"You Can't See Me!"

 Observation and Opinion:

#AngelReese #caitlinclark , okay, before it is well beyond old news, my observation. A white woman did the "you can't see me" sign we will call it. Nearly everyone supported it, or it was no big deal, part of the trash talking in the game. Two days later, a Black woman repeats the gesture to the white, yes, this has turned into a race thing, woman. My opinion well deserved, if you can dish it you have to be able to take it, and she did as I have not heard her complain. She actually stated at one point she never saw it being done, good for her. 

Then, immediately after the whole sports world explodes, OMG, "disrespectful,"and "unsportsmanlike" were the most used words. The political side then stepped in with their two cents. Jill Biden wants BOTH teams invited to the White House!!! On and on and on. This next comment by me is only from my observation so take it for that. It seems that the "left" has been harder on Angel than the "right". The left who is doing whatever they can to secure the "black" vote has been "trash talking" a black women when NOT saying a damn thing negative about what the white woman did, oh, until they were cornered. "TRUE COLORS" if you were to ask me.

Now, what do I have to say about the gesture. On its own, just the "You can't see me", no real issue, but add the pointing to the ring finger, maybe a bit too much. I grew up playing at a time when a gesture like that during a game would end with a nice elbow to the chest during a block out for a rebound. And yes, I knew how without getting a found called. The thing is, I never had to do that for a payback because , I believe, sportsmanship was a "thing" back then. Now, it's just a phrase used when others dislike what someone has done. Good old basketball isn't what people want to see. They need fast-paced excitement with in your face play. The problem is basketball is not what it used to be, too much "look at what I can do". Even football is this way, if not worse. Make a tackle for a loss, and they run 20 yards hopping, skipping, pointing at the other team, raising their hands for the fans. What did I miss? These things plus all the BS Politics by sports journalists are why I only catch snippets of news, sports info shows, and games.

Society has allowed this to happen slowly, making most things acceptable until someone crosses the line. The United States has lasted nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation without some sort of overhaul. Buckle up because the overhaul is coming, and many (Society) will allow and welcome it then in the aftermath wonder WTF did we do!!!

Stay at home!

While in "STAY AT HOME" mode I find life has not changed much. Then I go out to the store and what has it become? No toilet paper!!. No distilled water!! Plus many other items that are in high demand yet not available. But why? Panic, fear, distrust for government, ignorance maybe. Stay six feet away, wear that face mask, lines, only 10 people maximum, need I continue. Churches meeting online, restaurants closed to dine in, liquor stores are essential yet to meet with your physician you have to set up a virtual appointment. Government says help the Small Businesses yet money has run dry. It is so nice that my life has not changed much due to this "STAY AT HOME" order.

Almost the New Year

With Christmas over and the New Year just around the corner I feel the need to reflect. Not sure but sometimes when you reflect things just bounce off. We shall see where this goes.

Last year around this time we were heavily engaged with kids and grandkids. My oldest had made a move to the area and this brought all our combined family together. We had several get togethers throughout the seasons of the year and it all was going fairly smooth.

The thing is as we all know with family it does not always remain smooth. Disagreements are always happening, but how you move through and past are the determining factor in maintaining. Adding exes to the mix, specifically when grandkids or children are involved create excessive drama. Adding to this the lack of communication, overreactions, non confrontational people, ones who refuse to stand up to certain types for various reasons, and you name it, causes a dissolve of relations.

What has happened since let's say July 4th? For one, lots fewer get togethers. Then after school started neediness came in and a feeling of taking advantage of situation arrived and guess what? A great dissolve. Now this is my reflection and I know there is always the opposite viewpoint. Work, their relationships, kids, living arrangements all are contributing factors so I must chose my path with it all.

We have chosen to chill, as doing anything else would be be counterproductive. To be content, not closed off from but limited engagement seems to be best in this instance. Learning from past experiences helps greatly. What is it the say about learning from history, or those that do not are doomed to repeat. I suppose this is my reflection of the past year. It was not a bad year, but a learning year actually. Lots of good mingled with the various struggles. I do believe this is what life is all about. Go, experience, live.

2 Plus years, wow! So much has happened.

It seems that I have gotten away from blogging. I read others through social media and such but I have kept quiet about my own life, thoughts, and concerns. So where do I restart this process from.

