who Americans turn to for political, personal or spiritual advice. I totally get that they are believable, beloved household faces….some whose faces we see more often than our own family members…but that doesn't mean you can trust them!! They are highly paid human beings who are great at faking emotions, opinions, outrage & a multitude of diverse personalities in front of a crowd, for profit. I mean seriously y’all, they literally make a living by pretending to be someone else! To have a platform, and then use it preach to the public about gun control (while relying on armed guards for their safety), misogyny & sexual abuse (while protecting their own perpetrators for decades) & then try to shame half the country because they do not agree with who they exercised their freedom to vote for as our president is laughable. The Weinstein scandal should prove to you that they don't care about what's wrong or right....they are all about money & power. The excuses I’ve heard about being “afraid” that they wouldn't be able to work again in the industry, are lame. If you are so against this type of behavior, why would you want to work in that industry? How about standing up to that type of behavior, going public about the perpetrators and if you can’t find work in Hollywood go get a normal job like the rest of us….or is it beneath you to work hard and earn a modest, yet honest living? Don't preach to me during your women's march on D.C. about Trump, whom many elected bc of the promise of creating more American jobs so they can put food on *their* tables, all while covering up literally countless acts of these types of crimes from men whom you protected and kept silent about because you were trying to put food on *your* table. Oh and let’s not forget the fact that Bill Clinton, an alleged rapist, was elected twice despite his shady reputation, then disgraced the oval office with Monica Lewinsky which brought the shame on the entire country and ruined cigars forever then went on to be awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama, without a peep of disapproval from Hollywood. REALLY?

4. Thousands of women (& men) come forward all the time with accusations of rape & sexual harassment. But to keep it specific to high profile cases, let’s start with the following:
• Corey Feldman - who bravely disclosed personal stories about powerful Hollywood men who raped and assaulted kids in the industry and bravely came forward to tell the world that Hollywood’s biggest problem was pedophilia- yet he was told by Barbara Walters that he was damaging an entire industry, and after telling authorities, he was issued a gag order and has been unable to publicly expose the perpetrators without being arrested himself, for the crimes of others. No one was ever punished. And no one from Hollywood came to Feldman’s defense.
• Anita Hill who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, and even took a lie detector test to prove it, while Thomas opted out, and her results were deemed “unreliable” even though they were consistent with her story, but she still ended up being discredited, and then Thomas was elected to the U.S. Supreme Court. Where was the outrage from Hollywood?
• Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones,Kathleen Willey - all accused Bill Clinton of sexual harassment / rape…we all know those stories well yet we elected him president (twice!) .... he then went on to act inappropriately while president with the young Monica Lewinsky... but Bill Clinton is a hero to the Democrats....even with documented proof of his creepy trips to a place nicknamed “orgy island” with a convicted child sex offender!
• Hillary Clinton - besides hanging out with some seriously creepy perps & being married to one on the recommendation that Mahlon Gibson, a Washington county prosecutor, gave to Judge Maupin Cummings because apparently the accused rapist wanted a woman lawyer to defend him, fought for and won the case against a 12 year old child who had accused him of rape. In her book “Living History,” Clinton even said the following “I told Mahlon I really didn’t feel comfortable taking on such a client, but Mahlon gently reminded me that I couldn’t very well refuse the judge’s request.” Yes - God forbid you put the feelings and well-being of a 12 year old little girl in front of a powerful judge, Hillary, especially since you are such a champion of women's rights and protecting the innocent.

