You’re Not in the Wrong Seat – You Have the Wrong Attitude

Tags

choose joy, choose positivity, Christian attitude, Godly attitude, gratitude, positivity

When you look at this meme, what do you see?

At first glance, it’s pretty simple. There’s a happy guy on one side of the bus looking out over the beautiful landscape and there’s a not so happy guy on the other side of the bus looking at a wall of stone.

The key is in the caption though.

Read the full post here.

Autism, Medical Visit, Meltdown

Today was a rough day.

Now, I am about to get very real and very raw so if you’re not up to it or if you can’t be kind, please just move along. I don’t need negativity today, not like this.

I have surgery in a couple of days, Wednesday to be exact. Things have moved along pretty quickly. It isn’t anything life threatening, just affects my mobility. I was at the doctor on last Tuesday and he has scheduled my surgery for this Wednesday. Needless to say, the past few days have been a flurry of appointments as I get cleared for the surgery.

A lot of pressure.

If you know me, you know that I am autistic. Yes, I have a doctor’s diagnosis. Lots of anxiety comes with that. It isn’t a conscious thing, just a switch that my brain flips when I am overwhelmed. In some weird, bizarre way, I think it is my brain trying to protect me from overstimulation – at least in part.

Or maybe I just get so overwhelmed that it has to go somewhere.

I need to say this though, God has been dealing with me on this. He is helping me and healing me. My anxiety is not as bad as it used to be, but it can still be very difficult – as you will see here. Years ago He said He would heal me but He wanted me to keep one foot in the autism world because it was my ministry and part of His plan for me.

With that said, here we go.

It doesn’t help that I do not understand people and cannot read them at all. When someone speaks to me I can pick up a little of the tone but mostly I just hear their words.

I want you to understand that my biggest struggle with my “disability,” my autism, is people’s inability or refusal to understand, try to understand, or accept me as an autistic person. They keep trying to cram me into that neurotypical slot and I just don’t fit. I never will.

I try to meet them at least halfway, try to act neurotypical, but it really doesn’t work. Even if I am successful at it for a while it never lasts and I wind up in an autistic meltdown.

Those are never pretty.

That’s what happened today and I am about to bare myself to you here because you NEED TO UNDERSTAND that not everyone is like you! Different people have different points of reference!

I will say it again. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE YOU!

And your words can have extremely harmful, lasting effects whether you intend for them to or not.

I have a lot of trouble with masks. It causes severe sensory problems for me and I become extremely disoriented which leads to panic which leads to a terrible meltdown. Add to that it makes it very difficult to breathe and you have a recipe for disaster.

When I wear a mask, my blood pressure goes up – way up. This has been documented by more than one doctor. When the mask comes off, it goes back down. Wearing a mask LITERALLY puts me into a hypertensive crisis! Blood pressure that high can cause a stroke as well as organ damage.

THAT is what I put myself at risk for every single time I put on a mask.

COVID is a maybe, maybe not issue. I might get it, I might not. And if I got it I could have no symptoms or it could be severe. It could be nothing or it could be everything.

BUT

When I put on a mask, there is a 100% certainty that no matter what I do to try to calm myself I am going to experience the disorientation, the panic, the severe anxiety, and my blood pressure is going to rise to very dangerous levels. Every single time I put on a mask I am flirting with the very real possibility that I will have a stroke.

I know this for a fact. Every. Single. Time.

To me, that makes my wearing a mask much more serious and harmful than not wearing one. You cannot make a blanket requirement without taking into account people with special needs whose medical conditions could make it riskier for them to wear a mask than not to wear one.

Some people could be put in life threatening situations my wearing a mask.

I am one of those people and the one size fits all mask mandate or requirement or whatever puts my life at risk every time I am forced to comply.

What you have to understand is that there are exceptions to every rule.

I am that exception. I am not alone. There are others.

If you go to the CDC website, they DO NOT advocate EVERYONE wearing a mask. They list several issues that exempt a person from wearing a mask. Go ahead, visit their site and scroll down the WHO SHOULD NOT WEAR A MASK.

