Month: November 2013

Posted in Exhort Pray Praise...

Hey Batter Batter

Posted on by Christy Petty

“But God can throw us curve balls.” This was added to a text from a friend as she was explaining her hope for good test results.

Too many times I hear statements like this of our Father. Believers making God the reason for all things that happen in this world, good, bad and otherwise. God being the one responsible for the trials we face, because He orchestrates everything. God is our Creator. God is our Father. God is our Savior. God is not our destroyer.

God does not throw curve balls. God is not in the position of trying to get us out of the game. God is not on the opposing team.  God is not playing with us, nor competing with us. To put God in the place of the pitcher or an opposing team player we bring Him down to our level. God is not equal to man, we are not equal to Him. We sin. We fail. We get hurt. We compete to get on top, for our glory.

In the baseball analogy, God would be the commissioner. ( and a bit more, the inventor of the game and not elected by man and never makes mistakes). God makes up the rules, He explains the rules, in His Word. The rules explain how to play the game.  The commissioner  sets the standards of being on The Team. God applies the consequence to offenses. He creates justice.  God is over the coaches and teams, even the one opposing coach and team.  There are two teams. The opposing team and the believing team. The Believing team’s coach is the Holy Spirit, who happens to be really close to the Commissioner.  Those who don’t believe in the rules and regulations of the Commissioner, are just spectators. Those spectators have opportunity to join the eternal game, anytime, but they have to abide to the rules and believe in the Commissioner.

The commissioner is not subject to the powers of an owner, nor a coach. The description of the baseball commissioner on Baseball Almanac can describe our God well.Beyond the obvious jobs of coaches and players, there are countless support and administrative personnel facilitating the “behind the scenes” aspects of the sport. Since its inception, professional baseball has appointed one top executive, the Commissioner of Baseball, to oversee the entire operation and maintain the integrity of the game. Unfortunately, like most public officials, the Commissioner is often forgotten in times of prosperity, yet the first to be blamed when problems arise. It is a job that requires not only a tremendous love for the game, but also an even greater patience for the media.

The curve balls of life are thrown by the opposing team, this sinful world. Satan is coach of this team and he has a damn good pitcher. The balls thrown are illness, physical death, famine, debt, wealth, pride, success.  We are given instruction on how to or if to hit these balls if we have the faith to believe in the instruction and the Commissioner that gave us instruction we know what to do with these pitches. Sometimes we will panic or don’t take the signals from our coach, and swing at balls we aren’t to swing at and we strike out. Not out of the game, but back on the bench for awhile.

The Commissioner is in charge of it all, yet  He does not; throw the balls, catch the flies, swing the bats, yell from the dugout, tell the pitcher what to pitch, hire the umpire, kick the dirt, make bad calls, hit home runs…… God created it all, set it in order, and maintains the integrity of His creation. Unfortunately He is often forgotten in times of prosperity, and is the first to be blamed when problems arise. It is a job that requires not only tremendous love but also greater patience.

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Posted in Christy's Concepts, Exhort Pray Praise...

IF …. Then

Posted on by Christy Petty

Consequence. Everything is a consequence. A result, the effect of an action, a choice.    An ingrown hair is a consequence of shaving. A smooth none whiskered face is a consequence of shaving. A consequence of sex can be a child, an abortion of a child, a sexually transmitted disease, intimacy with the other, feelings of guilt and shame. Consequence can be positive or negative. Consequence occurs immediately after a choice, drive through a red light into busy traffic, you get hit. Consequences are inherited from decisions of others, for years and centuries; man was separated from relationship with God with a choice of disobedience from Eve and Adam. Our Celiac and cancers and unstoppable diseases are consequence of genetic flaw and MANipulation of our foods and environment. Some consequence is made by bad decisions of a majority, or a dictator for others. To choose to do nothing, to accept things as they are, is taking action, to take no action. Consequence still occurs If an action is taken, a choice made, then a result occurs.

