This Just Annoys Me to Death and I Don’t Know Why
A while back, someone, and for the life of me I can’t remember where I read this, posted a writing prompt that went something like this:
“Write about something that unreasonably annoys you.”
I’ve had this writing prompt in the back of my head for several days now and finally, I have my answer (Hey, I never claimed to be a fast thinker. Oh wait, yes I have. Okay fine, I’m a fast thinker on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
Coughing.
I don’t know what it is about coughing, but it drives me insane.
Whenever Jazz starts coughing because of his spring allergies, my whole body tenses.
Some of that is because I’m afraid his cough will turn into asthma and I’m worried about keeping that from happening. But it’s not just him. I get annoyed with Dude’s soft, puny coughs. I get annoyed with Kevin’s loud, let’s-get-it-out-of-my-throat-at-all-costs cough. I even get annoyed whenever I cough. There is just something so irritating about coughs.
Baby coughs? Cute, to a point. But if it’s persistent, it gets annoying.
I get annoyed with people when they cough during a concert, play, or a movie. I get annoyed when I’m trying to concentrate and someone next to me is hacking away.
Which brings up the whole germs issue. People who don’t cover their mouths REALLY annoy me. HELLO! I’m not interested in breathing in your lung mucus, thank you very much. People who cover their mouths with their hands annoy me. Because then I watch where they place their hands and know that the next unsuspecting person who lays their hands on that very item will likely contract the cougher’s germs.
I know this is an unreasonable irritation. I mean, people HAVE to cough, right? But it’s like sandpaper on my nerves. I can feel myself gritting my teeth, my hands ball into fists and my anger levels rise about six degrees. It. Just. Drives. Me. Nuts.
And though I’m okay with sneezes in general? Kevin’s sneezes grate on my nerves. I think it’s because he’s so LOUD with his sneezes. He’s the kind of sneezer who has to build up to it. You know the whole HUUUUUUUUUUUUH ACHOOOOOOOOO kind of person. He sounds like a quarter back right before he calls for the snap. That “hut-hut” sound and then the explosive sneeze. I want to sock him whenever I’m trying to concentrate and he does that right next to me.
It nearly gives me a heart attack.
I have no idea why these things irritate me so much. Kevin says I’m easily irritated, and he’s probably right, but that doesn’t particularly help me.
So there you have it. My irrational annoyance.
(And dare I say, one of many?)
Audio Teaching: What is True Discipleship?
by Gary Theisen
In one of the clearest, most concise teachings on discipleship you’ll ever hear, Gary Theisen addresses the head, heart, and hands of the discipleship process. Because the Greek word “disciple” essentially means “learner,” discipling is a process of educating and training believers to help them be more like Christ. Jesus is the Master, but we all need to be mentored by others who demonstrate mature faith and practice in the Lord, and we also need to be mentoring others in what we have learned. This teaching identifies a six-step biblical pattern for the delegation of authority that gives structure to the process of moving from new follower to mature and empowered disciple who acts in Christ’s stead. Discussed in detail are the two aspects of discipleship–personal disciplines, and faithful doing for others.
Click the arrow to listen.
Check out Truth or Tradition teachings on:
My First Interview in a LONG Time
So remember when I mentioned, a while back, that I have been submitting applications?
I got a call.
When I returned the call today (actually, I returned it yesterday, but the recruiter didn’t call me back, so I called again today because I WANT A JOB!), she had a cancellation later today and asked if I would be interested in coming in.
YES!
She asked if I knew how to work a certain program, which I do, but I’m rusty, so I’ve been doing some exercises with the program to reacquaint myself with it.
Thank goodness for YouTube. No really. I’ve picked up quite a few tricks that I didn’t know beforehand.
Am I nervous?
Yes. And no.
On one hand, it’s been FIFTEEN years since I’ve been on a job interview. I’m definitely out of practice. But then again, I’m more mature (I AM! Most days), so I feel more confident simply because I’m older and wiser. In addition, if I don’t get THIS job, it’s highly likely I’ll be interviewing with this same recruiter for future jobs with this same company, so I NEED to do well.
On the other hand, this is my first interview and though I would love to have this job, there will be other opportunities. So getting myself all worked up will only shoot myself in the foot.
I had planned on going out and buying a nice suit for when this day arrived, but the day is HERE and I don’t have time to go buy new clothes before my appointment. So I’m wearing something that would be appropriate for an office (I went home and changed at lunch) – I hope that’s okay. It’s not like I’m interviewing for a professional-level job, just a clerical job. (My thoughts being, I’ll have my foot in the door of this particular industry and can hopefully make some linear moves in the future). So, we’ll see.
