<![CDATA[Sandra M. Urquhart - Scribblings]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 14:10:03 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Thought For The Week 61]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 16:48:08 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/05/thought-for-the-week-61.htmlIt's been an interesting few weeks. Yet,  proverbs says that a man of integrity walks securely. So despite the fact that I've been under, what most people would consider to be some serious attacks; I'm fine. I walk on.

If you were to check my hubpages site, you'd find that I suffered a physical attack; which I documented in my two latest articles about frozen shoulder. However, I am almost fully recovered.

I am also battling on both financial and legal fronts; which can be quite exhausting. Just keeping up with deadlines and paperwork can drain you of energy. And, although most people that know me, think that boldness comes easy to me it's not always true. I'm not always as comfortable in my skin as I may appear to be.

Yes, I'm a fighter. I don't usually tend to get into a battle unless I plan on winning it. Yet, despite my logical mind, legaleze, willingness to research and writing ability; and, despite my capability through years of experience in fighting EEO cases; I still don't like the fight. I don't like confrontation.

This is why despite the fact that so many people think I should become an advocate for children's rights; I have not moved in that direction. I will definitely advocate for my rights and for other people to fight for their rights, but legal battles are just too stressful. I don't want to enter that arena unless I absolutely have to.

And then, add to all this drama - house maintenance issues and inspections; and you will see why I haven't been able to keep up with my writing as much as I would have liked to.

You see, with the injury I sustained, it may have just been another episode of God wanting to slow me down. It wouldn't be the first time He's done that - putting me out of commission because He was trying to slow me down and get my attention.

The first time that I'm aware of this happening was 12 years ago. I was just 3 weeks short of finishing my digital publishing courses in school. I thought I was on my way; running fast towards a career as an author and publisher. Yet, I still had so much to learn - one thing being, that God's timing is always perfect and mine is not.

And how did God slow me down? Well, when you're moving too fast;  you are not paying attention to everything you should be paying attention to; and accidents happen. In my case, the accident was a double fracture sustained on my left leg. How the accident happened is another story, but I sustained a break to my ankle and just below the joint of my knee.

The frozen shoulder situation of the past 3 weeks is, I think; another example of God slowing me down enough, so that I would pay attention. So I have. One thing that I've noticed that I haven't paid attention to in a long time; is the fact that people with an official title or position, seem to be of the opinion that that title or position alone makes them trustworthy. So much so in fact, that they think that nobody will check on what they say.

People with a title think that they can just tell you something, and you just believe them just because they say it is so. Heaven forbid they should have a title, such as community leader, lawyer, political leader, pastor... Then, they are really puffed up and expect you to believe their every word; and seem surprised, taken aback, or upset when you want to verify things on your own.

In one of my recent situations, I almost took the easy way out. I almost walked away without putting up a fight. You see, it's been a while since I've been in one of these specific types of battles. And frankly, I honestly didn't know if I still had it in me to fight it out anymore. I thought of the documentation and the paper trail involved, and I admit, I got a little downhearted. Was it really worth the time, effort and  exhaustive battle that it may turn out to be?

Having just started back working, and only getting part time hours; I was more focused on trying to get my life back in order. I was worrying about my finances, and attempting to plan my life around the few hours that I was making. But, you know when God is speaking to you or trying to get your attention; because there's this little thought nawing at the back of your mind, telling you to do something. Some people ignore that little thought but I chose to listen. Good thing too, 'cause when I checked into what that little thought was telling me to check into; I found out that my suspicions were correct.

Someone was trying to throw me a sucker punch, but I'm not about to let that happen. If this person does happen to punch me; it won't be because I was a sucker or because I was too lazy to stand up and fight. God did need to slow me down, so that I could pay attention and see what was really going on in my big picture. It wasn't pretty, but now I know what's going on; so I can address it and change the picture. And since prayer changes things - that is my starting point.
]]><![CDATA[Thought For The Week 60]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:38:33 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/04/thought-for-the-week-60.htmlBeings. There are lots of different kinds of beings on this earth, and each different type has subdivisions and families they belong to. Am I going on a nature rant? Sort of. You see, in my perspective, all "beings" on earth should be respected. Not just their right to exist, but also-just treated nice, with consideration, no matter what their situation may be.

You see, while most beings that are people hardly consider one another, I, on the other hand, try to consider even those beings that people frequently disregard, simply because they don't communicate the same way we do.

Yet, I find it interesting that a handful of people in the world have chosen as their profession, the study of these different beings; and have proven, through time, patience and dedication - the intelligence and emotion of these other beings; people still disregard their intellect, abuse them, and think that they are just dumb creatures with no thought process or emotion. The perfect examples have been seen in animals that try to protect other animals, or mourning over the loss of other animals.

What I find difficult, is showing regard and respect to the beings in control; the powers that be that feel its their right to determine if a being has the right to exist or not, and in many cases, exterminating them. Ok, so what am I talking about? Two things. I am comparing apples and oranges basically.

On the one hand, you have these beautiful creatures that God, in His infinite wisdom, has provided for us. These animals are here to help us, to give us enjoyment, and in some cases, to feed us.

It is one thing to take the life of one of these creatures as a necessity for food. That I can understand, if it is a wild animal, and it is a necessity, but in the lives of people, need has been largely translated to "want." Some want certain animals slaughtered strictly for the beauty of their fur...for vanity's sake, not necessity's sake. Some want them slaughtered for other means of greed; like whales for the petroleum products and elephants for the ivory.

But what galls me the most, is the misuse and abuse of domesticated animals. Wild animals have a fighting chance because they are wild, and know better in most cases, than to trust greedy man. Domestics are raised trusting us. So when I see something like what I saw on PBS one day; the fact that in Thailand, they eat dogs - that disturbed me greatly. I have seen subsequent shows on that country, and dogs are everywhere, and kept just like pets.

Yet, they will take a young pup, club it on the head to knock it out, and roast it live on a pit. What was worse was that you could hear the poor thing yelping while it was being cooked alive. To me, that is just cruel, especially because prior to them clubbing this puppy, the sweet little thing was just running around everyone, so happy to be there with people. To mistreat a domesticated animal like this just hurts my heart.

I recently rescued a dog. After several assessments of the breed, we have determined that it is a mutt; seemingly a mix of rottweiler, pincher, and pit. Regardless, this animal is a beautiful, happy being; very sweet and loveable. Animals usually are what you make them. They will be sweet and trusting if you are kind and loving. They will be mean and vicious if you are abusive and cruel to them.
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I've had this beautiful dog for about 1.5 to almost 2 weeks, and finally, today we found the owners. I had been looking for a no kill shelter for him, because unfortunately, I can't have any more pets at my place. (I have 4 indoor cats) After seeing the loveable spirit of this dog, I determined that the owners must be worried about it. It seemed really loved because it was so loveable and sweet. I put up flyers in a few major plazas in the area where he was lost, and 4 days later, she called.

She described the dog well, and his nature, and told me his name, which he did respond to. She had been so worried about the dog, and being pregnant, that's not a good thing. We were surprized when we met her. She did sound a bit like a space case on the phone, but it was a little hard to hear her at times. She's one of those over pierced/tattooed people - not what I typically associate with, but my concern was that she really missed the dog, and had been worried about him.

The dog wagged his tail a lot when she came to him and did seem to recognize her, so I'm happy to have found his owner. It's a relief for me, considering that I was under threat of eviction if I had been caught with the dog on the property.

Aside from people hurting, maiming or killing off animals, my second issue is people playing God and deciding who has the right to exist and who does not. The powers that be have been doing just that. They are killing off massive amounts of people daily. 

They have been attacking everyone on a level of fear first. Fear is a major weapon utilized in population control via political games and the media. It's a propaganda machine. The funny thing is, what they have tried to program this country to hate another country for; what they have claimed this other nation would do, or how these other groups or fractions will attack our nation - is what they themselves are doing to us.

Years ago while republican GW was allegedly hunting down terrorists and finding "weapons of mass destruction," they told the population through the media that they needed to exercise America's military might, because the terrorists might attack us by poisoning our food and water supply.

What do you think is happening in America right now? It's been going on for years right under our noses, but when organic organizations speak out about it, people don't pay attention. They are too programmed by the media, and too drug intoxicated by the biochemical companies and the drugs they concoct and push through the pharmaceutical companies and medical profession to mask symptoms of pain and disease.