God tells over and over of IF obedience occurs THEN He will remain, and man will remain His. God also says IF obedience does not occur, IF man choses his way instead of God’s THEN suffering, destruction, death and separation from God will occur. Nations fell, people were enslaved, children were killed, people starved  (and ate their children) as a consequence of choices to turn their backs on God. Leaders, priests, elders, kings would turn from God and His law, and statutes. Man would make his own rules, his own way that would benefit a select few then tell the people to follow them and they would reap the benefits. If they did not follow them the leaders would make life miserable for the people, so they would still turn their trust from God to get themselves a little peace and comfort from other men. God tells his people, his Israelites, to obey, to not follow others, not worship idols, not want for the world, acknowledge Him in all things, HE will provide, HE will protect. But, IF they deny Him, follow others, want what they can do for themselves, let man be their ruler, God will deny them. The consequence is man’s choice.

Our lives, our world, our United States, today is a consequence of mans choices. We have let man be our ruler, our dictator. The false prophets have told us we are to love all man and accommodate all men and put aside God, because all men do not worship the one God.  Our leaders tell us we must rely on them for our lives (Obamacare), our food (food stamps),our income (welfare), trust man, he will care for us when we have trials.  We justify wrong choices by putting the blame guns, unemployment, bad parenting, conservatives, Christians, government, the President.

We do not take responsibility  for the consequences we suffer. It is We the People who have not heeded the ‘IF’. We the People have let go of God, everyone has turned to his own way.  We are believing the lies or going along with the lies of our leaders, because it is easier. We are not willing to suffer at the hand of man, pay the penalty of man. We deny God when we don’t say ‘To Hell with you that don’t want us to mention God, or pray in public’ and we allow temples to other gods to be built, because it is politically correct.   We people are suffering the consequences of our own choice when we have taxes too high and insurance programs too oppressing, because we don’t say ‘No’ to man, (self). 

The woman standing in front of the senate proclaiming God’s fury with man, is called crazy. She was dragged out THEY humiliated her and had her examined for insanity. Jeremiah told God’s people the same, they would be destroyed if they followed the king, the priest’s. They imprisoned him, called him crazy, wanted to kill him. I am being judged by man for proclaiming God’s Word, right now. (you know you are thinking I am some kind of weirdo)  My son(s) and those who believe our government is corrupt and desires to remove our freedom, are called radical and paranoid, by man. Obedience to God is ridiculed, attacked, shunned punished, by man. Obedience to God is rewarded, blessed and called for, by God.

IF we obey and follow God THEN He will protect and bless

IF we disobey and turn to the way of man THEN

Jeremiah 44:7b Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman,child and infant, leaving none to remain, in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands burning incense to other gods, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?  …. 11I will set My face against you for catastrophe……15. Then all the men and their wives, all the people answered saying :As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen.”   ….. 22 So the Lord could no longer bear it because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed, therefore your land is a desolation an astonishment , a curse. 

Posted in Rants Raves

Gluten Free IS Our Way

Posted on by Christy Petty

Been doing and going and being very busy. Always gluten-free. As long as it is my choice.

Recently several of my gluten-free clan have had an infiltration of wheat gluten. The youngest grandchild was given goldfish crackers, accidentally. The child care staff had some newbies. The typical apology, with follow-up of observation of he did not get sick right away, maybe it will be ok, this time, comment was given to his mom.  Then, just a week later, he stole some goldfish from another child at snack time. He found out those gold-fish taste way better than the raisins all the gf  kids get while the others get their exceptionally good snacks.  Another grandchild has had a flare up with his psoriasis, he recently started kindergarten, and the family went on a mini vacation and of course ate out for 3 days, so there is no telling where he ingested wheat. Keith and I both had wheat somewhere sometime, either fries coated with something, or the chili verde at the new Mexican restaurant, that looked a bit thick. Or something at Johnny Carino’s really wasn’t gluten-free.  The 3 weeks of indigestion and frequent  bathroom trips are just starting to slow down. I went into Evans apartment  a month ago and found him eating Pringles potato chips, and showed him the content list with wheat gluten on the back of the canister. He  had not thought to look on chips, and I had not told him Pringles are forever off-limits. He has been a grump and  ‘slow’, for weeks and now I know why.

