Pictures from a protest march on London.... does this not scare you? Are we supposed to be "tolerant" of such language? In today's world, I guess these kinds of comments are "okay"...See the pattern that is developing? Just look at my last three posts. No I am not some loony (tho my friends say otherwise...LOL). I just see the state of our world becoming more and more unstable and chaotic... scary indeed.
First, look at the post just below about the state of faith and truth in America today. Then look at what God has to say in Roman 1:18-32. Listen to truth. We need to understand that there IS a Truth. That Truth is not relative. That Truth is not fluid and changing depending on the culture or the times or the circumstances. Truth is everlasting and unchanging. If we are not careful, we will stray so far from Truth that we will forget what it looks like. And when we do, we're on own on. Folks, we're here already.
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
I am sorry. But to me, this is just sad. I know to most people in our culture this is a win - "religious tolerance" they say. I say it is a sign of a sinful world warping The Truth to the point that such consciousness is seeping into our churches, our faith. I truly believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. And in John 14:6, God clearly tells us the one way to salvation:
Living a good life is a wonderful goal. Giving to charities is nice and commendable. Being nice and considerate to others is great. But none of this leads to Heaven. Faith in God and belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was sent to earth to die for our sins as an atonement sacrifice - the perfect lamb - is the only way to salvation and Heaven. All of these other things SHOULD happen as a result of our faith and acceptance of Jesus Christ - an outgrowth of our faith - but do not in themselves constitute faith and a "ticket to Heaven."
The reason why the Body of Christ is becoming less relevant in our culture - indeed being overtaken by our culture - is because we are buying into Pluralism (i.e., multiple sources and routes of salvation, religious "tolerance"), buying into Secular Humanism (i.e., to each his own, if it feels good do it, etc.), buying into Moral Relativism (i.e., there is no "truth", truth is relative to the individual and circumstance) within our own faiths and churches. Why do you think that those that profess a faith and are regular church attenders look NO DIFFERENT from people without a faith. Divorce rates, infidelity, and so on are just as rampant in the church as out of the church. It is because we have bought into the secular worldview. This is in direct contradiction to what our faith is SUPPOSED to teach us (see II Corinthians 5:17):
Of course Christians are not perfect - we make the same mistakes as others because we (all) are sinful creatures. However, we ARE expected to repent of our sins and TRY to live as Christ-like a life as possible. We are to love everyone, care for everyone, be concerned for everyone. But that does not mean we are to be the SAME as everyone. God clearly teaches us this, prepares us for a time like this, warns us of a time like this... Check out Colossians 2:8:
...or even Colossians 2:20:
So, are we in moral decline in this world? Absolutely. Are people's faith being warped by our culture? Yes. Are we standing in the gap to fight against the teachings of this culture? NO!
Our house in summer...
Headgamer says:
hope your day ends up not as hectic as usual...
FPA_Kelly says:
right........printing yard sale signs, rummaging through the house/attic for more stuff, frantically printing out yet MORE bills for [patients] who need them immediately.......typical day for me.
Headgamer says:
I know
FPA_Kelly says:
In addition to reading over my TURN curriculum for next week during which I will be teaching PreK again and the curriculum/games are geared for 3-5th graders, so I've got some work to do there too. As well as trying to get a packing list going for Oklahoma. But amongst all of this, I'm just sitting around eating bonbons and watching Oprah.
Headgamer says:
What's on Oprah today? LOL
FPA_Kelly says:
Obama.
Headgamer says:
And Tom Cruise.
Headgamer says:
You truly amaze me sometimes with everything you can do...
FPA_Kelly says:
yeah, but half-a$. nothing is done well.
Headgamer says:
I know you are busier than I am right now so I will leave you alone...
FPA_Kelly says:
you have no idea.
Headgamer says:
no I don't.
FPA_Kelly says:
I've got to have some doors on my office. Mitchell comes in screaming while I'm on the phone and I have to run to the bathroom and try to talk. Then he bangs on the door....it's horrible!!!!!!!!
Headgamer says:
that may be my project while y'all are gone...