Meanwhile, look at the rate of increase in cancers alone! The more industrialized and prepackaged, homogenized, pasturized and processed the food has become; the more sickly and weak the nation has become. The motto of the powers that be is that its easier to kill a million than control a million people. They have determined that because they have the gold, they get to decide which ones of us gets to live or die. Why do you think there is such a fight over Obama's health package? Now, I don't say everything in that package is absolutely right, but at least he made the effort to get everyone covered.

However, where the attention and effort needs to be focused is on the food supply itself, and all this chemicalization for the sake of cheap cost to the manufacturers at the price of our health. I think healthy food needs to be put on the ballot as an issue, but not just for those who can afford it. It should be healthy, affordable organic food supply, available to all. Look at the difference in the cause of death since the 1900's. Cancers and heart disease top the list, and these are caused by diet and lifestyle! I think this definitely needs to be put back on the ballot.

The book of Revelations speaks of a pale horse coming out of one of the opened seals, bringing plagues, sickness and death. Seems to me that seal has already been opened...it's not coming, it's been here! Nothing will change if we don't get active and vocal on this. God did not create the intellectual machine of the human body for this abuse. Be wary of your edible decisions and take a stand against this poisonous attack on us all. God Bless.

]]><![CDATA[Thought For The Week 59]]>Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:38:02 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/03/thought-for-the-week-59.html

February was an interesting month. Actually, things got started towards the end of May when my water got shut off. Things actually didn’t really start there though. All of this really started last year, the year of delays.

As some of you may recall, I had graduated from school in February of 2011, and, still unemployed, I was attempting to scrap together the funds I needed to take my licensing exam. Yet, each time I managed to get that money together, from the meager checks I had coming in, something always came up to snatch it out of my hands again.

I would make sacrifices, like with paying some of my bills, which then resulted in enough of a lapse for the service provider to issue a final notice. So I would have the money, but then have to use it to keep from having a service disconnected; or, the car would break down and need major repair just to turn on. And, can you believe it - the money was even stolen from me at one point.

I’m sure I probably mentioned all this in an earlier post about finally succeeding in getting my license. But, when I tell you that everything was conspiring against me on this, I’m serious. There were people who attempted to utilize my other skills – I’m sort of a triple threat, having writing, graphic design, and now massage therapy skills.

There were people I was working with during the summer and late part of the year, who thought they knew what was best for me, wanting me to focus on my graphic design skills because that suited their personal agenda. In reality this person was simply trying to use me because I brought these skills to the table.

Thankfully, I recognized the various manipulations and severed all contact. But the point is that everything, and it seemed everyone, was in some way hindering me from getting that massage license.

So finally, I made a sacrificial decision. My son’s birthday was in December. He wanted a party, which, in all fairness, he hadn’t had since he was little. He had some friends he wanted to invite, so I sacrificed for about 4 months. I was only making partial payments on my utilities services in order to hold on to a little extra, aside from what I was putting aside for my exam as well, by doing this very thing.

With my brother’s help, I managed to give my son a nice little party that he really enjoyed, so it was totally worth the hassle that followed. Additionally, I also paid for my exam. As soon as I had that money I didn’t wait around, but immediately paid for it, hoping to take the exam by the end of the year. That was not to be, as the exam was delayed into January of this year.

I did the same with getting the money to pay for the license. I had also stored up extra for that too, so that I could immediately pay for it once I passed my test. So now I’m nationally licensed, and by the beginning of February, I had the license in my hands – so I can work.

But...just prior to getting it, the water was shut off. I thought, “Ok, no big deal. This is just like camping.” We’ve camped before. The real blessing is that God had already foreseen this situation, and had made provisions for me that I never even asked Him for.

Three years ago, when I had begun praying for this house that I am renting, and specifically asking Him for certain things I wanted the house to have; I never once thought about an outdoor electric well pump. Yet, He provided this for me on the property. I never even knew what it was when I first looked at this place.

And, btw, I got everything I asked Him for in this house. The one other additional blessing was something I had casually mentioned to Him a few years prior to even praying for this house.

I just love the smell of jasmine and gardenias. So one day, I casually mentioned that I’d love to have some gardenia and jasmine plants around the house I live in, particularly by my bedroom window, so I could enjoy the smell while I slept at night.

A few months ago, while I was in gardening mode; I was looking about the house at these scrawny looking palm-like plants that almost looked like those corn plants or palms. Anyways, they were so scraggly, and kinda ugly looking, and had these big, weird-looking bulbs growing on them.

I said to my son, “What are those things? I think I’m going to get rid of those plants, ’cause they’re just ugly.” No sooner than I said this, the very next day, those ugly bulbs opened up, and bloomed a little funny-looking flower. When I came home that evening, the scent of gardenia was all around my house.

Mind you, I had smelled this before, but I thought it was coming from my neighbor’s yard, because his whole back yard is like a greenhouse of plants of all kinds. I never had any idea that the delicious scent was actually in my own yard, until my son plucked a flower and said, “Mom, it’s coming from this.”

Now, in that little story, just note please, God’s timing. Here I was about to cut down or uproot something, provision that God had made for me per a thoughtless request, and just as I had the thought to get rid of it, He opens up the flower, and shows me what He gave me.

So I realize that everything I go through is not simply for my benefit, but for you, my readers as well. Someone will somehow benefit from my story, and be blessed by it, so that is the second thing that increases my faith when I’m in these situations.

When the water was cut off, I came home to a surprise, as there was no warning, and no note. The city later claimed that they put a notation on the bottom of the bill about the possibility of the water being cut off if the bill isn’t paid, but that is really not a warning. It’s simply a statement of fact.

When I say warning, I mean a prior notice...a final notice. I never got that. So the day that the water was cut off, the 19th of January; I initially thought it was related to the ongoing construction down the street. The city has these goons coming into my neighborhood, and ripping up the roads to install some sort of water drainage system.

I don’t oppose the drainage system, but at least fix the road – repave it once you are finished tearing it up! They leave pipes sticking out and big potholes in the road for weeks, with no thought about our tires!

But, I digress. My son and I went into camping mode, pulling out our largest water container, a five gallon bottle, and a huge tube we have, which is about a 15-20 gallon container. You can read this article on how I handled that.

Needless to say, I also learned some nifty tips and tricks on finding money in your home, especially when you really need it. I went to several agencies for assistance, but there was only one for water assistance, and they refused to assist me.

This center is called the “Family Success Center,” and they give a variety of types of assistance, based on a sudden decrease or interruption of income which creates an emergency situation. In my case, they could clearly see the emergency.

Social security had sent me several notices in late December; one stated that my son would get an almost $250 increase in his check. Then they sent notices stating that all 3 checks would get a cola increase. So I was confused, not knowing which statement applied and which did not.

I decided to wait until January to find out what they were actually doing, because it was the end of December, and all of these notices claimed that they were effective as of December 1, but none of this had occurred on the first.

But, whatever they were doing, kicked into effect on Jan 1, and I found out on Jan 3, when I was supposed to receive my checks. To my surprise, I received only the check for my son. Granted, that check was increased by the $250. However, my check and the disability check he was getting never arrived; so literally, my income was cut almost in half.

My plan had been to catch up the water bill and the electric bill in Jan, but that plan went into the toilet after this development. So there I was in the Family Success Center, attempting to get emergency assistance, and being told that they won’t assist me if I cannot show that the income lost was replaced.

In other words, they were saying they wouldn’t assist me because I was unemployed. This sounded ludicrous to me, because considering the economy these would be the people most in need. But, they’re thing was ensuring that people had a plan and a budget; that they were managing their homes and money, so that they did not repeatedly return for assistance.

When I subsequently went online and was searching for a resource, I found two things. First of all, I found the Family Success website. The website indicated the guidelines for qualifying to get assistance, but did not indicate that an applicant needed to be able to replace the income lost. I wondered why there was this conflict in information between the website’s content, and what the reps were telling me.

So I decided to challenge it. I sent an email to the county commissioner, who took a full 2 weeks to even respond; and to which, I sent a subsequent email in the interim, to indicate that the lack of response was duly noted, and would be reflected in my upcoming vote.

In the meanwhile, God sent my brother to intervene in my emergency situation, because it had become critical, considering that the city notified the landlord, who was forced, by the terms of the lease, to issue a 7 day notice. I had not even told my brother or mother what was happening, because I try my utmost not to bother my family with whatever issues are going on. I strive to be totally dependent on God, and His grace and provision. Plus, I don’t want to be a burden to my family.

Meanwhile, in the interim, I had contacted the social security office several times, and discovered that they have a policy that they never inform anyone about until it happens to them. Their policy is that if you have a disabled child that is getting SSI, or disability payments; when that child turns 16, they will cut off your check, if you are receiving one as well as the child. Their reason is that once the child turns 16, you are no longer needed to take care of that child, and can return to work.