Thank God, we don’t drop dead when we ingest wheat, like those who are allergic to peanuts could when they breathe peanut butter fumes. We would all be dead and buried a long time ago. When wheat does pass our lips per accident of the server, and we catch them, we always get the typical apology and then” well you didn’t die so it mustn’t be that bad” kind of response. They just don’t get that it sets off a chain reaction that begins in a few days and lasts for weeks, if not months, and it  is not just a stomach ache.  Yes, many of us will have stomach (bowel) issues, sometimes before we can even leave the restaurant, but there is soooo much more. Our immune systems begins to attack the body, to rid itself of this poison that has entered it. Migraines, joint pain, fibromyaliga flares, psoriasis (grandsons went from an itch to a bleeding sore in just a week) Addictive cravings for wheat, just as a recovered alcoholic would have if you slipped him some alcohol. ADD/ADHD. Sleeplessness. Night terrors. Muscle cramps. diarrhea, constipation, acne flare up, asthma, indigestion, skin rashes, more susceptible to infections. The ingestion of wheat causes a reaction that leads to another that leads to another.

t distressing to say, but, I don’t think I have been totally wheat free for more than 6 months, due to some ‘mess up’, either of my own, or some bonehead in a restaurant. This is frustrating, to say the least. The mistakes I make have been from not reading a label thoroughly, or from having a tried and true gluten free item change it’s ingredients.  Why does Blue Bell Chocolate ice cream have wheat in it? Why must McDonald’s put wheat on their french fries?

The gluten full  public don’t seem to take the gluten less population seriously. Or they just don’t care.  Somehow we gluten free are deemed as health nuts, hippies, freaks. I know when we ask for no bun on our burgers they always seem surprised that  we do want fries and cheese and not just vegetables. Jason’s always brings ‘baked’ healthy chips with the GF sandwiches. Most of us are not watching our carbs, we are not eating healthy, we want all the sweets and fattening stuff out there, just without wheat/gluten.  I don’t know what one with a peanut allergy has to ask for or watch out for when eating out, but I would bet if they do ask the server about peanuts in food, the server will bend over backward to make sure no peanut gets in the customer.Why doesn’t a peanut allergy person get called ‘one of those’ ? The gluten full public seems to have the attitude that we gluten less are making up our illness. We don’t look sick. Like the diabetic doesn’t look sick, until their glucose gets too high.  If one in a wheelchair goes to a restaurant they are given a table that can accommodate the chair, less traffic from those passing by.  When we go to a restaurant and ask for gluten free menus for both, we are brought bread and croutons on our salad. Is it being inconsiderate or ignorant?

There are probably about 10 families in our church that know they are GF.  Recently our church started serving all gluten free communion. PRAISE! For years, we have just passed up the little stale crackers. (No big loss) and concentrated harder on ‘the Body’  while others chewed. 😉 The reason for the change is another GF joined our ranks in the church, the new Pastors wife. Having an ‘in’ has it’s benefits! At first there was a question and trial on how to serve to those few that were GF; Have them raise their hands and be served from special plate? Have them go to back where GF communion was set up?  They asked me to brain storm with them for ideas. It was a short storm. Just serve EVERYONE gluten free! The crackers are blech anyway, gluten free won’t hurt anyone, and gluten full would! We had a couple of hand raising communions, then they started the everyone eat GF. I am sure some are @#%&* about the cracker change, but if they are, they got more to deal with that GF crackers anyway. 😉

I, we, have been passive about our being gluten free. Cringing when we hear of those who are gluten free and cause scenes by having all the condiment bottles cleaned for traces of wheat contamination. I think we have felt some shame on having to ask about coating on fries, or wheat thickener in soup. I know I search the menu for something that just can not have wheat in it to avoid the conversation at all. We don’t want to inconvenience. I am realizing though the concern is not reciprocated. Most people are not concerned for us or ours. They themselves do not want to be inconvenienced.  In truth it is their  job, whether a waitress, cook, child care giver, teacher is serve, the patron whether it be gluten free or not.  Celiac disease/gluten intolerance/wheat allergy is an illness, an autoimmune disease, it should be accommodated, by us and by those who are in contact with us, not opposed. We should expect it, we pay for it.  And if we don’t expect respect for our gluten free request, we will pay in another way.