No shirt, no shoes, no service

 

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

You know the scenario... 

Such and such business refused service to such and such individual, group or organization. The business gets slammed with bad press, slandered on social media and often sued, because they choose to not provide a request for a service that violates their ethics or spiritual standards.

I’ll always love a constitutional republic because it constitutionally guarantees that my rights stop where your rights start, and vice versa. 

Hint: If you want a pork pie, don’t demand a Muslim-owned bakery make it for you and have a fit when they refuse. Same for Jewish and vegan bakeries.

Such requests are ludicrous and forcing them to do it violates their rights. 

Our rights stop where others' rights start... remember?

Whittling

What the Kens and Karens aren’t getting is, when they insist others' rights should be violated, to fulfill their demands, it causes a ripple effect. Before long the rights of Kens and Karens will be violated as well. 

The loss of freedom is like a snowball on a downhill roll. It gets bigger and bigger, gobbling up everything in its path, regardless of race, religion or politics. 

It’s kinda like a snake eating its own tail.

What are they anyway???

Oh yeah... What are Kens and Karens?

 

Images via Pixabay

Per dictionary.com, a Karen (or Ken for the male version) is a person who is perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal. 

The definition also noted that Karens were usually white, middle-aged women with bobbed hairstyles. But the sad truth is, every ethnicity and social group has at least a few Kens and Karens in it. 

I’ve lived in a lot of places in and out of the USA, and yup, they’re everywhere and come in all colors, shapes and sizes.

Service Denied

I’m not a racist and I hate racism. I also have to pray for help in loving racists.

But for the Lord being so forgiving with me, well... If you know you know.

Sadly, I saw racism sooooo often when I lived in Virginia. It grieved me and made me angry. I have to admit, I jumped at every chance to dress ‘em down, at any opportunity, and especially when their demonic-influenced attacks were launched at my own loved ones of color. 

But, as disgusting and wicked as these folks are, there’s a better way to manage them. We simply step out of our tent and enlarge our own. Oh, and be sweet before you exit. Nothing makes the demonic more angry than a kind response to their wicked actions. 

I know. It ain’t easy and I can’t speak for everyone, but for Christians, we’re required to take the high road and we’ll be blessed for it.

“But, I don’t have a tent!”

Yup, you do and it encompasses lots of things. Here are a few...

• Where you live
• Loved ones and others you associate with
• Your physical and financial assets

An example I’m personally familiar with is the north Ft. Worth, Texas community where I lived and worked for many years. I was thankful it was a colorful community with every race represented, but, we were also blessed with many independently owned businesses that kept prices competitive, allowing us to go to them to purchase many of our goods and services.

So, let’s say one of the businesses disrespected a local shopper (although I never saw that happen, even once), giving poor service because they didn’t like their color, accent, religion, or whatever else, that shouldn't matter anyhow.

The potential customer can give the servant (that’s what business owners should be, in regards to clients and potential clients) a smile and a wave as they walk out the door and go spend their money elsewhere. They can invest in an alternative business, offering the same goods and services, thus enlarging their tent by investing in a business of integrity, rather than one that’s lacking.

Know your verbiage

Via the Oxford Dictionary...

Disagree: To have or express a different opinion

Hate: An intense or passionate dislike

So, dear Kens and Karens, I pray all of you have a come to Jesus moment, and learn that the universe never has, and never will, revolve around you. Maybe then you’ll also learn that enlarging your tent is a much better thing than tearing down your community. There are great blessings to reap in those two things.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap

Thanks for visiting today. I pray your community thrives in businesses practicing integrity, and when there are instances you encounter less than best business interactions, you’ll leave with a smile and head out to enlarge your tent.

‘Til next time,

Shalom

Movin’, movin’, movin’...

Image via kreatikar of Pixabay

Celebrating recovery!

As of this week, it’s been two years since I landed in the hospital for a month, right after Thanksgiving 2021. I spent Christmas and the New Year in the hospital and therapy center. This week is also my anniversary of being one year cancer free!

During the first year of chemo/radiation/surgeries, and the second in recovery, time seemed to drag by. I spent most of it sleeping or praying–especially praying for God to help me get to the other side of all the difficult stuff.

So here I am, and all of it is in over-my-shoulder view.

The Lord is faithful! 

He’s blessed me with the support of amazing friends and family. Also, the understanding that as difficult as things sometimes got, all of it could have been much, much worse, and I’m still thankful that it wasn’t.