My life:

This is as good as anyplace to start. Nearly 2 years ago I became 'not single'. Please do not take offense Alicia, if you read this, to my usage of that phrase. Has to do with prior posts. I am very happy to be a couple. Finally having someone on the same path that I am, concerned about the same issues as I, and willing to share our life together as one. Being able to share ideas, concerns, and life together to move forward. From having 7 grandkids to now 11 combined makes for some interesting family get togethers. All the differing paths our children (from 3 to now 6) have taken, well, that is fodder for another time.

With me now fully embracing retired and disabled life I spend so much time alone, with my pets, two dogs and two cats. With all this free time you would think I would write more, yet I stopped. I believe it is due to the negativity I see in social media that I felt the need to stop being part of it. The written word from the press side of things is, in my opinion, tearing our Country and World apart. I do not watch any Network News anymore. It has become opinions over news. They, telling us what to believe, not sharing all sides equally, to allow us to try and form an educated opinion of our own. Damn, that was a mouthful!! Anyways, I rather enjoy my time alone as I can do pretty much whatever I feel. From playing the Assassins Creed Odyssey game, to watching shows on the History Channel or DIY, Animal Planet and DVR shows that Alicia and I like watching together, to walking around the house and getting little things done that need done.

My back is no better, actually worse as I knew it would get. Nerve block that eases the issues but only puts off another surgery. I deal with the pain, yes, opioids are taken but the smallest amount, and then the Lyrica. That is the one med I am totally addicted to, as missing just one dosage and you will not want to be around me. Having had the fusion in my neck has fixed the issues with my hand. I just pray it remains fixed.

As I try to keep these on the short to moderate size I feel it is necessary to end this. I will leave you with this concerning "my life". I am content and very happy with my place in time and with who is in my life. No matter the issues life is not worth fretting over but is worth living for. Happiness is from within, not from outside sources, if you want it to last. This felt good, if not for others to read, but for me to share for myself.

What type of Church Member are YOU?

Since I am on churches I feel that it is important to look at the MEMBER of a church. After all it is the members of the church that make or break the church. From my experiences these are the most common types of members. The older more mature grandmother and grandfather types, the mature sit and complain about everything ones, the mid aged go get ems as well as the mid age sit and watch what goes on type. Your choir members who can maybe sing, with the ones that believe they are the all get out best singer in the world (when they are not), and the ones who can really sing but do not want to bring attention to themselves or are not utilized by the director because they are not part of the "in" group. To go with the musically inclined you have the few talented piano and organ players with a few drummers and guitar players who add to the service. Now add to this the disappearing young adult and young marrieds, who want to be part of a church but do not really fit in due to various reasons along with the teens that are usually attending because Mom and or Dad are 'making' them go. All the younger ones are the future church or are supposed to be and really do not make up a type that has a large influence other than they are there and show at least a growth part of a church.

I could go over each and every one of the types mentioned but it is not the important part of what I want to cover. Any and all of these can be an integral ingredient or a negative subsidy of any church. I myself am more of a sit and watcher. If something interested me I would try to be part of it, such as weekly Bible Study or men's programs, but I have no interest in being part of the choir. My sitting and watching would consist of seeing all these other types work the pews. The grandparent types would seek out the 'kids' they love dearly and chat away with them. Also they would seek out new people and welcome them all the while observing the visitors to see if they are a fit. You have the ones that are younger who, for various reasons, seek and destroy the newbies. I add destroy because trust me, visitors know if you are sincere in your greeting. Are you doing it because the pastor said you need to go and shake hands and greet all.. be the friendly church.. or are you sincere with your greeting and really are excited to see new people arrive. There are those greeters that are more out to see if you are competition, why I do not know but, that is what they are doing. Of course you have your men at the church door, those greeters welcoming all who enter the hallowed gates of the church, also known as the ushers. The Sunday School/Bible Study teachers are seeking new class members, the teens are looking for friends, or possible the new boyfriend girlfriend prospect, or in other words the competition. The young adults and young marrieds.. oh yes, they are disappearing.