FPA_Kelly says:
This is nothing new. He always does it. Sometimes I have to just hang up and try again later.
FPA_Kelly says:
I can get no work out of the boys lately. We need to talk about another plan because the chore chart is not working. I just told Luke that it saddened me that they weren't going to get to do anything this summer because they were not making any money off their chores.
Headgamer says:
yeah I was thinking the same thing
FPA_Kelly says:
He goes, "We're about to." I go, "About to what?" "Make a bunch of money. In the yard sale."
Headgamer says:
they are going to be SO disappointed with that whole thing.
Headgamer says:
ok... so do they leave the house to play without doing their stuff?
FPA_Kelly says:
well that's the thing. they don't really have stuff to do. do they put their dishes away, yes, do they feed the dogs, yes, do they brush their teeth, yes. They forfeit the reading sometimes to play instead. The TV is not on, connor's DS is put away, they just play outside, which is good. It's just that the bathroom is always trashed, their personal items are all over the place. I am literally either glued into this chair or at my little corner in the kitchen. I never go anywhere else or do anything else. It's pitiful, actually. I can't monitor them fully.
FPA_Kelly says:
I am always making koolaid, spaghettio's, PB sandwiches, etc.
FPA_Kelly says:
putting the password on Mitch's computer constantly because it keeps feezing up and he needs it rebooted.
Headgamer says:
maybe I take the password off?
FPA_Kelly says:
no.
FPA_Kelly says:
between the ever-changing schedule I have to stay on top of, the children always asking for stuff........by the way I just headed off Connor with a butcher knife going outside.
FPA_Kelly says:
Said he had a great idea!
Headgamer says:
oh my gosh
FPA_Kelly says:
Cutting up a cardboard box, taping pieces together....something about making a sign for the street and this infamous yard sale that is going to make them billionaires.
FPA_Kelly says:
It's this kind of stuff, Sean. You have absolutely no idea the minute-to-minute issues that need attention.
Headgamer says:
no I don't.
FPA_Kelly says:
It's not like in the evening when it's just "get your shower, brush your teeth, go to bed"
FPA_Kelly says:
The come in a dozen times and go, "Mom, do you have any tape?"
FPA_Kelly says:
I go, "You guys sniff out any tape I ever buy for this house and then don't put anything away. If there is tape, you have it."
FPA_Kelly says:
"Mom, do you have a Sharpee marker?"
FPA_Kelly says:
"No, remember, you have all the Sharpee markers."
FPA_Kelly says:
"Where did I put them?"
FPA_Kelly says:
Connor was outside in his church shoes, no socks and shorts earlier becuase he was too lazy to look for the last place he put other shoes.
FPA_Kelly says:
They don't care about anything except the current moment in time. They do not see the importance of anything else.
Headgamer says:
I know...
FPA_Kelly says:
I don't know why they keep asking for these items that I have nothing to do with. I tell them the same thing............oh, Connor just came in again asking if he could 1)spray paint the top of a purple bin, and 2) use the saw to cut the big piece of wood in our garage?
FPA_Kelly says:
He's still coming in looking around and begging for some kind of signage at the end of our street. Still wants to spray paint the easel, a giant top of something.........
Headgamer says:
good grief.
FPA_Kelly says:
I gave him a piece green posterboard and he said he was going to spray paint letters on it. I told him that would be a mess and that I would print him out some letters. he said no, he was just going to write on it with a Sharpee. I told him...........he's back.
Headgamer says:
CRAP!!
FPA_Kelly says:
I told him his writing is not very good, but he insisted.
FPA_Kelly says:
I'm telling you, it's constant.
FPA_Kelly says:
Constant in and out, constant
FPA_Kelly says:
'Mom can I"
FPA_Kelly says:
Mom do you,
FPA_Kelly says:
mom where is.
FPA_Kelly says:
I want to run away or do something I love but i have no where to go and nothing i love anymore.
Headgamer says:
I have to admit mom used to say the same about me during the summer... in...out...in...out... would tell me outside and stay outside... give me a pitcher of water and lock the door.
FPA_Kelly says:
In the meantime, I have to adapt some VBS curriculum, plan a birthday party for an indetermined amount of guests I keep waiting to get from you, and pack in my head for Oklahoma.
