Category: Christy’s Concepts

Posted in Exhort Pray Praise..., Rants Raves

When Do We Compromise?

Posted on by Christy Petty

This heresy is still going on– Satan started it, with ” Nope, God did not mean really die” And now these false prophets continue it. This blog was written in 2008. I have just become aware of this heresy in 2012, that leaders in churches are being turned. And running the sheep off of a cliff!
Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing!!

expreacherman's avatarNotes From A Retired Preacher

When do we compromise our faith, our beliefs, our principles, our morals?

There are organizations and people, leaders and Pastors who are trying to undermine our fundamental Bible faith.

Compromise and acceptance of error is not new. It has been around for thousands of years– in fact since the beginning and has continued until today.

God told Adam and Eve,

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof .” Genesis 2:17

And in direct contradiction to what God commanded, Satan (the Old Serpent) told Eve,

“And the serpent said unto the woman, :” Genesis 3:4

The Nation of Israel rebelled against God’s commands to Moses and compromised by building their special idols.

Paul wrote letters to the Corinthian Church, the Galatian church and many other churches to warn against doctrinal and moral compromise…

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Posted in Rants Raves

When NOT to text…or how to date the old-fashioned way!

Posted on by Christy Petty

Yes over and over again! Annie knows from whenst she speaks, types. If you have picked up the phone, found the number, call, speak, talk to the person! The new talk to text that Iphone does is ridiculous!! Seriously, you are talking in a phone to type to a person?

Anne Kemp's avatarThe Ultimate Late Bloomer

I can’t believe I’m about to wax poetic about the days of yore, but as a single gal out there dating, I’ve come across a phenomenon that is just not normal, people. Not one bit.I thought I was the only one that felt this, but thankfully after interviewing several women and men, I’ve found that what I thought was a lone pet peeve is actually a universal one.

What is this maddening, irritating tick, you ask? Okay, hold on to your boot straps folks, cause I’m about to upset techies everywhere.

It’s TEXTERS.

There I said it, and my load feels lighter for just typing it out. Text-iquette is something that is begging to be addressed as it is becoming more and more common in today’s dating world.

I get it – we are an A.D.D. society, used to getting information faster than a speeding bullet. Can’t remember who starred…

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Posted in Christy's Concepts

I DO Have Friends

Posted on by Christy Petty

A friend asked me a question of my feelings on a certain matter then if it was affecting my friends or my relationships with them.  My first response was “ I don’t have friends.” The two friends with me, responded with the “yes you do’s” etc.  I kept responding with “ No not really.” I think now that was pretty rude of me. To them and all of my dear coveted friends.  The two sitting before me I was trying to convince that I did not, ARE definitely friends.

When I said I did not have friends I was not saying in a pitiful way “ No one likes me.”  Plenty of people like me, and I them. I probably like more people than like me and more people like me than I know.  It is not that I do not consider many people my friends, I do I really do. I do apologize to the friends I looked in the eye and said ” I have no friends.” to, how RUDE of me! I apologize to all my friends,my friends of past, and present, my internet blog friends, my ‘family’ friends, those who will read this and those who may never read this, ‘Ode to Friends’, I am sorry I do not appreciate you!

My explanation: I do refer to just about everyone I know as a ‘friend’. If speaking of So And So, who I have not seen or spoken to for 20 years, I will say “ My friend So And So did….” If anyone has reciprocated any kindness to me, a returned phone call, an email response, clicked ACCEPTED or FOLLOW on Facebook, or Pinterest, they ARE my friend. I consider many my friends, even if they may not me, being my friend is not conditional on your liking me, but me liking you.  This I learned from my youngest son, Evan.

