This is why I’ve never had a desire to be around snakes and I will never understand why people want them as their pets.

CINCINNATI – A 13-foot boa constrictor wrapped itself around its owner’s neck and killed the man in his home, authorities said.
An acquaintance found Ted Dres, 48, inside the snake’s cage Saturday and called police, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office said.
The snake was still strangling Dres when deputies arrived, and the officers had to work with members of an animal protection group to remove the reptile, the sheriff’s office said. Dres’ snake will be kept at an animal shelter awaiting instructions from police or Dres’ family, said Andy Mahlman, spokesman for the Cincinnati Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. “People who keep these type of animals as pets should know exactly what they’re doing and what they’re capable of,” Mahlman said. He said he has seen photographs of reptile owners posing with snakes coiled around their necks. “They don’t realize they could be a few seconds away from death,” he said.

So I was talking with some friends about Austin Street shelter and just
the homeless in general. I think that it’s great what the group from
Encounter are doing by going down there and giving out blankets,
clothes, cookies, and in a couple of weeks hygiene kits. I have been a
couple of times and had a good time. And, if you take the time, you can
actually get to know some of the people. Anyway, someone posed this
question. If we, as in anyone, go to the shelters and give out the
stuff that people need to get by (clothes, blankets, hygiene, etc) why
would they have to work and are we in a way enabling them to just get by
and be lazy? Maybe not lazy, but are we enabling them to live their life
as they please and not have to work because they have the necessities?
What do you think? I’m not saying in anyway I agree with this comment,
it just came up in conversation and I wondered what other people
thought.

So, I had been going to Jonathan’s church, Encounter, for a couple of
weeks and then went back to Northwest Bible where I’ve gone for a couple
of years. I had always liked the worship team and service at
Northwest…I have boasted about how good they were to many people.
Well, I have to say that when I went back to Northwest after being at
Encounter for a couple of weeks, I was kind of shocked. I realized how
good the worship team was at Encounter and how much I liked the music
and service. Bryan, the pastor at Encounter, termed this the “Encounter
Effect”, so if any of you want to experience this effect, please visit
this church which meets in Waxahachie, I know it’s a drive for some of
you, but it’s well worth it! You can check out the church’s website at
www.encounterthis.com and the worship band at
http://www.encounterthis.com/pages/band.html

For any of those who know me, you know that I was in absolute heaven a couple of days ago when it was snowing…Okay, so I wouldn’t techincally call it snow, it was more like little white dots, but either way they were little drops of heaven. I LOVE snow and cold weather. We were walking to our cars after work on Thrusday and we were on the skybridge with glass windows and I felt like I was in a snow globe. We were completely surrounded by snow flakes and it was really cool. You should have been there! Another thing, why is it that when there is a chance for a little drop of sleet to hit the ground, even though the ground is like 90 degrees because the weather has been too warm the 2 previous weeks, the news freaks out. They stayed on the air ALL day Thursday and Friday morning. It’s ridiculous. Texans make a big deal about cold weather! It’s just cold. I think when the coldness sweeps into town, it affects peoples ability to drive too. It’s like they turn on a stupid switch or something and forget how to drive. I’ll never figure it out. I hope everyone stayed safe!

Stained Glass Masquerade
by: Casting Crowns

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the heart again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

I was listening to this song today on the way to work and I always sing along with it but never really listened to the lyrics. It’s a powerful message and all too real. I don’t know about you, but there are many times that I’ve felt like this, just wanting to hide how I feel and putting on a good face for everyone. Putting on this act is just what the song says a “masquerade”, you put on a mask to cover your true feelings and in doing that you never really let anyone in. On the flip side, we are so used to people asking how we are out of a basic courtesy but not truly meaning it so we just say “good” and both go on our way…this has taught us to keep our feelings inside and hide them. We think to ourselves, “They don’t want to actually know how we feel, so why tell them. We might scare them off.” For me, it’s not that, okay maybe sometimes, but mainly its just the fact that I don’t want to burden anyone. But that’s why we have family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. They are there for us no matter what and let us know we can be ourself and take off the mask. Are you the type of friend whose friends know they don’t need to wear a mask around you? I think I am and I hope my friends know they don’t need any kind of mask around me, ever! We need to get off the stage, put up the masks and just be ourselves.

I’m so sorry but someone just reminded me of these activites that I forgot to add to the 10 activities to do during the holiday season.

“ice skating, Bethleham Revisited, the Candlelight Home Tour and more in beautiful, historic Waxahachie”

I can’t imagine who would have told me that! 😉

Seriously….

CANBERRA, Australia – A bus driver who was 13 times over the legal
alcohol limit while driving a bus load of schoolchildren had a simple
request for police who arrested him for drunken driving, an Australian
court heard on Wednesday.

“Can I finish my run, at least to drop these kids off?”

When you think about your passions, what do you think about? Is it spending time with your family or doing something you love?

This past Sunday I had another opportunity to go down to Austin Street shelter to pass out clothes and blankets to the homeless. We were so blessed to get the amount of clothes and blankets to pass out…there were about 20 full boxes. Not only were we blessed with the amount of donations that were received but with the amount of people that showed up to help. This is such a great opportunity to minister to the people of Dallas. They are so gracious for anything we give to them and just taking the time to talk to them. I like listening to their stories and some of these guys have amazing stories but you would never know it unless you took the time to talk to them. Some of the people that went down there with us on Sunday go almost every Sunday. They are so passionate about it and have a heart for this ministery. I have to be honest when I say that I really do like going down there and talking with the people and getting to know them, but it’s not my passion…I’m not that passionate about it. The things I am passionate about and love to spend my time doing are building/painting houses for Habitat for Humanity or organizations like that and doing things with kids in children’s homes. I have a passion for kids who don’t have families. Every child should feel the love of a parent, it’s hard to think of someone growing up without that. I would love to be a foster parent but then I would probably end up getting too attached and wanting to adopt like 10 kids. I would love to adopt a child at some point. My passion has been to go to a children’s home in Russia and some day I WILL go! I might bring a child back, but I will go. Anytime you have a passion, you should follow through with it, I think if you don’t, you’ll regret it later down the line.

I got these from my mom and they are HILARIOUS…These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

1. Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

2. “Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don’t forget your husbands.

3. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

4. Don’t let worry kill you off – let the Church help.

5. For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

6. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

7. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October! 24th in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

8. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

9. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 p.m. – prayer and medication to follow.

10. The Associate Minister unveiled the church’s new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: “I Upped My Pledge – Up Yours.”

And my absolute favorites:

11. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m.. Please use the back door.

12. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

security at home

I sure with my dog was this smart!! I love this kind of stuff…anything where animals talk or act like humans is great!