If you don’t hear anything more about this interview, then you’ll know I didn’t get the job. I tend to just sweep disappointing things under the rug. But if anything happens, trust me, you’ll be the first to know about it.
Wish me luck!!!!!!
UPDATE: Interview over. Questions threw me for a loop. Nerve Wracking!! I think the recruiter is going to forward my information to my potential boss so I’m hoping (crossing fingers) that I get a second interview. We’ll see what happens!!
Nothing Gets Your Day Off to a Good Start Like a Laughing Baby
I followed this link from Ellen on Twitter yesterday and this is what I saw:
I hope you smiled and/or laughed.
If not, lighten up!
And good morning!
Japan Disaster and Ways You Can Help
I’m here.
Everything’s fine. I just haven’t felt like writing anything.
And then when I am in the mood to write something, everything seems so trivial and trite when compared to what’s happening in Japan right now.
(image via Google Images)
Hasn’t this disaster in Japan been something else?? First, the biggest earthquake to hit their region, EVER, happens. Then a tsunami destroys already weakened structures and sweeps everything in its path out of the way, then they have to battle their nuclear plants and exposed fuel rods … I just pray they get everything under control and no one gets radiation poisoning.
The poor Japanese people.
They (who exactly is “they”. The mass majority? The news media? If it’s the news media, I take it with a grain of salt) say this is the worst disaster to hit Japan since WWII.
That’s pretty serious, folks.
“They” also say that 1,900 have been found dead, and THOUSANDS are still missing. Holy smokes. Can you imagine trying to find your family in that mess!?!? I’d be FRANTIC.
I read this morning that the funeral parlors just can’t keep up. They only have the capacity to cremate 18 people a day. They’re also out of body bags and coffins and other parlors in the region are sending them both in an attempt to help them out.
This is the stuff of nightmares. Truly.
The pictures … oh Lord, the pictures that are coming in – people crying, their tortured expressions, the sheer devastation around them. It’s all so heart breaking. I just can’t imagine what they’re going through. I pray God we, the United States, never have to endure something so horrific.
For that’s what it is, horrific. There’s really no better word for what is happening over there right now.
When this first happened, my thoughts immediately went to a friend of mine who lives in Japan. Her husband is in the Marines and he’s stationed over there. She has two small boys. Thankfully, she’s far enough away from the mainland that she wasn’t affected and she posted on Facebook that she and her family were okay. I wonder about the radiation, though. If they can’t contain it, then “they” say that the radiation waves could travel as far as Hawaii.
I have a niece who lives in Hawaii.
Times like these, I feel so helpless. I know everyone does. It’s one small comfort to donate funds to the Red Cross so they may help the Japanese, but then what? We all sit idly by and watch in horror as thousands of people’s lives are destroyed.
It’s a very humbling and terribly devastating thing to watch.
Kevin emailed me a link to this video this morning. This guy, out walking his dog (I’m assuming, since the dog in the background won’t shush, but it’s probably just as freaked out as everyone else is by what’s happening), records the quake’s effects on the land around him. It’s pretty amazing to watch the land move back and forth.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Gotta Watch: iReporters capture scope of quake, posted with vodpod
(RSS readers – you’ll have to click over to watch the video).
I’ve been scrolling through pictures of the tragedy … they’re just heartbreaking. Especially the ones where people are running their fingers down a list of survivors to see if loved ones made the list. Ugh! That just rips my heart in two. Can you IMAGINE that feeling? And then NOT finding your loved one listed??
This whole thing just boggles my mind. It’s truly all I can think about.
If you would like to help Japan by sending cash donations:
(“Bear in mind, it is extremely difficult and expensive to ship in-kind donations overseas…It is more efficient for disaster relief agencies to purchase needed resources locally for immediate distribution within the disaster area.”)
The Salvation Army has four ways you can help:
* Text “Japan” or “Quake” to 80888 to make a $10 donation
* Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY
* Donate online at http://www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org
* Send a check, marked “Japan earthquake relief” to:
The Salvation Army World Service Office
International Relief Fund
PO Box 630728
Baltimore, MD 21263-072800
Lady GaGa (I know, talk about a weird source, but it’s admirable that she’s doing this), designed a unique wristband that you can purchase for $5.00; the proceeds go to aid Japan. (You can donate more than $5.00 if you wish).
Here’s where you can go to help animals in Japan.
Convoy of Hope
Save the Children Foundation
Buy virtual goods (via online games – which – COOL IDEA!)
Add a donation bar to your website (I’ll have to see if I can do something like this for the school websites I maintain).
If you have loved ones in Japan, Google has launched Person Finder.