When Evan was about 12 he came home from a gathering at church saying his friends that he had known for about 8 years, had treated him badly. Evan has some learning disabilities, just enough to make him ‘different’. At the age of 12 the boys are all coming to a place where they are all a bit odd, and Evan’s oddness was just something they did not want to include in the mix, anymore. Well, he told me of the cruel things these friends for years spoke to him, Momma Bear got PISSED. I explained to Evan how wrong they were, and that I was sorry for the cruelty he had endured and that they were not his friends, friends did not do that. Evan’s face became very stern and he said ‘NO’, I thought to say no he would not endure such cruelty again. He said “ NO, they are my friends” I thought he did not understand what I had explained, and started again to tell him people who are friends do not treat their friends as such. He interrupted to say “ No Mom , They MY friends, not like me but me like them.” He literally shrugged his shoulders and went on about the day.  Lesson learned, by Mom.

I don’t have a friend that comes and see’s me unannounced, and walks in the front door and makes herself a cup of coffee and chats with me while I shower. I don’t have a friend that I call, and go paint the town with. instead of with husband. I don’t have friends who call me or I call to tell of the upcoming Pap, or mammogram, or the worry of the bad results of. I don’t clothes shop with friends, I will wander shop, like antique mall, gift shop ,flea market, malling, but not a real ‘mission’ shop. My friends, local and out of townies, I will have one on one times with maybe 3 times a year, maybe. What I meant by my “ I don’t have friends” is complicated. I suppose I am comparing to the T.V. ‘Friends’ and my gleaned idea of friendship relationships from what I think they are suppose to look like, and I don’t have that.

When my friend, an out of townie, was asking what my friends thought of… “I have no friends that I relate to that way, other than you.” would have been a better response. And I do not think this a bad thing.  I don’t feel comfortable presenting all my life events, my problems, with my friends. I blog about it, but don’t call up and talk about it.  I welcome their knowing, asking what’s up, and telling me their life events. I, if they are interested, will disclose way more than anyone wants to hear. Complicated

Somewhere in the past I got the idea that I am pretty damn boring and unimportant and for me to call or talk to people about ‘me things’ is just a waste of their time. So I pulled back, stopped calling, stopped approaching, started waiting for my friends to make the first move. This has, I believe, limited the depth of my relationships with my friends. I am not a very ‘good’ friend to others, by my trying to be a good friend and not subject them to my mundane life. Complicated

I am not an initiator, I don’t like to make decisions that involve other people, ask Keith. I am a loner,an introvert. I love to be with other people, to chat about mundane, to share life’s joys and sorrows. I open my heart and home to my friends at any time they have a need or need a drink a shoulder a pillow a meal… I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE interaction with my friends, I treasure those times. Yet, I do not feel comfortable calling same friends up on a boring afternoon just to chat, I do not want to interfere with their goings on. Complicated

I hear my friends speak of goings on in their lives, interactions with their friends, even my husbands recent ski trip with guys. I hear of the antics, it sounds like episodes of  Friends.  I have never experienced that. This is where I come up with “ I don’t have friends.” Not like that. I assume THAT is what people mean by having a friend. And we know what ASSUME does, it makes and ASS out of U and ME.  This time I believe I am the only ASS.  I should never compare such a treasure as a friendship to a television show, or an idea, I should look at all of them for what they are, blessings from God.