About the moving...

Spring of 2023, I began moving content from my Weebly-based website, back to Blogger. Blogger was the very first blogging platform I ever used, but after many years with Weebly, I was dissatisfied with the lack of customization options and the ease of producing good looking posts, like I had with Weebly, so, I bailed and went back to Weebly.

Weebly has always been buggy. If a blogger’s work is monetized, such as with AdSense or Amazon affiliation, Weebly sometimes (far too often for my liking) fails to publish, or posts disappear entirely, especially with third-party coding, such as the inclusion of AdSense and Amazon affiliation. This happens even though the platform is set up to easily integrate with AdSense.

I was all good giving Weebly another go until about a month ago, when Weebly’s platform began having hiccups again, and this time, there was no acceptable solution to getting it sorted.

Ten hours with Weebly’s tech-support team before they decided the problem was with the customization of my site (which is supported in the selections, but change one thing, like a background image or fonts (even tho they’re offered. 

So, if my Weebly site has to look ugly and can’t support AdSense, there wasn’t much point in maintaining with it, so, I’m officially back at Blogger and very, VERY happy about it.

Blogger isn’t as visually fancy, but it’s still customizable and doesn’t wig out over using my own graphics, changing fonts, including AdSense or Amazon affiliate coding.  It also comes with LOADS of widgets that provide guests with quality resources for my website visitors to enjoy.

My YouTube channel

Another thing, YouTube is a sister-platform of Blogger, both being owned by Google.

Both can generate money for content makers. Their monetization comes from the same source, but each is independent in its stats, so you know how many guests your website and channel are each getting and same thing for the coin they generate. Very blonde-friendly!

If you’ve not yet visited my channel, I hope you will. You can get there via the side-bar link here on the the site, or just click here.

All that and Blogger is totally free, always has been. Google also provides customized domain names for under $15 annually, and there's no extra fee to have them on Blogger. 

Currently, Weebly charges $10 per month to accommodate a personalized domain name.

More perks: Getting back in touch via Blogger

One of the many perks of blogging on Blogger is its community of bloggers! 

Blogger makes it easy to find other writers using the Blogger platform, and I’d forgotten how easy it is to follow several writing colleagues, who became friends over the years, also using Blogger.

I’m gonna enjoy catching up on their site content and will share a few links to their sites below, for your perusal.

Molometer (Prof. Mike Mulcahy)

Sometimes serious but often a hoot! This guy is knowledgeable on a wide array of interesting subjects and presents mot of them through YouTube vlogs, thatare also available on his website. Scholastics, scuba, music (especially strings) and travel are just some of the topics he addresses in his work, and not a one of them is boring!

"Stoopin It" In the Suburbs (Dr. Laura Rogers, PhD)

Like Mike, Laura produces some fascinating and beneficial content on her site. She’s an excellent writer and often addresses many life-challenges that most people encounter sooner or later. She’s an optimist, which shines bright in her posts. 

WarnerWords (Prof. Vicki Warner)

WW may be last but it’s certainly not least! Vicki Warner and I have been close friends and colleagues for more than a decade now, and like Mike, she has an amazing array of content, oozing with helpful content on topics such as organic master gardening, cooking, travel, money management and more! 

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38  “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you.§ For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38 

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for visiting today and I hope you’ll continue on with me, here on Blogger. It may not be qute as fetching as Weebly, but it doesbn’t look back and the perks it provides in a good user and guest experience have been well worth the move, so I hope you’ll continue on with me in this blogging/vlogging journey and enjoy the new surroundings.

I pray your holiday season is full of blessings, pressed down, shaken together and running over. I pray for God’s protection to cover Israel and until next time, 

Shalom

Trolls

 

They walk among us...

For centuries they’ve been the stuff of faery tales but in modern times, the term troll has been applied to humans who engage in a variety of acts, some of which are considered to be in poor taste, socially inappropriate and without integrity.
One specifically, I’m addressing in today’s edition, is regarding social media trolls.
Before I go further, I didn’t come up with the term, but when the shoe fits, I’ll employ it.
Social media trolls are people who use social media platforms, but of course, not all people who use social media platforms are trolls. Thankfully, they make up a far smaller percentage of users, however, one social media troll is still one too, many.