Shelterbox: Shelterbox provides assistance to afflicted countries by delivering large utility boxes that contain a shelter and other emergency relief tools. To donate online, click here.
Save the Children is moving quickly to address the situation there. Donations to its Children’s Emergency Fund will support this effort. To text your donation to Save the Children, text “JAPAN” or “TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
And of course, you can donate to the Red Cross here or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10.00 from your phone
To help you make the most of your charitable donation, charity watchdog Charity Navigator has published donating tips and a list of charities responding. It will continue to update that list as the group learns of more charities assisting with the relief efforts.
Follow these hashtags on Twitter for more ideas on how you can help.
* #Jishin: focuses around general earthquake information
* #Anpi: a hashtag for the confirmation of the safety of individuals or places
* #Hinan: Evacuation information
* #311care: a hashtag regarding medical information for the victims
* #PrayforJapan: A general hashtag for support and best wishes for victims of the crisis
And please, don’t blame God for what happened to Japan. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (I John 1:5): It’s not His fault.
God bless readers, and stay safe.
UPDATED: Just read an interesting article about the nuclear plants in Japan. Apparently, “they” say that a meltdown in Japan would be as bad as Chernobyl, however, an article in the Wall Street Journal today says it won’t get to that point. Though this man may be sugar coating the truth, I think my overall point is this: take what you read about the Japan nuclear plants, from whatever source, with a grain of salt. These “reports” are likely dramatized in order to sell more copies.
UPDATED II: Here is a link to some before and after pictures.
Teaching: The Sacred Secret
Every Sunday I provide videos and valuable links to the Truth or Tradition teachings. We’ve been following the Truth or Tradition teachings for many years now and they have truly blessed our family. We have found peace and happiness through our beliefs and we walk confidently for God. My hope, by passing on this information to you, is that what you find here, or on the Truth or Tradition website, will guide you to a better, more blessed and abundant life.
If you would like to read my views on religion and how we got started with the ministry, you can read this.
Let’s get started:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The Sacred Secrte, posted with vodpod
(RSS Readers – there’s a video embedded here. You can’t see it in your readers. Sorry!)
FAQ: What is “The Secret” that I hear about on TV, and which is now the title of both a book and a movie? Its proponents are calling it a global phenomenon. The Secret web site says that it reveals the most powerful law in the universe, one that everyone uses, either knowingly or unknowingly. Is it the same as “The Sacred Secret” that Spirit & Truth Fellowship teaches about?
This is a great question, and deserves a good answer. Ever since the Devil gave misinformation to Adam and Eve in the Garden, there has been both correct and incorrect information available to mankind. We believe the information in The Secret is actually misinformation. Have you ever seen a counterfeit $12 bill. No? Me neither. Why not? Simple: there is no genuine $12 bill to counterfeit. Without a genuine, there can be no counterfeit. Likewise, without truth, there can be no lie.
This brief piece is not the place to go into how any human being can come to the Word of God and find out for himself that it is exactly what it claims to be: the only God-breathed revelation of the Creator to mankind, the only way to everlasting life, and the only absolute standard by which to evaluate anything anyone says about God, Jesus, faith, heaven, good, evil, or any spiritual matter. It comes down to a simple question: “Who says?” In the battle of words we will briefly examine in this article, it is God and Jesus versus Rhonda Byrne. [For further study, please read our book The Bible – You Can Believe It, posted in its entirety.]
According to those promoting it on the official “Secret” web site, “Rhonda Byrne’s [recent] discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth through a 100-year-old book.” Whatever that book was, it cannot compare to the 2000-year-old Book that gives us far more than only a “glimpse” of the truth. This Book, the Bible, is the truth, and so is its main character, Jesus Christ.
The Secret web site says: “The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages, and saviors in the world’s history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women…The Secret explains with simplicity the law that is governing all lives, and offers the knowledge of how to create—intentionally and effortlessly—a joyful life. This is the secret to everything—the secret to unlimited happiness, love, health, and prosperity.” We disagree vehemently with this statement, especially when it refers to “the prophets,” which would include the prophets of God mentioned in the Bible.
Furthermore, the web site says The Secret gives you everything you want. You can have, do, or be anything you want to. They say that The Secret is “the law of attraction,” which is that everything that has happened to you, good or bad, is due to what you have attracted to yourself, either intentionally or unintentionally, by your thoughts and attitude of mind.