FPA_Kelly says:
you are going to your meeting at church and you are taking the kids to church and registering them for TURN while you are there.
FPA_Kelly says:
I will stay in my prison because that is all I know how to do anymore.
FPA_Kelly says:
I'm not throwing myself a pity party, it's a fact.
FPA_Kelly says:
OK, so you were in and out during the summer. I bet it wasn't every 10-15 seconds because I've got 2 boys doing it, not one. And I bet you didn't come in to ask her a ton of questions and try to cut your arm off with a knife or saw. Or rummage around in every stinkin drawer in the house looking for must one more scrap of tape or paper somewhere.
FPA_Kelly says:
I gotta go, Mitch is in freak out mode about a toy.
This is how it goes in our house year-round, but especially through the summer. Kelly has so many spinning plates in the air it is unbearable at times. Pray for perseverance and patience and energy for her... pray for growth in consideration and responsibility for the boys to help her out or at least not hinder her... and pray for being more proactive in helping her out for me...
Ran across this running through my newsfeed. This is a multipart video interview with the actor Jason Beghe (IMDb profile here) who was a long-time devotee of Scientology. He has since realized that the beliefs of Scientology are "dangerous" and has left the fold. This is a series of video documenting the thinking, planning, and "theology"/philosophy of Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard, or "LHR", as he calls him. I always knew Scientology was "out there" and warped in what it espoused and taught people, but geez... this stuff takes the cake.
I especially enjoyed part 3 of the video... the one that blames Hitler, rape, pain, all sexual problems, and the Salem Witch Trials on "psychs," or the psychiatric community (psychologists, psychiatrists, and the pharmaceutical companies) - of which I am a part, btw....
Scientology: Jason Beghe Interview Pt.1 from Mark Bunker on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Pt 2 from Mark Bunker on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 3 from Mark Bunker on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 4 from Mark Bunker on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 5 from Superrodan on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 6 from Mark Bunker on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 7 from Superrodan on Vimeo.
Scientology: Jason Beghe Part 8 from Superrodan on Vimeo.
With this, Tom Cruise, Scientology, Oprah and her New Age "New Earth" crap she is now promoting (Google it to see what I mean), I feel the divide between Christians and the rest of the world widening and becoming more violent and oppressive. Scary.
(Taken from this article at Foxnews.com...)
To all my friends who do the biking thing... jogging... lift weights... aerobics... Tae Bo...whatever.
I'll take sex over them all!
I found this article very intriguing. It seems that scientific research has repeatedly confirmed that "good sex in a healthy, stable, monogamous relationship can only better our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being." (their quote, my emphasis...)
Here are the benefits that the article mentions:
Edited for content. And conscience.
Well, I sat down and thought about it after I read back through this post and all these laws. And as I was reading through them again I started feeling a bit uncomfortable about it. If I profess to be a Christian, should I really be making light of some of these laws? Laws focused on infidelity, bestiality, polygamy, and so on?
Yeah. Just not right.
Granted some of them - the old'timer ones - were funny. But I just couldn't in good conscience keep them on here due to the others that were included on the list.
If I claim to be a man of integrity, maybe I should act like it.
Is there anything else that can be said?
Kelly: seriously, I believe there is something wrong with the children.
Sean: oh geez what now
Kelly: They used to know how to close the door.
Kelly: I remember them knowing how to close the door.
Kelly: All of them.
Kelly: For some reason, none of them remember how to close the door.
Kelly: They remember how to open it and walk through it, but do not remember to reach for the knob and close it behind them.
Kelly: Keeping it locked all the time will not teach them to close the door.
Kelly: It will just eliminate the opportunity to close it.
Kelly: Connor had two pair of shoes at the garage door. 2.
Kelly: Does he put either pair on?
Sean: I am calling for fill dirt and bringing them some work home.
Sean: or a straight jacket
Sean: or a cattle prod
Kelly: No. He walks outside and gets into the van.....not 5 minutes after I said, "What are you doing in the van? Close the back hatch and do not play in the van."