How to spot a troll

It’s oh, so easy! You won’t even have to hunt for them. They’ll find you! Trolls may or may not look like ugly, gnarled goblins. Most look like regular people. It’s not their looks that define them, it’s their actions. Trolls are social media users who seldom interact with you, unless you post something on your own account that they disagree with. It drives them nuts, and they’ll be compelled to fly to your social media page and leave a comment (or comments) that can be any of the following...

• Accusatory
• Argumentative
• Hypocritical
• Inflammatory
• Insulting
• Offensive
• Threatening

If any of those sound like familiar comments on your social media posts, from folks you seldom (if ever) hear from, unless you post something they disagree with, you’ve likely encountered a troll. They may look like regular folk (or not!) but looks aside, the content they leave on your page can be downright ugly. Being a liberty-lovin’, conservative Christian who loves my country, Old Glory waving in the breeze, who appreciates the privilege of living in a free republic, governed by and for the people, I’ve encountered a good many trolls over the years.

How to keep trolls at a safe distance

My best advice on troll-defense, is to take the offensive as soon as possible, which involves two steps.

1. Issue a warning: Encourage them to play nice, or not play at all. If that’s not enough to bring about an attitude adjustment, see step two.
2. Block them: Prevent them from interacting with your account, or you may end up not even having an account. When trolls fail to take over, they often file an unsubstantiated complaint against the user they’re trolling and next thing you know, your account’s closed.

Often the warning is enough. When they realize you’re not troll-fodder, and their negative content on your account (page) isn’t welcome, they’ll often troll elsewhere for folks who’ll put up with their shenanigans.

That is usually enough to put a stop to themand their troll-friends, too. Trolls don’t always hunt alone. They love to run and attack in packs, not only leaving their own mess on your social media page, but will invite and encourage their troll friends to do the same. 

All the while, of course, they’ll be going on and on about love and acceptance while labeling those who disagree with their ideologies, as haters.

Free speech is a blessing, and a high price is paid for it. Even trolls have a right to free speech, it’s just best for them to express themselves on their own social media accounts.

Good stewardship is a responsibility each of us should exercise and the world would be a much better place if trolls just stopped being trolls.

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Amos 2:3

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for your visit today.

Until next time, Shalom

Archie Rooster: Goat boss!

 Image via AS Phillips

Winter 2023...

Two beautiful, young roosters, left the farm where they were born, and relocated to new homes. One is Jedidiah, who lives here, with my family. Jedidiah’s brother, Archie, went to live on a farm, just outside of our village.

When they were young, they looked quite different from one another but now, they’re difficult to tell which is which.

On our little farm, Jedidiah has his own flock of chickens. Archie tho, he has only one chicken and a herd of goats!

Yup, the majority of Archie’s tribe, doesn’t have feathers or only two legs. Most have four legs and hoofs, but one solo-member has four legs and paws!

                                                A few of Archie's friends...

 

           

                                        

Images via AS Phillips

Away from our pen!

Lee Brown, a neighbor and close friend, told me how Archie has adapted since moving to Lee’s goat farm. He sleeps with them (they surround him), does his own version of grazing with them, and although he gets along with all of them very well, he even has a best friend that he spends most of his time hanging out with.

Archie is a sweet-natured rooster, but is quite protective of his four-legged, bleating friends and gets right rowdy when he thinks they’re being threatened.

The farm has more than one goat pen, and Archie knows which goats belong in his pen and which don’t. Archie scolds the trespassers if they get too close to his herd’s pen. The offenders don’t argue with him, choosing to just move away from the fence and the angry rooster.

I wanted to visit the farm and see Archie’s new family for myself. I was thankful he didn’t deem me a predator and was a total gentleman. The last time I saw him was at my house, where I got to spend several minutes giving him a good bit of petting before Lee moved him to the farm. 

Many bird species are very smart. Roosters are no exception, at least that’s so of the roosters and hens I grew up with. However, if roosters aren’t handled gently and frequently, they can be dangerous when they get older, so if you’re of a mind to invest in one, I’m hoping this post will entice you to invest beyond money and provide them with quality shelter and a great deal of affection. They’ll recognize their name. Come when you call for them and even hang out with you while you work outdoors.

They can sincerely make wonderful pets and friends if given the proper attention and care.

Archie, patrolling the fence line

Image via AS Phillips

A righteous man respects the life of his animal,

but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Proverbs 12:10

(World Messianic Bible Translation)

The wrap!

Thank you for visiting today!

Your interest and support of the independent business community, especially bloggers and vloggers, is always much appreciated!

‘Til next time,

Shalom