Let’s analyze that. The bully who for no reason beat you up in kindergarten—actually, that was your fault, bad attitude. On the other hand, you must have done something right to have gotten that free gift for being the one-millionth shopper at Spatulas ‘R Us—good attitude, way to go. Your home was torched by a misguided arsonist who meant to get your neighbor—what were you thinking? These examples are somewhat humorous, but what about life’s unexpected and gut-wrenching tragedies? Thinking that you brought them upon yourself or those you love can make you mentally ill. Furthermore, what about all the things you either greatly feared or absolutely expected—that never happened?
We assert that the current teaching about The Secret has a grievous error. Very simply put, it is that your thoughts can and do affect things outside of your body. You can create whatever you want in your life by visualizing them coming into being. What you think is what you get, at least if you really focus on it. So, if you want a mink coat, you begin to visualize yourself wearing one, and somehow, via this amazing law of attraction, the requisite number of mink for a coat your size give up their lives, are assembled into the garment, and make their way to your closet.
In contrast to the error of the “law of attraction” espoused in “The Secret,” what is the truth? God Almighty has given us many promises, chief among which is that of everlasting life through Jesus Christ. He also promises us good things in this life. Yes, our thoughts about what He says are critical to our receiving what He wants to give us. “Faith” is not superstition, that is, blindly believing a nonsensical proposition. Biblically defined, faith is trust in an understandable promise. God’s Word says that when we trust in Him, His power brings to pass His promises. Our thoughts most certainly do affect our bodies, our emotions, our choices, and how we relate to others, but they directly affect nothing outside ourselves.
If you are the one who determines everything that happens in your life, that almost makes it sound as if you are God. Bingo! Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun, and he was right. The so-called “Secret” is nothing more than the same old lie that Satan has told over and over, and which shows up in various forms in mind science, some kinds of witchcraft, etc.
To us it is ironic that this new book is called, The Secret, given our enthusiastic, and relatively unique, exposition and promotion of what God’s Word says about the true secret, the “Sacred Secret,” which has been for the most part hidden even though the Apostle Paul revealed it nearly 2000 years ago in his epistles to the Christian Church. As God inspires people to make known The True Secret, the Devil comes alongside with The Counterfeit Secret.
“The Sacred Secret” is that today (since Pentecost in Acts 2 and until the Rapture in 1 Thess. 4) there is a group of people never before dreamed of by anyone who lived prior to this time, even the most godly of believers. Biblically speaking, these people known as “Christians” are members in particular of the Body of Christ, the Church (Eph. 1:22 and 23). Each is a son of God (1 John 3:2), born again of incorruptible seed (1 Pet. 1:23), baptized with holy spirit (1 Cor. 12:13), anointed with holy spirit (2 Cor. 2:21), filled with the gift of holy spirit (Acts 2:4), fully equipped to utilize nine manifestations of that spirit (1 Cor. 12:7), a fulltime minister of the Gospel (2 Cor. 3:6), permanently sealed in Christ (Eph. 1:13), and guaranteed everlasting life (2 Cor. 1:22).
How can you receive the new birth and join this unique and privileged group?
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.In closing, let us say that there is one very poignant statement in the trailer on The Secret web site: “The Secret has been suppressed, banned, and buried.” That is not true about The Counterfeit Secret, but that is exactly what Satan has done to the Sacred Secret, via people he has used since it was revealed in Paul’s epistles. Very few Christians today understand what it is or how its truth is fundamental to maximizing their spiritual potential.
Given its monumental truth as per the above, it is no wonder that Satan has tried to bury the Sacred Secret. If Christians find out who they are in Christ, and the power God will supply as they act with faith upon His promises, they can do the works that Jesus did. And, in contrast to one Jesus who walked the earth and delivered people, there are now MILLIONS of Christians who can do the same! That is why 1 Corinthians 2:7, an obscure verse for most Christians, proclaims the astounding truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified the Lord of glory!!!
The Secret web site advertises “A New Era for Mankind,” but that will never happen through mind science. We should know that by experience, because as we have seen, “think and receive” has been around for millennia in various forms, and it never has resulted in any new eras. On the other hand, there will be a genuine “New Age” that the Lord Jesus Christ will usher in when he returns to the earth to set up his Millennial Kingdom. Only then will there finally be unlimited happiness, love, health, and prosperity. Only through Jesus Christ can any human being realize his full potential, both here and now, and in the age to come when the Lord comes again and gives us new bodies for a new, and endless, age. And that’s no secret!
If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about God’s wonderful message, please visit the Truth or Tradition website. You can also keep track of the ministry through their Facebook page, their YouTube Channel, or follow them on Twitter.
Thanks for reading.
(Comments have been turned off. The information is here to inform and bless you. God granted you the gift of free will – take it or leave it).
More from Write From Karen
Write From Karen 