Many of those issues are like mine. The risks associated with wearing a mask are much more significant than not wearing one.

Wearing a mask can kill me and if I continue to expose myself to it chances are it will. That is just the reality of my situation.

And I am sorry, your fear is not worth my life. It just isn’t. If you see me somewhere without my mask and that scares you, stay away from me. It is just that simple.

Why am I saying all of this?

Well, today was a rough day. I had my final pre-op appointment this morning. I got there on time, was ready and planned to get in and out quickly to minimize my mask time (It is policy there that everyone has to wear a mask – I had no choice).I had explained my problem with masks to my doctor but I am not sure she fully understood.

She understands now.

The nurse was doing the regular questions and vitals. She took my blood pressure. My husband and I had explained to her the problem I have with the mask and told her that my BP would likely be elevated but it would return to normal after I got the mask off.

She took my BP and told me that I would have to get it lower or they would not do surgery.

I explained again about the mask and how it would go down once I could take the mask off.

Her reply was, “Well, you are going to have to get it down because they won’t do your surgery if it’s high.

“Now, my surgery is in two days so it isn’t like I can go on blood pressure meds for this – I don’t have high blood pressure anyway.

The way she was talking to me it felt like she was blaming me for my mask issue. I felt like she didn’t believe me or thought I could control it. I might be wrong but that is how she made me feel.

I started to explain again (Remember, autism – I am still trying to reason to help her understand what is going on with me) and she kept arguing about me getting control of my blood pressure.

It was so frustrating because I felt like she wasn’t hearing me.

Then she said, “If you don’t like wearing a mask then you need to stay at home.

“Now, in my autistic brain, I started thinking about being at the doctor. I HAVE to be here. Does she think I should have stayed home and not come to the doctor’s office because of my mask phobia? Does she think I should not be here? Is she telling me that if I can’t wear a mask then I should not be at the doctor’s office?

I don’t know what she meant, but it sounded really bad to me. It sounded like she wanted me to go away.

That’s when the meltdown started. I said, “Please stop talking to me.

“And I told my husband that I wanted to go home. He said he understood but I had not seen the doctor yet.

She was quiet for a minute, typing something in the computer, then she said, “I have to ask you these questions. It’s my job.

“She did not say it in a kind, soft way. She said it in a hard, clipped way. It sounded like she was angry.

I don’t know if she was or not, but again, I can only look at the world through my own lens. I can only process information with the equipment that I have and that is limited by the autism. I don’t what if she was angry or offended but she sounded like it to me.

It was too much. Everything was just too much. It felt like the room closed in on me and I had this overwhelming urge to run away, to get away. But at the same time I knew I needed to see the doctor so I was trying to stay.

Then I knew I was about to have a severe panic attack. I knew I couldn’t run outside because that was too far and too many doors to go through.

I asked where is the bathroom? She gave me verbal directions. My verbal processing is already pretty bad but when I am in a meltdown, it is almost nonexistent.

I was asking where the bathroom was and no one was directing me. Then another nurse pointed and I ran in there, closed the door and hyperventilated for several minutes. When I could get some breaths in I started trying to slow my breathing so I could calm down.

When the nurse had taken my BP it has been 190/98 which is high but it was the result of the stress from the mask. When I was having the panic attack, I am sure it was much higher.

My husband knows how to handle me so he left me alone for a few minutes, then tapped on the door and asked if I was OK.

Of course I said NO.

But I came out and he helped me back to the room. My doctor came in and talked to me about my BP. After seeing a full blown autistic meltdown I am pretty sure she has a different perspective of sensory processing disorder and autism.

People can hear about it or read about it but until you live it you can’t really understand. She didn’t experience it but she witnessed it and in that respect I guess it was a good thing because she has a much better idea of what I deal with and how my autism affects me.

The nurse did not speak another word to me.

My doctor seemed very compassionate. People react differently and she seemed like she didn’t realize until right then.

I can be sort of normal or at least act like it but that doesn’t mean that I am.