Posted in Christy's Concepts, Family

Christmas Traditions

Posted on by Christy Petty

Definition of TRADITION

1
a : an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or asocial custom)b : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2
: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
Christmas is a conglomeration of traditions.  Traditions of ‘mothers’ family, ‘father’ family, church family, religious background, neighborhood, city, state, nation etc….
Christmas being here, in 2 days, is bringing on memories of Christmas pasts. I was thinking of MY childhood Christmas’ .  My memories from childhood are nothing but joyous. I really only remember the good from Christmas.  The only oddness of this is my other childhood memories, not involving Christmas are pretty evenly good and BAD memories. I was not perfect, my parents were not perfect, my brothers were not perfect– Yet at Christmas I only remember good.   Except…. a few Christmas memories include my crying, almost hysterically, while my parents were taking the traditional Christmas Eve posed in front of the tree or fireplace in the new Christmas Eve PJ’s photo.I actually do not know why I cried, only that I did. It was the customary pattern.  I also remember myself to be a bit too old to be crying over this tradition of picture.  Maybe I was getting into my PMS years.  Even the crying jags I had did not ‘ruin’ the whole Christmas, actually the only real reminder is the picture themselves.
OUr traditions of Christmas consisted of hanging the stockings with care, if we did not have a fireplace, we would hang on a door, or wall or…Actually we only had one home I know of that had no fireplace. A present with the tag “Open December 24 was a tradition , along with the contents of such package being a new pair of PJ’s, usually a gown (for me not my brothers.)Standing in front of the tree with various family members, either with our newly opened present’s or prior too the opening (or both) was also a HAVE to event each year. the present’s had a ‘tradition also.  The one and only one on Christmas eve.  Then on Christmas morning, Santa Claus gifts would be sitting in front of the tree, or around the tree, with each recipients stocking propped against the gift.  The gift of course was never wrapped, Santa did not need to wrap.  The stocking had a few treasures; combs, pocket knife for the boys, Little Kiddle for me, pencils (my parents were teachers) an apple, an orange, mini chocolate candies from Hershey, and nuts.
      Another tradition was entering the living room.  We were never to get up and run to the room and view the Santa gift without Dad with a camera set up to catch the moment we spied our gifts.  Just as the photographer tries to catch the grooms face the first time he views his  bride coming down the aisle.  Christmas morning we were to get up, bathroom and brush our hair and teeth, but not change out of our Christmas PJ’s, , the opening of the presents was to photographed with everyone in PJ’s .  We were to look like Doris Day and Rock Hudson with our robes and house shoes and perfectly coiffed hair.   Dad would position himself ahead of us, in the living room, either ours or our grandparents (these are the only two places I ever experienced Christmas as a child) with the movie camera with BRIGHT light or years later camera with square cubed flash that never turned.  We would wait in the hallway till he gave the ok to come in.  I am sure this was a thrill for my older brothers, Kirk was 6 years  and Mike 11 older than I. Seriously, do the math, when I was of age to be anticipating the Santa display properly, I was at the least 4, Kirk would have been 10 and Mike 15.  Here they were waiting in the hall to be greeted with the blinding light from the movie camera, with glee, I am sure.
        Once the proper amount of pictures were taken of we eying our Santa booty, Dad would begin to pass out the presents.  No one was to open until all had received theirs.  Then some how we 5 would open our gifts in an orderly fashion that we all could be aware of the others opening, calling out as we opened one from someone , “Thank you Mom and Dad, or Mamaw and Pawpa, or Sibling Name for the ball, doll, book…
          Next would come the clean up, traditional, save the big pieces of paper and ribbon style.  Breakfast was traditionally not much. Then dressing in something given as a gift.  Setting our gifts out on our beds, so we could eye them all day. The traditions go on and on.
           My parents were both teachers, so our Christmas began with the letting out of school and lasted until we went back to school, about 2 weeks.  Christmas was not just Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for me, it was a real vacation.  The family was all together, my parents were there every morning, every breakfast, every lunch every dinner.  For awhile, until my brothers grew and moved out, we all five would be HOME, and when my grandparents came they were with us for days, if we went to them again days and days.  Or at least that is how I remember it.
     Now that I am grown and have gone through my own Christmas traditions, my own family growth, I know that the memories I have are as magical as Christmas.  From the time I was 11 my dad had a second job, to pay for all credit card splurges, he worked at Sears, and Montgomery Wards, there is no way he was home for those 2 weeks.  My brothers, both moved out on their own when they were 18, so from the time I was 8 MIke did not wait in the hall with me, and I was totally on my own by the time I was 12.  Mom suffered from migraines regularly, especially if she was not needing to work, she spent most of her time in bed when she had a headache. My grandparents did not spend every Christmas with us, they shared time with Mom’s family and their other 2 daughters. My earliest memories are from about 4 years, IF we spent every 3 years with my grandparents, until my grandfather died and my grandmother moved to the nursing home when I was 18, that only gives me 5 Christmas’ with them.  The memories of the good, and not the negative, I suppose is also a tradition.
    We hear how important it is to make your own traditions in your family, apart from your childhood traditions.  I wonder.  I am actually thinking that the ‘traditions’ that tie us to the past, that are customary to insist upon having year after year, that disappoint if we do not ritually  act out– could possibly be the irritants at Christmas.  Making all the man made ideas happen.
    The reason for the season, to celebrate God’s love for us, his desire to come into our world and inhabit a human life form, so he could eventually experience a horrendous death of that body and take all of our sins upon himself go to death and conquer that death so we could have the opportunity to be ‘back’ with him forevermore. Remembering, passing down, that magical gift is the only tradition we should keep alive.
Posted in Christy's Concepts, My House that God built