This pretty much is my opinion of the different types and I know it is not all inclusive but there is some accuracy to it. What I would like to cover now is where do you take your friendships and relationships in your church? Once you find a connection do you embrace it and build upon it or do you leave it at the church. I guess what I am asking is are you a cultivator with others that believe as you do? Do your relations go beyond the church doors such as family dinners or outings? Are they all inclusive or are you hesitant to build on anything outside of church for various reasons. I recall several families from my younger years where we had lots of encounters outside of church. We had strong relationships that started at church and continued outside the church. We were never afraid to be who we were all the time because we were not trying to 'impress' anyone. Relationships were cultivated and became pretty strong friendships. I have had a few discussions and with those I have discussed we are not seeing this happen as much anymore unless you are related or have been part of a church for a long long time.

So what type of Church Member are YOU? Is your church growing and thriving or is it stuck in the mud, in a rut, or should I dare say, right where you want it to be? Traditional or Conventional church is does not matter. None of these are really incorrect because people are people and we are all different. It takes all kinds to be part of any group. Growth to me, in a positive manner, would be my way of gauging as to the best way for any group to be. Productive and positive without being isolating even though we all need our personal time and space. 

What is wrong with Traditional Churches?

I have had this on my mind for a while but was not sure how to start it or even say what I want but I want you to know this is from MY experiences and that is what MY blog is all about. I do use information taken from others but try my best to use my personal experiences to form opinions from very interpretive situations. So with that being said.

What the heck is going on in Traditional Churches? By Traditional I mean the churches we Baby Boomers grew up in and actually developed. Ones where a few people or families got together and decided they needed a small community church where we could follow God's leading and grow together. Heaven and Hell were preached, The Ten Commandments were the Law, teens had their get together time several times a week and not just on Sunday nights. The kiddos had their Saturday picnics and the elderly or more mature women got together to fellowship, and yes gossip as well. The men of the church had monthly work days at the church. Vacation Bible School was a BIG deal with buses borrowed from other churches to ship in all the kids. Not only did we learn the Bible but we learned how to build podiums for the Sunday School classrooms. As a teen our week of VBS ended with a trip down a river in a canoe or some other exciting thing. These are the things I recall from my early years in a Traditional Church.

Now what is it I am seeing and experiencing? Every now and then you hear Heaven and Hell preached but you have to back off on Hell. That offends too many. After all why would God send people to Hell. He is all loving and caring. Sorry folks. God did not intend Hell for us. But He gave us a choice between following Christ or not. Our choosing not to follow Christ is what sends people to Hell, NOT God. What about the Ten Commandments.. Oh they are still top dog but then you have the NEW Testament teachings and so many other STANDARDS are added that we MUST live by to be productive Christians. More on this later. Vacation Bible School, Teens, and kiddos, and lest we forget the forgotten in many churches. College and Career is what it was known as back in the day. Those that have graduated from high school and either left for college or are entering the work force, and yes, some are living in Mom and Dads basement. Traditional Churches, again, this is from MY POINT OF VIEW, do a pretty decent job of reaching out to the pre-school aged and elementary kids because after all, they need to bring in those younger families with the kids to help build the church, But when you do not have a nursery capable of doing a decent job you lose an important group of people. I mean we have young millennial families that feel that they can not leave their infants with anyone else. What is it.. the helicopter parents. They can not concentrate on a church service because they have to know everything that is going on with the little ones. So they bring them into the main service to disrupt it so NO ONE can concentrate on the service. Therefore they feel uncomfortable going to church and STOP going. By the time they are sorta comfortable with going back the kiddos do not want to go. Teens, what do we say about the teens. You have to have things going on 24/7 almost to keep them in church. Friday Night Lights, Super Sundays, what ever other gimmick you can find to keep them involved. If they are bored at church they will not come. If church were a video game maybe you could get them to show up and become involved. But it would have to be an exciting one.