It just means I can act like it for a while. But no one can see my insides and what is going on in there. On the outside I might appear neurotypical but on the inside I am still autistic and don’t understand a lot of the interactions I am having.

I do that for the other person’s comfort, not my own because it is NOT comfortable. It is hard and painful and upsetting.

Today was traumatic and it is taking a very long time for me to return to normal. But I wanted to share this with you because when you see people in the stores who don’t have on a mask, when you meet someone who doesn’t act like you think they should, please be kind.

You don’t know their story. You haven’t walked in their shoes.

You can’t see their insides.

Please, please save your judgmental or hateful comments and keep them to yourself.

CHOOSE GRACE!

One day you could be in their shoes and I am sure you would want others to treat you with the same respect I am asking from you now.

Today was very traumatic for me but it didn’t have to be.

Please, take more time to try to understand than you do to try to be right.

Debunking the Scripture of the Flat Earth Argument

Tags

dome over earth, earth footstool, earth is flat, flat earth, genesis 1:6-8, isaiah 40:22, Revelation 7:1

These are some of the most common verses that people who believe in a flat earth use to justify or support their beliefs. The problem is that these verses have been taken out of context.

Isaiah 40:22

It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in.

This has NOTHING to do with the physical earth. It is about the sovereignty of the one, true living God.

Revelation 7:1

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree

It means everywhere on earth. It is a term used to mean that it encompasses everything.

Isaiah 66:1

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Now many try to use this as saying that God uses the earth as His actual footstool. The truth is, God is a spirit. He doesn’t have any feet.

So, there’s that.

Further, we see this footstool reference come up several times in scripture in both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 110 says that the Lord will make our enemies our footstool.

Isaiah 66:1 we see the Hebrew word hshmim (הַשָּׁמַיִם) which translates to “of heaven, or “that sky.” That is the heavens.

It simply means that God is everywhere and He is Lord over everything. For the purposes of this discussion, that is as far as I will go into the explanation of the chapter.

Genesis 1:6-8

6 God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the water; let it divide the water from the water.” 7 God made the dome and divided the water under the dome from the water above the dome

In the Hebrew texts, we see some interesting words.

מַבְדִּיל, – Distinguishes

רָקִיעַ – Heavens or heavenly, sky, skyline

When you look at the scriptures in Hebrew, it repeatedly refers to making a distinction between the water of the earth and the atmosphere (which is largely water).

This has nothing to do with a dome or anything else, just a distinction between our atmosphere and the earth. In other words, the sky.

It does not say “dome.” In the KJV it says firmament.

Scripture is not talking about a physical, solid dome any more than it is referring to a triune godhead in Genesis 1:26.

Firmament actually refers to the arch of the sky – the heavens. In Genesis 1:20 we see that the birds fly IN the firmament – the heavens, the sky.

But we can get an even better picture by looking at an obsolete definition of firmament.

A more obsolete definition of firmament is basis or “a fixed pattern or system” which may be a little more in line with what the early translators meant. In other words, the fixed pattern or system of the atmosphere being divided from the earth by the sky or heavens creates a fixed pattern.

Now some people say that firmament also means vault but that merely means something resembling a dome, such as the sky.

People may misinterpret the word of God and there are many reasons that this can happen. They may not have studied adequately, they may need deliverance, they may have preconceived notions about something, they may not be Holy Ghost filled or submitted to the Holy Ghost.

And no, believing that the earth is flat is not a heaven or hell issue.

BUT when they try to use scripture to support those beliefs, they take the scripture out of context and THAT is a problem.

When a person twists scripture to support their agenda, they rob themselves and those they share the perversion of scripture with of the TRUTH of scripture. They don’t get to learn what those verses really mean and that is a serious problem. It keeps them from knowing the ONE TRUE GOD and understanding his word.

If they will twist and pervert those scriptures, then they will twist and pervert other scripture as well.

Yes, it’s a problem – a big one.

31 Days of Praise for Depression – Now On Sale!

Tags

christian depression, depression, devotional, praise for depression

31 Days of Praise for Depression: Kindle version – $0.99 May 5 – May 7.

Paul and Silas were in prison; they began to praise God. Suddenly there was a great earthquake and immediately their bonds were loosed.