OH Christmas Tree OH Christmas Tree

Posted on by Christy Petty

I can not believe I forgot to post a picture of my Christmas tree! Here it is! It has been up and ‘lighted up’ since Saturday, and decorated on Sunday.

Last year all the G Kids came over and we made cookies and  and and…. But this time only one set came. The LP Gkids came and helped me decorate, standing on the step ladder was the highlight for them all.   I had so hoped to set an annual event of all the Gkids coming and spending time with- And of course their parents if they wanted. But not this time.  One thing that has stuck (so far) is the placing of the Christmas Tree.  Each year one will choose the placement, starting with the oldest and  the next year the next one gets to pick the spot for the tree– the only rule is not in front of the TV.  I will move furniture if need. (I did this year) The oldest was  last year (the first Annual Picking the Place of TheTree Event). This year #2 picked the placement. If there are no more GKid additions, each GKid will pick every 6 years.

My giant tree- which is not real- we went fake when Lee (# 1 son) had his second asthma attack after pulling down the real tree.  I bought this tree, a couple of years ago, when we were still in our travel trailer while building this house (first time I ever never had a tree).  It was on clearance at Hobby Lobby, for—get this- $25- because the lights did not work.  The lights are not embedded in the branches, just wrapped around them.  The out lights were one string. The out lights had one bulb that needed to be pushed back in. So TA DA, I got a GOOOOOOOD deal, a great gift for not getting a tree for one Christmas.

Not being a close shot, you can not tell, the tree is cowboy themed. Rope for garland, red chili pepper covers for some of the lights, bandanas tied here and there, and cowboy type ornaments.  Keith will have nothing else.  It fits actually.  I am working on getting one of the tacky pink or purple Fake fake fake looking ones for the ‘Nonnie Room’ that will be mine!

Posted in Rants Raves

Pay it forward time!

Posted on by Christy Petty

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A great Thank YOU  to mother of wonder, author of the blog Labor of wonder for nominating and introducing me for and to the Versatile Blogger Award.  MOW has a great blog, filled with family, fun, football.

If I am understanding this nomination to Versital Blogger correctly, I now have a job to do.

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

  •  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
  •  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
  •  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
  •  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
  •  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
  1. So here are the 15:

Back to Faith– Fred Lybrand, great friend, speaker, pastor, author

Baseballs Butterflies and Blessings– K is an amazing mom, blessed with amazing children. K’s children have physical disabilites, this is glimpse of her faith and God’s grace.

When He calls me, I will answer– Natalie is a missionary/teacher in Uganda- Her life, through HIM!

Goings on out in West Texas– Just linked up with Taylors blog, really good read!

Get Phyt.org:Neat site by two young College grads for youth and teens on health.

Celiac Family.com-Great site, recipes and such- (Kind of like….)

Soul Blind Ministry– Christian, study,search and find of Daniel Lyon, his testimony is enough.

ect.Espee Trading Co. Shannon is just starting out, with a passion! She is a seamstress and mom, horse woman, and great friend

Jules Gluten Free: Great GF site, lots of info, put together exceptionally well.