5. So now....Hollywood actresses are deciding to come forward with literally decade’s worth of stories, the #metoo movement is all the craze, which means we are now supposed to honor them all for being so brave. Even if I overlook the fact that most waited 20+ years to come forward, they are now doing so with tons of support from their colleagues and the media, which has started a bandwagon effect & makes it look more trendy than brave. In my opinion it would have been a lot braver to come forward and expose the sicko’s when no one else was. But why now? Was Hollywood so upset that Trump won, despite the allegations against him and the efforts that were taken to write him off as a misogynistic pig? We all heard countless numbers of celebrities speak out on Trump’s behavior during the Women’s march on Washington, which happened IMMEDIATELY following his inauguration, but they are waiting decades to speak out on their own industry perverts? I mean, if they cared so much about these types of issues, why were they not rallying up and marching against the treatment of women in Hollywood? What do they have to gain by coming forward now? Because the timing of when they started to give a shit about sexual harassment sure seems iffy. Is this some type of effort to reprogram their approach on this subject so that they can more successfully sway public opinion on Trump when he runs again, so that more people will be outraged when new and improved rape accusations are brought up against him? And what about all the other women of the past who stood up all alone and accused powerful men of sexual harassment and rape? Do they get an apology from the world? What about the famous men who have been implicated in these crimes? Can Hollywood & co. admit that Bill Clinton was their equivalent of Trump?

6. I'm just gonna address the elephant in America. Anyone else think it's weird that Bill Clinton, a white man, gets away with his crimes and even gets a medal & Harvey Weinstein, a white man, freshly accused of dozens of sexual assault and rape charges - gets to leave the country for rehab, yet no left wing liberal is screaming about white privilege?

Ok I'll shut up for now. Keep your eyes open sheeple.
Lindsay.

YOU DON'T SPEAK FOR ME.

This will probably be an unpopular blog. Why? Because any female who is not pro-choice, pro gender-equality & pro feminist movement is dismissed and ridiculed.

Disclaimer - There are obviously multiple points of views out there - but this is my blog so it will be from my own 'married with children' point of view.

I am one of those crazy women that would have been more than happy in the 1950’s playing the happy housewife who cleaned, cooked dinner, baked pies, took care of the kids and made sure to have a cigar waiting for my husband when he got home. I would even probably have pretended to enjoy looked forward to rubbing his tired feet. I can’t even begin to imagine a lifestyle where those are my only responsibilities, and it was only up to my husband to work full time and worry about how to make ends meet. SCORE!

But this lifestyle can never be a reality for a lot of women these days due to feminist movements that advocated for women to join the workforce.

So women entered the workforce, and have continued to remain there... yet, still have the same responsibilities of maintaining home and family (because equality), which can be especially tough for single mothers, and women who have husbands that work offshore or away from the home a lot. Not everyone has been as fortunate in this department as I have been - so this is not me doggin my hubby ;)

I’m not entirely sure if over the years men decided they liked the idea of a dual income, or if the economy changed in such a way that made it necessary for women to have to work – but all I know is that in current times it is now expected & usually financially necessary for most women to work full time, even after having children and trying to raise their families. This of course has resulted in outrageous daycare bills that has major impacts on a family's bottom line. And for those who can't afford daycare, the infamous "latchkey kids", which can be dangerous on many levels but can also be bad because a kid who has way too much time on their hands and little supervision often spells trouble.

But anyway - there really isn’t much that separates a man and a woman in the workplace.

Except for salary, of course.
And title.
And Maternity leave.

I’ve worked in Human Resources before, and I can tell you for a fact that employers don’t love it when a woman announces that she is pregnant. Why? Because now the company has to worry about who will perform her job functions while she is gone, if she will even come back to work after her baby is born, and how many sick days she will use for the child in the future.

Keeping in mind that some women are single moms and do not have any help from anyone, or a woman has a husband who also works full time and doesn't have the flexibility to help....women now not only have to worry about maternity leaves, training a replacement, finding someone trust worthy & affordable to watch her child, having enough time off to care of her child when he or she gets sick, but now she also has to worry about looking bad to her employer because she has to juggle being an employee and being a mother. And don’t even get me started on the guilt a working mother has to shoulder when they start missing their child’s major milestones, holiday parties, & other functions, but most of all - having to disappoint their child.

So now women work full time…for less money, are full time mothers, & are more stressed out than ever.