Do you need an immediately?

Depression is bondage but you can be free from that prison. Praising God ushers in His presence and where His light is, darkness cannot be.

From May 5 until May 7, the Kindle version of 31 Days of Praise for Depression is just $0.99

From May 8 until May 12, the price goes up to $2.99.

This is still a great savings, it is regularly $6.95!

Get your copy today!

She let me Dare to Dream

Tags

autism in the classroom, autism school, education autistic children, teachers make a difference

For most people, their memories of high school are marked with friends, parties, football games, dances, and sweethearts. Not me. In the entire four years I attended three dances, went to no parties, made it to a couple of football games, didn’t really have any friends, and my whole two sweethearts didn’t go to my school. Though I didn’t show it, I was alone and very lonely. However, there were a handful of teachers who gave me a little room to dream, maybe even believe. One of them was my English teacher, Beverly Koepp.

For the most part my teachers didn’t push much. I was smart, no doubt about it – but I was not engaged. I didn’t have that spark the other students had, the social energy that drew them to each other, made them interested in their high school conversations, that pulled people into their orbit. I would watch, wondering what it felt like to belong.

Even the not so cool kids had each other. I had no one and even the teachers who reached out eventually just stopped and let me go on my way, alone. I was making good grades so I was doing “well.” My social abilities were a low priority. Terms like “loner” and “introvert” were used to describe me. While accurate, these labels left a gaping hole in my human interactions – and my humanity.

What they didn’t know is that I was met with the same frustration in every aspect of my life, especially at home. I didn’t even feel like I belonged there. I really was a loner, an introvert and I didn’t think, act, or present myself like the other kids.

Writing became my friend, my passion, the one thing I had to do or I would just die. It was the one thing that I knew would never leave me, bully me, or abandon me. I ached to pursue my one true love, but most of the adults in my life were quick to discourage it – as a career anyway. I am sure they thought they were doing it in my best interest, but each time they suggested an “alternative career” and discouraged me from a writing career, a little bit more of me seemed to die.

Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t do it to intentionally quash a young girl’s dreams of being a writer. They were not being cruel. They thought they were being practical. They thought they were protecting me. See, I never was like the other kids. I was the social misfit; the outcast. I never really fit in with my peers, was definitely not like the other kids, and no one – my family included – really knew what to do with me.

It would be many years until I sat across from that doctor with the kind face who finally named the part of me that made me so very different, so very alone – Asperger’s Syndrome. To find out I was on the autism spectrum answered so many questions; my world finally made sense. But that is another story for another time, although it makes the one I am telling you now all the more remarkable. This incredible teacher, as far as I know, did not know I was autistic yet she did so many things right. Things she did as I sat in her classroom helped to lay a foundation for my success.

In those school years, especially high school, even I was wondering what was wrong with me. Perhaps Mrs. Koepp sensed I had a secret that even I didn’t yet know. I doubt she suspected autism; it wasn’t as well-known as it is now, unless the patient was a profound case. Still, she treated me in such a way that my different way of thinking, the very things that were autistic in me, were celebrated and used. She never said I wasn’t trying hard enough. She never said I was lazy. As far as I can tell, she was never even frustrated with me. She never asked me to change, only to use what I had, what I was, to its very best. She pushed me to be the best me possible, whatever that looked like.

Best of all, she let me write. Her comments were very direct, honest, and thoughtful. I remember writing something once and she commented that it was “dark” but at the same time, she gave me guidance for exploring that darkness, bringing it to life. She encouraged me to explore the darkness of my solitude, of not fitting in, of being an outsider, and she taught me how to put those feelings into words on a page.

I am still in touch with Mrs. Koepp today and she is still a teacher. She loves every one of “her kids” and celebrates their unique differences. I had some good teachers throughout my academic life, but she was one of the best. She took the time to find out what touched me and inspired me. She encouraged me in ways that she likely doesn’t even realize.

