My Personal Soap Box: Sometimes it is better just to bite your tongue!

The past few months I have been a little less involved in just activities that are in a "group" setting. I will go out with couples with Colin and just hang out in that fashion but anything else seems to bring drama! It is funny how people forget all the things you have done for them and the actions you have taken to support them in the past through some rather personal and difficult times they have faced but when it comes to someone else other than them they totally become jealous, discouraging and just distant. After awhile it just gets plain exhausting to deal with! I am not perfect but I dont really like when people with their own issues try to point the blame in your direction rather than looking at themselves and really trying to work on themselves. I have been having to bite my tongue to the rather obvious attitudes that are being shoveled out lately especially with the announcement of us expecting. God didn't put us on this earth to discourage and treat others like poop! People really need to get over it and really look at how they treat others. I am honestly tired of being the bad guy...I have been there for people during losses, sorrow, financial trials, heartbreak, marriage, divorce and their own lack of seeing their worth in this life. I have always been a phone call away and came running when they needed someone and no one was there to talk to, to understand them, to encourage them etc. I can honestly say I truly have one friend that has been there for me and I for her for many years. She has helped me through my divorce as I have helped her with her own marriage struggles, she was there for the birth of my child as I was for her, we have laughed, cried and enjoyed each others company for many years. We dont talk everyday, we dont see each other even weekly but we know that we are not far away from each other. To me this is friendship and I hope you read this and get inspired to be a better friend and to look at what others have done for you cause they cared about you not because they were jealous or discouraging or wanted to benefit themselves in some way. How people treat each other is rather sad so sometimes all you can do it bite your tongue and pray for them that their heart will become tender towards others.

"We can’t fix whatever hurt caused them to lash out. But we can decide to stay calm and not compound the hurt. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (Proverbs 15:1-2)

 

My Personal Soap Box

I usually am not a very political person at all and actually hate to talk politics just because I have my view and I dont care to always try and argue it with someone else that is so strong in their views but I am so sick of the government turning their focus on one aspect of something when a tragedy occurs. Yes the shooting in Sandy Hook was horrific and I can't even begin to describe as a parent how I would even possibly be able to cope if that were to happen in the school where my daughter attends.

My soap box is that I am having a real problem with the government always pointing to guns as being the problem. Do they not see that in every shooting incident that has occurred since this world's existence hasn't only been because that person had access to guns but that there was a greater underlying reason...a mental illness. Almost every shooter that has had a family member mention that they were "troubled" or "portrayed signs of a mental illness" or even were on meds because of a mental illness. As a family that owns guns there is not even a moment in my life where I have ever thought of shooting anyone innocent or not with that gun. Most legit gun owners don't own guns to shoot others or harm anyone because we dont have a mental illness. We couldn't even fathum this idea! With each prior shooter there has been warning signs given to family and friends that this person was disturbed. This to me is where we all need to be more educated. We need to be able to identify disturbing behaviour whether we really want to recognize it or not. Why is our government missing this major eye opener in each of these events? Why do they always point to needing stricter gun laws? Just like those that want to do drugs will find a way to obtain them, those that want to get a gun and shoot someone will obtain it whether legal or not. As a parent I feel it is my duty to really be in turn with my children's behaviour. I would know if something changed in them, if their behaviours were different. We need to talk to our children and let them know we will love them no matter what issues they feel they are having. Am I saying it is the parents fault in each incident? Not necessarily but I think our focus needs to also be directed to not only how to talk to our children when an tragedy occurs but how to identify and understand our children.

On another note...This world is a cruel world we live in and our children need to know that we are the "safe" people they can turn to when they need help. We need to show our children right from wrong and really bring God into their lives and teach them how God wants to see that they cope with life and trials that they may face. Why is our president saying we need to pray for these people when we can't even pray in schools! Isn't this a time that we need to focus on bringing prayer back into school and show these kids who they can always turn to in times of sadness, struggle, discouragement and confusion? Why are we focusing on referendums for gay marriage, pot legalization? Why not get a referendum that allows prayer to be ok in schools. It is so weird as a Christian that we even have to have a referendum/law for it to be "ok" to pray in schools. Wouldn't it be amazing if these children came back after this tragedy and they just gathered around the school in prayer? Ever thought about how many christian private schools have shootings? They pray in their schools daily.

Instead of moments of silence can we just pray!?