Of course, they will also cut off the monies for that child when they turn 18, unless the child has not yet graduated from high school. Once they graduate, their regular check will be cut. So there was no appealing this decision. I am still taking care of my child, but they don’t recognize that once the child is 16.

So I knew the reason for the shortage. So the entire time while I was dealing with this situation with the water, the city was adding fees to the bill. My amount to shut on the water was initially $226. By the time the situation concluded, I had to pay $343 to shut it back on.

The entire time, except for one day, I kept saying, “I know that God’s got me, and somehow, some way, He will take care of this for me.” Once the 7 day notice became a concern, I continued to confess this, and even my landlord attempted to help. He is like good cop, and his partner is like bad cop. So of course you know who was insistent on the 7 day notice. Meanwhile, good cop was leaving the office early while bad cop was writing out the notice that he intended for good cop to serve me with that day.

Good cop came over to notify me on that Thursday, notifying me that I’d probably get the notice Friday. Yet, somehow, good cop delayed it again...even sending me an email telling me that he had looked up the files a previous tenant, who had also needed assistance; and gave me the name of the agency she got assistance from. I checked with that agency, but they were out of funds until June.

So for about 3 weeks, I was confessing that God would take care of the situation. It was the following Monday that the 7 day notice arrived, and I started getting nervous.  I was beginning to feel the pressure. Still, I said, “This is not the move that God and I discussed. It is not the time frame either. We aren’t leaving now.”

But, God knew just when I would need Him the most, and He arrived right on time. My brother contacted me on Facebook, because I had withheld paying the phone bill just in case we did have to move. He asked me what was going on, because God had told him to contact me.

That’s when I broke down, writing him a message to answer that question. At that point, I was really feeling the pressure, and so I wrote him with tears streaming down my face in Starbucks. After that, I was fine. My brother made a few more inquiries as to the amount I needed; then told me to come to my mother’s Tuesday to pick it up.

That Tuesday was Valentine’s Day, which I hadn’t even realized. I never pay too much attention to the holidays, so this wasn’t even on my radar. I only discovered this because when I arrived at my mother’s early the next morning, she was delighted, because my brother was coming over to have a Valentine’s breakfast with her, so she had two of her kids spending Valentine’s Day with her.

I waited until Thursday to pay the bill and put the water back on, because I was still hopeful that I could get the assistance from that agency, and not have to use my brother and mother’s loan.

Since that did not happen, I decided that that the agency would help me instead with the FPL bill. The commissioner finally contacted me, and had also contacted the agency to contact  and assist me. So all of this, including the application; was finalized yesterday.

The amazing thing is that because FPL decided to issue an additional deposit to me, the amounts were almost identical. It was $343 for the water, and $340 for the lights. Somehow, these utility companies think it makes sense to penalize and further increase the burden on a customer that is struggling to make payments; by adding an additional deposit to your bill.

Nevertheless, God took care of it all. That agency ended up paying $386 on my behalf to the electric company. And now, the burden is lifted off of me. My brother and mom are fine with me paying out the loan. And enough time has past since this interruption in my funds, that I am now adjusting, and things are not so out of whack.

Additionally, when it rains, it pours. I began getting numerous calls from employers, so all in all, the sacrifice I made to get my license and be able to work in my field, was definitely worth it. I am now employed; working for a chiropractor, which is exactly what I wanted. He has the most technologically advanced practice I've ever seen with a chiropractor, so the prospects of increasing business and my hours/salary looks very good. GB

]]><![CDATA[Thought For The Week 58]]>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:43:19 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/02/thought-for-the-week-58.html_ There are many people in the body who have a desire to utilize their gifts and talents for the Lord, particularly musical talents. This is a great ambition to have.  However, I’ve seen a troubling thing that seems to accompany the desire to serve in this specific area of talents.

I’ve been to several Christian based group events, meetings, bible studies and parties in the last several years, and I have repeatedly seen the same dynamic from the same type of people happening over and over again.

There are some people who want to believe they have a particular musical talent. Then again, there are some who actually have one. To distinguish between the two; the ones who are actually naturally talented, usually try out and successfully get into their church’s band, choir or praise group.

The other natural talent type like this, have been performing most of their lives and usually can play several instruments as well as sing. The exceptionally talented ones eventually try to get out there on their own in the music industry.

However, my focus today is on the ones who have picked up a personal hobby, like playing a guitar, and begin to imagine that they have talent. These are the ones that, for popularity’s sake, aspire to play an instrument, sing and lead worship.

They usually have no formal training, or natural talent, and don’t make the try-outs in any of the above mentioned, more professional groups. In fact, they arbitrarily dismiss the more professional groups, because they weren’t accepted due to their intermediate level of skill and talent. Subsequently, these individuals have a tendency to fall back into social events or fellowship groups in an attempt to get the spotlight.

A year ago, I visited one particular, popular bible study group and found several people who repetitively lead the worship there. They could actually play the familiar songs that everyone knew fairly well on guitars, and could hold a tune, so in that instance, their use of their talents seemed appropriate.

What seemed inappropriate with one of these individuals in particular was the fact that at almost every Christian based event in which she attended, if there was singing or worship of any sort, she always had to be one of the ones leading it.

Others deferred if musicians were already available, but she did not. She always carries her guitar in her car, ready for any opportunity at an event. Despite a sufficient amount available musicians and singers already playing and leading the singing, she pulls up a chair insisting on joining them.

In fact, within the most social groups from this particular large church, there seems to be a handful of individuals that appear to be starved for attention, who always have to be the center of attention, or in the group of people attempting to lead worship or singing of any sort.

I recall a cookout for some holiday, like Labor Day, or Independence Day, where people were moving between the outdoor pool and the interior of the host’s house. This same girl, let’s call her Kelly; had to get her cliché of giggly girlfriends - attention hounds, to do Karaoke.

This group of self-centered women took over the mike and sang goofy songs that only them and one or two other guys (which sang with them) saw the humor in. They made private jokes among themselves, because the rest of the host’s guests weren’t included, nor could they see the humor in it from what I witnessed.

It became the Kelly and friends show and comedy hour, but none of the guests except Kelly and her group, were entertained or amused by this. Everyone else looked bored and was talking among themselves.

Additionally, there’s always that one person in this cliché that claims to allegedly have “real” singing talent, yet is not competent enough to make it into the choir or praise singing group. Yet, this person will claim professional license as a former singer/performer of some well-known, famous place like Carnegie Hall.

This group all clustered themselves on one couch near the Karaoke machine and proceeded to completely entertain themselves. Once in a while they tossed a bone to some poor, nerdy, pitch-challenged sap that wanted to take a shot at the mike, but for the most part, they made sure that the outsiders that they let sing a song, could not out shine, or out sing them.

It was like high school all over again, and the alleged “pretty,” or “popular” (attention seeking) people who believed that only they had talent or should be seen; were the wannabe “stars” of a torturous show that the rest of us had to tolerate, due to the Christian attribute of grace.

Mind you, among the rest of the “alleged” no talent losers in the audience of the bored; were actually, a few musically gifted people. These were not part of the church band, choir, or praise team, but, all had individually performed in professional bands or venues before. Among the credentials, a soloist formerly from an Acapella choir, a multitalented musician, and a music teacher, and possibly a few others who could sing and hold a tune.

At one point, in a few blessed moments of silence from the attention seekers while they debated the next tune to bore us with; the music teacher and the musician attempted to give the crowd some real music with a good beat. The crowd liked the praise song they started playing, and began to sing with them, getting into it.

The music teacher was playing the piano, and the musician had turned a speaker box into a Congo drum, and was working some serious beats on it. They had started to play because we were all bored with the attention seekers. The majority of the guests were singing with these guys because it was real music that was played well, and all could participate.

Upon noticing the fact that they were no longer the center of attention; the attention seekers immediately began playing a different Karaoke song and singing loudly into the mike (which they turned up) to focus attention back on themselves.

Instead of being gracious enough to allow someone else (with real talent) to lead some music and singing; they selfishly started to compete with them, using the volume of the mike to their advantage to try to drown out the singing of the other guests, who were enjoying the music being played by the music teacher and musician. The attention seekers effectively disrupted the musical interlude that everyone was enjoying, only to bore us again with the same stupid Kelly and friends show.

So you are probably asking yourselves if I’m saying all this because I can sing. Actually, I can. However, I usually don’t volunteer to lead, and rarely volunteer to just sing at an event, despite the ability to do so. I love singing, and can do it fairly well. I’ve done both solo and choir, as well as lead singing and have played a violin for a number of years.