I’ve always hating being singled out and public praise would make me cringe. She had a special finesse though that made it feel good. She would hold one of my papers and tell the class how well it was written, giving the high points, but her voice would always be so matter of fact like it was no surprise to her. Many people, well-meaning as they may be, often give enthusiastic public praise in a tone that implies they can’t believe you actually accomplished whatever it is you did well, to me anyway.

Mrs. Koepp never did that though. She never acted surprised and I always felt that she expected me to do well so each time I tried to be just a little better – because I knew that was what she expected from me. She had me raising the bar for myself because I wanted to meet her expectations of me even though she never once directly told me that she had any – I just knew. As a result, I started expecting more of myself.

Today I am a full time writer. I’ve written books and articles. I write for clients and help them market their businesses. I have certain standards that I have set for myself, standards that were first formed as I sat in an English classroom as a shy, awkward, outcast, withdrawn teenage girl.

Yes, Mrs. Koepp taught me English and I am a better writer today because of it. She taught me much more than that though. She was one of the first and few teachers to see potential in the weird kid sitting in her classroom – and who turned the mirror around so I could see it for myself. Not every student has a clear cut reason for being who they are or for doing what they do, but each one has a story. Good teachers accept it but great teachers teach those students to embrace it and use it. That is what Mrs. Koepp did for me. She was a true blessing. She let me dare to dream and today I am a much better me because of it.

I don’t Need to be Fixed – I’m Just Autistic

Tags

acceptance, Asperger syndrome, autism, understanding autism

Asperger’s is now called High Functioning Autism

I know it’s Autism Awareness Month, but I don’t think awareness is enough.

Ignorance is the worst thing that ever happened to autism. I am not using the term “ignorance” in a derogatory way, but in its truest definition – lack of knowledge or education – about autism.

I find that even with this “Autism Awareness Month” the vast majority of the population is still ignorant of autism.

And really, that is understandable. It is hard to understand something that you haven’t lived – at least in terms of autism. How do you relate to someone who has such severe sensory processing disorder that a bright glare, a noise, or an odor can send them into a tailspin? You can’t, not really – unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Sure, you can empathize, but you can’t really understand just what it does when those lights are too bright or the noise is too loud or the odor is too strong.

Autism is a way of being – a different way of being. It’s a different brain, different neurological wiring.

Since when was being different a bad thing?

The way I see it, we are just another color in the box.

Why should I be made to feel like I have to change the very essence of who I am just so I will fit into society? Why is it OK For people to tell me that  should I change who I am to make them more comfortable? Why should I be made to feel like I don’t belong anywhere unless I am fixed or healed first?

And I couldn’t change anyway, no matter how hard I tried. And I have. I tried. I spent years hating myself because I was an outcast. I was different. I didn’t belong. But my brain will always be my brain – my autistic brain.

That’s right, I am autistic.

I am also tall, have blue eyes, and like to read. If those things are OK, then why is it not OK for me to have a brain that is wired differently from most people?

I am sorry if my autism makes you uncomfortable – sorry for you.

Instead of looking at the things that are different about me, the things you think are wrong, negative, or that make you uncomfortable (or even offend you), why not try looking at the good things about me?

Why not look for those positives and celebrate autism?

Yeah, we may not understand each other sometimes and I may say or do things that you think are odd, but why not try stepping outside of your comfort zone and looking at it from another perspective?

See, the people who accept me the best, accept my “autistic self” with all its social awkwardness and SPD and even meltdowns, are the ones who stopped framing me by their own point of reference. They put aside their preconceived notions about what a person is supposed to be, how they are supposed to act, and they said, “OK, she’s different, so what?”

They tossed out their rigid ideas of what it means to be normal. They took themselves, their own ideas, beliefs, and opinions, out of the equation. They stopped thinking in terms of that self centered perspective that, well, most people do. I think they call that human nature.

But even human nature can be altered or set aside for important things.

They accepted my reality and they accepted my version of normal. Yeah, there’s been a learning curve (and a lot of frustration on both sides), but I leave the floor wide open for questions – and I answer a lot of them.