Thanks Feminist movement!

Another wonderful thing we can thank Feminists for is the right to join the military. Although I personally have no desire to be a female in the military, I have absolutely no problem with women who want to join... until I'm lumped in with those women in the spirit of gender equality. So because some females wanted to join, now all females are at risk to be drafted. Even if it hasn’t happened yet, the talks are already there and it is probably just a matter of time before it affects our daughters.

While I’m sure that prospect thrills women in the feminist movement, it makes me furious. Why? Because these “Feminists” do not represent all women and they should NOT speak for an entire gender.

I’ve always been more than happy to have men open doors for me, I take it as a sign of respect and not a gesture that I am weak. OBVIOUSLY men realize we are more than capable of opening it ourselves, and they are trying to be nice! I hold doors open for people too, that doesn't make me a pig. I love when my husband or son takes out the garbage, because ew. I don’t want to mow the damn lawn, & I am not physically strong enough to do all the heavy lifting, so am more than happy to have a big strong man come to my aid. I would love to stay home, do laundry, cook, clean & look after my kids. I am a woman. I have no interest in being a man and doing manly things. I like manicures, pedicures, romantic comedies, pretty dresses, and being treated like a lady.

It is possible to be pro-women’s rights & NOT be a “feminist”. I respect the hell out of the women from the Women's suffrage movement, who risked it all to give all women the right to vote.

and I honor them by voting every chance I get.
No I don't think it’s fair that men get paid higher salaries, are more likely to get promotions, and don’t have to worry about the stigma that a pregnancy brings to them in the workplace. Although I would be more than happy to sit it out and let my husband climb the ladder while I stay home, since I’m in the workforce, I think it should be fair. Discrimination has no business in the workplace.

I think companies need better poilicies that allow for balance between work and family, including increased sick time for both parents, but especially for mothers. But that doesn’t mean I resent being a woman, or think every little thing that happens is an attack on femininity. So in the past, there were women who wanted to work full time, & join the military - which redefined expectations for all women....and now there are women who want the right to legally abort all their babies & advocate to diminish the differences between the men and the women – well, ok GO FOR IT…..but don't do it under the umbrella of a feminist movement. It isn’t fair to the rest of us women, who don’t agree with your views, don't share your same priorities and don't want to be directly affected by your “progress”.

I don’t think I’m less of a woman, or should have no say in women’s rights, just because I enjoy cooking a meal for my family, filling stereotypical female roles, and believe that boys and girls are different and should be treated differently. I don't think I'm less of a woman because I believe that the stereotypical female role is important and a lot of today's problems stem from adults who were neglected as children. I feel that the traditional role of what a wife and mother should be are every bit as important to society as tax free tampons. I resent the “feminist” women who tell me that I’m being oppressed and enslaved by societal stereotypes because I let my husband lead our household, or buy my daughter a baby doll, or because I don’t believe that abortion should be a form of birth control, or because I don't think it's cool to sign a girl up for boy scouts. I resent the “feminist” women who attack my belief system because it is different from what they believe. Women already have enough to worry about, but the fact that women are now being belittled & attacked by the “feminist” women who think they are somehow our superior in terms of morality is just hypocritical and sick. You can’t say you are fighting for women’s rights while attacking and shaming fellow women who don’t agree.

So while I think there are totally a lot of issues women should come together on, it's awfully hard to do when we are attacked for what we don't agree on. To all these women who keep trying to “speak for women” – shut up! You might be louder, more obnoxious and way more opinionated than I am ….but you do not speak for me. And even though there’s no chance in hell that you will ever catch me sportin’ a uterus hat...

I am still a woman, I’ve got my own opinions and I do NOT have to agree with you. There really should be another name for this modern day "women's rights" movement, because if you don’t speak for all women, then you aren’t speaking for women.

Oh, and I’m sorry you are a girl…but .there are medical procedures that you can take advantage of that will help you take care of that.