However, I’ve usually only sung in a group situation because others, who have heard me sing in the past, try to convince me to do so. It is one of several talents, but not one that I focus on. Usually, it’s more for personal enjoyment than anything else because despite my ability, I did not choose to pursue a musical career. My loves are natural health and writing.

Besides, you all should know by now, that God points these things out to me, so that I can write and point them out to you and initiate change. God has made it very clear to me that my experiences are for the benefit of others. My calling is to challenge perspectives, writing about the things that most people miss or are afraid to talk about and say out loud in this politically correct climate.

Prior to Kelly and friends, we had to suffer through a mind-numbing hour of what I call, Tarnished Tunes by Tom. Tom represents the guy, who thinks he can play a few notes on a guitar, and whether or not he can actually sing in pitch, or play the popular tunes correctly, he wants to lead worship, so he must lead it at all events.

Heaven forbid the participants sing the songs correctly while he’s altering the arrangement because he can’t play it properly. Don’t even think about telling him the way that the song actually goes, because he will snap at you, telling you, “I’m leading this worship, so it goes the way I say it goes!”

This is the single, social butterfly who is always seeking whoever (usually a female) is throwing the next group activity or event. The purpose is so that he can get together with them and “plan” the event, because he and he alone, must be the provider of the worship music. After all, this is his chance to be seen and be the center of attention.

If by God’s grace, he is unaware of the event in the planning stages; and the event coordinator, who knows him because he knows everyone; decides to ask some other person or group to do worship, he is indignant and belligerent.

“What’s wrong with me?” He demands. “Why can’t I lead the wo-orship?”

There’s more than one of this type, and I’ve seen them at several different types of events. Tarnished Tunes by Tom can come in the form of a bible study leader who arbitrarily decides that he’s going to perform and lead live worship at the bible study he leads. He never thinks about asking the participants if they would prefer live music to recorded praise music, because regardless, he wants to play and lead it.

Sometimes the participants or even the host or coordinator repeatedly say something to try to gently drop a hint that recorded music is preferred. However, the attention seeker, Tuneless Tom, is often too self-absorbed and focused on his own personal insistence of either the ability to play the music; or, his own desire to serve in this particular area that he is not called to. So, despite the lack of talent, the request falls on deaf ears, to the chagrin of all.

While struggling to actually play the music correctly, Tuneless Tom will comment about how he struggles with a particular song or is just out of practice. Often the host or coordinator of the group will say something like, “Oh, you didn’t have to bring the guitar. You should have just told me. I have plenty of CD’s of worship music already recorded and available for the study,” or someone else will say, “Oh, I didn’t know you were going to play,” in an attempt to drop a hint as to their preference for the recorded music.

Nevertheless, it’s of no effect. Tuneless Tom won’t receive the message because he doesn’t want to. His response will always be something like, “Well, we can alternate every other week.” All he is focused on is his insistence and personal desire to lead worship because he thinks he can strum a few notes on some steel. The fact that others don’t enjoy it has no effect because it’s all about him.

After all, people can see and hear the lack of real heartfelt participation in the worship due to participants being unable to follow the flow of offbeat music, and pitchy, tuneless singing of the wannabe worship leader; who’s inconsistent playing and hesitation is obviously the result of a lack of skill.

It interferes with the flow of the spirit when this untrained, wannabe cannot maintain the correct beat or the tune, and plays the song the way they want to, or in a totally different genre.

An example of this would be a well-known and loved praised song that is originally performed in let’s say a Latin or Caribbean genre. Everyone would start singing it according to the Latin or Caribbean style and beat they already know.

However, Tuneless Tom, a song writing legend in his own mind; decides to play and sing the song in a country, rock-a-billy style that no one but him can follow. This is because he is actually unable to play the song, and that is the only way he can even attempt to play it within the scope of his obvious lack of skill.

This actually becomes such a disappointment to people who really would like to get into the spirit of worship. Their heartfelt worship is prevented or hindered by the celebrity ambitions of an amateur performer; whose inflicted personal hobby is outside the scope of their calling or real talents. He’s attempting to be someone (a worship leader) he’s not.

It’s particularly frustrating when there is an array of available recorded worship music that is easily accessible and preferred by the rest of the participants. Even no music - Acapella singing, is preferable to this nonsense. Not only does this disrupt the flow of worship, but it annoys the participants at the event; who have to sit there quietly with grace and politely tolerate attention hounds like Kelly and friends, and Tommy with his Tarnished Tunes.

In addition, the selfish, self-centered behavior of this handful of individuals does nothing to edify anyone, nor does it glorify God. People need to recognize where their gifts really are, instead of imposing their envious behavior and desire for the spotlight on others. They need to get over themselves and stop using an opportunity to worship God as a popularity contest or their personal stage and opportunity for individual praise and adulation.

]]><![CDATA[Victor Not Victim]]>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:11:42 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/02/victor-not-victim.htmlMy best friend has been encouraging me to encourage you. She says that all that I have been going through is so that I can help and encourage others. I know this to be true based on comments that I have gotten from my readers around the web that have been encouraged by what I write about my experiences with God and how He guides me through troubled waters.

After the situation that occurred last year, and much struggle with waiting, I have finally achieved some of my goals! First of all, I learned a new habit. I went to a seminar about an opportunity that I will eventually share with you and heard someone speak that taught me a lot. The new habit is to read 10 pages of a good book - something that will teach or educate you in some way; every day. By doing this, it will cause a paradigm shift on a daily basis that is so subtle, that you won't even notice it until it moves you step by step into your change.  Your life will dramatically improve!

I started to apply this idea to my life in the last 2 weeks. I discovered that it is not good to do this at night, because your brain is too tired then. I kept falling asleep the first two days that I tried this. So I determined to do it first thing in the morning. Now, mind you, I'm not talking about bible reading time. In my mind, that is separate, and should be done first. However, I started this practice, and to my amazement, I finally completed one of the books that I started about 1.5 years ago.

No, I'm not a slow reader. I have simply started several really good books, and have been unable to balance or budget my time to read them all. In fact, I hadn't the time to finish even one of them. Between studying and helping others, I have hardly had the time to glance at more than the first chapter or the intro to a new book that I had purchased.

For instance, I found several interesting massage theory based books, on some related modality. Of course, I get all fascinated, and I purchase the book to soak in the knowledge, but as soon as I get about 1-2 chapters in; life and all of its issues steps in and distracts me into focusing on other things that I must focus on. So finishing this book is a big deal, because I've struggled, when I have a little time to do some reading, as to which of the books I'm in the middle of, shall I read today?

So therefore, to finally get through 1 of the dozen or so books that I've been trying to complete, is indeed a feat, especially because I was focused last year, mostly on studying. That brings me to another accomplished goal. This goal started in 2010, after once again, becoming unemployed. Actually, the last employment was with the Census Bureau, which is a pretty screwed up operation, so it wasn't like a real job. Nevertheless, I had been unemployed for about 2-2.5  years prior, so I wasn't ungrateful. Upon my departure, I was once again unemployed, but I determined that I would not be idle.

So in the interim of becoming employed, I've been busy building this website, which I'm still not finished with; and going to school for massage therapy. Having to learn anatomy and physiology, as well as all the different modalities, took up quite a bit of my time, because first of all, I love massage therapy. Secondly, I was determined to complete this, especially in light of the school loans I took, for the second time, to do this.

So after completing in February of 2011, and graduating in March, I struggled for the remaining months of that year, in getting the monies together to simply take my exam. It seemed that 2011 was a year of delays, with major car issues including brakes and major parts for engine functions, as well as other bill issues, and even having the money stolen from me at one point. In addition, there were people who interfered with my study time, who felt that they knew what was best for me, which basically, was about their own selfish motivations; wanting to use me to achieve their own ambitions.

Yet and still, God is above it all, and in control of all. It was in His plans that I accomplish MY goals. He wanted me to fulfill my dreams, because He gave me those desires. Thus, after even getting the money, and a last minute scheduling issue that prevented me from taking my exam at the end of last year. But again, God knew best, and that delay gave me extra time to prepare.