I see it like this. We’re all in this autism acceptance thing together. Yes, there is some effort required on your part to seek out understanding, or the information you need to initiate understanding. But how can I expect you to take those steps if I’m not willing to meed you halfway? How can I expect you to do all the work if I am not willing to answer your questions and provide explanations – to help you understand? I can’t. That wouldn’t be fair.

So I do answer questions. I try to help people understand. I try to help them get to a place of acceptance. We don’t have to be best friends. In fact, I am much more comfortable spending the greater portion of my time alone. However, we do have to exist in this world together and I really thing that if you gave it a chance you would see that autism offers some beautiful, wonderful gifts.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again. God puts blessings in some of the most unexpected places – and one of those places is autism.

So please, I don’t need to be fixed or cured because I am not broken or sick – and I don’t want that anyway. I am not defective just because I am not like you. I am different because God wanted to give us a big, bright, beautiful world that is full of a lot of different flavors. Autism is just one of the more exotic ones. 🙂

Time Perception Disorder

Tags

Asperger syndrome, autism, Autism Awareness, concept of time, time, time perception

 

Time Perception Disorder.

I have it.

I am autistic and it is part of the package (many autistics experience this, so my neurologist says).

I have no concept of time. One minute feels the same as one hour. Intellectually, I know that time has passed, but I don’t know how much.

I don’t know what time feels like.

Time moves separate from me, there is no connection. I can look at the clock and see that an hour has gone by or five minutes or whatever, but it all feels the same. This makes it really hard when I have to go somewhere or when I have a deadline. I do keep a timer at my workstation at home so I can set it when I am in a time crunch or when time is important.

Otherwise, time just does not hold much significance to me. I work until I am finished. I take a break until I feel rested. I don’t set an alarm to wake in the morning although I sometimes ask my husband to wake me when he gets up. Usually I just wake on my own without any help. I am definitely not a clock watcher.

Some people spend their entire lives trying to get out from under the clock. I have never been there. I never needed that escape.

My own research indicates that this “time perception disorder,” if you will (I don’t know what else to call it), tends to accompany certain conditions such as neurological disorders, autism, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s, and mental health issues like depression and bi polar disorder. Also, it seems that some people experience this intermittently while others have it all the time.

I fall into the latter group and I’ve had it my entire life. I have no perception of time.

It seems to go hand in hand with temporal issues and cognitive function that has gone a little haywire. I do have some cognitive issues; verbal processing is a biggie for me.

Also, all my memories are the same in feeling and experience – like an old photograph. Apparently, this is unusual as well. People say they have “vivid memories, like it was yesterday.” I don’t. All my memories look and feel the same – agewise. A memory from something that just now happened feels the same as a memory from something in my childhood.

Death and hurtful events don’t upset me like they do most people. When I experience them they almost instantly become familiar – like I have experienced them long ago. I am almost accustomed to them so they don’t throw me off like they do many people. That is because time is not relevant to me – it simply is not there.

There isn’t much out there, much information on this. In fact, some people think it isn’t even real. This causes problems because people who don’t have the condition just expect me to be able to process time like a “normal” person – they don’t understand the struggle I have with it. When I don’t perform as the expect me to, in regard to my time perception, they get very upset. Most are not aware that this is a very real condition. Some would say time perception disorder is debilitating, but the debilitating part is in the fact that people who don’t experience it don’t understand, don’t try to understand, and don’t believe it is real.

So is it real? You bet it is! I am living proof. However, if you know someone who experiences this – and they do not have a neurological or psychiatric condition – you may want to have them get checked out since it does not seem to travel alone.

I am not a doctor, but I do have the condition. Yes, it’s a real thing – very, very real.

Understanding that Jesus is God

Tags

Biblical truth, Christianity, Jesus is God, one God, Oneness, Revelation of truth

This information can be especially difficult for Aspies because we don’t much like change and we don’t like to be wrong.

But if you believe that God is three persons or there is a trinity, then you are incorrect.

Jesus is God.

Here is the truth about who Jesus is – scripture by scripture.