Searching for Middle Ground– Great new site I linked to-Real.

nomnomglutenfreebakery-gluten free blog– good food good news

A Girl Named Bong; AMAZING recipes and photos of.

Oats N Bows.– GF twenty something Sarah is soooo fun to read

The Ultimate Late Bloomer; Great blogger that happens to be GF

Celiac Central Bits and Bites– Another GF site, really informative and lots of worldwide info!

7 Things ABOUT ME.

  1.  I was a lifeguard for a season. At the community pool where I spent all my childhood days, it was a dream come true.
  2. I am adopted
  3. I talk to my pets and think they understand me and me them.
  4. I am not a very ‘good’ friend. I am friendly, but not a real ‘active’ friend.
  5. I AM an introvert, damn it! I am not shy, I enjoy the company of others and at times I talk to much. But I am an introvert.People suck the life out of me.
  6. I am a people pleaser. It is horrible. I have to apply “Am I now trying to win the approval of men or God.? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal 1:10. ” Dail I too often compromise what is right in order to please others.
  7. I dream, desire, hope and pray to weigh 125 lbs someday– And stay that way.  I have a long way to go.
Posted in Christy's Concepts, Exhort Pray Praise...

What Am I Thinking.

Posted on by Christy Petty

I have a thought:

thought 1 |θôt |noun: 1 an idea or opinion produced by thinking or occurring suddenly in the mind 

Produced-made up in my mind suddenly from an idea, whim,

idea |īˈdēə| noun: 1 a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action —a concept or mental impression 

Something possibly conjured up, from other ideas, facts, truths. make an opinion, my opinion from this ‘creation’ in my mind.

My opinion.

opinion |əˈpinyən noun a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge

May be based on truth, or knowledge

knowledge |ˈnälij | noun:1 facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject

But not necessarily. My opinion definately came from thoughts, ideas, conjured in my mind.And probably formed by a feeling a reaction to my thought, or my thought could have been a reaction to a feeling.

feeling |ˈfēli ng | noun:1 an emotional state or reaction( feelings) the emotional side of someone’s character; emotional responses or tendencies to respond :2 a belief, esp. a vague or irrational one 

A response from my emotional side. My Spirit? My Soul?My Flesh? Any. All.

emotion |iˈmō sh ən|   noun: a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others

My emotions are me, inside. Possibly born in me, fears. Placed in me, joy, love.  Learned from the past, from experiences. Based on my beliefs.

belief |biˈlēf| noun: an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists 2:( belief in) trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

My beliefs are founded and unfounded. I try to know something is true before I accept it as my belief. Sometimes though I let my feeling decide. I believe truth. I believe fiction, at times, until I find it is. I believe in good and evil. I believe in things I think in my mind, because I believe them to be true. And like fictitious things, sometimes I find my thoughts to not be true, and I have to change my beliefs.  I put my beliefs in, my faith and trust in , my husband, my children, my friends, myself, my car, sometimes my government, my doctor, the ‘experts’. At times all of these fail me.  I can not put my trust in man, and expect it to never fail.   I believe in God, I believe He is truth, He is love, He is constant, He is always right, He never fails.

Then my belief, develops an attitude. Good and bad.

attitude |ˈatiˌt(y)oōd|  noun: A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior

My behavior, my choices, my relationships are effected by my attitude. My thoughts are affected by my attitude, it comes full circle.

Thoughts, ideas, opinions,knowledge, feeling,emotions, belief- the dictionary list these all as nouns.  A noun- A person, place or thing.

I can control a thing. I can control what I think. I can choose to think on what is truth, what is good.

Psalm 34:14
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.  

3 John 1:11
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

Romans 12:17
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

My choice

  1. Matthew 22:37
    Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
  2. Mark 12:30
    And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first 
  3. Luke 10:27
    So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

My choice to lead my heart.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence,   For out of it spring the issues of life. 

Out of my heart comes my thoughts.