Because I was so well prepared, the test, which was the most difficult of the exams we can take, seemed very easy to me. I passed it with no problems on 1/4/2012, and applied for my license. After some confusion about my application's completeness, the matter was resolved this week, and I now am officially a nationally certified licensed massage therapist! I am so happy to finally get that letter last night, because now, I can work! Praise God! I could have given up, but in order to be a victor and not a victim, you have to do your best, and trust God to do the rest!
]]><![CDATA[Thought for the Week 57]]>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:44:41 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/01/thought-for-the-week-57.html_ Continuing from where I left off last week, in another section of this book, Ms. Hammond asks a question. “Are we ever unkind to God? I think we are. When we claim credit for the blessings He has given us; that is the height of arrogance.” How do we do this?

“There was no need for a governmental welfare system because everyone looked out for the welfare of the other. Widows and children were high on the list of priority, and because of their care for one another, they were a community that was thriving and growing strong.”

Now, as someone who has been blessed by God through that system, I can tell you that it has helped, but certain aspects have failed me as well. However, I’m not going to focus on that system in this writing, but in another.

My focus about this is in the fact that the church is not following this example. “Yes they are,” you’ll tell me. They give clothes to the needy, and feed the homeless. Really? If that were true, then why aren’t our communities thriving and growing strong instead of breaking down and getting weaker?

Remember that Jesus said we’d always have the poor, but in this community, that was not so because they practiced the principle He instituted of love...real love. He stated that we would always have the poor, because He knew the greedy, uncaring hearts of men, yet, He instituted a practice that could fix that problem.

The church of the book of Acts, were successful in eradicating that problem because of their love. Not just for one another, but above the call of mediocrity; loving everyone, even people who were not a part of the kingdom yet. They had a community that broke barriers, and rose above what was the norm in most communities.

Luk 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

How is the church fulfilling this? The answer is that they are not. Look around you. There are numerous churches in every providence; some on practically every corner in some neighborhoods, yet oftentimes, it is those neighborhoods that are the most in need.

So what’s the problem? Why isn’t this principle in operation in our churches? The number one cause is that all of these churches, regardless of denomination or ideology, refuse to come together to reach out to the community. It’s both a pride and a greed problem.

The reason is because unfortunately, man has become more of a lover of himself, than of his fellow man and this truth is prevalent in the very institution that allegedly preaches against it. This is not just true in the world of business or society as we know it. The church has failed to rise to the heights of real love as Christ has called it to do.

Job 35:16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

This is what the church is doing, multiplying words without knowledge by failing to practice what they preach. Instead, they have set up thrift stores for you to purchase donated items, so that they can profit, and control what comes into the church. That is not what is supposed to be.

In my former church, a guy came up with the idea of a thrift store, and started one that is affiliated with the church.  His motivation was based on his own family history, having been raised by a single mom, himself, and watching her struggle. So his reason was to reach out to the single moms and widows etc.; which is a great motivation.

However, those people in the book of Acts didn’t set up a thrift store. They gave what they had when needed. They didn’t go through the church to do this; they practiced being the church, and just did it. This thrift store is through the church, and even has a wagon to collect donated items is on the church’s property, but that thrift store is a business. They don’t give the items away, they sell them. This thrift store is now his family’s business, and the entire family has worked there at various times.

Is this not the very reason that Christ went into the temple, turning over the tables of the money changers? These people were making a living off God’s house, a place of reverence and worship; which is the same thing I see today, and the reason why none of these principles of real love are being practiced.

Look at TBN. All they do is beg for money. Every preacher and minister of the word, whether spoken or in song, is programmed to command the people to reach into their pockets to give money to the station. They’ve set up an exchange system, in which if you send in a donation of whatever their minimum is (at last note, it was about $10); they will send you the gift of the month. Sometimes they don’t even send you the gift you requested from the month you sent for, but for the following month. What kind of craziness is this?

If they really had faith in God, why would they be begging for money on the television, as opposed to asking God to stir the hearts of the brethren for their support? They appeal to men instead of God, and how does this look to those who aren’t saved? How does this protect the reputation of God’s family as we are called to do? Does this give the appearance that they believe the scriptures?

Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].

This is why we are told to be specific in what we request. No church institution should have ministers of any rank begging for support; none. If they don’t believe this (prayer), how do they expect the body to follow it as well?

It’s a profit machine under the name “non-profit.” Pastors and preachers make their living off of their position in the church, yet Paul; who they often preach more than Christ; had his own business, and made his living off of being a tent maker.

It’s a funny thing too, because the main stream churches are running things in this manner, and then I discovered another movement that is disgusted with that practice, and is running towards works in the manner that the book of Acts describes. They are all about outreach and missions. Their pastors have refused to take a salary from the church; but the problem with them is that they have thrown Christ out of the mix; ascribing only to a theology of works.

The ones I mentioned above have separated themselves in an attempt to move more towards the reality of true charity. However, their problem is that they have moved their focus off of the One who created love and charity, and are focusing instead on simply the work of love and charity. They’ve dismissed the author of it.

Neither of these practices are a true reflection of the Kingdom of God! I think that the reason that this is happening, is because on the one hand, the church proclaiming Christ has become, in this celebrity fascinated society; too focused on entertainment and the greed it breeds.

The perfect example is easily seen in some of these mega-churches, who bring in a stream of “Christian entertainment” via various preachers and musical groups. It’s great to have access to the word via these preachers and music groups, but charging a fee?

Some churches charge a fee to see a Christian play or a concert. I could understand taking an offering, but charging a fee, and then encouraging people to go support that musician or minister at their table purchasing merchandise is too much. Some charge large fees to teach a class that edifies or educates in the word, thereby effectively excluding those who could never afford it, like single moms and widows; the very people the church is supposed to extend a hand to in particular.

1Jo 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

On the other hand, you have a group of people, who, like me, are disgusted with what we see in the bloated entity called the church. Some have just pulled away from the church altogether and have gone underground. I find a lot of those online in blogging sites and the like, and we connect with each other once we see the same mindset via the blog, and have church online by fellowship with each other.

I realize that everyone is not going to agree with me, and that's fine. God gave me my eyes for a reason, and a pen and keyboard to write what He shows me. No one has to agree.

Mat 19:11 But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given.


]]><![CDATA[Thought for the Week 56]]>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:16:41 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/01/thought-for-the-week-56.html_
I was talking to a good friend recently, who I consider to be very wise, highly spirit filled, and very discerning; in fact, discernment is one of her gifts. Our conversation dipped into a few topics, but we always have the spiritual peppered into pretty much anything we discuss. We just happen to love talking about God and the Kingdom.

In that particular conversation, we got to talking about the church and public institutions, and at one point, she said to me, “The reason that you are where you are, and experiencing what you experience, is because God has placed you there to see the problems, so that you can speak for the masses who don’t have the ability to write like you do.”

My response was that I don’t want to leave an impression that I’m a chronic complainer, and that I like to stir things up, but she said, “We are called to speak the truth in love. God never said it would be easy, but we walk by faith, not by sight. We are called to be bold, and have no fear. As you know, I have plenty of boldness. I’m quick to let people know that I’m a child of the most high, and I will tell them the truth with authority. People always call me a trouble maker, but I don’t care about what they say. I care about what God says.”

I laughed when she said that she was called a trouble maker for pointing out the truth, because I too, have been called the same. My former husband used to call me an instigator, because I refused to close my mouth about the injustice I saw. Considering that the pen is mightier than the sword, I have utilized this God-given ability to write, to boldly challenge the abnormal norm; to publicly state the obvious that no one else wants to state in this “politically correct” climate.

Jhn 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
Jam 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

“Let me remind you again,” she said. “You have a gift that God is using to speak for those cannot speak; to bring attention to things that other people see and are frustrated about as much as you and I are, but don’t have the ability to express on paper the way you do. Look at me. I know I can talk someone into the ground, but I struggle to write things clearly in the way that I think them. I have a lot of things that God wants me to express, and I think they need to be written. Maybe that’s why I talk so much...because I can’t write, and God has given me too much to express. You can probably help me with that, because I’ve been thinking that some of what God wants me to say, needs to be in a book.”

“Actually,” I said, “That is the reason I write. God gives me so much. Information and inspiration just comes at me so fast sometimes, that I can’t contain it. I have to write it down. Plus, God confirmed this to me, because if you look up the word “book” in scripture, you will see that there are many places where God commands us to write what He tells us in a book. He had the children of Israel writing lots of books, and He spoke of lots of books He has also. God records everything that happens. So, I do my best, within the time I have, to write what He inspires me to write.”

That said; my focus today is on something I read this morning. I recently learned a new habit, and I’ve been putting it into practice daily. The habit is to read 10 pages of a good book every day, religiously. The ten pages could be from your bible, or it could be any other good book that has positive information in it that will enable you to grow as a person.