Scriptural Proof that Jesus is God

Mean Christians

Tags

facebook christians, Facebook ministry, friends list on facebook, judgmental christians, mean christians

I have seen a trend recently on here where people are cutting folks off of their friends list because they don’t comment or interact. They say that in order to be their friend you have to comment and interact – it is a requirement. And these are Christian people doing this.

Thing is, not all people comment, but many, many people read. And you never know what ‘quiet’ person you are impacting.

I have learned this myself. I never remove people from my friends list unless they are a problem – and even then it has to be a pretty big problem.

You have people watching you that you aren’t aware of – you don’t even realize they are doing so. I have learned to be very careful; you may be the only Jesus they are exposed to.

But even when presented with this, those people’s hearts remain hard. They say they don’t want anyone watching them. I am sorry, but that is not a Biblical concept. The Bible tells us that we are to be an EXAMPLE to others. When we made the decision to live for Christ we signed on to a pretty big and important job.

It is our job, our duty, to reach the lost. It is our JOB to lead others to Him, not shut them out because they don’t express themselves according to some set of parameters that we have in place. You cannot escape this job no matter where you go. You are either filled with the Holy Ghost and live a holy life (the best you can, of course) ALL THE TIME or you don’t do it at all. God does not compromise!

I have seen people who are quiet (like me) compared to people who are ‘alive.’ That is not a fair comparison. People who are quiet are not dead. That is a very mean spirited assessment.

I have also seen Christians assume that quiet people do not pray or communicate. That again is not true and certainly not fair. I am a very quiet person but my relationships do not suffer. I pray daily – without ceasing. I have a strong, very good marriage – better than most. But being a quiet person I tend to think about things, take time to process them. I know I am not the only one.

But it isn’t all about me (although I do read a lot of peoples’ posts without commenting – I am autistic so I don’t always know what to say – but I do read). And like it or not people are watching you too. What kind of example are you setting? Some of the people I read, I would be afraid to walk through the door of their church. So many are judgmental and so hard. Where is the Christ like love that Jesus said we should have for one another?

Where is the operation of the body that draws people in – especially those no one else wants? And, yes, even the quiet ones?

What about the people who may not be in the same spiritual place as we are?

Do we reject them all? Do we shun them? That isn’t what my Bible says we should do.

I know in my own experience I have had people contact me who have been reading me for years – people I never knew – who have said that what I wrote had an impact on them.

I have even had several who have reached out to me after reading my books or blog posts to ask questions as they seek a deeper relationship with God. I have done Bible studies online and on the phone. I have helped several find churches in their area, they have been baptized in Jesus name, received the Holy Ghost. It has been beautiful.

I am not saying this to be boastful, just to illustrate the importance of being very careful what you say and do and especially how you treat others.

But that is just me, how I operate. I understand that isn’t for everyone. It is my own personal conviction that when I made the decision to live for God that I would let Him shine through me – in fact I pray for that every day. It is my own personal conviction to reach others, to influence and plant seeds no matter what that looks like – even if it means putting things out there and no one responds.

I don’t need an ego boost. I don’t need people responding to everything I write. I don’t do it for my ego. I do it for God.

I guess I just see things a little differently. For me, living for God is full time and it isn’t done on my terms. I gave my life over to Him and I just do as He directs. I have seen enough people hurt by what I assume (and hope!) is unintentional rejection by their Christian brothers and sisters – I have even been there myself, hurt.

So many have what looks like lofty attitudes but really I believe that they have just forgotten that not everyone is at the same spiritual place that they are. They simply need to be reminded (at least I hope that is all it takes).

There are a lot of hurting people who need to feel accepted and if we don’t draw them in hell sure will.

Is Once Saved Always Saved for Real?

There are quite a few Christians who believe that once you are saved, you are always saved – that you can’t lose your salvation.

That simply is not biblical.

There are plenty of verses in the Bible that talk about who won’t even see the Kingdom. The thing is, there are no exceptions. NOWHERE in the Bible does it say that once you are saved you are always saved.

Quite the contrary, as a matter of fact.

The TRUTH about Once Saved Always Saved