Shake Rattle And Sift

Finally I'm back; sorry it has taken me so long. There has been some issues with computer sharing in the household.
I have a lot of things rattling around in this mess of mind I have. I will try to sort some of them out here. Firstly I have been thinking a lot about the situations in Iraq and Syria.
I am dumbfounded at the disparity of the news coverage compared to Ferguson MO. James Wright Foley's execution finally caused the attention to come back to what is going on in Iraq. I can't imagine the pain Mr. Foley's family is going through right now but neither can I imagine the choice all those family's in Iraq are having to make just because they don't believe the same way a small group of people think they should. I am also puzzled as to why many Christians weren't saying much of anything about Iraq until they heard about other Christian's dying for their faith. How is it worse that Christians were beheaded and such those who are Muslim etc.? It seems to me it would be worse the other way around because at least the Christians have real hope beyond this life. I guess I am just plain disgusted with human beings right now.
Let me preface my next rant thusly; I try really hard not to be racist; I don't judge people based on what they look like or where they come from but prejudice is; I believe an inescapable human condition.
The situation in Ferguson has finally turned a corner. Last night was; at last, peaceful. I just find it odd and irksome that what made the difference seems to be that Attorney General Eric Holder came to town. Mr. Holder is black. I just have a hard time believing that a white Attorney General coming to town would have had the same impact as Mr. Holder's did. I also saw a poll on the news that 60% of black people approve of President Obama's response to what was going on in Ferguson. Really? He refused to come back from his vacation in an act of support until a white journalist was beheaded in Iraq; but that's okay. Why? Because he is a black president? Why was it okay for Obama to basically ignore what was going on in Ferguson; yet so a previous administration to be vilified for the failings of FEMA during hurricane Katrina? Why do people rage about inequality and then partake of it with the same mouth? Why is it okay to vote for someone on the basis of race alone then cry about racism?
See I think all of these things and have all these questions I am afraid to say or ask for fear that I will be criticized for these thoughts. I just don't understand the way people think. I know I can't understand what it is like to be black; to have the color of my skin be who and what I am before anything else. But does that mean I have no right to say anything? Does that mean I have no right to an opinion?
See, the way I see what happened in Ferguson wasn't " look what those black people are doing" it was " look what those angry people are doing". My concerns were for the families trapped in their homes and businesses that were unable to open or damaged or both. My fear was that the violence would begat more violence; that the anger would give birth to more anger. My fears were realized all to truly and my heart weeps for this country that our communities can so easily be divided and torn apart. In the depths of my being I mourn for the Michael Browns of this world. But even more my heart mourns each man, woman and child whose lives were brutally taken from them by ISIS. My heart is torn in pieces over the parents who had to watch their children starve to spare them torture and beheading. I can't fathom how a world can sit by and so little in the face of these things. How often we as humans bemoan what is wrong with the world rather than reaching out to do something about the things we can change.
I shake my head in sorrow and confusion as these thoughts rattle around in my head and in writing I am trying to sift out all the prejudice and hurt. I cry out to God for patience with my fellow man and especially my brothers and sisters in Christ when I see a lack of empathy for those who don't know the redeeming power of grace through Jesus Christ. My spirit bleeds a little each time I see a professing Christian judge another's sin rather than lift them up. My spirit mourns when I replay in my head things I have said in anger rather than understanding. How easily we spout Bible verses to condemn but forget the words of our Savior that He did not come into the world to condemn it but to save it. I cry out to God to help me see through His eyes and I as I do all the stuff I wrote above no longer matters.
I hope I have not offended any one; it is not my intention.
Grace and peace CAC

And We're Back....

Okay so I've been gone a good long time and you are thinking "here we go again". Well I can't blame you for that. I really have been lax in writing. I could blame on it on the fact that my computer and XP parted ways and I couldn't type on my tablet. I could, but that would be a lie. The truth is I wasn't writing before my computer started messing up. The truth is I just don't make myself write what is whirling around in my head. I do write a lot in my head. I have lain in bed and composed a plethora of essays on a myriad of subjects. I just don't bother to write any of them down. I have been convicted of late though that this needs to stop. I may not be a great writer but I wouldn't be composing all these things in my head if they were not meant to be shared. God keeps sending little reminders to me about writing my story. Finally He has cracked the thick skull I have and I am seeing that though my story may not be well written it is mine, it is His and I should share. I won't be able to share my story if I don't get into the habit of writing. Also God has done some amazing things in my life and I need to let people know. So starting next post I will tell you some of these things. So, this is where you, reader come in. I need help. I need to know what you want to read about. Is there something I shared with you that you think others would like to hear. Do you have questions about what I believe or think about something? Please, PLEASE give me some feedback to get me started. Also, I really need some accountability. I am pledging to write at least one post 2x a week. I need someone to kick me in the hind end if I don't post for more than 3 days. My goal is by the end of the year to be posting daily. Thank you in advance. May God bless you and keep you. CAC

What? Update? Really? YES finally

Ya well what can I say; you've heard it all before. I am saddened a great deal by the gaps -canyons- between my postings.
You see it is not that I don't have anything to say; it is that I have so much to say I get tired just at the thought of trying to narrow my thoughts and ideas down and make it into a cohesive group of words.
Some of the problem too is my computer; it hates me. It really hates me being online. I switched browsers and that has helped some but not enough. I probably have some sort of junk on my computer that the programs I have to remove junk can't remove.
See a computer for me is like a car is for some people. Said people use the car to move them from point A to point B; know to put gas in it and maybe think of putting oil in or changing it if a light comes on and won't go off But said drivers don't check tire pressure,nor check the battery or bother with radiator fluid and the like. All said people know is that after a while the car just stops working.
I know how to so some tings on my computer; rely on it for certain things. I have a virus protection program and I have a couple of programs that I run to " clean up" my computer. I have no idea, however, what those programs actually do and I have no clue if they are doing a good job or not. What I do know is that it no longer works the way it used to work and that when I want to do something online it seems to think I have all day to sit and wait for pages to load. Even though I have DSL I often wonder if dial up could be any slower.
Back to all the things I have to say...I need to bite the bullet and get things written down before my head explodes; or would that be implode? Oh well, just saying I said all that to say I am going to try to write more and if anyone is still following me; please kick me in the backside once in a awhile OK?
More later, I promise...
Before I go please pray for my mom and my sister Lillie; Lillie has Hep C . She has been unconscious for over a week brought on by high ammonia in her blood. She has pneumonia in both lungs, her kidneys are failing because her liver is dead and the shunts put in her liver have clogged. We waited almost a week for her to be transferred to the hospital that her liver doctor works out of. Her doctor ordered meds to keep her in a coma so she is not suffering, however if her lungs do not clear up, there is little that can done be done for her. To make matters worse my mom can't stay with her as she is hospitalized in a hospital that is 2 hours away and she can't afford lodging there.
Thanks and God bless you!