A good book is one that informs and educates you in such a way that it creates a positive life change. It is not a book you read purely for entertainment’s sake, like a romance, sci-fi or adventure novel or some trashy biography of some worthless celebrity. It must be something that edifies. If you consistently do this daily, you will find that your life will change. It causes a paradigm shift over time.

So, in light of this, I have been practicing this new habit, and have even come to the conclusion, that this needs to occur during daylight hours, because before bed, I’m inclined to be too tired to either stay awake, or to properly ingest what I’m reading, so it would not be as beneficial. I now do this every morning, and that is working better for me.

What caught my attention today was from a book called “A Sassy Girl’s Guide to Loving God.” In it the author, Michelle McKinney Hammond states,

“Because you have a shared love, it opens the door to friendship, the type of friendship that causes us to cleave to one another, to become united in spirit. It is this unity that dismantles lack in our lives. This is what took place in the book of Acts. The people were bonded together in the unity of faith, and they had all things in common. They sold all they had and pooled their resources for the common good of all. There were no haves and have-nots. There was no such thing as “my own space” or “my exclusive stuff.” No competition among them. They all shared and shared alike. There was no need for a governmental welfare system because everyone looked out for the welfare of the other. Widows and children were high on the list of priority, and because of their care for one another, they were a community that was thriving and growing strong.”

Two things here caught my attention. The first point is that “unity dismantles lack.” That information alone is very powerful. This is why I have long taught my son about the idea of family unity. People these days think they have that with their kids or relatives, but they don’t. Why? Because in America, people are programmed in this day and age, to kick their kids out of the house when they turn 18; in fact, some people can’t wait to get rid of their kids so that they can “enjoy their own live” now.

My cousin thinks this way. She is a single mom with 3 boys and 1 girl. The girl is the last of the bunch, and she says she can’t wait until she is through school and off to college on a scholarship. Now, in her case, I can sort of see why she’d want a break from kids in general. She runs a daycare out of her home, so she’s been raising her kids, and other people’s untrained babies and toddlers as well. She does need a break.

However, the principle behind my idea about this is in what I have taught my own son. Since he was a little boy, I have taken him on drives in which we passed through some of the wealthier neighborhoods. We drove through the various estate and acre properties in our county and saw all the big beautiful houses and mansions on huge acres of property. We checked out the ranches also.

I told my son that some of the people owning those big houses with land, came here as immigrants and lived in a 1 room apartment like gypsies. Some of these large families came together, with cousins, aunts, uncles and siblings, and all of them worked together. They may have started out sleeping on the floor of a 1 room apartment, but the men worked, the women took care of the kids, and they all pooled their resources together.

Eventually, they were able to move into a 1 bdrm apartment, then a 2 bdrm apartment; and then, they bought a 3-4 bdrm house for the whole large family. Whether they started their own businesses or not, when their resources kept increasing, they still continued to pull together as a family unit, and pool those resources, eventually buying more homes and renting out the previous ones, until they  were able to purchase a large ranch or house in which everyone could be housed very comfortably.

The points are:
1.    They come here with a better work ethic, because they see opportunity in this country and are not afraid to work for it.
2.    They are willing to sacrifice. They have not necessarily lived a life of luxury, but even if they have and it was taken away, they are willing to sacrifice and rebuild.
3.    They understand the unity principle, in which community property is king, and all profit from working together, not separately. Their mindset is not set on the principle of 90% effort for 10% returns as an individual, but on 10% effort for 90% returns as part of a unit (a team/body).

Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it].
Psa 132:15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Deu 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

I told my son that he and I are a team, and that we will progressively move forward if we work together. All we have is each other, because my family is stuck in the “American tradition” and hasn’t figured this out yet. So my son and I are starting a new tradition. We are staying together. And don’t think I’m super mom, and have never gotten frustrated enough with him to say, “I can’t wait until you turn 18 and can move out.” I’ve said it, but it’s only been from a moment of frustration, and not from a place of real desire.

He knows he’s not going anywhere. We have a plan, and I have been letting him know that as I chart our path, I will be assigning certain things to him to manage, so that the burden of our endeavors is not all on me alone. Yes, our financial picture will get better. The increase is already on its way, but I’m making my son my partner and having him help so that we can be financially independent together. He’s already monitoring what I purchase when we go food shopping, refusing to let me get certain things that are not an immediate concern.

In another section of this book, Ms. Hammond asks a question. “Are we ever unkind to God? I think we are. When we claim credit for the blessings He has given us; that is the height of arrogance.” How do we do this? It’s found in the other section of the original quote stated earlier, which I will answer in my next Thought for the Week.

]]><![CDATA[Thought For The Week 55]]>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:24:05 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/01/thought-for-the-week-55.html_
This morning, I walked out my back door to hang some laundry outside. I had already started both sides of the line, which I tied between an attached pole on the house and the neighbors, tree, which hangs over the fence and into my yard. I put the heaviest items on the both ends, the jeans, which pulls the line tauter in the middle. I was on round two, about to go back to the end with the tree, and as I got over to that side, I noticed something. I large possum was sitting just 3-5 feet from me in the tree, on the main large branch, just above the fence.

Now, I have never liked possums. I always thought they were the ugliest creatures, and I can’t stand to see one. Now, one is sitting right here practically in my yard. It’s too early in the morning to go and get one of my neighbors. There are guys on all sides of me, but it’s barely 7am, and aside from that, I’m not even dressed yet.

In lieu of the shower I planned on taking as soon as my son exited the bathroom from taking his shower, I had grabbed a pair of stretch leggings from the top of the pile of dirty clothes in my hamper. I added this to the bra-less nightgown, and threw a pair of gators on my feet just to quickly hang clothes on the line. There was no way I wanted or needed anyone to see me in this condition.

So this means I’m left to deal with the possum problem myself. First, I tried speaking to it. I said, “What are you doing here? I don’t want you here. I don’t need you in my yard. You are going to have to leave.” Now I realize that you are probably thinking that I’ve lost my mind, speaking to a possum. However, let me just say that I have always believed that animals are simply another spiritual entity that God has placed here for us. The difference is, they have a soul, but no spirit to my understanding.

However, like us, they are living, breathing, energy forms, that have some sort of thought life. I know they have a thought life because they feel pain, loss, fear and even joy (they have fun and play). I don’t know the extent of their thought life, but it is very clear to me that they have emotions, and will fight to protect their own. All of this tells me clearly that they have a thought life. I remember some videos I have seen on Youtube that proved this fact.

One video showed a straggling baby water buffalo at the end of the pack get attacked by first some lions, who subsequently fell in the river trying to get it. Then it was also grabbed by a large alligator, who was then involved in a tug of war with the lions for the baby. The lions got it away from the alligator, and had just come up out of the water to face the entire pack of water buffalo; which had turned around and come back, having been called by another water buffalo that had witnessed the attack, possibly its mother.

A male water buffalo made some threatening gestures at the two lions holding the baby, as if to say, “Let him go!” The lions, which had their backs to a river full of eager alligators, began to loosen their grip and the baby struggled out of their grasp and back to the herd, which opened up for him and encircled him in the middle of them. Then another male, with horns down, made some threatening stomps and charges towards the lions, as if to say, “You better not mess with us again!” The lions were backing away up the side of the embankment with herd and river on either side. One had already run off and another male water buffalo again, again made aggressive charging gestures to the remaining lion, as if to say, “Now get out of here!” This was reported on news stations, because people have been unaware of the bond of family in some of these animal groups.

I’ve seen it before. One bird is perhaps hit by a car, and another bird, its mate, is fluttering around it in great dismay, trying to get it to get up. That bird will stay with its mate for hours, sometimes the entire day, before leaving. Again, I’ve seen it in nature shows, where an elephant dies, and the entire elephant clan will mourn for days and weeks, before moving on. They will take that elephant’s baby and take care of it. And, even upon returning to the same place a year later, they will still recognize the bones of that elephant, and touch them very affectionately, still mourning her passing.

Thus, having witnessed all this, and, having pets myself, I decided to speak to the possum. The possum had not moved from his perch. I was not at all comfortable with the idea of this possum so close to me, especially considering that a possum had killed one of my cats years ago, and I did not know what they were capable of. I didn’t know if it could leap off the tree at me. So I was determined that it had to go.

Since it did not respond to my suggestion that it leave, I picked up a mop that my son had put outside and advanced towards it. All I was trying to do, was to encourage it to leap down off the tree into my neighbor’s yard, because as I said, it’s all guys over there, and I figured they could handle this creature better than I. Naturally, I was thinking that the possum could leap off the tree, but the creature clung to the tree even more. In fact, he turned and with a snarl, began going up the main branch that hung over my yard! That’s exactly what I did not want! So now, I was forced into trying to reason with him again, because I didn’t want to antagonize him further, and cause him to actually jump on me, or into my yard.