Kelly: I go out to check on everyone and I can't find Connor. I said, "Where's Connor?" Luke says "In the van."
Kelly: I call his name and he opens the van door and goes, "Yeah, Mom?"
Kelly: "I just told you to get out of the van. Why are in the van?" "I had to get my shoes."
Kelly: "Those are church shoes. Are you going to church?"
Kelly: "No."
Kelly: "Then why did you go into the van when I said not to, and why did you put .............crap, now I am literally watching him get the front yard hose and play with it. Be right back.
Kelly: I go, "Why did you go into the van when I said to stay out of the van, to get church shoes when it's not time for church?"
Sean: and he says...?
Kelly: "I didn't know where my other shoes were."
Kelly: "You stepped over them right there at the door, Connor."
Kelly: Apparently they were in the van again earlier today and Luke wanted to lay down in the back where all the extra clothes were from our trip to B'ham.............hang on, got to go tell Connor to stop riding in circles on the front yard grass.........
Kelly: Connor starts throwing stuff in the van at Luke and so Luke starts trying to stick grapes in Connor's mouth, so Connor starts chasing Luke and Luke says he had to make a mad dash out of the van without his shoes and only his socks. So, he has new white socks with nasty dirty bottoms that will never come clean.
Kelly: Do you think God is telling me to write a book?
Sean: yes.
Sean: ABSOLUTELY.
Sean: yes.
Sean: I am already looking at our chat history in text form because I am going to put the transcript up on the blog... might as well put it in book form and make some money
Sean: and I also have Sherian calling around for prices for a trashcan full of gravel
Sean: $15.75 for 1/2 ton of gravel...
Kelly: dirt would be much better. Gravel will just end up all over the whole stinkin' yard and injuries will result from throwing handsful of it at each other.
Kelly: Oh, Luke was also wearing his church shoes too, BTW. When I asked why he said his school shoes have dog shit all over them from Sam's yard.
Kelly: I said, "Oh, well. Too stinkin’ bad. Walk it off."
Sean: I seriously want to find a truckload of dirt. two shovels. bucket of water with a ladle. let 'em work the next two days.
Sean: bread for lunch and supper.
Sean: and a rock to sleep on at night.
Kelly: waste of money.
Sean: no, I want them to fill those holes anyway.
Kelly: I can hear them yelling at each other in the garage through the house...and locked door. They only have one more day of this. Thursday we will be at the office so they'll be vegetables in front of the TV, and then Friday we're gone.
Kelly: Sean, they can't even pick up a piece of garbage, you actually expect them to do some skilled labor?
Kelly: Connor will see some sort of bug or lizard and decide to try to bury it with dirt and chase it all over the yard with shovels of dirt.
Kelly: tell them they have to answer to me when I get home... I am stopping at Walmart and getting toothbrushes and gonna stand over them while they scrub floors. we have GOT to LAY THE SMACKDOWN ON THEM!
Kelly: Luke will just quit and kinda walk around in circles.
Kelly: They haven't been exceptionally bad today, they just do stupid things without thinking.
Sean: ok... I STILL think I am gonna get toothbrushes and make them clean the bathroom floors
Sean: tell them to get their kneepads ready... floor scrubbing time! LOL
THIS IS A TRUE STORY
A patient was scheduled for an appointment in February 2008.
Called Blue card eligibility with the three letter prefix NLA which sent me to BCBS of SC.
I spent over 30 min in the BCBS of SC VRU (Voice Response System) trying to obtain accurate, complete mental health benefit information and trying to talk to a representative. The VRU would never let me talk to a rep and it would not give me an option of mental health/behavioral health/ psychological benefits. Only psychiatric which pays at 90% after satisfying a deductible.
After the initial appointment, testing benefits were required so called again morning of 03/13. Spent over 45 min in the VRU trying to get to a person to answer questions that were not given in VRU. Kept saying, “You cannot access the rep until you have received all benefit information.”
I accessed every kind of benefit information there was available including pediatrics and maternity. Asked for a rep and it said, “The office is closed from noon to 1 for lunch. Please call back after 1 PM.” I have never called to verify benefits at a major insurance carrier and been told the office was closed.