Okay. Back to the 'Standards'. This is the one that probably irritates me more than anything. Yes, we have to have some sort of standards but this has turned into an issue. Jesus spoke harshly with the Pharisees coming up with all the "extra" laws they made in order for a person to be accepted. Well, from where I sit now many church leaders are coming up with all these 'standards' that must be followed for people to become accepted and part of our little church society. This is where I come up with my "Star Trek TNG" Borg assessment of Traditional Churches. According to http://www.startrek-voyager.info/j.html, “Their main goal is to find perfection by assimilating more species and technology but they only assimilate what they think is relevant biological or technological traits. The Borg are un-emotional but efficient and can only grow in numbers by assimilation.” Doesn't this describe the Traditional Local Churches of today. Conform or get out basically. I had an issue recently with the choir director and his wife hiding the fact that they consume alcohol. Really I thought when I found out that wow, good for them, able to drink and still work in the church. Then I found out that they only let certain people know this and those that know it are sworn to secrecy. Wait a minute. Sworn to secrecy. After all they have an image to uphold and if certain people found out then all is lost. What happened to not doing something if it were to offend? This has changed into hide it as long as you can and if anyone attempts to let it out then guess what we will do. Yes, I know there are many secrets among church people but deliberately hiding it and making others keep your secret or deal with the consequences. YES, there are consequences,  specially when the pastor depends on you and will do anything to protect you. So, lets bring out that I do not wear a suit to church. I must not honor God because I wear jeans. After all you have a suit and look decent in one so therefore you should wear one to church. I guess I am saying this because the focus has changed, It is about making others follow the churches ideals and standards instead of following Jesus example. They twist things that seem to be Christ like yet are really Churchy. Jesus fellowship was with all people including 'sinners'. Local traditional churches insist that you stay away from the 'sinners' because these 'sinners' will turn you before you can lead them to Him.. UH, NO. we need to be an example to everyone, living an honest, non deceptive life, showing the 'sinners' what it is like to be alive and able to serve God at the same time.

To answer my title question of What is wrong with the Traditional Churches? I am not sure if I can. But in short I feel that these Traditional Churches have lost sight of what Jesus was really all about. Love, acceptance, being an example, not forcing your ways but allowing others to see you live the life HONESTLY so that others will want what you have. This is why the local Traditional Church is slipping away into nothing. Conventional Churches, though imperfect, as we all are anyways, are taking the lead and the Traditional Churches are not adapting to society. Notice I said adapting to because I feel that it is necessary to adapt to the changes in the world if you want to reach the world. After all that is what Jesus did. He adapted to what was going on around Him. Reached out to others and embraced them, showing them what it was like to be HIM. He did not force a set of standards on them, He lived His life, a non deceptive, truthful life, and was the ultimate example of what it is to be a Christian.

A Pain in the Neck

Had an MRI of my cervical spine due to some issues I have been having to my left finger and thumb. Also as a symptom a tingling up my arm to my to just past my elbow, then the constant pain to my left shoulder blade and some to my neck. With the way they do MRI and CT scans and almost any sort of X-Rays now a day you are able to, if not read the results, you can most certainly get a glimpse of what it is showing. Then all you do is type a search and there you have it, instant information. Severe spinal cord compression is what I have come up with and of course there are several options to help with the pain. These include upping the medicines I already take, physical therapy, steroid injections, and of course surgery. The final decision will be made after talking to my surgeon but between now and then I get to play the full guessing game.

As I was looking through all the myriad of information there are always other things that pop up and make you wonder. Myfirst  thought looking at my MRI was why is there a gap from C2/C3 to C4/C5. There is not much of a bulge at C3/C4 compared to the other two. Why is that? I do not know!!! You would think if I injured it that they would be adjacent.

As any normal, I guess normal person would do, you keep searching the internet for answers. Pretty much I have not found a good answer for that but I am sure it is there somewhere. The biggest issue I have found is the times that tumor show up when discussing spinal stenosis. Now I have done comparison glances at the tumors and do I believe that is one of the issues I have. NO!!! Just saying that this is one of the things that pops up when searching the internet. I believe that it is best to not guess or self diagnose because all it does is create a higher anxiety level to which I really do not need. What I have is a pain in the neck, well actually, as stated above, it all started with a numbness to my index finger, moved to my thumb and middle finger also. Then the pain in the shoulder blade and somewhat to my neck area. The tingling and numbness enveloping my hand up to my elbow was what gave me the greatest concern. Instead of fretting and worrying about what could be or may be I am writing it in this blog. It allows me to share my concerns and hopefully will keep me from obsessing prior to my doctor visit in the next day. Maybe by doing this I will not become someone else Pain in the Neck.