The fortunate thing was that I had already hung the clothes on that side, so I did not have to stand under him to do that, especially because his nose was dripping, and that was not an appealing idea, no matter how you looked at it. So, with an attitude of respect, negotiations began anew. “Look, Mr. Possum. I’m sorry that I did that. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I simply want you to leave. I don’t want you here.” The possum remained silent, just looking at me, so I continued. At least he was listening.

“You know, you aren’t quite as ugly as I originally thought. Now that I can see you this well, but still, I’m not comfortable with you being here. So look. Here’s the deal. You gotta go. You can’t stay up in that tree, nor can you stay here around my yard. I don’t want to call the authorities on you, so you need to get out of here; or I will be forced to call animal control to get you out of here.”

He politely looked at me as I headed back towards my back door. “You need to be out of here when I come back, or I will call them.” I turned around to look back at him, ducking down to see him in the tree. He was already obediently turning around and beginning his descent back down the branch. So I went inside, confident of his cooperation in the matter. When I came out a few hours later to check on the clothes, he was gone.

It was only a bit after 10am, and I had returned to the chore of spring cleaning my bedroom, which was sorely in need of it. Due to all the time in school and the distractions of last year, in which I did my utmost to study in between; my room had been neglected for quite some time.

Usually, when I clean in the house, I do the more general areas first, where guests might frequent. Naturally, I try to make sure my son maintains his room, and I try to keep my office organized, so my room is always last and the most neglected. The office also went to pot once I began clearing the storage room, and attempting to keep that somewhat clear and in order. It’s hard when you have a teenaged son that could care less about cleanliness, and who claims you are “picky” when you fuss about it.

So now that all the business about taking my exam and applying for my license was over, and I was victorious in the matter; it was time to turn my attention elsewhere, namely to organizational matters. As a creative being, I find organization and scheduling to be such a struggle. I’m more of a spur of the moment, go with the flow type that tries to plan; but I have not yet mastered being able to plan out a month in advance. I’m just not that disciplined at this point. I try, but week by week is enough to balance right now.

So there I was, in the midst of cleaning when a sudden spell of sleepiness came over me. I sat on the edge of the bed thinking of what I still needed to do to get the room the way I wanted it. However, my body was saying, “Rest. You need some rest or you will not be able to function well later tonight.” One thing I’ve learned is to listen to my body, so I decided to lay down for a bit, thanking God for being thoughtful enough to create rest when He created the world. I mean, can you imagine life, with all its stresses without that?  I don’t think we could last even with a 10 year lifespan if we weren’t able to rest.

So I thanked Him as I was dozing off, and slept well for quite a while. At the point when my mind was struggling to regain consciousness, my body was not cooperating. I was still in my bed, my eyes were still closed, but I was trying to wake up. I was fighting to regain consciousness some 3 hours or so later, because my conscious mind was telling me that my son would be home soon, and I needed to start dinner. However, my body was not being cooperative. I can’t say I can completely blame it.

It was trying to summon the energy to get me up, but it felt like my own energy was being zapped. It felt as if the bed itself was sucking up my energy like a vacuum. There was heaviness, as if I was tied to the bed; as if there was indeed a suction force holding me captive. I could literally feel energy draining from me every time I attempted to move in an upward direction. The very thought of getting up seemed to cause the attack of what seemed a vortex force pulling my energy out of me.

This may sound strange to you. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced that. It made me wonder about the bed itself. I wondered if certain types of beds could have that affect based on the materials it is made of. Could certain materials drain your energy?

I need a new bed, so I wondered if there were beds that were made that had the ability to rejuvenate you as you slept. Instead of pulling your energy out of you, it put more energy into you; and you would awake without resistance, feeling refreshed and energized, and ready to start your day. It would almost be as if that sort of bed took your energy and recycled it; re-energizing you while you slept, so that you were fully recharged when you awoke.

However, upon reflection of these thoughts, I realize...it’s not the bed, bedding or materials of it. It’s the Author of it all. He is the one who rejuvenates us through prayer-when we spend time with Him. I don’t know about anyone else, but personally, I’m not into the church formalities of prayer. I like to just converse with Him, because we have a relationship. Being that He is the source of all power and strength, all I need to do to get my energy back, is talk to the Light, and He will recharge me.

]]><![CDATA[Thought For the Week 54]]>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:12:08 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2012/01/thought-for-the-week-54.html_

It’s a new year, and I welcome the change it brings. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Why? Last year was a year of attack by the enemy, full of toxic situations. First of all, it was a year of delays. Everything I tried to do to move forward failed, and there were many setbacks towards a particular goal I had.

Additionally, the enemy used a toxic person to bring distraction and distress, in an attempt to steal my joy, and disrupt my peace. Ever meet a walking, talking mirage? This is the type of person who puts on a front, trying to give the impression they have class and professionalism; who looks good from a distance, but once you get close to them, you find nothing but a desert full of dead men's bones.

Luk 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
Luk 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." ESV

So let me just say that I happily kicked the dust of that person off my feet, and keep on walking, ’cause God’s got me. He never let go. Plus, He has big plans for me so I have no need for that individual, as they can’t do anything for me that I couldn’t do for myself.

The reason I’m no longer upset about it is simple. First of all, I learned never to give so much of myself to someone else’s project, ministry or association; to the point that their demands of your time rob you from completing your own goals and dreams that God has for you. Especially because a person that is that demanding is too selfish to ever be so giving to you. Secondly, I keep running into people who profess God’s name, but play the enemy’s game.

A perfect example of this happened to a friend of mine online. This brother has been in attendance at a particular church; trying for, I believe he said 3 months to become a member. Yet, despite the fact that he is giving of himself and his time, and serving in the church as the director of the teen ministry; the leadership in his church has refused to grant him and his wife membership in the church. If you read his blogs, you’ll see that it sounds like a spite issue based off of jealousy.

Now for me personally, I have a problem with the issue of membership in churches because such a policy gives people a license for selective exclusion. In other words, whoever is placed in charge over that area, depending on their heart, could pick and choose according to their personal preferences and selectively deny membership to those outside of what they personally deem as “worthy.”

Aside from this, there is no “membership” in the body of Christ other than to believe on Him and accept Him as your personal savior, recognizing the sacrifice He made for your sins, and asking Him to be Lord of your life. There are no other membership requirements. There are expectations, which basically are that once you accept Christ, you strive through prayer, fellowship and biblical study, to get closer to God and build your relationship with Him, letting Him lead and direct your life.

When you find foul fruit among the leadership of the group or organization you are associated with, especially in one that claims to be of the spirit, you are wasting your time to think you can change that individual. Staying there does nothing but waste God’s time for you, because He’s got better things for you, and doesn’t need you tossing your pearls to swine.

Jam 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jam 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jam 1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Jam 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jam 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jam 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Jam 1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Aside from that, once that individual discovers that you’ve seen through their facade, they can no longer control you; and under that threat, they will do everything in their power to discredit you and malign your name to everyone. Just think of this in terms of a job situation, and dealing with an insecure boss who thinks everyone wants to either take their job, take credit for whatever they’ve done, or for what happens in their department that is worthy of note; and you will see the correlation.

Jam 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jam 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.
Jam 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness.
Jam 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Jam 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
Jam 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Jam 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Jam 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Jam 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Jam 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet [water] and bitter?
Jam 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so [can] no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
Jam 3:13 Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

So the sooner you discover such an issue, and adjust your thoughts and plans for the inevitable split; just read the writing on the wall, the better off you’ll be; because you will accomplish nothing more than self-flagellation staying around a person that is that toxic in their heart and spirit.

It’s just like when you find something rotten in your refrigerator. As soon as you become aware that there is rotten fruit in there, you immediately remove it and throw it in the trash. In the case of my friend; he is torn, because despite having discussed leaving his church with his wife; he doesn’t actually want to leave, regardless of the recognition that there is a problem in his church’s leadership. He has connected with the kids he’s working with, and he wants to be able to continue to encourage them.

However, just because you disassociate with an individual or association, does not necessarily mean that you have to disassociate with every person in that organization. People will notice the disappearance of the beneficial things that you did that specifically connected you to that person or group, but I personally don’t see why he can’t maintain outside contact with the kids and other individuals he was working with.