With extreme dread and trepidation, I called the BCBS of SC again after 1. Went through the VRU again, including asking for the benefit information to be faxed. Even after getting every stinkin’ bit of benefit information available it would not let me speak to a customer service rep. Kept saying, “You must obtain all available information from the VRU before speaking to a representative.” And then it simply hung up.
I decided to call the patient’s mom and see if she had any additional information that would be helpful. Otherwise I was just going to tell her it was impossible to verify benefit/eligibility/authorization information and I needed her to pay in full at the time of service.
I called work, since it was before 5 and got an answering machine. I called home and got an answering machine and started leaving a message and it cut me off mid-sentence.
I went to the BCBS SC website and selected “Contact Us” but under that screen it only lists Q & A stuff. There is no email, phone number, fax number, nothing in the way of contact information.
Then I noticed that the fax I received from BCBS of SC had the heading of BCBS of MI.
I accessed BCBS of MI website and selected the “Contact Us” section. There was no number, no fax number, no email listed. It said, “Look at the back of the patient’s card for the correct phone numbers.”
Called secretary and asked her to look at the back of the patient’s card. She gave me one that said “For benefits and eligibility call…….” And another that said, “For mental health benefits call…….” I said, “Does it say BCBS of SC or MI or what. She goes, “It said BCBS of AL PPO.”
I called the mental health number and got a recorded message that said, “You have reached Audix. Please leave a message.” Strange. I don’t know what Audix even is.
I called the benefits and eligibility number and got, “This is Sue. Please leave a message.” This can’t be right!! Where is Rod Serling? I must be in the Twilight Zone!
I call BCBS of GA, who paid the claim to see if they have on record who the member's plan is actually with. They do not.
I check the numbers again and make sure I wrote down the right ones. I did. Well maybe, even though I’m using voice dial, maybe I said the wrong number. So, I called the mental health one again. Same thing. I call the eligibility one again and get a person who says “Such-n-such financial services, can I help you?” And I go, “I know this sounds strange, but I’m trying to get insurance benefits on a patient.” She says, “You’re trying to reach BCBS aren’t you?” I go, “Yes! Happy to actually hear another human being’s voice.” She goes, “We are still getting calls for folks looking for BCBS. This is a financial services office, but this is the number they gave us to give out.”
I call the number she gave and I get another real person. Exhausted and angry I go, “I am desperately trying to get benefit and eligibility information on a patient. “ She starts asking me all these strange, unrelated questions. I finally get suspicious and go, “These are not the customary questions asked to obtain benefit information.” She goes, “This is the Human Resources Department for employees of BCBS of TX.” I AM NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP!!!
I bust out laughing and go, “Do you know how I got your number?” ...and I explain how there is a number on the back of a bunch of insurance cards out there that are a financial services office. The financial services office gives out your number to folks looking for mental health benefits and eligibility for patients with……Gosh I don’t know, maybe BCBS of SC, MI, AL, TX. Who knows?
She says, “Well, here’s the number I have for BCBS of AL.” I call that number and it is for members, not providers and it gives me another number.
I call it and it gives me another number. I call that number and the office is closed….it’s 5:05 in AL.
...from being an idiot again.
When I first started my blog, it wasn't My Turn on the Couch... it was the McKay Wildlife Preserve. Anyway, long story short, I didn't do what I needed to do to save all my posts, and when I switched it over to MTOTC, I lost all my posts. Why couldn't BlogBackupOnline have existed then?! If it had, it would have saved me lots of headaches and some fantastic, world-changing, blog entries. Really, they were, but since they got lost I can't prove it.
Anyway...
With BBO, I don't have to worry about it. Once you get an account, set up your blog with them in your account, and it will automatically backup your blog nightly. Blogger has a catastrophic server crash and lose your blog? Restore it from BBO. Act like an idiot like me and lose all your posts? Restore from BBO.
Up until now they have been free as they are in beta. They are about to go out of beta, but will still have a free service:
Free: 5mb storage
$49.99/year: 50 MB storage
$99.95/year: 1GB storage
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