In fact, he could just start his own home bible study with them or some sort of online group or forum where they could meet and communicate to stay in touch. That would allow him to maintain his contact with his spirit filled associates he encountered while in association there, and still allow him to counsel the kids.

When you throw out the garbage, you separate the recyclables, because those are still useful. They can be restored, even if in another form; and put to good use, whereas that stinking, rotten fruit is good for nothing but the garbage heap.

Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

God says that His people perish through lack of knowledge, but also from rejection of the truth. After you separate the recyclables, you don’t take that stinking, rotten fruit out of the garbage bag to throw it out. No, you throw out the entire bag, because anything associated with that rotten stuff is permeated, and you want no association with that smell.

Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
Mat 13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];
Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Mat 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

It is the same when you have discovered a dangerous snake in your garden. You call in an exterminator to get rid of it. Or, if you are a Pacific Islander, you simply get a machete and cut off its head. I mean, think about it. In light of this info, had Adam been a Jamaican, we’d all have been better off! I can just hear a Jamaican Adam in the garden confronting the serpent, “Dis ’er snake tink him gwine mess wit me woman?!? Me gwine cut off ’im head!” God had me cracking up when that thought came in. He’s got a great sense of humor.

The point is, you eliminate any and all association to that snake because if left alone, it will eventually bite you and poison you. Now, some of you may be thinking that it’s not “Christian-like” to call people snakes, particularly other “alleged” Christians, particularly in leadership, who are misrepresenting God. You may even think that such statements reflect badly on me for saying them, but let me remind you that I follow Christ. Jesus, himself, called out the Pharisaical spirit publicly, stating that they were “vipers;” the very thing I’m saying here.

I’m not saying that my friend should sever his association via an all-out war, because we are called to live at peace with everyone if possible. But if peace is not an option, regardless, get out and get on with your life. Walk away with no regrets, because you are confident that God’s got you, and that all seasons are ultimately for your good. You don’t have to concern yourself with it because if you are truly His; God’s intention is what rules your life, not other people’s intentions.

Plus, God will repay their self-centeredness, Himself, especially because they are misrepresenting Him. After all, if love for God is not the motivating factor in our behavior and state of heart, we affect His reputation. David understood that he needed to get his act together because the name of the Lord would be affected if he didn’t.

When caught in sin, he loved God enough to be truly repentant because his first thought was how God felt about it. He mourned over grieving God’s heart, more than he regretted the consequences to his own household that he was forced to bear. It caused him to cry, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (2 Sam 12:13) This made God cherish David more. Spiritual toxicity can not only cause someone to lose their life, but it also attacks and affects the living body.

“Our emotional energy converts into biological matter through a highly complex process. Just as radio stations operate according to specific energy wavelengths, each organ and system in the body is calibrated to absorb and process specific emotional and psychological energies. That is, each area of the body transmits energy on a specific, detailed frequency, and when we are healthy, all are “in tune.” An area of the body that is not transmitting at its normal frequency indicates the location of a problem. A change in intensity of the frequency indicates a change in the nature and seriousness of the illness and reveals the stress pattern that has contributed to the development of the illness.” Carolyn Myss, PH.D – author of Anatomy of the Spirit.

Those toxins even tried to attack me on a smaller scale in my body due to the stress this individual put me through as I went through the extraction process. I’m sure that the author of that attack was hoping to launch a full scale war in my body. However, I had already given God control of the situation. He had previously sent two angels to warn me, which is why I wasn’t surprised at the attack launched at me by this person. That attack was thwarted by God’s grace and mercy to me, but more on that at a later date.

But it’s all good. I mean, if that’s the best that the enemy’s got...he’s in trouble, because I’m not swayed. I’m not impressed or depressed. I’m not in fear, and I’m not moving backwards...in fact, I shall not be moved. Everything is going great, even in the midst of what appears to the natural eye to be a personal and financial setback because God will repay. I’m still good and God proved once again, that He’s always got my back, because when I thought there was no oil in the pot, I discovered that God had restored it before I had even asked Him to.

And furthermore, I’m great because despite the adversity I personally had, and all the opposition and hindrances that tried to stop me; I still succeeded in reaching my goal, and obtaining the accreditation and certification I needed after almost a year after my graduation. I claimed it and I did it. Success belongs to the overcomers and as such, I am now a nationally certified Massage Therapist. I have people knocking down my door to hire me. I’m simply waiting on my license to arrive and I’m good to go. Remember, if you are not facing adversity or have become the cause of it, God is not the operating force in your life.

So you see, all the adversity that I had to go through was for my good and betterment anyhow. That’s God’s way...which is why it is so cool to have a relationship with Him. The great thing is that I met some really cool people in the process who have chosen to remain connected to me, which is great. To add to all of this, God has connected me. I’ve met real positive and actual spirit-filled people who appreciate what I come to the table with, and are eager to affiliate and work with me for our mutual benefit. Those are the types of people I choose to associate with, and which you will be hearing about soon on one of my sites.

]]><![CDATA[Thought For The Week 53]]>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:48:19 -0800http://www.sandramurquhart.com/3/post/2011/12/thought-for-the-week-53.html_
A new year is approaching, and most people will be thinking about their resolutions for the next year. Personally, I’m not in the habit of making resolutions. My focus is more on goals and accomplishing them. My goals are the type to move me forward. It’s not just a resolution to do something better or differently.

Aside from that, I don’t make these goals based on the fact that a new year is approaching. That is not the catalyst for my goal list. I am constantly trying to make sure that I am accomplishing something, and writing it down helps me to track how long it takes for me to complete something.

Prior to trying to initiate this habit, and prior to completing a course of study in college for the first time, I had never completed anything. I started a lot of things, but never completed them; getting caught up in the next thing that caught my attention.

So I began to start writing down my goals and dreams so that I could track when I achieved something. Recently, I observed a successful business associate, who showed me his list and how he worked it. It made me rethink my methodology and gave me a desire to be even more specific.

Now I want to do a breakdown of not just what I want to accomplish, but the steps to get there, so I can note when each step is completed. Plus, he had a timeline of his expected conclusion of his projects. Each one had a date of completion, with the steps to get there clearly outlined on his list.

For each day, he had a time to work on a little of something towards each goal. I really liked that idea, so this is something I want to begin to put into practice starting in January. I have a major goal/hurdle to get past in the first week, and then I will be able to focus my attention on a goal chart.

The other thing that occurred to me just a short time ago also had to do with how I think...how we all think. I’m sitting in Starbucks, and a few minutes ago, a really nice looking guy walked in. My thought was, “My, aren’t you a cutie.”

Then another thought hit me. Does anyone remember that commercial that was out several years ago about people who suffered from bad breath or gas? It was a cartoon, and it demonstrated what it would be like if people who had problems like bad breath and gas, had a green vapor that appeared when they spoke or when there was a vapor excreted from the opposite end.

I know. How she could be talking about this, you ask. I’m revealing the thoughts I had a few minutes ago. And this is just the point. What if instead of that scenario of the cartoon commercial; the thing revealed was our thoughts?

What if thought bubbles appeared over our heads, or we had an assigned automated voice that automatically verbalized our every thought? Are you cringing yet?

Yeah, this was the thought that hit me, as I was thinking that little thought about the cute guy. What if my thoughts were audible and he heard me? Yikes, right? But the point this brought me to, was this; ‘How much harder would we work on cleaning up our thoughts if they were visible or audible to the entire world around us?

That really made me stop and think. I mean, granted, my thought about the guy wasn’t a bad or dirty thought. It was just a thought about the fact that he was nice looking. But, it’s not something I’d ever approach him and say, so it’s not something that I’d necessarily be comfortable with revealing.

The guys I used to flirt with were always the guys that I never imagined would have any serious interest in me, so I would be comfortable flirting with them, because I felt safe. I never flirted like that with someone that I was really into; at least, not until we were actually an item.

Prior to that...I tended to be extremely shy around someone I was really into. At this point in my life, I haven’t met too many people that qualify for that much awe from me, so, it hasn’t happened like that lately.

But, my point is, we are called to purify ourselves, and part of that process means getting a grip on our thought life, and submitting it to God. Our thought life can be like a monster, growing larger and out of control due to the influences that pass through our spiritual gates.

I can tell you this, if I had to be concerned with my thought life being revealed to everyone, I’d be a lot quicker in submitting it to God, because I’d want that thing under control so neither God nor myself is embarrassed by it.

So I guess what I’m suggesting for the New Year, is for everyone to really think about getting their thought life submitted and under control. Believe me; that is not a film reel you will want played back in the end if you didn’t. God bless and Happy New Year.

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